MongooseMatt
First Post
Hi guys,
The latest tome from Mongoose Publishing, The Book of the Planes, is out now in your local games stores and book shops. Written by Gareth Hanrahan, this is your definitive guide to interplanar travel and the cosmology of campaigns.
Kicking off with Planar Traits, this book shows you how to define different planes of existence from the physical (gravity, time, size and morphic), through the environment, to their effects on magic, alignment and the plane's relationship with other realities. This leads into details on how to travel to the planes and the different methods employed - portals, magic, artefacts, the guardians of these methods and the dangers involved.
Fellow Travellers looks at those who regularly travel between the planes and the organisations they belong to. Here too are various prestige classes to define these organisations and some of the more special methods of travel, including the Planewright, Combine Trader, Wayfarer, Fellow of the Open Gate, Faceless Warrior, Spider Sect Agent, Ambassador of Hell, Eleemosyne, Unseen Master, and Gnosis Seeker. This gives you an immediate set of movers and shakers who have a vested interest in the planes, ready for any camapign.
Magic of the Planes details the effects of summoning and related spells across the planes, as well as how existing spells may be affected by different realities. New spells are also presented, which will be of special interest to planar-travelling spellcasters, from Detect Portal and Ether Tether to Summoning Ward and Worldwalk. New feats will allow characters to Craft Portals or change their home plane, while new magic items will guard against the dangers of planar-travel or make it easier.
The bulk of the book, however, is taken up with detailed descriptions of individual planes, ready for insertion into your campaign. Gareth has concentrated on making each plane a living, breathing place, so you will have no trouble explaining to your players just where it is they are and that it is in no way like the Prime Material Plane. Each plane is detailed with common hazards, specific locations and new denizens that will act as foils for your players. In addition to this, there are adventure seeds for each, so not only can you get your players to these locations quickly and easily, they will also have many things to do once they get there. The planes fully detailed in this book include the Ethereal Plane, Astral Plane, Plane of Shadow, the Elemental Planes, the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, the Vault of Stars, Tarassein, Mal, Infernum (watch for this being expanded in the forthcoming Book of Hell!), Chasm, Halls of Order, the Afterworld, the Firmament, the Questing Grounds, Nexus Planes, the Grand Orrery of All Reflected Heavens, the Wandering Inn of the Glorious Toad, Dunmorgause Castle, and various Lesser Planes for you to expand upon. Basically, this is a complete campaign setting (or several settings!) that can be grafted onto any existing campaign with a simple portal or spell. It really is a case of asking your players 'Where do you want to go today?'
Beyond this, there are two chapters for Games Masters that focus on creating such settings for their campaigns. The first, Building the Cosmos, looks at how planes can fit together logically, however your campaign is currently arranged. The second, Planecrafting, gives you all the tools necessary to create your own planes, perhaps using those in this book as a jump off point before your players engage in truly the most wondrous voyage of all time. They could be the Magellans of their world! Alternatively, they could become creators and masters of their own plane of existence - way better than building another castle. . .
The Book of the Planes is a 256 page hardback priced at $34.95 and is available now from all good games stores and book shops.
The latest tome from Mongoose Publishing, The Book of the Planes, is out now in your local games stores and book shops. Written by Gareth Hanrahan, this is your definitive guide to interplanar travel and the cosmology of campaigns.
Kicking off with Planar Traits, this book shows you how to define different planes of existence from the physical (gravity, time, size and morphic), through the environment, to their effects on magic, alignment and the plane's relationship with other realities. This leads into details on how to travel to the planes and the different methods employed - portals, magic, artefacts, the guardians of these methods and the dangers involved.
Fellow Travellers looks at those who regularly travel between the planes and the organisations they belong to. Here too are various prestige classes to define these organisations and some of the more special methods of travel, including the Planewright, Combine Trader, Wayfarer, Fellow of the Open Gate, Faceless Warrior, Spider Sect Agent, Ambassador of Hell, Eleemosyne, Unseen Master, and Gnosis Seeker. This gives you an immediate set of movers and shakers who have a vested interest in the planes, ready for any camapign.
Magic of the Planes details the effects of summoning and related spells across the planes, as well as how existing spells may be affected by different realities. New spells are also presented, which will be of special interest to planar-travelling spellcasters, from Detect Portal and Ether Tether to Summoning Ward and Worldwalk. New feats will allow characters to Craft Portals or change their home plane, while new magic items will guard against the dangers of planar-travel or make it easier.
The bulk of the book, however, is taken up with detailed descriptions of individual planes, ready for insertion into your campaign. Gareth has concentrated on making each plane a living, breathing place, so you will have no trouble explaining to your players just where it is they are and that it is in no way like the Prime Material Plane. Each plane is detailed with common hazards, specific locations and new denizens that will act as foils for your players. In addition to this, there are adventure seeds for each, so not only can you get your players to these locations quickly and easily, they will also have many things to do once they get there. The planes fully detailed in this book include the Ethereal Plane, Astral Plane, Plane of Shadow, the Elemental Planes, the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, the Vault of Stars, Tarassein, Mal, Infernum (watch for this being expanded in the forthcoming Book of Hell!), Chasm, Halls of Order, the Afterworld, the Firmament, the Questing Grounds, Nexus Planes, the Grand Orrery of All Reflected Heavens, the Wandering Inn of the Glorious Toad, Dunmorgause Castle, and various Lesser Planes for you to expand upon. Basically, this is a complete campaign setting (or several settings!) that can be grafted onto any existing campaign with a simple portal or spell. It really is a case of asking your players 'Where do you want to go today?'
Beyond this, there are two chapters for Games Masters that focus on creating such settings for their campaigns. The first, Building the Cosmos, looks at how planes can fit together logically, however your campaign is currently arranged. The second, Planecrafting, gives you all the tools necessary to create your own planes, perhaps using those in this book as a jump off point before your players engage in truly the most wondrous voyage of all time. They could be the Magellans of their world! Alternatively, they could become creators and masters of their own plane of existence - way better than building another castle. . .
The Book of the Planes is a 256 page hardback priced at $34.95 and is available now from all good games stores and book shops.
Also, Monte Cook has a planar book coming out as well. I just want to FINALLY finish my cosmology for my setting, and I plan on drawing from several sources, but I don't want the rules to contradict..
