D&D General how do the outer planes work?

[SkidAce]

On a slight tangent, in Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series, in addition to certain ideas and concepts having their own "planes", each individual mage is aspected to a particular type of magic (Fire, Light, Healing, etc.), and each type of magic is actually its own "plane" that casters of that particular type of magic can enter and travel through.

Quoted for cosmic truth...!

 

[Tonguez]

how do the outer planes work? if they are realms of pure thought and ideas, how come they work like physical places?

Simulcrum is a 7th level illusion, pure sensory stimulus made real, now put that in the hands of a level 100 god

 

[Hriston]

Astral worlds can resemble physical worlds just like your astral body resembles your physical body, but they don't have to. Physical worlds are in the inner planes.