Misplaced Pages

#96903

63-867: It contains updates for the 3.5 edition of the fictional Dungeons & Dragons universe for some material from the Planescape campaign setting, along with new races, equipment, spells and feats for characters adventuring on the Planes . The Planar Handbook was written by Bruce R. Cordell and Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel , and was published in July 2004. Cover art was by Matt Cavotta , with interior art by Brent Chumley , Emily Fiegenschuh , David Hudnut , Dana Knutson , Doug Kovacs , David Martin , Dennis Crabapple-Martin , James Pavelec , Steve Prescott , Vinod Rams , and David Roach . Bruce Cordell admitted that "the Planar Handbook

126-506: A solution space . The heuristic is derived by using some function that is put into the system by the designer, or by adjusting the weight of branches based on how likely each branch is to lead to a goal node . Heuristics refers to the cognitive shortcuts that individuals use to simplify decision-making processes in economic situations. Behavioral economics is a field that integrates insights from psychology and economics to better understand how people make decisions. Anchoring and adjustment

189-462: A text that Polya dubs Heuristic . Pappus' heuristic problem-solving methods consist of analysis and synthesis . The study of heuristics in human decision-making was developed in the 1970s and the 1980s, by the psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman , although the concept had been originally introduced by the Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon . Simon's original primary object of research

252-528: A Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement . The setting was featured in the computer game Planescape: Torment , which portrayed the Planescape world (specifically Sigil, the Outlands , Baator , Carceri , and the Negative Energy Plane ). It is now a cult game and was out of print until its DVD re-release as a budget title in 2009. It was released as a download on GOG.com in 2010 and soon became

315-466: A cognitive style "heuristic versus algorithmic thinking", which can be assessed by means of a validated questionnaire . The adaptive toolbox contains strategies for fabricating heuristic devices. The core mental capacities are recall (memory) , frequency , object permanence , and imitation . Gerd Gigerenzer and his research group argued that models of heuristics need to be formal to allow for predictions of behavior that can be tested. They study

378-480: 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 of The Great Modron March , Backstab magazine contributor Philippe Tessier called the presentation of Planescape products superb in general. In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground , RPG historian Stu Horvath noted, "If there

441-405: A larger experiential processing system that is often adaptive, but vulnerable to error in situations that require logical analysis. In 2002, Daniel Kahneman and Shane Frederick proposed that cognitive heuristics work by a process called attribute substitution , which happens without conscious awareness. According to this theory, when somebody makes a judgement (of a "target attribute") that

504-411: A mental shortcut to assess everything from the social status of a person (based on their actions), to classifying a plant as a tree based on it being tall, having a trunk, and that it has leaves (even though the person making the evaluation might never have seen that particular type of tree before). Stereotypes, as first described by journalist Walter Lippmann in his book Public Opinion (1922), are

567-507: Is "the finest game world ever produced for Advanced 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 of Dr. Seuss ". Trenton Webb of British RPG magazine Arcane called Planescape "the premier AD&D world", noting its hallmark as "a bizarre juxtaposition of legend and nightmare". Game designer Rick Swan said that

630-508: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Planescape Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , designed by Zeb Cook , and published by TSR in 1994. Planescape encompasses numerous planes of existence , creating an entire cosmology called the Great Wheel, which was originally developed in the 1987 Manual of

693-472: Is a problem with Planescape , it would be its vast strangeness. There's a lot to explain and not nearly enough space to fit it all in." However, Horvath lauded the artwork, saying, "The art picks up where the words leave off. Planescape is the apex of the aesthetic-driven, high-concept Dungeons & Dragons setting. Dana Knutson developed all of the concept artwork for the setting, which Robh Ruppel turned into covers, and Tony DiTerlizzi used to fill out

SECTION 10

#1732856214097

756-405: Is also often used as a noun to describe a rule of thumb , procedure, or method. Philosophers of science have emphasised the importance of heuristics in creative thought and the construction of scientific theories. Seminal works include Karl Popper 's The Logic of Scientific Discovery and others by Imre Lakatos , Lindley Darden , and William C. Wimsatt . In legal theory , especially in

819-431: Is ambitiously titled, which means we had to be selective in covering only those things we believed would be most useful to plane-venturing players. Essentially, after a few concept meetings involving the designers, as well as other Wizards staff members, the lead designer for the project (me) put together an outline of topics and divvied up the work among all the assigned designers." This Dungeons & Dragons article

882-419: Is any approach to problem solving that employs a pragmatic method that is not fully optimized , perfected, or rationalized , but is nevertheless "good enough" as an approximation or attribute substitution . Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution. Heuristics can be mental shortcuts that ease

945-530: Is based on the key term: Justification (epistemology) . One-reason decisions are algorithms that are made of three rules: search rules, confirmation rules (stopping), and decision rules A class that's function is to determine and filter out superfluous things. Tracking heuristics is a class of heuristics. Social heuristics  – Decision-making processes in social environments George Polya studied and published on heuristics in 1945. Polya (1945) cites Pappus of Alexandria as having written

1008-421: Is computationally complex, a more easily calculated "heuristic attribute" is substituted. In effect, a cognitively difficult problem is dealt with by answering a rather simpler problem, without being aware of this happening. This theory explains cases where judgements fail to show regression toward the mean . Heuristics can be considered to reduce the complexity of clinical judgments in health care. A heuristic

1071-461: 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

1134-403: Is one of the most extensively researched heuristics in behavioural economics. Anchoring is the tendency of people to make future judgements or conclusions based too heavily on the original information supplied to them. This initial knowledge functions as an anchor, and it can influence future judgements even if the anchor is entirely unrelated to the decisions at hand. Adjustment, on the other hand,

1197-464: Is stored in the memory . Heuristics are inherently phenomenological, e.g., I and Thou . A heuristic device is used when an entity X exists to enable understanding of, or knowledge concerning, some other entity Y . A good example is a model that, as it is never identical with what it models , is a heuristic device to enable understanding of what it models. Stories, metaphors, etc., can also be termed heuristic in this sense. A classic example

1260-452: Is sufficiently mature for society to trust them with that kind of responsibility. Some proposed changes, however, have included the completion of an alcohol education course rather than the attainment of 21 years of age as the criterion for legal alcohol possession. This would put youth alcohol policy more on a case-by-case basis and less on a heuristic one, since the completion of such a course would presumably be voluntary and not uniform across

1323-566: Is the notion of utopia as described in Plato 's best-known work, The Republic . This means that the "ideal city" as depicted in The Republic is not given as something to be pursued, or to present an orientation-point for development. Rather, it shows how things would have to be connected, and how one thing would lead to another (often with highly problematic results), if one opted for certain principles and carried them through rigorously. Heuristic

SECTION 20

#1732856214097

1386-625: Is the process through which individuals make gradual changes to their initial judgements or conclusions. Anchoring and adjustment has been observed in a wide range of decision-making contexts, including financial decision-making, consumer behavior, and negotiation. Researchers have identified a number of strategies that can be used to mitigate the effects of anchoring and adjustment, including providing multiple anchors, encouraging individuals to generate alternative anchors, and providing cognitive prompts to encourage more deliberative decision-making. Other heuristics studied in behavioral economics include

1449-926: Is trial and error, which can be used in everything from matching nuts and bolts to finding the values of variables in algebra problems. In mathematics, some common heuristics involve the use of visual representations, additional assumptions, forward/backward reasoning and simplification. Dual process theory concerns embodied heuristics . In psychology , heuristics are simple, efficient rules, either learned or inculcated by evolutionary processes. These psychological heuristics have been proposed to explain how people make decisions, come to judgements, and solve problems. These rules typically come into play when people face complex problems or incomplete information. Researchers employ various methods to test whether people use these rules. The rules have been shown to work well under most circumstances, but in certain cases can lead to systematic errors or cognitive biases . Lakatosian heuristics

1512-570: Is under uncertainty, heuristics can achieve higher accuracy with lower effort. This finding, known as a less-is-more effect , would not have been found without formal models. The valuable insight of this program is that heuristics are effective not despite their simplicity – but because of it. Furthermore, Gigerenzer and Wolfgang Gaissmaier found that both individuals and organisations rely on heuristics in an adaptive way. Heuristics, through greater refinement and research, have begun to be applied to other theories, or be explained by them. For example,

1575-584: The Planes of Chaos (by Wolfgang Baur and Lester W. Smith ), the Planes of Law (by Colin McComb and Baur), and the Planes of Conflict (by McComb and Dale Donovan ). From 1994 to 1998, " Planescape was a major setting" for Dungeons & Dragons . The setting also had a small number of novels. Upon the release of 3rd Edition, Planescape, along with most other settings, were discontinued, although fan sites such as planewalker.com were allowed to continue to use

1638-503: The Faction 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. In 1998, TSR published Faction 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,

1701-526: The Manual of the Planes because 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 of Piranesi 's Le Carceri etchings, and Brian Froud 's illustrations and surrealist art", and Dana Knutson

1764-405: The anchoring effect and utility maximization problem . These strategies depend on using readily accessible, though loosely applicable, information to control problem solving in human beings, machines and abstract issues. When an individual applies a heuristic in practice, it generally performs as expected. However it can alternatively create systematic errors. The most fundamental heuristic

1827-440: The cognitive load of making a decision . Heuristic reasoning is often based on induction , or on analogy   ... Induction is the process of discovering general laws   ... Induction tries to find regularity and coherence   ... Its most conspicuous instruments are generalization , specialization , analogy.   [...] Heuristic discusses human behavior in the face of problems [... that have been] preserved in

1890-442: The cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST) is also an adaptive view of heuristic processing. CEST breaks down two systems that process information. At some times, roughly speaking, individuals consider issues rationally, systematically, logically, deliberately, effortfully, and verbally. On other occasions, individuals consider issues intuitively, effortlessly, globally, and emotionally. From this perspective, heuristics are part of

1953-426: The recognition heuristic , the take-the-best heuristic and fast-and-frugal trees – have been shown to be effective in predictions, particularly in situations of uncertainty. It is often said that heuristics trade accuracy for effort but this is only the case in situations of risk. Risk refers to situations where all possible actions, their outcomes and probabilities are known. In the absence of this information, that

Planar Handbook - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-472: The representativeness heuristic , which refers to the tendency of individuals to categorize objects or events based on how similar they are to typical examples, and the availability heuristic , which refers to the tendency of individuals to judge the likelihood of an event based on how easily it comes to mind. Stereotyping is a type of heuristic that people use to form opinions or make judgements about things they have never seen or experienced. They work as

2079-500: The wisdom of proverbs . Gigerenzer & Gaissmaier (2011) state that sub-sets of strategy include heuristics , regression analysis , and Bayesian inference . A heuristic is a strategy that ignores part of the information, with the goal of making decisions more quickly, frugally, and/or accurately than more complex methods (Gigerenzer and Gaissmaier [2011], p. 454; see also Todd et al. [2012], p. 7). Heuristics are strategies based on rules to generate optimal decisions , like

2142-603: The "second most wanted game" on the site. An enhanced edition by Beamdog was released on April 11, 2017. Marketed as a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment , Torment: Tides of Numenera was released in February 2017. The game takes inspiration from the previous game but is not itself based in the Planescape setting. TSR published a collectible card game based on the Planescape setting called Blood Wars . The game featured major locations, personalities, and features of

2205-515: The 3e era", it "was faring better in 4e, despite the large-scale restructuring of D&D's cosmology" due to small inclusions in the Dungeon Master's Guide (2008) and Manual of the Planes . Appelcline highlighted that it was the 4th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide 2 which "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 of Planescape , but there

2268-633: The 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide (2014). In July 2022, Unearthed Arcana: Wonders of the Multiverse was released as part of the Unearthed Arcana public playtest series for the 5th Edition. Both Polygon and ComicBook.com highlighted that the new character race – the Glitchling – and other references to the Planescape setting might indicate a reboot of the setting for 5th Edition. Charlie Hall, for Polygon , commented that "this wouldn't be

2331-616: The Deep North , and for fun at "Bad Movie Nights", watched such films as Naked Lunch and Wolf Devil Woman . Cook came up with the idea that all of the activity in Sigil would revolve around factions , 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

2394-715: 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 are in many ways identical to the Factions, differing in that they are not based in Sigil. Sects are often highly specific to

2457-519: The Outlands and some factions also claim different centers, each with their own significance. Planescape is an expansion of ideas presented in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide (First Edition) and the original Manual of the Planes . When Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition was published, a decision was made not to include angelic or demonic creatures, and so

2520-407: The Planes by Jeff Grubb . This includes many of the other Dungeons & Dragons worlds, linking them via inter-dimensional magical portals. The Dungeons & Dragons cosmology as reflected in Planescape consists of a number of planes, which can be divided into the following regions: Planescape "solidified the Great Wheel cosmology that began in 1e and would later be reinstated in 5e as

2583-1523: The Planescape setting and also introduced new creatures that were added to the role playing game setting as part of subsequent products. Heuristics Collective intelligence Collective action Self-organized criticality Herd mentality Phase transition Agent-based modelling Synchronization Ant colony optimization Particle swarm optimization Swarm behaviour Social network analysis Small-world networks Centrality Motifs Graph theory Scaling Robustness Systems biology Dynamic networks Evolutionary computation Genetic algorithms Genetic programming Artificial life Machine learning Evolutionary developmental biology Artificial intelligence Evolutionary robotics Reaction–diffusion systems Partial differential equations Dissipative structures Percolation Cellular automata Spatial ecology Self-replication Conversation theory Entropy Feedback Goal-oriented Homeostasis Information theory Operationalization Second-order cybernetics Self-reference System dynamics Systems science Systems thinking Sensemaking Variety Ordinary differential equations Phase space Attractors Population dynamics Chaos Multistability Bifurcation Rational choice theory Bounded rationality A heuristic or heuristic technique ( problem solving , mental shortcut , rule of thumb )

Planar Handbook - Misplaced Pages Continue

2646-513: The United States the legal drinking age for unsupervised persons is 21 years, because it is argued that people need to be mature enough to make decisions involving the risks of alcohol consumption. However, assuming people mature at different rates, the specific age of 21 would be too late for some and too early for others. In this case, the somewhat arbitrary delineation is used because it is impossible or impractical to tell whether an individual

2709-405: The United States, the length of this temporary monopoly is 20 years from the date the patent application was filed, though the monopoly does not actually begin until the application has matured into a patent. However, like the drinking age problem above, the specific length of time would need to be different for every product to be efficient. A 20-year term is used because it is difficult to tell what

2772-537: The book Dread 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 before China Miéville brought 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

2835-403: The center of the planes" (where it is positioned atop the infinitely tall Spire), some argue that this is impossible since the planes are infinite in 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. Within Sigil there are philosophy-derived factions. Before the event known as

2898-402: The cosmology was largely ignored. However, fan demand for a 2nd Edition Manual of the Planes was strong enough to justify its expansion into a full-fledged campaign setting , and so in 1994 Planescape was released. David "Zeb" Cook developed 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

2961-501: The dominant of three theoretical models". 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 , the "City of Doors", is located atop the Spire in the Outlands . It has the shape of a torus , and the city itself is located on

3024-446: The fast and frugal heuristics in the "adaptive toolbox" of individuals or institutions, and the ecological rationality of these heuristics; that is, the conditions under which a given heuristic is likely to be successful. The descriptive study of the "adaptive toolbox" is done by observation and experiment, while the prescriptive study of ecological rationality requires mathematical analysis and computer simulation. Heuristics – such as

3087-408: The first time that Wizards used playtest materials to tease a reboot of a classic setting". Christian Hoffer, for ComicBook.com , wrote that "while described as a collection of material from around the Multiverse, many Dungeons & Dragons fans noticed that it contained multiple references to Mechanus, Sigil, the Outlands, and other areas explored in the popular Planescape setting. [...] Based on

3150-411: 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

3213-431: The interiors." Horvath concluded, " Planescape often feels built for something besides conflict — the art, the philosophy, and the infinite reaches encourage exploration in a way few other D&D settings do: Characters are encouraged to just walk off into the multiverse until they find something to wonder at." The Planescape Campaign Setting boxed set won the 1994 Origins Award for Best Graphic Presentation of

SECTION 50

#1732856214097

3276-541: The last handful of public playtests, it appears that Dungeons & Dragons is 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 titled Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse was released in October 2023 for 5th Edition. Pyramid magazine reviewer Scott Haring said Planescape

3339-633: The material and update it to the new edition. The 3rd Edition Manual of the Planes (2001), the 3.5 Edition Dungeon Master's Guide (2003), and the Planar 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 edition Manual of the Planes (2008) and expanded upon in Dungeon Master's Guide 2 (2009). Shannon Appelcline, author of Designers & Dragons , commented that while Sigil "had been largely ignored during

3402-447: The number should be for any individual patent. More recently, some, including University of North Dakota law professor Eric E. Johnson, have argued that patents in different kinds of industries – such as software patents – should be protected for different lengths of time. The bias–variance tradeoff gives insight into describing the less-is-more strategy. A heuristic can be used in artificial intelligence systems while searching

3465-467: The old Manual of the Planes as 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 to Pere Ubu , Philip Glass and Alexander Nevsky , read The Dictionary of the Khazars , Einstein's Dreams , and The Narrow Road to

3528-400: The original Manual of the Planes had in a sense been "reincarnated as the Planescape setting ... TSR's most ambitious campaign world to date. Abandoning the straightforward but dry approach of the Manual , 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

3591-564: The particular planes they originate from, though historically many of the Factions were once Sects and some Sects were once Factions. There are three principles (or heuristics ) governing the world of Planescape: the Rule-of-Three, the Unity of Rings, and the Center of the Multiverse. The first principle, the Rule-of-Three, says simply that things tend to happen in threes. The principles which govern

3654-563: The planes are themselves subject to this rule. 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. 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 be is the center of the multiverse... From their own perspective, at least. As most planes are functionally infinite, disproving anyone's centricity would be impossible. In Planescape , this

3717-399: The population. The same reasoning applies to patent law . Patents are justified on the grounds that inventors must be protected so they have incentive to invent. It is therefore argued that it is in society's best interest that inventors receive a temporary government-granted monopoly on their idea, so that they can recoup investment costs and make economic profit for a limited period. In

3780-438: The theory of law and economics , heuristics are used in the law when case-by-case analysis would be impractical, insofar as "practicality" is defined by the interests of a governing body. The present securities regulation regime largely assumes that all investors act as perfectly rational persons. In truth, actual investors face cognitive limitations from biases, heuristics, and framing effects. For instance, in all states in

3843-470: Was 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". The Planescape Campaign Setting was released, for AD&D 2nd Edition, in April 1994. The campaign setting was followed by a series of expansions detailing

SECTION 60

#1732856214097

3906-430: Was one big change as a result of Faction War (1998). The factions that caused much of the conflict in Planescape are now gone. [...] The Dungeon Master's Guide 2 also contains 'A Conspiracy of Doors', the first Sigil adventure to see print in many years". The 5th Edition Player's Handbook (2014) also contains a section explaining the planes and briefly mentions Sigil. There is also some information on Sigil in

3969-475: Was problem solving that showed that we operate within what he calls bounded rationality . He coined the term satisficing , which denotes a situation in which people seek solutions, or accept choices or judgements, that are "good enough" for their purposes although they could be optimised. Rudolf Groner analysed the history of heuristics from its roots in ancient Greece up to contemporary work in cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence , proposing

#96903