Greyhawk in the 2024 DMG

[finarvyn]

I may cross-post this to other boards, just to generate some chatter.
 
The 2024 DMG has a 28-page guideline for Gygax's World of Greyhawk Setting (which they say is based heavily on the WoG gazetteer from 1980). I was wondering if anyone has done something similar for Blackmoor? (I'm aware of the First Fantasy Campaign, of course, but it tends to wander a lot. This Greyhawk thing is pretty dense and focused.)
 
What's in those 28 pages of the DMG?
1. Important names for the continents.
 
2. Premise that the campaign starts in the year 576.
 
3. Clearly explains three factions in conflict (Chromatic Dragons, Elemental Evil, Iuz the Evil)
 
4. Information about the calendar, holidays
 
5. Mysteries of Greyhawk (mentions six different places of note to explore, with a paragraph of what each represents)
 
6. Gods of Greyhawk
 
7. Information about the Free City of Greyhawk -- adventure hooks, how to use the city in a campaign, overview of the parts of the city which includes various neighborhoods and a nice map
 
8. More detailed information about locations in the city, roughly 1/2 page each for the Black Dragon Inn, Grand Citadel, Great Library, High Tower Inn, Silver Dragon Inn, Temple of the Far Horizon, Temple of the Radiant Sun, and the Unearthed Arcana magic shop.
 
9. Map of the wilderness area around Greyhawk with a dozen or more specific places one might visit.
 
10. Map of the continent where one can find the Free City of Greyhawk with lists of some of the kingdoms with the name of the ruler and culture plus general information for each. (They have charts for Central Flanaess, Eastern Flanaess, Northern Flanaess, Old Keoland, and Western Flanaess.)
 
In short, in 28 pages (plus a fold-out map in the back of the book) WotC has outlined a big chunk of what one needs to know in order to run a Greyhawk campaign. City, around the city, nearby region, continent. All levels of play, well organized and ready for use.
 
I feel like Blackmoor would benefit a lot from similar treatment. Thoughts?

[Yaztromo]

Of course I agree with you, but I suspect that the past (and present?) controversies about the IP don't help prioritising Blackmoor for the same treatment.

I had just a cursory look at this: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1834-gre...o_Greyhawk
Is the DMG covering also the version of Blackmoor on Oerth?

[finarvyn]

Is the DMG covering also the version of Blackmoor on Oerth?

I will have to look again, but I can't recall seeing "Blackmoor" anywhere in the DMG. I seem to recall reading somewhere that this region was renamed ("Arn" perhaps? I can't recall.)

I was mostly using the DMG Greyhawk as an example of what I'd like to see. I prefer the JG Wilderlands version of the setting, with the map from the FFC, and wish that someone other than me would develop a similar document. 

[Havard]

Thanks for sharing Finarvyn!

I am following the discussions about the 2024 edition of D&D with interest, here and across various parts of the Internet. 

Leaving aside the question of publisher, I think a new primer guide to Blackmoor would be awesome. The structure you describe looks pretty good, but it seems very DM oriented, which makes sense since this is taken from a DMG. I think a sourcebook primer for Blackmoor also should include sections from the side of the Player characters, detailing races, classes and related things. 

The 3E Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Campaign Setting Sourcebook is a pretty good model, although an updated version, maybe less crunch oriented would be interesting. That book was also heavily based on the DA modules, but the presentation was again more player oriented than those adventures.

-Havard

[finarvyn]

I am following the discussions about the 2024 edition of D&D with interest, here and across various parts of the Internet. 

My crew hasn't had a chance to actually play the new 5E yet, but in reading both the PH and DMG I am highly impressed with their organization and content.

I'm hoping to get a turn behind the screen soon. I'd rather bring my group back to Blackmoor (they loved their previous experience there) but the new Greyhawk content (not just the 28-page part, but also the pull-out map in the DMG) starts to tip the balance towards a Greyhawk campaign. Tough call, which is sort of why I was hoping to find a similar 28-page Blackmoor doc out there somewhere. 

I like Blackmoor better than Greyhawk overall, but Gary's 1980's folio was certainly more user-friendly than anything Dave published and the new version is pretty sweet.