How do YOU use the planes?
- Thread starter Tinker Gnome
- Start date
Odhanan said:
You might want to mention that in the house rules.
I know some people freak out when I say I don't use the wealth guidelines for level. I can only imagine the reaction to the "spell casting can lead to lobotomy" rule.There are a number of questions that I like being mysteries to humans, but I can't come up with a good reason why the gods wouldn't know the answers, or why they wouldn't want to tell people about it. I sort of hand-wave the concept that powerful Chaotic beings mess with divination spells under certain circumstances (with the usual sensitivities towards nerfing character powers).
I have an issue with raise dead as well - not so much that I mind PCs using it, but I don't want to have to consider the question of why every NPC of over a certain wealth level doesn't have themselves raised. One can imagine people hosting "I've been dead" parties. I'm a bit of a "simulationist" at times. Makes me want to start a thread on that.
So I use houserules similar to what you're saying, where there's an X% chance of a nasty effect - like the God of Death taking an interest in what's happening. The most common effect is that the soul is lost someplace miserable and unable to return - a fate that's not really much different for a PC, but one greatly feared by NPCs.
ChristianW
First Post
Valhalla I am coming!
I am working on a 1e AD&D campaign involving nordic style raiders storming the planes in their longboats.
Once a month, a magical mist envelopes the coastline of their homeland. The party boards their longboat, rows into the mist and is deposited in another plane of existence. One month they find themselves plundering the Happy Hunting Grounds for rare animal pelts, then next month its Acheron for exotic weapons and armor. Them of course, they wind up in the Abyss and it all goes sideways.
Generally, the mists arrive at the same time every month. Once deposited on the shores of the other plane, the mists linger for a few hours, allowing the raiders time to plunder, then retreat. Sometimes, though, it's less predictable. Perhaps, the mists quickly retreats for a few hours, leaving the raiders stranded and panicked until it rolls back in? Another time, the mists doesn't take the party straight home, but instead takes them to another plane.
Who knows where the mist comes from. Most of the warriors believe it is a boon from Odin, but perhaps the mists are the doing of Loki, who loves to toy with humanity.
It's still a rough idea, but I think the breaking things and killing people in strange places could be fun for a few sessions. It'd be fun for the party to develop close ties with the NPCs who make up their raiding party. Perhaps the outer planar creatures get tired of the meddling humans and mount a raid of their own, which claims the lives of the party's loved ones? It's possible other clans would hear of the magical mists and might attack the characters' village, hoping to learn the secret. If the characters wind up in Valhalla on one trip, what might they see? Maybe their experiences would cause the other villagers to look upon them as holy man, earning the party the ire of a jealous holy man or noble.
Eh, it's just an idea, so I'll have to see how it works out.
I am working on a 1e AD&D campaign involving nordic style raiders storming the planes in their longboats.
Once a month, a magical mist envelopes the coastline of their homeland. The party boards their longboat, rows into the mist and is deposited in another plane of existence. One month they find themselves plundering the Happy Hunting Grounds for rare animal pelts, then next month its Acheron for exotic weapons and armor. Them of course, they wind up in the Abyss and it all goes sideways.
Generally, the mists arrive at the same time every month. Once deposited on the shores of the other plane, the mists linger for a few hours, allowing the raiders time to plunder, then retreat. Sometimes, though, it's less predictable. Perhaps, the mists quickly retreats for a few hours, leaving the raiders stranded and panicked until it rolls back in? Another time, the mists doesn't take the party straight home, but instead takes them to another plane.
Who knows where the mist comes from. Most of the warriors believe it is a boon from Odin, but perhaps the mists are the doing of Loki, who loves to toy with humanity.
It's still a rough idea, but I think the breaking things and killing people in strange places could be fun for a few sessions. It'd be fun for the party to develop close ties with the NPCs who make up their raiding party. Perhaps the outer planar creatures get tired of the meddling humans and mount a raid of their own, which claims the lives of the party's loved ones? It's possible other clans would hear of the magical mists and might attack the characters' village, hoping to learn the secret. If the characters wind up in Valhalla on one trip, what might they see? Maybe their experiences would cause the other villagers to look upon them as holy man, earning the party the ire of a jealous holy man or noble.
Eh, it's just an idea, so I'll have to see how it works out.
Oryan77
Adventurer
I'm curious about something.
Whenever someone describes their method of using the planes, people throw around words like, "philosophy, belief, metaphysical, reflecting, manifestation, symbolism, ect". But how is this different than running a prime campaign? I always see people say they use the planes as a more thought provoking mechanic than just a typical adventuring mechanic (typical as in: defeat the bad guys, rescue the NPC, retrieve the artifact, save the day).
I use factions, I use mystery, surprise, I've had gate towns slide due to NPC's alignment shift, I show conflict among races/organizations...but I doubt my players walk away thinking, "Wow, this is a really thought-provoking game". What exactly do you do that makes the players feel like it's more "thought provoking" than any other campaign? I never could figure this out. The PS books are thought provoking, but I just don't see how to get players that involved into the fluff. If you answer, please don't just say "read my story-hour" because as much as I really want to read storyhours, I just don't have the time to read those lengthy threads between RL & reading info to use in my own planar game.
I use the planes as just different regions for PC's to explore and interact with. The reason I do it in a planar game rather than just playing FR is because going from place to place can be more exotic and interesting. I also get to use any type of NPC or creature that I want. The environment is also more interesting. It's easier to get away with having fireballs falling from the sky like on Avernus than it may be on a Prime world. I can't really use something like Bytopia or Limbo on a Prime World. Overall, it's easier to get players to say "that's crazy!" than it is running a prime world campaign.
Whenever someone describes their method of using the planes, people throw around words like, "philosophy, belief, metaphysical, reflecting, manifestation, symbolism, ect". But how is this different than running a prime campaign? I always see people say they use the planes as a more thought provoking mechanic than just a typical adventuring mechanic (typical as in: defeat the bad guys, rescue the NPC, retrieve the artifact, save the day).
I use factions, I use mystery, surprise, I've had gate towns slide due to NPC's alignment shift, I show conflict among races/organizations...but I doubt my players walk away thinking, "Wow, this is a really thought-provoking game". What exactly do you do that makes the players feel like it's more "thought provoking" than any other campaign? I never could figure this out. The PS books are thought provoking, but I just don't see how to get players that involved into the fluff. If you answer, please don't just say "read my story-hour" because as much as I really want to read storyhours, I just don't have the time to read those lengthy threads between RL & reading info to use in my own planar game.
I use the planes as just different regions for PC's to explore and interact with. The reason I do it in a planar game rather than just playing FR is because going from place to place can be more exotic and interesting. I also get to use any type of NPC or creature that I want. The environment is also more interesting. It's easier to get away with having fireballs falling from the sky like on Avernus than it may be on a Prime world. I can't really use something like Bytopia or Limbo on a Prime World. Overall, it's easier to get players to say "that's crazy!" than it is running a prime world campaign.
...
In the Enclave setting, planes are, supposedly at least, the quintessential, unending ever-different Farthest that blurs into the Enclave in every place. A wrong step and you may be Lost in the Farthest City, Library, Forest, and so forth.
Lore of the Farthest
"The Datarii call the place beyond all places "the Farthest." The long-departed Draugh, from whom the Datarii inherited myths, fragments of language and little more, called it by this and many other names.
Every place in the Enclave borders the Farthest, or so the Datarii say. Forest, field, library, inn, temple and open land all lead into the Farthest - endless, increasingly strange extensions of the border that led you there. No wizardry is needed to enter the Farthest, and the most common of folk must exercise care in their daily tasks lest they stray too far from the familiar and lose their way.
White-bearded Ammanders first wrote of the Farthest as the "Quintessential Realms," showing curiosity and understanding beyond that of the Lost Magi of the Vanished Isles. The sages hold that certain thresholds must be reached before the Farthest opens up like a rare flower to Visitor and Trespasser alike. The borders of the Farthest are most tangible in large and intricate buildings, the densest of forests, most frequently tilled fields, the busiest of marketplaces and docks."
The Ten Thousand Gates setting is a far more straightforward convulsion of planescape-done-my-way.
From the Vessel of Books Yet Unwritten
"Creation has many Pillars, you must understand - all are impossible and none may fall. All reverberates from nothing by way of the Song, written by the Book that creates itself from its own tale. All is a lost depth within Amande's venom dream. All is a Demonland in the third crack of Maggat's ill-formed Ull rune. There are ten thousand others, and all are true and impossible. It is a majesty, I feel, to match other majesties that hold sway above the Pillars.
But time is upon us, and a dry wind rises. I am sorry to say that I have no way back for you from the Pillars, but I do have a way forward. Back for me, of course, forward for you. Ah, Leli, let me show you - it is easier. See now, the far side of an Undecided Gate, a folding and rather ramshackle affair as such go, but a most useful traveling companion.
Why, because it does not know where it wishes to lead, of course. There are many Gates in the City of Ten Thousand, and there will always be those that grow bored or shiftless. Hurry, hurry, through you go - folding up the Tailkeeper's Gate is good deal harder and more time-consuming than it looks, and I am not desirous of an audience with the Hunger for Knowledge. You'll have little need of ax and shield, Ulvath - take them as you will, but your nature is fierce enough for most in the Tailings."
Reason
Principia Infecta
In the Enclave setting, planes are, supposedly at least, the quintessential, unending ever-different Farthest that blurs into the Enclave in every place. A wrong step and you may be Lost in the Farthest City, Library, Forest, and so forth.
Lore of the Farthest
"The Datarii call the place beyond all places "the Farthest." The long-departed Draugh, from whom the Datarii inherited myths, fragments of language and little more, called it by this and many other names.
Every place in the Enclave borders the Farthest, or so the Datarii say. Forest, field, library, inn, temple and open land all lead into the Farthest - endless, increasingly strange extensions of the border that led you there. No wizardry is needed to enter the Farthest, and the most common of folk must exercise care in their daily tasks lest they stray too far from the familiar and lose their way.
White-bearded Ammanders first wrote of the Farthest as the "Quintessential Realms," showing curiosity and understanding beyond that of the Lost Magi of the Vanished Isles. The sages hold that certain thresholds must be reached before the Farthest opens up like a rare flower to Visitor and Trespasser alike. The borders of the Farthest are most tangible in large and intricate buildings, the densest of forests, most frequently tilled fields, the busiest of marketplaces and docks."
The Ten Thousand Gates setting is a far more straightforward convulsion of planescape-done-my-way.
From the Vessel of Books Yet Unwritten
"Creation has many Pillars, you must understand - all are impossible and none may fall. All reverberates from nothing by way of the Song, written by the Book that creates itself from its own tale. All is a lost depth within Amande's venom dream. All is a Demonland in the third crack of Maggat's ill-formed Ull rune. There are ten thousand others, and all are true and impossible. It is a majesty, I feel, to match other majesties that hold sway above the Pillars.
But time is upon us, and a dry wind rises. I am sorry to say that I have no way back for you from the Pillars, but I do have a way forward. Back for me, of course, forward for you. Ah, Leli, let me show you - it is easier. See now, the far side of an Undecided Gate, a folding and rather ramshackle affair as such go, but a most useful traveling companion.
Why, because it does not know where it wishes to lead, of course. There are many Gates in the City of Ten Thousand, and there will always be those that grow bored or shiftless. Hurry, hurry, through you go - folding up the Tailkeeper's Gate is good deal harder and more time-consuming than it looks, and I am not desirous of an audience with the Hunger for Knowledge. You'll have little need of ax and shield, Ulvath - take them as you will, but your nature is fierce enough for most in the Tailings."
Reason
Principia Infecta
shadow
First Post
I really don't use the planes when I DM. I want the focus to be on heroism in the current campaign world. I don't want to get into complex cosmology if I don't have to.
With that said, my DM is currently running a Planescape game, and I've warmed up a little to the idea of planar adventuring.
With that said, my DM is currently running a Planescape game, and I've warmed up a little to the idea of planar adventuring.
I use them pretty much for a change of pace.
That said, my Realms Campaign has had some of its most memorable moments on the Planes.
I use the Great Tree structure unique to the Canon Realms, and enjoy modifying it to both suit my needs and to keep my players guessing about what's 'really out there'.
Thanks are due here to Dungeon Magazine for providing a large portion of the adventure material I've used/use in my campaign.
J. Grenemyer
That said, my Realms Campaign has had some of its most memorable moments on the Planes.
I use the Great Tree structure unique to the Canon Realms, and enjoy modifying it to both suit my needs and to keep my players guessing about what's 'really out there'.
Thanks are due here to Dungeon Magazine for providing a large portion of the adventure material I've used/use in my campaign.
J. Grenemyer
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
Planescape + 1,000 years, with a bit o' steampunk.
It's excellent cool.
As for how I get that philosophical feel....it's about how what the characters believe in, what they have faith in, their goals, their thoughts, their perspective on how the world works....is changed, challenged, and harassed in every session.
Fer'instance, if I've got a Fearguard paladin (member of a faction who believes that fear and terror are the only true way to respect the universe, and that by using the universe to inflict fear and terror you can control aspects of it), and the story calls for him to go to the plane of Nether to learn why people fear death (a plane where the gods of the dead, death, and fatality hold sway), I may have him challenged by a member of the Dust (a faction who believes that emotion is a lie, and seek to purge themselves of it at all opportunities).
They come into phyiscal conflict because of their philosophical differences. The Fearguard paladin believes that the best way to protect honor and justice is to terrify evil into submission. The Dust necromancer believes that inspiring fear is inherently deceptive fraud. So the Dust necromancer fights the Fearguard paladin until one of them prevails, and one idea grows a little stronger and the other grows a little weaker. And whichever one wins becomes a littl emore true in the world -- the paladin is thwarted because fear cannot control those devoid of true emotion, or the necromancer fails because even the undead fear the living....
That's just an off-the-cuff example, but it's the basic idea.
It's excellent cool.
As for how I get that philosophical feel....it's about how what the characters believe in, what they have faith in, their goals, their thoughts, their perspective on how the world works....is changed, challenged, and harassed in every session.
Fer'instance, if I've got a Fearguard paladin (member of a faction who believes that fear and terror are the only true way to respect the universe, and that by using the universe to inflict fear and terror you can control aspects of it), and the story calls for him to go to the plane of Nether to learn why people fear death (a plane where the gods of the dead, death, and fatality hold sway), I may have him challenged by a member of the Dust (a faction who believes that emotion is a lie, and seek to purge themselves of it at all opportunities).
They come into phyiscal conflict because of their philosophical differences. The Fearguard paladin believes that the best way to protect honor and justice is to terrify evil into submission. The Dust necromancer believes that inspiring fear is inherently deceptive fraud. So the Dust necromancer fights the Fearguard paladin until one of them prevails, and one idea grows a little stronger and the other grows a little weaker. And whichever one wins becomes a littl emore true in the world -- the paladin is thwarted because fear cannot control those devoid of true emotion, or the necromancer fails because even the undead fear the living....
That's just an off-the-cuff example, but it's the basic idea.
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