D&D 5E Positive & Negative Energy

[jgsugden]

The positive and negative energy planes exist in my campaign setting as they are a core element of the design of the entire universe. Magic essentially flows between the heart of the Positive Energy Plane and the Heart of the Negative Energy Planes.

The Shadowfell is a transitive plane caught between the Negative Energy Plane and the Prime Material Plane. The Feywild is a transitive plane between the Positive Energy Plane and the Prime Material Plane. Essentially Positive and Negative Energy leak into these reflections of the Prime Material Plane and twist the plane towards Light or Shadow. The Feywild, while twisteed towards light, is also so bliss inducing that Fey creatures have overrun it and frolic in the eternal blis of the realm.

For my setting, radiant energy is diffused positive energy. Necrotic energy is diffused negative energy. Pure positive and negative energy are too strong to be wielded by mortals - or even by most gods. There are no mechanics for it as there is no way for it to be utilized.

The Postive Energy Plane and the Negative Energy Plane are also some of my most ancient Gods. They're called the Light and the Dark respectively. They operate in ways foreign to humanoid thinking, so they do not manifest as beings, generally, but instead exist as living enties of immense force. They are, in many ways, the progenitors of all life in my campaign settings.

The only beings (God, Mortal or Otherwise) that can enter the Positive or Negative Energy Planes and survive for more than an instant are Ao (the Personification of the Universe as a whole), The Light (which is the Positive Energy Plane), the Dark (which is the Negative Energy Plane), The Raven Queen, and Asmodeus. Magics used to survey the planes fail. Those that survive there for an instant and return are often changed by the experience - and lose a lot of what makes them individuals. However, the brief glimspes they offer of what can be found there describe something alien in unimaginable ways.

 

[Joshy]

For my setting, radiant energy is diffused positive energy. Necrotic energy is diffused negative energy.

How do you explain healing magic?

 

[Lyxen]

I miss positive and negative energy. The damage name changes still bother me as well.

I'm planning a campaign and I think bringing them back for it will be really fitting.

Does anyone on here have any experience doing something simular?

Note that, in 5e, the positive and negative planes still exist officially, this is from the PH:

They are around the outer planes now rather than the inner planes, but they still exist.

I think radiant and necrotic are good words, better than positive and negative for energy.

Xag-ya and Xeg-yi were great monsters, I will probably resurrect them in 5e one day or another.

 

[Joshy]

Yeah I don't consider necrotic and radiant as negative and positive. I mean there use to be light damage I just don't mind the radiant as the new word for it.

I miss the positive/negative interactions. I'm also not a big fan of healing being under evocation. I still see necromancy as lifeforce manipulation not just undeath.

 

[Maxperson]

Yeah I don't consider necrotic and radiant as negative and positive. I mean there use to be light damage I just don't mind the radiant as the new word for it.

I miss the positive/negative interactions. I'm also not a big fan of healing being under evocation. I still see necromancy as lifeforce manipulation not just undeath.

Negative energy has been the energy of undead since 1e, which makes necrotic just fine in my book. Necromancy doesn't just use negative energy. I don't see any reason why a necromantic resurrection spell couldn't use positive energy.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I thought of just changing the healing and harm spells. But i didn't know if there was something I was missing that could break the game.

Well I think you would need to make some of the (presumably necrotic) damage dealing spells other than Harm (a level 6 Cleric exclusive I've never seen cast) become negative energy dealing to have negative energy feel impactful, but it would have to just be a few select ones to not rewrite a big chunk of the game with possible unforeseen consequences.

I'd recommend having temporary hp granting effects not work as positive energy. The 5e designers are pretty conservative about limiting proper healing magic as a resource, so having it also do a little damage to the undead isn't likely to be a problem. But because temp hp doesn't stack they occasionally splash it around with reckless abandon. The Twilight Cleric's Twilight Sanctuary effect is overpowered enough without also letting it damage the undead for free.

 

[jasper]

WRT = "With regards to".

Feywilde was designed to be an adventurable positive material plane, shadowfel was designed to be an adventurable negative material plane. In 4e, a D&D cosmology was put together that focused on "how does this make for adventuring stories".

They did this with the Abyss, Astral and Elemental Planes as well.

To me Shadowfell and Feywilde were just new planes. But I will accept they are planes which closer to negative or Postive.

 

[NotAYakk]

To me Shadowfell and Feywilde were just new planes. But I will accept they are planes which closer to negative or Postive.

Sure: I was just describing intention and design.

What you do with them is up to you: D&D is every table's game.

 

[jgsugden]

How do you explain healing magic?

It is also extracted from positive energy. Great power can be used to build - or to destroy. My descriptions of radiant damage tend to focus on concepts like overloading, overwhelming and overpowering. It is too much for the body or soul to endure. Healing magic, on the other hand, tends to be described as controlled or crafted to rebuild and repair.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I personally very much prefer Necrotic and Radiant as damage types. It's not like positive energy damage happened all that often. It was extremely rare as I understand it. Radiant damage isn't life force regardless.