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Castle Greyhawk (module)
Encyclopedia
Castle Greyhawk is an adventure module
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting
. The module bears the code WG7 and was published by TSR, Inc.
in 1988 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.
, with a cover by Keith Parkinson
and interior illustrations by Jeff Easley
and Jim Holloway
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 128-page book.
The designers of this 12-level mega-dungeon were each given a level to develop.
treatment of TSR's approach to earlier Greyhawk publications. The module's back cover states "The common theme of this dungeon is that no joke is so old, no pun is so bad, and no schtick is so obvious that it can’t be used to confuse and trip up PCs!"
Thus, although the adventure purportedly concerns Castle Greyhawk
, most fans of the setting consider it to be a "joke" module. In 1990, TSR released a more definitive and serious treatment of the Castle itself in module WGR1 - Greyhawk Ruins
. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins
, one of the late '90s Greyhawk publications meant to revamp the campaign world, explicitly states that Greyhawk Ruins is to be considered the definitive castle layout and not Castle Greyhawk.
reviewed Castle Greyhawk for Dragon
magazine #135 (July 1988), who described it as a light-hearted treasure "for gamers with a sense of humor". Rolston felt that this publishing this anthology of "really low fantasy" scenarios dignified the style of play involving "this sort of bizarre, humorous, incoherent fantasy arcade adventure, where DMs took the totally illogical premises of the D&D and AD&D games, accepted them without question, then improvised thinly rationalized dungeon universes for us to wander about in, smashing and roasting things and having a thumping good time".
Fan reception of Castle Greyhawk was mixed but generally negative. Many dedicated fans of the Greyhawk setting were bitterly disappointed by the long-awaited work. Some interpreted the publication as being a direct insult to Gary Gygax
, who had recently left TSR in a dispute over ownership of the company, and by extension to early fans of the setting and D&D players in general. These issues continue to be discussed and debated on various fan sites and chat rooms.
Castle Greyhawk was a Gamer's Choice award-winner. Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, considered the dungeon levels "silly-but-playable", cited its "all-star design staff", and called Parkinson's cover "marvelous".
Game designer John D. Ratecliff wrote in an article published on the Wizards of the Coast
website:
with Jon Pickens
Cover Art: Keith Parkinson
Interior Art: Jim Holloway with Jeff Easley
Typography: Kim Janke
Cartography : Stephen Sullivan
Keylining: Stephanie Tabat and Dave S. LaForce
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
. The module bears the code WG7 and was published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
in 1988 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.
Plot summary
Castle Greyhawk is a large multipart scenario consisting of 11 dungeon levels below Greyhawk Castle, including "Where the Random Monsters Roam" and "The Temple of Really Bad Dead Things".Publication history
WG7 Castle Greyhawk was edited by Mike Breault with Jon PickensJon Pickens
Jon Pickens is a game designer and editor who has worked on numerous products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR and later Wizards of the Coast.-Early life and education:...
, with a cover by Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...
and interior illustrations by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
and Jim Holloway
Jim Holloway (artist)
-Background:Jim Holloway was self taught in illustration, although he was able to study some oil paintings by his father.-Works:Jim Holloway has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1981, as well as cover art for The Land Beyond the...
, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a 128-page book.
The designers of this 12-level mega-dungeon were each given a level to develop.
Theme
In Castle Greyhawk, TSR parodied its own scenario style, as a send-up of the illogical "gilded hole" labyrinth dungeons. The product contains many references to contemporary popular culture, along with a bitingly satiricalSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
treatment of TSR's approach to earlier Greyhawk publications. The module's back cover states "The common theme of this dungeon is that no joke is so old, no pun is so bad, and no schtick is so obvious that it can’t be used to confuse and trip up PCs!"
Thus, although the adventure purportedly concerns Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax for his own campaign and later detailed for publication...
, most fans of the setting consider it to be a "joke" module. In 1990, TSR released a more definitive and serious treatment of the Castle itself in module WGR1 - Greyhawk Ruins
Greyhawk Ruins
Greyhawk Ruins is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was published in 1990 by TSR, Inc...
. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins
Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins
Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins is a 1998 sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The 128 page book was written by Roger E...
, one of the late '90s Greyhawk publications meant to revamp the campaign world, explicitly states that Greyhawk Ruins is to be considered the definitive castle layout and not Castle Greyhawk.
Reception
Ken RolstonKen Rolston
Ken Rolston is an American computer game and board game designer best known for his work with West End Games and the hit computer game series The Elder Scrolls...
reviewed Castle Greyhawk for Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine #135 (July 1988), who described it as a light-hearted treasure "for gamers with a sense of humor". Rolston felt that this publishing this anthology of "really low fantasy" scenarios dignified the style of play involving "this sort of bizarre, humorous, incoherent fantasy arcade adventure, where DMs took the totally illogical premises of the D&D and AD&D games, accepted them without question, then improvised thinly rationalized dungeon universes for us to wander about in, smashing and roasting things and having a thumping good time".
Fan reception of Castle Greyhawk was mixed but generally negative. Many dedicated fans of the Greyhawk setting were bitterly disappointed by the long-awaited work. Some interpreted the publication as being a direct insult to Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, who had recently left TSR in a dispute over ownership of the company, and by extension to early fans of the setting and D&D players in general. These issues continue to be discussed and debated on various fan sites and chat rooms.
Castle Greyhawk was a Gamer's Choice award-winner. Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, considered the dungeon levels "silly-but-playable", cited its "all-star design staff", and called Parkinson's cover "marvelous".
Game designer John D. Ratecliff wrote in an article published on the Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
website:
Despite being intended in fun, the unrelenting mayhem of DungeonlandDungeonlandDungeonland is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, written by Gary Gygax for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
and The Land Beyond the Magic MirrorThe Land Beyond the Magic MirrorThe Land Beyond the Magic Mirror is an adventure module, written for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.-Plot summary:...
creates a sense of bedlam, and the parody element opened the door for the later WG7, Castle Greyhawk (1988) -- thought by some at the time to be a deliberate attempt by TSR to destroy Gygax’s reputation in the wake of his departure from the company. The truth, especially given the freelance talent involved, is more likely to be that someone thought it a good idea at the time. They were wrong. Castle Greyhawk’s assortment of villains -- Col. SandersColonel SandersHarland David "Colonel" Sanders was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain, now re-branded as KFC...
, the Pillsbury DoughboyPillsbury DoughboyPoppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of The Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2004 conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach...
, the cast of Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, and others -- would be more in keeping with a bad episode of Scooby Doo than a dungeon crawl. Unfortunately, the Castle Greyhawk collection of unconnected parody adventures tainted the mystique of D&D’s original dungeon so badly that not even the astonishingly deadly killer dungeon presented slightly later in WGR1. Greyhawk RuinsGreyhawk RuinsGreyhawk Ruins is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was published in 1990 by TSR, Inc...
(1990) could reclaim its lost prestige.
Table of Contents
| Chapter | Designer | page |
|---|---|---|
| What's Happening Now at Castle Greyhawk | by Chris Mortika | 2 |
| Level I: Against the Little Guys | by Steve Gilbert | 12 |
| Level 2: It's My Party and I'll Die if I Want to | by Rick Swan | 21 |
| Level 3: Too Many Cooks | by Guy McLimore, Greg Poehlein, and David Tepool | 32 |
| Level 4: There's No Place Like Up | by Paul Jaquays Paul Jaquays Paul Jaquays is a game designer and artist of table-top role-playing games and video games.Some of his notable works include the Dungeons & Dragons modules "Dark Tower" and "Caverns of Thracia" for Judges Guild; development and design of conversions on games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong for... |
44 |
| Level 5: The Name of the Game | by John Terra | 54 |
| Level 6: The Temple of Really Bad Dead Things | by Greg Gorden | 63 |
| Level 7: Queen of the Honeybee Hive | by Grant Boucher and Kurt Wenz | 73 |
| Level 8 : Of Kings and Colonels | |by John Nephew | 83 |
| Level 9: Vices 'N Virtues | by Scott Bennie | 92 |
| Level 10: Fluffy Goes Down the Drain | by Rick Reid | 102 |
| Level 11: Mordenkainen's Movie Madness | by Ray Winmnger | 111 |
| Level 12: Where the Random Monsters Roam | by Steve Perrin | 119 |
Credits
Editing: Mike BreaultMichael Breault
Michael Breault is a game designer and editor, and an author of several products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Early life and education:...
with Jon Pickens
Jon Pickens
Jon Pickens is a game designer and editor who has worked on numerous products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR and later Wizards of the Coast.-Early life and education:...
Cover Art: Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson
Keith Parkinson was an American fantasy artist and illustrator known for book cover and game artwork for games such as EverQuest, Guardians, Magic: The Gathering and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.-Early life:...
Interior Art: Jim Holloway with Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
Typography: Kim Janke
Cartography : Stephen Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan
Stephen D. Sullivan is an American author, artist, editor, publisher, and radio host. Sullivan is well known in the gaming community for his work with TSR, the publishers of Dungeons and Dragons.-Career:...
Keylining: Stephanie Tabat and Dave S. LaForce
Notable nonplayer characters
- Herzog Akitrom
- Poppinfarsh the DoughPillsbury DoughboyPoppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of The Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many commercials from 1965 until 2004 conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach...
GolemGolemIn Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing.... - Gingerbread Man
- Inflated Ego
- Miss Gulch
- Ye Secret Tom of Inestimable Knowledges
- DridermanSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, The Inedible BulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, Da TingThing (comics)The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, - Captain KorkJames T. KirkJames Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, Mees TasparkSpockSpock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
, BonesLeonard McCoyLeonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,... - Indiana GnomeIndiana JonesColonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
- Prof. WhyDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Baba YagaBaba Yaga (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Baba Yaga is a powerful spellcaster.-Publishing history:Baba Yaga was first mentioned in the Dungeons & Dragons game in the 1979 Dungeon Master's Guide, where her hut appears as an artifact. Baba Yaga herself would appear in "The Dancing Hut," a... - Elfin JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- Hack and SlashHack and slashHack and slash or hack and slay, abbreviated H&S or HnS, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat. "Hack and slash" was originally used to describe an aspect of pen-and-paper role-playing games , carrying over from there to MUDs, MMORPGs, and video games in general...
- Captain Cheer Eo—both a parody of the bee mascot of Honey Nut CheeriosHoney Nut CheeriosHoney Nut Cheerios is a variation of Cheerios breakfast cereal, introduced in 1979 by the General Mills cereal company. This is the second variation from Original Cheerios, it is sweeter than the original, with a honey and almond flavor...
and Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's role as Captain EoCaptain EOCaptain EO is a 3-D science fiction film starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola that was shown at Disney theme parks from 1986 through the 1990s...
in the Disneyland attraction of the same name - Marvin GrapeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
- Aunt BeeAunt BeeBeatrice Taylor is a fictional character from the 1960s American television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. The show was televised on CBS from October 3, 1960, until April 1, 1968...
- Tela Vision, Bunny
- Gross Profits, Net Profits, Profits of Doom
- Jak Briddon
- Penny & Fluffy
- Crystal Lite Ooze
- MordenkainenMordenkainenMordenkainen is a fictional wizard from the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. He was created by Gary Gygax as a player character and is one of the oldest characters in roleplaying fiction...
- Voyeux
External links
- World of Greyhawk Series at the Acaeum
- Castle Greyhawk at Pen-Paper.net
- Castle Greyhawk at the TSR Archive