MerakSpielman
First Post
I thought some of you might be interested in this.
I've gotten sick of the traditional D&D multiverse, and decided to take a different tack altogether when putting together my Kalamar campaign.
Here's the summary:
I am not permitting access to the regular D&D multiverse - there are no other "worlds," though there are some pocket dimensions.
Tellene is the Real World.
Scholars and mages have discovered two other worlds: "Otherworld" and "The Realm of Dreams."
Otherworld is functionally identical to going Ethereal. If you enter Otherworld you vanish from Tellene. When in Otherworld, the real world is visible, but insubstantial and hazy. Some things exist only in Otherworld. These things appear solid and real. These things could be anything from entire cities, geographic locations, creatures, etc... These things are only real in Otherworld and have no impact or influence on Tellene.
Otherworld shifts and changes according to your point of view. The longer you spend in Otherworld, the more you shift into a different version of it, (versions are described below). The terrain of Otherworld loosely follows the terrain of Tellene, though changes in Tellene are not necessarily reflected in Otherworld. Normally it takes a good month to fully align with "Good" or "Evil" Otherworld. Certain spells and items allow instanious shifting from one aspect to another, even if they would normally be of an opposing alignment. If a creature is fully aligned with "Good" "Evil" (or even "Neutral") they vanish from other aspects of Otherworld. Creatures native to aspects of Otherworld cannot enter or interact with the real world unless summoned.
"Neutral" Otherworld: This is the default Otherworld that everybody enters. The things that exist (only) here are all Neutral in some way. There are areas with elemental aspects, fire and water and so on, where elementals and mephits dwell (these often, but not always, align with similar areas on Tellene - volcanos, for instance). The days and nights change as they do on Tellene. There are expanses of terrain and creatures, including dire versions and creatures long extinct on Tellene (dinosaurs). Some Fey exist here.
"Evil" Otherworld: the things that exist (only) here are all Evil in some way. As you shift from "Neutral" to "Evil" the landscape twists into fierce mockeries of what is natural (though, again, the Real World is visible and unchanged). Undead prowl the landscape. The air pulls life out of you (negative energy damage). The world is cloaked in eternal, starless night. Demons and Devils have established cities. Animals have the Fiendish template.
"Good" Otherworld: the things that exist (only) here are all Good in some way. As you shift from "Neutral" to "Good" the landscape morphs into a perfect, idealized version of itself (though, again, the Real World is visible and unchanged). The entire area is infused with Positive energy. The world is blessed with eternal daylight. Celestials have established cities (often paralleling the Demon/Devil cities in location and general layout). Animals have the Celestial template.
All three aspects of Otherworld have locations that, rather than mirroring Tellene, are unique to them. Some of these areas - well hidden - are entrances to the Realms of Individual Gods. Though there are legends about supplicants visiting their gods seeking favors, there are no documented cases of anybody returning from these realms. There are no records as to what may be found there. Most scholars/theologians agree that when worshippers of a God die, their soul travels to their god's Realm. Most worshippers are told that they will encounter paradise (or their god's version of it - this varies wildly) after they die. Nobody really knows for sure.
However, there is another "other place" - the Realm of Dreams.
When you enter the Realm of Dreams, your body stays in the real world (this is the origin of the name of the plane). The Realm of Dreams is not actually the source of dreams on Tellene, though common folklore suggests it is. Most mages consider the Realm of Dreams to be nothing more than a curiosity. It appears as an endless void of swirling, colorless (but yet somehow visible) material. Random shapes and objects, and twisted versions thereof, float randomly, appearing and disapearing. Most of these are insubstantial and/or worthless. It is possible to meet other planar travelers here, and for certain groups of powerful mages it is a convenient meeting place when the members of the group are physically distant. Distance and travel have no meaning. You wish to be at a "location" or with a particular traveler, and you are. You can float around at will, though this rarely proves useful. You are unlikely to ever see a fellow traveler randomly, though it does occasionally happen. When you enter the Realm of Dreams, your equipment (or an image of it) travels with you. Even if you use charges of limited-use items, the real version of such items is unchanged. Such item usage can only affect other people or things in the Realm of Dreams. Combat can occur normally here. If you are killed in the Realm of Dreams, you return to your body, unharmed.
The most useful aspect of the Realm of Dreams - discovered by relatively few mages - is the abilty to create pocket dimensions. These dimensions function like a "bubble" of reality, beyond which the normal Realm of Dreams is visible. Most of these pockets are less than a few hundred yards wide. Rare, forgotten, or forbidden magics allow the creation of mini-worlds in these pockets, created as per the creater's specifications, though nothing there is strictly speaking "real."
A higher level of magic allows physical travel to such pocket dimensions - whereby the body (and equipment) of the traveler vanishes from Tellene. They can bring items with them to stock their dimension with whatever they like, construct buildings, hide important things, etc... Entering the Realm of Dreams physically is dangerous, since you can be killed, even by people who have entered non-physically, if they have managed to locate and enter your dimension.
Most pocket dimensions are shielded by their creaters from accidental discovery, though some, created by Fey or Demons, can be stumbled upon by reckless travelers.
A diagram of this multiverse is attached.
I've gotten sick of the traditional D&D multiverse, and decided to take a different tack altogether when putting together my Kalamar campaign.
Here's the summary:
I am not permitting access to the regular D&D multiverse - there are no other "worlds," though there are some pocket dimensions.
Tellene is the Real World.
Scholars and mages have discovered two other worlds: "Otherworld" and "The Realm of Dreams."
Otherworld is functionally identical to going Ethereal. If you enter Otherworld you vanish from Tellene. When in Otherworld, the real world is visible, but insubstantial and hazy. Some things exist only in Otherworld. These things appear solid and real. These things could be anything from entire cities, geographic locations, creatures, etc... These things are only real in Otherworld and have no impact or influence on Tellene.
Otherworld shifts and changes according to your point of view. The longer you spend in Otherworld, the more you shift into a different version of it, (versions are described below). The terrain of Otherworld loosely follows the terrain of Tellene, though changes in Tellene are not necessarily reflected in Otherworld. Normally it takes a good month to fully align with "Good" or "Evil" Otherworld. Certain spells and items allow instanious shifting from one aspect to another, even if they would normally be of an opposing alignment. If a creature is fully aligned with "Good" "Evil" (or even "Neutral") they vanish from other aspects of Otherworld. Creatures native to aspects of Otherworld cannot enter or interact with the real world unless summoned.
"Neutral" Otherworld: This is the default Otherworld that everybody enters. The things that exist (only) here are all Neutral in some way. There are areas with elemental aspects, fire and water and so on, where elementals and mephits dwell (these often, but not always, align with similar areas on Tellene - volcanos, for instance). The days and nights change as they do on Tellene. There are expanses of terrain and creatures, including dire versions and creatures long extinct on Tellene (dinosaurs). Some Fey exist here.
"Evil" Otherworld: the things that exist (only) here are all Evil in some way. As you shift from "Neutral" to "Evil" the landscape twists into fierce mockeries of what is natural (though, again, the Real World is visible and unchanged). Undead prowl the landscape. The air pulls life out of you (negative energy damage). The world is cloaked in eternal, starless night. Demons and Devils have established cities. Animals have the Fiendish template.
"Good" Otherworld: the things that exist (only) here are all Good in some way. As you shift from "Neutral" to "Good" the landscape morphs into a perfect, idealized version of itself (though, again, the Real World is visible and unchanged). The entire area is infused with Positive energy. The world is blessed with eternal daylight. Celestials have established cities (often paralleling the Demon/Devil cities in location and general layout). Animals have the Celestial template.
All three aspects of Otherworld have locations that, rather than mirroring Tellene, are unique to them. Some of these areas - well hidden - are entrances to the Realms of Individual Gods. Though there are legends about supplicants visiting their gods seeking favors, there are no documented cases of anybody returning from these realms. There are no records as to what may be found there. Most scholars/theologians agree that when worshippers of a God die, their soul travels to their god's Realm. Most worshippers are told that they will encounter paradise (or their god's version of it - this varies wildly) after they die. Nobody really knows for sure.
However, there is another "other place" - the Realm of Dreams.
When you enter the Realm of Dreams, your body stays in the real world (this is the origin of the name of the plane). The Realm of Dreams is not actually the source of dreams on Tellene, though common folklore suggests it is. Most mages consider the Realm of Dreams to be nothing more than a curiosity. It appears as an endless void of swirling, colorless (but yet somehow visible) material. Random shapes and objects, and twisted versions thereof, float randomly, appearing and disapearing. Most of these are insubstantial and/or worthless. It is possible to meet other planar travelers here, and for certain groups of powerful mages it is a convenient meeting place when the members of the group are physically distant. Distance and travel have no meaning. You wish to be at a "location" or with a particular traveler, and you are. You can float around at will, though this rarely proves useful. You are unlikely to ever see a fellow traveler randomly, though it does occasionally happen. When you enter the Realm of Dreams, your equipment (or an image of it) travels with you. Even if you use charges of limited-use items, the real version of such items is unchanged. Such item usage can only affect other people or things in the Realm of Dreams. Combat can occur normally here. If you are killed in the Realm of Dreams, you return to your body, unharmed.
The most useful aspect of the Realm of Dreams - discovered by relatively few mages - is the abilty to create pocket dimensions. These dimensions function like a "bubble" of reality, beyond which the normal Realm of Dreams is visible. Most of these pockets are less than a few hundred yards wide. Rare, forgotten, or forbidden magics allow the creation of mini-worlds in these pockets, created as per the creater's specifications, though nothing there is strictly speaking "real."
A higher level of magic allows physical travel to such pocket dimensions - whereby the body (and equipment) of the traveler vanishes from Tellene. They can bring items with them to stock their dimension with whatever they like, construct buildings, hide important things, etc... Entering the Realm of Dreams physically is dangerous, since you can be killed, even by people who have entered non-physically, if they have managed to locate and enter your dimension.
Most pocket dimensions are shielded by their creaters from accidental discovery, though some, created by Fey or Demons, can be stumbled upon by reckless travelers.
A diagram of this multiverse is attached.
