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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 1253205" data-attributes="member: 172">What he said.I originally was very leery of Planescape, and didn't dig the "attitude" that they seemed to try to entrain in the game. I especially didn't dig the art. With one or two exceptions (and to PS fans, I doubt I have to emphasize which two), I really don't like DiTerlizzi's art and liked the look of PS much better when rk post started doing work for it. Also, I really didn't dig the ubiquity of the cant, especially not interspersed with mechanics; I much preferred the later books where they saved it for the flavor text.I started buying Planescape stuff because ever since 1e MotP, I dug the idea of strange other planes, and was looking for material in the same vein.But I got drawn into it as a campaign setting, for a couple of reasons:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First, the sheer flexibility of the setting. In many settings, it takes a lot of set up to do anything off-the-wall. New races, new regions, etc., took work to work in logically and consitently. But in PS, any idea you had an inkling for, you could do. It was infinetely extensible. At the same time, it had loads of source material for it. You never had to go it alone. This combination of qualities is not one that I have seen for a setting before or since.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Second, the juxtaposition of high and low fantasy. The outer planes has gods on your doorsteps, and demons saddling up next to you in the bar. But at the same time, it's not high power in the least bit. There is potent magic around, but it's beyond your control most of the time. You won't find magical sewer systems here, usually. The human condition is opressive at times.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Philosophy. Another clever juxtaposition in the setting is that of philosophy. You are living on the planes which are a living reflection of alignment. Certainly good and bad must be black-and-white, right? Wrong. Not only are there well developed and intricate philosophies that are often only tangentially related to the alignments, none of them is clearly right or wrong, and many of them play big roles in the campaign. If the alignment model bugs you, you may find Planescape one of the most intellectually liberating settings out there.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fourth, fiends. Demons and devils and daemons/yugoloths have always been my favorite bad guys. Planescape explores the machinions of the nether planes like no other setting, and the are everpresent villains.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fifth, great, offbeat adventures. Planescape adventures are rarely the all too common "save our beleaguered village" sort. The adventure seeds are often complex situation resolution of the sort that is all too often absent from D&D. Ever head up a negotiation between an enraged but goodly dragon and industrious formians? Ever helped a fiendish creature infected by goodness realize its true identity? Ever deliver a love note by a love-smitten devil? These are all adventures or adventure seeds from published PS materials. Also, two of my favorite D&D adventures of all time are planescape: Dead Gods and Tales of the Infinite Staircase.</li> </ul>In short, if you think PS is just "Advanced Demon Bashing" or that Union is in any way representative of Sigil or PS, you really need to take a deeper look before you dismiss it. I admit that some style elements put me off of it at first, but I am glad I took a deeper look.It might surprise some of you to know that I was a follower of the Eric Noah site before it was "3e news & reviews." Eric's site in those days had what amounted to a Planescape Story Hour.</blockquote>

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