Greyhawk Poland 2011 Campaign

The idea is that this is a game of WotC's Dungeons and Dragons v3.5 with house rules,[1] which it is set in a world of my own fabrication, designed by cherry picking socio-economic and political elements from a game supplement entitled The World of Greyhawk published 30 years ago for TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st edition.

The game world is a product of my imagination:[2] not the imagination of Gary Gygax,[3] to whom I am most grateful for the 1983 publication of The Boxed Set and its huge Map and for the origins of D&D as its co-creator with Dave Arneson; or the merchandising of Wizards of the Coat, who would like us all to believe no other Greyhawk but their official version exists. [Long time players should make special note to what I am saying here.}

The Flanaess

In reality, there is only ONE Greyhawk and you are about to experience it for the first time. I use the information from the Boxed Set[4] as current to up to the Common Year (CY) of 517, retaining ONLY the social, economic and political information contained therein. The world, otherwise, is uniquely mine and, therefore, contains some surprises even for seasoned explorers of The Flanaess.

For the initiate of this game world, my world of Greyhawk is based on a large planet called Oerth. The continent where Greyhawk is situated is called Oerik. Geographically, the game focuses on the northeast corner of the continent of Oerik, which is known as The Flanaess. Greyhawk is a city in that section of Oerik, on the planet Oerth. The game opens in the Elven country named Celene.

While there is plenty of social-political information presented about The Flanaess, going as far back as to explain why that part of the continent is named for the Flan people, I really do not care and, subsequently, neither should my players because as I am the world builder. Neither am I an Otaku[5] when it comes to Greyhawk nor an obsessive compulsive when it comes to historical details about an imaginary planet, so players can relax. There will be no exam and no essential prior knowledge of the land is required outside of what is written here.

One might ask the question: What sort of ancient history would the inhabitants of The Flanaess know? A satisfying answer should consider that the institutionalization of education is a recent invention of modern Humankind, and ancient history had no place to sit an examination in medieval Europe, the raw setting of fantasy worlds. What is known would be through oral tradition. Apart from drinking tales like Beowulf,[6] most knowledge is centred around the family community and practical matters in nature. So a deep Gygaxian knowledge of the history of The Flanaess is well and truly beyond any player character or non-specialized Non-Player Character (NPC). As far as we understand studying ancient history, the characters are the ancient history of The Flanaess.

IF YOU READ THIS REMEMBER HOW FED UP I AM WITH READING STUFF THAT TAKES MY TIMNE AND OFFERS ME NOTHING IN RETURN. However, thank you for the easy instructios to create an account ^_^

=Realism=

The best way to deal with inhabitants of my world (or the real world for that matter) is to treat others as they would expect to be treated but by treating others as you would want them to treat you is also a good policy (at least in my fantasy world).

In the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons’ Dungeon Master’s Guide, on pg. 94, Gary Gygax makes a very good point about this in the social context

Peasants, Serfs, and Slaves

In feudalistic societies, no person not of gentle birth or noble birth would be allowed weapons of offence, other than those for hunting. Therefore, swords, lances, maces, etc., would be totally banned. In societies, which heavily oppress the commoners, serfs ands/or slaves will be even more restricted than common peasants. They can have no weapon of any sort whatsoever. They cannot leave their area, be it farm, estate, village or whatever. They are chattel.

Peasants, serfs and slaves generally resent this treatment. Revolts of these sorts of people are common in history. Any character who forces peasantry, serfdom or slavery upon any inhabitants of an area he or she controls will have to be very careful to guard against uprisings. The oppressed folk will most certainly attempt an uprising once every five years, minimum. If there is weakness noted, there will be an uprising immediately. Peasants will demand more freedom, rights and lesser taxes; serfs will be attempting to gain peasant status; slaves will simply desire to slay their former masters and escape to somewhere where they can be free. Exact details of such uprisings are not possible here, but you should be able to determine them without undue difficulty. The oppressed populace will give rise to about one fighter for every 5 total, as men, women and just about anybody able to carry a club or a knife will join in. Arms and armour (if any) will be scant and crude. Troops will be 0 level, peasant class. Tactical ability will usually tend to be nil. The exception is if some mercenary group aids peasants, or if some slaves have had military experience.

If a rising does occur, the player character must suppress it as soon as possible. If it lasts more than one month, the revolting folk will gain experience, organization, recruits, and better weapons and armour. Therefore, for each full month of successful revolt, add 10% to the number of people in revolt, assume 10% of the total force becomes equal to regular man-at-arms in training and armour and weapons, and allow them greater tactical ability. After six months of successful revolt, the rebellion can be assumed to have taken on the status of a civil war, and the revolutionaries will be able to field something approximating a regular military force.

Campaign Back Cover

The world of Greyhawk in 517 (CY) is a continuing expanse of ever growing alliances and conflicts between the races. The nation building conflicts visited upon the races by early Human settlements have been relegated to the long forgotten past by everyone but the Dwarven peoples and to a greater extent, due to their longevity, The Elven people. Still, even to the Elves, time has past and some wounds are healing.

Celene

In Celene, the land claimed by the Elven nation, a feudal monarchy has reigned for thousands of years. But for the past few years the monarchy has tried to remove long standing barriers between the Elven people and the other races, particularly the Human city state to the north in Verbobonc. When the Old King died in 511 of old age, he left his daughter, Yolande, to rule as Queen above the objection of her three older brothers and his many council advisors. To their surprise, the Lady Rhalta of All Elvenkind has proven a strong force to contend continuing in her father’s anti-isolationist footsteps and skillfully creating policies and enacting laws enabling co-mingling. Half-Elves, while still not openly accepted, are quietly tolerated and isolated tales of other races squatting in the small thorps of Celene are becoming more common. The situation is so delicate that open hospitality is about to erupt not only with the Human race to the north but with the Dwarven races to the west, races long tolerated because of their own protectionist policies.

Something must be done to save the culture of the Elven people, representing a mere 2% of the entire population of the world of Greyhawk, from assimilation! A secret society is formed to protect the Elven race.

And thus begins a story of fear, power and manipulation at the highest levels of politics leading to a civil war between the Elves in Celene, national wars with her neighbours and finally the opportunity the Humanoid hordes of The Pomarj have long and patiently waited for these many years: revenge.

This is the epic campaign that begins the adventure for 1st-level characters, considered outcasts in Celene, that first uncover more than simple treasure hidden inside a dungeon ruin. From there they learn of the power struggles taking shape in the capital Enstad, and rivalries harbored within the Royal Family itself. Two Barons will eventually come to blows forcing the players to take sides or be hunted by both. The choices are far from clear as one fulfills his fief duties to the Queen but earns the scorn of his people, while the other preys upon the fear of the people in an effort to undermine his neighbour and his nation.

Not until the characters stand in the very halls of power in Enstad, face-to-face with the Royal Family, will the campaign be resolved and the fate of a nation be decided.

Starting Equipment/Belongings

Players may choose, or randomly roll, carried equipment but only carry so many belongings so that the total weight of everything carried is less then 26 Lbs. Where these items are stored while being carried should be detailed on the character sheet in pencil. Remember also that characters' desciptions need clothing.

TABLE

Starting Equipment List:

Roll 3d20	Item Description	Weight in Lbs	Cost in Copper
3	24" deep, canvas RUCKSACK with side pockets, leather shoulder strap.	2	125
4	BEDROLL.	5	10
5	Thick wool BLANKET dyed hunter green.	3	50
6	thin rope and pulley BLOCK AND TACKLE gear (rope not included).	5	500
7	Tallow Orange CANDLE that burns for 6 hours.	-	1
8	CANVAS (sq. meter/yard).	1	10
9	18" cylindrical tanned hide TUBE, air tight stopper mechanism (can hold 5 rolled papers, not scrolls).	0.5	500
10	30' of CHAIN.	2	3,000
11	6" piece of sandstone CHALK.	-	1
12	SMALL, empty, heavy wooden, iron banded CHEST, no lock mechanism, 24" deep 36" across 18" wide.	25	200
13	MEDIUM, empty, heavy wooden, copper banded CHEST, no lock mechanism, 36" deep x 52" across x 24" wide.	35	300
14	LARGE, empty, heavy wooden iron banded CHEST, simple lock mechanism, 48" deep x 72" across x 36" wide.	50	550
15	CROWBAR.	5	200
16	FISHHOOK.	-	10
17	Hemp NET 25 Sq ft with weights for casting, fishing.	5	400
18	empty wooden, sealed CANTEEN 16 oz. or 473 ml.	2	3
19	FLINTSTONE AND STEEL scraper.	-	100
20	Tri-hooked GRAPPLING HOOK (rope not included).	4	100
21	......I	weight	Copper
22	1oz or 30ml vial of INK.	-	800
23	wooden QUILL fountain pen.	-	10
24	Simple, Aladin-style 6-hour oil burning LAMP, (uses 1 pint or 568 L oil not included).	1	10
25	Heavy, enclosed Candle-powered LANTERN which has small mirrors welded into the inside back of the candlestand, a simple latch-closed cage opening from the front and holding handles on the back.	3	1200
26	Heavy, hooded, 6-hour oil burning LANTERN with iron ring for carrying on a hooked pole (not included).	weight	copper
27	VERY SIMPLE, bolt mechanism LOCK.	1	2,000
28	AVERAGE complexity, key entry PADLOCK.	1	4,000
29	GOOD double or tripple combination tumbler LOCK.	1	8,000
30	AMAZINGLY COMPLEX Chinese puzzle-type LOCK.	1	15,000
31	Average worksmanship MANACLES for hands or feet, attached by either a welded metal bar or heavy 1' chain.	2	1,500
32	Small steel framed MIRROR useful for shaving or applying make-up.	0.5	1,000
33	1 pint of OIL (burns for six hours in a Lantern).	1	10
34	1 page of ordinary pulp PAPER of grey-ish cotton bond or light brown wood pulp.	-	40
35	I roll of 8" x 10" PARCHMENT animal hide.	-	20
36	1 climbing PITON, iron spike with flattened loop at one end looks like a big suare-head sewing needle.	0.5	10
37	Thin, 10' wooden POLE with a hook at the top end of it and an iron banded base at the bottom end.	8	20
38	cast iron POT with lid for cooking stews, has side handles and short metal strap-like handle for hanging over cooking fire.	10	50
39	Small empty BELT POUCH with brass-button loop closure.	0.5	100
40	traveller's RATIONS dried fruits OR meats with nuts and garden vegetables.	1	50
41	50' of HEMP ROPE.	10	100
42	50' of SILK ROPE.	5	1,000
43	Burlap SACK for potatoes with a drawstring closure.	0.5	10
44	a clump of 454g SEALING WAX.	1	100
45	3" long SEWING NEEDLE for leather and 1.5" long SEWING NEEDLE for cloth kit (includes 1 spool of grey - natural colour of cottom - thread and 3' of red rawhide lace).	-	70
46	Silver SIGNAL WHISTLE with loop to hang on a necklace (necklace not included).	-	80
47	Ordinary SIGNET RING, without eleboration or design. Leaves "X" mark in wax.	-	500
48	Strong smelling clean SOAP made from lye.	1	50
49	Garden SPADE made of metal or workman's SHOVEL made from wood, both with 4' wooden handles.	8	200
50	Collapsible SPYGLASS magnifying viewed objects to twice their size.	1	100,000
51	two man pup TENT, canvass (does not include 6 pitons, or rope required to build).	20	1,000
52	2' long, simple heavy wooden TORCH, top wrapped in old cloth (requires 1/6 pint of oil dousing).	1	1
53	8.5 oz or 250ml glass VIAL container for liqiuds, has cork stopper.	1	150
54	WATERSKIN with over-the-shoulder strap, and stumpy, silver, screw top lid.	4	100
55	Rough piece of WHETSTONE.	1	2
56	stuff	weight	copper
57	stuff	weight	copper
58	stuff	weight	copper
59	stuff	weight	copper
60	stuff	weight	copper

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THE SHADOWKILLERS Midnight: Southern XP Rewards Midnight: Southies SWAG & BOOTY
ANDREW	STEVE	ADAM	BILL
Lawful Neutral	Neutral Good	Undetectable	Neutral
Orc	Wood Elf	Caransil	Undead Erenlander
Fighter Bladebond	Wildlander Channeler Druid	Channeler Queen's Eye	Channeler Fell Warden
Seer	Naturefriend	Speaker	Foundling
DURGAZ	ERANON	ZAL'KAZZIR	KYUAD
Character Sheet Files CURRENT LOCATION As the group watched Zal return they learn the Bloodguard of Steel Hill road on the Keep... with quick thinking Kyuad disquises himself as the former "Bloodtaker" Lord of the Keep, inviting Steel Hill's guard in for the night. The pathwalkers discuss plans to lure Anaximath to the Keep, tackling two birds with one dream vision... Meanwhile Kyuad learns of the High Captain's politics and Plague Quest. Midnight passed to the next day the newly reincarnated elf contacts the Witch Queen for advice and then in dream to the dragon Anaximath... the group has 9 hours and counting before the beast is on Crystal Keep!! timeline of the pathwalker story Midnight - STEPS TO SAVE THE WORLD

Starting Position

Celene

When the Campaign starts, Player Characters meet as travellers on foot to the village of Narwell, in the Wild Coast, seeking mentors to train them.

Rumors, Information and Legends Important to the Game

Player and Player Character Knowledge

The adventure begins in the Elven country of Celene. The players play characters (PCs) that are outcasts of the Elven culture, where the popular protectionist beliefs are to avoid contact with other races and to be satisfied within the Elven homeland. Adventuring is strongly discouraged within the Elven custom.

Few Words About Knowing All The Ruless to Inexperienced Players<ref></ref>

The important thing is to enjoy the game without worry about rules. The game does have some rules to keep

Races

Races have a certain homogeneity to them that goes well beyond bonuses and minuses in abilities. Only the heroes may rise above their racial profiles and, that rise would be a story unto itself. Hero or zero, every race begins the same way as the cliche in order to conform to a comprehendable world of unique and special races. Ceremonial magic is more prevalent with Elves; Chaotic magicians tend to be Gnomes, Dwarves practice no magic; and Humans are capable of any thing and every thing.

Below is some useful in-game profiling information.

Races Available for Player Characters

Humans are more highly favoured to play and are given preference to any other race in the Flanaess. Monsters, Orcs and Half-Orcs are definitely not player character types. These are hunted and unwelcome within the Flanaess.

Half-Orcs, those produced from the union of a Human female and an Orc male, are commonly the by-product of the rape of the human slave after the Orc has raided a Human settlement. Orcs capture females as sex slaves and are a mark of status within the Orc Tribe. These slaves are savagely and viciously maltreated and have a status beneath Orc females. Half-Orcs bred by the Orc Tribe inherit some Human advantages for the Orc such as increased size, emotional retardation and (some) higher intellect and are, therefore, considered more deadly shock troops - sent in the first waves of attacks against Orc enemies. Half-Orcs enjoy a higher status within an Orc society due to their ability to brutalize the smaller Orcs.

Any Half-Orc born within a Human settlement is quickly strangled at birth, sometimes forcably over the objections of its unwed/unwanted mother and by whomever is the local leader. Half-Orc offspring are a mark of shame to the mother's family and a danger to the entire community. They are highly likely to be mistreated outsiders; have an evil predisposition; and will have plenty of reason to enact revenge upon the world. Infancide is actually a blessing to a Half-Orc born outside an Orc society.

Some Half-Orcs do survive because they were born and lived alone (with their mothers) in seclusion. Their very survival means they have had no interaction with anyone outside their mother, and they do not seek out such interaction. A lonely Half-Orc will logically seek out other Orcs because of the elevated status it will enjoy until a bigger and meaner Half-Orc challenges it. Such is its evil aligned nature.

Demi-Human

This category includes halfbreed Humans such as Half-Orcs and Half-Elves; the Fey creatures the Elves and the Gnomes; as well as "Halflings" (formally known as Hobbits) and Dwarves. Demi-Humans as separate species have divisions and within their races same as the Human race. Demi-Humans are detailed on another page.

Human

Humans represent 80% of the total population of The Flannesse. Unlike the other races, Humans are not a unified race. They break along many cultural and political divides throughout the world perhaps due to their greater numbers than with the other races of Mankind. More apt to war amongst themselves than with other races, Humans fight for land space and the expansion of resource wealth. In all The Flannesse, Humans are the most interested in the control of a wealth supply than any of the other races.

SOMETHING ABOUT HUMANS

Human Racial Attitudes

Human attitudes tend towards tolerance and acceptance of the Demi-Human races. Not surprisingly, perhaps, Humans prefer the Halfling races slightly more than those of the Dwarves or the Gnomes. This may be because Halflings are frequently slaves or servants to Human masters and display a characteristic easy-going demeanor. On their own, the small stature of a Halfling appears very unthreatening. With a short life-span of only 150 years on average, Humans could easily forget when Halflings were thought of quite differently in the wild, hunted, armed and in numbers.

Half-Elves are more tolerated than Elves. Though the War Between The Races is long over, according to the time keeping of Human generations, the Elven nation is still considered with neutrality and distrust. This may be the carryover of Elven attitudes. The war is still very fresh in collective Elven memory and they treat Humans as an usurping race with great suspicion. However, the Dwarven people look upon Humankind with dispassion and suspicion as well, but Human attitudes treat them twice as warmly than the Elves. Perhaps because Dwarves live underground and the few topsiders who conduct trade are atypical of the average Dwarven attitude toward Humans.

Even most surprising among Human attitudes is the lack of a clear preference for other Humans. This may be due to a combination of many factors but there is no one factor to correlate the attitudes that run from Preference to Antipathy.

No surprise is the attitude of Hostility that Humans share with all Demi-Humans towards the Orc race and Half Orcs.

Naming Conventions for Humans

English Scots German French Polish Latin

Racial Attitudes

In a recent survey on racial attitudes, the inhabitants of Flanaess were asked the question, '"On a scale from 1 - 10, where 1 is the lowest ranking and 10 is the highest ranking, how highly do you rank your fellow inhabitants of Flanaess?"' Based on survey size, results are accurate within a margin of 0.001% error 19.75 times out of 20. Human sampling includes subgroups from every country in Flanaess. Each demi-human race considered without subgroupings.

Racial Preferences: A Numerical General Overview

Player Races	Dwarven	Elven	Gnome	Half-Elven	Hobbit/Halfling	Half-Orc	Human
Dwarven	10	9	9	7	4 (Stouts +3)	0	3
Elven	7	10	4	1	4 (Tallfellows +1)	0	3
Gnome	9	3	10	9	9	0	7
Half-Elven	3	2	8	10	7	1	9
Hobbit/Halfling	7	7	7	7	10	0	7
Human	6	3	6	4	7	0	10 to 2

Racial Preferences: A 1-10 Scaled View

Prefered	Goodwill	Tolerated and Accepted	Neutral but Suspicious	Antipathy	Hostile
10	8-9	4-7	2-3	1	0
Open, Welcoming and Relaxed	Peaceable,and Friendly	Indifferent and Impartial	Careful, Guarded, Distrusting	Closed; Strong Dislike	Hatred, Rancorous

To accentuate that the term "Halfling" is actually offensive, D&D Halflings are referred to as Hobbits (above). The term "Halfling" is derogatory and applies to any mixed race. Hobbits accept the appellation. Halflings and "half-breeds" prefer to be identified with one race or the other but would rather not be called half-anything. For medieval thinking this is not a racist/nationalist attitude but a puritanical one. It is unappreciated by any person being labelled but it is common practice and not considered impolite by the standards of the time. It is uncommon courtesy to refrain from such labels, however, and will be instantly recognised and appreciated.

A half-elf may declare him or herself to be Human and try to hide his or her Elven parentage. Note, however, it would be harder for a half-breed to hide in a Demi-human community.

Hobbits have accepted the term "halfling" for their race name without harbouring a grudge on the one (typically a Human) who uses it to refer to a Hobbit. The Hobbit attitude in this regard is to inwardly condescend to the offender regarding such a person to be uneducated and uncouth.

Races that are Hostle to each other will attack on sight or otherwise seek the other's destruction.

The Classical Fantasy Archtypes Of The Flanaess

Player Character Archtypes

Archtype	Description
Barbarian	their limitless imaginations are unencumbered by rules.
Bard	when they finally feel completely comfortable and relaxed playing, I feel accomplishment.
Cleric	the emphasis is more on the story and the combat creates tension.
Druid	the game is more collaborative.
Fighter	7
Monk	6
Paladin	their limitless imaginations are unencumbered by rules.
Ranger	when they finally feel completely comfortable and relaxed playing, I feel accomplishment.
Rogue a.k.a. Thief	the emphasis is more on the story and the combat creates tension.
Sorcerer a.k.a. Chaos Magician	According to D&D canon and the accepted mechanics of Vancian magic, Sorcerers 'should' be able to cast powerful magic at any given time because the power to do so is innately fuelled. This nonesense defies my suspension of disbelief. How does a Sorcerer (or Choatic Magician) discover spells? Why must he or she choose spells if the power is innate? Why are limits imposed if there is no stamina consumtion? Why bother to read magic?
Wizard a.k.a. Ceremonial Magician

Rolling Ability Scores

3d6 X 7 discard lowest score. Arrange however desired

Dice Rolls Any die result that completes its roll on the table, whether stopped by an inanimate object or on its own after rolling, is acceptable if the result is clearly visible. Dice that fall to the floor and results that are unclear (e.g. a die roll that stops between two numbers) are always rerolled by the player.

Secret Die rolls are a number of dice rolls done by each of the players for use in the order in which they were rolled during the current game session. The Dungeon Master collects these rolls before the game begins.

Player Characters backstory or history needs to be written and given to the Dungeon Master before a Player's Character can advance from the 2nd to the 3rd level.

Leveling Up has four prerequisites and one understanding: 1 - The required amount of experience points (XP) must be accumulated to gain the next level; 2 - A mentor non-player character (NPC) of sufficiently high level must be found and convinced to train the player character; 3 - The mentor will require payment or service for the training at the discretion of the Dungeon Master; 4 - Training must be done for a number of weeks equal to the number of encounters a player has

It is understood that once a player has sufficient XP to attain the next level, further calculation of XP is halted.

Experience Points (XP) Calculation is weighted on role playing not on simple defeating obstacles. The weights are Poor Role Play = Half XP Good Role Play = Full XP Great Role Play = 1.5 XP

The Angry Villager Rule The Angry Villager Rule... by Gary Gygax. The citation is on page 24 of the White Box booklet 3:

“Anyone who has viewed a horror movie is aware of how dangerous angry villagers are. Whenever the referee finds that some player has committed an unforgivable outrage this rule can be invoked to harass the offender into line. Within the realm of angry villagers are thieves from the “thieves quarters,” city watches and militia, etc. Also possible is the insertion of some character like Conan to bring matters into line.”

Rogues and Magic Unlike in the v3.5 rules, Rogues do not have the skill to detect magic in traps or disarm magic traps. They may not use a magical device.

The exeption to this rule is when the trap has a mechanical component that is not magical or when a magical device is deemed more mechanical than magical.

Arthur C. Clarke's 3rd Law by the British writer and scientist Arthur C. Clarke 3.Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke's_three_laws#cite_note-1

a statement in a 1942 story by Leigh Brackett: "Witchcraft to the ignorant, .... Simple science to the learned".[2]

2.^ "The Sorcerer of Rhiannon", Astounding February 1942, p. 39. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Brackett

, was proposed by Arthur C. Clarke in the essay "Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination", in Profiles of the Future (1962).<ref>"'Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination'" in the collection Profiles of the Future: An Enquiry into the Limits of the Possible (1962, rev. 1973), pp. 14, 21, 36.</ref>

The second law is offered as a simple observation in the same essay; its status as Clarke's Second Law was conferred on it by others.

Clarke's Three Laws are three "laws" of prediction formulated by the British writer and scientist Arthur C. Clarke. They are:

1.When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; when he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong. 2.The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. 3.Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Starting spells

Technological Advancements

Mechanical Watches Stagecoaches central heating indoor plumbing vending machines Air balloons tall sailing ships concrete Flat-bed printing press

No gunpowder - otherwise the swords and sorcery element of the game is lost

Money

Currency Coin of the realm Resource based Economy

Governments

Elven

Walled Outer City of Enstad

Monarchy rulling feudal system

Celene

Dwarven Government

Limited form of Responsible Government.

Local Human Governments

Verbobonc, Viscounty and Town of

His Lordship, The Viscount Wilfrick of Verbobonc

Capital: Verbobonc (pop. 11,600)

Population: 35,000

Demi-humans: Gnomes (4,000) Sylvan Elves (2,500)

Humanoids: Few

Resources: Copper, gems (I-V)

The viscounty is a large one, extending from the Velverdyva's south bank some 15 leagues into the Kron Hills, being over 50 leagues in breadth. Verbobonc is situated in the approximate center of its east-west axis.

Wild Coast

Capital: None but several major towns: Badwall - (5,200) Elredd - (8,400) Fax: - (6,700) Narwell: - (2,900) Safeton: - (4,600)

Population: 150,000+ ?

Demi-humans: Many

Humanoids: Many

Resources: None

The western shores of the Sea Of Gearnat have long been a haven for malcontents, dissidents, demi-humans, humanoids, and the outcasts of other states. It is a fair but not particularly fertile area - rolling countryside interspersed with woodlands, fens, and scattered clusters of dwellings. Parts of the Gnarley Forest, all of the Welkwood east of the Jewel River, and Suss Forest are considered as being in this region. The Wild Coast remains a free territory comprised of petty nobles, robber barons, guildheld towns, fishing and forest villages, freebooters, mercenaries, and displaced persons of all sorts. This is due to the remote and isolated position it holds, its lack of resources, and the fact that is has never been a desireable position strategically.

anyone trying to gain control has been defeated.

There is no question that the Wild Coast is known throughout the Flanaess as a place of sanctuary, albeit a highly dangerous one, filled with adventure at the very least. Its racially mixed peoples are well known as mercenaries and adventurers themselves.

The area gives rise to to many outstanding Clerics, Fighters, Magic-Users, and Thieves. Legendary natives of the Wild Coast includes such persons as Mordenkainen, Bobilar, and Tenser, to name but a few.

Tales relate that somewhere within the Suss there exists a lost city from which the Jewel River gained its name. It has never been found and the legend is highly doubtful. Since the Pomarj has been in the control of rapacious humanoids, expeditions into the southern portions of the Suss Forest of the Wild Coast have not been attempted for obvious reasons.

Greyhawk, Free City of

His Solemn Authority, the Lord Mayor of Greyhawk, Nerof Gasgol

Population: 58,000 (city) 75,000+ (total, including surrounding area)

Demi-humans: Some

Humanoids: Some

Resources: silver, electrum, gold, platinum, gems (I-IV)

Greyhawk was established as a trading post on the Selintan River during the period of early migrations. As it flourished, a local warlord built a small keep on the hills above the village called Greyhawk which had sprung up around the trading centre, extracting taxes from the trade and occassionally raiding caravans (particularly those coming with silver ingots found in the burial mounds of the Cairn Hills). This petty noble soon became quite rich and powerful and assumed the titles of Landgraf of Selintan. Greyhawk and the power of the new Landgraf grew rapidly thereafter, and his son and heir, Ganz, was wed to the daughter of the Gynarch (Despotix) of Hardby, a sorceress of no small repute. Their descendents ruled a growing domain which rose to considerable heights c. 375 CY under the rule of Zagig Yragerne (the so-called Mad Archmage). Ot was Zagig who built the sprawling Gastle Greyhawk (now a ruin) and poured funds into the City of Greyhawk in order to make it into the "Gem of the Flanaess." His reign was bizarre inmany other ways, and it came as no surprise when it was reported that Zagig Yragerne had mysteriously vanished after years of rule when no change or aging could be detected.

The castle was abandoned, supposedly due to a terrible curse upon the place, but the city proper continued to flourish.

In 498 CY it was proclaimed a free and independent city, ruling a territory from Hardby on the Woolly Bay to the Nyr Dyv, between the eastern folds of the Cairn Hills and the Gnarley Forest, including much of what is now the southern section of the Wild Coast region. There holdings have been lost over the intervening decades, and a decline in trade seemed almost certainto turn the place into a backwater..

Greyhawk is ruled by its Lord Mayor; this individual is chosen by the Directing Oligarchy. The latter body is composed of the Captain-General of the Watch, the Constable, the Guildmaster of Assassins, and various representatives of the Society of Magi, the Merchants and Traders Union, Artisans League, and Clerical leaders. The total number of the Directors ranges from 12 to 18.

Game References

Literary Influences

Brooks, Terry; The Sword of Shannarra

Martin, George RR; A Game of Thrones

Authors of note

Norton, Andre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Norton#Recurring_themes

Tolkien, JRR

Eddings, David

Ford, John M.

Religion

A Monotheistic belief in Herne, The Provider, with an ecclesiatical structure modelled on the Catholic Church.

Government

The Isle is governed by a Theocracy, led by a king deemed a saint.

The Church

The infallable Roe, corresponds to a Pope.

References

1. A common use of the term is in role-playing games to signify a deviation of game play from the official rules. The usage of house rules is encouraged in a number of official game materials, as a way to personalize the game. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=House_rule&action=edit&section=1

2. Gary Gygax: "When I initially began creating adventure material I assumed that the GMs utilizing the work would prefer substance without window dressing, the latter being properly the realm of the GM so as to suit the campaign world and player group.""Gary Gygax: Q & A (Part XII, Page 40)". EN World. 2007-03-28. http://www.enworld.org/forum/archive-threads/171753-gary-gygax-q-part-xii-40.html. Retrieved 2009-03-15.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Greyhawk#World_of_Greyhawk_boxed_set_.281983.29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Greyhawk_Fantasy_Game_Setting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanaess

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomarj

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celene_(Greyhawk)

The Angry Villager Rule... by Gary Gygax. The citation is from page 24 of the White Box booklet 3: “Anyone who has viewed a horror movie is aware of how dangerous angry villagers are. Whenever the referee finds that some player has committed an unforgivable outrage this rule can be invoked to harass the offender into line. Within the realm of angry villagers are thieves from the “thieves quarters,” city watches and militia, etc. Also possible is the insertion of some character like Conan to bring matters into line.”