Fharlanghn seemed to be the go-to deity for my players back in the day when their class didn't scream anything. Lots of rogues, fighters, etc. used to go with him. However, only once did I have a player play a cleric of the god and it turned out hilarious. I was running a central area campaign with a lot of travel and the player declared that he'd taken an oath not to stay in the exact same inn more than one night at a time. So, he'd always be leading the party to different inns, flop houses, rentals, etc. All fun and no real issues... until... One part of the campaign had a group trying to follow the PCs and frame them for a crime by planting stuff on them. For weeks in game, I'm gnashing my teeth because anytime they find where the PCs are staying and prepare to get into their room only to learn the PCs mysteriously just leave for another place. Finally, I ruled the group just told their employer "We can't do it, they must be on to us." Towards a high point in the campaign, they defeated the bad guy and found all the letters the group had sent saying the PCs left for another inn, they moving to a stable house, they are in X quarter, etc.
@@thatpatrickguy3446 I don't know how many campaigns I've run and this was one of the ones which taught me that the successful ones aren't about reaching high levels, becoming kings, defeating gods or whatever, but in the funny things the players and their characters do -- if you let them.
@@BW022 Amen to that. The stories made at and told around the table are what really last. In the last thirteen years there have been a bunch of stories that my players have laughed over and retold, and the highest level PC has been eighth level. The higher level stuff came into play, but it seemed the lower level to mid level was where the challenges and the fun most often were found. 🙂 A word of explanation: We 'rebooted' several times as my group was mostly made up of high school and early college students who, when they graduated, would go off to college/grad school elsewhere, and the remaining players would bring in new people to play. So we'd semi-retire the older characters [to bring out on holiday breaks for new adventures] and start a new low level party so the new players wouldn't feel like tag alongs.
Great video and thanks for reminding me that Fharlanghn shrines can be found almost everywhere along roads. I will include that immediately into my ongoing adventure, having a few nice spots for them 😊
It seemed like every ranger or druid in our Greyhawk games back in the day was a follower of Fharlanghn. The bestiary in the background is taunting me, I have my copy on order and am anxiously waiting for it to ship.
My campaign, one of my players made a paladin of Fharlanghn and we didn't have much info so we decided they were like the Templars, with temples, barracks in far flung places to protect travelers and caravans. Doing banking etc. Important to keep the roads open and free.
So i want to thank you for all your work to keep grayhawk alive. Its opened a realm to me that previously I no interest in beyond its own existence. Your opening up a world to play in that previously was just a name to me. And its been an amazing ride.
Usually, characters will meet him in the wilderness when they need assistance. He usually will give that assistance without asking for anything in return.
I must say, I can't recall if I've ever heard mention of a Dust Elemental. But I did miss out on Monster Manual II. I had the Fiend Folio and Monster Manual I before jumping to the awkward Monstrous Compendium. Though it's possible there's one in there, it just isn't as etched in my brain.
Hello Sir Grognard! Thank you for these videos on Greyhawk deities. I've not used Fharlanghn in a game (for no particular reason; it just never came up) but for years I had it in my head that his name is just pronounced "Far-Lane", and that Fharlanghn is just another one of Gary Gygax's fun and whimsical alternate spelling jokes. I always kind of assumed Gary was making a deity for followers who are always travelling down a "far lane" and called the god just that, with wackadoo spelling. Any thoughts?
Farlanghn is one of my two most favored Greyhawk gods - him & Boccob. As an aside, unless I missed it in your video (entirely possible) Farlanghn & Clestian are two of the only Prime Material gods to have large followings in the 2nd ed. Planescape setting.
I did think the stats on ADnD gods were kind of odd, and sometimes, surprisingly weak. But, if you actually played rules as written, or any thing approximating that... There is no way in hell your characters would approach challenging even demi gods.
Fharlanghn seemed to be the go-to deity for my players back in the day when their class didn't scream anything. Lots of rogues, fighters, etc. used to go with him. However, only once did I have a player play a cleric of the god and it turned out hilarious. I was running a central area campaign with a lot of travel and the player declared that he'd taken an oath not to stay in the exact same inn more than one night at a time. So, he'd always be leading the party to different inns, flop houses, rentals, etc. All fun and no real issues... until... One part of the campaign had a group trying to follow the PCs and frame them for a crime by planting stuff on them. For weeks in game, I'm gnashing my teeth because anytime they find where the PCs are staying and prepare to get into their room only to learn the PCs mysteriously just leave for another place. Finally, I ruled the group just told their employer "We can't do it, they must be on to us." Towards a high point in the campaign, they defeated the bad guy and found all the letters the group had sent saying the PCs left for another inn, they moving to a stable house, they are in X quarter, etc.
That's just awesome! 😀
@@thatpatrickguy3446 I don't know how many campaigns I've run and this was one of the ones which taught me that the successful ones aren't about reaching high levels, becoming kings, defeating gods or whatever, but in the funny things the players and their characters do -- if you let them.
@@BW022 Amen to that. The stories made at and told around the table are what really last. In the last thirteen years there have been a bunch of stories that my players have laughed over and retold, and the highest level PC has been eighth level. The higher level stuff came into play, but it seemed the lower level to mid level was where the challenges and the fun most often were found. 🙂
A word of explanation: We 'rebooted' several times as my group was mostly made up of high school and early college students who, when they graduated, would go off to college/grad school elsewhere, and the remaining players would bring in new people to play. So we'd semi-retire the older characters [to bring out on holiday breaks for new adventures] and start a new low level party so the new players wouldn't feel like tag alongs.
I just remembered that my old D&D group met Fharlanghn on the road, in disguise, and I never told them.
Fharlanghn and Celestian are two of my favorite deities to follow for my characters in GH.
Great video and thanks for reminding me that Fharlanghn shrines can be found almost everywhere along roads. I will include that immediately into my ongoing adventure, having a few nice spots for them 😊
There's probably all got started because he didn't want to do the dishes
I always pronounced his name as Far lane
That... makes a lot of sense.
It seemed like every ranger or druid in our Greyhawk games back in the day was a follower of Fharlanghn. The bestiary in the background is taunting me, I have my copy on order and am anxiously waiting for it to ship.
My campaign, one of my players made a paladin of Fharlanghn and we didn't have much info so we decided they were like the Templars, with temples, barracks in far flung places to protect travelers and caravans. Doing banking etc. Important to keep the roads open and free.
That was an absolutely beautiful bit of prose there at the end Joseph
So i want to thank you for all your work to keep grayhawk alive. Its opened a realm to me that previously I no interest in beyond its own existence. Your opening up a world to play in that previously was just a name to me. And its been an amazing ride.
Usually, characters will meet him in the wilderness when they need assistance. He usually will give that assistance without asking for anything in return.
Love your recap on these deities, and especially your take at the end!
Every time I get a blister or have sore feet I pray to Fharlaghn.
I must say, I can't recall if I've ever heard mention of a Dust Elemental. But I did miss out on Monster Manual II. I had the Fiend Folio and Monster Manual I before jumping to the awkward Monstrous Compendium. Though it's possible there's one in there, it just isn't as etched in my brain.
Hello Sir Grognard! Thank you for these videos on Greyhawk deities. I've not used Fharlanghn in a game (for no particular reason; it just never came up) but for years I had it in my head that his name is just pronounced "Far-Lane", and that Fharlanghn is just another one of Gary Gygax's fun and whimsical alternate spelling jokes. I always kind of assumed Gary was making a deity for followers who are always travelling down a "far lane" and called the god just that, with wackadoo spelling. Any thoughts?
I've read/heard it was based on a play on "far-longing" - always looking to the horizon, wanting to find out what's "over that hill".
Farlanghn is one of my two most favored Greyhawk gods - him & Boccob. As an aside, unless I missed it in your video (entirely possible) Farlanghn & Clestian are two of the only Prime Material gods to have large followings in the 2nd ed. Planescape setting.
I did think the stats on ADnD gods were kind of odd, and sometimes, surprisingly weak.
But, if you actually played rules as written, or any thing approximating that... There is no way in hell your characters would approach challenging even demi gods.
This is the “god” my PCs consistently worshipped after seeing him in dragon. Why? Because I thought his name was great. Just rolls off the tongue 😅