Does anyone else hate the planes?

[JoeGKushner]

The way in which the outher planes bug me is more of "don't get the lure" thing. It kinda bugs me when I hear about campaigns that focus on planar travels -- especially at low levels. The outer planes are the abodes of the gods. Trips there shouldn't be taken lightly.
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In some ways, the novel Fools Fate by Robin Hobb hits on this as the main character uses teleporting obeliseks to move around and is warned not to use them too frequently. At the end he's basically trapped in one for what seems like secodns and is fred by a powerful entity and learns that months passed by.

 

[AIM-54]

I'm not a fan of the planes for much the same reasons as Wombat expressed.

In my current world-building exercise, I've eliminated them, save for the spirit plane, where the spirits and gods reside, which more overlays the world, rather than being entirely separate from it.

When I game I like to keep it on (in?) the world that has been presented, rather than planeshopping, but I also prefer a lower power level than many and find that generally the planes are more appropriate at levels higher than I enjoy.

It's really a personal preference thing and I find it doesn't prevent me from enjoying certain story hours that involve that sort of thing .

 

[Psion]

I never really liked the planes for the simple reason that I refuse to believe all the cultures on a given world look at cosmology in exactly the same manner.

Beleif historically hasn't matched reality... why would you suspect it would in a fantasy world?

The planes are also too logical,

I like logic and consistency in my world.

But then, I can bring up some things that give me heartburn that might give the lie to it being all that logical.

It kinda bugs me when I hear about campaigns that focus on planar travels -- especially at low levels. The outer planes are the abodes of the gods.

It's only that way in the default cosmology and then, in the outer planes. In the campaign I am running now, there are lots of planes the players will be visiting, but few of them abodes of the gods.

 

[The_Gneech]

I don't like planar jaunts, particularly of the "doorway to anywhere" variety, because they feel like Doctor Who, rather than like sword and sorcery ... or at best like trippy '60s fantasy rather than good ol' fashioned Howard or Tolkien. The planes are Outside, where gibbering horrors come from ... not a place where you go shopping.

-The Gneech

 

[Nightfall]

Nope. My planes are simple. There are the "Fundamental" planes, Air, Fire, Water, Life, Death. Then the Occult Planes, the Astral or Realm of the Arcane, the Etheral (Plane of Spirit), The Dreamlands (obviously Dreams) and Shadow, Realm of Twilight. Then there's the Lands of the Gods. Oh and the Zodaic Planes. They are cool.

But overall standard D&D GW can be a little complex. But I don't see why plane hopping is either a) a hard thing even at low levels. Some times you're just visiting an alternate reality after all. or b) That just because Prime plane A sees it THIS way and B see it another, that means you can't visit A and B plus Z when it's just damn convient. I mean traveling through a wormhole isn't that complicated. Just look at SGC.

(Btw Psion, which of the BCD planes you sending your little PCs too?)

 

[Gnarlo]

Agree with the Gneech; IMHO plane-hopping and the like have moved into the "Drow File": cool and mysterious as an initial idea, way too commonplace now.

And I left D&D when 2e came out, so I have no Planescape nostalgia either

 

[Crothian]

Agree with the Gneech; IMHO plane-hopping and the like have moved into the "Drow File": cool and mysterious as an initial idea, way too commonplace now.

Well, it really doesn't matter whjat other people are doing in their campaigns does it? I mean if that were a factor then all the core classes would have to go into this "Drow File" as well.

Like everything about gaming, plane hoping can be done good and it can be donee bad; it depends on the quality of the DM and players you have.

 

[Nightfall]

Not to mention Crothy, it's all about what you like and don't like.

Some people don't like the Scarred Lands (a thought that nearly fries a neuron in my brain each time I try to think it...OUCH!!) and some do! (Which makes them have GOOD taste! )

Overall, commonplace plane hopping isn't that bad. Just so long as it's more in line with what BCD suggests.

 

[Crothian]

Not to mention Crothy, it's all about what you like and don't like.

Right, but it is amazing how much a good DM or gaming session can influence on what you like. People will get an impression on things, but when seen in actual play done right can change their mind. At the same time, a bad DM can ruin things for you. When people talk about things they dson't like in gaming, many times it does go back to a bad DM or bad experience.

 

[Nightfall]

I guess so.

I just believe there's no such animal as bad Scarred Lands experience. But then I've been running pretty awesome online Scarred Lands campaign/sessions.

Just ask my players. (Most had great fun with minor complaints...Overall they enjoyed being IN the Scarred Lands.)