Planescape Planescape Pre-order Page Shows Off The Books!

You can now pre-order Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse from D&D Beyond. The set comes out on October 17th.

Scroll down through the comments to see more various peeks at the books!

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

An adventure setting spanning the infinite realities of the world’s greatest roleplaying game

www.dndbeyond.com

• Discover 2 new backgrounds, the Gate Warden & the Planar Philosopher, to build planar characters in the D&D Beyond character builder
• Channel 7 otherworldly feats, new intriguing magic spells & more powered by planar energies
• Explore 12 new ascendant factions, each with distinct cosmic ideologies
• Face over 50 unusual creatures including planar incarnates, hierarch modrons, and time dragons in the Encounter Builder
• Journey across the Outlands in an adventure for characters levels 3-10 and 17
• Adds adventure hooks, encounter tables, maps of Sigil and the Outlands & more to your game

This 3 books set comprises:

• Sigil and the Outlands: a setting book full of planar character options with details on the fantastic City of Doors, descriptions of the Outlands, the gate-towns that lead to the Outer planes, and more
• Turn of the Fortunes Wheel: an adventure set in Sigil and the Outlands designed for character levels 3-10 with a jump to level 17
• Morte’s Planar Parade: Follow Morte as he presents over 50 inhabitants of the Outer Plane, including incarnates, hierarch modrons, time dragons, and more with their stats and descriptions

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, it also continued using the Great Wheel cosmology right up until the 3e FRCS.

That was never in question. But either "this is Ed's way" is the most important value or "this is what's best for the setting" is the most important value.

If it's all about doing thing's Ed's way, then most of the setting since the gray box needs to be taken out. If we're saying that stuff that was added on later should stay, if it's better, then I'm arguing that a bespoke planar arrangement that reinforces the themes present in the setting that Ed created is superior to the generic Great Wheel.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

The DMG describes it as "a plane of pure chaos, a roiling soup of impermanent matter and energy." Intelligent creatures can temporarily create structure and temporary order with the power of their minds.

It's another plane that, by default, is pretty hard to use for gaming purposes without either the DM creating some special exceptions for an adventuring site or the PCs being prepared for a special mission there.

Ok, that does sound a lot like the EC. Not what I think of when I think of limbo at all!

 

[Demetrios1453]

That was never in question. But either "this is Ed's way" is the most important value or "this is what's best for the setting" is the most important value.

If it's all about doing thing's Ed's way, then most of the setting since the gray box needs to be taken out. If we're saying that stuff that was added on later should stay, if it's better, then I'm arguing that a bespoke planar arrangement that reinforces the themes present in the setting that Ed created is superior to the generic Great Wheel.

It's not an either/or scenario. Some things can be done because it was Ed's way, and some things can be done because they were later choices to improve the setting. They can, and to a surprising degree do, co-exist.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The world axis It is built more like a mythology IMO.

Conversely, the great alignment wheel seems very gamist.

Yeah, I know it can be argued the other way. You're not going to change my mind. I feel that every plane in the World Axis was designed with the first precept, "How is this fun for the PCs?" That is not my top worldbuilding priority. If that's what you care about the most, more power to you, and I'm glad 5e still included it as an option.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You'll need to be sitting down when I tell you the real reason that D&D settings exist at all.

Very much not the point, but cute.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's not an either/or scenario. Some things can be done because it was Ed's way, and some things can be done because they were later choices to improve the setting. They can, and to a surprising degree do, co-exist.

I think you have now argued both sides of this issue.

 

[Micah Sweet]

@Demetrios1453, @Whizbang Dustyboots, @Veltharis ap Rylix, @Micah Sweet and others:

I’m not familiar with the D&D plane of Limbo. How is it similar to the Elemental Chaos? I see no need for them to be similar, but everyone seems to agree they are, so how and why? The concept of Limbo doesn’t seem, IMO, to have much to do with the inception of the elemental chaos

I don't agree they're similar. To me, the Elemental Chaos was a lazy way to include all the Elemental Plane stuff without having to actually include the old lore.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That was never in question. But either "this is Ed's way" is the most important value or "this is what's best for the setting" is the most important value.

If it's all about doing thing's Ed's way, then most of the setting since the gray box needs to be taken out. If we're saying that stuff that was added on later should stay, if it's better, then I'm arguing that a bespoke planar arrangement that reinforces the themes present in the setting that Ed created is superior to the generic Great Wheel.

Greenwood wrote a lot of stuff post-gray box.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Very much not the point, but cute.

It's not for you, as you've made clear for a long time, but making gaming books that are useful for actual gaming is a very big deal for many folks and is, in fact, why all of this stuff was created to begin with. It was at least a decade, maybe two, after RPGs were first created that anyone said "you know, I know this is a supplement/setting/adventure module, but making it an entertaining read is what we should really be worrying about, rather than whether it's actually useful at the table."

Table value doesn't need to matter to you, but pretending that table value is "not the point" of gaming books is ridiculous. There is a whole world of books that aren't meant to have table value -- they're called "every other book on Earth." You don't have to turn gaming books into them as well.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I think you have now argued both sides of this issue.

I mean, we are discussing Limbo here.