The County of Urnst is a part of the Living Greyhawk world. Greyhawk is a
world designed for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. We've put this
introduction together to provide some explanation to those who are unfamiliar
with living campaigns, the RPGA, and to a limited extent Dungeons and Dragons.
Before you get too much further, you should know that everything in Living
Greyhawk, and particularly in the County of Urnst, is done by volunteers.
If you are here, you probably have a few questions about what is going on.
I'll start at the top with the general questions and work my way down to the
detailed ones. Don't be afraid to skim down if you want. My feelings won't be
hurt.
What Is a Role-Playing Game? Simply put, it is playing pretend. In a
role-playing game, players can undertake great quests, explore new horizons, and
overcome fearsome villains. Your imagination is the limit. Every player creates
a "character". This imaginary person is how you, the player, interacts with an
imaginary world. It is the "role" that you will play during the game. Like an
actor or actress who plays a role on stage, when you sit down to play, you will
be pretending to be your character. One of the players will assume the role of
"Dungeon Master" or DM. Think of the DM as the narrator to a story or the
director of a play. You and your fellow players are the main characters, while
the DM takes the role of the villains and the supporting cast. Also, the DM sets
the scene and creates obstacles for you to overcome. It's a tough job and
requires an incredible imagination, but a DM weaves great games the way good
authors write good books. How do you win? Well, role-playing is a team game.
There is no one winner – all the players win together. When does the game stop?
Well, when the story is finished. That can be as short or as long as you and the
other players want it to be. If you want to find out more about role-playing,
take a look at the
Wizards of the
Coast (WoTC) Webpage. [top]
What Is Dungeons & Dragons? Dungeons & Dragons is the first
role-playing game ever created. It is heroic fantasy. When you play a game of
D&D, fairy tales come true, magic is real, and the impossible can happen. Your
character can be a knight on horseback, charging across the plains at a the
terrible dragon that roars in defiance. You can be the dashing rogue, who sneaks
into the ball at the palace to steal the princess's heart with a smile. Or you
can be the sorceress, who can wield immense arcane power that can rework the
fabric of reality. In D&D, you and your fellow players form a "party" to go on
adventures. Adventures can be most anything that involves a challenge to be
overcome. It might be exploring a dangerous cavern, carrying a message from the
king to his nobles, or stopping some monster that is terrorizing the common
folk. Every adventure is different, so no two games are the same. Adventures can
be strung together to form a campaign. The adventures that make up campaigns can
be unrelated or part of a vast epic. The choice is up to you and the DM and what
sort of game you want. For more information on D&D see Wizards of the Coast's
Introduction to D&D .
[top]
What Is the RPGA? The RPGA is a world-wide organization made up of
people who love role-playing games. It is a social and support organization that
connects gamers with each others, while sponsoring gaming events. The RPGA also
encourages new role-players to join this dynamic and fantastic game by hosting
learn-to-play sessions. The RPGA runs role-playing games at conventions, in
stores, on the World Wide Web, and at one-day game days every weekend, all
around the country. Membership to the RPGA is Free, check out the RPGA's
Webpage for more information.
[top]
What Is a "Living" Campaign? Living Campaigns are campaigns that
involve thousands of role-players from around the world. All these players share
a single campaign. You can build characters, advance them in experience, and
forge relationships with fellow gamers from around the world. You can play your
character in Los Angeles, then head over to New York and play a game there with
the same character, in the same world. It's a unique experience and an
opportunity to be part of a common dream. The RPGA runs living campaign games at
conventions, game days, and other gatherings around the world. You must be a
member of the RPGA to play, but joining is easy and free. RPGA sponsors numerous
living campaigns. They describe them in full on the RPGA Webpage.
[top]
What Is Living Greyhawk? With the release of the Third Edition of
Dungeons & Dragons, the RPGA has created a new living campaign – a living world.
Wizards of the Coast (publishers of D&D) has given the RPGA the entire World of
Greyhawk to be the setting for the biggest shared-world campaign ever. The World
of Greyhawk is the first setting created for Dungeons & Dragons. Designed by
Gary Gygax, himself, Greyhawk has a long history that include many of the famous
names in fantasy role-playing, like Bigby, Vecna, Iuz, the Scarlet Brotherhood,
and St. Cuthbert. It is a rich world that holds great potential for adventure.
Players play characters from different Greyhawk nations based on where they live
in real life. Furthermore, the RPGA has separated the World of Greyhawk into
regions that will be built and administered locally. What this means is that the
creation and development of each individual nation lies in the hands of local
gamers. The RPGA has designated three role-players from each region to form the
"Triad". These individuals will provide direction for each country and
coordinate adventures, settings, and important personalities. For general Living
Greyhawk information, see the RPGA Webpage. [top]
What's a Triad? The Triad are sort-of the ruling council of County of
Urnst.
Perhaps better thought of as the mega-DMs. While you probably won't be sitting
at a table with them as the DM, they do approve the adventures, various rulings,
etc. for the County of Urnst campaign. Above them, controlling the entirety of the Living
Greyhawk campaign is the Circle of Six. [top]
How Do I Sign Up? It couldn't be easier. Just come to an RPGA game
convention. Tell the staff there that you want to play Living Greyhawk. They
will sign you up and tell you everything you want to know. You will find a list
of upcoming conventions on our Convention Schedule. Can't wait that long? Join
our egroups! It's fast, it's easy, and it's free. Links are provided under the
Contacts page. [top]
What If I Have More Questions? We thought you might have some more.
Feel free to peruse the rest of the site,
Royal Decrees (Circle and Triad Rulings),
FAQ and the
County of
Urnst Gazetteer. If you still have questions, feel free to email any of the
people listed on the
Contacts page.
[top]
The idea for this page, and much of the information presented here, is
derived from the Grand Duchy of Geoff webpages, another kingdom in Living
Greyhawk. So much appreciation Geoff!
