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View Full Version : Finite Planes-What's at the edge?



Zeful
2009-01-24, 12:18 AM
The question is pretty self explanatory, what is at the edge of a finite plane? If I were to cast Genesis (either version) and make the demi-plane flat, what would the ends look like?

Inyssius Tor
2009-01-24, 12:20 AM
The other side of your demiplane?

The unfathomable void?

A wall?

Fiendish_Dire_Moose
2009-01-24, 12:22 AM
Reavers. So, many, reavers.

Lycanthromancer
2009-01-24, 12:23 AM
The edges could be recursive, such that you travel to one end of the plane and loop around to the other end with no noticeable difference. They could be like the Outlands, where you can keep going for years in one direction, turn around, and be only a few miles from where you started (like walking on a treadmill). The edges of the plane can bleed into other planes, such that you never quite notice when you cross over (possibly in such a way that there's far more space 'inside' of an area than would seem to be the case). Or the plane could be circumscribed by a spherical wall of some substance, whether it seems to be flesh or stone or glass or ice or something else is up to the creator of the plane or the DM.

There are other possibilities, but they tend to warp the mind.

tyckspoon
2009-01-24, 12:24 AM
In the specific case of Genesis, the terms of the spell/power means it looks like whatever the heck the caster wants it to. If you created it yourself, go wild. Pick something that fits the overall theme of your pocket plane or just whatever you think would be cool. For planes you didn't personally create, DM's choice.

Edit: Although since it is specified that the demiplane is created from the Ethereal, I would say a generic edge of a Genesis plane would just look like the Ethereal Plane, possibly with a Wall of Force-like barrier blocking travel between the two if the creator chose to limit access.

Dervag
2009-01-24, 12:39 AM
The first thing we need to establish is what it means to make your demiplane "flat." Does this mean that the demiplane is two-dimensional? Or that it is "flat" as in "flat spacetime" (devoid of matter or energy that could cause the fabric of space to curve by its gravity)? Or what?

Is there a sky? Can I dig holes down into the ground?

Based on the SRD, it sounds like demiplanes are spherical. In that case, the most reasonable thing to do is to have the plane bounded by impenetrable (or nearly impenetrable) barriers on all sides.

Creating a closed spacetime for the bubble (walking in a straight line will bring you back to your starting point) has disadvantages. The bubble isn't all that wide. If you create a closed spacetime, then anything that gives you a long line of sight will be cluttered with images of yourself, stretching out to infinity in all directions. It will be creepy and disorienting as all hell.

RTGoodman
2009-01-24, 12:48 AM
The edges could be recursive, such that you travel to one end of the plane and loop around to the other end with no noticeable difference.

Then fill it with ghosts (http://erlern.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/pacman_500px.jpg), fruit (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/goodberry.htm), and a bunch of white balls.


http://erlern.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/pacman_500px.jpg

BobVosh
2009-01-24, 01:10 AM
Better yet make all edges loop to the sky. Walk too far, you fall and die. Although with typical D&D health, you fall and take like...2-4D6. Hoo boy.

Lycanthromancer
2009-01-24, 01:13 AM
Better yet make all edges loop to the sky. Walk too far, you fall and die. Although with typical D&D health, you fall and take like...2-4D6. Hoo boy.

A planar Klein bottle?

BobVosh
2009-01-24, 01:18 AM
Basically. Be neat to throw rocks that go out and then down. Actually that sounds like a lot of fun for a final boss master thrower type.

Limos
2009-01-24, 01:52 AM
Basically. Be neat to throw rocks that go out and then down. Actually that sounds like a lot of fun for a final boss master thrower type.

You could make a Sphereical plane with of a hollow globe with gravity pulling everyone towards the outside, thus making one continuous surface. Then have the diameter be the bosses max throwing distance, and give it enough ranks in jump to be able to leap to the other side of the sphere. The PC's will be chasing it all around the globe just trying to pin the damn thing down.

Zeful
2009-01-24, 01:59 AM
The first thing we need to establish is what it means to make your demiplane "flat." Does this mean that the demiplane is two-dimensional? Or that it is "flat" as in "flat spacetime" (devoid of matter or energy that could cause the fabric of space to curve by its gravity)? Or what?By flat I mean the ground is horizontal until it meets the edge of the plane, where it stops abruptly.


Is there a sky? Can I dig holes down into the ground?

Based on the SRD, it sounds like demiplanes are spherical. In that case, the most reasonable thing to do is to have the plane bounded by impenetrable (or nearly impenetrable) barriers on all sides.

Creating a closed spacetime for the bubble (walking in a straight line will bring you back to your starting point) has disadvantages. The bubble isn't all that wide. If you create a closed spacetime, then anything that gives you a long line of sight will be cluttered with images of yourself, stretching out to infinity in all directions. It will be creepy and disorienting as all hell.
Player: Okay we're in this Wizard's demiplane, I make a Spot check and roll... a 43! What do I see.
DM: To the north you see a large gray castle to the North and South. To the east and west you see a several small groups of people looking around, they seem strangely familiar...

Llama231
2009-01-24, 07:44 PM
Loops back onto the other side for me.:smallamused:

Siosilvar
2009-01-24, 07:48 PM
Water.

Whatever the case may be, make sure you've got the elephants lined up right on the turtle before you create your plane.

Moff Chumley
2009-01-24, 07:54 PM
Make the plane a literal Klien bottle?

Flickerdart
2009-01-24, 08:07 PM
A wall of infinite killer bees.

Uncle Festy
2009-01-24, 08:49 PM
You could make a Sphereical plane with of a hollow globe with gravity pulling everyone towards the outside, thus making one continuous surface. Then have the diameter be the bosses max throwing distance, and give it enough ranks in jump to be able to leap to the other side of the sphere. The PC's will be chasing it all around the globe just trying to pin the damn thing down.

*jawdrop*
…*that would be totally awesome.
Do note that he would only have to jump a little farther then halfway, as gravity would take him the rest of the way down. Jump or Tumble will do a fine job of letting him avoid falling damage.
I totally need to run this encounter someday.

Starbuck_II
2009-01-24, 08:56 PM
A wall of infinite killer bees.

Africanized or just killer bees?

Flickerdart
2009-01-24, 09:10 PM
Africanized or just killer bees?
Each bee is different. They're not even swarms - fighting them won't gain any EXP.

Collin152
2009-01-24, 09:16 PM
A giant Ice Wall. The world is really flat, and if you get to the edge, you meet a giant Ice Wall.

Flickerdart
2009-01-24, 09:18 PM
A giant Ice Wall. The world is really flat, and if you get to the edge, you meet a giant Ice Wall.
Funny, I had thought you would suggest traps of Mindrape.

Collin152
2009-01-24, 09:27 PM
Funny, I had thought you would suggest traps of Mindrape.

But that's just it; it is Mindrape.
What, a giant wall of Ice is just gunna sit there without melting or freezing us all?
You thought you saw a wall of ice, because what really stopped you blew your mind!
And I'm not such a one-dimensional character, you know.
But no, I had to refrence the Flat Earthers.

bibliophile
2009-01-24, 10:04 PM
The demiplane is described as having a radius, and is presumably not 3-d so I'd say a sphere, with land filling the "bottom" half. Although I suppose one could create a tiny tiny planet. I've always though it would be cool to make a sphere with no terrain and subjective gravity, then place eternal flames on the solid edges in the right places. Volia! You float amidst the constellations with out the earth.

MCerberus
2009-01-24, 10:09 PM
Me being slightly crazy, I'd say "whatever you want."

Endless void that sucks all energy out of those that leave? sure!
Spherical or Donut? sure!
A small bridge leading to another demiplane? Why not?

Small bars separating the plane from mysterious gigantic observers who are themselves locked in a small piece of multi-reality where you tower over them? A personal favorite.

Ponce
2009-01-25, 03:23 AM
I think the Planar Handbook describes the edges of finite planes in the standard planeology. Lots of "impassible mountains" and walls of force, I think. I could see the edge of planes just leading back to Astral.

Poil
2009-01-25, 07:29 AM
Whatever the case may be, make sure you've got the elephants lined up right on the turtle before you create your plane.

Having each demi plane be a disc on top of elephants standing around on a turtle that is swimming through the astral plane is a pretty good idea.

Until players start putting cannons on the turtle and attempt to board other demi planes for plunder.

BobVosh
2009-01-25, 09:01 AM
Having each demi plane be a disc on top of elephants standing around on a turtle that is swimming through the astral plane is a pretty good idea.

Until players start putting cannons on the turtle and attempt to board other demi planes for plunder.

Discworld astral pirates sounds like a better campaign hook than anything else. Every session would be like a pirate stargate exploration game. How much more epic can you get.

Espically when they come to the ninja plane that rides stealth llamas and have thier giant, silent, deadly fight.

theMycon
2009-01-25, 12:07 PM
The plane simply ends. There's some atmosphere, then some space.

Your plane is resting on the back of a very large turtle. That, too, is simply resting on the back of an even larger turtle. Rather than swimming through space, that is just sitting there, resting on the back of a still larger turtle, lest it fall.

ericgrau
2009-01-25, 12:32 PM
It's like the edge of the inside of a bag of holding?

Istari
2009-01-25, 12:37 PM
A hedge named Steve

Keld Denar
2009-01-25, 12:54 PM
Two words...Möbius Plane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip)!

There is an edge, but you never have to cross it because you can traverse the entire plane, top and bottom, and you never have to cross it.

Ain't mathematics fun!

Knaight
2009-01-25, 01:21 PM
And what about if you go off the edge sideways?

daggaz
2009-01-25, 01:22 PM
Its a sphere, with reversed gravity so you are forced outwards at all times. The border is made up of a giant sphere of annhilation. Stay in the middle, kiddies.

Flickerdart
2009-01-25, 01:52 PM
And what about if you go off the edge sideways?
You can;t, because a Moebius plane would be a Moebius strip but in all directions.

Inyssius Tor
2009-01-25, 02:56 PM
I believe we call that a Klein bottle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle).

Athaniar
2009-01-25, 04:18 PM
A wall. Walk through the wall and you end up on the other end of the plane. For fun, try using ICBMs.

Nothing. Walk off the edge and you fall forever.

Another, slightly bigger plane just below, and another one, and another one, and so on.

Ginger Ale.

A wall. Try to walk through it, and you end up in the center of the plane a day later with amnesia.

A series of tubes.

A wall, which is really the Wall God.

Christopher Columbus, crying.

Blasphemy.

Dragons, of course. The ancient maps were right.

Madness.

A sign saying "Under Construction".

SPARTAAA!

Real Life.

A swarm of butterflies made out of Moebius bands.

This thread.

Efil
2009-01-25, 04:35 PM
A lot of cheese, which can only be removed with more Cheese (IE 9th level spells).

Zenos
2009-01-25, 04:50 PM
A great Shadow.
The shadow!
The Shadow?
The Shadow...

chiasaur11
2009-01-25, 07:55 PM
A great Shadow.
The shadow!
The Shadow?
The Shadow...

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

Knaight
2009-01-25, 10:41 PM
You could make a Sphereical plane with of a hollow globe with gravity pulling everyone towards the outside, thus making one continuous surface. Then have the diameter be the bosses max throwing distance, and give it enough ranks in jump to be able to leap to the other side of the sphere. The PC's will be chasing it all around the globe just trying to pin the damn thing down.

This totally needs to be magnetized, with another sphere dead center, that occasionally has electrical discharges towards the edge(lightning).

Keld Denar
2009-01-25, 10:46 PM
This totally needs to be magnetized, with another sphere dead center, that occasionally has electrical discharges towards the edge(lightning).

That would give DMs the ultimate "rocks fall" excuse.

What, did you leave the railroad tracks? LIGHTNING STRIKES, you die.

MammonAzrael
2009-01-25, 11:26 PM
I love this thread.

When it comes to Genesis, I say whatever the creator wants. I'd like to see Where the Sidewalk Ends (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/9780060256678.jpg). :smallsmile:

Or perhaps another plane, identical in every way, except everyone is a cowboy. And no, there are no other infinite plans. Just the two.

Athaniar
2009-01-26, 02:10 PM
A wall with arrows pointing in the same direction all around the plane.

Whatever you want it to be there.

Whatever you DON'T want it to be there.

A hyperspace disturbance through which evil Outsiders using organic technology can enter.

Everything mentioned on this thread so far at once.

Tengu_temp
2009-01-26, 02:49 PM
A restaurant. With pirates inside.

Lapak
2009-01-26, 03:01 PM
My first reaction is the klein-bottle answer; you find yourself traveling straight ahead in one direction, yet you end up where you started. I'm reminded of a short story about the Tower of Babel where they reached the vault of Heaven and tunneled their way into it. They took precautions to make the tunnel self-sealing in case they came out under the reservoirs that had provided the water for the Great Flood - which was a good thing, because they did. One unfortunate soul was trapped on the wrong side of the barriers, but managed to swim up to the surface - only to find that he'd reached the surface of a sea on Earth and that the top of the universe wrapped around to the bottom due to God's design. It was a cool story.

My other instinctive answer was 'an endless expense of white space, interrupted only by a grid of green lines forming perfect squares.' Because my graph paper was printed with green ink.

Telonius
2009-01-26, 03:45 PM
It looks like the smell of one hand clapping in a forest.

wowy319
2009-01-26, 07:38 PM
I always pictured it as either an invisible wall (like in video games) or a ledge like in Zelda where you fall in and come to at the same cliff's edge with some bad bruises.