102-405: In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons , 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 their servants such as demons , celestials and devils . Each Outer Plane is usually the physical manifestation of
204-656: A fantastic (as opposed to scientific ) outer space environment. Subsequent editions have included Spelljammer content; a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition setting update was released on August 16, 2022. Spelljammer introduced into the AD&;D universe a comprehensive system of fantasy astrophysics , including the Ptolemaic concept of crystal spheres. Crystal spheres may contain multiple worlds and are navigable using ships equipped with "spelljamming helms". Ships powered by spelljamming helms are capable of flying into not only
306-459: A GM describes the game world and its inhabitants. The other players describe the intended actions of their characters, and the GM describes the outcomes. Some outcomes are determined by the game system, and some are chosen by the GM. This is the format in which role-playing games were first popularized. In contrast, many indie role-playing games experiment with different structures of play, such as sharing
408-517: A GM role through a visual interface called a GM toolkit , albeit with abilities limited by the available technology. Another standard concept in RPGs is the player character, a character in the fictional world of the game whose actions the player controls. Typically each player controls a separate player character, sometimes more, each of whom acts as a protagonist in the story. In contrast to player characters, non-player characters (NPCs) are controlled by
510-452: A campaign world that's completely different from all of the ones we have....' Carbonell called the 1994 Planescape campaign setting "the most complex example of the multiverse created during the varieties of 2e's AD&D settings" and wrote: "A more nuanced and sophisticated attempt at harmonization, Planescape provided an alternate way to travel between the planes than Spelljammer's science-fantasy-oriented approach". The 3rd edition Manual of
612-506: A chapter with a sample map of a crashed Spelljamming vessel, cultural habits of the neogi, and the monster's stat blocks. A Spelljammer homage appears in the 4th edition Manual of the Planes ; the sourcebook highlights Spelljammer ships as one method of traveling between planes and provides information for in-game use of Spelljammer vessels. Spelljammer content also appears in the 5th Edition adventure module Waterdeep: Dungeon of
714-486: 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, and occasionally a collection of deities. The Outer Planes were presented for
816-478: A critical review of Planes of Chaos for White Wolf Inphobia magazine, Keith H. Eisenbeis described the danger of adventuring in planes such as the Abyss, especially for low- and mid-level characters: "Sure, it's possible to design a situation in which first-level characters can accomplish something important and survive in the Abyss, but the immensity and power of the planes is undermined. In addition, on planes such as
918-448: A crystal sphere by any known means up to and including the direct will of deities. Every crystal sphere floats in the phlogiston, very slowly bobbing up and down over time. Travel between Crystal Spheres is facilitated by the formation of "Flow rivers" — sections of the phlogiston which have a current and greatly reduce travel time. Travel through the "slow flow" (i.e. off the Flow rivers)
1020-434: A crystal sphere. Portals can spontaneously open and close anywhere on the sphere wall. Magical spells (or magical items that reproduce their effects) can allow a portal to be located. Other magic can open a new portal or collapse an existing one. Ships or creatures passing through a portal when it closes may be cut in two. Note that unlike the Ptolemaic system , the crystal spheres are not nested within each other. Wildspace
1122-672: A few minutes. The plane known as Olympus was mentioned for the first time by name in the article "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&;D", in The Dragon #8, released July 1977. The plane was mentioned again in an appendix of the known planes of existence in the original (1st edition) AD&D Players Handbook , published in June 1978, where it was described as "The planes of Olympus of absolute good chaotics". The eladrin , powerful elf -like celestial creatures are
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#17330859794981224-520: A force equal to the standard gravitational attraction on the surface of an Earth-sized planetary body. Gravity in the Spelljammer universe is also an exceptionally convenient force, and almost always works such that "down" orients itself in a manner most humanoids would find sensible. All bodies of any size carry with them an envelope of air whenever they leave the surface of a planet or other stellar object. Unlike real-world astrophysics, this air envelope
1326-411: A form of interactive and collaborative storytelling . Events, characters, and narrative structure give a sense of a narrative experience, and the game need not have a strongly-defined storyline. Interactivity is the crucial difference between role-playing games and traditional fiction. Whereas a viewer of a television show is a passive observer, a player in a role-playing game makes choices that affect
1428-732: A lieutenant of Satan, was made the Prince of Possessors, and remained in that position throughout these various changes in the administration in Hell. The Beastlands (more properly, the Wilderness of the Beastlands , formerly the Happy Hunting Grounds in early versions of the game) is a neutral (chaotic) good -aligned plane of existence. Role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game , or abbreviated as RPG )
1530-464: A logical and calculating nature. The plane itself is composed of nine different layers, each of which models a differing but no less inhospitable and dreadful environment, from barren plains of ash and rock to frozen wastes of endless ice. The nine layers in order are Avernus, Dis, Minauros, Phlegethos, Stygia, Malbolge, Maladomini, Cania and Nessus. The plane known as the Nine Hells was mentioned for
1632-556: A loosely defined genre of computer and console games with origins in role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons , on which they base much of their terminology, settings, and game mechanics. This translation changes the experience of the game, providing a visual representation of the world but emphasizing statistical character development over collaborative, interactive storytelling. Online text-based role-playing games involve many players using some type of text-based interface and an Internet connection to play an RPG. Games played in
1734-410: A mythology has developed about the ship that is similar to the legends surrounding The Flying Dutchman . As a living thing (although it does not consume any matter, it does absorb heat and light through its ventral (or under) side and uses them to produce air and food for its inhabitants), the Spelljammer has a complex life cycle and means of procreation. Normally the ship has no captain and wanders
1836-436: A number of boxed sets and accessories such as Lost Ships (1990), Realmspace (1991) and The Astromundi Cluster (1993). Appelcline commented that The Astromundi Cluster acted as "a soft reboot of the Spelljammer line" and was more of setting focused sourcebook than previous Spelljammer books which acted more "as a conduit between all of the other AD&D settings". The first adventure module, titled Wildspace ,
1938-555: 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 into
2040-623: A plane but maintain their own space. Mount Celestia, for example, houses both Heironeous from Greyhawk and Torm from the Forgotten Realms". Many of the alternative names derive from the 1st-edition Manual of the Planes (1987), and the in-game explanation given in the Planescape setting is that these names are used by the "Clueless", or characters from the Prime Material unfamiliar with the planes. The 4th Edition World Axis model outlines that
2142-411: A real-time way include MUDs , MUSHes , and other varieties of MU* . Games played in a turn-based fashion include play-by-mail games and play-by-post games . Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) combine the large-scale social interaction and persistent world of MUDs with graphic interfaces. Most MMORPGs do not actively promote in-character role-playing, however, players can use
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#17330859794982244-745: A role-playing game will generate specific characters and an ongoing plot. A consistent system of rules and a more or less realistic campaign setting in games aids suspension of disbelief . The level of realism in games ranges from just enough internal consistency to set up a believable story or credible challenge up to full-blown simulations of real-world processes. Tabletop role-playing games may also be used in therapy settings to help individuals develop behavioral, social, and even language skills. Beneficiaries commonly include young people with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder ( ADHD ), and dyslexia . Role-playing games are played in
2346-531: A separate article for The Gamer , in February 2022, Paul DiSalvo commented that "while D&D's second edition was home to a wide range of Spelljammer books including several adventure modules, the setting has since faded into obscurity, with it not being prominently featured within the game's third, fourth, and fifth editions". In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground , RPG historian Stu Horvath called
2448-452: A separate plane in the third edition Forgotten Realms cosmology is located on Arvandor. Four goddesses have domains here, including Lliira , Sharess , Sune , and Tymora . The actual realm of Olympus is found here, and is home to many deities of the Greek pantheon, including Zeus , Aphrodite , Apollo , Ares , Artemis , Athena , Demeter , Dionysus , Hephaestus , Hera , Hermes , and
2550-626: A way to travel between different campaign settings; it's a simultaneous fulfillment of sci-fi and fantasy dreams of exploration, venturing deep into unknown depths and contending with the strange and otherworldly". Spelljammer was #3 on The Gamer 's 2022 "The 8 Best Dungeons & Dragons Settings Ever" list — the article states that "Spelljammer is one of the most unique settings on this list, with endless possibilities brought up in its planet-hopping realms. The Spelljammer setting can almost best be surmised as 'pirates meets sci-fi fantasy' with its blend of magical worlds and galaxy-traversing galleons". In
2652-482: A wide variety of formats, ranging from discussing character interaction in tabletop form, physically acting out characters in LARP to playing characters virtually in digital media. There is also a great variety of systems of rules and game settings . Games that emphasize plot and character interaction over game mechanics and combat sometimes prefer the name storytelling game . These types of games tend to reduce or eliminate
2754-587: Is a lawful neutral / lawful evil –aligned plane of existence. Arborea or more fully, the Olympian Glades of Arborea, is a chaotic good -aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape , Greyhawk and some editions of the Forgotten Realms campaign settings . Arborea
2856-465: Is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting . Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines . There are several forms of role-playing games. The original form, sometimes called
2958-431: Is also present. Shannon Appelcline, in the book Designers & Dragons (2011), highlighted that in 1989 Spelljammer was the first of a host of new campaign settings published by TSR. It was created by Jeff Grubb and "introduced a universe of magical starships traversing the 'crystal spheres' that contained all the earthbound AD&D campaign worlds. It suggested a method to connect together all of TSR's settings and at
3060-531: Is also referred to as "Olympus" or "Arvandor", though technically those names describe separate realms within the plane. Arborea is stylised as a peaceful plane of natural beauty with a multitude of thriving environments. Much of the plane is dominated by vast tall forests, but also includes glades of wildflowers and fields of grain. As a plane that also embodies chaos, it has a wild and often sudden nature. The weather can change drastically at short notice, changing from warm sunshine to raging winds and back again in just
3162-403: Is not dispersed by the vacuum of space. These bubbles of air provide breathable atmosphere for varying lengths of time, but 3 months is considered "standard". A crystal sphere (also known as a crystal shell) is a gigantic spherical shell which contains an entire planetary system . Each sphere varies in size but typically they are twice the diameter of the orbit of the planet that is farthest from
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3264-764: Is outlined in the Great Wheel model where the Outer Planes 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. Depictions usually display the Lawful planes (or Planes of Law) to the left, and the Chaotic planes (or Planes of Chaos) to the right. Between all of these sit the Neutral planes, or
3366-700: Is possible, but very dangerous. The Spelljammer is a legendary ship which looks like a gigantic manta ray , and houses an entire city on its back. All spacefarers (people who live in wildspace) have heard of the Spelljammer but very few have ever seen it themselves. It is this ship that gives its name to "spelljamming", "spelljamming helms" and anything else connected with spelljamming. The ship has been reported to have been seen in countless spheres for as long as records go back. Even some groundlings (people who live on planets that have very little or no commerce with spelljamming communities) have legends about it. There are hundreds of conflicting legends about this ship, and
3468-403: Is similar to the outer space of science fiction, with planets, asteroids and stars, but with different physics. Gravity is either none or the same as that of Earth, and is directed towards the center of planet-sized bodies; on large objects in space like spacecraft and enormous creatures gravity is directed towards a flat plane running through the object's long axis, allowing characters to stand on
3570-422: Is still used in 5e, with some changes that provide minor rearrangements and clarifications [...]. Grubb's approach demonstrated a need to codify, while still remaining flexible, that has remained as a primary aim of the latest edition". Carbonell also highlighted that the 1989 Spelljammer campaign setting added cosmology that "allowed travel between the different settings" such as Dragonlance , Greyhawk , and
3672-409: Is the role of a gamemaster, a participant who has special duties to present the fictional setting, arbitrate the results of character actions, and maintain the narrative flow. In tabletop and live-action RPGs the GM performs these duties in person. In video RPGs, many of the functions of a GM are fulfilled by the game engine . However, some multi-player video RPGs also allow for a participant to take on
3774-574: The Forgotten Realms . However, campaign settings such as Dark Sun and Ravenloft were inaccessible in this cosmology. Then in 1993, TSR wanted to do a series of books about the Outer Planes. Zeb Cook, creator of the Planescape universe, describes it this way: So there was this huge collection of over ten years of stuff that was just kind of quietly ignored with no sense of logic to it, and we figured that 'Oh, we don't need to explain it—it's enough to say "It came from The Outer Planes. " ' So [one of
3876-487: The Abyss . The Eberron cosmology, used in the original Eberron campaign setting , contained thirteen Outer Planes in 3rd edition, and gained at least two for 4th edition under the new cosmology. 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 was unique in that the Outer Planes orbited around Eberron through
3978-772: The Astral plane . As they orbited, their overlap with the material plane changed and access to those planes became easier or restricted. Like most other D&D campaign settings, in 3rd edition D&D Eberron has a number of planes . Besides the Prime Material Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the Plane of Shadow, and the Astral Plane, the Eberron Campaign Setting has thirteen relatively unique planes. Gates or portals to any of
4080-476: The Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells , is a lawful evil –aligned plane of existence . Baator is stylised as a plane of sinister evil and cruelty. The different types of devils that dwell here obey a strict hierarchical caste -like social structure. Each continually plots to advance their position through treachery and deception. Unlike the demons of the Abyss , the devils are highly organized, with
4182-644: The Player's Handbook included an abstract diagram of the planes, and mentioned the same 16 Outer Planes: the Seven Heavens of absolute lawful good, the Twin Paradises of neutral good lawfuls, the planes of Elysium of absolute neutral good, the Happy Hunting Grounds of neutral good chaotics, the planes of Olympus of good chaotics, the planes of Gladsheim (Asgard, Valhalla, Vanaheim, etc.) of chaotic good neutrals,
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4284-719: The Spelljammer setting. Both Polygon and Bleeding Cool highlighted that this playtest could indicate a future Spelljammer reboot . Wizards of the Coast released a new boxed set titled Spelljammer: Adventures in Space on August 16, 2022; this release updates the Spelljammer setting for the 5th Edition. The box set includes a Dungeon Master's screen, a double-sided poster map and three 64-page hardcover books: Astral Adventurer's Guide (a Dungeon Master guide), Boo's Astral Menagerie (a bestiary), and Light of Xaryxis (an adventure module). A special edition, with cover art by Hydro74,
4386-664: The Spelljammer Boxed Set - Realmspace for the Forgotten Realms , Krynnspace for Dragonlance , and Greyspace for Greyhawk . Along with the new sphere - Clusterspace - they were known as the "Big Three and Astromundi". Dark Sun , Ravenloft and Mystara weren't included, as the first two did not fit with the setting and the Mystara only used the D&D rules, not the AD&;D rules. The product line would be expanded with
4488-470: The Thri-kreen insectoids, and bumbling tinker gnomes . Illithids were another major race, but were presented as more mercantile and less overtly evil than in other D&D settings. The Monstrous Compendium series added many more minor races. The simian Hadozee were also introduced into the setting, and later incorporated into the 3.5 rules in the supplemental book Stormwrack . Spelljammer has acted as
4590-465: The retronyms tabletop role-playing game or pen and paper role-playing game are sometimes used, though neither a table nor pen and paper are strictly necessary. A LARP is played more like improvisational theatre . Participants act out their characters' actions instead of describing them, and the real environment is used to represent the imaginary setting of the game world. Players are often costumed as their characters and use appropriate props, and
4692-405: The tabletop role-playing game (TRPG or TTRPG), is conducted through discussion, whereas in live action role-playing (LARP), players physically perform their characters' actions. Both forms feature collaborative storytelling . In both TTRPGs and LARPs, often an arranger called a game master (GM) decides on the game system and setting to be used, while acting as a facilitator or referee. Each of
4794-490: The "plane of ultimate Chaos (entropy)", and the Nine Hells, Hades' three glooms, and the 666 layers of the Abyss as "Typical lower planes". Other Outer Planes mentioned by name in the article include the Happy Hunting Grounds, Olympus, Gladsheim, Pandemonium, Tarterus, Gehenna, Acheron, and Arcadia. The Outer Planes were further "refined in the Players Handbook (1978) and Deities & Demigods (1980)". The appendix of
4896-469: The Abyss, negotiating with evil creatures is frequently necessary, possibly making these planes useful to only neutral and evil characters." Ken Denmead of Wired described a number of aspects of the Abyss as psychedelic, calling the doors on one layer of the Abyss similar to the "loony corridor scene from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band ." Acheron ( / ˈ æ tʃ ər ə n / ATCH -ər-ən ), also known as The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron ,
4998-453: The January 1990 edition of Games International (issue #12), James Wallis was not a fan of the initial release, Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space , finding inconsistencies in the combat rules, saying that the cumulative effect of these inconsistencies is to make space combat unplayable. He did find the background "imaginative and consistent", but very little of it. Although he admired
5100-610: The Mad Mage (2018). In the adventure, a spelljamming ship and its illithid captain appear stranded in level 19 of the titular dungeon. Then in October 2021, Wizards released the PDF Travelers of the Multiverse which is part of the " Unearthed Arcana " public playtest series. Of the six player races it included, four races (autognome, giff, hadozee, and plasmoid) are closely associated with
5202-713: The Modern Fantastic , highlighted that information on the planes and the shared cosmology was codified in the Manual of the Planes (1987) and Tales of the Outer Planes (1988). Carbonell wrote that project leader and designer Jeff Grubb detailed "the schematization of the planes' requisite five area: the Prime Material, the Ethereal, the Astral, the Inner, and the Outer planes. This basic structure
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#17330859794985304-525: The Outer Planes of the Forgotten Realms cosmology were faith-based. The planes of the Forgotten Realms were retooled in the 4th Edition to match the new default cosmology, with many of the planes or realms being relocated to the Astral Sea, and a handful now located in the Elemental Chaos. Appelcline highlighted that the 4th Edition World Axis model "had actually originated with the Forgotten Realms, which
5406-581: The Planes (1987). [...] Unlike Spelljammer this new setting had a strong geographical centre, the City of Sigil, resolving a flaw in the Spelljammer setting that denied players a good home base". The Spelljammer line of products was discontinued by TSR before they were acquired by Wizards of the Coast in 1997. In May 2002, Paizo published an article for Spelljammer in Dungeon #92 titled "Spelljammer: Shadow of
5508-601: The Planes (2001) detailed both the inner and outer planes. Kevin Kulp, for DMs Guild , wrote that "the authors used an approach that said 'here's how it's been done in the past, and here are other ways you can do it,' which allowed the book to avoid setting planar mechanics in stone. Instead it gave DMs a modular approach by presenting Options, a flexible strategy that pleased both 1e and Planescape fans. Vast amounts of new ideas and new locations were presented, dovetailing nicely with canon from earlier editions". The 4th edition Manual of
5610-520: The Planes (2008) shifted the locations of the various Outer Planes to fit the new World Axis cosmology. However, the 5th edition Player's Handbook (2014) and Dungeon Master's Guide (2014) shifted most of the cosmology of the planes back to the Great Wheel model with some aspects of the World Axis model retained in the descriptions of the inner planes. The standard Dungeons & Dragons ( D&D ) cosmology contains sixteen Outer Planes. This cosmology
5712-510: The Planes refers to it only as Arvandor. Principally, it is the home plane of the Seldarine , the good Elven deities , headed by Corellon Larethian . This layer is mostly endless canopies of forest with huge clearings containing many idealized elven settlements. Arvandor has a day and night cycle matching that of the material plane. The goddess Eilistraee also resides in the forests of Arvandor, despite her banishment. The realm of Brightwater ,
5814-726: The Planes of Conflict. The center contains the Inner and Material Planes . One further plane sits in the center 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. This D&D cosmology is the standard cosmology in the 3rd and 5th Editions and is the official cosmology used in campaign settings such as Planescape and Greyhawk . "It's common for gods from different campaign settings to share
5916-645: The Spelljammer Campaign setting. Legends of the Multiverse is an official actual play streaming series broadcast on the Dungeons & Dragons channels which premiered on April 27, 2022 and is set in the Spelljammer campaign setting. It stars Deborah Ann Woll , B. Dave Walters, Gina Darling, Meagan Kenreck, and Todd Kenreck. It will also feature guest stars such as Brennan Lee Mulligan , Aabria Iyengar , Ginny Di, Anna Prosser, Deejay Knight, Emme Montgomery, Travis McElroy , SungWon Cho , and Jim Zub . In
6018-602: The Spider Moon". Using the D20 system , it provided new rules for firearms and spelljamming, as well as skills, feats and prestige classes. Spelljammer monsters such as neogi and giff were not used. Instead, it featured creatures from the Monster Manual such as drow , formians and yuan-ti. In May 2005, Wizards of the Coast updated the neogi to the 3.5 edition rules in the supplement Lords of Madness (2005). The book included
6120-534: The TSR designers] said, 'Let's do this series of books, one about each Plane,' which would have been about 10 million books, so TSR said, 'Well, that's a good idea, but 10 million books is not such a great idea. We'd rather create a campaign world that's set in the Outer Planes,' because they had figured out by that point that worlds sold. And so they came to me, the senior designer with a huge gaping hole in my schedule, and wanted me to take this idea and execute it. 'Make us
6222-515: The action on the Prime Material Plane and uses the crystal spheres, and the "phlogiston" between them, to form natural barriers between otherwise incompatible settings. Though the cosmology is derived largely from the Ptolemaic system of astronomy , many of the ideas owe much to the works of Jules Verne and his contemporaries, and to related games and fiction with a steampunk or planetary romance flavor. A strong Age of Sail flavor
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#17330859794986324-498: The classic settings Wizards of the Coast brings back for the 5th Edition. Sowa wrote that "players have been asking for Spelljammer to be introduced to 5e since the release of the first setting sourcebook. Wizards tossed them a bone with the Dream of The Blue Veil spell added in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything , but it's not a replacement for the niche Spelljammer previously filled. It's not just
6426-632: The cosmos seemingly aimlessly. When the Spelljammer has a captain, obtained through another complex process, it will create Smalljammers (miniature versions of the Spelljammer ) that go forth as its spawn. Apparently there can only be one Spelljammer at any one time. One Smalljammer will mature into a full Spelljammer ship if its predecessor is ever destroyed. Alien races inhabiting the Spelljammer universe included humans , dwarves , xenophobic beholders , rapacious neogi , militant giff (humanoid hippopotami ), centaurlike dracons, hubristic elf armadas, spacefaring orcs called "scro", mysterious arcane ,
6528-475: The decks of ships. The phlogiston is essentially a big ocean of a unique element that is neither air, fire, water, or earth. The phlogiston (also known as "the Flow") is a bright, extremely combustible gas-like medium that exists between the Crystal Spheres. A signature property of the substance is that it does not exist within the boundaries of a crystal sphere, to the degree that it cannot be brought into
6630-436: The definition of role-playing games. Although some amount of role-playing activity may be present in such games, it is not the primary focus. The term role-playing game is also sometimes used to describe other games involving roleplay simulation , such as exercises used in teaching, training, academic research, or therepeutic settings. Both authors and major publishers of tabletop role-playing games consider them to be
6732-471: The final products of the line. Appelcline commented on the end of the setting in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons era: "TSR's fifth second-edition campaign world, Planescape (1993), was released to replace Spelljammer, which had just then ended. TSR wanted a new world-spanning setting and Slade Henson came up with the answer by suggesting a new setting built on Jeff Grubb's first-edition Manual of
6834-470: The first of which are the spirits of the elven dead. Some take the form of celestial creatures or others simply merge with the plane itself, as a final reward after death. The second main type are the bacchae , drunken revellers who perpetually indulge in wild celebrations, enticing visitors to join with them. As an outer plane, Arborea is spatially infinite, further consisting of three infinite layers (or sub-planes). Arborea's first layer shares borders with
6936-420: The first time by name in the article "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D", in The Dragon #8, released July 1977. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as one of the "Typical lower planes". The plane was mentioned again in an appendix of the known planes of existence in the original (1st edition) AD&D Players Handbook , published in June 1978, where it
7038-457: The first time in Volume 1, Number 8 of The Dragon , released July 1977 as part of the Great Wheel of Planes. In the article "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D", Gary Gygax mentions that there are 16 Outer Planes and describes the Seven Heavens, the Twin Paradises, and Elysium as "Typical higher planes", Nirvana as the "plane of ultimate Law" and Limbo as
7140-456: The form of a helm . Any spellcaster may sit on a spelljammer helm to move the ship. The mysterious race known as the Arcane is the sole manufacturer and distributor of spelljamming helms. Within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, they are a method of converting magical energy into motive power. All bodies of a sufficiently large size have gravity . This gravity usually (but not always) exerts
7242-448: The framework of outer space tropes. Flying ships travel through the vast expanses of interplanetary space, visiting moons and planets and other stellar objects. Like the Planescape setting, Spelljammer unifies most of the other AD&D settings and provides a canonical method for allowing characters from one setting (such as Dragonlance ) to travel to another (such as the Forgotten Realms ). However, unlike Planescape, it keeps all of
7344-533: The gamemaster or game engine, or by people assisting the gamemaster. Non-player characters fill out the population of the fictional setting and can act as antagonists, bystanders, or allies of the player characters. [REDACTED] Media related to Role-playing games at Wikimedia Commons Spelljammer Spelljammer is a campaign setting originally published for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ( 2nd edition ) role-playing game , which features
7446-520: The games' communication functions to role-play so long as other players cooperate. The majority of players in MMORPGs do not engage in role-playing in this sense. Computer-assisted gaming can be used to add elements of computer gaming to in-person tabletop role-playing, where computers are used for record-keeping and sometimes to resolve combat, while the participants generally make decisions concerning character interaction. One common feature of many RPGs
7548-498: The late 1990s due to competition from online MMO RPGs, role-playing video games , and collectible card games. However, TTRPGs experienced a resurgence in popularity between the mid-2010s and early 2020s due to actual play web series and online play through videoconferencing during the COVID-19 lockdowns . The tabletop format is often referred to simply as a role-playing game . To distinguish this form of RPG from other formats,
7650-565: The lead characters. Six novels set in the Spelljammer universe were published by TSR , before TSR was incorporated into Wizards of the Coast . The novels were interconnected and formed "The Cloakmaster Cycle". The novels tell the story of Teldin Moore, a 'groundling' farmer on Krynn who has a powerful and apparently cursed magical cloak that was given to him. He then ends up on a quest, which takes him first into wildspace and then away from his home sphere to distant crystal spheres. The series showcases
7752-477: The mortal world is between "the Astral Sea above and the Elemental Chaos below". Most of the Outer Planes are now located in the Astral Sea (such as Celestia and the Nine Hells). The Abyss is an exception; it is now located in the Elemental Chaos. Other Dungeons & Dragons cosmologies were developed after Greyhawk for various other campaign settings, however, "they would be subsumed under 5e's umbrella concept of
7854-443: The multiverse". The Forgotten Realms cosmology was originally the same as that of a standard Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The cosmology for the 3rd edition of D&D was altered substantially so that it contained 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 were heavily alignment-based,
7956-523: The neighbouring planes of the Heroic Domains of Ysgard and the Wilderness of the Beastlands ; travel is possible between Arborea and these planes at certain locations. The wandering realm of the Seelie Court often appears on the plane of Arborea, always in a different location. Arborea has three layers: In previous editions, this layer was known as Olympus, but the most recent edition of Manual of
8058-438: The number of players in a LARP is usually larger than in a tabletop role-playing game, and the players may be interacting in separate physical spaces, there is typically less of an emphasis on tightly maintaining a narrative or directly entertaining the players, and game sessions are often managed in a more distributed manner. Tabletop role-playing games have been translated into a variety of electronic formats. As early as 1974,
8160-461: The official campaign setting for multiple Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying adventure modules, sourcebooks and accessories. Fifteen comics set in the Spelljammer universe were published by DC Comics between September 1990 and November 1991 with the creative team of Barbara Kesel , Michael Collins and Dan Panosian . Spelljammer comics also uses Jasmine, a winged human character originally introduced from Forgotten Realms comics , as one of
8262-845: The other players takes on the role of a single character in the fiction. Several varieties of RPG also exist in electronic media, such as multiplayer text-based Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) and their graphics-based successors, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Role-playing games also include single-player role-playing video games in which players control a character, or team of characters, who undertake(s) quests. Role-playing video games may include player capabilities that advance over time using statistical mechanics. These electronic games sometimes share settings and rules with tabletop RPGs, but emphasize character advancement more than collaborative storytelling. Some RPG-related game forms, such as trading/collectible card games (CCGs) and wargames , may or may not be included under
8364-505: The planes are very rare. These thirteen planes metaphysically orbit around Eberron, and depending on their current location are considered in one of four states. The Abyss is known for having hundreds of layers, and many realms of deities and demons, including its horrific first layer of Pazunia (also known as the Plane of Infinite Portals), and the White Kingdom ruled by the King of Ghouls. In
8466-532: The planes of Arcadia of neutral good lawfuls. Shannon Appelcline, the author of Designers & Dragons , highlighted that throughout the early 1980s Dragon magazine would continue to detail "some of the planes in more depth", however, "there was no overarching plan for the planes of D&D other than a few increasingly old drawings". Both Appelcline and Curtis D. Carbonell, in his book the Dread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and
8568-449: The planes of Limbo of neutral (absolute) chaos (entropy), the Planes of Pandemonium of chaotic evil neutrals, the 666 layers of the Abyss of absolute chaotic evil, the planes of Tarterus of evil chaotic neutrals, Hades' "Three Glooms" of absolute (neutral) evil, the furnaces of Gehenna of lawful evil neutrals, the Nine Hells of absolute lawful evil, the nether planes of Acheron of lawful evil neutrals, Nirvana of absolute (neutral) lawfuls, and
8670-469: The point that the whole plane was originally named Olympus in 1st edition. The name of Arborea, introduced in 2nd edition AD&D , is derived from its "endless rolling forests", as in arboreal. Arcadia ( / ɑːr ˈ k eɪ d i ə / ar- KAY -dee-ə ) or more fully, the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia , is a lawful neutral / lawful good -aligned plane of existence. Baator , also known as
8772-513: The production values of the components, he found the book disorganized to the point of "disarray and confusion". He concluded by giving the game a poor rating of only 2 out of 5, saying that " Spelljammer may score well physically but fails mentally [...] Scavenging AD&D players who enjoy stripping tasty ideas from the carcasses of dying games may find it of interest, but I cannot recommend it to anyone else". Alexander Sowa, for CBR in October 2021, commented that Spelljammer should be one of
8874-584: The protectors of Arborea, the most common of which is the Ghaele . Lillends are also common on the plane. Many types of celestial and anarchic version of common animals, natural creatures suffused with tendencies of good or chaos, are found in Arborea. Also, primitive Orc-Baboon hybrids known as Losels dwell in its wilderness, occasionally migrating between it and the Beastlands . Arborea has two main types of petitioner ,
8976-460: The responsibility for creating setting details and NPCs among all players. The first commercially available RPG, Dungeons & Dragons ( D&D ), was inspired by fantasy literature and the wargaming hobby and was published in 1974. The popularity of D&D led to the birth of the tabletop role-playing game industry, which publishes games with many different themes, rules, and styles of play. The popularity of tabletop games decreased in
9078-476: The same time introduced fun new Jules Verne-esque technology that had never before been seen in the game. It was innovative and popular". Appelcline commented that Spelljammer "offered a way to connect every single D&D fantasy world, was thus one of the first true crossovers" in role-playing games. The Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space space fantasy boxed set was released in 1989. Several of TSR 's other campaign worlds had their own sections in
9180-517: The same year as the release of Dungeons & Dragons, unlicensed versions of it were developed on mainframe university systems under titles such as dnd and Dungeon . These early computer RPGs influenced all of electronic gaming, as well as spawning the role-playing video game genre. Some authors divide digital role-playing games into two intertwined groups: single-player games using RPG-style mechanics, and multiplayer games incorporating social interaction. Single-player role-playing video games form
9282-405: The sky but into space . With their own fields of gravity and atmosphere , the ships have open decks and tend not to resemble the spaceships of science fiction , but instead look more like galleons , animals, birds, fish or even more wildly fantastic shapes. The Spelljammer setting is designed to allow the usual sword and sorcery adventures of Dungeons & Dragons to take place within
9384-408: The story. Such role-playing games extend an older tradition of storytelling games where a small party of friends collaborate to create a story. While simple forms of role-playing exist in traditional children's games of make believe , role-playing games add a level of sophistication and persistence to this basic idea with additions such as game facilitators and rules of interaction. Participants in
9486-486: The sun or planet at the center of the sphere (the system's primary). The surface of the sphere is called the "sphere wall" and separates the void of "wildspace" (within the sphere) from the "phlogiston" (that surrounds and flows outside the sphere). The sphere wall has no gravity and appears to be impossible to damage by any normal or magical means. Openings in the sphere wall called "portals" allow spelljamming ships or wildspace creatures to pass through and enter or exit from
9588-467: The titan Rhea . There are several other realms located on this layer, including: When not with the Seldarine, Deep Sashelas also has his own realm of Elavandor on Ossa. Poseidon 's realm of Caletto can be found on Ossa. Nephthys has her realm of Amun-thys on Pelion. Arborea incorporates many elements of Greek mythology , with the game's version of Mount Olympus as a central feature, to
9690-420: The use of dice and other randomizing elements. Some games are played with characters created before the game by the GM, rather than those created by the players. This type of game is typically played at gaming conventions , or in standalone games that do not form part of a campaign. Tabletop (TTRPG) and pen-and-paper (PnP) RPGs are conducted through discussion in a small social gathering. In traditional TTRPGs,
9792-423: The venue may be decorated to resemble the fictional setting. Some live-action role-playing games use rock paper scissors or comparison of attributes to resolve conflicts symbolically, while other LARPs use physical combat with simulated arms such as airsoft guns or foam weapons . LARPs vary in size from a handful of players to several thousand, and in duration from a couple of hours to several days. Because
9894-452: The wonders and perils of the Spelljammer universe. The novels are now out of print. The only Spelljammer computer game ever produced was Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace , published by SSI in 1992. In 2002 a team of freelance game modification developers created "The Arcane Space Tileset" for Neverwinter Nights . This tileset included Spelljamming ships, space and atmospheric terrains, along with monsters and NPCs, all set within
9996-647: Was also released. A prequel adventure module, titled Spelljammer Academy , was released for free on the Wizards of the Coast website and on D&D Beyond in July of the same year. Monstrous Compendium Vol 1: Spelljammer Creatures introduced ten creatures from the Spelljammer setting to the 5th Edition in April 2022. Spelljamming helms are the central setting concept which allow interplanetary and interstellar space travel for vessels which would otherwise not be spaceworthy, in
10098-459: Was described as "The Nine Hells of absolute lawful evil". The article "The Politics of Hell" by Alexander Von Thorn in Dragon No. 28 (1979) describes how Hell was originally ruled by Satan, who was usurped by Baalzebul, who was in turn overthrown by Asmodeus. The article "The Possessors" by Arn Ashleigh Parker in Dragon No. 42 (October 1980) follows up on this article by explaining that Selm,
10200-465: Was planning a view of the heavens as early as 2005 or 2006. It was then co-opted by the SCRAMJET world design team for D&D 4e". The Barrens of Doom and Despair plane is designed to be inhospitable to Dungeons & Dragons player characters . Even though there is little light or water, other characters from the franchise can be found here. Five deities make their homes here, including Bane (his home
10302-615: Was previously referred to as Acheron ), Beshaba , Hoar , Loviatar , and Talona . The Barrens of Doom and Despair consist of a single infinite plane, with no constituent layers. It links via the Astral Plane to the planes of the Prime Material (such as Toril ) and a number of portals directly connect it with Hammergrim and the Blood Rift. Beshaba's realm, the Blood Tor, links directly to
10404-552: Was released in 1990; four connected adventure modules followed it. A longer campaign module, Heart of the Enemy , was then published in 1992 followed by an adventure anthology, Space Lairs , in 1993. The monsters of Spelljammer were detailed in two installments of the Monstrous Compendium series, Spelljammer Appendix in 1990 and Spelljammer Appendix II in 1991. In 1993, Space Lairs and The Astromundi Cluster were
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