I also dont want to get too heavy into the setting, but it'd be nice to have some names and generalizations about the setting to mix in with my own ideas.
Unfortunately, WotC hasn't posted much "free" info about the setting. Still, they have published 3.5e version of some classic GH modules such as:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060901a
or
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20051031a
You should visit these two websites as they both contain a wealth of info (you'll have to register first though), though do keep in mind that much of it is "fan-material" and thus not-canon.
http://www.harvestersheroes.com/cms2/index.php
http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/index.php
Plus, there are a few more:
http://melkot.com/
http://www.cmc.net/~rtaylor/greyhawk/modules.html
http://koti.mbnet.fi/myrpg/rpg/wf/
Not to mention the one and only..
http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/greyhawk.html
Apart from that, you should know that the 3 adventure paths published by Paizo in Dungeon magazine are all set in GH (although I don't quite agree with that statement for Shackled City, but that's just me)
Welcome to the Hawk!
Depending on which GH fan you talk to, there are different "era" considered "best" to begin a campaign, and there are a lot of changes to certain nations depending on "when" you start playing.
The consensus is that 591 CY has the green light, if only because that's the date given in the last canon-GH accessory ever published.
For a short description of the different nations, you could always take a look at the regions and meta-regions of the LG campaign as they use generic GH info:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/region/regionsystem
This will fill you in on the deities:
http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
This is the best site about GH chronology that I know of:
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tamerlain/Greyhawk/GreyChrondex41.html
Finally, this has a few articles about intriguing places in GH where any adventurer worth his salt would find opportunities for wealth, power, and horrible death:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/arch/lgmp
The best thing you could do for information is pick up a used version of the campaign setting from eBay or look for a pdf somewhere. Paizo might have something.
As most of the deities, prestige classes, races and the like are Core, you can rely on the modern rules and simply read the fluff text.
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/w/wizardsOfTheCoast/byProductType/roleplayingGames/dungeonsDragons/aDAndD2/greyhawk/v5748btpy7mn8&source=search
A sword, shield, torch, and 50' of rope.
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For example if you wanted to run a 'standard fantasy' campaign starting at level 1, where the PC's fight orcs and such, without too many complications, I might suggest starting folks in the Yeomanry and running Keep on the Borderlands or some other classic into mod. If your tastes ran to urban adventuring discussion would most likely focus on the Free City of Greyhawk. There is no typical Greyhawk campaign; it can accomodate almost any type of play.
I would get the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer; it gives the latest overview of the setting (some history, nations, groups) and includes a color map, although I prefer the four part one in Dungeon #114-118.
Several sites have these items (fairly cheap esp. LLG) - amazon, paizo or Noble Knight etc.
But I warn you dabbling in Greyhawk quickly becomes addictive...Enjoy :D
In all honesty, I would avoid Greyhawk, and that's coming from a fan of the setting. Why? Because the setting doesn't have a lot of support in the form of official cohesive product resources for players. It's a problem with which my players had struggled during my Greyhawk campaign. They just didn't have the time required to scour through miscellaneous scattered resources just to glean some information. I tried to compile resources for them, but it seemed to add to the confusion simply because I wasn't able to make it cohesive enough, not to mention the vast information on the large number of regions and nations and the extensive politics and history they each had. To add to the confusion, Greyhawk's long and inconsistent history as a setting made gathering such information even more arduous.
I would suggest instead looking into Ptolus. It's designed specifically to accomodate the D20 rules. There is a free PDF Player's Guide that players can download. If you feel ambitious, the $120 Ptolus hardcover seems to be worth the money when you consider the sheer volume of quality content that you get. The PDFs version of the product can be purchased by sections for easier budgeting and consumption as well as for a lower price overall. Additionally, Ptolus is complete, meaning it is thorough enough and includes enough adventure material that no expansion supplements are needed. Any additional supplements available are simply game accessories such as maps, counters, miniatures, etc.
I'm probably going to get a lot of heat for this...
I would get the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer; it gives the latest overview of the setting (some history, nations, groups) and includes a color map, although I prefer the four part one in Dungeon #114-118.
Honestly, I wouldn't. The history is detailed but only a fraction is in the 'history' section and the rest spaced out through the many lengthy descriptions of nations.
It comes with a large map but there are none in the book to aid its reading so you almost have to haul the poster with you.
And while the book is authoratative in its knowledge of the lands it is a chore to get through, being drier than a high school eurpean history textbook.
I bought it for Living Greyhawk so I could learn the setting and never made it more than 1/3rd in.
I would suggest instead looking into Ptolus.
You know, I looked at it and thats not a half bad idea, and being that the "world" info is fairly light, I can tweak it as much as needed, thanks.
My only question is, which gods do they use? I already have a cleric of St. Cuthbert.
You can change St. Cuthbert to Lothian if you want to be in "the Church", or you can just import St. Cuthbert in. Ptolus assumes innumerable minor gods.
Personally I don't mind the lack of cohesive support for Greyhawk. You can make it what you want. Greyhawk is core D&D. The spells, the magic item, the gods. It's all baked in. Just pick a spot on the map and go for it.
--Ghul