Eight months ago, I wrapped up a campaign set in Gary Gygax’s version of the World of Greyhawk (specifically, the version found in the 1983 box set).* I used the 5th edition rules for Dungeons and Dragons for the campaign (initially the rules more or less “as written” in the 2014 books; later, the Into the Unknown variant of 5e D&D, with some house rules for sake of continuity and the Greyhawk setting). Although the campaign was great fun, I realized about halfway through it that I did not care at all for the 5th edition rules, and hence concluded the campaign much earlier than I had originally planned (although it still ended in a satisfying way, I think).
Since I don’t plan to run the current version of Dungeons and Dragons ever again, I have no interest in the “updated” 2024 editions of the core books. (According to Wizards of the Coast, this is not a “new edition,” so it’s not “6th edition” – I expect that it eventually will be called something like “edition 5.5,” but we’ll see.) In fact, I’m planning on selling off (or giving away) much of my 5e collection.
But to my surprise, the 2024 version of the Dungeon Master’s Guide will include an overview of the “World of Greyhawk” – along with a poster with maps of the Flannaes (the main region described in previous versions of the setting) and the City of Greyhawk. I had thought that we would not see any “new” version of the World of Greyhawk for the current incarnation of D&D (beyond adventures like those included in Ghosts of Saltmarsh and Tales of the Yawning Portal). However, it looks like I was wrong.
I still doubt that I’ll get the 2024 DMG. But now I’m not ruling it out entirely – it depends on how good the new Greyhawk material is. If the maps are nice, and the overview of the setting is interesting, perhaps I’ll consider picking up the book.
* I have yet to write up the final installments of the campaign. I hope to do this over the next month or so. I also plan to write a post reflecting on the entire experience. Stay tuned!
WotC will screw this up; they cannot do otherwise.
ReplyDeleteGreyhawk is by far my favorite fantasy setting. I remember getting a used copy of the original box set and just spending hours upon hours reading through it. I later got the 2e version new, so finally had the maps to go with it.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, because I always like to read your opinions: what were your biggest problems with 5e and did the problems arise at a particular level?
ReplyDeleteI’m excited at the prospect of Greyhawk being a bigger part of official D&D, but I have problems with 5e as well. I use many of the commonly accepted old school “fixes” when I run it, but find I still don’t care for it past 5th level or so.
I might write up a proper post that goes over my problems with 5e this summer, but here are some of the main irritants.
DeleteOverall, 5e feels too much like a "fantasy superheroes" game for my taste.
The combat system is somewhat involved, time-consuming, yet rather boring. (In this regard, though, it is not nearly as bad as 3rd edition!) Old school D&D/AD&D combat lacks flavour but at least it is fast (and there is greater risk to the PCs, given their lower hit points and the less "superheroic" healing rules of the earlier editions). I'm not at all opposed to systems with moderately complex combat rules, but those rules should help make combat exciting and interesting (e.g., Mythras and Against the Darkmaster both do this).
I say more about my dislike for the way healing and resting is handled in 5e here:
https://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2023/06/rest-and-recovery-in-into-unknown.html
I also don't like the magic system, as I explain here:
https://akraticwizardry.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-unmagical-magic-of-5th-edition.html
The whole "short rest", "long rest" mechanic annoys me. And finally, I'm not a fan of the advantage/disadvantage mechanic (despite liking it initially).
Thanks for the reply! I would be very interested to read the longer post, so I’ll keep a look out for it this summer. (As a fellow academic, I’m also in Big Summer Plans mode…)
DeleteI had all the same problems with 5e, but I think I’ve been able to address most of them— especially once I slowed down level progression and capped it at level 6. As it stands now, I THINK I’ve gotten to a point where I can get 5e to run like a streamlined, slightly powered-up 2nd edition, which was my ultimate goal.
The potential inclusion of the "World of Greyhawk" in the 2024 version of the Dungeon Master’s Guide certainly adds an intriguing element to the upcoming edition. It seems like this could breathe new life into the iconic setting, giving fans both new and old a fresh take. The addition of maps of the Flanaess and the City of Greyhawk sounds especially appealing. Even though I had some reservations about the 5th edition rules, it's heartening to see nods towards the game’s rich history in this forthcoming edition. Definitely piqued my curiosity, and depending on the quality and depth of the Greyhawk material, I might give this book consideration. Looking forward to future updates on this!
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