Greyhawk, Birthright, The Balance and the Old Faith

When searching the blogosphere on what makes the World of Greyhawk unique as a setting, sometimes the answer "militant neutrality" is given. See this thread and here as examples. In the EN World thread, this passage in particular summarizes it best:

Greyhawk is not concerned with the triumph of good over evil. The very nature of the evils loose on Oerth makes such triumphs fleeting at best. Greyhawk endures evil and circumvents it. It does not defeat it.

And:

Perhaps accounting for all of this, Oerth has strong and active neutrally aligned forces, working to preserve a balance between good and evil. While hardly organized, these forces nonetheless manage to be quite effective. The Circle of Eight, mighty wizards all, seeks a middle path. Istus, the divine Lady of Fate, tests all but favors none. Druids are a quiet but ever present presence. Indeed, many of Greyhawk's deities reflect a distinct neutral bent.

In Gygax's Gord novels, the hero is heralded as Champion of Neutrality. And other protagonists are all of a distinctively neutral bent. What is more, Mordenkainen, Gygax' original Player Character, is an active proponent of the Balance and leader of the Circle of Eight. The demigod Zagyg, Gygax' author avatar in the infamous Castle Greyhawk, is Chaotic Neutral and serves Boccob, the god of magic and non-interventionism.

Erik Mona, in Living Greyhawk #0, describes Mordenkainen's militant neutrality as follows:

Mordenkainen's view of "enforced neutrality" is not a tit-for-tat equality but rather a detailed theoretical philosophy derived from decades of arcane research. He has fought ardently for the forces of Good, most recently during the Greyhawk Wars, but just as often has worked on darker plots to achieve his ends.

Ever since reading that quote, I wondered what this theoretical philosophy composed of arcane research would be. As I am preparing to shift my campaign over to Oerth after completing my current campaign in the Sunset Realm, my attention was drawn to this conundrum.

I have concluded that, in *my* Greyhawk, the Balance propagated by both Beory and Boccob is one and the same: a balance of nature and natural forces, neither good nor evil, necessary for the flow of lifeforce and arcane magic. Mordenkainen's arcane research delved into ley lines, arcane energy and the necessity for not one civilizing power to gain dominance, for the development of civilization on a grand scale would limit the flow of arcane energy. The druids of the Old Lore agree with this basic insight, but disapprove of the sole focus on arcane magic, rather taking the perspective that all natural life must flow unopposed by civilization.

What do you think is at the foundation of Mordenkainen's philosophy? And why do the Druidic Hierophants disagree with him? I would love to read your views in the comments!

Magic of the Sunset Realm

The world is steeped in a power known as the “Wyld”. It is a magic force that flows through the land and collects in places of unspoiled wilderness. Those of high learning or willpower can tap into this flow, shaping magic into spells. The first creatures to have a grasp of this power were the Dragons.

Ancient glens, misty valleys and stark mountains are places where magic flows strong, allowing for the mightiest spells. Consequently, the building of roads, bridges and the trappings of civilization diminish the flow of magic. Where population is high, magic power is almost nonexistent and only the weakest cantrips can be cast. 

Magic of the Land

The maximum level of spell slot your arcane caster can use is defined by the terrain hex he is in:

Badlands/Desert – 3

Hills/Plains – 5

Light Forest – 7

Mountains – 7

Heavy Forest – 8

High Mountains – 8

Marsh/Swamp – 8

This maximum is lowered by human habitation. For each “level” of civilization (approximately 5,000 people), the land’s power is diminished by 1.

Places of Power & Ley Lines

The most magical  parts of the Sunset Realm are untouched by human civilization: undespoiled groves, mountaintops, deep swamps. In the heart of these regions, the Magic level is considered +1.

There are also rumours of a Dragon’s Graveyard where the mightiest spells can be cast naturally.

Ley Lines forged by powerful arcanists crisscross the land, funneling power of magical sources to where civilization is thick.

Residuum, Wyldstones and Relics

Sometimes, magic power collects into a single rock or earthen formation in the heart of an ancient place of power. These stones, concentrated ingots of residuum, can be mined and are powerful items. They are essential in the creation of magical objects and the ore from these formations is used in the forging of magic swords and armor.

A Wyldstone or 1,000 gp of residuum grants an arcane spellcaster +1 to the maximum level spell slot he can use in the current terrain. The residuum is consumed by the spell.

Holy Relics grant divine casters the same boon.

Temple Magic

The maximum level of spell slot a divine caster can use is defined by the level of temple holdings in the current terrain:

Unsettled – 0

Chapel/Grove  – 1

Church/Menhir – 3

Temple/Stone Circle  – 6

Cathedral – 8

Temple development is limited by the “level” of habitation, only the most heavily populated hexes can support cathedrals.

Reavers

Magic is a powerful natural force, but it can also be subverted and warped. This kind of magic is known as Reaving and its users are considered vile and abhorrant.

Reavers tap the very lifeforce itself to power their spells, increasing their capacities above and beyond what the land or accumulated belief around them allows and risking everything in the process.

Every time a spellcaster uses a spell slot higher than the power of the land (for arcane casters) or belief (for divine casters) allows, roll 1d20 + the level of the spell slot.

1-11 no effect 

12-15: caster is poisoned by residuum until cured and gains a short term madness

15-17: caster gains a level of Exhaustion which can only be magically cured and gains a moderate madness

18-20: caster gains a mutation and an indefinite madness

21+: area around caster turns into residuum for miles, caster becomes petrified into residuum

Reaver Mutations:

1 – Small horns on forehead

2 – Eyes turn an unnatural color (red, black)

3 – Legs turn into animal legs

4 – Tail (unusable) appears

5 – Skin turns unnatural color or translucent

6 – Mouth mutates into something unspeakable – unable to speak