3orcs D&D Blog: Greyhawk Guides, Campaign Tips, & Dungeon Master Resources

Connect with 3orcs! If you enjoy what I’m building with the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy , check out more detailed articles, NPC writeups, custom artwork, and maps at the Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy website ! I also host deep dive discussions on the 3orcs YouTube channel , and there's exclusive bonus material for members over on Patreon . Adventure on, friends — and beware the dark trails. 🚩 Quick Links: Visit: Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576cy Website Watch: 3orcs YouTube Channel Support: Join the 3orcs Patreon

Related Resources & Adventure Threads 🔗 House Velkori – The Attloi Family 📍 Boatman’s Tavern and Nulb Market 🏵️ The Brothel of Nulb – The Iron Lash 💀 The Crimson Reapers This is the kind of gritty, emotional side-quest that makes your world breathe. See you on the Forest Road, — 3orcs

Introduction: Whispered Names in the Night Fog of Nulb Of all the shadowed corners of the Flanaess, the village of Nulb may be the most dangerous place to find yourself owed a favor. Set against the festering current of Imeryd's Run and cursed by the long shadow of the Temple of Elemental Evil , Nulb is more than a pit-stop—it's a proving ground for adventurers with ambition. In my ongoing Verbobonc Campaign Guide 576 CY , one of the most personal, haunting quests I’ve written is “Daughter of the River Wind.” And if you want your campaign to carry emotional stakes as sharp as a dagger in the dark, this side quest is the one. A Quest Hook with Teeth: A Father’s Shame, A Daughter’s Chains This quest doesn't begin with a treasure map or an old wizard—no, it starts with a drunken, bloodied man in a Rhenn camp whispering a name through tears. “Serena.” She’s vanished, possibly sold to cover a brawl gone bad in The Boatman’s Tavern , and her fate lies entangled with some o...

  Blog by 3orcs – For DMs Running the Temple of Elemental Evil in the World of Greyhawk As a Dungeon Master obsessed with breathing life into every crooked alley and moonlit glade in the World of Greyhawk , the people of Nulb continue to inspire me—especially the Attloi of House Velkori , a caravan of land-bound Rhennee outcasts whose wagons are as full of secrets as they are color. Nestled just south of Nulb, these elusive folk might just be the most intriguing wildcard in your Temple of Elemental Evil campaign. Here’s how I bring them into my game—and how you can too. The Attloi: Rhennee That Forsook the Waterways Most Rhennee sail rivers and lakes. But House Velkori ? They ride the rutted backroads of the Flanaess in vibrantly painted vardos. These are not your typical travelers. These are survivors—merchants, mystics, thieves, and spies. Dismissed as traitors by their waterborne kin and distrusted by nearly everyone else, the Attloi of Nulb thrive on the edge of civili...

The Shield to the East: Doomwatch Keep Begins to Rise In the small, unsuspecting village of Hommlet , a quiet storm brews beneath the soil — a renewed threat from the Temple of Elemental Evil . In response, the Viscounty of Verbobonc has funded a military fortification that will serve as the region’s first major bulwark against this rising darkness: Doomwatch Keep . Nestled at the eastern edge of Hommlet, this multi-phase construction is not just a military initiative. It’s a story centerpiece , an evolving hub of NPCs, intrigue, and questlines, and one of the most exciting narrative springboards for any DM running the Greyhawk Campaign in 576 CY . Let’s dig in. Origins of the Keep — A Strategic Vision Doomwatch Keep is spearheaded by Hommlet’s famed defenders: Lord Burne , tactical mage and architect of magical efficiency Lord Rufus , decorated warrior and field commander Canon Terjon , divine advisor from the Church of St. Cuthbert Laree the Mason , brilliant engineer ...

By 3orcs | A DM's Perspective on Creating a Living World in Verbobonc When I first started building my Temple of Elemental Evil campaign, I didn’t just want to run the module—I wanted to bring the World of Greyhawk to life. I wanted villages that felt alive, not just as a backdrop for battles, but as places where characters could belong . Over time, that ambition led to the creation of the Hommlet Campaign Guide: Main Plotline and Side Quests , a resource designed to expand the scope of T1: Village of Hommlet into a full-on narrative engine for your campaign. This post is a personal look at how that project came to be, and why I believe it will help new and veteran DMs transform the classic Temple of Elemental Evil into something unforgettable. The Missing Link Between Plot and Place If you've read the T1 module by Gary Gygax , you know that Hommlet is more than a village—it's the staging point for an epic battle against evil cults. But in many campaigns, it ris...

By 3orcs If you're like me, crafting an immersive fantasy world means digging deeper than stat blocks and encounter tables. It means knowing where the bread is baked, who tends the goats, and what the smith drinks after dusk . That’s why I want to talk to you today—not about dice, but about a game that’s become an unlikely but powerful source of inspiration for my Greyhawk campaign: Bellwright . Currently available as a beta on Steam , Bellwright is a medieval survival village builder meets RPG-strategy hybrid . And if you're a Dungeon Master running something as iconic as Temple of Elemental Evil , I highly recommend checking it out—not just for play, but for inspiration . What is Bellwright? Imagine this: You’re not just scavenging or surviving in the woods. You’re building a village , defending it, managing its farms and hunters, recruiting people to your banner, and slowly building a network of settlements that owe you their lives. Bellwright is about liberating th...

 My 3orcs pits Shadowdark RPG, the "Product of the Year," against the classic feel and B/X compatibility of Old-School Essentials (OSE) in this in-depth review and comparison. We cover everything from the streamlined mechanics of Shadowdark to the massive adventure support of OSE. https://youtu.be/9QlllJIV0vg

A Living Root of Balance in the Flanaess Hidden beneath the age-old canopy of the Gnarley Forest, where moss covers stone and fey song lingers in the wind, walks a figure both humble and mythic— Naimur , the Great Druid of the Gnarley Forest . Among gnarled roots and sun-dappled groves, he is a name spoken with reverence by druids, rangers, elves, and even cautious noblemen of Verbobonc. He is not a warrior who claims power, but a gardener who cultivates it. This blog by 3orcs brings to life this monumental figure for your Temple of Elemental Evil campaign. If your players are journeying through the Gnarley, consider what it means when the forest itself begins to stir... because when Naimur takes notice, the trees themselves remember. 📜 Naimur in the World of Greyhawk Naimur isn't just a high-ranking NPC—he is a narrative device cloaked in wool robes. A gnome who once wore the mantle of Grand Druid of the Flanaess , Naimur has since returned to his grove, content to serve...