A Planescape question

[Shemeska]

Stay away from Harbinger House. It does more to de-mystify PS than statting the Lady ever could. It's also just a lousy adventure.

It's the one module that seems to get the most complaints, though most have been from a mechanical standpoint and issues of how the module flows, or doesn't, and how much adhoc stuff the DM is forced to employ just to make sure it all works.

I found it mysterious personally, not breaking the mystery. It added some interesting stuff, but I suppose you might see it differently. *shrug* Did Slavicsek write anything else for PS, or was that module it?

 

[Pants]

Thanks Shemmy.

Fires of Dis looks good, but haven't run it yet.

Fires of Dis, being the only PS module I've personally looked at, did not impress me. It's kinda railroady in parts and although the story is good, I found the motivation for getting the PC's involved rather weak.

YMMV of course.

 

[Echohawk]

Faction War was not the last published PS product, but it was the last to take place largely in Sigil (the Inner Planes box was the last published IIRC).

That's right, although Inner Planes is a book, not a box (sadly, IMHO!). Here's a list of Planescape products by date:

Planescape Campaign Setting (Apr 1994)
Eternal Boundary (May 1994)
Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (Jun 1994)
Planes of Chaos (Jul 1994)
Well of Worlds (Sep 1994)
In the Abyss (Oct 1994)
Deva Spark (Nov 1994)
Planes of Law (Jan 1995)
Fires of Dis (Feb 1995)
Player's Primer to the Outlands (Apr 1995)
In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil (May 1995)
Factol's Manifesto (Jun 1995)
Harbinger House (Jul 1995)
Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (Sep 1995)
Planes of Conflict (Nov 1995)
Something Wild (Feb 1996)
Uncaged: Faces of Sigil (Mar 1996)
Hellbound: The Blood War (Jun 1996)
Planewalker's Handbook (Aug 1996)
On Hallowed Ground (Sep 1996)
Guide to the Astral Plane (Oct 1996)
Doors to the Unknown (Nov 1996)
Faces of Evil: Fiends (Aug 1997)
Great Modron March (Sep 1997)
Dead Gods (Oct 1997)
Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (Mar 1998)
Tales from the Infinite Staircase (May 1998)
Guide to the Ethereal Plane (Aug 1998)
Faction War (Oct 1998)
Inner Planes (Dec 1998)

 

[Echohawk]

Did Slavicsek write anything else for PS, or was that module it?

He also wrote Doors to the Unknown and co-wrote Deva Spark.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

I don't see how it's a stretch. DVD said the half-worlds become alternate Primes, and 3E has alternate Primes. Where's the ambiguity?

You shouldn't forget: 2e had alternate Materials as well - all the campaign settings... I wonder how Birthright fits into the Planescape setting...

 

[Shemeska]

You shouldn't forget: 2e had alternate Materials as well - all the campaign settings... I wonder how Birthright fits into the Planescape setting...

There was only one prime material plane, those various settings were simply worlds/planets within a common prime material, all suspended in the same star-filled void. FR, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Birthright etc were all just worlds in that common prime material.

In 3e they only support Greyhawk in the 'core' and

Spoiler

have the utter donkeypunch to continuity that is FR having its own new cosmology that has 'always been like that',

so in theory has all of them existing within seperate entire prime material planes. Just don't question it or ponder it really and you might be fine.

Ravenloft was a demiplane in the deep ethereal previously, and Dark Sun was a rather unique prime material world that was just largely cut off from direct access to and from the planes by various unknown reasons and means.



As far as Birthright, I can think of a few references to Cerilia throughout some of the PS books, but since I known next to nothing about the birthright setting I probably missed more, just because I wouldn't recognize them.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

So, apart from the boxed set and the MC, what 2nd edit materials should I look at?

 

[Pants]

So, apart from the boxed set and the MC, what 2nd edit materials should I look at?

A lot of the 'Guides to such and such plane' are fun and help flesh out the planes more but aren't exactly necessary. Planes of Law is my favorite with Planes of Conflict coming in dead last (Planes of Chaos is pretty good though).
The Planescape Monstrous Compendium II is really good too, though the PSMCIII is kinda sucky. Too many really dumb monsters, IMO.
Faces of Evil is generally considered 'required reading' by most PS fans, though it really only is if you plan on having a fiend-centric game. It's a good book, but definitely not required if you plan on minimizing the use of the fiends.
Skip 'Fires of Dis,' it sucks.

In fact, if I had to list my top favorite PS books, I'd list them thusly:
Planescape Monstrous Compendium I
Planes of Law
Planes of Chaos
Planescape Monstrous Compendium II
Guide to the Inner Planes

 

[Soel]

As far as Birthright, I can think of a few references to Cerilia throughout some of the PS books, but since I known next to nothing about the birthright setting I probably missed more, just because I wouldn't recognize them.

Haha. Be glad! Only direct one I can think of offhand is "the Blowfish," who eats proxies. Really! I forget which plane it resides...

 

[demiurge1138]

As far as recommendations of material go, if you're going to use Sigil (and you probably will), both In the Cage and Uncaged: Faces of Sigil are highly recommended. Uncaged especially, as it's a great read in addition to a summary of many of Sigil's interesting NPCs.

Demiurge out.