The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I rarely play D&D, maybe once every two or three years. However, for the last fifteen years or so I have bought the World of Greyhawk products even though I never played the game - I was simply curious about the world and the changes that were made in it. Several years ago, the line underwent dramatic changes, a war tore the setting asunder and this shortlived line was introduced in 'From the Ashes'. The following products, were in my opinion, some of the most interesting stuff ever done by TSR. The line was then killed, only to be resurrected by Wizards of the Coast with their purchase of that ailing company.

The book:

With the release of D&D3E, Wizards of the Coast has released Gazetteer to introduce people to the world. The cover is quite simple, a stylized map of the world which looks much better than a scantily clad woman carrying a sword and beset upon by all kinds of creatures with teeth and fangs. The cover art conveys the sophisticated sense of decorum that now defines D&D3E.

Looking beyond the cover, you have a summary of the Flanaess. Chapter one covers the seasons and the calendar in the briefest of detail. Following this is the second chapter, only slightly longer, giving a very brief history. The third chapter goes into some detail on the countries, providing a bit of demographic information, and a blurb on history, current events, or information of interest to adventurers. This section also contains little side boxes describing deities, one of the books nice little touches. Chapter Four gives one to three sentence blurbs about forests, mountains, hills, and bodies of water. Following it is a section on 'Power Groups' - those groups of individuals that exert influence in one way or another. This brief summary mirrors the brief summaries in the book.

The book concludes with a 'Looking For More on the World of D&D?'. It is here that you learn that if you want a more detailed description of the world, buy the forthcoming 'Living Greyhawk' setting. This begs the question: Why was this book ever produced? There was already the release of the original box set which introduced us to the world (there may have been material before that - my knowledge of the world begins here...). After that there was the 'From the Ashes' box set, which covered all the material in the original and updated it considerably. Then there was the war booklet that came with the Greyhawk Wars which covered the war in depth. Following this material was the Greyhawk material that was produced by Wizards when they took over the company, The Adventure Begins and another book whose name escapes me and happens to be packed away beyond reach. Then within a few months of each other this small booklet is produced only to be followed by a more in-depth setting. So who was this book produced for? It seems to update the world, but not provide any real significant background information. So it would seem to be useful for those familiar with Greyhawk who need to be brought up to speed on the changes in the world since the last treatment of the world. However it would seem that the Living Greyhawk would be better for them. On the other hand, the book offers too little information and very little background for new players. So in the end, the book seems worthless to both groups: although well written and illustrated, it seems to add little to the knowledge of those who already are familiar with Greyhawk, yet fails to evoke the atmosphere of the World of Greyhawk for new players. Essentially, this product seems to cheat both new and old alike. Lastly, the art, while acceptable, seems to convey little sense of the Flanaess.

The map:

The map on the cover looks rather nice. However, it is not the map that comes with the book! The map that comes with the book is functional and does not have the annoying grids that afflict the other Greyhawk maps - it is functional, but nowhere as nice as the map on the cover - I found this a bit misleading. Still, functional.

All in all, this seems to be a misguided product, one which serves nobody in the long run. Ten dollars (half the price of either the 3E Player's Handbook or the Dungeonmaster's Guide) for a 32 page summary and a decent map is unacceptable. I recommend this for only the most committed of Greyhawk collectors. Save your money for the more complete setting .

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)

Gazetteer
Author: Holian, Mona, Reynolds, Weining Category: game Company/Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Line: D&D 3rd edition Cost: 9.95 Page count: 32 ISBN: 0786917423 Capsule Review by Garett Lepper on 10/13/00. Genre tags: Fantasy	I rarely play D&D, maybe once every two or three years. However, for the last fifteen years or so I have bought the World of Greyhawk products even though I never played the game - I was simply curious about the world and the changes that were made in it. Several years ago, the line underwent dramatic changes, a war tore the setting asunder and this shortlived line was introduced in 'From the Ashes'. The following products, were in my opinion, some of the most interesting stuff ever done by TSR. The line was then killed, only to be resurrected by Wizards of the Coast with their purchase of that ailing company. The book: With the release of D&D3E, Wizards of the Coast has released Gazetteer to introduce people to the world. The cover is quite simple, a stylized map of the world which looks much better than a scantily clad woman carrying a sword and beset upon by all kinds of creatures with teeth and fangs. The cover art conveys the sophisticated sense of decorum that now defines D&D3E. Looking beyond the cover, you have a summary of the Flanaess. Chapter one covers the seasons and the calendar in the briefest of detail. Following this is the second chapter, only slightly longer, giving a very brief history. The third chapter goes into some detail on the countries, providing a bit of demographic information, and a blurb on history, current events, or information of interest to adventurers. This section also contains little side boxes describing deities, one of the books nice little touches. Chapter Four gives one to three sentence blurbs about forests, mountains, hills, and bodies of water. Following it is a section on 'Power Groups' - those groups of individuals that exert influence in one way or another. This brief summary mirrors the brief summaries in the book. The book concludes with a 'Looking For More on the World of D&D?'. It is here that you learn that if you want a more detailed description of the world, buy the forthcoming 'Living Greyhawk' setting. This begs the question: Why was this book ever produced? There was already the release of the original box set which introduced us to the world (there may have been material before that - my knowledge of the world begins here...). After that there was the 'From the Ashes' box set, which covered all the material in the original and updated it considerably. Then there was the war booklet that came with the Greyhawk Wars which covered the war in depth. Following this material was the Greyhawk material that was produced by Wizards when they took over the company, The Adventure Begins and another book whose name escapes me and happens to be packed away beyond reach. Then within a few months of each other this small booklet is produced only to be followed by a more in-depth setting. So who was this book produced for? It seems to update the world, but not provide any real significant background information. So it would seem to be useful for those familiar with Greyhawk who need to be brought up to speed on the changes in the world since the last treatment of the world. However it would seem that the Living Greyhawk would be better for them. On the other hand, the book offers too little information and very little background for new players. So in the end, the book seems worthless to both groups: although well written and illustrated, it seems to add little to the knowledge of those who already are familiar with Greyhawk, yet fails to evoke the atmosphere of the World of Greyhawk for new players. Essentially, this product seems to cheat both new and old alike. Lastly, the art, while acceptable, seems to convey little sense of the Flanaess. The map: The map on the cover looks rather nice. However, it is not the map that comes with the book! The map that comes with the book is functional and does not have the annoying grids that afflict the other Greyhawk maps - it is functional, but nowhere as nice as the map on the cover - I found this a bit misleading. Still, functional. All in all, this seems to be a misguided product, one which serves nobody in the long run. Ten dollars (half the price of either the 3E Player's Handbook or the Dungeonmaster's Guide) for a 32 page summary and a decent map is unacceptable. I recommend this for only the most committed of Greyhawk collectors. Save your money for the more complete setting . Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 1 (I Wasted My Money)