One of the purposes of the Planescape setting was to bring the Inner & Outer Planes of Gygax’s 1st Edition setting to the forefront. Although Planescape made some changes there really weren’t many. To get up to speed on what Planescape was building on I read some parts of Monster Manual II (1983) and Manual of the Planes (1e) from 1987.
The Inner Planes revolve around elemental forces and are more connected with the physical planet that makes up the Prime Material Plane (the Outer Planes revolve around the intelligent lifeforms that live on the Prime Material Plane). We get 6 main planes and 12 minor ones. The main planes are the 4 elements (air, earth, fire, water) and 2 energies (positive & negative). The 12 minor ones are 4 border zones where elements mix and 8 border zones where an element mixes with one of the energies.
The four elements are interesting enough. A plane of nothing but water or nothing but fire doesn’t sound interesting at first but these are large, spacious planes where a number of powerful beings have moved in and established homes for themselves. Also, geniekind are planar beings native to the elemental planes. So the four elemental planes can stay.
The two energy planes are boring. Visitors are rare, few beings live there and there just isn’t much to see. Each energy plane has an energy elemental but they are mirror images of each other and have very little in the way of personality or objectives. Gygax seemed to like the energy planes because they explained where undead got their power and provided a source of power for some wizards to draw from. I’m making them theoretical. Some wizards believe they exist but no one knows how to get there if they do.
The Para Elemental Planes are the four border zones between elements. They are small planes and have fewer residents than the main elements but I don’t want to cut them. They need something to make them interesting. Give players potential motivations to go there. Here’s my initial take:
- Ice – An intrinsic quality of this plane makes it a prison. If one being overpowers another, the loser can be encased in ice and made a prisoner. Greater elemental powers and even beings from the Outer Planes come here to deposit their prisoners. Dungeon masters could send their players here to free someone.
- Magma – A place of elemental destruction. Enchantments can be broken and magic items unmade.
- Ooze – A fancy word for mud. This is a place of concealment. Beings can hide effectively within the element. Tracking of all kinds is either impossible here or nearly so. At any given time there are a number of beings here waiting for the heat to die down (figuratively speaking).
- Smoke – A place of visions. Illusions, secrets, prophecies and the memories of dead gods can be glimpsed here.
The Para Elemental Planes serve another function: mystery. Each elemental plane is infinite. Yet the Para Elemental Planes form at the borders. How can an infinite plane have borders? The elemental beings understand but there’s no way to explain it to mortals. Let players wrack their brains trying to figure it out. Also, if the players need to get to a border they have a reason to negotiate with a resident of the plane to secure a guide.
The eight Quasi Elemental Planes aren’t interesting. I’m dropping them. They will live on as pockets of lightning, steam, radiance, minerals, vacuum, salt, ash & dust in the four main elemental planes.
Next up, the Outer Planes.
0 Comments