D&D 5E World-by-world ideas on how to handle Planeswalkers in traditional D&D worlds

[Urriak Uruk]

Hi all! I've noticed there has been an abundance of interest in the multiverse of D&D now that another Magic the Gathering setting has received a sourcebook.

One topic I haven't seen covered much though is that of the Planeswalkers; for those unsure of MtG lore, Planeswalkers are individuals who are capable of moving from world to world with relative ease (in MtG they are referred to as "planes," but I will call them worlds here). This is fundamentally different from that of the planeshift spell, which any wizard of caliber should be able to learn. The Planeswalker is a wholly unique phenomenon, someone who is born with a spark. Only one-in-a-million people are born with such a spark, and having their spark ignite is even more rare.

Such an individual does not exist in the lore of Greyhawk, Toril, Athas, or Mystara. Does that mean that they don't exist? Possibly.

But I have a more interesting approach, for those who want to hold games where the multiverse of MtG and D&D snaps more neatly together. Here is my lore-suggestions for how each world handles the concept of the Planeswalker!

Toril (the Forgotten Realms)

In Toril, the knowledge of Planeswalkers is not common knowledge, though it is known by the most educated of scholars and magic-practitioners. It is not a secret, but it's also something that has little impact on the lives of people; after all, the chance of being born with a spark is one-in-a-million, and the change of it igniting even smaller. Although it does happen, it is almost never attributed to its true cause. When for example, a drow of Menzoberranzan is being lashed for insufficient worship of Loth, and its spark ignites to planeswalk away from their torment, the torturers are likely to assume Loth herself scooped the drow up for personal punishment. This is but one example, but the disappearance of individuals is usually determined to be all sorts of different explanations, being as mundane as a late-night murder or as horrifying as a kidnapping by fey creatures.

Even among the initiated, those lucky enough to meet a Planeswalker and document their abilities, the planeswalker spark is not considered as revelatory as it would on other worlds. After all, a wizard given enough competence can learn the planeshift spell, and travel to many of these worlds themselves even without a spark. Planar travel in Toril may be uncommon, but it is very much a well-known ability; wizards like Elminster have correspondence with spellcasters of Oerth and other worlds. A planeswalker visitor to Toril may find that his special powers are actually not as incredible to a community that is well-aware that a multiverse exists beyond their world.

Even the description of the worlds beyond the planeshift spell's reach can confuse the learned scholars of Candlekeep. The city at the center of the Outlands is often confused with that of Ravnica, both being mega-cities that defy the traditional laws of physics. The gods of Theros are at times used interchangeably with that of the Olympian Pantheon, both foreign to that of Toril and yet seem similar to outsiders eyes. Ixalan is often assumed to be just another Domain of Dread within Ravenloft.

For these reasons, the concept of Planeswalkers is altogether not interesting to even the wisest of Toril's mages. It is a rare wizard who feels a need to reach every single world when countless are already at their fingertips. A planeswalker may arrive in Toril and feel comfortable sharing the knowledge of their spark, knowing that their talent is largely unremarkable to the spellcasting standards of Toril.

I will write up more lore descriptions for each world in the comments below, but I'm also not super familiar with some worlds like Mystara or Birthright. If you have good ideas for how they handle Planeswalkers (without screwing up how that world works) please share!

 

[Bitbrain]

From what I understand about Mystara:

the Empire of Alphatia claims to have originated from another world before immigrating to Mystara. To extrapolate from that, I would expect their culture and society to be really friendly towards Planeswalkers.

Glantri on the other hand, would probably take one look at a Planeswalker and try to dissect them on the spot. The Glantrian viewpoint is essentially “if it’s a unique kind of magic, we want to obtain it, cut it open to see how it works, replicate it, and then find some way to sell it”.

 

[The Glen]

The trick to Mystara is that it's not very friendly to visitors from outer planes. Immortals (their replacement for gods) take a dim view on visitors from other planes. They keep out species known to be hostile like illithid or gith, the fiends are held at bay and even angels aren't welcome. If the planeswalker shows up, does a little tourism, and heads off nothing will probably happen. If the walker gets delusions of grandeur then steps will be made to remove him. The council of intrusion does keep track of all visitors from other worlds.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Glantri on the other hand, would probably take one look at a Planeswalker and try to dissect them on the spot. The Glantrian viewpoint is essentially “if it’s a unique kind of magic, we want to obtain it, cut it open to see how it works, replicate it, and then find some way to sell it”.

You know where you stand with a Glantrian.

And where you're standing is likely a pentagram you're stuck inside.

 

[The Glen]

Glantri is the only nation in Dungeons & Dragons that considers dissection an acceptable greeting

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Pretty good discussion of this (or at least adjacent) a few months ago:

D&D 5E - The cosmology of the Wheel and the Aether

OK, I've been having some discussions about the ramifications of adding MtG worlds to the D&D cosmos with @slobster and @Urriak Uruk and it got me thinking. What would a unified cosmos look like that blends elements of both, yet allows them to be separate. Here is what I came up with: The...

www.enworld.org

Maybe you can build off of what @dave2008 has said?

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Pretty good discussion of this (or at least adjacent) a few months ago:

D&D 5E - The cosmology of the Wheel and the Aether

OK, I've been having some discussions about the ramifications of adding MtG worlds to the D&D cosmos with @slobster and @Urriak Uruk and it got me thinking. What would a unified cosmos look like that blends elements of both, yet allows them to be separate. Here is what I came up with: The...

www.enworld.org

Maybe you can build off of what @dave2008 has said?

I read it, and thought it was a good idea... however I am preferring an approach where the worlds of MtG are not so "separate" from the worlds of D&D. My vision is largely that the worlds of MtG are extremely difficult to visit my non-planeswalking means (planeshift spell or Spelljammer), but that there is nothing in practice that makes Theros and Ravnica of more similar nature than a D&D world. In that, the Blind Eternities is actually just the phlogiston, but the phlogiston around MtG worlds is more chaotic and dangerous than around those of say Toril.

Essentially, my idea is that a world like Ravnica is surrounded by some very choatic phlogiston, making piercing it through planeshift impossible, and navigating through it by Spelljammer nearly so.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Oerth (Greyhawk)

Oerth and Toril may not seem so different on their surface, but the two are very different in how they treat visitors from other worlds. Wizards are more rare than in Toril, and are far more mistrusted by the common folk and nobility alike. Commoners are well aware of the existence of worlds beyond Oerth, but live in fear of them. After all, Iuz the Evil, one of Oerth's most evil rulers, is the progeny of a demon lord of the Abyss. And although it is known that the gods worshipped on Oerth live upon their own planes beyond the material plane, it is far likelier to receive a visitor from the Shadowfel or Feywild, here to steal children in the night. For these reasons, folk are far more likely to distrust a Planeswalker visitor from another world.

Only the most learned of mages, such as Mordenkainen, is likely to know of the existence of Planeswalkers. Few spellcasters ever accumulate enough ability to learn the planeshift spell to leave Toril, although some have. The majority of those who have tend to be of evil nature, such as Acererak and Vecna, both liches. And those who do learn how to leave rarely ever return; Oerth is not the most inhospitable of worlds, but it is hardly peaceful or stable either. Even wizards of good or neutral alignment, once they have learned the planeshift spell, typically decide their talents or more appreciated in the library of Candlekeep or on the streets of Sigil. Those few on Oerth to have a planeswalker spark ignite are for this reason unlikely to ever return; why would they, when their abilities are likely to label them a heretic or even demon?

Perhaps worse, is that the more malicious factions of Oerth are want to covet the power of planeswalkers and pursue them without mercy. Both Iuz the Evil and the Scarlet Brotherhood are curious as to the nature of the planeswalker spark, and would treasure the opportunity to enslave one for themselves. The very existence of worlds beyond their sight infuriates those with power, so a planeswalker visitor, if their nature becomes clear, may find themselves pursued by assassins of the Scarlet Brotherhood.

Overall, it is recommended that planeswalkers avoid Oerth, unless they take care to hide their abilities. Local townsfolk, and even lords and ladies, are quick to assume that those from beyond their world hold ill-intent in their hearts, and will need proof to prove good intentions. One must take great care to avoid the agents of more deadly foes, who would gladly slip a sleeping agent to drug and kidnap a planeswalker. I do not envy the extra-planar visitor who is tortured in the halls of Dorakaa.