Wizards of the Coast, publisher of Dungeons and Dragons, does not plan to explore Greyhawk’s classic fantasy setting beyond what is presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
“In the short term, we want the Greyhawk content in the DMG to stand on its own,” Perkins told reporters in a press briefing about the Dungeon Master’s Guide. “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.”
Perkins described Greyhawk as a sandbox for new DMs to play in and explore or to build their worlds around, and that “we may not come back to this version of Greyhawk for a while because we want DMs to kind of own it and play with it before we start.”
That doesn’t mean the plans couldn’t change, however. Perkins appeared open to a future Greyhawk campaign, but it would depend on player demand. He also confirmed plans to explore other worlds beyond Faerun.
Greyhawk was the first setting designed by D&D creator Gary Gygax and has remained a constant presence in the game’s history. It’s also the origin point for several iconic characters in the game, including Mordenkainen and Tasha.
There are plans to release a Greyhawk-themed one-shot by the end of October. Scions of Elemental Evil is a short scenario based in the classic Greyhawk location, the Temple of Elemental Evil. According to Perkins, some “strange things” are going on there, and the players will be called in to deal with them. The adventure will be available at game stores and conventions from Oct. 29 to Nov. 25, but is expected to release on DnDBeyond sometime soon. The game will use pre-generated characters based on the kids from the 80s cartoon.
Dungeon Master’s Guide’s Focus On Simplifying DMing Experience
The company elaborated on several other systems within the Dungeon Master’s Guide that will receive new changes. These include the additions of new trackers and documents within the book (and DnDbeyond) that will help develop settlements, campaign journals, conflicts and more.
A key theme that resonates throughout the book is how to create “adventures” with the available tools. Perkins and co-lead James Wyatt both noted the number of tables, charts, and sheets designed to help players simplify the creation process for a dungeon or story. The book will contain five sample adventures for DMs to review alongside accompanying maps to help new DMs get inspiration for how to create their own games.
It will also include a multitude of tools, including magical items that reference the 80s characters from the show. There is also the Bastion, an optional system that gives players the ability to build the world themselves through their own base, which they can spend time and resources expanding and adding tools to for future usage.
The section on building combat encounters has shrunk from three pages to one and is built on a “much simpler, straightforward, less mathematically complex system that works.” There was a heavy emphasis on reducing prep time for DMs through the DMG, a process reviewed by notable DMs like Matthew Mercer and Deborah Ann Woll.
The cosmology chapter, which covers the various planes and realms that populate the D&D multiverse, was also expanded. Wizards has added new information about each of the planes and the various layers that populate them, Wyatt said. The chapter got the most work “structurally,” Perkins added. For example, the book added details about characters like Agathys, who players may only know through spells with the same name.
The new Dungeon Master’s Guide will be available in local stores and for Master Tier D&D Beyond users on Oct. 29. Hero tier users will get access on Nov. 5. The wide release of the book and the DMG screen is on Nov. 12.
Images via Wizards of The Coast
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