Greyhawk Ruins is an adventure module

Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...

 for the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

(D&D) fantasy role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

. It was published in 1990 by TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.

Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....

 for the second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.

Plot synopsis

Greyhawk Ruins takes place in a dungeon in the ruins of Greyhawk Castle; there are over 24 levels to the dungeon, each one deeper and tougher than the one before it.

The adventure set in the ruins of Castle Greyhawk is designed for five to seven characters between levels 2 and fifteen. It has hundreds of rooms and much treasure to be looted. This module requires the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 2nd Edition role-playing game.

Publication history

WGR1 Greyhawk Ruins was written by Blake Mobley and Timothy B. Brown

Timothy Brown (game designer)

A game industry veteran of twenty years, Timothy B. Brown has been a designer at Games Designers' Workshop, an editor at Challenge magazine, and the director of product development at TSR, Inc....

, with cover art by Fred Fields

Fred Fields

Fred Fields is an artist whose work has appeared largely in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Biography:Fred Fields was born in northern Kentucky. He grew up in the small town of Burlington, Kentucky. Fields wanted to be an artist since childhood: "I don't know that...

, and was published by TSR in 1990 as a 128-page book with an outer folder.

The adventure is set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

 and describes the ruins of and dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk

Castle Greyhawk

Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax for his own campaign and later detailed for publication...

. The module is a more serious take on the dungeons of Castle Greyhawk than the 1988 module WG7 - Castle Greyhawk

Castle Greyhawk (module)

Castle Greyhawk is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module bears the code WG7 and was published by TSR, Inc...

. The module features interior art by Thomas Baxa

Thomas Baxa

-Biography:Tom Baxa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied under comic and fantasy artist Mark Nelson.-Works:...

, Mark Nelson

Mark Nelson (artist)

Mark A. Nelson is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games and comic books.-Works:Mark Nelson has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1985...

 and David Simons. The adventure is designed for five to seven characters of levels 2 to 15.

In 2007, Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...

 released Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk

Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk is an adventure book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The adventure is set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting, specifically in and around Castle Greyhawk and its dungeons. As such, it is an update to the...

, an adventure book for 3.5 edition D&D that updates the material in Greyhawk Ruins.

Reception

In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, Lawrence Schick calls the adventure "a classic illogical "guilded hole" dungeon".

Table of contents

02 - The Ruins of Castle Greyhawk

03 - Getting to the Ruins of Greyhawk

04 - Monster Statistics

08 - Dungeon Mechanics

10 - The Tower of War

36 - The Tower of Power

69 - The Tower of Zagig

87 - New Monsters

103 - Maps of the Ruins

Credits

Design: Blake Mobley and Timothy B. Brown

Editing: Timothy B. Brown

Monster Design: Grant Boucher, William W. Connors, Steve Gilbert, Bruce Nesmith, Chris Mortika, and Skip Williams

Monster Editing: Mike Breault

Michael Breault

Michael Breault is a game designer and editor, and an author of several products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game from TSR.-Early life and education:...

Cover Art: Fred Fields

Interior Art: Thomas Baxa, Mark Nelson and Dave Simons

Typography: Tracey Zamagne

Keylining: Paul Hanchette ,Sara Feggesead



Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.