Hardhead
Explorer
Gaiden said:
First, I'd like to point out that up until 3rd Edition, Forgotten Realms had the exact same cosmology as Greyhawk. Basically, instead of there just being one prime world, there were multiple primes, probably an infinite number.
Several "planes" in 3e FR are just layers or regions of a Planescape/Greyhawk plane that's been "spun off" in 3e cosmology. Reintegrating them is incredibly simple. Simpler, in fact, than using the 3e version!
Basically, you say. "Oh, yeah, you can travel to the Demonweb Pit, but hey, it turns out it's just part of the larger plane called the Abyss." Why is it easier, you ask? Because FR is a campaign setting built on the assumption that there are lots of other prime worlds you can get to. The Mulhorondi deities are from a Fantasy Earth (and so, originally, are the people there). Tyr is also a Norse deity. Meliki is finnish. Loviatar is also a real world god, but I can't remember from where at the moment.
So, a lot of what you were saying about "if they're all connected, why aren't there more overlapping gods" is answered by just assuming that FR is still connected, because it does have overlapping gods. Not every god is in every setting, because if, say, Loki wanted to move into FR, he'd find Mask already filling that role, but many gods have crossed over and found a niche (or more!). Basically, as far as I can tell, the designers of the 3rd edition book had no idea what they were talking about with regards to the cosmology in FR. Not only is it just change for the sake of change, it's also horribly inconsistent with the novels (which include things like trips to Sigil) and the backstory of the setting.
Incidently, Darksun was also part of the shared D&D cosmology, but it was surrounded by the Grey, which made travel to and from it hard. But it was possible. There was a cleric in one adventure that had found a portal (but no longer had spells because his god's spells didn't go through the Grey), and several Planescape sources included a few Darksun refugees.
Aaaaanyway, as for incorporating other settings, like Rokugan and FF into the Greyhawk/Planescape/Realms/Darksun cosmology, I can only suggest integrating planes, layers, and realms into the Great Wheel. Some are already there, thanks to the Celestial Bureaucracy's presence in Planescape (The Celestial Bureaucracy was the "generic" name for the Chineese Pantheon).
So Meido? That's the Palace of Judgement, on the Outlands. Toshigoku? Obviously, that's in Acheron somewhere. Yomi? Somewhere on Mt. Celestia. Just remember that in doing this, you're not relegating a campaign like Rokugan to secondary status - every pantheon's important places are just part of the Great Wheel. The Fuge Plane (from FR)? It's in Gehenna (established in older FR books). The Cathedral of St. Cuthbert? On Arcadia. Remember that the Great Wheel was originally designed to fit in an infinite number of cosmologies, because it had an infinite number of Prime worlds. It should be fairly easy. I daresay you can find a place to fit anything.
