Manual of the Planes
Encyclopedia
The Manual of the Planes (abbreviated MoP) is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game
. This text addresses the planar cosmology
of the game universe.
The original book (for use with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition) was published in 1987 by TSR, Inc. For 2nd Edition, concern over inclusion of angel
s and demon
s led TSR to forgo the release, though they compensated years later with the Planescape
campaign setting. A third edition version of the Manual of the Planes was published in 2001 by Wizards of the Coast
, while a new version for 4th Edition debuted in 2008.
, with a cover by Jeff Easley
and interior illustrations by Stephen Fabian
, and was published by TSR in 1987 as a 128-page hardcover. Easley's cover featured an illustration of a creature named in the book as an ethereal dreadnought, although the book had no description or game statistics for the creature.
The book describes various planes of existence, and what creatures characters might encounter there, covering the astral and ethereal planes, the elemental places, and the outer planes. The book also details how to survive in the planes, and how combat and magic differ under the plane's special conditions. The Ethereal Plane, The Inner Plane
s -- including the Plane of Elemental Air, the Plane of Elemental Fire, the Plane of Elemental Earth, and the Plane of Elemental Water, the Para-Elemental Planes (Smoke, Magma, Ooze, and Ice), the Energy Planes (Positive Energy and Negative Energy), and the Quasi-Elemental Planes (Lightning, Radiance, Minerals, Steam, Vacuum, Ash, Dust, and Salt) -- and the Astral Plane. After these planes, the Outer Plane
s are briefly described, including Nirvana
, Arcadia
, Seven Heavens
, Twin Paradises
, Elysium
, Happy Hunting Grounds
, Olympus
, Gladsheim
, Limbo
, Pandemonium
, The Abyss
, Tarterus
, Hades
, Gehenna
, The Nine Hells
, Acheron
, and Concordant Opposition. Manual of the Planes explains how each of the outer planes is related to each of the character alignment
s. For example, "The Seven Heavens
" is the final resting place for characters of Lawful Good alignment.
The second chapter presents hints on how to design your own cosmology of planes, based on the D&D official cosmology known as "The Great Wheel". Generating a personalized cosmology involves several options - for example, consider how magic works if basic planes that feed magic (such as the Ethereal or Astral planes) are disposed of.
The next chapters in the Manual are dedicated to detail the Great Wheel and the 27 planes that constitutes it.
: The center of the cosmology. It is an earth-like universe where the same laws of physics from the real world are applied. In the official D&D cosmology, Oerth
, the planet described in the campaign material of Greyhawk
, is present on this plane, but is only one world/planet out of an innumerable multitude of others set within the same prime material plane.
Astral Plane: The space in between the planes. It is mostly empty space and often serves the role of a "transport plane" through which planar travelers move from one plane to another. A few creatures inhabit this no-gravity place, however, such as the mysterious outsiders called githyanki
and the astral dreadnought
s. An astral dreadnought is featured on the cover of the first edition Manual of the Planes.
Ethereal Plane: The place where ghosts and spirits dwell. It is coexistent with the Material Plane and looks like a misty version of it, with gray and nebulous landscapes. Spirits of restless dead inhabit this place, which makes it a bit more dangerous to pass through than the Astral.
Plane of Shadow: The place where darkness is born. As the Astral and the Ethereal, it is a plane used for travel; it connects one place in the Material with another through the numberless shadows within. But it is a dangerous place, even more than Astral and Ethereal, because it is not empty. Here, an entire sunless ecosystem dwells in the eternal darkness and shadow creatures born in the nightmares of mortals constantly strive to catch uncautious prey. If one is brave enough to descend deeper in the Plane of Shadow, it might be possible to find portals to alternative Material Planes - landscapes outside of the Great Wheel itself.
Elemental Plane of Air
: The endless sky. It is one of the four elemental planes. An air-dominant place, this plane consists of endless airy space without floor or ceiling. Here the gravity is subjective, which means that creatures can "fly" by choosing the direction in which they "fall". It is home to air-elemental creatures and djinni
.
Elemental Plane of Water
: The bottomless ocean. It is one of the four elemental planes. A water-dominant place, this plane consists in an ocean with no bottom or surface. As in its air-dominant neighbor, this plane has subjective gravity where creatures choose the direction they want to "sink". Movement here is made through swimming. It's a relatively hospitable plane despite the fact that air-breathing beings might find it difficult to deal with. It is home to water-elemental creatures and marid
.
Elemental Plane of Earth
: The solid world. It is one of the four elemental planes. An earth-dominant place, this plane consists in an entire universe made of solid rock and soft earth, with a multitude of caverns, grottos and ore veins making its way through it. It's not a hostile place, but can be disturbing because of its claustrophobic nature. The large amount of mass of this solid place makes it a heavy-gravity plane. It is home to earth-elemental creatures and dao
.
Elemental Plane of Fire
: The torch of the universe. It is one of the four elemental planes. A fire-dominant place, this plane is an astonishing vista of fire, lava and pyroclastic gases. In a curious paradox, this is both the most hostile of the elemental planes and the most populated. That's because of the City of Brass
, a marvelous town made of brass and magically protected against the abrasive nature of the plane. A trading metropolis, the City of Brass is home to the efreeti
, a fire-loving race that loves intrigue and commercial business, and their city is always full of merchants and visitors. Besides the efreeti, the plane is home to fire-elemental creatures such as the salamander
.
Positive Energy Plane: The wellspring of life. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a source of creation, heat and life force, the energy that constitutes the Big Bang. However, it's a deadly place to travelers; once there mortal visitors are quickly suffused with pure energy which makes them literally explode. It is home to the energon
beings known as xag-ya, a race made of positive energy.
Negative Energy Plane: The source of entropy. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a vacuum of destruction, cold and entropic force. It is as deadly as its brighter brother; visitors here are drained of all life and reduced to ashes almost instantly. It is home to the energon
beings known as xeg-yi, a race made of negative energy. A few undead find their way into this plane, making it even more dangerous.
s, eladrin
s, archons
, yugoloths, demons
, devils
, and others. These planes are also home to the souls of valorous mortals, who deserved a place among the gods in the afterlife. Each outer plane embodies an aspect of the nine alignment
s of D&D rules, in a stronger or weaker sense. The Outer Planes are, in general, hospitable to planar travelers that journey there to trade, explore or even meet the deities in person.
Outlands: This is a True Neutral plane, ruled by deities of this alignment, notably Obad-Hai
. It contains many things such as a library, and a portal to multiple dimensions. However, the plane is less than friendly to any of non-neutral alignment.
Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia: The ultimate paradise. Also known as "Mount Celestia", "The Seven Heavens" or simply "Celestia", this is a strongly Lawful Good plane. It consists of a silver lake in the center of which is an incredibly high mountain, so beautiful that tears blind one's eyes once one looks at it. Mount Celestia is divided in seven plateaus, inhabited by brave heroes and kind deities that run an endless struggle against the forces of evil. Each plateau is a different demiplane that demands spiritual evolution be reached, until a pure state of mind is found in the seventh heaven.
Blessed Fields of Elysium: The land of the good. This is a strongly Neutral Good
plane, whose inhabitants are as kind as the celestians, but are more inclined to a peaceful life than to fight against evil. Elysium is a wonderful garden, and also the offspring of the great river Oceanus, whose waters run through the celestial planes. An eternity of joy and peace in a beautiful landscape is what the newcomers find in Elysium.
Olympian Glades of Arborea: The kingdom of the elven lords. Also known as "Arvandor" (despite the fact that this is the name of just a small part of Arborea), this is a strongly Chaotic Good plane, a sunlit forest where the spirits of brave elven heroes and the Seldarine (the elven pantheon) dwell. The plane's alignment reflects the kind and free nature of the elves
. Their cousins, the sea elves, live in a nearby ocean, along with their deity, Deep Sashelas
.
Nine Hells of Baator: The infernal realm of lawful evil. Also known as "The Pit" or simply "Hell", Baator is home to a race of foul creatures known as baatezu. However, most people call them simply "devils". Formed by nine descending layers, it is the opposite of Celestia, and it is the gathering point for the forces of lawful evil. The ruler of Baator and supreme general of its malevolent hellish armies is Asmodeus
, a mysterious being who might ultimately be a corrupted being of primordial law. Strangely, due to the strongly Lawful Evil nature of the plane, the baatezu are (relatively) honorable creatures, despite their malevolence.
Gray Waste of Hades
: The birthplace and focus of raw evil. Hades is a colorless plane, a bleak and arid land where everything is gray except the blood that spills from the wounds of dying soldiers. The three layers, or Glooms, of the plane often serve as a battlefield for the Blood War
, an endless conflict between the baatezu and the demonic race of the tanar'ri, who inhabit the plane known as "The Abyss". Baatezu and tanar´ri hate each other with incomparable fury, and the conflict between them has lasted for eons and shows no sign of an end. Another infernal race, the Yugoloths, are the native fiends of the Waste, sharing the strongly Neutral Evil nature of the plane, and the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin on the first layer of the plane is an omnipresent reminder of their domination of the Waste. Other inhabitants of Hades are the Gray Sisters, powerful night hags that keep a safe distance from the battlefields.
Infinite Layers of the Abyss
: The bottomless hole of infinite horror. The Abyss is a chaotic and violent place inhabited by a chaotic and violent race called tanar'ri, or simply "demons". They exist in all forms and sizes, as endless as the plane they call home. The tanar´ri hate everything: the good deities, the evil deities, the mortals, the immortals and even themselves. But above all, they hate the baatezu, their long-endured rivals in the Blood War. The Abyss is inhabited also by an amazing number of evil deities that dwell in the infinite layers of this dizzying place. The deities despise and hate the tanar´ri, but the demons are numerous and a force to be feared. The Abyss, like its inhabitants, is strongly Chaotic Evil.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. This text addresses the planar cosmology
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)
The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...
of the game universe.
The original book (for use with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition) was published in 1987 by TSR, Inc. For 2nd Edition, concern over inclusion of angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s and demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s led TSR to forgo the release, though they compensated years later with the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting. A third edition version of the Manual of the Planes was published in 2001 by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, while a new version for 4th Edition debuted in 2008.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition
The original Manual of the Planes was written by Jeff GrubbJeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
, with a cover by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
and interior illustrations by Stephen Fabian
Stephen Fabian
-Career:Fabian specializes in science fiction and fantasy illustration and cover art for books and magazines. Fabian also produced artwork for TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game from 1986 to 1995, particularly on the Ravenloft line. He was self-taught, two of his primary influences being Virgil Finlay...
, and was published by TSR in 1987 as a 128-page hardcover. Easley's cover featured an illustration of a creature named in the book as an ethereal dreadnought, although the book had no description or game statistics for the creature.
The book describes various planes of existence, and what creatures characters might encounter there, covering the astral and ethereal planes, the elemental places, and the outer planes. The book also details how to survive in the planes, and how combat and magic differ under the plane's special conditions. The Ethereal Plane, The Inner Plane
Inner Plane
The Inner Planes are the innermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are the building blocks of the multiverse, the elements and energies from which all of the material universe is made.The Inner Planes, the material building blocks of...
s -- including the Plane of Elemental Air, the Plane of Elemental Fire, the Plane of Elemental Earth, and the Plane of Elemental Water, the Para-Elemental Planes (Smoke, Magma, Ooze, and Ice), the Energy Planes (Positive Energy and Negative Energy), and the Quasi-Elemental Planes (Lightning, Radiance, Minerals, Steam, Vacuum, Ash, Dust, and Salt) -- and the Astral Plane. After these planes, the Outer Plane
Outer Plane
In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
s are briefly described, including Nirvana
Mechanus
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Mechanus, also known as The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus is a purely lawful aligned plane of existence...
, Arcadia
Arcadia (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Arcadia or more fully, the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, is a lawful neutral/lawful good-aligned plane of existence...
, Seven Heavens
Mount Celestia
In Dungeons & Dragons, the fantasy role-playing game, Mount Celestia or more fully, the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, or even the Seven Heavens is a lawful good-aligned plane of existence...
, Twin Paradises
Bytopia
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Bytopia, also known as the Twin Paradises or more fully, the Twin Paradises of Bytopia is a lawful good/neutral good aligned plane of existence...
, Elysium
Elysium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Elysium, or more fully, the Blessed Fields of Elysium, is a strongly good-aligned plane of existence...
, Happy Hunting Grounds
Beastlands
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Beastlands is a neutral good-aligned plane of existence...
, Olympus
Arborea (Dungeons & Dragons)
In Dungeons & Dragons, fantasy role-playing game, Arborea or more fully, the Olympian Glades of Arborea, is a chaotic good-aligned plane of existence...
, Gladsheim
Ysgard
Ysgard is the Outer Plane of Chaotic Neutral / Chaotic Good alignment in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is also called Asgard, Gladsheim or The Heroic Domains...
, Limbo
Limbo (Dungeons & Dragons)
In Dungeons and Dragons, fantasy role-playing game, Limbo or more fully, the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, is a chaotic neutral-aligned plane of existence...
, Pandemonium
Pandemonium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Pandemonium is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its...
, The Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
, Tarterus
Carceri
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Carceri is a neutral evil-aligned plane of existence...
, Hades
Gray Waste
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...
, Gehenna
Gehenna (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Gehenna , is a plane of existence of neutral evil/lawful evil alignment...
, The Nine Hells
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, Acheron
Acheron (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Acheron , also known as The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, is a lawful neutral/lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, and Concordant Opposition. Manual of the Planes explains how each of the outer planes is related to each of the character alignment
Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....
s. For example, "The Seven Heavens
Mount Celestia
In Dungeons & Dragons, the fantasy role-playing game, Mount Celestia or more fully, the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, or even the Seven Heavens is a lawful good-aligned plane of existence...
" is the final resting place for characters of Lawful Good alignment.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition
After the typical introduction found in almost all guides of D&D 3rd. Edition, Manual of the Planes presents, in its first chapter, an overview of planes in general: what they are, what their nature is, and what is its function on gameplay. Info about how to shift between planes is also available on this chapter.The second chapter presents hints on how to design your own cosmology of planes, based on the D&D official cosmology known as "The Great Wheel". Generating a personalized cosmology involves several options - for example, consider how magic works if basic planes that feed magic (such as the Ethereal or Astral planes) are disposed of.
The next chapters in the Manual are dedicated to detail the Great Wheel and the 27 planes that constitutes it.
The Inner Planes
Prime Material PlanePrime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
: The center of the cosmology. It is an earth-like universe where the same laws of physics from the real world are applied. In the official D&D cosmology, Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
, the planet described in the campaign material of Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
, is present on this plane, but is only one world/planet out of an innumerable multitude of others set within the same prime material plane.
Astral Plane: The space in between the planes. It is mostly empty space and often serves the role of a "transport plane" through which planar travelers move from one plane to another. A few creatures inhabit this no-gravity place, however, such as the mysterious outsiders called githyanki
Githyanki
The githyanki are a fictional humanoid race in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are cousins to the githzerai. In the Dark Sun setting, they are simply called gith...
and the astral dreadnought
Astral dreadnought
The astral dreadnought is an outsider in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:The creature was first depicted on the cover of the original first edition Manual of the Planes...
s. An astral dreadnought is featured on the cover of the first edition Manual of the Planes.
Ethereal Plane: The place where ghosts and spirits dwell. It is coexistent with the Material Plane and looks like a misty version of it, with gray and nebulous landscapes. Spirits of restless dead inhabit this place, which makes it a bit more dangerous to pass through than the Astral.
Plane of Shadow: The place where darkness is born. As the Astral and the Ethereal, it is a plane used for travel; it connects one place in the Material with another through the numberless shadows within. But it is a dangerous place, even more than Astral and Ethereal, because it is not empty. Here, an entire sunless ecosystem dwells in the eternal darkness and shadow creatures born in the nightmares of mortals constantly strive to catch uncautious prey. If one is brave enough to descend deeper in the Plane of Shadow, it might be possible to find portals to alternative Material Planes - landscapes outside of the Great Wheel itself.
Elemental Plane of Air
Inner Plane
The Inner Planes are the innermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are the building blocks of the multiverse, the elements and energies from which all of the material universe is made.The Inner Planes, the material building blocks of...
: The endless sky. It is one of the four elemental planes. An air-dominant place, this plane consists of endless airy space without floor or ceiling. Here the gravity is subjective, which means that creatures can "fly" by choosing the direction in which they "fall". It is home to air-elemental creatures and djinni
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
.
Elemental Plane of Water
Inner Plane
The Inner Planes are the innermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are the building blocks of the multiverse, the elements and energies from which all of the material universe is made.The Inner Planes, the material building blocks of...
: The bottomless ocean. It is one of the four elemental planes. A water-dominant place, this plane consists in an ocean with no bottom or surface. As in its air-dominant neighbor, this plane has subjective gravity where creatures choose the direction they want to "sink". Movement here is made through swimming. It's a relatively hospitable plane despite the fact that air-breathing beings might find it difficult to deal with. It is home to water-elemental creatures and marid
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
.
Elemental Plane of Earth
Inner Plane
The Inner Planes are the innermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are the building blocks of the multiverse, the elements and energies from which all of the material universe is made.The Inner Planes, the material building blocks of...
: The solid world. It is one of the four elemental planes. An earth-dominant place, this plane consists in an entire universe made of solid rock and soft earth, with a multitude of caverns, grottos and ore veins making its way through it. It's not a hostile place, but can be disturbing because of its claustrophobic nature. The large amount of mass of this solid place makes it a heavy-gravity plane. It is home to earth-elemental creatures and dao
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
.
Elemental Plane of Fire
Inner Plane
The Inner Planes are the innermost planes of existence in the standard cosmology of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. They are the building blocks of the multiverse, the elements and energies from which all of the material universe is made.The Inner Planes, the material building blocks of...
: The torch of the universe. It is one of the four elemental planes. A fire-dominant place, this plane is an astonishing vista of fire, lava and pyroclastic gases. In a curious paradox, this is both the most hostile of the elemental planes and the most populated. That's because of the City of Brass
City of Brass (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the City of Brass is the capital of the great efreeti empire on the Elemental Plane of Fire.-Publication history:...
, a marvelous town made of brass and magically protected against the abrasive nature of the plane. A trading metropolis, the City of Brass is home to the efreeti
Genie (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, genies are outsiders composed in part of the element of their native Elemental Planes.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, a fire-loving race that loves intrigue and commercial business, and their city is always full of merchants and visitors. Besides the efreeti, the plane is home to fire-elemental creatures such as the salamander
Salamander (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the salamander is an outsider from the Elemental Plane of fire which can be used by Dungeon Masters as enemies or allies of the player characters. It resembles a mix of a snake and a human made out of fire, magma, and smoke...
.
Positive Energy Plane: The wellspring of life. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a source of creation, heat and life force, the energy that constitutes the Big Bang. However, it's a deadly place to travelers; once there mortal visitors are quickly suffused with pure energy which makes them literally explode. It is home to the energon
Energon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy setting, energons are enimatic, incorporeal outsiders found throughout the Inner Planes.-Publication history:...
beings known as xag-ya, a race made of positive energy.
Negative Energy Plane: The source of entropy. It is one of the two energy planes. This place is a vacuum of destruction, cold and entropic force. It is as deadly as its brighter brother; visitors here are drained of all life and reduced to ashes almost instantly. It is home to the energon
Energon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy setting, energons are enimatic, incorporeal outsiders found throughout the Inner Planes.-Publication history:...
beings known as xeg-yi, a race made of negative energy. A few undead find their way into this plane, making it even more dangerous.
The Outer Planes
The Outer Planes are treated in a separate section because their nature is very different from the other ten planes. The seventeen Outer Planes are places of beauty beyond imagination or unspeakable horror. They are worlds created and inhabited by gods and goddesses, as well as outsiders of a multitude of races: Aasimon, guardinalGuardinal
Guardinals are a type of celestial from the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game.-Publication history:Guardinals debuted as several cards in the Blood Wars Card Game in 1995, including the Avoral, Cervidal, Equinal, Leonal, Lupinal, Ursinal, Duchess Callisto, Duke Lucan, Duke Windheir, Lord...
s, eladrin
Eladrin
The Eladrin are a fictional race of creatures appearing in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Introduced in the Planescape setting of AD&D 2nd edition and D&D 3rd edition, Eladrin were described as a type of celestial of chaotic good alignment and hailed from the plane of Arborea...
s, archons
Archon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, archons are a type of creature from the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. In 1st and 2nd edition, they are powerful lawful good creatures from the upper planes, and in 3rd edition they are celestials. These creatures are sent by higher powers...
, yugoloths, demons
Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...
, devils
Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, devils are a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, devils are locked in a strict and brutal...
, and others. These planes are also home to the souls of valorous mortals, who deserved a place among the gods in the afterlife. Each outer plane embodies an aspect of the nine alignment
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
s of D&D rules, in a stronger or weaker sense. The Outer Planes are, in general, hospitable to planar travelers that journey there to trade, explore or even meet the deities in person.
Outlands: This is a True Neutral plane, ruled by deities of this alignment, notably Obad-Hai
Obad-Hai
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Obad-Hai is the god of Nature, Woodlands, Hunting, and Beasts, one of the most ancient known. He is often called the Shalm....
. It contains many things such as a library, and a portal to multiple dimensions. However, the plane is less than friendly to any of non-neutral alignment.
Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia: The ultimate paradise. Also known as "Mount Celestia", "The Seven Heavens" or simply "Celestia", this is a strongly Lawful Good plane. It consists of a silver lake in the center of which is an incredibly high mountain, so beautiful that tears blind one's eyes once one looks at it. Mount Celestia is divided in seven plateaus, inhabited by brave heroes and kind deities that run an endless struggle against the forces of evil. Each plateau is a different demiplane that demands spiritual evolution be reached, until a pure state of mind is found in the seventh heaven.
Blessed Fields of Elysium: The land of the good. This is a strongly Neutral Good
Neutral good
In economics, neutral goods are goods that have a demand that is not dependent to the income.Examples of neutral goods include prescription medicines for people with medical conditions, such as insulin for diabetics...
plane, whose inhabitants are as kind as the celestians, but are more inclined to a peaceful life than to fight against evil. Elysium is a wonderful garden, and also the offspring of the great river Oceanus, whose waters run through the celestial planes. An eternity of joy and peace in a beautiful landscape is what the newcomers find in Elysium.
Olympian Glades of Arborea: The kingdom of the elven lords. Also known as "Arvandor" (despite the fact that this is the name of just a small part of Arborea), this is a strongly Chaotic Good plane, a sunlit forest where the spirits of brave elven heroes and the Seldarine (the elven pantheon) dwell. The plane's alignment reflects the kind and free nature of the elves
Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
. Their cousins, the sea elves, live in a nearby ocean, along with their deity, Deep Sashelas
Deep Sashelas
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Deep Sashelas is the elf patron deity of aquatic elves. He is also a god of creation, knowledge, beauty, and magic...
.
Nine Hells of Baator: The infernal realm of lawful evil. Also known as "The Pit" or simply "Hell", Baator is home to a race of foul creatures known as baatezu. However, most people call them simply "devils". Formed by nine descending layers, it is the opposite of Celestia, and it is the gathering point for the forces of lawful evil. The ruler of Baator and supreme general of its malevolent hellish armies is Asmodeus
Asmodeus (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Asmodeus is an Arch-Devil: a lord of the game's version of Hell . There he is the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell...
, a mysterious being who might ultimately be a corrupted being of primordial law. Strangely, due to the strongly Lawful Evil nature of the plane, the baatezu are (relatively) honorable creatures, despite their malevolence.
Gray Waste of Hades
Gray Waste
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Gray Waste is a strongly evil aligned plane of existence...
: The birthplace and focus of raw evil. Hades is a colorless plane, a bleak and arid land where everything is gray except the blood that spills from the wounds of dying soldiers. The three layers, or Glooms, of the plane often serve as a battlefield for the Blood War
Blood War
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the Blood War is an eternal conflict between the fiends of the Lower planes. The Tanar'ri are the demonic forces of the Abyss, an evil plane of chaos. Representing the equally evil but lawful realm of Baator are the Baatezu, the dominant caste of...
, an endless conflict between the baatezu and the demonic race of the tanar'ri, who inhabit the plane known as "The Abyss". Baatezu and tanar´ri hate each other with incomparable fury, and the conflict between them has lasted for eons and shows no sign of an end. Another infernal race, the Yugoloths, are the native fiends of the Waste, sharing the strongly Neutral Evil nature of the plane, and the Wasting Tower of Khin-Oin on the first layer of the plane is an omnipresent reminder of their domination of the Waste. Other inhabitants of Hades are the Gray Sisters, powerful night hags that keep a safe distance from the battlefields.
Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
: The bottomless hole of infinite horror. The Abyss is a chaotic and violent place inhabited by a chaotic and violent race called tanar'ri, or simply "demons". They exist in all forms and sizes, as endless as the plane they call home. The tanar´ri hate everything: the good deities, the evil deities, the mortals, the immortals and even themselves. But above all, they hate the baatezu, their long-endured rivals in the Blood War. The Abyss is inhabited also by an amazing number of evil deities that dwell in the infinite layers of this dizzying place. The deities despise and hate the tanar´ri, but the demons are numerous and a force to be feared. The Abyss, like its inhabitants, is strongly Chaotic Evil.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition
The 4th Edition Manual of the Planes reinvented the cosmology into a streamlined arrangement called, the World Axis cosmology. It consists of five core types of planes.- 1. The Mortal World.
- 2. The Parallel Planes - Two planes that are linked to the Mortal World.
- Feywild (Plane of Faerie).
- Shadowfell (Plane of Shadow).
- 3. Fundamental Planes - Two planes that surround the Mortal World.
- The Astral Sea - The plane above. Consists of Astral Dominions.
- The Elemental Chaos - The plane below. Consists of Elemental Realms.
- 4. Demiplanes - Unique bubbles of existence such as Sigil.
- 5. Anomalous Planes - Planes of an obscure nature.
- The Far Realm - Uncharted plane that exists beyond the known cosmology.
- The Plane of Dreams - Composed of all the dreams that have ever been dreamt.
External links
- http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_5098.html
- http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14378.phtml