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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nopantsyet" data-source="post: 2122873" data-attributes="member: 3109">Haven't worked one into my current campaign, but it's there in the back of my mind, since the cosmology is significant to the campaign.I agree that neutral ground is an important trait. This idea has been around for a while, and is core to the Planescape setting. The point I find interesting to explore is why and how? In Planescape it always seemed like "wave of the hand" mechanics. Poof! It's neutral ground for gods and mortals alike. But if you eliminate the presence of a transcendant being who enforces that neutrality, I think it makes it more interesting. How and why would normal mortals (if plane-hopping mortals can be called "normal") maintain a neutral commerce ground?Obviously profit motive plays in, but what is universal currency on the planar level? There must be a plane of gold somewhere, so it's hard to establish rarity among elements as the basis for exchange. So you're basically down to barter of powerful items, which fits the motif.Clearly the concept of neutral ground supports open markets, but how is that actually enforced? What's to stop a god (or gods) from swooping in and taking over the place? (At least, without the wave of the hand a la Planescape.) That's where I'm stuck anyway. I've got this mercantile oligarchy that runs the place, but what empowers them to maintain the neutrality? Still unknown....</blockquote>