Abyss encroaching on the material plane?

[j_spencer93]

I am a little curious if there is a way (or ever has been in another edition) of making the abyss start to overlap with the material plane, thinking like DA3 here.

[Extra Anchovies]

Are you the DM? If so, just make a custom artifact or ritual or whatever that does what you want it to.

[ExLibrisMortis]

That sounds like an Elder Evil campaign. The progressing signs are all abyssal-themed, impeding [good] and [lawful] spells, dealing vile wisdom damage* to good and lawful creatures, culminating in a strongly chaotic and evil-aligned material plane.


*Wisdom damage is used to represent growing insanity, vile damage can only be healed inside a consecrated or hallowed area (which are [good] spells, so they are impeded).

[Hazrond]

I would suggest looking into the Wrath of the Righteous adventure path from pathfinder for inspiration, the entire AP is about fighting back an abyssal invasion on the material plane, but as for STARTING the invasion I do not know

[Red Fel]

There are some rules on this, in various sources. An easy method is to include a Planar Rift, such as listed in the DMG II. You can expand that notion by suggesting that the surrounding area takes on planar traits (see MotP) of the plane on the other side of the rift (e.g. the Abyss), that monsters from that plane start showing up, that the rift and its affected area are increasing in size and multiplying, etc. As mentioned, Elder Evils does a good job of suggesting ways to simulate this effect as well, although that's less the Abyss transposing over the Material, and more a singular being of incomprehensible Evil and power doing so. The premise is sound, though.

[Hazrond]

There are some rules on this, in various sources. An easy method is to include a Planar Rift, such as listed in the DMG II. You can expand that notion by suggesting that the surrounding area takes on planar traits (see MotP) of the plane on the other side of the rift (e.g. the Abyss), that monsters from that plane start showing up, that the rift and its affected area are increasing in size and multiplying, etc. As mentioned, Elder Evils does a good job of suggesting ways to simulate this effect as well, although that's less the Abyss transposing over the Material, and more a singular being of incomprehensible Evil and power doing so. The premise is sound, though.this is actually what's going on in the WoTR AP

[Karl Aegis]

Isn't this The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde? They were giving it out for free back in February.

[ExLibrisMortis]

As mentioned, Elder Evils does a good job of suggesting ways to simulate this effect as well, although that's less the Abyss transposing over the Material, and more a singular being of incomprehensible Evil and power doing so.
And then it turns out the Abyss is has 21 divine ranks and spellcasting as if it was a hivemind of all demons in the Abyss.

Elder Evils is mostly about single beings fluff-wise, but nothing about the signs - mechanically speaking - suggests they have to be caused by one being. The whole campaign-spanning setup of Elder Evils makes it the best first-party source on doing something on this scale.

[torrasque666]

Technically the Hulks of Zoretha are five beings, not one.

[j_spencer93]

I actually wasn't aware of the Planar rift thing, or slaughterguard being similar to this. Or path of the righteous. I have all the material you mentioned and somehow missed it all...maybe it was the lack of sleep idk. lol anyways thanks, i will look into it. Basically want the characters, chosen by a few gods as the breach is allowing hordes of weaker demons through, to find the main rift, enter it and have to traverse the planes of the abyss to find the source of the problem.
I Will look through the material and see if this idea evolves further. Thanks again.


Have a large list of the planes, although it would be nice to know if anyone has stated any more of the abyssal lords then WoTC. There are a lot left without stats.

[ksbsnowowl]

An easy method is to include a Planar Rift, such as listed in the DMG II.

Along a similar vein, there is information on Planar Breaches in the Planar Handbook.

[j_spencer93]

Reading those right now. Those might be what i go with, pretty much fit the bill.

[ngilop]

I could be remembering wrong, but isn't this kinda what the Savage Tide Adventure Path is all about?