D&D General Does Earth (or at least a fantasy version of it) have a crystal sphere and exist in the D&D Cosmology?

[dead]

Technically our "Earth" is in Greyspace, but it is not so simple. Oerth, the world of Greyhawk setting has got several "alternate worlds": Aerth, Uerth, Yarth, and Earth.

I think the idea of Aerth, Uerth, Yarth, Earth, etc. is one of Gary's that predates Spelljammer. I’m not sure if it’s official in the current D&D Cosmology.

 

[dead]

Couldn't we just have a really big crystal sphere, with a diameter larger than the observable universe?

The 2E adventure Dawn of the Overmind attempted to do this. There was a crystal sphere called Truespace which followed the same physics of our real space. And from memory it was enormous in size.

 

[dead]

It's worth noting that not all places in the D&D multiverse follow the same rules. You can (though it's not easy) find a Gate to Athas. This does not mean Athas has a Crystal Sphere (and I believe it was definitively stated Athas-space does not).

This is interesting. I assumed Athas would be in a crystal sphere. How would its solar system survive in the Astral/Phlogiston without a protective bubble?

 

[James Gasik]

Oh, yep. I forgot about Gothic Earth. In terms of flavor, you wouldn’t expect it to be in a crystal sphere, though. Maybe the tendrils of the Domain of Dread can reach into different cosmologies/dimensions. Maybe the planar monsters just happen to be identical in the Gothic Earth cosmology/dimension as they are in the D&D cosmology/dimension. Quite possible if there’s infinite dimensions/cosmologies.

There was a Dark Sun-themed Domain of Dread at one point, wasn't there?

 

[James Gasik]

This is interesting. I assumed Athas would be in a crystal sphere. How would its solar system survive in the Astral/Phlogiston without a protective bubble?

I did some research, and I was apparently wrong about this.

The official TSR position is that Athas lies within a closed crystal sphere; it cannot be reached by spelljammers. (Dragon Magazine #178, p.93)

 

[cimbrog]

Mystara IS Earth's past. Just look at Mystara's world map. Our complete lack of magic is due to overuse of the Nucleus of the Spheres.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My theory is by the actions of the kings-sorcerers the Athasian tablelands are a demiplane like Ravenloft/demiplane of the dread. Maybe there is a "crimson sphere" or Athaspace with the original Athas planet, but it is practically post-apocaliptic.

Kalidnay was a domain of dread in Ravenloft 2nd taken from Athas.

Kalidnay - Mistipedia

www.fraternityofshadows.com

Kalidnay

Kalidnay was once a large walled city home to Kalid-Ma the Sorcerer-King and High priestess Thakok-An. Thakok-An attempted to ascend her king into a Dragon using the life energies of the city's populace. This, however, ended up putting the king into a comatose state and uprooting the city...

darksun.fandom.com

I imagine slavery in DS but in a more fantastic way. A punishment by the king-sorcerers is to be "muddied", covered with a cursed mud causes the victim to become something like a almost-sentient "drone", with a poor free-will. They aren't undeads or constructs but earth(+water) elementals. The effects aren't totally permanent, according to the "good or bad karma" by the victim. An innocent soul will recover the free will sooner, and then for legal effects the penance has ended. Althought aftereffects are possible. For the king-sorcerers is more practical than the chains and the whip, and for metagame effects, if it is a too fantastic element then it should be softer than real slavery. Officially only the king-sorcerers can be slave-owners (most of times by debt bondage, specially by fault of the taxes) but these can be "hired" by the nobles and rich men.

Othere point is the timeline of the Athasian Tablelands has been rewritten by fault of several factions, agents of Vecna, cultists of Thazridun, and the chronomancers who tried to stop their evil machinations. The facts of the Prism Pentad happened, but within a "crystal sphere", something like a demiplane with a space-time continium, created by the chronomancers to avoid time paradoxes.

Our "Earth" has got lots of "crystal spheres" but they are "isolated by quarantine" because the arrival of the Cybertronians (autobots vs decepticons, the transformers) and other alien factions can cause serious menaces of collateral damages.

 

[cbwjm]

Glantri in the Mystara setting had families of a fantasy version of earth arrive as they escaped those who hunted magic-users. These were from Scotland and, I think France, judging from the names.

 

[dead]

Oh... I just found out crystal spheres don't exist in 5E Spelljammer. That doesn't really change much, though. We've still got solar systems (bubbles of Wildspace) bobbing in the Astral Sea. They just don't have a hard exterior envelope anymore. I wonder what the stars are now? They used to be big gems (or something similar) on the inside of the crystal sphere.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Baba Yaga visited Earth; in her Hut there are Soviet Tanks and other things. In Pathfinder 1 Adventure path Reign of Winter, about Baba Yaga, you have sounder proof that Earth exists.
Besides, if I remember correctly, there is a Becmi Immortal adventure in which you can visit New York.
The possibility of visiting Earth was very much implied in the earlier versions of the game

Also Rasputin and Iggwilv are half-siblings (and Princess Anastasia and Iuz are cousins!) according to that.