Urban Arcana: The Shadow Realm: an alternative to Planes

[LoneWolf23]

Ok, I personally have a problem with the fact that as a default, D20 Modern's Urban Arcana setting has no Planes other then Shadow, which is really just a "lookie, there's magic and monsters" plot device. The lack of Planar Magic and Ghosts does seem like a bit of a let-down to me, as is the fact that Fiends, Celestials and other such beings are left stranded in the physical world.

But I don't want to bust the door wide open for all the D&D planes, so here's an alternative idea:

The Shadow Realm
The "Inner Aspect" of Shadow, is a realm of shadows and mists which coexists with the physical world, but exists seperatly to it. It is here that the more mystically powerful Creatures of Shadow make their homes, away from the prying eyes of the mortal races of Earth. It also serves as a "No Man's Land" between the outer realms beyond Shadow and the mortal world of Earth: It is neither Heaven nor Hell, but beings of both such realms can be found therein, as one can find Elven keeps, Dragon Dens and Spirit domains.

Mortal Planar travellers who are unaware of the true nature of Shadow and the Shadow Realm often confuse the domains of the Shadow Realm for the Home Plane of it's denizens, when in fact those who dwell there often come from more distant dimensions. The Creatures of Shadow who make their homes in the Shadow Realm shape small parts of it into domains reflecting their nature: Fiends build horrible, Hell-Like keeps, Elves build magnificent forest kingdoms, Dragons dig might Dens to keep their hoards, etc. It is used by Creatures of Shadow who wish to live as they see fit without having to hide from mortal creatures, but also serves as a safe refuge for those who wish to conquer the mortal realm or break through Shadow to return to their home dimension.

Coterminous Plane
-Normal Gravity
-Timeless: In the Shadow Realm, creatures do not hunger, age, or thirst. Days and nights pass in the Shadow Realm as they do on the Material Plane.
-Infinite Size
-Alterable Morphic: Powerful Magic-Users in the Shadow Realm often shape great and impressive dwellings within it. Changing things in the Shadow Realm doesn't directly affect the Material World, and vice versa.
-No Elemental or Energy Trats: However, particular locations within the Shadow Realm may have those traits. The Palace of a Water Spirit Queen may have the Water-Dominant trait.
-Mildly Neutra-Aligned: Specific locations may have other alignments; a Fiend Lord's castle might be strongly Evil-Aligned, for exemple.
-Normal Magic: spellcasting is easy in the Shadow Realm

Planar Links: The Shadow Realm is coterminous with the mortal realm, and portal connections to and from Earth exist; some are natural connections formed by alignment, elemental or energy links (a particularly active torture chamber might connection to a Skinhusker's lair, for exemple, while a fire elemental's domain might connect to a volcano), while others are deliberatly formed portals by poweful magic-users to sned things back and forth between Earth and the Shadow Realm.
In comparaison, other Planes of all types beyond Shadow are Distant and near impossible to reach without potent magic. Those who cross over through Shadow to the Shadow Realm, usually find themselves prisonners unable to return to the home they barely remember; some try to breach the dimensions to return home, others to bring more of their own to the Shadow Realm and/or Earth.

Shadow Realm Inhabitants: The Shadow Realm has few native habitants beyond ethereal Undead like Wraiths, Shadows and Umbral Creatures. The bulk of it's population, however, consists of transient Creatures of Shadow who make their homes there.

Movement and combat: Movement is much like movement on the Material Plane

That's all I got so far. But essentially, spells which use the Plane of Shadows would use the Shadow Realm instead, and perhaps spells using Astral Projection and/or Etherealness could as well. Basically, I'm trying to simulate the flavor of shows where the evil villain threatening the mortal world dwells in a personal dimension...

...Guess I watch too much Anime.
__________________

 

[thundershot]

I just figured the "Shadow realm" was beyond the shadow plane where the rest of the prime material planes and other planes were located, and from a "Modern perspective", it's all just lumped up and labelled as shadow... I like to keep all of my campaigns somewhat connected (i.e. the same cosmology with the ability to cross over, if the concept was ever warranted)


Chris

 

[Kesh]

I always thought of the Modern Shadow as similar to the Mists from Ravenloft. Once in a while, something on a Prime plane wanders into a dark corner that's really an entrance to the Shadow, and end up coming out in the UA Earth.

 

[LoneWolf23]

I just figured the "Shadow realm" was beyond the shadow plane where the rest of the prime material planes and other planes were located, and from a "Modern perspective", it's all just lumped up and labelled as shadow... I like to keep all of my campaigns somewhat connected (i.e. the same cosmology with the ability to cross over, if the concept was ever warranted)

I always thought of the Modern Shadow as similar to the Mists from Ravenloft. Once in a while, something on a Prime plane wanders into a dark corner that's really an entrance to the Shadow, and end up coming out in the UA Earth.

To be honest, I acknowledge that's how Urban Arcana's shadow works as well.. But like I said, I like the idea of "astral/spirit projection", as well as giving spiritual entities a place to dwell in without always being in the mortal world, Shadow concealment or not.

As much as I like the idea of a powerful Pit Fiend Devil hiding in the form of an evil CEO, another fiend might prefer crafting a Grim Castle in the Shadow Realm, away from the prying eyes of mortal fools. I also like the idea of the mortal world co-existing with an unseen world of spirits. I suppose that I could otherwise adapt the Spirit World rules from Manual of the Planes, or adapt the concept Shadow to make it more like that...