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Amiel
2011-01-04, 07:32 AM
If you were to design the Outer Planes, would you structure them similarly to the Great Wheel configuration, or would you favour a less circular schema?

How would you design the Outer Planes?
Which beings would populate them?

Yuki Akuma
2011-01-04, 07:37 AM
How about you?

Eldan
2011-01-04, 07:40 AM
I like them the way they are. I add a mysterious new place here and there, or a hidden layer, or some race of planar beings tucked away somewhere where no one noticed them so far, but overall, I really like the Wheel. It makes sense.

Chilingsworth
2011-01-04, 07:53 AM
I like them the way they are. I add a mysterious new place here and there, or a hidden layer, or some race of planar beings tucked away somewhere where no one noticed them so far, but overall, I really like the Wheel. It makes sense.
(bolding mine)

I also like the wheel.

However, for the sake of argument, why should the palnnar cosmology make this much sense? Afterall, it's a structure that by definition is beyond human experience or frame of reference. It's like expecting quantum mechanics, say, to make sense, isn't it?

Maybe instead, you could have all the planes be bubbles of (at least relative) sanity floating in a Far-Realm like sea? Allow it to function like the Astral Plane for spell-purposes (just with some significant chances of nasty side-effects)... and give each "bubble world" its own Ethereal and Shadow Plane.

Yora
2011-01-04, 07:53 AM
In my current homebrew setting I reduced the number of Outer Planes to only one and merged it with the Astral Plane. Time and distance don't have any meaning and all outsiders are really incorporeal spirits. When creatures from the Material Plane somehow end up in the Outer Plane, it appears to them as a physical place inhabited by outsiders with physical bodies, with which they can interact quite like with things and creatures on the Material Plane. But it's really an optical illusion, as mortals come from a dimension with completely different physical traits.
It's actually worse for outsider to appear on the Material Plane. It's very difficult for them to get there and when they do they completely alien nature starts twisting reality, causing Taint.

Chilingsworth
2011-01-04, 07:56 AM
In my current homebrew setting I reduced the number of Outer Planes to only one and merged it with the Astral Plane. Time and distance don't have any meaning and all outsiders are really incorporeal spirits. When creatures from the Material Plane somehow end up in the Outer Plane, it appears to them as a physical place inhabited by outsiders with physical bodies, with which they can interact quite like with things and creatures on the Material Plane. But it's really an optical illusion, as mortals come from a dimension with completely different physical traits.
It's actually worse for outsider to appear on the Material Plane. It's very difficult for them to get there and when they do they completely alien nature starts twisting reality, causing Taint.

How do summoning and calling spells work in your world? And are there any good-aligned outsiders, or planetouched?

Eldan
2011-01-04, 08:02 AM
(bolding mine)

I also like the wheel.

However, for the sake of argument, why should the palnnar cosmology make this much sense?

Because, going by Planescape, the Outer Planes only exist because mortals believe in them, much like the gods. And mortals, or at least humans, like to sort things into neat categories.

Yora
2011-01-04, 08:06 AM
Summoning does only work with nature spirits and elementals, everyone uses Summon Nature's Ally. Outsiders exist of all kind, but they all have the same negative effect on the Material Plane. Taint isn't evil, it's just a corruption of the Material Plane.
Half-Fiends, Planetouched, and fiendish creatures can exist on the Material Plane, because they are all descended from Material Plane creatures. Fiends create them on purpose on the Outer Plane, so they have minions they can easily send to assist their cultists on the Material Plane.

DragonOfUndeath
2011-01-04, 08:06 AM
I like to use a Prime into Plane cosmology
First moment: A Prime is born. Beings and things evolve
Centuries later: A certain thing dominates that world (Like say a creature of Time). It becomes the Plane of Whatever (like Time)
moment after that: Prime2 is born and different things evolve
Centuries later: A certain thing dominates the world (Like say a creature of Magic). It becomes the Plane of Something (like Magic)
repeat for infinity.
Doubles merge together creating 2 layers.
The Abyss (if it exists on that certain campaign) simply has a massive amount (almost but not infinite) of layers.