A listing of planar products?

[Turanil]

We've started some early planning on a new planar sourcebook (roughly the size of the DM's Directory of Demiplanes product) and I'm looking to research what's already out there.

I got Beyond Countless Doorways yesterday and was disappointed. The book is excellent quality when it comes to layout, art, and the quality of the paper it is printed on, as well as binding. However, I found much of the content simply boring. Many of the ideas are mundane, if not lame. I think I am going to write a review on this book from which I expected so much... But basically, my point is: if you do write a planar handbook, please, make it something mythological that keeps a sense of wonder and mystery. Cause, it's not what I found in BCD unfortunately...

 

[Mouseferatu]

I got Beyond Countless Doorways yesterday and was disappointed. The book is excellent quality when it comes to layout, art, and the quality of the paper it is printed on, as well as binding. However, I found much of the content simply boring. Many of the ideas are mundane, if not lame. I think I am going to write a review on this book from which I expected so much... But basically, my point is: if you do write a planar handbook, please, make it something mythological that keeps a sense of wonder and mystery. Cause, it's not what I found in BCD unfortunately...

Wow. I couldn't disagree with you more. BCD is in my top three list of "Most Inspiring Books of 2004." I can't even count the number of story ideas it inspired when I read it, and I've never read a hardcover RPG supplement cover to cover as quickly as I did this one. In fact, it's the only hardcover RPG supplement I own that I'm giving serious thought to rereading cover to cover, and I would crawl naked through broken glass to have the opportunity to contribute in a professional capacity should Monte and co. ever decide to do a BCDII. (I know I almost certainly won't, since Malhavoc doesn't tend to use outside freelancers, but a guy can dream.)

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

What else should I be reading?

Planescape 2nd edition, particularly Planes of Law, Planes of Conflict, Planes of Chaos, Inner Planes, Guide to the Ethereal Plane, Guide to the Astral Plane, and Player's Guide to the Outlands.

 

[grodog]

What else should I be reading?

Michael Moorcock, of course: some of his more current books, including Blood: A Southern Fantasy expand upon the planes/multiverse quite a bit.

Ed Greenwood's "From the City of Brass... to Dead Orc Pass: The Theory and Use of Gates" (The Dragon 37, May 1980). Still a very worthwhile article after almost 25 years.

I've always found WotC's The Primal Order and TPO: Chessboards to be hugely inspirational for planar materials.

And there's always Sep's Wyre Story Hours: you can't beat them for planar inspiration. The collected thread is at http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=58227 and don't forget his Rogues Gallery thread at http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=5652

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would crawl naked through broken glass to have the opportunity to contribute in a professional capacity should Monte and co. ever decide to do a BCDII. (I know I almost certainly won't, since Malhavoc doesn't tend to use outside freelancers, but a guy can dream.)

Yeah, but that's before he knew he could torture freelancers with the Hallway of Broken Glass he's never had a chance to write off with the IRS.

 

[Turanil]

Wow. I couldn't disagree with you more. BCD is in my top three list of "Most Inspiring Books of 2004."

I am going to review this book (and thus read it thoroughly), since there is no review of Beyond Countless Doorways on Enworld yet (at least, I checked just before going to the FLGS). But it would be a good thing that someone who loved the book also made a review. In fact I am even more disappointed as I was really expecting a brilliant work from Malhavoc. Now, despite the book is beautiful to see (a top quality book on par with WotC products except it is in black & white rather than full color), I am considering selling it if I find someone interested in buying it in my entourage. Well, but something I suspect is that someone who loves Eberron would also love this book, and use it as a useful addition. However I myself find Eberron boring (I currently play in it). Anyway, I admit that I am very difficult to please (I probably have too many d20 books too)...

 

[Staffan]

There's some planar stuff in the Eberron campaign setting, but that's pretty Eberron-specific and thus might not be what you're looking for. Ditto with Player's Guide to Faerûn and FR.

One planar inspiration that's gnawing on my brain somewhere in the back of my mind is an old CRPG called "Bard's Tale III". How old? Well, I played it on my Commodore 64 (technically a Commodore 128, but 99% of the time it was used in C64 mode). Basically, the setup is that your home town/country has been conquered and razed by the Mad God Tarjan ap Nil, and you have to travel to various planes in order to get the various thingymajigs needed to defeat him.

 

[Turanil]

Hey, the above post leads me to wonder: is there some GURPS supplements on planar cosmology and multiverse? GURPS usually do great things where fluff and atmosphere is considered...

 

[Vlad Le Démon]

I am going to review this book (and thus read it thoroughly), since there is no review of Beyond Countless Doorways on Enworld yet (at least, I checked just before going to the FLGS). But it would be a good thing that someone who loved the book also made a review. In fact I am even more disappointed as I was really expecting a brilliant work from Malhavoc. Now, despite the book is beautiful to see (a top quality book on par with WotC products except it is in black & white rather than full color), I am considering selling it if I find someone interested in buying it in my entourage. Well, but something I suspect is that someone who loves Eberron would also love this book, and use it as a useful addition. However I myself find Eberron boring (I currently play in it). Anyway, I admit that I am very difficult to please (I probably have too many d20 books too)...

Contrairement à toi, je trouve ce livre excellent !!! La grande roue et les domaines des dieux commencent à me sortir par les yeux...!!!

 

[philreed]

Hey, the above post leads me to wonder: is there some GURPS supplements on planar cosmology and multiverse? GURPS usually do great things where fluff and atmosphere is considered...

GURPS: Infinite Worlds just shipped to stores. I think that's as close as you're gonna find.