When I read the 1st edition DMG I had to keep a dictionary nearby. I like the fact that Gygax never underestimated the intelligence of his readers.
@chadfitch3293
Жыл бұрын
Or is Gary Loquaciously sesquipedalian to compensate for an inferiority complex 😉
@Ti-nf4fq
Жыл бұрын
That book and all of the others was the ones that built-up my vocabulary. 😁
@thepig-facedorc5257
Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately, it's also a lot of sophistry and rambling. I love 1st Edition more than any other, but his writing style sucks. True intelligent communication is in communicating complex ideas and making them sound simple. Not by communicating simple ideas and making them sound complex.
@axel8406
Жыл бұрын
@@thepig-facedorc5257 who was gygax trying to deceive? Or are you just showing how to use sophistry to pervert a conversation.
@thepig-facedorc5257
Жыл бұрын
@@axel8406 My apologies, I just mis-used the word after googling it. I thought it meant just intentionally making things sound more complex than they need to be for "intelligence points". But I was wrong.
@danielrowan4716
Жыл бұрын
The AD&D DMG is a beautiful mess. It’s a goldmine of ideas and tools / mechanics for any DM in pretty much any version of the game, or even other RPGs, to create and run campaigns, populate towns, cities, dungeons, and wildernesses. It’s frighteningly complete but so oddly organized. It’s charm is that even for Grognards, such as us, every time you crack it open you find a new or forgotten gem.
@@danielrowan4716I always liked that table because it is applicable in real life. You never want to confuse a saucy tart for a cheap trollop or vice versa.
@temmy9
Жыл бұрын
Its like a tome of arcane lore. You gotta study it, and each time you do you find something new.
@drjohnwooberg
Жыл бұрын
I love that “you all meet in a tavern” was the recommended starting method.
@theoldwarlock
Жыл бұрын
"Adventure comes from exploring the unknown in this game." Excellent statement that, for me, really sums up early D&D. Thanks for this!
@DM_Curtis
Жыл бұрын
"Now, all of a sudden, they're a fish out of water..." And the compelling aspect of a fish out of water story is that fish bring something special and unique. So definitely play up that aspect as the campaign unfolds.
@ki4fyo
Жыл бұрын
I love all of the Greyhawk materials you have. Brings back many memories.
@thatpatrickguy3446
Жыл бұрын
I have used and relied on this book from the beginning of my D&D life back in '79 and as several of my young players in my more recent campaign talked about starting to DM I encouraged them to look through one of my loaner copies of the 1e DMG (I have four total, my original looking in about the same condition as yours) and find some ideas in there that they liked. They all came back raving about how useful the book was just for ideas. If someone was going to get any older RPG book, this is the one I'd recommend, hands down.
@TheEricthefruitbat
Жыл бұрын
Nice to see the map on the wall. I still have my Greyhawk Gazetteer. I love reading through it, and looking at the map, and picturing where adventures will take place.
@seanfaherty
Жыл бұрын
I got all of my campaigns outta that gazetteer The Scarlet Brotherhood’s leader was my BBEG. The Theocracy of the Pale we’re almost as bad
@TheEricthefruitbat
Жыл бұрын
@@seanfaherty I love the Scarlet Brotherhood. I didn't get to use them much; my campaign didn't go too long, it was mainly when we were breaking from the main game. I really wanted to set something in Hepmonaland, but never got there.
@danacolby9931
Жыл бұрын
Just recently returned to OSR/1st edition and the group I run for was at first so reluctant. Having become used to Ultra Heroic Fantasy from the 3rd through 5th edition. Then it changed, the r.p. became non dice driven and D.M. player interaction driven. Organic. The adventure dangerous. It was refreshing.
@shaunhall6834
Жыл бұрын
Keep of the Boarderlands was my first introduction to the game. What fond memories I have of those days.
@michaeldrinkard678
Жыл бұрын
Excellent discussion! Passages like this are yet another reason that I love AD&D. Thanks so much for posting this.
@jakecalderburby
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely love this. There really is so much detail within the original AD&D volumes when you dig deep. Decades later I'm still finding new content. And THANK YOU! 4th Ed. IS an abomination! lol.
@jeffreymoynagh5439
Жыл бұрын
I was literally reading that part last night before bed. You get so much good advice from that book
@kennetth1389
Жыл бұрын
I am in total agreement with you, though my preferred starting village is Orlane. Cult of the reptile God, possibly because of its idiosyncrasies. Particularly the temple run through. What an oddity!
@almitrahopkins1873
Жыл бұрын
It can work if the players are all from the immediate area too. It’s the exotic races, dwarves, elves, halflings and such that prove difficult. They should be from somewhere close enough that they can be attached to the starting village. That can give you the “local hero” feel to the campaign. I like to start groups in their hometown or very close to it for just that sort of attachment. When the farmer who lives just down the road gets killed by raiding orcs, the players’ characters might have known him for years, making them more likely to go out after the orcs. As far as the rest, the bullseye planning works the best. You only need to have a small area plotted out for characters at first level. They might have never been to the city a hundred miles down the road, but they’ve heard stories from the trade caravans moving through their village.
@jeffmacdonald9863
Жыл бұрын
Agreed. It's great to have a local connection. The home base itself doesn't have to be mysterious. Introduce the mystery and the exploration with the dungeon or whatever other adventure site you're starting with.
@almitrahopkins1873
Жыл бұрын
@@jeffmacdonald9863 Every couple of years I run a West Marches goblinoid game. For that one, the place to explore is usually all around them. The last time, it was the ruins of an ancient elven city that the players' home village was built in. For a Dwarf-only game, I make the players work out their own family ties before the game begins. That sets the stage for later adventures.
@miketike3246
Жыл бұрын
As an older wargamer and roleplaying gamer, it is so inspiring to see how much you love D & D and the passion you have for it! I'm over 50 and I still have my shelves full of games, including all the original A D&D hard cover books and some of the original boxed D & D sets from the early 1980s. Love your channel, subscribed just now!
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard! So glad you like the videos!
@mega-bustershepard5537
Жыл бұрын
Gary really had the best advice. Looking forward to starting my AD&D campaign sometime next month. It's a fantasy version of America and my friends have all bought into it.
@tristan3978
Жыл бұрын
Loving the videos, really scratches an itch
@AaronArnoldaquapod
Жыл бұрын
When I first started, I did this. And present day modern DND kinda scared me out of it.
@ZaWyvern
Жыл бұрын
Ha! I did a greyhawk campaign using 4e. I modified the rules a bit to make it less "square" but the players seemed to enjoy it.
@AaronArnoldaquapod
Жыл бұрын
I think with greyhawk you'd have to create a new town, create new dungeons. What do you do when you expand into cities with actual lore and laws and rules? Do you just pick what you want to keep cannon or just ignore more if the cannon for simplicity at the table.
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
I personally find digging into the canon about a place is part of the fun for me as a DM, even if the players never notice the difference. There are plenty of towns that have never been detailed, though, if you want to make it all your own.
@jacobhope6164
Жыл бұрын
Wow! Perfect video at the perfect time!
@raymondlugo9960
Жыл бұрын
This section reminds me of the City of Greyhawk next to Castle Greyhawk and then also not too far away is Maure Castle.
@MemphiStig
Жыл бұрын
I love the old books. AD&D is where I first started playing, and I read the PHB and DMG repeatedly, including all the great advice *and* the multitude of optional rules that no one I knew ever used (like Weapon Speed Factors or Crafting Magic Items). I don't have the books anymore, sadly, but I do have them on pdf, and I still go back to them all the time. One thing I'd like to point out that you glossed over is that in that section, Gygax says the characters "met" in a tavern, inn, or whatever, and decided to go exploring from there. In other words, skip the tavern, get to the dungeon. Even he seemed to think it was too cliche to bother with.
@crapphone7744
Жыл бұрын
Love the part when you said what have you got? The village of Homlet. I was like, oh yeah, huh. Never thought of that. I literally did not make that connection even a little until you said it but you are completely correct. That's a great call out that gives real insight into Gyygax's brain. Thanks for sharing.
@ndowroccus4168
Жыл бұрын
ALWAYS HAVE THE 2nd edition DMS guide, Monster Manual, GODS AND Demigods and Players Handbook…nearby…especially when crafting a campaign. The scale he deals with is large…it will help make your world feel large and relative… Trust me. There are no better books, it is literally a book to teach you how to make D&D feel like a Tolkien book.
@munderpool
Жыл бұрын
Just found your channel as a recommendation on my feed. Excellent video - from a fellow Old Grognard!
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard! So glad you like it.
@Xplora213
Жыл бұрын
It’s an interesting concept, the development of the world around the players, and I suspect it’s probably the only successful way to play - the DM learns about the world at the same pace as the players. If you go too far into the details, you will just put too much into the game that you will probably not be smart enough to deliver in a fun way for the players. Your vision of the genre you wanted is enough to go in the right direction.
@kevinolexa8828
Жыл бұрын
World of Greyhawk curtains?
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Yes indeed! I had them made.
@kevinolexa8828
Жыл бұрын
@@GreyhawkGrognard they’re awesome!
@blockmasterscott
Жыл бұрын
Nice Greyhawk curtain in the back!
@RIVERSRPGChannel
Жыл бұрын
First love your curtains Gygax had some great ideas. Something WotC and some of the new gamers know nothing about.
@davidleonard8547
Жыл бұрын
Good topic, as always. And good advice: start small and allow the campaign and world grow organically. Off topic, I note the panoply of paints on screen the last couple videos. Making progress on your backlog of minis?
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Yes! You can see some of them in action in the wargame playtest videos, but I've got Paynims, Snow Barbarians, South Provincials, Palish, Sunndians, and some others. I'm focusing on specific scenarios now, so I can put together armies for particular battles (Battle of the Grandwood, Relief of Chendl, Emridy Meadows, etc.). Hoping to do some of these at conventions.
@frank44magfrank80
Жыл бұрын
I am still waiting on a second review of the Temple of elemental evil 5e edition that you got now that you had plenty of time to go through it and give a better review.. the other thing is the very first module ever made that you could buy was the Palace of the vampire queen.. and you've never even did anything on that or the dwarven Glory campaigns that came after it
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
So many other demands on my time, Frank! Can only do so much in a day.
@bluelionsage99
Жыл бұрын
I really wish I still had my AD&D DMG. So much (as in topics and discussion points) was dropped as the years went on.
@grimmpickins2559
Жыл бұрын
I feel this has a whole lot of overlap with Gygax's 1975 article, that has been codified as the "Gygax 75 Challenge" of worldbuilding. I swear I've seen you cover that material before? I think the expanded version (available on Itch?) that use weeks devoted to each step is really good for DMs (like myself) who get really, really bogged down in minutiae. If work would slow down, that is my intended blueprint for my next campaign... which will likely be online as I haven't had any semblance of 'normal days off' since the whole debacle of 2020... C'est le chef...
@miscprojects9662
11 ай бұрын
It was with great satisfaction that the DM collected the 3 page back story from a player with a 1st level character and promptly filed it in the circular file…..
@Horse2021
Жыл бұрын
When it came to the 1st ED games I ran back in the mid 80s I would create the setting of the upcoming adventure but never place it on the world map. I would wait and see what direction the players would head off into and only then place the adventure directly in their path of travel. I never wasted my time on something that the players never found or felt that I was railroading them towards.
@trequor
Жыл бұрын
That is just railroading with extra steps lol
@RonW4684
Жыл бұрын
That's called the "Quantum Ogre" nowadays. While some call it railroading, I call it focused DMing.
@A30ot6
Жыл бұрын
Love those curtains.
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! I had them made online.
@SnorriHT
Жыл бұрын
You're right about 4e being an abomination :-P But thank you for the insights, it is a useful reminder that the setting should suit the players and available time.
@alexandersvideopicks8735
Жыл бұрын
New subscriber here. Great stuff! Thanks for posting!
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Welcome aboard, and glad you're enjoying my videos! Be sure to check out the blog for all sorts of more free stuff, including a ton of downloads.
@Wolfman1491
7 ай бұрын
When ever I'm asked by a new GM about how they should start building a campaign, I tell them to build a small town, come up with a few businesses, a tavern, build a few NPCs, seed a few quest hooks , each leading to a dungeon or cave of some sort. The rest will write itself. Big things have small beginnings.
@anthonyhargis6855
Жыл бұрын
Having them come from too far away is also problematic. So , , , (shrug)
@DaisZX
Жыл бұрын
never been a osr / ad&d fan, but this is good info for everyone.
@kyrnsword72
Жыл бұрын
I bet Grayhawk under this RPG would go hand in hand spectacularly well. D100 Dungeon by Martin Knight!
@kevinbirge2130
Жыл бұрын
The Gygax DMG is still relevant today.
@homebrewisthebestbrew5270
Жыл бұрын
8:57 TRUTH
@bobdelaporte2222
Жыл бұрын
I wasn't able to find Gygax's bullseye theory in either Polyhedron #65 or #85. Do you remember which issue it is in? Thanks for all you do. This is really encouraging content as a DM.
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Issue #12, p. 16.
@bobdelaporte2222
Жыл бұрын
@@GreyhawkGrognard Thank you, sir!
@Jason-nn9pl
Жыл бұрын
God,I love fantasy games!
@RBloom0566
Жыл бұрын
What’s your take on using the (apparent) alignment-based origin stories from the Atari video-game version of the ToEE for bringing characters/party to Hommlet? Have you tried that prior to creating your T-0?
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
TBH I've never played any D&D computer games, including Temple of Elemental Evil.
@SpaghettiWst
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. Do you have the number of the Polyhedron magazine with the article you mentioned in the video? Thank you!
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Issue #12, "Notes for the Dungeon Master: Setting the Milieu". Absolutely amazing article.
@Nexusofgeek
Жыл бұрын
I like your videos and this one, all except your dig at 4th edition in the end. I am rather fond of 4th for some of the concepts mechanics and things developed in that edition. Did you even play it I wonder? Maybe you have since it sounds like you have been around a while
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
It was more of a playful tweak than a dig, but yes. I did indeed play 4th Edition; in fact I participated in one of the earlier playtests. I actually have a funny story about 4E that I might share in a later video. Interestingly, the only edition I never played was 3.x. When it came out, I reverted back to 1E.
@sfrink1425
Жыл бұрын
What everyone really wants to know is…the cat’s name. I suspect it’s Rary the Traitor. Or Felix Rex.
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
The black one is Eclipse. The tuxedo one is Louisiana. The dog is Arya. :-)
@sfrink1425
Жыл бұрын
@@GreyhawkGrognard Okay, so now we need a stat block for the cats as well. Pretty sure if they live with a dog, they're at least thieves if not assassins. BTW: As a coincidence, in my current Greyhawk campaign, one of the NPCs is a black cat named Eclipse, who is a messenger for a Warlock PC's dark patron. She occasionally shows up and gives clues. The party just reached a new benchmark, having completed S$ Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and there was a big reveal, in that this mysterious, unknown dark patron turned out the be Baba Yaga, who isn't happy that her adoptive daughter, Tasha / Iggwilv, is working to release one of her rivals -- Tharizdun. So Baba Yaga has been manipulating the PCs into thwarting Iggwilv's plans. such as recovering the Daoud's Wondrous Lanthorn. Eclipse was essnetial in helping the PCs, especially in finding the sympathy cave in the Greater Caverns, where they could rest and recoup.
@MrFleem
Жыл бұрын
On the point of not being from here, the players won't know about the setting ahead of time regardless. If the characters are supposed to know, it will basically call for an info dump, which is not optimal IMO.
@Capt.Thunder
Жыл бұрын
I don't understand why wargamers hate 4e. It's got better class balance than any other edition, and the combat is significantly more strategic and more cohesive. The main criticism of it as far as I can see is the short rest based mechanics, and the resulting change of pace from gritty fantasy to heroic fantasy, but that is more of a stylistic choice.
@DMHightower
Жыл бұрын
Here's a partial answer from my opinion, because the balance isn't what I want. I want an immersive, "realistic" milieu, and "real" is seldom balanced. For example, in 4e magic items have levels. A first level fighter may come across a 4th level sword and they can't wield. Its is certainly a good rule for balance but it defies logic in a realistic sense. It's a 4 pound piece of metal and the fighter is trained to use swords, so it doesn't make sense that an adult can't pick it up and use it in a fight. Another thing, fighters have powers they could use once per fight, or once per day, or at will. First, I personally don't care for a fighter referring to a weapon attack as a "power." That's odd and it breaks immersion, but if a fighter executes a great move (daily power) on his first attack in his first battle, for some strange reason he can't do the same move again in any other battles, but tomorrow he can??? It's too bizarre and as a result it breaks MY immersion. Too much balance is not realistic. Balance is very desirable in a board game. That's not what I want in an RPG. That degree of balance has never been a desire of my heart.
@DMHightower
Жыл бұрын
Also I played in a very fun 4e campaign. It was fun because of how the DM set up and adjudicated the campaign and it would have been fun in many different RPG's...
@bruced648
Жыл бұрын
AD&D and 2nd ed were specifically made to be unbalanced. the idea of going adventuring and getting in over your head was common. players had to 'think' their way thru challenges, not just become murder hobo's by 3rd lvl. if you're only experienced with 3e, 4e or 5e, then you have an expectation of success. AD&D and 2nd were much deadlier. characters advanced at different rates/xp. so the party having a 3rd lvl adventure may consist of 1-1st lvl, 1-2nd lvl, 2-3rd lvl and 2-4th lvl characters. there was no guarantee of success and advancement was not automatic. if your character survived, it could take several adventures to gain a level. that's why you hear people say 'I've played this character for 7+ years and they are finally 8th or 9th lvl'. it was about the story - not being a Mary-Sue.
@trequor
Жыл бұрын
It's precisely because 4e is a terrible wargame. Wargamers also dont play rpgs in order to wargame. They have wargames for that. Rpgs are suitably for a more free-flowing and detailed version of combat (as opposed to the rigid mechanics of wargames). I dislike 4e precisely because it quantifies that which ought not to be quantified
@bruced648
Жыл бұрын
@@trequor 3e/3.5e was designed for miniatures and map combat. it works very well for that purpose. 4e continued that idea, but made the characters champions at 1st lvl. 5e started as an attempt to pull back the power, but as we've seen, the power creep continues. 6e is just a format change that is designed to be a money grab.
@johnhansen4794
Жыл бұрын
Flipping through the original DMG... A smart move for any DM. Players stay away! lol.
@UltraDonny5000
Жыл бұрын
How are you going to call 4th an abomination when 5th exists beyond the core rulebooks?!
@DarkAutumnScribe
Жыл бұрын
Hey, 4th ed had a couple of good ideas. And by a couple, I literally mean, two... to be fair, only one comes to mind... nevermind!!!🤣
@madbadbat
Жыл бұрын
I've taken a few rules from 4e and incorporated them into my house rules... it wasn't a total wash as an edition...
@gabrielhersey5546
Жыл бұрын
Minion templates
@robertshulman1659
Жыл бұрын
We won't speak of 4th, it's an abomination*. Lol😂
@SM-mx1it
Жыл бұрын
4th *is* an abomination. 😆
@GreyhawkGrognard
Жыл бұрын
Just wait two weeks for the video. ;-)
@nathangreen3072
Жыл бұрын
cat person? Ugh...
@jhennisparrhawk28
Жыл бұрын
Gary was describing what has become known as "Spiral Campaign Design". Start in the center and spiral out from there as your campaign needs to grow.
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