List of planes 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 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.
Ysgard Ysgard is the Outer Plane of
Chaotic Neutral /
Chaotic Good alignment. It is also called
Asgard,
Gladsheim or
The Heroic Domains. ==Reception==