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 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 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.
Publication history
The Outer Planes were presented for 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 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)". 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". and Curtis D. Carbonell, in his book the Dread Trident: Tabletop Role-Playing Games and 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 also highlighted that the 1989 Spelljammer campaign setting added cosmology that "allowed travel between the different settings" such as Dragonlance, Greyhawk, and the Forgotten Realms.</blockquote>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 4th edition Manual of 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. This cosmology 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 the Planes of Conflict. The center contains the Inner and Material Planes.
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. 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 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 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.
- Waxing/Waning – The plane is either approaching or moving away from Eberron. Planar travel occurs as normal.
- Coterminous – The plane actually touches Eberron, and certain effects are strengthened in Eberron. Also, it may be possible to travel between planes by going to an appropriate spot. For example, when Risia, the Plain of Ice is coterminous, one may enter the plane from Eberron by walking into a blizzard. Because of seals placed by the Gatekeeper druids, Xoriat, the Realm of Madness, is incapable of becoming coterminous with Eberron.
- Remote – The plane is furthest from Eberron, and certain effects are weakened in Eberron. Also, reaching a remote plane with the spell plane shift is difficult and requires a high DC check. Because of the conflict between the Quori and the giants of Xen'drik, Dal Quor is always considered remote from Eberron.
List of Eberron planes
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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 Plane 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
|}
Fictional descriptions
List of planes
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!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 and The Court of Stars
- Titans and 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
- Obyrith Demons: Lovecraftian ancestors to the Tanar'ri
- Loumara Demons:Newest race of demons born by the dying dreams of evil gods
- Lolth: Spider Goddess of the Drow
- Demogorgon: Beastly Prince of Demons
- Graz'zt : The Dark Prince of Demons
- Orcus: The Demon Lord of the Undead
- Iggwilv: Witch Queen of Perrenland, Mother of Demigod Iuz. Infamous author of the blasphemous Demonomicon. The true identity of Tasha, member of the infamous adventuring group known as the Company of Seven.
|-
|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 (Gehreleth)
- 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 as baatezu and tanar'ri meet and clash in a colorless expanse.
|
- Yugoloths (Daemons)
- Tanar'ri and Baatezu fight the Blood War on this plane
- Abbathor: God of dwarven greed.
- Grey Sisters (Night Hags)
- Hades: Greek god of death and the underworld. Believed to be the most powerful deity on the plane.
- Hel/ Hela: Norse goddess of death.
- Mydianchlarus: Current Oinoloth of Khin-Oin.
- Hordlings
|-
|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
- Asmodeus: Lord of the Ninth. Previously believed to have used the name Satan as one of numerous aliases.
|-
|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
- Inevitables, mechanical enforcers of all law
|-
|Arcadia
|The Land of Perfect Order, Plane of Peaceable Kingdoms
|Lawful neutral/Lawful good
|A peaceful world of wildlands and kingdoms where all live in harmony.
|
- Saint Cuthbert: God of Retribution and Common Sense
|-
|Mount Celestia
|The Seven Heavens
|Lawful good
|Countless paladins and saints have ascended here.
|
- Aasimons, Archons 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
|}
Abyss
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 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 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
Acheron ( ), also known as The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, is a lawful neutral/lawful evil–aligned plane of existence.
Arborea
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 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 a few minutes.
Publication history
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".
Inhabitants
The eladrin, powerful elf-like celestial creatures are 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, 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.
Structure
As an outer plane, Arborea is spatially infinite, further consisting of three infinite layers (or sub-planes). Arborea's first layer shares borders with 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.
Layers
The wandering realm of the Seelie Court often appears on the plane of Arborea, always in a different location.
Arborea has three layers:
;Arvandor/Olympus
In previous editions, this layer was known as Olympus, but the most recent edition of Manual of 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, 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 the titan Rhea.
There are several other realms located on this layer, including:
- The aarakocra goddess Syranita's realm of Whistledge;
- The giant goddess Iallanis's realm of Florallium;
- Trithereon's realm of The Forking Road;
- Chih-Nii's realm of Loom of the Celestial River.
;Aquallor/Ossa
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.
;Mithardir/Pelion
Nephthys has her realm of Amun-thys on Pelion.
Historic influences
Arborea incorporates many elements of Greek mythology, with the game's version of Mount Olympus as a central feature, to 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
Arcadia ( )
The article "The Possessors" by Arn Ashleigh Parker in Dragon No. 42 (October 1980) follows up on this article by explaining that Selm, a lieutenant of Satan, was made the Prince of Possessors, and remained in that position throughout these various changes in the administration in Hell.
Beastlands
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.
Bytopia
Bytopia, also known as the Twin Paradises, (bi- + utopia) or, more fully, the Twin Paradises of Bytopia, is a lawful good/neutral 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. Bytopia is a virtuous plane of cultivated beauty, and is home to many of the deities of the gnomish pantheon.
Publication history
The plane known as the Twin Paradises 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. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as one of the "Typical higher planes". Flandal shares his Mithral Forge with Ama-Tsu-Mara. The godly realms of Deephome, home of Callarduran Smoothhands, god of the svirfneblin, and Prosperity, realm of Inari, are also located on Dothion.
Shurrock is the mountainous untamed twin, home of hidden beasts and monsters. The gnomish underground mining city of Quarry that specialises in gemcutting is located here. Rangers often foray into this wilderness to slay creatures that have threatened the folk of Dothion.
A number of godly realms exist on this layer, including Heart of Justice, realm of Kiri-Jolith, and Windwrath, realm of Tefnut. Martyrdomain was the realm of Ilmater in previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons.) is a neutral (chaotic) evil-aligned plane of existence.
Elysium
Elysium, or more fully, the Blessed Fields of Elysium, is a strongly good-aligned plane of existence.
Gehenna
Gehenna (beginning in the third edition of the game, the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna; also, The Fourfold Furnaces or The Fires of Perdition It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology. It borders the Gray Waste of Hades and the Nine Hells of Baator.
Gray Waste of Hades
The Gray Waste (more fully, the Gray Wastes of Hades; also, Hades, The Three Glooms, Hope's Loss or The Nadir) is a strongly neutral evil 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. Hades is the plane of origin of the yugoloth daemons. Pathfinder's analogue to Hades is the plane called Abaddon (from the Hebraic Abaddon).
Publication history
The plane known as Hades 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. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as Hades' three glooms, one of the "Typical lower planes". Stang and Trammell called Hades "the realm of the dead", where larvae created by night hags are used as currency.
Limbo
Limbo or more fully, the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, is a chaotic neutral-aligned plane of existence.
The plane known as Limbo 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. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as the "plane of ultimate Chaos (entropy)".
In first edition and second edition AD&D before Planescape, this plane is also located centrally to the Outer Planes and known by its original name Concordant Opposition. The First Edition Manual Of Planes states that the center of the plane takes various forms at different times (a mountain, a huge tree, etc.) and godly powers are lost as one moves toward the center, as well as spells, beginning with the highest levels of spells at the farthest out and then gradually losing the lower ones step by step the further one moves inward. Within of the center, not even chemical reactions take place, and neither man nor deity can get closer than . In Second Edition Outer Planes Monstrous Compendium, under the description of the Mediators of Nirvana (Mechanus), it states that this plane was originally intended for Neutral Powers (deities) and created by the Powers (deities) of creation, but each Neutral Deity asserted their individual influence causing it to become unbalanced, then were cast out by the powers of creation. It also states that three lights of balance exist at the center of the plane, one for each Mediator in Nirvana. (Mechanus) Before Planescape, there is also no mention whatsoever of Sigil being at the Center of the Plane.
Gate-towns are settlements which are built around a permanent portal to a certain Outer Plane on the Great Wheel. Gate-towns are important strategically because they provide a (relatively) stable way to enter a desired Outer Plane. The gate-towns reflect the plane that they lead to, for example, Xaos (or aXos, soaX, etc.) is a town where everything changes from one moment to the next. Even the location of the portal to Limbo changes every day – not that there's any regularity to daybreak and nightfall in Xaos. The character of Xaos mirrors what the plane of Limbo is like.
Realms
The Outlands is the location of a number of godly realms, including the following:
- The Caverns of Thought, realm of the illithid deity Ilsensine
- The Court of Light, realm of the naga deity Shekinester
- The Flowering Hill, the realm of the halfling goddess Sheela Peryroyl
- Gzemnid's Realm, home of the beholder deity of gases and vapors
- The Hidden Realm, home of the chief giant deity Annam
- The Hidden Vale, realm of the Dragonlance god Gilean
- The Hidden Wood, realm of the nature god Obad-Hai
- The Library of Lore, realm of the god Boccob
- The Mausoleum of Chronepsis, realm of the dragon deity Chronepsis
- The Marketplace Eternal, realm of the god Zilchus
- The Palace of Judgement, Yen-Wang-Yeh's realm
- The Scales of Wealth, the realm of Shinare
- Semuanya's Bog, realm of the lizardfolk deity Semuanya
- The Steel Hills, realm of the goddess Ulaa
- Thoth's Estate, the realm of Thoth
- Tvashtri's Laboratory, realm of the Indian god of artifice
- The Web of Fate, realm of the goddess Istus
- The Well of Urd, realm of the Norns
- Wonderhome, realm of Gond
Three dwarven gods, (Vergadain, Dugmaren Brightmantle, and Dumathoin) share the realm of The Dwarven Mountain on the plane of the Outlands.
The Celtic gods (Daghdha, Diancecht, Goibhniu, Lugh, Manannan mac Lir, Oghma, and Silvanus) share the realm of Tír na nÓg on the Outlands.
Pandemonium
Pandemonium (or, the Windswept Depths of Pandemonium) is the Outer plane where Chaotic Evil and Chaotic Neutral petitioners are sent after death. Pandemonium is a large, complex cavern that never ends. Compounding this problem, howling winds drive most of its residents mad. There are few creatures that are native to this plane; those individuals who do live there usually have no choice in the matter.
Pandemonium had four layers named Pandesmos, Cocytus, Phlegethon and Agathion.
Citations
General references
- 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).
Further reading
fr:Cosmologie standard de Donjons et Dragons#Plans extérieurs