“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it
complicated.”
―
 |
| It's All a Matter of Time.... |
There are a few ways to arrive at this. The most concrete
way is to find a specific reference in the historical record, WG5 Mordenkainen’s
Fantastic Adventure, or The Adventure Begins, for instance. WG5 gives
specific levels for the NPC pregens given, but no concrete date for the events;
whereas The City of Greyhawk Boxed Set and The Adventure Begins give
actual dates to what is set there in print, 581 for CoG, and 591 for TAB. One imagines
the characters in The Rogues Gallery to be as they were in 576 CY, given
its 1981 publication date, one year after the Folio was published, and one year
before the World of Greyhawk Gold Box, both set in that year.
The rest is math. Certain events are noted as happening X
years before the dates given in whatever published materials.
For instance, Yrag’s birth is suggested: He is believed to be about 205 years old. [TAB
– 114] The Adventure Begins being 591, 386 CY is hinted at.
Mordenkainen’s age is mentioned obliquely: Mordenkainen
stands 5 ft. 11 in. tall, and appears half again younger than his true 82 years
of age. [LGJ #0 – 9] Thus, 591-82=509 CY.
Conjecture follows. A lot of conjecture, seeing how many
references mention decades and not year. Saying that something happened in the
560s is well and good, but it isn’t exactly exact, is it. Thus, conjecture.
The AD&D Dungeon Master Guide aides in this: Pages 12
& 13 have rules for initial character age. That gives up the presumption of
1st level.
Beyond this…. Therein lies the work.
Steve Winters certainly understood this. If there was
anyone who took great pains to be as exact as one might be, he was in compiling
his “Greychrondex Version 4.2 (5/15/01). He scoured “official” published
materials (not all, certain books like WG7 Castle Greyhawk were deemed
unsuitable and left out) and compiled the most accurate chronology of Greyhawk
as was possible, noting wherever conflicts arose across the sourcebooks and
modules. Most importantly, he took great pains to note each and every sourcebook
and page number specifying where each event could be found. I could not have
achieved what I have in this humble blog if not for his painstaking work. Nor
could I have done without Jason Zavoda’s “Greyhawkania” (aka the Zavoda Index,
recreated in Greyhawk Online’s Great Library of Greyhawk), either. If anything,
Jason’s index has always been my number one resource.
So, now you know how I do it: I reference these works,
then word-search the referenced PDFs for relevant mentions, and then piece
those quotes together in context. Easy. Well, not so easy, but you get the
picture.
Why do I reveal this now, after all this time? Because
it’s fun to peak behind the curtain. And because we all need of a little
clarity every now and again – a lot, actually.
This is not to say that I’ve not been mired in confusion and
mucked things up in the past, because I suspect I have. This blog has always
been a learning experience, a work in progress. As I dive ever deeper into the
history of the setting, I realize how much I don’t know. I suppose that’s the
way of wisdom: The more you know, the more you realize how much you still have
to learn.
However exacting I try to be, the bare bones can get lost
in those lengthy documents. So, every now and again I boil them down to their
most salient facts. Like this piece. Because we – me, mainly – could all do
with a little simplicity, to keep things straight.
Which brings us to this piece, wherein there is method to
this madness.
Why would anyone care when each character is a certain
level? Because one imagines that Mordenkainen’s 5th level spells
could only be made available when he can cast them. Not before!
Thus, this labour of love. Is everything below canonical?
No. I’ve applied a little creative interpolation throughout concerning level
advancement where direct canonical reference and applicable (and supportable)
math could not be applied, each noted by an [*], occasionally explained in
[brackets].
290 CY
 |
| Theodain Eriason |
386 CY
Yrag is born. [TAB – 114]
400 CY
Melf is born. [FtAC – 69]
402 CY
Yrag 1st level Fighter [DMG 1e – 12]
438 CY
*Melf 1+1 HD grey elf [MM 1e – 39]
 |
| Melf |
460 CY
Theodain Eriason 1+1 HD high elf [MM 1e – 39]
470 CY
Theodain Eriason 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12]
479 CY
Leomund is born. [OJ# 10 – 78]
491 CY
Alhamazad is born. [LGJ #0 – 7]
498 CY
Leomund 1st level Cleric [OJ# 10 – 79/DMG 1e –
12]
508 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/[1st] level
M-U [extrapolated from OJ# 10 – 79]
509 CY
Mordenkainen is born. [LGJ #0 – 9]
510 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/ [3rd]
level M-U [His 2nd level spells are available for use.]
511 CY
Rary is born. [CoG:FFF – 25]
513 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/ [5th]
level M-U [His 3rd level spells are available for use.]
*Terik is born [conjecture from LGJ #0 – 4]
515 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/ [7th]
level M-U [His 4th level spells are available for use.]
518 CY
 |
| Leomund |
Alhamazad 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12]
520 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/ [12th]
level M-U
Robilar is born [LGJ #0 – 4/COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs – 3]
521 CY
Riggby is born. [LGJ #0 – 4/COR1 – 00 – 7]
524 CY
Tenser born. [Rot8 – 58]
529 CY
Terik 1st level Fighter [DMG 1e – 12]
533 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/ [14th]
level M-U
Bigby born. [COR1 – 00 – 5/Finger of the Wind – 5]
534 CY
Otis is born. [LGJ #0 – 4/COR1 – 00 – 12]
535 CY
Mordenkainen 1st Level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
Warnes Starcoat is born. [Rot8 – 59/LGJ #0 – 11]
 |
| Robilar |
Robilar 1st level Fighter [DMG 1e – 12]
537 CY
Nystul is born. [LGJ #0 – 10]
538 CY
Otto is born. [LGJ #0 – 10]
539 CY
*Mordenkainen 3rd level M-U [His 2nd
level spells are available for use.]
Rary 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
540 CY
Riggby 1st level Cleric [DMG 1e – 12]
Serten 1st level Cleric [DMG 1e – 12]
*Rary 3rd level M-U [His 2nd level
spells are available for use.]
*Terik 9th level Fighter
 |
| Rary |
*Evard the Black is born.
542 CY
Otiluke is born. [CoG:FFF – 25]
*Rary 5th level M-U [No 3rd level
spells.]
543 CY
*Mordenkainen 5th level M-U [His 3rd
level spells are available for use.]
*Quij is born.
546 CY
*Mordenkainen 7th level M-U [His 4th
level spells are available for use.]
*Rary 7th level M-U [His 4th level
spells are available for use.]
547 CY
 |
| Bigby |
549 CY
Bigby 1st level M-U [16 yrs old, See 551 CY. His 1st
level spells are available for use, first half of year.]
Jallarzi Sallavarian is born. [TAB – 88]
*Bigby 3rd level M-U [His 2nd level
spells are available for use, second half of year.]
550 CY
*Bigby 5th level M-U [His 3rd level
spells are available for use.]
*Melf F1/M-U1 [DMG 1e – 12,13]
*Mordenkainen 9th level M-U [His 5th
level spells are available for use.]
Quij 1 HD orc [MM 1e – 76]
 |
| Riggby |
Tenser 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
551 CY
Creation of the Citadel of Eight
Bigby 7th level M-U [COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs
– 5] [Bigby would be 18 this year, so his education must have been rapid, owing
to his Cranden heritage. His 4th level spells are available for use.)
Mordenkainen 10th level M-U [COR1 – 00 – 1]
Riggby 7th level Cleric [COR1 – 00– 7]
Robilar 8th level Fighter [COR1 – 00 – 3]
*Serten 7th level Cleric [as per Riggby.]
 |
| Yrag |
[The Living Greyhawk module COR1 The Citadel states that
it is set in 560 CY when “Mordenkainen is in the process of assembling his
first great adventuring group, the Citadel of Eight…”, but as LGJ #0 – 4 states
that this event occurs in 551 I have adjusted the date here accordingly.]
553 CY
*Bigby 9th level M-U [His 5th level
spells are available for use.]
*Mordenkainen 11th level M-U
555 CY
Otis 1st level Ranger [DMG 1e – 12]
*Tenser 3rd level M-U [His 2nd
level spells are available for use.]
557 CY
Otto 1st level Cleric [DMG 1e – 12]
*Rary 14th level M-U [His 7th level
spells are available for use.]
559 CY
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/[16th]
level M-U
*Rary 16th level M-U [His 8th level
spells are available for use.]
560 CY
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Mordenkainen 12th level M-U [WG5 – 30] [His 6th
level spells are available for use.]
*Otis 7th level Ranger
*Otto 3rd level Cleric
Riggby 9th level Cleric [WG5 – 32]
*Robilar 9th level Fighter [WGR3 – 11]
*Tenser 5th level M-U [No 3rd level
spells.]
Yrag 9th level Fighter [WG5 – 31]
561 CY
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [1st] level
M-U [extrapolated from CoG:FFF – 23. His 1st level spalls are
available for use.]
*Quij 4th level Barbarian/4th level
Rogue [Finger of the Wind – 4]
562 CY
Drawmij 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
Melf F9/M-U10 [AC1 The Shady Dragon Inn – 25,26, 10th level
Lord Wizard. Melf’s 2nd and 3rd level spells are
available for use.]
 |
| Warnes Starcoat |
Nystul 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [3rd] level
M-U [His 2nd level spells are available for use.]
Warnes Starcoat 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12]
565 CY
*Nystul 3rd level M-U [His 2nd level
spells are available for use.]
566 CY
*Nystul 5th level M-U [His 3rd
level spells are available for use.]
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [5th] level
M-U [His 3rd level spells are available for use.]
*Tenser 7th level M-U [His 4th
level spells are available for use.]
 |
| Evard the Black |
567 CY
*Evard the Black 1st level M-U
568 CY
*Mordenkainen 14th level M-U [His 7th
level spells are available for use.]
*Nystul 7th level M-U [His 4th
level spells are available for use.]
Otiluke 1st level M-U [DMG 1e – 12. His 1st
level spells are available for use.]
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [7th] level
M-U [His 4th level spells are available for use.]
*Rary 18th level M-U
 |
| Serten |
Final year of the Citadel of Eight.
The Battle of Emridy Meadows.
*Evard the Black 5th level [His 3rd
level spells are available for use.]
Serten 10th level Cleric [Rogues Gallery 1e –
46]
Serten dies. [LGJ #0 – 5]
*Tenser 9th level M-U [His 5th
level spells are available for use.]
570 CY
Inception of the Circle of Eight [LGJ#0 – 6]
*Leomund 5th level Cleric/[18th]
level M-U
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/[8th] level
M-U
571 CY
 |
| Otto |
*Bigby 11th level M-U [Rogues – 40]
*Nystul 9th level M-U [His 5th
level spells are available for use.]
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [9th] level
M-U [His 5th level spells are available for use.]
*Otiluke 3rd level [His 2nd level
spells are available for use.]
572 CY
*Drawmij 10th level M-U [His 2nd
level spells are available for use.
*Evard the Black 7th level M-U [His 4th
level spells are available for use.]
*Tenser 12th level M-U [His 6th
level spells are available for use.]
 |
| Drawmij |
573 CY
*Nystul 10th level M-U
*Otiluke 5th level [His 3rd level
spells are available for use.]
574 CY
*Bigby 12th level M-U [His 6th
level spells are available for use.]
*Drawmij 12th level M-U [His 6th
level spells are available for use.]
Jallarzi Sallavarian 1st level M-U [25 years
old, a little early due to her noble status.]
 |
| Nystul |
Bigby 13th level M-U [Rogues – 40]
*Drawmij 14th level M-U [His 7th
level spells are available for use.]
Leomund 5th level Cleric/19th level
M-U [OJ# 10 – 84]
Mordenkainen 16th level M-U [Rogues – 44] [His
8th level spells are available for use.]
*Nystul 14th level M-U
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [9th] level
M-U
*Otiluke 7th level [His 4th level
spells are available for use.]
Riggby 9th level Cleric [Rogues – 46]
Robilar 15th level Fighter [Rogues – 46]
Tenser 14th level M-U [Rogues – 47. His 7th
level spells are available for use.]
Warnes Starcoat 18th level M-U [WG6 Isle of
the Ape – 28]
 |
| Otiluke |
*Bigby 14th level M-U [His 7th
level spells are available for use.]
*Evard the Black 9th level M-U [His 5th
level spells are available for use.]
*Jallarzi Sallavarian 10th level M-U
*Otiluke 9th level [His 5th level
spells are available for use.]
*Tenser 16th level M-U [His 8th
level spells are available for use.]
578 CY
*Bigby 16th level M-U [His 8th
level spells are available for use.]
*Otto 3rd level Cleric/ [12th]
level M-U
*Mordenkainen 18th level M-U [His 9th
level spells are available for use.]
*Tenser 18th level M-U [His 9th
level spells are available for use.]
579 CY
*Otiluke 12th level M-U [His 6th
level spells are available for use.]
Otis 10th level Ranger [T1 Village of Hommlet
– 4]
Otis dies.
*Nystul 15th level M-U
Tenser 19th level M-U [Dragon #37 – 11]
Bigby 18th level M-U [Dragon #37 – 11/CoG:FFF
– 23/WGA4 – Vecna Lives – 84. His 9th level spells are available for
use]
Drawmij 16th level M-U [CoG:FFF – 23/WGA4 – 84]
Mordenkainen 20th level M-U [Dragon #37 – 11]
*Otiluke 14th level M-U [His 7th
level spells are available for use.]
Otto 5th level Cl/14th level M-U
[CoG:FFF – 23/WGA4 – 86. His 7th level spells are available for
use.]
Rary 23rd level M-U [CoG:FFF – 25/ WGA4– 87]
Tenser 20th level M-U [CoG:FFF – 22]
*Theodain Eriason 15th level M-U
581 CY
Jallarzi Sallavarian 14th level M-U [CoG:FFF –
27/WGA4 – 86]
Otiluke 16th level M-U [CoG:FFF – 25/WGA4 –
86]
Nystul 16th level M-U [CoG:FFF – 24/WGA4– 86]
 |
| Tenser |
Rary 24th level M-U [WGR3 Rary the Traitor –
88]
Robilar 15th level Fighter [WGR3 – 10]
[Possible date for Mordenkainen and Evard the Black
confrontation.]
 |
| Alhamazad |
Alhamazad 18th level M-U [Rot8 – 62]
*Drawmij 17th level M-U
Melf F13/W12 [FtAC – 68]
* Otto 3rd level Cl/15th level M-U
[LGJ #0 – 10, See 591 CY. Otto appears to have lost 2 levels of cleric:
perchance to level drain? It is also not possible for Otto to have written his
8th level spell without aid.]
Tenser 21st level M-U [Rot8 – 57]
Theodain Eriason 17th level M-U [Rot8 – 61]
Warnes Starcoat 20th level M-U [Rot8 – 58]
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Bigby 19th level M-U [LGJ #0 – 8]
Drawmij 18th level M-U [LGJ #0 – 8]
Jallarzi Sallavarian 15th level M-U [LGJ #0 –
8]
Mordenkainen 20+ level M-U [LGJ #0 – 9]
Nystul 17th level M-U [LGJ #0 – 10]
Otto 3rd level Cl/15th level M-U
[LGJ #0 – 10. Otto has not achieved a level high enough to cast, let alone
create his 8th level spell.]
Quij 4 HD orc [TAB – 98]
Robilar 20th level Fighter [LGG – 38]
Theodain Eriason 17th level M-U [LGJ #0 – 11]
Yrag 13th level Fighter [TAB – 114]
Warnes Starcoat 20th level M-U [LGJ #0 – 11]
 |
| The Circle of Eight |
597 CY
Riggby dies. [Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk]
There you have it. More or less, anyways.
Long story short, what spells are available to PCs
depends on when one’s campaign is set.
If 576, the available spell list is:
Bigby: up to and including his 6th level
spells
Drawmij: 7th level spells
Evard: all of his spells
Leomund: all of his spells
Melf: all of his spells
Mordenkainen: 8th level spells
Nystul: all of his spells
Otiluke: 4th level spells
Otto: 5th level spells
Rary: all of his spells
Tenser: 7th level spells
If 585, let’s assume all spells are available by this
time.
 |
| The Circle? |
This took more time than I expected. But my posts always
do. I tried to even out their progressions between concrete dates, so don’t
begrudge my efforts if you don’t agree. You can ignore all the above, after
all. Or, you can always fudge the dates further if that suits your needs. No
one will know, certainly not me.
“I make no apologies for lack of chronology in my
reminiscences, as one incident recalls another, so I put it down.”
― The Wheel of Fortune:
The Autobiography of Edith Piaf
One must always
give credit where credit is due. This piece is made possible primarily by the
Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the
new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary Holian,
Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining.
The list is interminable.
Special thanks to Jason Zavoda for his compiled
index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research tool.
The Art:
Hourglass, from World of Greyhawk Atlas, 1983
Theodain Eriason detail, by Sam Wood, Dragon #290, 2001 (1998)
Melf detail, by Clyde Caldwell, from Artifact of Evil, 1986
Melf, by , from
Leomund's Secret Chest, by David A. Trampier, from Players Handbook 1e, 1978
Robilar, by Kristoph Nolen, from Oerth Journal#29, 2019
Rary, by Andrew Hue, from Dungeon Magazine #103, 2003
Bigby, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1984
Riggby, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1984
Yrag, by Jeff Easley, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1984
Cover art, by Clyde Caldwell, from WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, 1984
Warnes Starcoat, by Gary Williams, from WG6 Isle of the Ape, 1985
Evard the Black detail, by Udon Studios, from Dungeon Magazine #107, 2004
Serten, from Finger of the Wind, GenCon 2000
Otto, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Drawmij, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Nystul, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Bigby and Otto, from The Adventure Begins, 1998
The Circle of Eight, by Ken Frank, from From the Ashes Reference Card #13, 1992
Tenser (Manzorian) detail, by Steve Prescott, from Dungeon #130, 2006
Alhamazad, by Sam Wood, from Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Cober art detail, by Vance Kelly, from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, 2018
The Circle of Eight, by Sam Wood, Dragon #290, 2001 (1998)
The Circle (?), from Players Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
Sources:
1015
World of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1983
1043
City of Greyhawk Boxed Set, 1992
1064
From the Ashes Boxed Set, 1992
2010
Players Handbook 1e, 1978
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide 1e, 1979
9025
World of Greyhawk Folio, 1980
9031
The Rogues Gallery 1e, 1980
9576
Return of the Eight, 1998
The Adventure Begins, 1998
9578
Player’s Guide to Greyhawk, 1998
11743
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, 2000
WGR7
Ivid the Undying, 1998
Dragon
Magazine
Oerth
Journal
Living
Greyhawk Journal
COR1 – 00 The Citadel PCs
Greyhawkania,
Jason Zavoda