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    Canonfire :: View topic - Greyhawk 2016: Year in Review
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    Greyhawk 2016: Year in Review
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    Adept Greytalker

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    Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:32 am  
    Greyhawk 2016: Year in Review

    It's that time of year again. The Greyhawk Year in Review is my attempt to capture all of the new material, rediscovered old lore, and industry news that pertains to our favorite setting over the last twelve months. Greyhawk still sees a lot of development, but the days of annual TSR product catalogs are long gone and the new stuff is hard to find. If I missed anything--print references, fanon, blogs, articles, or new PDF material--please let me know so I can include it and extend credit.

    2015's list can be found here:
    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6232

    2016

    January
    Hasbro's new Dungeon Masters Guild causes a stir by allowing fans to create sanctioned 5e content with Forgotten Realms IP. Fans launch a website called Classic Modules Today to release conversion guides for, you guessed it, classic modules. Because Greyhawk isn't supported under the DM's Guild guidelines and since new material must be written for the Forgotten Realms, each conversion contains a section of new text for adapting the setting. So, like 4E's Elder Elemental Eye and 5E's Princes of the Apocalypse, the gradual march of GH holdings into FR continues. Conversions for numerous modules are now available.
    http://classicmodulestoday.com/

    6 January 2016
    An manuscript owner of Gygax's unpublished Gord-related novel Shrike: the Coming Avenger recruits Frank Mentzer to help sell the work. Private listings fail to generate interest and the item goes public on the Aceaum classifieds. Gail Gygax learns of the sale, threatens the buyer and seller with legal action, and the transaction is canceled.
    https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&f=10&t=15611&hilit=shrike&c=1
    http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15758

    8 Jan 2016
    Paul Westermeyer (aka GMWestermeyer) publishes "Oriental Adventures and Spelljammer: A Guide" in Wildspace: The Spelljammer Fanzine. Included is information on Asian cultures on Oerth and new Greyspace material.
    https://spelljammerblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/oriental-adventures-and-spelljammer-guide.pdf
    Also see Rasgon's comments on its accuracy to Gygax cannon.
    http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15021

    8 Jan 2016
    WotC releases a new Jason Thompson walkthrough poster for the Greyhawk classic Vault of the Drow.
    http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/vault-drow-walkthrough-poster

    13 January 2016
    Troll Lord Games releases The Long Valley pdf for Castles and Crusades, an expansion module for Gaxmoor. (Gaxmoor's ties to Greyhawk are enumerated in the 2015 Year in Review.)

    21 January 2016
    Despite an earlier compromise and the withdrawal of Gygax's sons, Gygax Magazine is shut down after more legal problems with Gail Gygax, prompting the new TSR to focus on other publications. Trouble At IronGarde Watch, a new module from Frank Mentzer, is announced and Frank says that Aquaria links are possible. Unfortunately, the TSR store/website hasn't been updated in months.
    http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=15136

    5 March 2016
    The pre-publication edition of Frank Mentzer's Death in Wretched Swamp sells out in one day at Gary Con. An lone unclaimed copy is auctioned off at the Acaeum. The final release was expected in June, but didn't materialize. Considering all of Frank's other Eldritch Ent publications are set in Aquaria, let's hope this follows suit.
    https://www.acaeum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?cache=1&f=3&t=15721&c=1

    14 March 2016
    Dragonsfoot publishes Gary's Clarifications, a new compilation of Gary's Q&A's with some GH content.
    http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12490&start=120#p1731110

    15 March 2016
    Mordenkainen appears in the Curse of Strahd hardbound 5e adventure. Discussion at Canonfire tries to determine what Common Year this module is set in judging by the mage's physical appearance and spellcasting ability.
    http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/curse-strahd
    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6286

    21 March 2016
    Trent Foster releases the AD&D Companion, a collection of "house rules" for 1e campaigns. More than just house rules, this document exhaustively compiles articles, new classes, errata, and notes from Dragon Magazine and elsewhere, including rarities like the Hunter class from Realms of Adventure #2. This 1e rules revision almost gives Joe Bloch's Adventures Dark and Deep a run for its money. For Greyhawk fans, the chapter on patron deities includes all of the granted powers and crunchy bits from the old Gygax and Lakofka articles in Dragon Magazine. Recommended!
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4BiigPc-r3FQmRDNXNOUV9neXM/view

    April 2016
    Print versions of the two new Gaxmoor adventures, Chaos Touched by Jim Ward and The Long Valley by Stephen Chenault, appear publicly for the first time to non-Kickstarter supporters on Nobleknight.com.

    19 April 2016
    Canonfire member edmundscott makes the connection between Raging Swan Press' Town Backdrop: Deksport pdf/softcover published in 2014 and the Bone March city Dekspoint. It's nice to see Creighton Broadhurst still giving GH some love. Anyone looking for a new GH gazetteer/city sourcebook to physically hold in their hands should pick this up.
    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6315
    http://www.rpgnow.com/product/135398/Town-Backdrop-Deksport?manufacturers_id=3311

    1 May 2016
    Troll Lord Games releases The Undercaverns of Gaxmoor by Luke Gygax, completing the revised C&C Gaxmoor kickstarter begun in 2015. Diehard fans can also collect the Gaxmoor leatherbound edition, a compiled map booklet, an isometric map booklet, a Gaxmoor poster, a sewer map, and other schwag (mugs, t-shirts, etc).
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/castles-and-crusades-the-lost-city-of-gaxmoor/posts/1559585?cursor=13157381
    http://www.trolllord.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=16307
    Order here: https://www.trolllord.com/tlgstore/#!/Castles-&-Crusades-Undercaverns-of-Gaxmoor/p/67555159

    5 May 2016
    Oerth Journal #27 is published!
    http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=6334

    22 May 2016
    Montgomery Mullen releases the Maure Castle adventure The Pit of Elluvia as a free download on the old Pied Piper Publishing forums.
    http://piedpiperpublishing.yuku.com/topic/2733/Elluvias-Pit#.WCEecMnjWYw

    2 June 2016
    Pacesetter Games releases a new series for North Texas RPG Con, including three Greyhawk sequels: A2 Sanctuary of the Slave Lords, B2.5 Blizzard on the Borderland, and TM7 Dread. In the ever-expanding realm of Greyhawk apropcrypha, it should be noted that A2 is loosely linked to the Misty Isles campaign setting, the City of Spire module series, and several other Pacesetter materials. Those looking for concrete Greyhawk references will be pleased to see the Cult of the Earth Dragon appear in both A2 and TM7.
    http://www.pacesettergames.com/

    27 July 2016
    The Gygax Estate reaches a deal with Transformers producer Tom DeSanto to oversee Gygax' catalog of published and unpublished works.
    http://www.tenkarstavern.com/2016/07/gary-gygax-estate-partners-with.html

    1 August 2016
    The Official D&D podcast unearths a cassette for the Dungeons and Dragons radio pilot set in Greyhawk:
    http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/jon-peterson-lost-radio-show

    August 2016
    Northwind Adventures releases The Mystery at Port Greely for Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. No Greyhawk content here, just the author's pedigree and usual standard of excellence.
    http://www.hyperborea.tv/store/p11/The_Mystery_at_Port_Greely.html

    27 September 2016
    & Magazine #13 is released, with a new Suel class by Lenard Lakofka.
    http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=26003&start=270#p1786365

    23 October 2016
    James Ward and Chris Clark leave Elditch Ent. As the publisher of Frank Mentzer's recent Aquaria modules and Ward's Metamorphis Alpha, EE's breakup is a shame. Hopefully this doesn't slow the authors down too much.
    http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=106&t=11179&start=3210

    26 October 2016
    Three Line Studio releases the El Raja Key Archive DVD and the Sunken City mini module, marking Rob Kuntz' first publications since moving to France. I suspect the DVD is the biggest collection of maps and notes on the original Castle Greyhawk that the public will ever see. A slate of upcoming products is listed on the back cover: The Ice Grave, Journey to the City of Brass, Into the City of Brass, Lair of the Spider Queen, and Citadel of the Fire Lord (future modules will require the use of the Archive DVD for maps).
    http://ruinsofmurkhill.proboards.com/thread/965/line-studio-products-live-today

    15 November 2016
    Hasbro expands their classic PDF storefront to include Print on Demand titles. 2016 releases pertaining to Greyhawk include: L1 The Secret of Bone Hill, WG5 Mordnekainen's Fantastic Adventure, D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa, S1 Tomb of Horrors, S2 White Plume Mountain, C2 The Ghost Tower of Inverness, AC1 The Shady Dragon Inn (Warduke and company), Elemental Evil Player’s Companion (for those adapting the new ToEE material from FR), Fantastic Locations: Fane of the Drow (adapted by LG), Fantastic Locations: Hellspike Prison (adapted by LG), I10: Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill (Azalin's debut). This is the first time the Elemental Evil Player's Companion is available in print, previously it was only available electronically.
    http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?502173-Classic-D-amp-D-of-All-Eras-Back-In-Print/page9#ixzz4Up6XZT69
    http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/44/Wizards-of-the-Coast?filters=0_0_0_44294_0

    7 December 2016
    A new Greyhawk adventure, Things Best Forgotten, is announced for play at GaryCon 2017.
    http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=75787#p1803127

    Ongoing
    Benoist Poire published a number of Greyhawk/Duinnsmere mashup articles in the updates for the Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter and on Facebook. Poire has stated that the GH material will be removed from the final product to avoid legal ramifications, so make your personal backups now. Of particular interest is the redrafting of Avalon Hill's map from Outdoor Adventures. Advised for use with D&D in the original white box and used by Gary and company for their first outdoor adventures, this map is a fascinating look at the earliest cartography of Greyhawk.
    There's a lot of Greyhawk information scattered between kickstarter and facebook, but the updates from 11/8, 11/6, 9/30, 5/13 are a good place to start.
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1709227718/ernest-gary-gygax-jrs-marmoreal-tomb-campaign-star/updates

    -------------
    That's it. The El Raja Key archive DVD and Oerth Journal #27 are by far the most exciting releases of the year, IMO. I really like the Gaxmoor modules (Chaos Touched, The Long Valley, and Undercaverns of Gaxmoor) because it's new material that has nothing to do with rehashed classics, not that there's anything wrong with that, I've just had enough. Pacesetter continues to churn out interesting spinoffs and comes as close as anyone dares to making official sequels.

    As for publishers, it's sad to see Eldritch Ent's future uncertain. For a few years, they gave us regular Aquaria releases for the first time ever. Meanwhile, the fledgling TSR is soundly defeated, Gygax's IP has been strangled for close to ten years, Black Blade Publishing is silent, Die Cast Games' website is down (find your copy of Allan Hammack's C1 Night of the Black Swords fast!), and BRW Games remains on hiatus.

    On the plus side, Troll Lord Games and Pacesetter are as prolific as ever, Canonfire will never die, Footprints and & Magazine continue, GP Adventures makes slow but steady progress on the Marmoreal Tomb, Hasbro throws us a bone once in a while, and Three Line Studio is brand new. Raging Swan Press, Goodman Games and Frog God/Necromancer stay far away from any copyright infringement, but occasionally show Greyhawk DNA. North Wind Adventures has no link to Greyhawk other than Talanian's CV, but IMO, ASSH is where the spirit of Greyhawk is best found and their modules are consistently the closest to the quality of the TSR classics.


    Last edited by vestcoat on Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:54 pm; edited 4 times in total
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:56 pm  

    Wow thanks for this helpful post, I've preened a few files from this list I would have never known about. Well done *thumbs up*
    Adept Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 18, 2017 12:52 pm  

    Thanks, electryc.

    I cleaned up the text last night. Here's many of the physical releases/discoveries last year:
    Apprentice Greytalker

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    Wed Jan 18, 2017 3:37 pm  

    Greyhawk Reborn had another terrific year here in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA. We increased the number of tables we ran at every convention, and had another great turnout at Gen Con. At our last con of 2016, we ran 43 tables over 7 slots. We created over 60 rounds of adventures last year! You can check us out at http://greyhawkreborn.net/

    Best regards,
    Dave Guerrieri,
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    Wed Jan 18, 2017 5:50 pm  
    Re: Greyhawk 2016: Year in Review

    This is a great compilation, thank you, Cody! I missed your previous one(s), and will backtrack to see what else I missed. I'll also add a link to these threads on my Greyhawk Links page. Great stuff :D

    vestcoat wrote:
    The El Raja Key archive DVD is by far the most exciting release of the year, IMO.


    Agreed! Lots of great stuff in there.

    vestcoat wrote:
    Black Blade Publishing is silent


    Silent, for the moment, but definitely not dead (even though the website might look like we are ;) )!

    Allan.
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    Wed Jan 18, 2017 8:36 pm  

    Many many thanks for this. I knew about much of this, but surely not all, and hadn't heard anything about all the Gaxmoor stuff, for instance. Great work.
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    Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:55 pm  

    Wow, yet another great compilation for the year. Could you imagine how much you'd have to track if Wizards was putting out official stuff on a regular basis? Great coverage my friend! I'm going to keep my eyes open for that Greyhawk game at Garycon.
    Adept Greytalker

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    Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:47 pm  

    Thanks for the compliments!
    mortellan wrote:
    Could you imagine how much you'd have to track if Wizards was putting out official stuff on a regular basis?
    Since you bring it up, is anyone watching WotC's Dragon+ web publication? I'm the 0.5% with a Windows Phone, so there's no app for me to view it, and the issues aren't compiled into any kind of easy PDF for desktop browsers. It's a real bear clicking on the articles one by one and the few GH references I've seen are just nostalgia, retrospective fluff. Anyone know more?
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    Fri Jan 20, 2017 3:41 pm  

    I've checked them out occasionally but stopped. I'll look into it again since you mentioned it.
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    Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:27 am  

    Great run down Vestcoat, thanks!
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    Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:01 am  

    I am new here so I may ask questions that have been answered long ago. What connection is there between Greyhawk and the City of Gaxmoor other than the name Gygax? I have the old one and the new one published by TLG and I know it is set I Aihrde, but why is it listed above?

    Thanks,
    Adept Greytalker

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    Mon Jan 23, 2017 11:47 am  

    Good question. The answer is buried in a link I put in the 2015 thread. To summarize, Ernie Gygax playtested Gaxmoor as an Oeridian migration city in Bissel (link). TLG's published version remains a perfect match for Bissel, both in history and cartography (at least the 2002 edition was, I still haven't looked at my new printing closely). The "Traveling God" is a clear nod to Fharlanghn. After the playtest, one of the other authors placed it in Sunndi in his home campaign.

    Basically Gaxmoor falls under the categories of 1) Greyhawk products with the serial numbers scratched off and 2) products written by prominent GH authors.

    EGG himself also wrote a short Gaxmoor adventure in the original Codex of Erde. It's pretty cool that Gary, Ernie, Luke, and James Ward have all made contributions to the setting. Furthermore, a stretch goal for the Marmoreal Tomb kickstarter from GP Adventures was reached that will include a Gaxmoor setting conversion, linking Gaxmoor to another GH-related setting.
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    Thu Jan 26, 2017 10:05 am  

    Quote:
    27 July 2016
    The Gygax Estate reaches a deal with Transformers producer Tom DeSanto to oversee Gygax' catalog of published and unpublished works.
    I had *NO* idea! That's, at least, a hopeful thing.

    I continue to have the pipe dream that if I ever won a ridiculous lottery, I would continue to throw money at buying the Greyhawk IP from both WotC and the Gygax estate 'til they relented. And then, throw money at publishing without regard to whether or not I was making money on it.

    Also ...
    Quote:
    1 August 2016
    The Official D&D podcast unearths a cassette for the Dungeons and Dragons radio pilot set in Greyhawk:
    I'm currently listening, as we speak, to see what it's like!!

    Well done, and thank you for all the great information! There's quite a bit that I hadn't heard about!
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