Welcome back, adventurer! Ready to dive into the first-ever D&D supplement that changed the game forever?

When Dungeons & Dragons first hit tables in 1974, it was a rough around the edges yet revolutionary new way to play games. But like any good dungeon crawl, it wasn’t long before the game’s creators realized they needed more—more rules, more monsters, more treasures, and let’s be honest, more excuses for players to argue about how backstabbing should work. Enter Dungeons & Dragons: Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), the very first official expansion for D&D.

But why was Greyhawk such a big deal? What did it add? And just how different would D&D be today without it? Buckle up, grab your 20-sided die, and let’s take a nostalgic, slightly humorous look at the supplement that changed everything.

Why Was Greyhawk Needed?

The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, released in 1974, was groundbreaking, but let’s be honest, it was a little sparse. The rules were vague, the mechanics were more of a suggestion than a law, and characters had about as much variety as a medieval themed buffet with only three dishes. Players were already hacking (both monsters and the rules) to create a deeper, richer game.

Gary Gygax, one of the game’s co-creators, had been running his own campaign in a setting he called Greyhawk. This homebrew world became the testing ground for new ideas, mechanics, and features that would eventually make their way into this first supplement. And so, in 1975, Greyhawk the expansion was unleashed upon the gaming world, forever altering the landscape of D&D.

What Was in the Box?

Unlike the original D&D set, which felt like someone had typed it up on a typewriter and stapled it together in their basement (which, to be fair, wasn’t far from the truth), Greyhawk introduced a more structured expansion that provided serious upgrades to the game.

1. New Character Classes – Because Three Wasn’t Enough

The original game had just three classes: Fighting-Men (yes, really), Magic-Users, and Clerics. Greyhawk added two now-iconic classes:

• Thieves – The rogue’s ancestor, complete with the ability to pick locks, disarm traps, and, most importantly, backstab enemies for extra damage. Because nothing says “heroic adventure” like shanking someone from the shadows.
• Paladins – The righteous warriors of the game, dedicated to justice, smiting evil, and making everyone else at the table feel guilty about their morally dubious decisions.

These additions made character creation infinitely more exciting and paved the way for the diverse class systems we see in modern D&D.

2. Ability Score Modifiers – Because Strength Should Mean Something

In the original rules, ability scores were basically numbers that didn’t do much outside of checking for survival. Greyhawk introduced ability score modifiers, bonuses or penalties based on high or low attributes. Suddenly, having a Strength of 18 actually meant you were stronger than someone with a Strength of 10. Revolutionary!

This simple yet crucial addition laid the foundation for every edition of D&D that followed, making attributes meaningful rather than just decorative.

3. The Introduction of Hit Dice – Because Fighters Needed More HP

Before Greyhawk, hit points were a bit of a mess. All classes used a d6 for HP, meaning your mighty warrior could have just as much durability as a frail wizard. Greyhawk introduced class based Hit Dice, giving Fighters d8s and beyond while keeping Magic-Users stuck with their meagre d4s.

This change alone made character classes feel more distinct and gave Fighters the durability they deserved, ensuring they could actually stand in front of a dragon without immediately being turned into a fine mist.

4. Expanded Spells – More Ways to Wreak Magical Havoc

Greyhawk dramatically expanded the spell lists, giving Magic-Users and Clerics a whole host of new incantations to torment their Dungeon Masters with. Spells like Magic Missile (which didn’t even require an attack roll—hello, early power creep!) and Haste made their grand debut.

Magic became more tactical, spellcasters more formidable, and DMs more frustrated as players started getting really creative with their new abilities.

5. Monsters and Treasure – More Things to Kill, More Things to Loot

What’s D&D without monsters to fight and loot to hoard? Greyhawk introduced an array of new creatures, including:

• Beholders – Floating spheres of terror with multiple eye beams of doom. Because one set of deadly abilities just wasn’t enough.
• Owlbears – Half-bear, half-owl, all nightmare fuel.
• Rust Monsters – The horrifying metal eating creatures designed solely to make Fighters cry when their +2 sword got devoured.

And of course, where there are monsters, there is treasure. Greyhawk introduced more magic items, new treasure tables, and game changing artifacts that adventurers could obsess over.

How Greyhawk Changed D&D Forever

It’s hard to overstate just how influential Greyhawk was. Without it, many of the mechanics we take for granted in modern D&D wouldn’t exist. This expansion essentially set the template for all future editions of the game, refining the rough first draft of Dungeons & Dragons into something far more structured and playable.

Perhaps even more importantly, Greyhawk proved that D&D was a living, evolving system. The concept of expansion supplements, new rules, classes, monsters, and settings became a staple of the franchise. The floodgates had been opened, and the RPG world would never be the same again.

Final Thoughts: A Classic That Still Holds Up

Sure, by modern standards, Greyhawk is a bit clunky, and some of its rules feel downright archaic. But without it, we wouldn’t have the rich, expansive D&D experience we know and love today. It transformed a fascinating but rough around the edges game into something deeper, richer, and more balanced (well, sort of).

So, the next time you roll a sneak attack, cast Magic Missile, or breathe a sigh of relief that your barbarian has more hit points than the party wizard, remember: Dungeons & Dragons: Supplement I: Greyhawk is the reason why. And for that, we owe it a +5 thank you.

Now, go forth, adventurers! And remember—if you see an owlbear, maybe just run.