Greyhawk is, for many of us, generic D&D fantasy. This isn’t surprising. It’s where the game comes from. The baseline to the game. The Forgotten Realms likewise feel like generic D&D fantasy these days, but Greyhawk has some significant differences that make it a lot more fun for me – at least. (I love the Realms; I love Greyhawk more).

Most important in that is that it is a land of nations. If you think of the main area of the Forgotten Realms – the Sword Coast – which we’ve been dealing with for the past 10 years, can you name a single nation in it? It has city states. There are nations in the Forgotten Realms, but they’re all off the edges of the current map. Even when you get to the lands of Cormyr and Sembia, in which I spent many a happy day in the early days of the Realms, they’re surrounded by more city states and wilderness.

But you look at Greyhawk, and the map is full of nations. And they don’t get along. Once upon a time, most of the map was ruled by the Great Kingdom, but it’s been falling apart for centuries now, and it’s corrupt and much smaller. The new nations are struggling along, making alliances and engaging in petty wars – but there are darker threats, such as the Land of Iuz, the evil cambion ruler of a land of orcs and mercenaries, all ready for conquest.

Iuz had been gone for a century – trapped by the Mad Archmage beneath Castle Zagyg – but he then returned after being freed by a foolish adventurer, and now he hungers for conquest once more. Of course, his land is no longer united – one faction, the Horned Society declared independence and now holds his eastern capital. He has to get it back! But once he does so, he’ll be ready to take on the southern lands once more.

The lands immediately to the south are Veluna and Furyondy. Veluna is a theocracy, Furyondy is a kingdom. They are kingdoms of good and wise rulers. However, a few years before the present in the original boxed set, there was an uprising of worshippers of Elemental Evil. Both sides raised armies, and they clashed at the Battle of Emridy Meadows. The armies of good were victorious, and the Marshall of Furyondy – Prince Thrommel – was the victorious leader. His hand was pledged to the daughter of the ruler of Veluna, and by such would the two nations be united. They might even be able to take out Iuz!

But such didn’t happen. One night, the Prince vanished, and the plans for unity were dashed. No war started between Veluna and Furyondy (though it’d be in keeping with the setting), but the Prince is still missing as of 576 CY. There’s a few adventures that describe what happened to him!

The nations of Greyhawk are distinct. You can imbue them with personalities. It comes from the wargaming background of Gygax, and though I don’t engage in resolving wars through miniature wargames, they have taken place. (The disappearance of the High Priestess of Xan Yae on a visit to Veluna caused a war between her homeland of Ket and Veluna which the players had to stop. Well, by winning it for Veluna).

There are the ruins of ancient kingdoms. There are the effects of the migrations after the Twin Cataclysms when two empires destroyed each other. There are the rise of the Younger Kingdoms, and their fall and rise again. There is wilderness, there is evil, there is good. And some of the most famous dungeons in D&D history.

The Forgotten Realms feels on the cusp of the Renaissance, perhaps even in it. Greyhawk is a darker time, though anachronisms abound. That’s the way of D&D. Think more High Middle Ages moving into Late. The people of Greyhawk still think the Sun moves around the Oerth! (In later D&D products, this was canonized, but I prefer to think of it as their still incomplete knowledge of the universe).

The starting point for everything is the 1983 boxed set of the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Setting. (There was a folio that preceded that, but it was expanded in the boxed set).

From the 1983 set, for most of us, it’s the early D&D adventures that hold pride of place. Of note:
G1-3, D1-3, Q1 – Giants and Drow. You know how Salvatore expanded the drow so much in the Forgotten Realms? D3 was his starting point, and it was in Greyhawk.
A1-4 – Slavers. Weird adventures (especially the early ones), but you can see how Greyhawk was being shaped by the adventures into Defeat Threats!
T1-4 – The Temple of Elemental Evil. This came out late, and Gygax couldn’t finish it, but the concept of Elemental Evil was brilliant, as were the links to large Greyhawk lore.
S1 – The Tomb of Horrors.
S2 – White Plume Mountain – the ultimate “funhouse” dungeon, but the emphasis is on fun.
S4 – The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth – many a new monster and spell (at the time, the largest new group of monsters outside of a rulebook), and an artefact to find. Plus – more lore.
WG4 – The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun – interestingly, you never face Tharizdun. Just as well. He’s chained and terrifying.

Other adventures were also set in the World of Greyhawk, expanding on other parts of the world. Saltmarsh, the Lendore Isles, the Crystal Cave.

Later on, Greyhawk changed – different designers took over, taking the setting to different places, not all of which I like. But that’s the basics – and you can see how the Greyhawk DNA became fundamental to a lot of later D&D – especially in 5E.

If you want a deep dive into Greyhawk lore, try the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. While I don’t like all of it, there’s no doubt it adds many details previously unknown.