Keeping Time with the Common Year

 "You can not have a meaningful campaign if strict time records are not kept" - Gygax

THUS SPAKE GARY.

Well, ok.  That only goes for what it's worth, but I for one think he was right.

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So we're going to talk briefly about the Greyhawk calendar, and in a later post I'll talk about the Forgotten Realms calendar to go along with both the campaigns I'll be running.  This post is for my players, so they can get a feel for the timeline as we slide along editions and various products.  

I should also state that this is my particular canon and does not advance past a certain year without an actual campaign.

1. 576 Common Year (C.Y.) - 1st Edition
2. 576-585 Common Year - 2nd Edition (Greyhawk Wars)
3. 585-591 Common Year - 3rd Edition
4. 591-598 Common Year - 3rd Edition (Living Greyhawk)

That should clarify 'when' things happen.  As for the calendar itself, it's much like many other fantasy calendars in that it has festival weeks between each season.  Otherwise, it's very easy to line up with the Gregorian calendar everyone knows.  If you want more familiarity with how it works, here's a link to the Scruffy Grognard's calendar file, and it provides all the details.

I'd like to note that the Greyhawk Wars only happen at a specific time - that is, partway through the 2nd Edition run.  Even though From the Ashes begins at 585 CY, some of the 2nd Edition modules occur before that (Five Will Be One and such).  It may make a difference later, so consider the major landmark of the setting's timeline to be the Greyhawk Wars of 582-584 CY.