D&D 5E How many different cosmologies has D&D had over the years?

[pemerton]

the elevation of the Plane of Shadow from a demi-plane to a full-fledged transitive plane in 3e

In the original DDG the Plane of Shadow is not a "demi-plane" - it is the shadow of the Prime Material Plane resulting from the latter's position between the Positive and Negative Material Planes. So the Plane of Shadow is itself a type of material plane.

It was recharacterised as a demi-plane in the original MotP.

There was the original 'Multiverse' cosmology, with the infinite parallels of the Prime Material and the Elemental Planes, all connected by the Ethereal as the Inner Planes, and the alignment-based Planes of the Gods - and Demons, Devils &c - connected by the Astral as the Outer.

In Appendix IV of the original PHB, both the Ethereal Plane and the Astral Plane can be used to travel to parallel Prime Material Planes. I think DDG said the same.

The original MotP changed this, stating that there was one Ethereal plane for each Prime Material Plane, and hence that the Ethereal Plane could't be used to travel to parallel Prime Material Planes: the Astral Plane had to be used.

I don't know how 2nd ed/Planescape treated this; but 3E decided that it was the Plane of Shadow that linked the parallel Prime Material Planes.

 

[Parmandur]

Athas originally had its own cosmology as well as its planes were different from the great wheel and you could not travel their easily.

Different cosmologies.

Athas
Mystara
Eberron
4E

No, Athas was always part of the 2E metasetting, just hard to access.

 

[gyor]

Honestly I consider the 5e cosmology separate from the traditional great wheel cosmology, because it incorporates influences from the Great Axis Cosmology and in the case of the border elemental maybe Msytara, as well as some completely new things such as putting the energy planes out beyond the outer planes/Astral plane, and dividing outer planes into a finite material part that can be visited with a spell or portals and purely spiritual infinite immaterial part that can't be.

 

[gyor]

Expanding upon my thoughts the 5e Cosmology is as much the World Axis Cosmology as it is the the Great Wheel, I mean the Great Wheel donated the basic structure of the multiverse, with some changes, but the actual list of planes that exists resembles 4e's World Axis more then it does the Great Wheel, except for the outer planes (sort of, it hints that the Alignment Outer Planes might not be the only ones).

I mean you have the Elemental Chaos, Shadowfell, Feywild which were the corner stone elements of the World Axis.

So I think the 5e Cosmology should be called the Great Compromise.

 

[Coroc]

D&D has had exactly one (1) cosmology, the original Great Wheel.

Every version of every plane, every universe, every possible different "world" is contained therein.

You mean the planes work the same like the Forgotten realms which is containing every single other campaign world nowadays?

 

[Coroc]

No, Athas was always part of the 2E metasetting, just hard to access.

Close to impossible to access hits it better. It was neither reachable via a gate nor via spelljammer. Was there a possibility via the elemental planes which was supported officially? I do not know.

Anyone: was there an official supported way to reach Athas from outside in 2e?

 

[steeldragons]

You mean the planes work the same like the Forgotten realms which is containing every single other campaign world nowadays?

I maaay mean that...but I have no idea what your mean by "the planes work the same?"

Forgotten Realms doesn't contain every campaign world. But the world of Forgotten Realms is on the Prime Material Plane. What WE, IRL, would call "reality" or "the real/physical world." Krynn (Dragonlance's world) is located there as well. And the world of Greyhawk. And Mystara. And Athas. My own homebrewed campaign setting/world of Orea. And, and, and, ad infinitum.

Alllll of them -in some dimension of or the other, if you prefer to not have them inhabiting a single coherent universe- are in the Prime Material Plane.

So, ultimately, yes. The Great Wheel contains all.

 

[TwoSix]

So I think the 5e Cosmology should be called the Great Compromise.

5e Manual of the Planes, by Henry Clay. (American history joke, y'all!)

 

[Dausuul]

D&D has used a number of different cosmologies (planar layouts) over the years. Just off the top of my
head, I'm aware of the Mystaran cosmology, the Great Wheel (with variants*), The Great Tree of 3e Forgotten Realms, and the Eberron cosmology. Were there any others?

Dark Sun had its own peculiar cosmology, with the Gray, the Black, and the elemental and astral planes, but no access to the Great Wheel or to other Primes. In principle, it was supposed to fit into the Planescape cosmology, but the writers went to some lengths to cut off any actual access between Athas and the rest of the multiverse (which would have wrecked the post-apocalyptic, Mad Max feel of the world). So I would argue it should count as a separate cosmology, in the same way as FR's Great Tree.

 

[dave2008]

Alllll of them -in some dimension of or the other, if you prefer to not have them inhabiting a single coherent universe- are in the Prime Material Plane.

So, ultimately, yes. The Great Wheel contains all.

There is quite a jump form the prime material plane contains all D&D worlds to the Great Wheel describes all D&D cosmologies. It has been pointed out in this thread already that the DnD cosmology has changed from edition to edition (and sometimes within an edition), so I think it is a bit of a stretch to say the great wheel contains all D&D cosmologies. The World Axis cosmology of 4e definitely changed things up from GW.