cbwjm
Legend
There's always a lively debate about it somewhere.
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D&D 5E Reconciling the different Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons Cosmologies
- Thread starter Urriak Uruk
- Start date
Dire Bare
Legend
I know folks get geeky about this sort of thing . . . .
But I don't see a need to reconcile the Magic cosmology with the D&D cosmology, even with the two games "crossing the streams" over the past few years.
The cosmologies are different, but similar enough that if you squint . . . . they really aren't all that different. It's the particulars, the small details, where they differ the most . . . and the details are just unimportant to me these days.
When I was younger, it was important for me to figure out how all of the D&D settings fit into the "Great Wheel", despite the tortured explanations of how that worked for some of them (Dark Sun!). Now, I just don't care . . . . .
One of my favorite D&D settings is Planescape, which took the Great Wheel and dialed it to 11. But the Planescape books made the point over and over again that the Great Wheel was just one conception of something that defied easy explanation . . . and now that's my favorite way of looking at the D&D multiverse. And the Magic multiverse, and the DC Comics multiverse . . . .
But I don't see a need to reconcile the Magic cosmology with the D&D cosmology, even with the two games "crossing the streams" over the past few years.
The cosmologies are different, but similar enough that if you squint . . . . they really aren't all that different. It's the particulars, the small details, where they differ the most . . . and the details are just unimportant to me these days.
When I was younger, it was important for me to figure out how all of the D&D settings fit into the "Great Wheel", despite the tortured explanations of how that worked for some of them (Dark Sun!). Now, I just don't care . . . . .
One of my favorite D&D settings is Planescape, which took the Great Wheel and dialed it to 11. But the Planescape books made the point over and over again that the Great Wheel was just one conception of something that defied easy explanation . . . and now that's my favorite way of looking at the D&D multiverse. And the Magic multiverse, and the DC Comics multiverse . . . .
glass
(he, him)
Did anyone say their was a "need"? (Maybe they did, I have not checked). Talking and thinking about these things is interesting (for me, anyway, and I assume the rest of the people in the thread)!
_
glass.
Eyes of Nine
Everything's Fine
Where is that map/image from? I SO want. So much. So badly much alot. And also, why do the dead gods look like a uterus?
Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
I actually don't know the original source... the Dead God looks like it was once a jester, but it does indeed look like a reproductive organ.
Dire Bare
Legend
I can almost guarantee it is from a Planescape product . . . but which one I can't remember. It's certainly from that "era" of the game.
I looked through my planescape stuff, and dont see that exact layout.
Interesting.
cbwjm
Legend
It looks 3rd edition, might be in the manual of the planes.
I will check.
Yes. According to:
it was drawn by a zen79@deviantart
Lovely map.
Eyes of Nine
Everything's Fine
Thank you! Downloaded for future use.Yes. According to:
it was drawn by a zen79@deviantart
Lovely map.
The thing about this, though, is that MTG planes have world boundaries. Space exist in some of them, but one CANNOT leave a plane just by traveling "up". Each plane inevitably has an end. Not a crystal sphere, but a straight up ending. You get to the edge and can go no further. The ONLY way to leave an mtg plane is by planeswalking. All of this makes what op is trying to do nigh impossible. The mtg universe would have to be it's own completely cut off setting, even more so than ebberon. I would say that the crystal sphere for the mtg setting would be entirely found in the blind eterneties. If this would be true, I would say that theres exactly one plane we know of that is near or actually touches the crystal sphere, and thats Equilor.
The thing that I'm more curious about how people would reconcile between the two settings, which is even harder to do, is how magic works in the two multiverses, because that's ENTIRELY different, with pretty much no overlap at all
jgsugden
Legend
In the 1980s I took the Great Wheel cosmology, massively simplified it, and have used it (with some evolution that adds to, but did not really change, the basic premise) ever since. I have been so glad I did so ... keeping it simple has proven very helpful. If I find some new and interesting material, I figure out how to add it to the existing framework ... I do not try to rewrite the framework to incorporate it. I shoot for addition, not revision.
Putting that aside - if I were to work for WotC and be tasked with incorporating the M:tG planes into D&D, I would do so by keeping the unincorporated for the most part. They would live outside the Great Wheel, and they'd follow their own rules - but they would be accessible via planeshift and similar magics, as well as having the Great Wheel accessible via Planeswalking Magics. I'd also include rules on why we have rarely seen people travel between the M:tG and D&D Great Wheel cosmologies. If I were writing it, it might be that the connection between the two is the Far Realm, and that you must pass through it to get to the other cosmology, and doing so runs the risk that something will attack you en route, or hop along for the ride and infest wherever you arrive.
I'd write a M:tG PHB that had a few Planeswalker classes (or subclasses of existing classes), as well as basic M:tG cosmology, spells, etc... Essentially the equivalent of the current PHB without PART 2 (Chapters 7 to 9) and expanding the Appendix materials to full chapters, with a half page write up on each of the M:tG Planes that have been established.
Then I'd write books for M:tG planes setting books that included a chapter on the cosmology of that setting. Not for every plane - but for the ones that would be of most interest.
Putting that aside - if I were to work for WotC and be tasked with incorporating the M:tG planes into D&D, I would do so by keeping the unincorporated for the most part. They would live outside the Great Wheel, and they'd follow their own rules - but they would be accessible via planeshift and similar magics, as well as having the Great Wheel accessible via Planeswalking Magics. I'd also include rules on why we have rarely seen people travel between the M:tG and D&D Great Wheel cosmologies. If I were writing it, it might be that the connection between the two is the Far Realm, and that you must pass through it to get to the other cosmology, and doing so runs the risk that something will attack you en route, or hop along for the ride and infest wherever you arrive.
I'd write a M:tG PHB that had a few Planeswalker classes (or subclasses of existing classes), as well as basic M:tG cosmology, spells, etc... Essentially the equivalent of the current PHB without PART 2 (Chapters 7 to 9) and expanding the Appendix materials to full chapters, with a half page write up on each of the M:tG Planes that have been established.
Then I'd write books for M:tG planes setting books that included a chapter on the cosmology of that setting. Not for every plane - but for the ones that would be of most interest.
Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
Sorry, I'm not an expert on MTG lore so could be wrong here, but I'm not sure this is accurate.
I believe you can technically reach the edge of an MTG plane by going "up." The planes each end at the Blind Eternities. So someone can try to leave a plane by reaching the edge, which is where they meet the Blind Eternities, which is essentially the end of the road for non-planeswalkers. The Blind Eternities are impassable for non-planeswalkers (except for exceptionally powerful beings like the Eldrazi), but if they exist between the planes, then they should be reachable at the edge of the planes.
Anyway, my idea is that the Blind Eternities is just another word for an area of the Astral Plane, except it is exceptionally dangerous that is so chaotic and perilous that Spelljammers cannot pass through it. Essentially, the planes of MTG exist in the Astral Plane like other worlds on the Material Plane. Each world, both in D&D and MTG, all exist in the Astral Plane, like islands in a vast sea. The difference between the two, is that the worlds of D&D all exist in a calm area of the Astral, making it easier to travel from world to world by Spelljammer or by spells like Planeshift. But the planes of MTG are like islands trapped in a turbelent area of ocean, roiled by constant storms; only very powerful beings like Planeswalkers have the ability to planeswalk to other worlds in this area.
That's my idea essentially, is that the Blind Eternities is a very chaotic and dangerous part of the Astral. It probably doesn't perfectly fit established lore, but does enough for my usages.
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