I've been contemplating my own campaign for a while and been doing a lot of reading in the process. This led me to ask a question, since there are so many loyal fans to the WoG; "What would we like to see in a series of products focusing on the various kingdoms of the land?" For instance, let's assume that the first boxed set would be "The Kingdoms of the South-west: The Yeomanry, The Kingdom of Sterich and Embattled Geoff." In each book would be a full color map of the kingdom, various towns, roads and places of interest, including ancient ruins, sites of unrest, etc. Now after a preliminary history leading up to the current date, weather cycles, and deities worshipped, what would be next? Would we want to see the kingdoms broken down into fiefs and free holdings? Humanoid tribes and NPC's? Would we want a set of new material that makes things canon, or would we prefer to see things fast and loose? Would you find such material to be helpful in your own future campaigns? I apologize if this has been asked before, but I was curious on what the response would be from the fans.
I think the regional sourcebooks as you described would be great, I'd not like ones that broke the regions into smaller ares, I think that'd be the DM's task and the DM's way to costumize the scenario to his campaign.
By the way, the scarlet brotherhood mentioned before was VERY good, it expanded the world and detailed both the regions and the organization that always looked a little blurred for me (on porpouse, I think) in a way that helps the DM to create interesting new adventures based on the new info.
Marklands and Iuz the evil were quite like your idea, but more focused on the dangerous frontiers than some cultural/geographical division. I liked those two a lot!
I think the living greyhawk has done the perfect separation with their 'regions', and I'd love to see them develope the info and material they create into sourcebooks.
Alrighty then, let's discuss what would be the most appropriate place to begin. If the gods should bless the designers with a budget and the "go ahead" to begin this type of work, which kingdoms should be first? I am tempted to say Bissel, Gran March and Veluna or the three Uleks. I like these areas b/c it would give the beginning DM or experienced one, an aweful lot of options. The beginning DM could ease into the world without having to go through too much description and thought (as opposed to Ekbir, Zeif, etc.). The experiencd DM could have a new foundation, if they wanted it, and could tweak it in any manner they wanted. Of course, these are two very broad examples , but wouldn't it be nice to have some newly expanded "older" material. Then again, maybe I'm just a senile old dwarf
Keoland and the Sheldomar Valley would be an obvious starting point for a series of GH supplements in the style of the Marklands.
After that I'd love to see "Northern Lights" supplement detailing and contrasting Veluna with the Pale (done properly, not a suddenly lawful good Pale but one whose Theocrat makes the Valorous League in Nyrond seem well grounded by comparison).
And of course the Barbarian North.
The sundered Great Kingdom would also make a great well-overdue printed supplement, especially if it had maps of Rel Astra, Rel Deven, Rauxes and Eastfair!
This is a very intrigueing idea. I wish I got paid to sit at home and was able to live and breathe Greyhawk without sleeping to help attain such a task, but alas... there is Canonfire.
I have detailed a province of the Ice Barbarians, I named Valkemf in an older Canonfire submission of mine. You can check it out below if it may interest you.
furthermore, Montand, an old Canonfire editor and heavy contributor has detailed much of the Aerdy lands in his Sud Graufult series (some of my fav submissions) which you can see the whole scope of on his userpage below.
While a few paragraphs in the GH source of your choice is rarely enough to fully describe a country or region, going the FR route and describing EVERYTHING is just as wrong. (Yes, I exaggerate a bit, but it's tough to drop your local setting into a fully-developed world.) One of the beauties of GH is the lack of details. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be some development of the details, but please don't overdo it.
Reasons:
1 - I don't want to have to read 200-300 pages, then pick out the parts I need to re-write in order to have the campaign I want.
2 - One of the joys of DMing (for me) is the freedom to do whatever I want. Just give me the broad brushstrokes and let me fill in the details. Kind of like certain Asian artwork (southern Sung, etc); only the prominent features and "feel" of the subject is defined. The imagination fills the rest.
3 - My idea of what makes the Yeomanry (for example) unique is not necessarily your idea of what makes it unique. Generalities are fine, but too much detail bogs down the guide.
Frankly, I'd love to see about 10-30 pages devoted to each country, depending on size, complexity, etc. Fully develop one area in each book for the "lazy DMs" out there, but leave the rest somewhat vague.
Twenty to thirty pages on each country would be excessive, I think. The same page count for a regional grouping would be more appropriate.
For my own enjoyment, I look for such niggling and mundane details as what crop get planted when and where and when that particular crop gets harvested...I'm weird that way. Most people would find that excessive and I wouldn't blame them.
What may be universally appreciated and useful would be one or two rough "starter" villages or hamlets. The type of small area that's mapped out and reasonable defined with some localized adventuring opportunities with a starting, low level adventuring group in mind.
Details on trade would likely be another useful feature.
Local customs; although one should avoid the temptation to come up with different local customs for each nation simply for the sake of meeting a perceived expectation.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Canonfire! is a production of the Thursday Group in assocation with GREYtalk and Canonfire! Enterprises
and the "go ahead" to begin this type of work, which kingdoms should be first? I am tempted to say Bissel, Gran March and Veluna or the three Uleks. I like these areas b/c it would give the beginning DM or experienced one, an aweful lot of options. The beginning DM could ease into the world without having to go through too much description and thought (as opposed to Ekbir, Zeif, etc.). The experiencd DM could have a new foundation, if they wanted it, and could tweak it in any manner they wanted. Of course, these are two very broad examples 
, but wouldn't it be nice to have some newly expanded "older" material. Then again, maybe I'm just a senile old dwarf 
