Planar books

[Crothian]

I'm working on some reviews that compare the books of planes that have come out by the third parties. I have FFG's Planes and Portal, Sword and Sorcery's Edge of Infinity, Malhavok's Countless Doorways, Mongoose's Book of Planes, and Ronin Arts' DM's Guide to Demi Planes. Are there others out there besides these five?

What are people's thoughts on any of these books?

 

[Man-thing]

I really like MGPs Classic Play - Book of the Planes
(Especially Mal, Inferuem, Questing Ground) - lots of aventure potential; although I tend to simplify the planar traits

I really like Ronin Arts DM's Dictionary of Demiplanes
(Like all the demiplanes) wish that it would have sold better to allow Philip to finish the other two parts.

I bought Malhavoc's Beyond Countless Doors but its in my file because iit has DRM and I have only one machine out of three that it will work right on. So I haven't got around to it. I often port my pdf's to palm to read but I'm not able to get that to work with this one so its languishing.

Don't have the other too yet.

 

[Turjan]

I've got two of them and like them both.

1. FFG's Portals & Planes. It's kind of a toolbox how to create (N)PC's, portals and planes in your campaign. I found the part of how to build planes from aspects the most interesting. These aspects are not limited to alignments, but comprise also things like a technological virus, arcane instability, savage worlds, etc.
Of course, there are also monsters in the book.

2. Malhavoc's Beyond Countless Doorways. This is more a collection of planes, or better, a collection of mini-settings. Most of them are not overly crazy, but relatively moderate in their theme. Some are not very large at all; maybe they even qualify as "demi-planes". This means you can plug them into nearly all campaigns, even if they are not really concerned with too much planar travel. The last chapter gives a few ideas about parallel worlds. Quite nice .

 

[Shemeska]

I've got Malhavoc's Beyond Countless Doorways. And I cannot say enough good things about this book. It's really spiffy and I've been pondering who among the authors did each chapter, just based on topic, theme and writing style. I won't use that cosmology any time soon, but damn if some of the concepts don't scream "I'm a plot hook, leech me something fierce you naughty DM you..."

 

[Man-thing]

The DM's Dictionary of Demiplanes has some noticeable mechanic things I liked.

Knowledge (planes) DC's to know about the planes
Information on portals in and out. Has a portal key feel on how to enter many of the demiplanes.

 

[philreed]

I really like MGPs Classic Play - Book of the Planes
(Especially Mal, Inferuem, Questing Ground) - lots of aventure potential; although I tend to simplify the planar traits

I really like Ronin Arts DM's Dictionary of Demiplanes
(Like all the demiplanes) wish that it would have sold better to allow Philip to finish the other two parts.

I'd love to finish the other two but making about $100 for 3 weeks of work on that project shows me it's not worth my time.

BCD was pretty good. Good enough I'm looking to buy the HC even though I already have the PDF.

 

[philreed]

1. FFG's Portals & Planes. It's kind of a toolbox how to create (N)PC's, portals and planes in your campaign. I found the part of how to build planes from aspects the most interesting. These aspects are not limited to alignments, but comprise also things like a technological virus, arcane instability, savage worlds, etc.
Of course, there are also monsters in the book.

What's the OGC declaration like in this one?

 

[Turjan]

What's the OGC declaration like in this one?

Not very helpful. In the front it basically says "look into the chapter introductions". There you will find variations of "Game rules and statistics derived from the SRD are designated as OGC. Non-rules text is designated as closed content." *shrug*

 

[JoeGKushner]

Book of Eldrich Might III: The Nexus, has several locations that tie into other planes.

 

[BSF]

I'd love to finish the other two but making about $100 for 3 weeks of work on that project shows me it's not worth my time.

BCD was pretty good. Good enough I'm looking to buy the HC even though I already have the PDF.

That's a rough gig Phil. I do have it on my wish list, but I didn't even know it existed until I saw it on Halloween.

Crothian, BoEM III: The Nexus could be considered a planar book as well.