Oct. 15: Greyhawk's Uncertain Future

What Wizards of the Coast Intends to do with Gary Gygax's original setting.

I had a chance to attend a press briefing with Wizard of the Coast’s team to discuss the Dungeon Master’s Guide, which will be released to the public on Nov. 12. While the briefing discussed some aspects of the book, one standout element to me was Greyhawk, Gary Gygax’s original setting that he published with the game. The setting was presented as a big part of the game’s future, leading some fans to speculate it might replace the Forgotten Realms as the defacto setting for the game.

This turned out to be false.

"In the short term, we want the Greyhawk content in the DMG to stand on its own. Basically we're saying 'hey DMs, we're giving you Greyhawk as a foundation upon which you can build your own setting.' Whether we get back to Greyhawk or not in some other capacity I can't say. But that's our intention now."

Chris Perkins to reporters.

Players can expect to see some content from Gary Gygax’s first setting in the coming weeks and months as it is used as a sort of sandbox for new DMs, but the Forgotten Realms remains the default setting.

You can read more about WOTC’s plans for Greyhawk in my report at The Fandomentals.

News You May Have Missed….

Who ya gonna call this Halloween? The Ghostbusters, if you want to raise funds for a children’s hospital. The gaming podcast Bob After Dark is playing the old Ghostbusters RPG live in Chicago on Oct. 19 to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals via Extra Life. It features a bunch of Ghostbuster cosplayers and seems really neat. I’ve always adored Ghostbusters and hope this gets a solid turnout. It will also be viewable on Twitch.

Steve Horvath, the global head of publishing at Asmodee (publisher of the Star Wars RPG and Twilight Imperium) has left his role at the company and is retiring.

R.Talsorian released the digital version of Tales of the Red, its first campaign book for Cyberpunk RED early. The PDF, currently available on DriveThruRPG, presents six jobs covering several playstyles for players to try. The physical book will still be released on Oct. 15.

A new TTRPG based on the third-person narrative game Life is Strange, is coming soon. Two Moons Rising, which is based on the upcoming spin-off LiS: Double Exposure, will be released for free on Oct. 23 as a PDF. The game was developed by Hunters Entertainment (best known for Kids on Bikes), and it will be accompanied by a 5-part actual play of the game starring Aabria Iyengar, Ify Nwadiwe of Dropout, Becca Scott of Good Times Society, and Jasmine Bhullar of Dimension20 and Critical Role. No spoilers for the game, however.

Guides and Recommendations

Rascal News published a detailed report on how Hurricane Helene impacted the TTRPG community and the people who help run it. Several actual play performers were affected. Players and publishers are also trying to offer hope amid chaos by providing games and distractions to those who lost their homes.

If you enjoyed Lancer and the level of depth that came with its mecha-focused TTRPG mechanics, then you may find co-designer Tom Bloom’s new game Cain, appealing. The game, which is a “narrative role-playing game about playing psychic death soldiers hunting monstrosities made of human trauma,” is currently available for sale. Polygon published a fantastic interview with Bloom, discussing the game, its influences, and how the game works.

What do you think of Greyhawk as a “sandbox setting?” Are you excited to potentially run campaigns in this iconic setting?