Greyhawk Calendar
Encyclopedia
The Greyhawk Calendar is a fictional calendar used in the World of Greyhawk
campaign setting
for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game
. It is the most common system for tracking the days and months of the Common Year in the Flanaess
.
The Greyhawk year consists of 364 days, split into twelve months of twenty-eight days each, and four seven-day festivals, each placed at three month intervals. Different cultures in the campaign setting have their own names for the months and festivals. The months and festivals are commonly referred to as the Dozenmonth of Luna and the Four Festivals.
Days in Greyhawk are reckoned in weeks of seven days each. The days of the month are: Starday, Sunday, Moonday, Godsday, Waterday, Earthday, and Freeday. Godsday is commonly associated with worship, and Freeday with rest. The remaining days are considered "work days."
An interesting feature of the Greyhawk calendar is that the days of the week always occur on the same day every year, a result of the year having a number of days divisible by seven.
The first of the month is always a Starday, and the rest follow as shown below:
The months and festivals are based on the cycles of Oerth
's moons, Luna and Celene. Luna has a twenty-eight day cycle, while Celene's cycle is ninety-one days. Celene is full at the midpoint of each festival, while Luna is full at various times throughout the year. Notably, both moons are full on Richfest 3-5.
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
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...
for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. It is the most common system for tracking the days and months of the Common Year in the Flanaess
Flanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
.
The Greyhawk year consists of 364 days, split into twelve months of twenty-eight days each, and four seven-day festivals, each placed at three month intervals. Different cultures in the campaign setting have their own names for the months and festivals. The months and festivals are commonly referred to as the Dozenmonth of Luna and the Four Festivals.
Days in Greyhawk are reckoned in weeks of seven days each. The days of the month are: Starday, Sunday, Moonday, Godsday, Waterday, Earthday, and Freeday. Godsday is commonly associated with worship, and Freeday with rest. The remaining days are considered "work days."
| Month | Common | Elven | Nomads | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needfest | ||||
| 1 | Fireseek | Diamondice | Tiger | Winter |
| 2 | Readying | Yellowillow | Bear | Spring |
| 3 | Coldeven | Snowflowers | Lion | Spring |
| Growfest | ||||
| 4 | Planting | Blossoms | Frog | Low Summer |
| 5 | Flocktime | Violets | Turtle | Low Summer |
| 6 | Wealsun | Berrytime | Fox | Low Summer |
| Richfest (Midsummer) | ||||
| 7 | Reaping | Goldfields | Snake | High Summer |
| 8 | Goodmonth | Sunflowers | Boar | High Summer |
| 9 | Harvester | Fruitfall | Squirrel | High Summer |
| Brewfest | ||||
| 10 | Patchwall | Brightleaf | Hare | Autumn |
| 11 | Ready'reat | Tinklingice | Hawk | Autumn |
| 12 | Sunsebb | Lacysnows | Wolf | Winter |
An interesting feature of the Greyhawk calendar is that the days of the week always occur on the same day every year, a result of the year having a number of days divisible by seven.
The first of the month is always a Starday, and the rest follow as shown below:
- Starday is always on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd of the month.
- Sunday is always on the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd of the month.
- Moonday is always on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th of the month.
- Godsday is always on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th of the month.
- Waterday is always on the 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th of the month.
- Earthday is always on the 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th of the month.
- Freeday is always on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th of the month.
The months and festivals are based on the cycles of Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
's moons, Luna and Celene. Luna has a twenty-eight day cycle, while Celene's cycle is ninety-one days. Celene is full at the midpoint of each festival, while Luna is full at various times throughout the year. Notably, both moons are full on Richfest 3-5.
Additional reading
- Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingWorld of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingThe World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(TSR, 1983). - Mona, Erik, et al. Living Greyhawk GazetteerLiving Greyhawk GazetteerThe Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(Wizards of the Coast, 2000). - Moore, Roger E. Greyhawk: The Adventure BeginsGreyhawk: The Adventure BeginsGreyhawk: 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...
(TSR, 1998). - Sargent, Carl. From the AshesFrom the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...
(TSR, 1993).