Planet names of Settings
Among the northern barbarians, perhaps. In civilized regions, it's called Al-Toril.Southern Oracle said:
Mystara was also mentioned, which is the name of that planet. IIRC, the continent on which things are centered is called Brun, and the Known World is the eastern part of that continent (east of Hule, south of Wendar).
As for Dark Sun, the only information given about its solar system is that it has two moons, Ral and Guthay, and that the crystal sphere surrounding the system is portal-less. Oh, and there's a comet called the Messenger that appears every now and then - it was supposed to appear something like 5 years after the release of the original box set, but didn't.
I'm not very interested in published setting materials but this thread I'm finding really interesting. I can't believe what a huge proportion of the worlds/universes in published materials are or contain planets.
It seems really weird to me that given all the possibilities, that so many designers would choose to conceptualize the place in which adventures take place as planets. After all, none of the standard cosmological systems like the Great Wheel require any of the worlds within them to be planets.
Do people have any thoughts on why designers tend to make the worlds they describe into planets?
It seems really weird to me that given all the possibilities, that so many designers would choose to conceptualize the place in which adventures take place as planets. After all, none of the standard cosmological systems like the Great Wheel require any of the worlds within them to be planets.
Do people have any thoughts on why designers tend to make the worlds they describe into planets?
Hawklord
First Post
There are 11 "planetary" bodies in the Greyhawk system (or crystal sphere).
This is all from the Greyspace book for Spelljammer so how much of this is still canon in third edition who knows!
This is all from the Greyspace book for Spelljammer so how much of this is still canon in third edition who knows!
- Oerth (standard Greyhawk setting) which all the others orbit round.
- Kule - one of Oerth's moons (airles moon with drow mind-flayer and kuo-toa underground)
- Raeni - oerthlike atmosphere various settlers and monsters
- Liga - Oerth's sun inhabited by various fire-based creatures
- The Grinder - basically an asteroid belt with lots of undead
- Edill - an "air world" mostly inhabited by dragons
- Gnibile - another "air world" with flying rocks inhabited by undead
- Conatha - a "water body" inhabited by various sahuagin mermen etc.
- Ginsel - A crescent shaped body inhabited mostly by humans
- Borka - a cluster of thousands of rocks inhabited by gobiloids and orcs
- Greela - another "cluster body" inhabited by humans and elves
- The Spectre - a "disk world" inhabited by various races
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Ambrus
Explorer
The main settings; Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms were all detailed in planetary terms during the second edition so that they could be used in conjunction with the Spelljammer setting which was in full production at the time. It simply hasn't been changed or updated since then. The planetary status of other settings for that period; such as Dark Sun and Ravenloft were likewise clarified to clear up how they did or didn't match up with the Spelljammer setting: Athas (Dark Sun) had no portals through which Spelljamming vessels could pass to enter its crystal sphere while Ravenloft didn't actually have any space in which a spelljammer could fly (that was clarified in a Sage Advice IIRC: if you flew high enough above the ground in Ravenloft you'd eventually encounter the mists and come out somewhere else in the Domain). I suspect the last two clarifications were made to help preserve the flavour of the two settings and to help keep them distinct from other Campaign Settings. They didn't want PCs trying to set up an intestellar iron trade on Athas or PCs escaping the Domains of Dread by Spelljammer.
The big exception to the campaign setting = planet rule is, of course, Ravenloft. The Domains of Dread are all part of a demiplane rather than a planet. It's unclear what the sun, the moon and the stars in the skies of Ravenloft actually are though it seems likely that they aren't celestial bodies in the sense we're used to thinking of them. Perhaps they are the homes of the Dark Powers or the Dark Powers themselves or simply illusions created by the Dark Powers. Who knows?
I suspect the reason that designers usually make campaing settings on planets is because it's easier for them to imagine them the way we're all used to thinking of worlds. That, and because some PCs would innevitably try to attack and kill the giant turtle supporting the world on its back if they could find it. Imagine the XP... *drools*
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Thanks for this. I had no idea about any of this stuff. It does sort of put things in context.Ambrus said:
That seems strange to me for some reason. These guys are creative fellows; it just seems odd, given the prevalence of worldviews in the past that didn't think in these terms. It just seems to me that if you're writing about a world full of gods and magic that planetary systems would hardly be the first thing you would think of. But maybe it's just further evidence that I'm weird.
Again and again, no less; after all, it's turtles all the way down.That, and because some PCs would innevitably try to attack and kill the giant turtle supporting the world on its back if they could find it. Imagine the XP... *drools*
fusangite said:
I think (and I believe I've read this in a book somewhere) it has less to do with the creativity of those involved in the creation and more to do with the ability of those reading/playing the setting to visualize or conceptualize it. If you stick with what your readers/players know, they will be more easily able to properly visualize the setting and be able to interact with it with less hesitation. This, as I understand it, is why most worlds are round, most skies are blue, and most plants are generally thought of as being mostly green.
One could argue that it is taking the easy way out, I suppose. I personally prefer a round world filled with biomes that at least partially resemble those I might be able to visit in the real world.
Alzrius
The EN World kitten
The planetary system for Krynnspace (the Dragonlance solar system) is as follows, from the center outwards:
The Sun
Sirrion
Reorx
Krynn (moons are Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari)
Chislev
Zivilyn (moons are Gilean, Shinare, Takhisis, Sargonnas, Morgion, Chemosh, Zeboim, Hiddukel, Mishakal, Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, and Majrere)
Nehzmyth
The Stellar Islands
Not nearly as much is known about the Eberron planetary system. The sun appears to just be called The Sun. The planet itself is Eberron, and it has a ring around the world called Siberys. It has twelve moons (one for each month) named Zarantyr, Olarune, Therendor, Eyre, Dravago, Nymm, Lharvion, Barrakas, Rhaan, Sypheros, Aryth, and Vult. There was once a thirteenth moon, as there was a thirteenth dragonmark, but after its holders were eradicated in the War of the Mark, this moon (apparently) vanished. There are also eleven constellations, one for each dragon deity (described in Draconomicon).
Mystara itself is a hollow planet. The interior has the atmosphere only hugging the outer edges. In the exact center is a space-like void in which its sun hangs. Mystara has two moons, Matera (which is like our moon), and Patera (which is invisible to most viewing, and where the Mystaran Immortals congregate). Mystara has what's known as the Skyshield around its atmosphere, keeping the planet's atmosphere from being lost, since its hollow nature means it doesn't have enough gravity to retain a normal atmosphere. The World Shield, the material deep in the earth that divides the surface world from the Hollow World, also adds gravity. Note that there are gaping holes to the Hollow World (hundreds of miles across) at each pole of the planet.
Athas's sun is, apparently, also just called The Sun. It has two moons. The larger one, golden in color, is called Guthay. The smaller, silver one is called Ral. Athas did see the periodic orbit of a comet called the Messenger, but lately it hasn't appeared.
Information on the planetary system of the Birthright setting is virtually nil. The planet is called Aebrynis, and that's about all we know (it's assumed to have a sun and a moon).
And just to recap, here's the information for the previously mentioned campaigns:
For Realmspace:
The Sun
Sirrion
Reorx
Krynn (moons are Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari)
Chislev
Zivilyn (moons are Gilean, Shinare, Takhisis, Sargonnas, Morgion, Chemosh, Zeboim, Hiddukel, Mishakal, Paladine, Kiri-Jolith, and Majrere)
Nehzmyth
The Stellar Islands
Not nearly as much is known about the Eberron planetary system. The sun appears to just be called The Sun. The planet itself is Eberron, and it has a ring around the world called Siberys. It has twelve moons (one for each month) named Zarantyr, Olarune, Therendor, Eyre, Dravago, Nymm, Lharvion, Barrakas, Rhaan, Sypheros, Aryth, and Vult. There was once a thirteenth moon, as there was a thirteenth dragonmark, but after its holders were eradicated in the War of the Mark, this moon (apparently) vanished. There are also eleven constellations, one for each dragon deity (described in Draconomicon).
Mystara itself is a hollow planet. The interior has the atmosphere only hugging the outer edges. In the exact center is a space-like void in which its sun hangs. Mystara has two moons, Matera (which is like our moon), and Patera (which is invisible to most viewing, and where the Mystaran Immortals congregate). Mystara has what's known as the Skyshield around its atmosphere, keeping the planet's atmosphere from being lost, since its hollow nature means it doesn't have enough gravity to retain a normal atmosphere. The World Shield, the material deep in the earth that divides the surface world from the Hollow World, also adds gravity. Note that there are gaping holes to the Hollow World (hundreds of miles across) at each pole of the planet.
Athas's sun is, apparently, also just called The Sun. It has two moons. The larger one, golden in color, is called Guthay. The smaller, silver one is called Ral. Athas did see the periodic orbit of a comet called the Messenger, but lately it hasn't appeared.
Information on the planetary system of the Birthright setting is virtually nil. The planet is called Aebrynis, and that's about all we know (it's assumed to have a sun and a moon).
And just to recap, here's the information for the previously mentioned campaigns:
Hawklord said:
For Realmspace:
Amrbus said:
Mark Plemmons said:
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Voadam
Legend
Ravenloft has different celestial bodies depending on which domain you are in. Soth's domain of Sithicus was taken/based from Dragonlance and has only one moon, Nuitari IIRC. Nova Vassa had something like seven moons in one of the products featuring the domain (though it is the domain with the most changes from product to product).
This caused a little reality glitch as when the mists and domain lords don't keep the borders separated they are physically connected but could have different astronomical features as you crossed the invisible domain borders.
This caused a little reality glitch as when the mists and domain lords don't keep the borders separated they are physically connected but could have different astronomical features as you crossed the invisible domain borders.
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