Design and Development: Cosmology

[Lonely Tylenol]

And by "mythological" you of course mean "19th-century theosophical", yeah?

Wait a second. Is that sci-fi theosophical, or fantasy theosophical?

 

[Aloïsius]

Medieval France was hundreds of miles across, and had 40 million inhabitants, just as a point of comparison.

20 millions. It reached 40 millions in the 20th century only, because it was the first country to experiment the demographic transition.

Note that China is hundreds of miles across, and had more than 100 millions inhabitants, however. Also, as it as already been said, it can be hundred of miles deep....

The area of a sphere is 4 pi R². The area of a cylinder is 2 pi RH.

Earth has a radius of 6000+ km (IIRC). That's more than 400 000 000 km²
If the abyss are 4000 km wide, they need just to be deeper than 18 000 km for the area to be greater than Earth's one. Now, if the abyss is vortex-shaped, it can be 12 000 km wide and 60 000 km deep. It's area would be 10 time greater than the Earth.

 

[Gentlegamer]

It sounds like Manicheaism is becoming the default cosmology in D&D.

 

[Rechan]

Note that China is hundreds of miles across, and had more than 100 millions inhabitants, however.

Also, isn't a lot of China's population concentrated in about 15% of the country? I can't remember the reason why (inhospitable, the area unable to grow food, something like that).

 

[Stalker0]

Looks good to me.

I like how it explains how all of these monsters get to the prime material. With two strong parallel planes, you can imagine fey, spirits, and undead gaining access to the prime at certain times.

I also like this possiblity, Raising the dead is now just a special plane shift to the far realm, where you must bring your friend back. Higher levels might make it easier (bring you closer or something). I would love that for raising!!

The only true requirement for me is sigil. To me, sigil is iconic planescape, iconic dnd, the rest is just windowdressing. The planes can change, but sigil had better be there!!

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Sigh.

"You don't need to purchase 4e. It's not the game you are looking for." I don't need to purchase 4e. It's not the game I'm looking for. I'll move along.

Well, its not THAT bad . . . YET. I can say I have ZERO interest in the 4e fluff that is being crammed into the CORE RULES for NO apparent reason. This leaves 4e's only selling point to me as the purely mechanical RAW or crunch. Given that the 4e mechanics think I need to have PC and monsters "roles" mandated for me, I'm not hopeful. I'm not moving along but more because I'm transfixed by a NASCAR-like "watch it for the spectacular crashes" than anything else at this point. I could be completely wrong, but I'm seeing 4e crashing and burning sales wise when compared to 3x. Wotc? Hasbro would like to have a word with you.

I want my 5e!!!

Oh yeah. The new cosmology. "Terrance, this is stupid stuff." See A.E. Housman. Or, if your prefer - "Confessions of a Crap Artist" by Philip K. Dick. Indeed, this cosmology is just such.

Yeah, 'cuz the Seven Heavens lumped together with Nirvana, Olympus, Asgard, and the Happy Hunting Grounds was such a winning combination that made so much sense. You can have your cobbled together cosmology; I think this one is an improvement.

 

[Brennin Magalus]

I don't get that feel. Rather, I get a fantasy feel on 3e psionics - they are nothing more than non-arcane, non-divine magic using spell points instead of slots.

In any event, I think sorcerers should kill psions and take their stuff.

 

[Green Knight]

The Shadowfell reminds me of the Shadow World from Birthright.

 

[Elphilm]

Elemental Chaos:

"Unthinkably vast – thousands of miles" – huh? London to Jerusalem is ~3500 miles by road. That's not unthinkably vast.

The impression I got from the article was that the opening of the Abyss was thousands of miles in extent. Think of something like the Great Red Spot of Jupiter.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Also, isn't a lot of China's population concentrated in about 15% of the country? I can't remember the reason why (inhospitable, the area unable to grow food, something like that).

They all want to be near the movie theaters with the stadium seating, and who can blame them?