D&D 5E Positive & Negative Energy

[jgsugden]

... Radiant damage isn't life force regardless.

We have little to go by to define radiant damage in 5E.

Radiant damage, dealt by a cleric's flame strike spell or an angel's smiting weapon, sears the flesh like fire and overloads the spirit with power.

In my setting, radiant damage is absolutely life force derived. There are many ways to craft the lore for it to be life force - it just depends upon how the DM crafts their world.

 

[Joshy]

I have always seen radiant as light damage.
I was just curious about how you seen healing magic. I'm guessing in your setting it's just another way to diffuse positive energy?
Most of my D&D experience was with 3.5 so I know that it has influenced my perception.

In 3.5 the positive energy plane was dangerous even to the living. Every turn you healed a set amount I don't recall how much. If your health was already at max you gained stacking temporary hit points. If your temporary hit points ever exceeded your max hit points you would start to have strange growths, abscesses, cancers, mutations, and so on. The growths would eventually result in the body exploding.

Anyways I'm getting side tracked. Does anyone see any mechanical problem of bringing back positive/negative energy or switching some of the healing spells to necromancy?

 

[Hriston]

In my homebrew setting, the Positive Plane is the origin plane of all outsiders (celestials and fiends) and fey spirits as well as the music they created which filled the void beyond, bringing the multiverse into existence, and which I’d equate to positive energy or spiritual light. The Negative Plane is what was left of the void from whence the multiverse was created. It was filled with echoes of the music which reverberated back on the multiverse as corrupting negative energy or un-light which animates the undead. Yes, I’m influenced by Tolkien.

 

[dave2008]

You might look a the LevelUp (Advanced 5th Edition) Cosmology:

A LevelUp Cosmology

It has the Life and Death plane which are equivalent to Posititve and Negative IIRC. Though I would flip them on the axis.

 

[Rogerd1]

I have never liked Positive and Negative the way DnD / PF does it.

Much preferred how it was done in Alpha / Omega rpg - only that both were also cosmic forces too! Essentially it tapped into the Force type vibe.

 

[jgsugden]

...I was just curious about how you seen healing magic. I'm guessing in your setting it's just another way to diffuse positive energy?
...

The positive energy plane is one end of the magical weave, and it provides positive energy. Not much is known about it, as only a few select individuals can survive on that plane - and they're not revealing anything.

When a healing spell is cast, magic from the positive energy plane is drawn/delivered/stolen (depending upon the type of spellcaster) from the weave. It is pulled from the positive energy flow and shaped to renew the body and soul of the target.

When radiant damage is applied by a spell, magic still comes from the positive energy plane and is drawn/delivered or stolen to the caster from the weave - but instead of being shaped into a tool of renewal, it is blasted at a foe and overpowers or overloads people. How that manifests will differ based upon the methodology, but without being shaped to renew the body, it can be quite destructive.

Think of it this way - a doctor can use a scalpel and sutures to close a wound and make you healthy. They can also use a machete and a rope to hack your body apart and hang you. The poswer of the positive plane is great, and versatile.

 

[Joshy]

Thanks, I like hearing about other peoples world building and that one is pretty nice.

 

[Casimir Liber]

You are correct on Necrotic and Radiant but you have to explain the second sentence.

Sorry missed this - people perceptualise Feywild/Shadowfell different ways - in my game I highlight the energy surplus/deficit aspect of them

 

[Maxperson]

I have always seen radiant as light damage.

I see radiant damage is light damage for clerics relating to gods of light or the sun, and holy damage for just about everything else.

In 3.5 the positive energy plane was dangerous even to the living. Every turn you healed a set amount I don't recall how much. If your health was already at max you gained stacking temporary hit points. If your temporary hit points ever exceeded your max hit points you would start to have strange growths, abscesses, cancers, mutations, and so on. The growths would eventually result in the body exploding.

I'm pretty sure the positive energy plane was dangerous in 1e and 2e as well.

Does anyone see any mechanical problem of bringing back positive/negative energy or switching some of the healing spells to necromancy?

Not me.

 

[Lyxen]

I'm pretty sure the positive energy plane was dangerous in 1e and 2e as well.

It was every bit as dangerous as negative energy, actually, xag-ya where as dangerous as xeg-yi, actually more dangerous as there were no way to protect oneself against positive energy - actually the Manual of the Planes made a suggestion but it was a modified spell, see below.