D&D General How Do You Feel About Sigil?

[Hexmage-EN]

Sigil is the hub of the Great Wheel, the most balanced of neutral areas at the center of the planes. Also known as the "City of Doors" for the multitude of portals to other planes of existence and the Cage since those portals are the only way in or out.

A central feature of the Planescape setting that has also been referenced in many other D&D materials, Sigil is the hub of the multiverse where creatures from throughout the planes can come to intermingle. This is all watched over by the Lady of Pain, who punishes all who would disrupt the interplanar metropolis.

How do you feel about Sigil? Have you DM'd a game that featured it, or been a player in a game where Sigil was featured?

Personally, I dislike the idea of Sigil. D&D lore has detailed a number of cities throughout the planes: the City of Brass, Tu'narath, Zelatar, Hestavar, Dis, etc. Though I haven't done much with it yet (though I plan to soon in my current campaign), the idea that these planar metropolises exist and could trade and have political arrangements or rivalries with one another fascinates me.

I understand the convenience that Sigil presents as a central hub for adventurers to travel to other planes, but I feel that having it as the interplanar metropolis cheapens and distracts from these other cities.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I definitely agree that I would like to see more of other Planescape cities, like the City of Brass or Dis. However, Sigil obviously has a ton of value as a "hub" zone, centered so that all planes are essentially equally accessible from Sigil.

In the future though, I'd be more interested in seeing material in say Dis than in Sigil.

 

[mrpopstar]

A central feature of the Planescape setting that has also been referenced in many other D&D materials, Sigil is the hub of the multiverse where creatures from throughout the planes can come to intermingle. This is all watched over by the Lady of Pain, who punishes all who would disrupt the interplanar metropolis.

How do you feel about Sigil? Have you DM'd a game that featured it, or been a player in a game where Sigil was featured?

Personally, I dislike the idea of Sigil. D&D lore has detailed a number of cities throughout the planes: the City of Brass, Tu'narath, Zelatar, Hestavar, Dis, etc. Though I haven't done much with it yet (though I plan to soon in my current campaign), the idea that these planar metropolises exist and could trade and have political arrangements or rivalries with one another fascinates me.

I understand the convenience that Sigil presents as a central hub for adventurers to travel to other planes, but I feel that having it as the interplanar metropolis cheapens and distracts from these other cities.

I absolutely love anything and all things Planescape and consider Sigil a crown jewel.

I own every single product published and produced for the Planescape setting, and ran the setting as a Dungeon Master for the majority of my 2e experience.

All I know is they need to commission DiTerlizzi again if they produce a setting book.

 

[Malmuria]

I think Sigil serves a very distinct purpose for a Planescape campaign specifically--for PCs to have a base of operations that can include all sorts of planar weirdness (demons, devils, and celestials all in one place, etc), but still be survivable at low levels. You don't need plane shift to get there or out again, and your character can be from there. It is useful as a dm because basically you can say, "your next adventure is through this door."

I don't think it detracts from other cities anymore than waterdeep or sharn detract from other locations in their settings. I think one of the 2e books defines what portals exist in Sigil, but mostly it's left pretty vague, and many of the portals are temporary. So you can have a Sigil as a place that truly has a portal to anywhere, or (my preference) a Sigil where known portals are limited and maybe even controlled by various factions.

ps. underrated planar city is City of the Star in Elysium

 

[iserith]

I ran a 5e Planescape campaign a couple years ago that featured Sigil heavily. It's a great home base that offers plenty of adventure on its own. Like mrpopstar, I own all Planescape products so I had a lot of stuff to draw on, but there's a ton out there including a really cool interactive map which includes all the locations plus the sourcebooks in which they are featured, if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[mrpopstar]

I ran a 5e Planescape campaign a couple years ago that featured Sigil heavily. It's a great home base that offers plenty of adventure on its own. Like mrpopstar, I own all Planescape products so I had a lot of stuff to draw on, but there's a ton out there including a really cool interactive map which includes all the locations plus the sourcebooks in which they are featured, if you're into that sort of thing.

SQUEEEE!! WHERE HAS THIS MAP BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!

 

[Malmuria]

SQUEEEE!! WHERE HAS THIS MAP BEEN ALL MY LIFE!!

I have the excel files that map was based on if you want it (message me). I can't find it online anymore but it was floating around for a while

 

[mrpopstar]

I have the excel files that map was based on if you want it (message me). I can't find it online anymore but it was floating around for a while

Shot you a message.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think Sigil is really cool. Great central location for a planar exploration game. I think the Lady of Pain is really silly and makes Sigil harder to take seriously for her presence.

 

[Quickleaf]

A central feature of the Planescape setting that has also been referenced in many other D&D materials, Sigil is the hub of the multiverse where creatures from throughout the planes can come to intermingle. This is all watched over by the Lady of Pain, who punishes all who would disrupt the interplanar metropolis.

How do you feel about Sigil? Have you DM'd a game that featured it, or been a player in a game where Sigil was featured?

Personally, I dislike the idea of Sigil. D&D lore has detailed a number of cities throughout the planes: the City of Brass, Tu'narath, Zelatar, Hestavar, Dis, etc. Though I haven't done much with it yet (though I plan to soon in my current campaign), the idea that these planar metropolises exist and could trade and have political arrangements or rivalries with one another fascinates me.

I understand the convenience that Sigil presents as a central hub for adventurers to travel to other planes, but I feel that having it as the interplanar metropolis cheapens and distracts from these other cities.

I love Sigil and used it a lot in my games.

For me it was always an Outer Planar Casa Blanca, whereas City of Brass was an Inner Planar Tyranny (with a flourishing black market & slave culture), Tu'narath not a place you took a casual trip to – instead it was a cauldron of conflict where just being allowed there was a huge deal & usually pertained to adventures involving the Astral Plane, never used Hestavar – didn't find it compelling, and I used the Iron City of Dis quite extensively as THE metropolis of the Nine Hells to great effect.

Each had its niche and very distinct feels.