While Greyhawk is perhaps not the first setting to be used in a Dungeons & Dragons game (that honor likely goes to Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor). But the world of Oerth that it’s a part of is the first and most famous to appear in the early official supplements for the tabletop role-playing game. Some of the most renowned D&D modules take place in this setting developed by Gary Gygax, including the classic trilogy Against the Giants and other pieces of D&D history like The Temple of Elemental Evil. D&D 5.5, launched in 2024, returned to Oerth with Greyhawk as the default setting of the core rulebooks.
Still, it’s hard to compete with the popularity and ubiquity of Forgotten Realms, the D&D setting that has appeared in every type of product, from movies to award-winning video games and Magic sets, for the past three decades. But D&D’s push to revitalize Greyhawk has a powerful weapon in its arsenal: Legends of Greyhawk, the newest official D&D organized play campaign that aims to connect players from all over the world in a massive, shared adventure.
Polygon spoke with Wizards of the Coast’s D&D global play manager, Chris Tulach, and Savannah Houston-McIntyre, Baldman Games’ creative director, to learn everything there is to know about Legends of Greyhawk and why now is the perfect time for D&D’s biggest organized play campaign in 40 years.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Polygon: What is Legends of Greyhawk?
Chris Tulach: Legends of Greyhawk is a global shared-world campaign where players aren’t locked into the same table each time they play — they can take their characters anywhere the campaign is played.
What is the difference between Legends of Greyhawk and other organized play programs like Adventurers League or D&D Encounters?
CT: It comes down to rules implementation, adventure content creation, and distribution. Legends of Greyhawk has been built on the shoulders of the giants that came before it and is being crafted around 5.5e rules. Adventures are created through a group of organizer partners, and we have monthly D&D Beyond releases to get adventures out in the world. The adventure content is also optimized to work on D&D Beyond, with features such as quickplay maps to make it easier to prep games.
Adventurers League shares the same rough structure, but it is 5e-forward, and content is created by the community through DM’s Guild. D&D Encounters is a seasonal mini-campaign with an adventure pack on D&D Beyond that spotlights the latest releases and uses only 5.5e rules; it has a finite ending of about 5 weeks of play.
Savannah Houston-McIntyre: One of the core differences between Adventurers League and Legends of Greyhawk boils down to their magic item and progression systems. Legends of Greyhawk has a slower level progression and stricter limits on magic items than Adventurers League. As a result, players spend more time within each tier, connecting with their character and the story they are adventuring through, and face challenges with a more limited toolkit. Both programs offer fantastic experiences; the better fit ultimately comes down to individual playstyle. Many players also enjoy participating in both, appreciating the change of pace each provides.
D&D has many unique settings, but in recent years, the game’s official products have focused mostly on the Forgotten Realms. So why Greyhawk now? What makes the setting unique?
CT: Greyhawk is the setting that’s often called the “birthplace of D&D.” For the newest Dungeon Master’s Guide, it’s the sample campaign world that’s presented, thus most Dungeon Masters that are running 5.5e games already have access to the setting information.
We decided that it was time once again to have an organized play campaign set in an iconic D&D setting that wasn’t Forgotten Realms, since Greyhawk was accessible within our core rulebooks, had not been supported in Adventurers League, and offered adventure content creators an opportunity to start fresh. Living Greyhawk, the third edition/3.5 organized play flagship setting, was incredibly popular at the time it was released, and we knew that some players adored the setting, so a return to it is a long time coming.
In terms of uniqueness, while Greyhawk is the foundation of many aspects of D&D lore, it is generally a bit grittier than settings like the Forgotten Realms and Eberron. Technology is a little less advanced, and magic, while relatively common, isn’t integrated into everyday life — it can still feel mysterious or terrifying to those who don’t wield it. And, of course, it’s the original home of many iconic locations, such as the Tomb of Horrors, Temple of Elemental Evil, Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and White Plume Mountain. Greyhawk is a sword-and-sorcery-inspired setting that makes you feel as though you’re playing in a land that echoes with the greatness of the legacy of the game itself.
Savannah is also working on Forgotten Realms products with the setting’s creator, Ed Greenwood, as the Senior Designer on RealmsBound. What are the biggest differences between Faerûn and Greyhawk?
SHM: I have a deep love and reverence for both settings. Although they share many foundations, they use those elements to create very different experiences. Chris covered several distinctions, including the prevalence of magic and Greyhawk’s grittier atmosphere. Broadly speaking, however, I think we are looking at the difference between epic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery, though both worlds offer tremendous variety across their many realms and regions.
Toril (the world on which Faerûn is located) is a world where magic, deities, and legendary figures are woven visibly into everyday life. Its history feels vast, a narrative built over decades by a multitude of authors and products across media. Players are invited to enter that tapestry and find their place within it.
Oerth (the world of the Greyhawk setting) feels more precarious. Its regions are caught in political tensions, ancient evils linger at the periphery, and those with the power to intervene are likely compromised or preoccupied with their own designs. Good does not triumph simply because heroes have arrived; the world is too dark to offer such guarantees.
That distinction is what resonates with me most. Faerûn invites you to join a lineage of lore, to rise alongside the legendary heroes the world already reveres as its champions and caretakers, and to make your mark among them. Greyhawk asks something harder: what are you willing to risk when no legendary hero is coming to save the day? There, you are expected to step into that absence and become the legend the world needs.
What is the main incentive for players to take part in the Legends of Greyhawk organized play? How is that different from sitting at home and playing a traditional campaign in the Greyhawk setting?
SHM: The primary incentives are connection and accessibility. Legends of Greyhawk is a welcoming entry point to tabletop gaming, especially if you don’t have a steady playgroup at home. With the demands of daily life, gathering the same group around the table every week or month isn’t always possible.
Organized play gives people another way in. You can sit down at a table at a convention, a local game store, a home game, or a community event and immediately feel like you belong. You’re not just playing one campaign in isolation; you’re part of a story shared by thousands of other players.
Home games are wonderful and can be deeply personal, but Legends of Greyhawk makes the world feel bigger. Your character becomes part of a larger story. The people you meet and the adventures you share all connect to something beyond your table.
Sometimes you bring friends or family along for the experience, but often you sit down with strangers and quickly become part of a party. Those connections often endure long after the session ends, and many players form lasting friendships through organized play.
CT: I’ve been involved in building D&D organized play settings for well over 25 years, and Legends of Greyhawk draws on lessons from all those past programs.
Organized play has always been about connection and building community; it’s the one critical feature that gives it an advantage over other types of tabletop RPG play. As you continue to play, the connection grows in a way that’s deep, since you’re sharing stories beyond your table. Strangers become your close friends and your next home group.
Accessibility is the one area that Legends of Greyhawk seeks to improve upon past programs. We’re addressing this by having the campaign start with the 5.5e core rulebooks. That makes it easier to understand what books you can use to create a character. We’re also streamlining the rules around leveling and treasure acquisition to make it easy to jump in and see your path for continued play.
Who are the Premier Organizers involved?
CT: We have three premier organizers currently in the program that are also third-party creators for our adventures. GameConclave is headed up by Thomas Valley; their organization does D&D organized play at shows like MegaCon Orlando, Gary Con, and Gamehole Con. West Coast Adventurers Guild is Wolf Miller’s organization, and they do shows such as SDCC and WonderCon. Baldman Games is run by David Christ; their shows include Gen Con, the PAX shows, Origins, Winter Fantasy, and a monthly online convention called Virtual D&D Weekends.
How can players and DMs partake in Legends of Greyhawk?
CT: The first thing you can do is check out D&D Beyond’s Legends of Greyhawk webpage. It’s a great place to learn about the program and find games to play. Our organizer partners’ sites are also great ways to connect, especially if you’re in the United States. Other convention organizers may also be running Legends of Greyhawk games at shows near you; ask the convention organizer if they’re offering Legends of Greyhawk at their event.
Globally, the Wizards Store and Event Locator can help you find a game shop that’s running Legends of Greyhawk games near you. And if you just want to connect with others who are looking for games, the official D&D Discord has a channel for Legends of Greyhawk and a “looking for group/DM” channel too!
Of course, you can always play adventures with your home group; about every month, a new adventure bundle is available with 3-4 adventures that take about 2-4 hours each to play. You can find these in the D&D Beyond Marketplace or the Legends of Greyhawk page mentioned above.
