Planar Configurations; How Do You Design The Multiverse?

[Yaarel]

Why on Earth would world-building be in the PHB? It's in the DMG, where it belongs, and they devote quite a bit of space to world-building, plane-building/planar configuration, etc.

It is problematic when all other rules-as-written explicitly and repeatedly contradict the DM.

 

[Yaarel]

For example, the 1e Players Handbook left space for the DM to fill, and explicitly and repeatedly appealed to DM worldbuilding.

1e might have other problematics, but what it did right is support creativity and customization.

 

[jgsugden]

And yet, and yet, despite these inconsistencies, those TV shows remain incredibly popular and people keep watching them. IOW, other than a small handful of folks, no one actually cares. It's inconsistent? So what? Most folks couldn't give a rat's petoot.

That depends upon the sig ificance of the error.

"Wait, you said the Shallows Gruel was yellowish brown, now it is brownish yellow?"

"Wait, you said the spell determined it was impossible for him to lie. Now the only clue to figure out the murder ony made sense if we figured out that he was lying?"

"We just spent 13 hours of real time following a clue that you decided isn't true anymore?"

 

[the Jester]

Well, pcs usually see it as the Great Wheel, but is that the true arrangement? Who knows, and how can you know? In 4e, we used the World Axis cosmology, but the setting is the same as my 3e (and 2e) campaign. Were the planes different, or was it just that planar theory had taken a turn in a different direction?

From a behind the curtain perspective, who cares how they're actually arranged, as long as they work for the campaign in play?

This is an interesting idea that I would love to see a pc get into one day, though- trying to find the truth about the nature, arrangement, and number of the planes.

 

[SkidAce]

Outer space, stars, and planets are the material.

Astral is like hyperspace, with streams and flows you can "sail" world to world.

Ethereal is sideays, leading to reflections of worlds (shadow, faerie)

Limbo underlies everything.

The Abyss is an area of tainted planets and stars spreading through space like a corruption.

 

[Hussar]

It is problematic when all other rules-as-written explicitly and repeatedly contradict the DM.

Anyone who plays 5e and then appeals to rules as written has failed to actually read the manual. It's pretty clearly stated that the DM is in charge here. IOW, this is a player problem, not a problem with the books.

OTOH, we can only hope that you're right and world building dies off. (I kid, I kid. )

 

[Li Shenron]

Lots of planes but no 'configuration' for me. Putting everything in a 3D arrangement (or even 2D to fit on paper) kind of defies the key idea that planes are not in the same space but somewhere else.

Also I leave a lot unspecified and keep the lines blurred. Two planes might be the same, and even two deities might be one and many at the same time.

 

[generic]

That's fine, and that's what I've done many times. The default planes are quite interesting.

 

[generic]

I once designed something similar to this, but your version is far better than mine ever was!

 

[generic]

Thank you everyone for your ideas, I had a vague notion that many people just used The Great Wheel, and I don't blame them! The Great Wheel is a wonderful cosmology. In addition, I would like to thank those of you who enlightened me to your planar arrangements.

P.S. Thank you Skidace for the wonderful Sci-Fi imagery. So... The Abyss is like Entropy?