D&D General Let's make the upper planes playable!

[Shades of Eternity]

The upper planes are currently useless for gaming potential beyond "paradise invaded."

Mount Celestia and Aboria, might be helpful if you squint, but has anybody ever used Bytopia?

So my challenge is as follows.

Let's make the upper planes somewhere enjoyable to run an adventure with a definite theme and opponents.

Stipulations.

1. Every outer plane needs its locals. Part of the problem is that they use Angels as a grab bag to fill in the whole upper planes, thus making them generic.
2. Every plane needs one unique thing that can be built on.
3. It cannot be just because it was invaded by bad guys, and you are bad enough, dude, to save the planes.
4. It still has to be built on the same overall themes. You cannot turn Bytopia into a plane of the Abyss or anything like that.

So what can be done?

 

[Demetrios1453]

The upper planes are currently useless for gaming potential beyond "paradise invaded."

Mount Celestia and Aboria, might be helpful if you squint, but has anybody ever used Bytopia?

So my challenge is as follows.

Let's make the upper planes somewhere enjoyable to run an adventure with a definite theme and opponents.

Stipulations.

1. Every outer plane needs its locals. Part of the problem is that they use Angels as a grab bag to fill in the whole upper planes, thus making them generic.
2. Every plane needs one unique thing that can be built on.
3. It cannot be just because it was invaded by bad guys, and you are bad enough, dude, to save the planes.
4. It still has to be built on the same overall themes. You cannot turn Bytopia into a plane of the Abyss or anything like that.

So what can be done?

As for the locals, the Planescape set confirmed that archons and guardinals still exist, so that's Mt Celestia and Elysium covered. The upcoming 5e MM will have the beast lords, who were the most notable native group in the Beastlands. Formians haven't been updated to 5e yet, but it's not unreasonable that they're still hanging out in Arcadia. Given the archons and guardinals are still around, the original eladrin would presumably still be in Arboria, but they would have to have a different name since it's since been co-opted by others. That really just leaves us with Bytopia and Ysgard without dedicated locals, and the later would likely just be filled with warrior types.

 

[Li Shenron]

Upper planes might be useless for combat encounters (except as you say in case of invasion - also including PCs being the invaders) but they are certainly not useless for adventures. You can have a whole adventure without combat, therefore you can have a whole adventure in an upper plane. Or you can set one part of a larger adventure on an upper plane, perhaps the part that involves investigations, explorations, social interation, finding items or information, but not necessarily combat.

However, some upper planes actually lend themselves well enough for combat. Ysgard is perfect: it's the warriors' heavens where heroes of the past want to continue enjoying fighting, but it's only a sport because nobody really dies. But this might mean that the PCs are forced to face hard fights to complete their quest, even if they are resurrected each time those fights are obstacles. The Beastlands might have animal denizens who aggressively defend their heaven from intruders because they may sense outsiders but maybe won't be able to understand if they are welcome guests or invaders. Formians were mentioned and they are possible territorial hostiles even if they live in Arcadia (which personally I rather use in my game as an alternate material plane rather than an afterlife, but I do that to many planes of the Great Wheel because IMHO they truly do not fit the bill of being someone's afterlife).

The traditional upper planes in the Great Wheel do suffer from not being different enough, and that's because of the nerd-ish "gapfilling design principle" chosen by designers at that time, which required themselves to have a plane for every alignment combination plus intermediate ones. "Heaven" can be a single plane in your game with as many interesting regions as you can think about, without having to check all the alignment boxes.

 

[Corinnguard]

As for the locals, the Planescape set confirmed that archons and guardinals still exist, so that's Mt Celestia and Elysium covered

It would be nice if WoTC officially brought back the non-angelic Celestials in 5.5e and gave them a stat box of their own. Perhaps in a Monster Manual 2?

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Okay, let's do this one plane at a time.

Adding one additional stipulation for myself.

5. while the various deities have their subplanes, an outer plane should stand on its own regarding personality.

Mount Celestia: Mountain of Trials

• Theme: Ascension and enlightenment through trial and virtue.
• Unique Feature: A tiered hierarchy of perfection, with each layer representing a stage of enlightenment.
• • Divine Trilogy Influence: Inspired by Dante's Paradiso, the plane's layers reflect a hierarchy of virtues, increasing abstraction and beauty as one ascends. The higher layers become increasingly surreal, where geometry, light, and sound coalesce into forms beyond mortal comprehension yet still grounded enough for adventurers to navigate.
• Plane of Trials: While Mount Celestia represents the pursuit of perfection, it emphasizes that failure is an essential part of the journey. Pilgrims may falter, lose their way, or even fall entirely, becoming lessons for others. This creates a dynamic realm where triumph and tragedy coexist.
• Locals:
  • Expanded Angels: This should be the plane of angels, and honestly, any other upper plane where they are found, they are tourists. From biblical sources and esoteric traditions, angels are awe-inspiring beings reflecting specific virtues, roles, or cosmic principles. Examples include:
    • Ophanim: Fiery wheels within wheels, representing divine justice and eternal vigilance.
    • Cherubim: Multi-faced beings with a lion, eagle, ox, and human visage, embodying the harmony of wisdom, courage, service, and intellect.
    • Seraphim: Six-winged beings wreathed in holy fire, destroying impurities and inspiring transcendence.
    • Each type has a distinct role, such as guiding pilgrims, testing their worthiness, or guarding the more profound mysteries of the plane.
  • Archons: Not just generic angels but beings tied deeply to the mountain’s purpose. Lantern Archons act as guides; Hound Archons serve as guardians of lost pilgrims; Trumpet Archons oversee debates on virtue and justice.
  • Pilgrims: Mortals and outsiders striving to ascend, often engaging in philosophical challenges or assisting others in their journeys.

• Potential Adventures:

Pilgrimage Trials for Plot Hooks:

1. The Labyrinth of Reflections:
   • Location: The second tier, Mercuria, is the plane of righteous war and self-awareness.
   • Trial: Pilgrims must navigate a maze where every turn presents mirrors reflecting their true selves—not just their virtues but also their hidden flaws, fears, and past sins.
   • Complications:
     • Some pilgrims become trapped, consumed by despair or self-loathing when faced with imperfections.
     • A shard of a malevolent entity has infiltrated the labyrinth, creating reflections that deceive and harm.
   • Adventure Hook: The party must rescue a pilgrim who has lost their way or confront their illusions to retrieve a divine artifact hidden deep within the maze.
2. The Bridge of Atonement:
   • Location: The fourth tier, Solania, the realm of contemplation and the heavens' forges.
   • Trial: A narrow bridge spans a chasm filled with radiant light. Pilgrims must confess their greatest failure aloud and be judged by the spirits of those they wronged—real or metaphorical—before crossing.
   • Complications:
     • Some spirits refuse to forgive, forcing the pilgrim to seek redemption or another path forward.
     • The bridge occasionally manifests cracks, requiring acts of faith or bravery to mend them.
   • Adventure Hook: A powerful petitioner has been stuck on the bridge for decades, and their unspoken secret holds the key to preventing a cataclysm. The party must coax or force the truth from them while braving the judgment of their own spirits.
3. The Choir of Silent Stars:
   • Location: The sixth tier, Jovar, the celestial temple and gateway to the highest mysteries.
   • Trial: Pilgrims are tested by their ability to hear the divine song of the heavens—a symphony that reveals cosmic truths. The challenge is that each pilgrim hears a different melody, shaped by their soul’s resonance.
   • Complications:
     • Some pilgrims are overwhelmed, driven to madness or silence by the song's intensity.
     • The choir has been disturbed by a mortal trying to manipulate the music for personal gain, creating dissonance and fracturing the harmony.
   • Adventure Hook: The party must enter the choir’s hall, uncover the disturbance, and restore harmony before the song fractures entirely, risking the collapse of divine order.

Mount Celestia now feels like a plane where beauty and danger intertwine. It’s not just a realm of radiant peace but where every layer challenges visitors to strive, fail, and grow. These pilgrimage trials provide clear, thematic hooks for adventurers, blending moral quandaries with tangible challenges while emphasizing the plane’s role as a crucible for personal and spiritual growth.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Bytopia Reimagined: The Plane of Games and Play​

Bytopia, the plane of duality and harmony, becomes an imaginative, whimsical, and slightly dangerous realm inspired by the themes of Babes in Toyland, Alice in Wonderland, and the Island of Misfit Toys. It remains a plane of goodness, but adding games, toys, and a constant interplay of risk and reward gives it a unique identity.

---

Key Themes and Concepts​

1. The Great Game
   • At the heart of Bytopia lies an eternal game, a chess match between the rulers of the two layers: Dothion, the land of pastoral harmony, and Shurrock, the realm of rugged industry.
   • The game is not merely symbolic but actively shapes the plane. Moves in the game alter the terrain, influence the behavior of its inhabitants, and set challenges for visitors.
   • The two rulers are humanoid playing cards: the Queen of Hearts (Dothion) and the Black King (Shurrock), representing the duality of creation and destruction, peace and competition.
2. Humanoid Playing Cards
   • The plane's primary inhabitants are anthropomorphic playing cards.
   • Cards from red suits embody ideals of harmony, growth, and cooperation, primarily found in Dothion.
   • Cards from black suits focus on ingenuity, resilience, and risk-taking, which is prevalent in Shurrock.
   • Despite their alignment with good, individual cards can be cunning, mischievous, or even dangerous, adding complexity to interactions.
3. Killer Toys and Misfits
   • Bytopia is a plane of craftsmanship where discarded ideas, broken creations, and forgotten games come to life.
   • Dothion: Toys are whimsical and welcoming, offering puzzles and games to visitors, though failure may result in harmless pranks or delays.
   • Shurrock: Toys are more menacing—killer dolls, clockwork beasts, and perilous mazes of moving gears challenge the unworthy.
4. The Plane of Games
   • Every activity in Bytopia is a game, from farming to crafting to combat. Success often depends on understanding the rules and playing skillfully.
   • The plane's "rules" are fluid, shifting based on the current state of the Great Game. Adventurers must adapt or risk falling into traps—both literal and metaphorical.

---

Key Locations​

1. The Grand Chessboard
   • A vast, shifting landscape resembling a chessboard where the two rulers make their moves. Pieces are living constructs, and battles on the board influence the broader plane.
   • Visitors may find themselves conscripted as pieces in this celestial game, tasked with fulfilling roles such as knights, rooks, or pawns in dangerous encounters.
2. The Toymaker’s Workshop (Dothion)
   • A sprawling, colorful workshop filled with crafting tools, giggling clockwork helpers, and shelves lined with toys of every kind.
   • Pilgrims come to create their own "game pieces" to aid their journey through the plane. However, mistakes in the crafting process can lead to mischievous or defective creations.
3. The Scrap Fields (Shurrock)
   • Endless piles of discarded creations and failed experiments litter the industrial expanse.
   • The fields are inhabited by "misfit toys," some longing for purpose, others corrupted and dangerous.
   • Adventurers may find rare treasures here but risk encountering vengeful or warped constructs.

---

Encounters and Adventures​

1. The Stolen Piece
   • A critical piece of the Great Game has been stolen by a rogue card (a Joker), throwing the balance between the layers into chaos.
   • To recover the piece before the plane tears itself apart, the party must navigate both layers, solve puzzles, and outwit the Joker.
2. The Knight’s Challenge
   • One of the rulers offers the party a role as knights on their chessboard. Success means rewards; failure means becoming permanent "pieces."
   • The challenge involves navigating a chess-like battlefield with enemies and obstacles that mirrored chess moves.
3. The Island of Misfit Toys
   • An isolated area of Dothion is where sentient toys that feel abandoned or broken gather.
   • A hostile incursion from Shurrock threatens the island, and the party must unite the misfits and lead them to defend their home.

---

Thematic Tone​

Bytopia becomes a whimsical but perilous realm of games and craftsmanship where goodness manifests through creativity, challenge, and play. It’s a plane where heroes are tested—not through battle alone, but through cleverness, adaptability, and the willingness to engage with the whimsical and the strange.

The duality of harmony and industriousness persists, but now it’s filtered through the lens of toys, games, and the ever-present thrill of risk and reward.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

I'm not quite happy with this one., but I'm posting to see if it can be cultivated.

Elysium: The Realm of Boundless Tranquility

Theme: Contentment and freedom through altruism.
Unique Element: The River Oceanus, a sentient force, ties the plane together as a physical and spiritual thread, carrying dreams, forgotten lore, and opportunities for reflection. It represents the freedom to drift and the responsibility to guide.

Key Features of Elysium

The Layers

1. Amoria (The Pastoral Haven):
   This is a realm of rolling meadows, serene groves, and idyllic villages. The River Oceanus splits into countless channels, forming hidden enclaves of celestial beauty. Elysian pears grow here, their taste evoking cherished memories.
   • Adventure Hook: Villagers are mysteriously falling asleep and dreaming collectively of a forgotten tragedy. What is Oceanus trying to communicate?
2. Eronia (The Mountain of Trials):
   Rugged peaks and cascading waterfalls dominate this layer. Oceanus tumbles through cliffs, creating natural challenges and awe-inspiring vistas. This is a layer where freedom is tempered by perseverance.
   • Adventure Hook: A phoenix has gone rogue, spreading fire across the mountains. The heroes must determine if it’s a corruption—or a desperate plea for help.
3. Belierin (The Whispering Marshes):
   A maze of wetlands and isles where Oceanus slows to a near-stillness. Shrouded in mystery, the swamps host ancient spirits and echoes of forgotten deeds.
   • Adventure Hook: A guide, one of the River Spirits, has stopped moving. What secret weighs them down, and how can it be resolved?
4. Thalasia (The Boundless Sea):
   The destination of Oceanus. Endless azure waters dotted with emerald islands form this layer. Thalasia is where souls seeking eternal rest find solace.
   • Adventure Hook: The heroes are asked to locate a lost ship carrying a relic of great importance. But some believe the ship is best left undisturbed.

---

​

Inhabitants of Elysium

• Guardinals: Animal-headed celestials embodying pure virtues.
  • Lionhearted (Courage): Warriors and Guardians.
  • Foxborn (Wisdom): Scholars and tricksters.
  • Dovekind (Peace): Mediators and healers.
• Blissborn: Mortals transformed by Elysium’s energies. They radiate joy but often grapple with hidden sorrows.
  • Adventure Hook: A Blissborn holds the key to ending a feud, but they’ve lost their memory in Oceanus's flow.
• River Spirits: Oceanus’s personifications. Playful, enigmatic, and wise, they can be both allies and challenges.
• Other Denizens: Moon dogs, holly plants, phoenixes, and rare creatures like the Agatha or Baku.

---

​

Unique Mechanics

1. The Call of Oceanus:
   Time spent in Elysium can be risky, as one may lose oneself to its serenity. Characters must pass periodic Wisdom (Insight) checks to resist becoming part of the plane and forgetting their worldly goals.
2. Gifts of Contentment:
   Performing selfless acts in Elysium grants temporary boons:
   • Advantage on Charisma-based checks.
   • Resistance to psychic damage.
3. Echoes of the River:
   Oceanus can carry messages or lost items to the heroes but requires a token of sacrifice or an answer to a riddle.

---

​

Potential Adventures

• A Game of Virtues:
  Two opposing factions of Guardinals (e.g., Lionhearted and Dovekind) clash over how to address a threat. The heroes must mediate while navigating their ideals.
• The Voice Beneath the Waves:
  A Blissborn claims Oceanus is speaking to them directly, warning of a hidden corruption in Thalasia. Is it truth—or delusion?
• The Shattered Harmony:
  An ambitious planar traveler steals an artifact tied to Elysium’s balance. The heroes must retrieve it before the theft destabilizes the layers.

Key Plot Hooks:

1. The Lost Secrets of Oceanus

Hook: The River Oceanus is more than just a waterway; it holds forgotten messages, dreams, and lore. Something important—an ancient prophecy, a celestial decree, or even a mortal's forgotten dream—has been lost in its currents.

Potential Adventure:

• The party is tasked with navigating the unpredictable currents of Oceanus to retrieve the lost knowledge. Along the way, they must deal with river spirits, aquatic celestials, and dangerous whirlpools that test their resolve and virtue.
• A rival group (perhaps corrupted Blissborn or malevolent outsiders) is also searching for the same secret, turning the quest into a moral race.

---

​

2. The Blissborn’s Burden

Hook: A Blissborn, a mortal who has achieved perfect peace in Elysium, begins to show cracks in their serene facade. They are plagued by visions of an unresolved past life or a looming threat to their loved ones in the material plane.

Potential Adventure:

• The party must help the Blissborn reconcile their past or confront their fears. This journey might involve traveling to the material plane, uncovering the Blissborn’s forgotten life, and confronting figures from their past.
• Alternatively, the visions may warn of an impending danger to Elysium itself, compelling the party to uncover and address the source of the disturbance.

---

​

3. A Rift Among the Guardinals

Hook: The normally harmonious Guardinals are divided over a philosophical disagreement—perhaps about the balance of altruism and self-sacrifice or the extent of intervention in mortal affairs.

Potential Adventure:

• The party is drawn into the debate when a mortal village under threat petitions the Guardinals for aid, only for them to bicker over whether to act.
• Resolving the feud may involve mediation, performing a service that exemplifies their unity, or uncovering an external force exacerbating the divide (e.g., a fiendish agent sowing discord).

---

​

4. Intrigue on the Isles of Belierin

Hook: The marshy layer of Belierin is home to island nations, each with its unique celestial inhabitants and cultures. A diplomatic incident or resource scarcity has disrupted the peace.

Potential Adventure:

• The party must mediate between the islanders, exploring the marshy terrain and uncovering the root cause of the discord.
• They may also face challenges like dangerous wildlife, planar storms, or even interference from other planes (e.g., Abyssal incursions or mercenaries hired by a rogue faction).

---

​

5. A Light Lost in Thalasia

Hook: A phoenix native to Thalasia has gone missing, and its absence threatens the equilibrium of Elysium's celestial ecosystem.

Potential Adventure:

• The party is tasked with locating the phoenix, which could involve diving into Thalasia’s ocean depths or searching its scattered islands.
• Poachers may have captured the phoenix, lured away by malevolent forces, or deliberately hidden due to a prophecy they fear fulfilling.

---

​

6. The Corruption of the Oceanus

Hook: Sections of the Oceanus have inexplicably turned stagnant or corrupted, causing unease among the plane's inhabitants.

Potential Adventure:

• The party must trace the corruption to its source, which could involve fiendish meddling, a tainted artifact washing in from another plane, or even an ancient celestial dispute resurfacing.
• Restoring the river’s purity may involve moral quandaries, such as deciding whether to destroy a powerful relic or convince celestial beings to make personal sacrifices.

---

​

7. Guardians of the Pilgrims

Hook: Mortals often journey to Elysium seeking peace or enlightenment. A group of pilgrims has gone missing along the banks of Oceanus or in the mountainous regions of Eronia.

Potential Adventure:

• The party is hired to track down the pilgrims, navigating natural hazards like cascading waterfalls, treacherous cliffs, and dense forests.
• The pilgrims might have been led astray by malevolent forces, entranced by a Blissborn into joining their idyllic isolation, or overwhelmed by Elysium’s otherworldly beauty.

---

​

8. The Price of Perfect Harmony

Hook: An ambitious mortal has stolen a fragment of Elysium’s essence (e.g., an Elysian pear or a shard of celestial light) to bring peace to their war-torn home. However, this theft destabilizes the plane.

Potential Adventure:

• The party must retrieve the stolen fragment, confronting the moral implications of their quest. Is it right to return the essence if it saves countless lives elsewhere?
• Along the way, they face the wrath of the thief’s allies and potentially the anger of Elysium’s inhabitants for the disturbance.

---

​

9. The Celestial Key

Hook: A rare celestial artifact is said to open a portal to the most remote sanctum of Thalasia, where a great secret of Elysium lies hidden.

Potential Adventure:

• The party competes with planar explorers, treasure hunters, and fiendish agents to obtain the artifact.
• They must prove their worthiness through tests of character, resolve, and teamwork, reflecting the ideals of Elysium.

---

​

10. A Shadow Over Elysium

Hook: A small section of Elysium has inexplicably taken on traits of the Lower Planes, and its celestial inhabitants are powerless to stop the transformation.

Potential Adventure:

• The party must investigate and resolve the anomaly, which might be tied to a fallen celestial, a rift in the planar fabric, or an artifact washed up from the Styx.
• The resolution may involve diplomatic efforts, combat with fiendish invaders, or a sacrifice to restore balance.

In this version, Elysium becomes a living, breathing plane—a place of infinite beauty, compelling challenges, and a constant interplay between serenity and purpose. The River Oceanus serves as a dynamic element, weaving together narrative threads that are personal, philosophical, and heroic.

*********************************
I'm going to stew on the last few.

Ysgard already has an incredibly strong theme and presents well, so I'm not worried.

However, Arcadia needs cultivation, so we will have to do some serious thinking to make it work other than "good fallen sorta and bugs."

 

[tetrasodium]

The upper planes are currently useless for gaming potential beyond "paradise invaded."

Mount Celestia and Aboria, might be helpful if you squint, but has anybody ever used Bytopia?

So my challenge is as follows.

Let's make the upper planes somewhere enjoyable to run an adventure with a definite theme and opponents.

Stipulations.

1. Every outer plane needs its locals. Part of the problem is that they use Angels as a grab bag to fill in the whole upper planes, thus making them generic.
2. Every plane needs one unique thing that can be built on.
3. It cannot be just because it was invaded by bad guys, and you are bad enough, dude, to save the planes.
4. It still has to be built on the same overall themes. You cannot turn Bytopia into a plane of the Abyss or anything like that.

So what can be done?

I think that the easiest and most functional way of accomplishing that goal of making them useful and playable is to draw inspiration from how wuxia xianxia & cultivation fiction ∆ where reality is often layers of reality with higher levels being stronger. It's not useful to just say that without explaining how the higher planes/heavens above are full on functioning societies with higher levels of might makes right present to the point where even commoners or a higher level are likely to be as powerful or more powerful than the powerful combatants of a lower plane. I'd look to reincarnated as a demonic tree as an example of the concept because the whole series is basically about establishing links and moving power between the different levels of that sorta cosmology... With the MC being a tree there's a lot more focus on world building through power growth rather than showcasing numbers go up through combat than is traditional.


∆all three of them basically the same thing eventually tracing back to the same journey to the west roots but different languages have different terms. There are probably some historical reasoning involving peasant travel restrictions/alternative residence requirements for nobility and such from edo period and similar that encouraged such layering in very very old stories, but other than being interesting it's not really relevant

 

[dave2008]

Bytopia Reimagined: The Plane of Games and Play​

Bytopia, the plane of duality and harmony, becomes an imaginative, whimsical, and slightly dangerous realm inspired by the themes of Babes in Toyland, Alice in Wonderland, and the Island of Misfit Toys. It remains a plane of goodness, but adding games, toys, and a constant interplay of risk and reward gives it a unique identity.

---

Key Themes and Concepts​

1. The Great Game
   • At the heart of Bytopia lies an eternal game, a chess match between the rulers of the two layers: Dothion, the land of pastoral harmony, and Shurrock, the realm of rugged industry.
   • The game is not merely symbolic but actively shapes the plane. Moves in the game alter the terrain, influence the behavior of its inhabitants, and set challenges for visitors.
   • The two rulers are humanoid playing cards: the Queen of Hearts (Dothion) and the Black King (Shurrock), representing the duality of creation and destruction, peace and competition.
2. Humanoid Playing Cards
   • The plane's primary inhabitants are anthropomorphic playing cards.
   • Cards from red suits embody ideals of harmony, growth, and cooperation, primarily found in Dothion.
   • Cards from black suits focus on ingenuity, resilience, and risk-taking, which is prevalent in Shurrock.
   • Despite their alignment with good, individual cards can be cunning, mischievous, or even dangerous, adding complexity to interactions.
3. Killer Toys and Misfits
   • Bytopia is a plane of craftsmanship where discarded ideas, broken creations, and forgotten games come to life.
   • Dothion: Toys are whimsical and welcoming, offering puzzles and games to visitors, though failure may result in harmless pranks or delays.
   • Shurrock: Toys are more menacing—killer dolls, clockwork beasts, and perilous mazes of moving gears challenge the unworthy.
4. The Plane of Games
   • Every activity in Bytopia is a game, from farming to crafting to combat. Success often depends on understanding the rules and playing skillfully.
   • The plane's "rules" are fluid, shifting based on the current state of the Great Game. Adventurers must adapt or risk falling into traps—both literal and metaphorical.

---

Key Locations​

1. The Grand Chessboard
   • A vast, shifting landscape resembling a chessboard where the two rulers make their moves. Pieces are living constructs, and battles on the board influence the broader plane.
   • Visitors may find themselves conscripted as pieces in this celestial game, tasked with fulfilling roles such as knights, rooks, or pawns in dangerous encounters.
2. The Toymaker’s Workshop (Dothion)
   • A sprawling, colorful workshop filled with crafting tools, giggling clockwork helpers, and shelves lined with toys of every kind.
   • Pilgrims come to create their own "game pieces" to aid their journey through the plane. However, mistakes in the crafting process can lead to mischievous or defective creations.
3. The Scrap Fields (Shurrock)
   • Endless piles of discarded creations and failed experiments litter the industrial expanse.
   • The fields are inhabited by "misfit toys," some longing for purpose, others corrupted and dangerous.
   • Adventurers may find rare treasures here but risk encountering vengeful or warped constructs.

---

Encounters and Adventures​

1. The Stolen Piece
   • A critical piece of the Great Game has been stolen by a rogue card (a Joker), throwing the balance between the layers into chaos.
   • To recover the piece before the plane tears itself apart, the party must navigate both layers, solve puzzles, and outwit the Joker.
2. The Knight’s Challenge
   • One of the rulers offers the party a role as knights on their chessboard. Success means rewards; failure means becoming permanent "pieces."
   • The challenge involves navigating a chess-like battlefield with enemies and obstacles that mirrored chess moves.
3. The Island of Misfit Toys
   • An isolated area of Dothion is where sentient toys that feel abandoned or broken gather.
   • A hostile incursion from Shurrock threatens the island, and the party must unite the misfits and lead them to defend their home.

---

Thematic Tone​

Bytopia becomes a whimsical but perilous realm of games and craftsmanship where goodness manifests through creativity, challenge, and play. It’s a plane where heroes are tested—not through battle alone, but through cleverness, adaptability, and the willingness to engage with the whimsical and the strange.

The duality of harmony and industriousness persists, but now it’s filtered through the lens of toys, games, and the ever-present thrill of risk and reward.

Not really liking the Alice and Wonderland anthropomorphic playing cards, but overall a like a lot of the ideas in these posts so far - keep up the good work!

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Not really liking the Alice and Wonderland anthropomorphic playing cards, but overall a like a lot of the ideas in these posts so far - keep up the good work!

Ty kindly
My idea is that Bytopia is the immature cousin of Mount Celestia, and it mainly goes with the idea that the main hosts would reflect the duality of the planes. Basically, it's a more divine and good two-face, which is why I went for playing cards. However, willing to change with something that makes sense with the theme.