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Message: <blockquote data-quote="reanjr" data-source="post: 3109466" data-attributes="member: 20740">Well, on the planes I don't see how a nonmagical compass would function.  Magentic planetary fields are formed by spinning cores of metal.  If a plane does not have a core (which none of them would to my knowledge) then it would not have working compasses.  Unless you presume that the planes have a magnetic field anyway just because.  Certainly a valid way to go about it.Technologically, compasses would be available in standard D&D style campaigns, though I think they would be pretty expensive.  On the other hand, the planet may not have a magnetic field similar to that of Earth.  If the core of the planet is not made up in a similar manner (one fast layer spinning over a static or slower layer) then there would be no magnetic field.  This is unlikely to support life as radiation would fry it without the protective magnetic field.But, a planet can have a magnetic field but not a stable one like Earth's.  At least a few times in Earth's history, the poles have flopped around.  These pole changes are usually preceded by several (hundred?) years of instability wherein you will have numerous localized poles.  This might actually be a kind of cool idea for a campaign.  Doesn't help much with long range navigation, but you can make magical power centers the poles which all compasses point to.Anyway.  Compasses may or may not work in a D&D campaign.  Even if they do, they may or may not work on the planes.  They would technologically viable if they did work.  And there is no official compass from WotC to my knowledge.</blockquote>

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