Gary Gygax co-created Dungeons & Dragons and built its first campaign setting, Greyhawk, from his own home games. Now his son Luke Gygax is bringing it back. Luke is leading a team of writers on Melf's Guide to Greyhawk: The Borderlands of Iuz, an official D&D sourcebook that Wizards of the Coast will publish but did not write, giving the Gygax-led team full creative control over the setting's return.
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Find events near youGreyhawk was the earliest D&D campaign world, known for a grittier, more dangerous tone than the Forgotten Realms that later became D&D's default setting. The new book aims to recapture that spirit, using the current 5.5 Edition (2024) ruleset while channelling what writing team member Jay Scott described as "the old, gritty Greyhawk."
The title itself took a winding path to confirmation. Luke Gygax originally announced the subtitle as "The Shield Lands," but Scott corrected this, confirming the book is called The Borderlands of Iuz and that it will be the first in a planned series. The project is being written by Luke Gygax alongside Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Les Reno, and Jay Scott.
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See how it worksThe cover is illustrated by Jeff Easley, the TSR-era artist whose paintings defined the look of 1980s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Actor Vince Vaughn, a known D&D player, purchased the newly commissioned Easley cover painting of Melf for $5,000 at the Gary Con charity auction earlier this year, then gifted it back to Luke Gygax.
There is no firm release date and nothing to preorder yet, though event listings suggest a target of early 2027. For Greyhawk fans, it has been a long wait for a proper return to the setting. This one looks like it might be worth it.
Sources: EN World | EN World News Digest | Dungeons & Dragons Fan
