tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post6456099943145736192..comments2024-03-25T21:52:03.310-05:00Comments on Hill Cantons: The Howling Emptiness of the World of GreyhawkChris Kutalikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-81952931842602720132021-07-30T05:25:17.875-05:002021-07-30T05:25:17.875-05:00Interesting stuff! Over on my blog, I further crun...Interesting stuff! Over on my blog, I further crunched some numbers and this provided me with a few insights: https://orange-dragons.blogspot.com/2021/07/greyhawk-facts-howling-emptiness-of.htmlPeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07409682699250002259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-17814910557229496252020-03-20T18:34:42.244-05:002020-03-20T18:34:42.244-05:00I take this for granted. I use a Vancian "an...I take this for granted. I use a Vancian "ancient Earth" approach to my Greyhawk, and the current situation is the result of multiple apocalypses and mutant beasts caused by cloddish archmages wielding powers they should not have--the Suel Bakluni debacle was only the most recent. And who knows but that some fool will unleash some horrible death trapped beneath the earth by ancient civilizations long forgotten!<br /><br />Now onto this, come the adventurers. The fools who may unwittingly doom the whole thing to ultimate destruction. If the sun doesn't go out first...LMcFarlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16440670616392415062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-36010842303577696942019-08-21T15:51:01.690-05:002019-08-21T15:51:01.690-05:00This article talks about how OD&D and AD&D...This article talks about how OD&D and AD&D are post-apocalyptic worlds, which helps explain the low population density.TheToddandOnlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13547560407070835702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-56530436983616369662019-08-21T15:49:53.356-05:002019-08-21T15:49:53.356-05:00http://www.brainleakage.com/home/the-implied-apoca...http://www.brainleakage.com/home/the-implied-apocalypse-of-dungeons-dragonsTheToddandOnlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13547560407070835702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-56646521987493612132018-12-22T14:56:10.192-06:002018-12-22T14:56:10.192-06:00My assumption is that the balance of the populatio...My assumption is that the balance of the population is agrarian and though population density probably presses in toward surrounding hexes of cities (and what few existing major roads there are), that the cities themselves do not contain the bulk of the people.Jeffrey Boyd Garrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06656144235029783518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-4060529217924586422018-01-25T03:33:56.163-06:002018-01-25T03:33:56.163-06:00I do recall that the folio specifically said the d...I do recall that the folio specifically said the demi-human numbers represented adult males only, but no such referwnce was made regarding human numbers, which indicates they were not. It made sense to me as it explained why the human numbers were so much larger than the demi-human populations.SirXarishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08762910147832292393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-1467927622309983242017-09-20T12:28:10.620-05:002017-09-20T12:28:10.620-05:00The problem I find with reducing map scale to fit ...The problem I find with reducing map scale to fit a historical population is that it quickly gets too small for any interesting overland travel adventurers (i.e., PCs cross the map in a day or two). Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-61758965909066345132017-09-20T12:24:02.505-05:002017-09-20T12:24:02.505-05:00Super late comment, but here it is. Gygax's co...Super late comment, but here it is. Gygax's convention at this point was that populations included all living humans; fit or fighting men was a smaller ratio. This is specified in the Greyhawk materials (folio and boxed set) under Population of a Settlement: <br /><br />"Figures show total human population. Multiply by 20% to determine the number of males fit to bear arms, multiply by 10% to get the number of males in prime condition and suitable for man-at-arms status. All figures show only inhabitants and do not include any garrisons."<br /><br />On a nation-wide scale we double-check with the army sizes indicated for the Great Kingdom: "Noble contingents allow the Overking to field an army numbering over 15,000 troops in a relatively short time, and if necessary a force of four or five times that size can be called up." Taking the upper end of those armed forces (75,000) and dividing into the given population (5 million) gives a ratio of only 1.5%, actually much less than that specified for the town/city ratios above. Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-52725439367489740052016-02-16T10:30:43.211-06:002016-02-16T10:30:43.211-06:00"Ohhh, that's very funny. It's intere..."Ohhh, that's very funny. It's interesting how many "failed states" there are in Greyhawk." There are many failed states; on the 'main map' alone, every location has had some sort of un-recorded, or relic of some former Empire. While the Baklunish-Suloise migration gets most of the 'hard press', former Empires like "Shalm" (Bright Lands Empire and/or the Bright Desert) get blighted by swamps, divine curses and similar travesties due to monsters, undeads, and litches. The underdark includes many thousands of dark elves (former surface dwelling elves), former Dwarven strong-holds, the primitive pre-Pomarj states. Presumably, even the Snow, Ice, and Frost barbarian kingdoms had "something" pre-civilized. Un-recorded, of course.Stephen P.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09655405134103829502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-85806943707881476442016-01-12T14:47:06.710-06:002016-01-12T14:47:06.710-06:00Population density's for the USA from 1790 on....Population density's for the USA from 1790 on. Interesting numbers. :P<br /><br />http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h986.htmlWollow of Loepexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05705005656543205470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-67618263973422703122014-06-12T22:53:01.828-05:002014-06-12T22:53:01.828-05:00I wrote a little piece on almost this same subject...I wrote a little piece on almost this same subject (at much less depth) - if I had known of this first, I would have just linked it!<br />Great piece.Rick Stumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12163938268347172871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-12312858871898175492012-09-17T15:51:13.172-05:002012-09-17T15:51:13.172-05:00What a shock. One more subject which the creators ...What a shock. One more subject which the creators of D&D lacked any real knowledge of: demographics.<br /><br />But not to worry, because the apologists are there to explain how this oversight is really a sign of genius and not ignorance.<br /><br />Thank you Ckutalik. Nice to see someone else thinking.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-21763228112875140712012-09-14T15:41:29.989-05:002012-09-14T15:41:29.989-05:00Well, it's also a bit of a wargaming thing whe...Well, it's also a bit of a wargaming thing where countries and large towns were often rated in terms of the resistance they could put up, so it wouldn't be wildly unlikely for Gygax.Nagorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10805769538648631984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-883243328457140512012-09-11T13:16:22.223-05:002012-09-11T13:16:22.223-05:00Ohhh, that's very funny. It's interesting ...Ohhh, that's very funny. It's interesting how many "failed states" there are in Greyhawk. Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-34724760969377460172012-09-11T13:03:20.495-05:002012-09-11T13:03:20.495-05:00From the Untouchables... the 'Chicago Way'...From the Untouchables... the 'Chicago Way'...scottszhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327316054801308727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-21726387241574249912012-09-11T12:56:45.090-05:002012-09-11T12:56:45.090-05:00@Scott
? @Scott<br />? Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-3275575074720523372012-09-11T12:18:05.780-05:002012-09-11T12:18:05.780-05:00Re: Furyondy/Veluna/Verbobonc - the union of F~V w...Re: Furyondy/Veluna/Verbobonc - the union of F~V would create a 'superpower' of unprecedented size on the continent... probably plenty of good aligned folks might be uncomfortable with that idea...scottszhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327316054801308727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-8943192746949453432012-09-11T12:14:46.852-05:002012-09-11T12:14:46.852-05:00...he brings a knife... you bring a gun......he brings a knife... you bring a gun...scottszhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327316054801308727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-87084141878490409832012-09-11T12:12:48.600-05:002012-09-11T12:12:48.600-05:00Those are very cool posts you're doing.Those are very cool posts you're doing.scottszhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327316054801308727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-49726509618945744812012-09-11T11:52:19.419-05:002012-09-11T11:52:19.419-05:00I don't know why I never thought to apply the ...I don't know why I never thought to apply the mandala state model to Greyhawk, but it makes perfect sense. richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517340075234811323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-91935400151362108052012-09-11T11:46:52.308-05:002012-09-11T11:46:52.308-05:00This is really good. We can dream now of what City...This is really good. We can dream now of what City State of Stoink would've revealed about this global tide of free brothers, out to take what they need.<br /><br />The Wild Coast also faded from canonical view early on as fans and editors started to fixate on international politics, but that's where Zagyg's family came from. For all I know the megadungeon was all an elaborate adventurer factory, a machine to kill men [women if you're of the Hardby persuasion] or make them free. A Chicago machine, as it were.bombasticushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09570356997079883076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-55690455687077907002012-09-11T11:33:17.521-05:002012-09-11T11:33:17.521-05:00They do have the Bandit Kingdoms after all as an e...They do have the Bandit Kingdoms after all as an existent power base. Chris Kutalikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01414743509426875792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-3352365555662508182012-09-11T11:32:55.155-05:002012-09-11T11:32:55.155-05:00Scottsz, Oh man, you just summarized a whole serie...Scottsz, Oh man, you just summarized a whole series of posts I've been working on! Timrod https://www.blogger.com/profile/15308269015770538709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-14855361253702444822012-09-11T11:15:53.996-05:002012-09-11T11:15:53.996-05:00Maybe the bandits and their clerical cousins the d...Maybe the bandits and their clerical cousins the dervishes are the new world rising, "the new neutral." Go-getters with gumption, sweeping away the old Almanach de Greyhawka crowd. They're just adventurers like us, men of no fortune. <br /><br />What *would* Robilar say!bombasticushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09570356997079883076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1389986049507804094.post-62030062510176410762012-09-11T10:57:21.675-05:002012-09-11T10:57:21.675-05:00And plenty of reason for nobles to worry while pur...And plenty of reason for nobles to worry while purchasing a Gazetteer that focuses on all that nobility...scottszhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327316054801308727noreply@blogger.com