D&D 5E D&D Multiverse as setting - do you do it?

[Sword of Spirit]

Absolutely yes!

Honestly, I think the multiverse as one giant meta-setting is one of the best features of D&D. Without that, I feel that my D&D is just missing something. No other game has such a hugely developed setting like this (unless the game is based on an expansive work of fiction like Star Wars).

I might run something that is only on one world/setting, and therefore the other stuff never really comes up, but I like having it be true that it is there. Even in such games it is fun to throw in vague references every now and again. I mean, in Lost Mines of Phandelver, the wild mage kept accidentally summoning modrons (via the random wild surge table). Modrons are downright weird from a material plane perspective, and hint at the wider, weirder multiverse out there. And there are plenty of ways to intentionally add little bits that the players won't even catch unless they are familiar with the greater multiverse.

 

[Bacon Bits]

I believe that's why Dark Sun was supposed to be much later in time... If Athas is actually Oerth+30K or Toril+30K years years, then your FR denizen cannot get to Athas-as-Athas....

No, Athas is just surrounded by a plot wall. (Note: Not TVTropes link.)

 

[steeldragons]

Nope.

 

[Staffan]

No, Athas is just surrounded by a plot wall. (Note: Not TVTropes link.)

The Grey was a bit of a retcon anyway, at least as a barrier between Athas and the planes (I think the "Realm of the Dead" aspect came from the Prism Pentad books, but the "planar wall" aspect came out of nowhere). Dark Sun seemed to have plenty of planar interaction otherwise:

1. The mega-high level rules in Dragon Kings expected priests to be doing regular excursions to the elemental planes to do stuff.

2. The adventure Black Spine was all about a planar invasion by githyanki (with the explanation that the Dark Sun gith were degenerated descendants of them).

3. In City by the Silt Sea, one of Dregoth's most powerful resources is a psionic artifact mirror that can act as a planar gateway.

4. I think the Planescape sourcebook In The Cage had some references to Dark Sun characters as well.

Then all of a sudden, Defiles & Preservers comes out and has a sidebar saying "Oh by the way, planar travel to and from Athas is difficult as balls." Probably because otherwise, Dark Sun characters could go on to wreck the rest of the multiverse with their high-powered stats and/or wreck Dark Sun's economy by importing lots of metal and other rare stuff.

 

[Jeff Albertson]

No, Athas is just surrounded by a plot wall. (Note: Not TVTropes link.)

Exactly, say no to the Time of Troubles, Age of Mortals, Unhuman War II, Grand Conjunction, Prism Pentad, Faction War, etc, etc, malarkey, load of busybody, writer's codswallop.

 

[aramis erak]

No, Athas is just surrounded by a plot wall. (Note: Not TVTropes link.)

Not quite...

How does Athas fit into the
SPELLJAMMER universe?
The official TSR position is that Athas
lies within a closed crystal sphere; it cannot
be reached by spelljammers.

What, exactly, happens when the
Dark Powers of Ravenloft form a new domain? Does the original land just disappear?
According to the Forbidden Lore boxed set, the Athasian city of Kalidnay has become part of the Demiplane of Dread, but in Merchant Houses of Amketch the ruins of Kalidnay are still on Athas. Both products feature identical maps. What’s going on here? Which is the
real Kalidnay?
Exactly what happens when the Dark Powers form a new domain is unrevealed. Kalidnay, however, illustrates the results. When the Dark Powers recognize one of their own, the Mists rise up and whisk the offender away to the Demiplane of Dread.
The land, buildings, and large objects surrounding the offender are unaffected, but all the people nearby are drawn into the demiplane along with the offender. When the new domain forms, it is an exact replica of the area where the offender was when the mists arose.
Except for the fact that the people are gone, the original area is unaffected. What happens to unintelligent animals in the area is not clear. The new domain is fully populated with the appropriate normal animals, so either the animals are drawn into the demiplane or new animals form along with the domain. Likewise, important personal property, including magical items, treasure, and other items important to the transferred characters move to the demiplane, as do all items people are wearing or carrying. To an observer on the original plane, it appears that the mists have washed over the land like an ocean wave and carried away all the people.
Some people might escape the mists, but they would have to leave the area quickly So, the “real” Kalidnay exists both on Athas, as a deserted ruin inhabited by squatters, and as an island of terror in the domains of Ravenloft.

The Dark Recesses booklet from the Forbidden Lore boxed set says Athasian characters can be transported to the Dark Domains. Will the Dark Powers transport non-Athasians to Athas?
The Dark Powers never transport anyone out of Ravenloft, but it is possible that a portal leading off the demiplane might lead to Athas. Any creature passing through such a portal will wind up on Athas even if it didn’t originally come from Athas.

Edit to add: I admit when I'm wrong.
You cannot get there by spelljammer.... but you might be able to by planar travel.

 

[Shasarak]

D&D Multiverse as setting - do you do it?

1) What I'm getting at is: Do you or your group usually treat your D&D campaigns as existing within one giant shared universe?

2) If so, do you use the classic Spelljammer/Planescape approach?

I.e., your Toril, Athas, Krynn, homebrew worlds, etc. all exist in one place. You could fly from one world to the next in a spelljamming ship. If your party visits Sigil, its the same Sigil the other parties visit. If Tiamat dies, Tiamat dies everywhere.

Yes, since the days of Spelljammer and Planescape I have always seen DnD to exist inside the multiverse.

3) Have you taken the next step with a crossover campaign?

For example, our group has used a shared Great Wheel multiverse for 20 years. We've had campaign crossovers. High level characters "graduate" to planar play to keep the homebrew worlds from filling with Elminsters. They team up and have have plane-shifting spelljamming ships and fight threats on an insane scale. The history of D&D and epic level play seems to just beg for this.

Yes, my next campaign is going to be a PlaneJammer starting in my own Sphere and ending up, well who knows.

 

[Jeff Albertson]

Not quite...





Edit to add: I admit when I'm wrong.
You cannot get there by spelljammer.... but you might be able to by planar travel.

Yep, it is in a a closed Crystal Sphere, but the Githyanki have got there, via the Astral (The Mists from Ravenloft and portals from Sigil can get there). Basically, before you can access the Ethereal or Astral, you must penetrate The Grey. The Black is a pocket dimension that surrounds the planet, Athas.

 

[MechaPilot]

As long as I'm using as established D&D setting, yes to all three.

When I run a homebrew world, which is usually the case these days, I don't connect it as part of the typical D&D cosmology.

Tenesia has its own cosmology that replaces the D&D cosmology.

Wildwood essentially has no cosmology, apart from the border ethereal and fey pocket dimensions that are bound to certain places.

 

[Queer Venger]

Im strongly considering taking the 'Fringe' approach, (the Fox TV show) meaning multiple FR's that are different in their own unique way that co-exist with multiple Eberron's.