The Many Levels of Castle Greyhawk Part 3 - Gygax Original Castle Greyhawk Manuscript at Auction

A Quick Preface

I've posted about the history of Castle Greyhawk and its levels in Parts One and Two in this series, and more-recently in analyzing the new maps revealed from the Castle Zagyg backerkit campaigns.  You can also browse previous my discussions of Castle Greyhawk to dig into related topics if you'd like, and may find my presentation and the recording from our GaryCon V seminar useful too:  https://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/gh_castle.html.

Castle Greyhawk manuscript,
photo by Paul Stormberg of The Collector's Trove

The Auction Itself

Paul Stormberg of The Collector’s Trove, acting as agent for the Estate of E. Gary Gygax, listed on 1 November 2026 the original manuscript for the Original and Expanded Versions Castle Greyhawk. 

The eBay auction listing includes a number of useful details outlining the contents of the manuscript collection, including Paul's lot summary and 22 pictures of its contents.  Paul has also shared some additional info about the auction contents in interviews with Angelo Chiriaco on his DM & Friends show at https://www.youtube.com/live/C0EoBTycV2c?si=dcNT2NQT00cINCeB, and Bill Silvey at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3cir4HdKs, as well as in posts on The Acaeum, Dragonsfoot, and Facebook, among other forums.  We'll circle back into some of those additional details in my next post, since this one is already getting long!

If you plan to bid, the auction ends on Sunday, 9 November 2026, at 10:19pm CST.  Unfortunately due to our still-challenging-at-best financial circumstances, I will not bid on the Castle (despite it ending on the day after my birthday ;) ), but that certainly doesn’t prevent us from digging into the auction listing to learn what we can from it!  

I’ve archived all of Paul’s pictures and descriptive summary for the listing, and he also has the announcement and preview hosted on his site at https://www.thecollectorstrove.com/the-trove-news/2026/10/30/the-collectors-trove-presents-the-e-gary-gygax-estate-auctio.html#entry36511947.  

Castle Greyhawk Details from the Auction Listing

The Original Castle Greyahwk

Quoting from the auction listing:  

The manuscript for the 1st castle includes: 22 levels, each with a hand drawn map and handwritten keys, except where noted. In total there are 42 pieces of paper, including 22 sheets of graph paper with maps and 20 pieces of lined notebook paper for keys and notes (many with writing on front and back for a total of 31 pp of writing). All pieces are original. 

Missing are: 2 keys for the dungeon, both the map and key for the Upper Works, and the map for the Outdoors area around the castle.

 

The Expanded Castle Greyhawk

Quoting from the auction listing:  

The manuscript for the 2nd castle includes: 32 levels (29 complete, 2 map only, and 1 key only), each with hand drawn maps and handwritten keys, except where noted. In total there are 101 pieces of paper, including 31 graph paper maps (3 of these being 17 x 22 and 1 being 11 x 68 inches), 60 pieces of lined notebook or other types of paper for keys and notes (many with writing on front and back for a total of 52 pp of writing), and 10 pieces of visual aid art illustrated by Gary. All pieces are original. 

The map and keys for the Upper Works and the map for the Outdoors area around the castle are present and counted among the complete levels. Not counted among these but included in the auction is an additional regional map of the country around the castle, created by Gary in 1979. 

Because Gary imported several levels into the 2nd castle, there are 14 overlapping levels between the 1st castle and it. In total there are 14 shared maps and 2 shared keys. Which is the reason these two manuscripts are being sold together. This brings the total number of levels for the 2nd castle to 46.

Not included in this auction are the following 23 levels of the 2nd castle: 18 levels from the 2nd castle that are not wholly Gary's creation or the work of others and 5 levels (or parts thereof) that have been previously sold at auction by the Robert J. Kuntz Estate. 

A few other quick observations:

• The 1976 Origins level from the "D&D For Beginners" event appears to be shown in one of the pictures??
• The Troll Lord Games Castle Zagyg previews have revealed maps for:
• CZ Level 3: The Dungeons, which does not appear to correspond to any of the existing levels from the manuscripts
• CZ Level 2:  The Deep Cellars, which includes some quadrant maps that appear to match ones from the auction:
• SW corner is clearly one of the Shook rendered Original levels, The Labyrinth??
• NE corner appears to match an Original level??
• SE corner appears to match another Original level??
• NW corner appears to match an Expanded Castle level??
  
  

Rob Kuntz's Castle Greyhawk Designs

Rob Kuntz’s Castle Greyhawk levels were summarized by Rob and Paul as part of Rob’s 31 October 2019 Public Notice statement asserting his ownership of his original Castle Greyhawk manuscript level maps and keys.  

In that document (and related others), Rob and Paul together identify the level maps and keys that were created exclusively by Rob for the Expanded Castle as:

• Core 5 Gem Room and Crypts 
• Level Core 6 Black Pudding Doorkeeper 
• Level Core 7 Barracks Level 
• Core 11 Entrance to Oz Level 
• Core 12 Ice Level 
• Core 12 Asgard Level (Split) 
• Core 13 Fire Level 
• Core 14 Orb, Scepter, and Crown 
• Level East 6 Living Room 
• Level East 7 Garden & Giant's Pool Hall 
• Level East 8 Machine Level 
• West 3 Invisible Maze Level 
• West 5 Gallery Level 
• South 9 Horsing Around Level (Split)

In addition, the levels where Gary and Rob jointly designed the level maps and/or keys were identified as:

• Core 7 Multi-Layered Level (Rob did key) 
• Core 10 The Great Stone Enigma Level (Rob redrew map) 
• Core 16 Entrance to Bottle City Level (Rob & Gary did key together) 
• Core 18 Gargoyle (Rob did the key) 
• Core 20 Dragon Level (Rob & Gary did map together) 
• North 8 The Lake (Gary did map and key based on Rob's original design)

In addition, one Castle Greyhawk level was a map designed and drawn by a classmate of Ernie Gygax's from Badger High School. Rob and Gary labeled the map and created the key together:

• South 8 Repeating Hex Rooms

Lastly, Rob also created a number of other Castle Greyhawk levels for which he still retained the original maps and keys, enumerated as:

• The Greater Caverns Level 
• The Stalk Level 
• Demonworld Level 
• Clowning Around Level 
• Emerald City Level 
• Dying Earth Level 
• Bottle City Level

An Integrated Inventory of the Castle Greyhawk Manuscripts from Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz

Between these two sets of data, we have the most-complete inventory and assessment of the Castle Greyhawk manuscripts available to date. 

Comparing the Original Castle and Expanded Castle becomes much easier now, leveraging the content from the auction listing with Rob's public notice inventory, and other historical sources.

A Word of Caution:  This table is clearly a work-in-progress, since I've had only a few days to study the auction details and to compare them to existing sources.  Take all of this with a hearty grain of salt, and I've not had a chance yet to go back to compare to the ERK Archive levels in detail yet either, some of which were included in the Expanded Castle too.

#	Designer	Dungeon Level Name	Original Castle Level	Expanded Castle Level	Published
01	EGG	The Vaults	Original		online pictures of map, partial key
02	EGG	The Lower Vaults (with nixie pool and fountain of snakes?)	Original
03	EGG	The Dungeons	Original		online pictures
04	EGG	The Catacombs	Original
05	EGG	The Crypts	Original
06	EGG	The Maze	Original	Expanded North 7?	online auction of Shook rendering?
07	EGG	The Labyrinth	Original	Expanded West 2?	online auction of Shook rendering?
08	EGG	The Greater Caverns - The Troll Dens	Original
09	EGG	The Lesser Caverns	Original
10	EGG	The Caves	Original
11	EGG	The Pits	Original
12	EGG	The Dens	Original
13	EGG	The Abyss	Original
14	EGG	The Barracks	Original
15	EGG	The Giant's Home - The Giant's Bowling Alley	Original
16	EGG	The Lake	Original
17	EGG	The Lake Keep	Original
18	EGG	The Arena	Original
19	EGG	The Funji Gardens	Original
20	EGG	The Museum from Another Age	Original	Data 1-5	online image
21	EGG	?? Gargoyles + Strange Font of Black Fire Level	Original	Data 1-5
22	EGG	??	Original	Data 1-5
01	EGG	The Outdoors		Expanded
02	EGG	The Upper Works		Expanded
03	EGG	Main Level		Expanded Main Level?	online auction of Shook rendering?, partially adapted into Castle Zagyg's The Storerooms level, and incorporated into CZ Level 2 The Deep Cellars
04	EGG	Wasp Level		Expanded
05	EGG	Mirror Hall Level		Expanded
06	EGG	Ebon Well Entrance Level		Expanded
07	EGG	Great Hall Level		Expanded
08	EGG	Sage Level		Expanded
09	EGG	Jeweled Man Level		Expanded
10	EGG	Shadow King Level		Expanded
11	EGG	Four-Faced Giant Level		Expanded West 7?	online auction of Shook rendering?
12	EGG	Chess Room Level		Expanded West 8?	online auction of Shook rendering
13	EGG+RJK	Multi-Layered Level (Gary map, Rob key)		Expanded Core 7
14	EGG	Caveman Level		Expanded
15	EGG	Monster Level (Invisible Monster Level??)		Expanded
16	EGG	Monkey Around Level		Expanded	WG6
17	EGG	Your Future Level		Expanded
18	EGG+RJK	Great Stone Enigma Level (Gary map + key, Rob redrew map)		Expanded
19	EGG+RJK	The Dragon Level Dragon Level (Rob & Gary did map together, Gary key?)		Expanded Core 20	online auction of map only
20	EGG	Torturer Level		Expanded
21	EGG	Suspicion Level		Expanded
22	EGG	Spinning Level		Expanded
23	EGG	Shrine of Evil Level		Expanded
24	EGG	Wererat LEvel		Expanded
25	EGG	Black Reservoir Level		Expanded	short story
26	EGG	Magician's Ring Level		Expanded	short story, online auction
27	EGG	Good Shrine Level		Expanded
28	EGG	Magic Pool Level		Expanded	online pictures
29	EGG	Prison of the Nine Level		Expanded
30	EGG	Cairn Level		Expanded
31	EGG	Wonderland Level		Expanded	EX1 & EX2
32	EGG	Teeth of Barkash-Nour Level		Expanded	publishing soon
33	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
34	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
35	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
36	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
37	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
38	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
39	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
40	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
41	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
42	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
43	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
44	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
45	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
46	EGG		Original Overlap	Expanded
47	RJK	Gem Room and Crypts Level		Expanded Core 3 (or 5?)
48	RJK	Black Pudding Doorkeeper Level		Expanded Core 6
49	RJK	Barracks Level		Expanded Core 7
50	RJK	Entrance to Asgard, Melnibone, Dying Earth Level		Expanded Core 11	online auction, Allan owns map
51	RJK	Boreal Level		Expanded Core 12	online auction, Allan owns map
52	RJK	Valhalla/Asgard Level		Expanded Core 12 (Split or Sub-level)
53	RJK	Fire Level		Expanded Core 13	online auction, Allan owns map
54	RJK	Orb, Scepter, and Crown Level		Expanded Core 14	online auction, Allan owns map
55	RJK	Living Room Level		Expanded East 6
56	RJK	Garden & Giant's Pool Hall Level		Expanded East 7	Data 1-6
57	RJK	The Machine Level		Expanded East 8	TD#17, online auction, Allan owns map
58	RJK	Invisible Maze Level		Expanded West 3	Data 1-6
59	RJK	Gallery Level		Expanded West 5	Data 1-6
60	RJK	Horsing Around Level		Expanded South 9 (Split)	(S4)
61	RJK	Bottle City Level		Expanded Core 16 Alternate	RJK-1 & LGCC-1
62	EGG+RJK	Entrance to Bottle City Level (Rob & Gary did key together)		Expanded Core 16
63	EGG+RJK	Gargoyle (Gary map?, Rob did the key)		Expanded Core 18
64	EGG+RJK	The Dragon Level Dragon Level (Rob & Gary did map together, Gary key?)		Expanded Core 20
65	EGG+RJK	The Lake (Gary did map and key based on Rob's original design)		Expanded North 8
66	RJK	Sealed Tomb Level		Expanded Core 5 (or 3?)
67	RJK	The Greater Caverns Level		ERK for sure, and in the castle??	S4
68	RJK	The Stalk Level		accessed from in the castle??	The Stalk
69	RJK	Demonworld Level		Expanded
70	RJK	Clowning Around Level		Expanded
71	RJK	Emerald City Level		Expanded
72	RJK	Dying Earth Level		Expanded
73	RJK	Giant's Pool Hall, prototype Garden of the Plant Master		Expanded East 3 (Split)	online auction, Allan owns map
74	RJK	Museum of the Gods		Expanded
75
76
77
78
79

That's sufficient analysis for my brain for the moment!  

Next up, I'll cover the further updates and details that Paul shared about the auction contents in gaming forums and from the interviews!

Allan.