Preface

After Gygax was forced out of TSR released with a second edition in 1989
at the end of 1985 many subsequent with some fairly minor rules changes but
works by TSR, and later Wizards of the with a large number of new player options.
Coast, updated or modified the original
information. The most significant of these Another major revision occurred in
included: 2000 with the release of 3rd edition and
the subsequent d20 System boom (and
❉ The 1988 hard cover book Greyhawk then bust).
Adventures
❉ The 1992 boxed set From the Ashes A 4th edition was released in 2008 with
❉ The 1998 Greyhawk: The Adventure some significant mechanical changes that
Begins
were largely met with derision from the
❉ The 2000 Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
established fan base although this edition
did see some crossover in the fan-base
According to an online Q & A with
with MMORPG games.
Gygax in 2007, TSR’s stewardship turned
Greyhawk into something very different
Finally, the current edition, the 5th for
from what he had envisioned.
the game, was released in 2014 to critical
and fan accolades. This new edition
A considerable amount of content was
streamlined much of the game mechanics
created after Gygax left TSR as can be seen
making it very easy for new players to
by the list above. Major, world-changing
learn. It also offers a wealth of player
events like the giant invasions of Sterich
character options.
and Geoff; The Greyhawk Wars including
Iuz’s dominance of many nations which
There has been much talk online
leads to the actual disappearance of
about Wizards of the Coast updating
some; The changing of a mad King into
the Greyhawk setting to the new edition
an actual undead; the Islamification of
however, the case can convincingly be
the Baklunish people; the insinuation
made that no such update is required.
of the Scarlet Brotherhood into... well
There is absolutely nothing stopping a
everything; the list goes on.
new player or DM from picking up the 1st
Edition Folio or Boxed Set and running
Many loved these changes. Many other
a 5th Edition game. Nothing perhaps but
did not. There is no right or wrong on that
lack of imagination.
issue. That said, this PDF is intended
mainly for those of the latter category
Gygax set the default year of of world
but more specifically, those who like the
at 576 CY. As Gygax wrote in his World
old school feel of Greyhawk without the
of Greyhawk folio, “The current state of
extensive meta-plot but also want to play
affairs in the Flanaess is confused indeed.
using the expanded options and styles
Humankind is fragmented into isolationist
that 5e allows that 1e did not.
realms, indifferent nations, evil lands, and
Dungeons & Dragons 5e & states striving for good.”

The World of Greyhawktm He did not issue monthly or yearly

Dungeons & Dragons has gone through
tm
a number of iterations over the years from
the original booklets through the Basic
and Expert sets to Advanced Dungeons
& Dragons in 1977. AD&D was later re-
updates to the state of affairs as presented
in the folio since he saw 576 CY as a
common starting point for every home
campaign; because each would be moving
forward at its own pace, there would be no