OUTER PLANE
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In ''Dungeons & Dragons'', the fantasy role-playing game, 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 demons, celestials and devils. Each Outer Plane is usually the physical manifestation of a particular moral and ethical alignment and the entities that dwell there often embody the traits related to that alignment.
The intangible and esoteric Outer Planes—the realms of ideals, philosophies, and gods—stand in contrast to the Inner Planes, which compose the material building blocks of reality and the realms of energy and matter.
All Outer Planes are spatially infinite but are composed of features and locations of finite scope. Many of these planes are often split in to a collection of further infinites called ''layers'', which are essentially sub-planes that represent one particular facet or theme of the plane. For example, Baator's geography is reminiscent of Hell as depicted in Dante's ''The Divine Comedy''. In addition, each layer may also contain a number of ''realms''. Each realm is the home to an individual deity, or occasionally a collection of deities.
The standard ''Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)'' cosmology contains seventeen Outer Planes. Cosmologically, they are arranged in a ring of sixteen planes with the Good-aligned planes, or ''Upper Planes'' at the top, and the Evil-aligned planes, or ''Lower Planes'' at the bottom. The Lawful planes (or Planes of Law) sit to the left, and the Chaotic planes (or Planes of Chaos) to the right. Between all of these sit the Neutral planes, or the Planes of Conflict. One further plane sits in the centre of the ring, The Outlands, being neutral in alignment. At the center of the Outlands is a ''Spire'' of infinite height; the city of Sigil floats above the Spire's pinnacle. The standard D&D cosmology is the official cosmology used in the ''Planescape'' and ''Greyhawk'' campaign settings. Many of the alternative names derive from the 1st-edition ''Manual of the Planes'' (1987, ISBN 0-88038-399-2), and portrayed in the Planescape setting as the incorrect names used by the "Clueless", or characters from the Prime Material unfamiliar with the planes.
Clockwise from "top", the planes are:
Theories of organisation of the Outer Planes vary according to culture. Nordic lands see the plane of Ysgard as dominant over all others, in accordance with the importance they ascribe the powers there. Some Oriental lands see the planes not as separate regions, but as a single mass throughout which are scattered different agencies of the Celestial Bureaucracy, with the Celestial Emperor residing on one plane, and his Minister of State on another.
★ Alternative interpretations of the planes.
The ''Forgotten Realms'' cosmology currently contains twenty-six Outer Planes, arranged in a tree-like structure around the central 'trunk' of the material plane of Toril. Unlike the Outer Planes of the standard D&D cosmology which are heavily alignment-based, the Outer Planes of the ''Forgotten Realms'' cosmology are faith-based.
The ''Eberron'' cosmology, used in the ''Eberron'' campaign setting, contains thirteen Outer Planes. They exhibit traits similar to those of the ''standard D&D cosmology'' but also some (Irian, Mabar, Fernia, and Risia) appear more like Inner Planes. The cosmology is unique in that the Outer Planes orbit around Eberron through the Astral plane. As they orbit, their overlap with the material plane changes and access to those planes may become easier or restricted.
See also Chapter 5 of the ''Eberron Campaign Setting''[1]
1. excerpt from Chapter 5 of the ''Eberron Campaign Setting''.
★ Player's Guide To Faerûn, Baker, Richard; Wyatt J., , , Wizards of the Coast, 2004, ISBN 0-7869-3134-5
★
★ Eberron Campaign Setting, Baker, Keith, , , Wizards of the Coast, 2004, ISBN 0-7869-3274-0
★ Cook, David. ''Player's Handbook'' (TSR, 1989).
★ Grubb, Jeff. ''Manual of the Planes'' (TSR, 1987).
★ Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. ''Manual of the Planes'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
★ Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. ''Deities and Demigods'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
The intangible and esoteric Outer Planes—the realms of ideals, philosophies, and gods—stand in contrast to the Inner Planes, which compose the material building blocks of reality and the realms of energy and matter.
All Outer Planes are spatially infinite but are composed of features and locations of finite scope. Many of these planes are often split in to a collection of further infinites called ''layers'', which are essentially sub-planes that represent one particular facet or theme of the plane. For example, Baator's geography is reminiscent of Hell as depicted in Dante's ''The Divine Comedy''. In addition, each layer may also contain a number of ''realms''. Each realm is the home to an individual deity, or occasionally a collection of deities.
| Contents |
| Standard D&D cosmology |
| Alternative theories |
| See also |
| Forgotten Realms cosmology |
| Eberron cosmology |
| Footnotes |
| References |
Standard D&D cosmology
The standard ''Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)'' cosmology contains seventeen Outer Planes. Cosmologically, they are arranged in a ring of sixteen planes with the Good-aligned planes, or ''Upper Planes'' at the top, and the Evil-aligned planes, or ''Lower Planes'' at the bottom. The Lawful planes (or Planes of Law) sit to the left, and the Chaotic planes (or Planes of Chaos) to the right. Between all of these sit the Neutral planes, or the Planes of Conflict. One further plane sits in the centre of the ring, The Outlands, being neutral in alignment. At the center of the Outlands is a ''Spire'' of infinite height; the city of Sigil floats above the Spire's pinnacle. The standard D&D cosmology is the official cosmology used in the ''Planescape'' and ''Greyhawk'' campaign settings. Many of the alternative names derive from the 1st-edition ''Manual of the Planes'' (1987, ISBN 0-88038-399-2), and portrayed in the Planescape setting as the incorrect names used by the "Clueless", or characters from the Prime Material unfamiliar with the planes.
Clockwise from "top", the planes are:
| Name | Alternative Name(s) | Alignment | Description | Notable native inhabitants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elysium | Blessed Fields | Neutral good | The plane of peace and unadulterated goodness. | ★ Guardinals - noble immortal humanoids with bestial features ★ Pelor - The sun-deity |
| The Beastlands | Happy Hunting Grounds | Neutral good / Chaotic good | The plane of idealized nature. | ★ Animal lords - archetypal rulers of the various animal species ★ Ehlonna - Goddess of forests |
| Arborea | Arvandor, Olympus, Olympian Glades | Chaotic good | Fey realm of passion, abundance and nature's caprice. | ★ Eladrin ★ Titans & gods of Greek mythology) ★ The Seldarine pantheon of Elven gods |
| Ysgard | Asgard, Gladsheim, Heroic Domains | Chaotic neutral / Chaotic good | The eternal battleground where true heroes prove their valor. | ★ Gods of Norse mythology ★ Kord - God of strength ★ Olidammara - God of rogues |
| Limbo | Plane of Ever-Changing Chaos | Chaotic neutral | An alien, anarchistic and unpredictable plane. | ★ Slaad - frog-like creatures ★ Githzerai - human-like monks |
| Pandemonium | Plane of Windswept Depths | Chaotic evil / Chaotic neutral | An infinite network of pitch-black catacombs, with winds that drive men mad. | ★ Erythnul - God of hate and slaughter |
| The Abyss | Plane of Infinite Layers | Chaotic evil | Evil lands of shocking perversity and unpredictable horror. | ★ Tanar'ri (Demons) - Mortal enemies of the Baatezu ★ Lolth - Spider Goddess of the Drow |
| Carceri | Tarterus, Tartarus | Neutral evil / Chaotic evil | Liars, cheats and traitors are imprisoned here by their own deceptions. | ★ Nerull - God of murder and darkness ★ Titans exiled from Olympus ★ Demodands ★ Yugoloths - presence largely confined to Othrys |
| The Gray Waste | Hades | Neutral evil | Here, all emotion and compassion is drained away, until only hopelessness, selfishness and apathy remain. | ★ Yugoloths (Daemons) ★ Tanar'ri and Baatezu fight the Blood War on this plane |
| Gehenna | Plane of Bleak Eternity | Neutral evil / Lawful evil | Volcanic realm of evil schemes and merciless cliffs. | ★ Yugoloths (Daemons) |
| Baator | Hell; The Nine Hells | Lawful evil | A realm of oppression, torment, and diabolical plots | ★ Baatezu (Devils) - mortal enemies of the Tanar'ri ★ Tiamat - The Chromatic Dragon ★ Kurtulmak - God of Kobolds |
| Acheron | The Infernal Battlefield | Lawful neutral / Lawful evil | A plane of constant, pointless war, where identity is forever lost. | ★ Gods of the goblins and orcs, such as Gruumsh and Maglubiyet ★ Wee Jas - Goddess of death and magic ★ Hextor - God of Tyranny |
| Mechanus | Nirvana | Lawful neutral | This clockwork plane is the ultimate in order; scholars and constructs live here. | ★ Modrons, orderly geometrically-shaped beings ★ Formians, warlike ant-like beings ★ Inevitables, mechanical enforcers of all law |
| Arcadia | The Land of Perfect Order, Plane of Peaceable Kingdoms | Lawful neutral / Lawful good | A peaceful place where all live in harmony; consequently, it is quite dull. | ★ Saint Cuthbert - God of Retribution and Common Sense |
| Mount Celestia | The Seven Heavens | Lawful good | Countless paladins and saints have ascended here. | ★ Angels and Devas ★ Bahamut - The Platinum Dragon ★ Heironeous - God of Valor ★ Moradin - God of Dwarves ★ Yondalla - Goddess of Halflings |
| Bytopia | Twin Paradises | Neutral good / Lawful good | Gnomes and other industrious folk dwell here. | ★ Garl Glittergold and other Gods of the Gnomes |
| The Outlands | Plane of Concordant Opposition | True Neutral | The plane between all other outer planes. | ★ Rilmani - Metallic skinned humanoids ★ Boccob - God of Magic ★ Obad-Hai - God of Nature ★ The Lady of Pain - Protector of Sigil |
Alternative theories
Theories of organisation of the Outer Planes vary according to culture. Nordic lands see the plane of Ysgard as dominant over all others, in accordance with the importance they ascribe the powers there. Some Oriental lands see the planes not as separate regions, but as a single mass throughout which are scattered different agencies of the Celestial Bureaucracy, with the Celestial Emperor residing on one plane, and his Minister of State on another.
See also
★ Alternative interpretations of the planes.
Forgotten Realms cosmology
The ''Forgotten Realms'' cosmology currently contains twenty-six Outer Planes, arranged in a tree-like structure around the central 'trunk' of the material plane of Toril. Unlike the Outer Planes of the standard D&D cosmology which are heavily alignment-based, the Outer Planes of the ''Forgotten Realms'' cosmology are faith-based.
★ The Abyss ★ Arvandor ★ The Barrens of Doom and Despair ★ Blood Rift ★ Brightwater ★ Clangor ★ Deep Caverns ★ The Demonweb Pits ★ Dragon Eyrie ★ Dwarfhome ★ Dweomerheart ★ The Fated Depths ★ Fury's Heart | ★ The Gates of the Moon ★ Golden Hills ★ Green Fields ★ Hammergrim ★ Heliopolis ★ The House of Knowledge ★ The House of Nature ★ The House of the Triad ★ Jotunheim ★ The Nine Hells ★ Nishrek ★ The Supreme Throne ★ Warrior's Rest |
Eberron cosmology
The ''Eberron'' cosmology, used in the ''Eberron'' campaign setting, contains thirteen Outer Planes. They exhibit traits similar to those of the ''standard D&D cosmology'' but also some (Irian, Mabar, Fernia, and Risia) appear more like Inner Planes. The cosmology is unique in that the Outer Planes orbit around Eberron through the Astral plane. As they orbit, their overlap with the material plane changes and access to those planes may become easier or restricted.
| Name | Alignment | Enhanced magic | Impeded magic | Coterminous / Remote / Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daanvi, the Perfect Order | Law (strong) | Lawful | Chaotic | 100 years / 100 years / 400 years |
| Dal Quor, the Region of Dreams | None | Illusion | None | never / always / off orbit |
| Dolurrh, the Realm of the Dead | None | None | All | 1 year / 1 year / 100 years |
| Fernia, the Sea of Fire | Evil | Fire | Cold | 1 month / 1 month / 5 years |
| Irian, the Eternal Day | None | Positive energy | Negative energy | 10 days / 10 days / 3 years |
| Kythri, the Churning Chaos | Chaos (strong) | Chaotic | Lawful | erratic / erratic / erratic |
| Lamannia, the Twilight Forest | None | Druidic | None | 7 days / 7 days / 1 year |
| Mabar, the Endless Night | None | Negative energy | Positive energy | 3 days / 5 days / 5 years |
| Risia, the Plain of Ice | Evil | Cold | Fire | 1 month / 1 month / 5 years |
| Shavarath, the Battleground | Varies | Weapon-related | Pacifying, charms | 1 year / unknown / 36 years |
| Syrania, the Azure Sky | Good (strong) | Good | Evil | 1 day / 1 day / 10 years |
| Thelanis, the Faerie Court | None | Arcane | None | 7 years / 14 years / 225 years |
| Xoriat, the Realm of Madness | Evil | None | None | unknown / unknown / millennia |
See also Chapter 5 of the ''Eberron Campaign Setting''[1]
Footnotes
1. excerpt from Chapter 5 of the ''Eberron Campaign Setting''.
References
★ Player's Guide To Faerûn, Baker, Richard; Wyatt J., , , Wizards of the Coast, 2004, ISBN 0-7869-3134-5
★
★ Eberron Campaign Setting, Baker, Keith, , , Wizards of the Coast, 2004, ISBN 0-7869-3274-0
★ Cook, David. ''Player's Handbook'' (TSR, 1989).
★ Grubb, Jeff. ''Manual of the Planes'' (TSR, 1987).
★ Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. ''Manual of the Planes'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
★ Redman, Rich, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. ''Deities and Demigods'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
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