Planescape

For the video game adaptation, seePlanescape: Torment.

Planescape

Designers	David "Zeb" Cook
Publishers	TSR, Inc. Wizards of the Coast
Publication	1994
Genres	Fantasy
Systems	Dungeons & Dragons

Planescapeis a campaign setting for theDungeons & Dragonsfantasyrole-playing game,designed byZeb Cook,and published in 1994.It crosses numerousplanes of existence,encompassing an entire cosmology called the Great Wheel, as developed previously in the 1987Manual of the PlanesbyJeff Grubb.This includes many of the otherDungeons & Dragonsworlds, linking them via inter-dimensional magical portals.

Publication history

Development

Le Carceri d'Invenzione,Piranesi,1761. One of a series of etchings that inspired the visual look of the setting.

Planescapeis an expansion of ideas presented in theAdvanced Dungeons & DragonsDungeon Master's Guide(First Edition) and the originalManual of the Planes.WhenAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons2nd edition was published, a decision was made not to includeangelicordemoniccreatures, and so the cosmology was largely ignored. However, fan demand for a 2nd EditionManual of the Planeswas strong enough to justify its expansion into a full-fledgedcampaign setting,and so in 1994 Planescape was released.

David "Zeb" Cookdeveloped Planescape when he was assigned to create "a complete campaign world (not just a place to visit), survivable by low-level characters, as compatible with the oldManual of the Planesas possible, filled with a feeling of vastness without overwhelming the referee, distinct from all other TSR campaigns, free of the words 'demon' and 'devil' and explainable to Marketing in 25 words or less ".For inspiration, Cook listened toPere Ubu,Philip GlassandAlexander Nevsky,readThe Dictionary of the Khazars,Einstein's Dreams,andThe Narrow Road to the Deep North,and for fun at "Bad Movie Nights", watched such films asNaked LunchandWolf Devil Woman.

Cook came up with the idea that all of the activity inSigilwould revolve aroundfactions,each of which would be built upon ideas taken to their extreme. He also felt that Sigil was necessary as a crossroads for the planes and a campaign center which could be both an adventure location itself and somewhere to hide out, which characters could quickly get to and from. Cook decided to adapt theManual of the Planesbecause the older material made survival on the planes too difficult or complex, so he ignored anything that made gameplay more complicated, which left the "descriptions of twisted and strange creations".

Cook conceived of the look for the setting from images such as "the gloomy prisons ofPiranesi'sLe Carcerietchings, andBrian Froud's illustrations and surrealist art ", andDana Knutsonwas assigned to draw whatever Cook wanted to see. According to Cook, "before any of us knew it, [Knutson] drew the Lady of Pain. I'm very fond of the Lady of Pain; she really locks up the Planescape look. We all liked her so much that she became our logo".

2nd edition

ThePlanescape Campaign Settingwas released, forAD&D2nd Edition, in April 1994. The campaign setting was followed by a series of expansions detailing thePlanes of Chaos(byWolfgang BaurandLester W. Smith), thePlanes of Law(byColin McComband Baur), and thePlanes of Conflict(by McComb andDale Donovan). From 1994 to 1998, "Planescapewas a major setting "forDungeons & Dragons.

The setting also had a small number of novels.

Later editions

Upon the release of 3rd Edition, Planescape, along with most other settings, were discontinued, although fan sites such as planewalker were allowed to continue to use the material and update it to the new edition. The 3rd EditionManual of the Planes(2001), the 3.5 EditionDungeon Master's Guide(2003),and thePlanar Handbook(2004) also used the general layout of the planes and some of the details from the setting, including Sigil, but these are not part of the Planescape line.

Sigil is described in the 4th editionManual of the Planes(2008)and expanded upon inDungeon Master's Guide 2(2009). Shannon Appelcline, author ofDesigners & Dragons,commented that while Sigil "had been largely ignored during the 3e era", it "was faring better in 4e, despite the large-scale restructuring of D&D's cosmology" due to small inclusions in theDungeon Master's Guide(2008) andManual of the Planes.

Appelcline highlighted that it was the 4th EditionDungeon Master's Guide 2which "saw the return of the fan-favorite setting of Sigil" which "was laid out as a full paragon-level setting. There's not much new here for old-time fans ofPlanescape,but there was onebigchange as a result ofFaction War(1998). The factions that caused much of the conflict inPlanescapeare now gone. [...] TheDungeon Master's Guide 2also contains 'A Conspiracy of Doors', the first Sigil adventure to see print in many years ".

The5th EditionPlayer's Handbook(2014) also contains a section explaining the planes and briefly mentions Sigil.There is also some information on Sigil in the 5th EditionDungeon Master's Guide(2014).In July 2022,Unearthed Arcana: Wonders of the Multiversewas released as part of theUnearthed Arcanapublic playtest series for the 5th Edition. BothPolygonandComicBookhighlighted that the newcharacter race– the Glitchling – and other references to the Planescape setting might indicate arebootof the setting for 5th Edition.Charlie Hall, forPolygon,commented that "this wouldn't be the first time that Wizards used playtest materials to tease a reboot of a classic setting".

Christian Hoffer, forComicBook,wrote that "while described as a collection of material from around the Multiverse, manyDungeons & Dragonsfans noticed that it contained multiple references to Mechanus, Sigil, the Outlands, and other areas explored in the popular Planescape setting. [...] Based on the last handful of public playtests, it appears thatDungeons & Dragonsis gearing up for some sort of multiversal book in the near future. Whether this is a true Planescape re-launch or just a book that uses the D&D cosmology remains to be seen ".

A three-volume box set titledPlanescape: Adventures in the Multiversewas released in October 2023 for 5th Edition.

Reception

ThePlanescape Campaign Settingboxed setwon the 1994Origins Award(forBest Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement) and has received critical acclaim for its unique visual aspects, especially the work of artistsTony DiTerlizzi,Robh Ruppel,andDana Knutson.Pyramidmagazine reviewerScott HaringsaidPlanescapeis "the finest game world ever produced forAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons".Haring described the writing as "wonderful", also saying that it "has got one of the most distinctive graphic looks I've seen in any game product" and that the "unusual drawings remind [him] a little ofDr. Seuss".

Trenton Webb of British RPG magazineArcanecalled Planescape "the premierAD&Dworld ", noting its hallmark as" a bizarre juxtaposition of legend and nightmare ".Game designerRick Swansaid that the originalManual of the Planeshad in a sense been "reincarnated as the Planescape setting... TSR's most ambitious campaign world to date. Abandoning the straightforward but dry approach of theManual,the Planescape set reads less like a textbook and more like a story. Characters take precedence over game systems, high adventure supplants the physics lessons ".

Curtis D. Carbonell, in the bookDread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and the Modern Fantastic,wrote: "Planescape's sophistication marked it as D&D's answer to its own simplistic medieval-European-inspired fantasy settings, [...]. Planescape channeled the Weird beforeChina Miévillebrought the 'new weird' genre into focus [...]. With Planescape, we have an attempt by an AD&D game setting to add layers of intellectual complexity to a game often driven by much more simplistic mechanism. The greatest commerce isn't loot, treasure, magic items, etc.; it is belief so strong it can shape reality ".

In a review ofThe Great Modron March,Backstabmagazine contributor Philippe Tessier called the presentation of Planescape products superb in general.

Cosmology

An artistic representation of the grand design of the Planes.

TheDungeons & Dragonscosmology as reflected inPlanescapeconsists of a number of planes, which can be divided into the following regions:

• TheInner Planes(representing planes of elemental nature, such as Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, as well as the Positive and Negative energy planes)
• TheEthereal Plane
• ThePrime Material Plane
• TheAstral Plane
• TheOuter Planes(representing alignments and the primary domains of the various deities, where their petitioners spend their afterlives)

Planescape"solidified the Great Wheel cosmology that began in 1e and would later be reinstated in 5e as the dominant of three theoretical models".

Outer Planes

The Outer Planes consist of: the Abyss, Acheron, Arborea, Arcadia, Baator, Beastlands, Bytopia, Carceri, Elysium, Gehenna, Gray Waste of Hades, Limbo, Mechanus, Mount Celestia, the Outlands, Pandemonium, and Ysgard.

Sigil

Main article:Sigil (city)

Sigil,the "City of Doors", is located atop theSpirein theOutlands.It has the shape of atorus,and the city itself is located on the inner surface of the ring. There is no sky, simply an all-pervasive light that waxes and wanes to create day and night. Sigil cannot be entered or exited save via portals. Although this makes it quite safe from any would-be invader, it also makes it a prison of sorts for those not possessing a portal key. Thus, many call Sigil "The Bird Cage" or "The Cage". Though Sigil is commonly held to be located "at the center of the planes" (where it is positioned atop the infinitely tall Spire), some argue that this is impossible since the planes areinfinitein all dimensions, and therefore there can never truly be a center to any or all of them. Curiously, from the Outlands, one can see Sigil atop the supposedly infinite Spire.

Factions

Main article:Faction (Planescape)

Within Sigil there are philosophy-derived factions. Before the event known as theFaction War,the groups controlled the political climate of Sigil. Each of these factions is based on one particular belief system; one faction's beliefs make them enemies while others make them allies. There are fifteen factions in total.

The Faction War

Main article:Faction War

In 1998, TSR publishedFaction War,an adventure that effectively closed the book on Planescape, as it was then ending the product line. The culmination of several adventures leading up to that point, the Faction War brought an end to the factions' control of the city. Instigated by the power-hungry Duke Rowan Darkwood, factol of the Fated, in a bid to dethrone the Lady and rule Sigil himself, the war spread throughout the city before the Lady of Pain, with the aid of a group of adventurers (the players' characters), intervened.

Sects

Sects are in many ways identical to the Factions, differing in that they are not based in Sigil. Sects are often highly specific to the particular planes they originate from, though historically many of the Factions were once Sects and some Sects were once Factions.

Rules

There are three principles (orheuristics) governing the world of Planescape: the Rule-of-Three, the Unity of Rings, and the Center of the Multiverse.

Rule-of-Three

The first principle, the Rule-of-Three, says simply that things tend to happen in threes.The principles which govern the planes are themselves subject to this rule.

Unity of Rings

The second principle is the Unity of Rings, and notes that many things on the planes are circular, coming back around to where they started.

Center of All

The third principle (fitting neatly into the Rule-of-Three above) is the Center of All, and states that there is a center of everything—or, rather, wherever a person happens to beisthe center of the multiverse... From their own perspective, at least. As most planes are functionally infinite, disproving anyone's centricity would be impossible. InPlanescape,this is meant philosophically just as much as it is meant in terms of multiversal geography.

The fact that anywhere could be the center of the multiverse in this view also implies that nowhere can be said to be the only absolute true center. This sparks a lot of arguments and violence since some people believe the City of Doors to be the center due to its uncommon number of portals to other planes and position in the Outlands and some factions also claim different centers, each with their own significance.

Official products

Boxed sets

• 2600Planescape Campaign Setting
• 2603Planes of Chaos
• 2607Planes of Law
• 2610A Player's Primer to the Outlands
• 2615Planes of Conflict
• 2621Hellbound: The Blood War

Miniatures

• 10–519 "Planescape Miniatures" – box includes ten miniatures (Duke Rowan, Factol Hashkar, Factol Sarin, Factol Pentar, Lord Graz'zt, Lady of Pain, Erin Montgomery, Lord Pazrael, Factol Rhys, and Karris the Indep) and a Lady of Pain badge (made from the same metal material as the miniatures, but with a pin and backing like a "tie tac" so it can be worn as a "badge" ).
• 10–520 Planescape Miniatures "Powers of Chaos" – box includes eight miniatures (Baphomet, Bast, Corellon Larethian, Gorellik, Lolth, Loki, Ygorl, and Faerie Queen of Air and Darkness).
• 10–521 Planescape Miniatures "Powers of Law" – box includes eight miniatures (Clangeddin Silverbeard, Hecate, Set, Tyr, Maglubiyet, Horus, Gruumsch, and Moradin).
• 10–522 Planescape Miniatures "Powers of Conflict" – box includes eight miniatures (Cronus the Titan, Garl Glittergold, Tefnut, Hades, Cat Lord, Hel, Skerrit, and Arawn).

Accessories

• Planescape Conspectus
• 2609In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil
• 2611The Factol's Manifesto
• 2620The Planewalker's Handbook
• 2623On Hallowed Ground
• 2624Uncaged: Faces of Sigil
• 2625A Guide to the Astral Plane
• 2630Faces of Evil: The Fiends
• 2633A Guide to the Ethereal Plane
• 2634The Inner Planes
• 2602Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix
• 2613Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II
• 2635Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III
• The Planescape Sketchbook

Adventures

• 2601The Eternal Boundary
• 2604Well of Worlds
• 2605In the Abyss
• 2606The Deva Spark
• 2608Fires of Dis
• 2614Harbinger House
• 2619Something Wild
• 2626Doors to the Unknown
• 2628The Great Modron March
• 2629Faction War
• 2631Dead Gods
• 2632Tales From the Infinite Staircase

Video game

Main article:Planescape: Torment

The setting was featured in the computer gamePlanescape: Torment,which portrayed thePlanescapeworld (specifically Sigil, theOutlands,Baator,Carceri,and theNegative Energy Plane). It is now a cult gameand was out of print until its DVD re-release as a budget title in 2009.It was released as a download onGOGin 2010 and soon became the "second most wanted game" on the site.An enhanced edition byBeamdogwas released on April 11, 2017.

Marketed as a spiritual successor toPlanescape: Torment,Torment: Tides of Numenerawas released in February 2017. The game takes inspiration from the previous game but is not itself based in the Planescape setting.

Collectible card game

Main article:Blood Wars Card Game

TSR published acollectible card gamebased on thePlanescapesetting calledBlood Wars.The game featured major locations, personalities, and features of the Planescape setting and also introduced new creatures that were added to the role playing game setting as part of subsequent products.

Novels

• Fire and Dust(1996), byJames Alan Gardner,a rejected title that the author has since published as a free online manuscript.[1]
• Pages of Pain(December 1997), byTroy Denning,(ISBN0-7869-0508-5)
• Torment(October 1999), by Ray Vallese and Valerie Vallese, (ISBN0-7869-1527-7)

  Tormentis based on an early script ofPlanescape: Torment.

Blood Wars Trilogy

• Blood Hostages(January 1996), byJ. Robert King,(ISBN0-7869-0473-9)
• Abyssal Warriors(June 1996), by J. Robert King, (ISBN0-7869-0501-8)
• Planar Powers(August 1997), by J. Robert King, (ISBN0-7869-0532-8)
  • Planar Powerswon theOrigins Awardsfor Best Game-Related Novel of 1997.

See also

• Multiverse

Further reading

• "Planescape".Backstab(in French). No. 5. September–October 1997. pp. 46–47.

External links

• PlanescapeatCurlie
• The Unity of Rings:comic including basic information on Planescape
• Planescape Survival Guide:Ongoing Planescape webcomic (since 2005)
• The Acaeum's All Things Planar:Planescape collector's product list and forums
• Planescape Collector's Guide:an expanded, reasonably comprehensive guide to products released for the Planescape setting