Help Me Repopulate the Outer Planes! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help Me Repopulate the Outer Planes! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tequila_Sunrise
06-15-07, 12:45 PM My brain has recently wrapped itself around the planes, as it is wont to do without warning. As with every aspect of D&D, I'm never quite happy with the way things are. At the moment I'm rethinking all the major outsider paradigms. For example, this is what I've come up with so far:

The rilmani of the Outlands are replaced by the guardinals (not NG of course). Guardinals just fit the Outlands so much better than Elysium.

The slaad of Limbo are replaced by trueshifters, outsiders with no true form who can change their form with a thought. Unlike slaad, trueshifters are CN, not "CE *cough* I mean, CN."

The modrons/inevitables/formians are replaced by well...I haven't decided exactly what, other than that they'll be Living Constructs. I may just restat the modrons, actually.

The demons will be a total mess of animal traits all smashed and mashed together, none of this anthropomorphic stuff for them.

So...that leaves two other major fiendish races (devils and yugoloths) and three other major celestial races (archons, guardinals-no-more and eladrins) to re-imagine.

Any ideas are appreciated,
TS
alchemyprime
06-15-07, 01:06 PM Well, Yugoloths should be anthropomorphic for the most part, but specialize each one to another job. They are mercs.
Tequila_Sunrise
06-15-07, 02:59 PM Okay, good idea. I should have mentioned that I'm not adhering to each race's standard roles as per standard D&D, so don't constrain your ideas to what a race 'should be' as a result of its common conception.
sciborg2
06-15-07, 04:38 PM I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil...
Adrez Nesnsid
06-15-07, 06:46 PM I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil...

So, basically, evil modrons vs. Evil formians then?
DreadArchon
06-15-07, 07:52 PM What, this board too? Man, you do get around.

...

I still can't look at this thread title and keep a straight face. :rofl:
Yanagita Kunio
06-16-07, 01:22 AM It really helps if you, like, take me out to dinner before proposing I "help repopulate the Outer Planes" with you.

Sheesh, how forward....
sciborg2
06-16-07, 02:34 AM So, basically, evil modrons vs. Evil formians then?

More like evil moignos vs. those insectoid Far Realmesque creatures from Grant Morrison's Invisibles.
Potato_Dragon
06-16-07, 04:44 AM A very, very long time ago, before I knew anything about the D&D outer planes, I came up with a 16 plane cosmology. They used the alignments L, C, G, E, LG, LE, CG, CE, LN, CN, NG, NE, LNG, CNG, LNE, CNE. Basically, the alignments lacking a neutral (N) component were more extreme than the others. There was no outer plane that was just plain neutral, under the assumption that the prime and elemental planes already covered that. I'll provide a general description of the ones which were not like anything in the D&D cosmology. (For example, the LE plane, Infernus, was very much like the Nine Hells. And a few are not mentioned because I barely developed them.)

Vaedre (E) - A maze of endless caverns. The main layer represented evil as power at all costs. It was home to the "demons", which were mainly armored, winged humanoid types but also included wingless quadrupeds with semi-humanoid heads. The upper layer represented evil as hatred. The main races were the wasp-like "drillers" and beetle-like "slashers" which waged perpetual war against each other. The lower layer represented hungry, slothful evil. It was largely inhabited by intelligent, ravenous, blue oozes which were usually to lazy to do anything but wait for prey to move near (and then cruelly toy with them briefly, if possible, before devouring them).

Clarith (CG) - This plane could only be described as a fantastic mess, with terrain ending abruptly for no reason. Artificial buildings and structures were everywhere (not clustered into cities) with irregular extensions frequently being built attached to or on top of existing ones, and entire walls or ceilings often left out. The beings here had no racial kinship to each other at all, yet were likely to associate with beings not of their own kind rather than others like themselves. Sample races included: Soarwhales, which looked like bloated, whale-like humanoids which floated far above the ground. Lightfoots, a humanoid race which ran across the surface of water endlessly without tiring, got tired if they stopped moving, and sank in solid ground as if it were water. Valkiths, which were large, hunchbacked, benevolent mad-scientist types.

Phoraxia (LNE) - No relationship to MTG's Phyrexia, This plane is an open field full of heaps of broken metal and/or stone. It was inhabited by various races, including an energy-based one, a spirit-type one, a plant-like one, and a cyborg-like one. Most of them sought to remake all other beings in their own image, willingly if possible, and by force if necessary. And these beings usually tried to disrupt each other when possible, usually covertly but occasionally in outright warfare.

The Abyss (C) - The "main" area (where you're likely to end up with a random jump into the plane) is a nearly endless vertical shaft several hundred feet wide in most places. It is full of flying, animal-like monsters and spider-like beings which crawl up and down the shaft. At the bottom is an irregular cavern full of pools of black liquid which disintegrate anything that is submerged into it. At the top is an endless, airy void which you fall upwards into. There are many tunnels among the shaft, some of which eventually lead into all manner of bizarre locations.

Psychinopsium (LN) - Imagine a black void with endless stars, both above and below you, rapidly moving to a single point an infinite distance away. Imagine that you could move any direction, including up and down, at will. Imagine that it never looks like you're getting anywhere, except relative to anyone else that came with the plane with you. Imagine that you'll never actually encounter anything unless you happen to get lucky and blunder into a mindscape, which is invisible from the outside and can look like anything from the inside. Imagine that, aside from petitioners, the mindscapes are inhabited only by Mind Elementals, which can also look like anything. That's this place. (Note, I didn't use the word "petitioners" bask then, just "spirits of the departed.)

Pandemonium (CNE) - This was a place of asteroids drifting though a yellow void, occasionally colliding with each other. It was home to the "Fiends", which were usually winged humanoids with dinosaur-like heads and spiky tails. The Fiends were the most likely planar race to be summoned, and they tended to enjoy it, and also loved causing general mayhem.

Perhaps you use some of this as inspiration.
Tequila_Sunrise
06-16-07, 12:03 PM I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil...
Do you mean 'abstract' as in incorporeal?

What, this board too? Man, you do get around.
And proud of it. Just call me 'Ye Olde Forum [censored]!'

Perhaps you use some of this as inspiration.
I love your ideas about what the different planes look like. I've already decided what the outer planes will look like, but there will also be a host of planes floating around the ethereal that I'll use your ideas for.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tequila_Sunrise 06-15-07, 12:45 PM	My brain has recently wrapped itself around the planes, as it is wont to do without warning. As with every aspect of D&D, I'm never quite happy with the way things are. At the moment I'm rethinking all the major outsider paradigms. For example, this is what I've come up with so far: The rilmani of the Outlands are replaced by the guardinals (not NG of course). Guardinals just fit the Outlands so much better than Elysium. The slaad of Limbo are replaced by trueshifters, outsiders with no true form who can change their form with a thought. Unlike slaad, trueshifters are CN, not "CE cough I mean, CN." The modrons/inevitables/formians are replaced by well...I haven't decided exactly what, other than that they'll be Living Constructs. I may just restat the modrons, actually. The demons will be a total mess of animal traits all smashed and mashed together, none of this anthropomorphic stuff for them. So...that leaves two other major fiendish races (devils and yugoloths) and three other major celestial races (archons, guardinals-no-more and eladrins) to re-imagine. Any ideas are appreciated, TS
alchemyprime 06-15-07, 01:06 PM	Well, Yugoloths should be anthropomorphic for the most part, but specialize each one to another job. They are mercs.
Tequila_Sunrise 06-15-07, 02:59 PM	Okay, good idea. I should have mentioned that I'm not adhering to each race's standard roles as per standard D&D, so don't constrain your ideas to what a race 'should be' as a result of its common conception.
sciborg2 06-15-07, 04:38 PM	I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil...
Adrez Nesnsid 06-15-07, 06:46 PM	I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil... So, basically, evil modrons vs. Evil formians then?
DreadArchon 06-15-07, 07:52 PM	What, this board too? Man, you do get around. ... I still can't look at this thread title and keep a straight face. :rofl:
Yanagita Kunio 06-16-07, 01:22 AM	It really helps if you, like, take me out to dinner before proposing I "help repopulate the Outer Planes" with you. Sheesh, how forward....
sciborg2 06-16-07, 02:34 AM	So, basically, evil modrons vs. Evil formians then? More like evil moignos vs. those insectoid Far Realmesque creatures from Grant Morrison's Invisibles.
Potato_Dragon 06-16-07, 04:44 AM	A very, very long time ago, before I knew anything about the D&D outer planes, I came up with a 16 plane cosmology. They used the alignments L, C, G, E, LG, LE, CG, CE, LN, CN, NG, NE, LNG, CNG, LNE, CNE. Basically, the alignments lacking a neutral (N) component were more extreme than the others. There was no outer plane that was just plain neutral, under the assumption that the prime and elemental planes already covered that. I'll provide a general description of the ones which were not like anything in the D&D cosmology. (For example, the LE plane, Infernus, was very much like the Nine Hells. And a few are not mentioned because I barely developed them.) Vaedre (E) - A maze of endless caverns. The main layer represented evil as power at all costs. It was home to the "demons", which were mainly armored, winged humanoid types but also included wingless quadrupeds with semi-humanoid heads. The upper layer represented evil as hatred. The main races were the wasp-like "drillers" and beetle-like "slashers" which waged perpetual war against each other. The lower layer represented hungry, slothful evil. It was largely inhabited by intelligent, ravenous, blue oozes which were usually to lazy to do anything but wait for prey to move near (and then cruelly toy with them briefly, if possible, before devouring them). Clarith (CG) - This plane could only be described as a fantastic mess, with terrain ending abruptly for no reason. Artificial buildings and structures were everywhere (not clustered into cities) with irregular extensions frequently being built attached to or on top of existing ones, and entire walls or ceilings often left out. The beings here had no racial kinship to each other at all, yet were likely to associate with beings not of their own kind rather than others like themselves. Sample races included: Soarwhales, which looked like bloated, whale-like humanoids which floated far above the ground. Lightfoots, a humanoid race which ran across the surface of water endlessly without tiring, got tired if they stopped moving, and sank in solid ground as if it were water. Valkiths, which were large, hunchbacked, benevolent mad-scientist types. Phoraxia (LNE) - No relationship to MTG's Phyrexia, This plane is an open field full of heaps of broken metal and/or stone. It was inhabited by various races, including an energy-based one, a spirit-type one, a plant-like one, and a cyborg-like one. Most of them sought to remake all other beings in their own image, willingly if possible, and by force if necessary. And these beings usually tried to disrupt each other when possible, usually covertly but occasionally in outright warfare. The Abyss (C) - The "main" area (where you're likely to end up with a random jump into the plane) is a nearly endless vertical shaft several hundred feet wide in most places. It is full of flying, animal-like monsters and spider-like beings which crawl up and down the shaft. At the bottom is an irregular cavern full of pools of black liquid which disintegrate anything that is submerged into it. At the top is an endless, airy void which you fall upwards into. There are many tunnels among the shaft, some of which eventually lead into all manner of bizarre locations. Psychinopsium (LN) - Imagine a black void with endless stars, both above and below you, rapidly moving to a single point an infinite distance away. Imagine that you could move any direction, including up and down, at will. Imagine that it never looks like you're getting anywhere, except relative to anyone else that came with the plane with you. Imagine that you'll never actually encounter anything unless you happen to get lucky and blunder into a mindscape, which is invisible from the outside and can look like anything from the inside. Imagine that, aside from petitioners, the mindscapes are inhabited only by Mind Elementals, which can also look like anything. That's this place. (Note, I didn't use the word "petitioners" bask then, just "spirits of the departed.) Pandemonium (CNE) - This was a place of asteroids drifting though a yellow void, occasionally colliding with each other. It was home to the "Fiends", which were usually winged humanoids with dinosaur-like heads and spiky tails. The Fiends were the most likely planar race to be summoned, and they tended to enjoy it, and also loved causing general mayhem. Perhaps you use some of this as inspiration.
Tequila_Sunrise 06-16-07, 12:03 PM	I see Baator filled with shadowed geometric abstract fractal beings of an almost natural Evil fighting with hives of insectoids who are the new devils and a more willful, proactive Evil... Do you mean 'abstract' as in incorporeal? What, this board too? Man, you do get around. And proud of it. Just call me 'Ye Olde Forum [censored]!' Perhaps you use some of this as inspiration. I love your ideas about what the different planes look like. I've already decided what the outer planes will look like, but there will also be a host of planes floating around the ethereal that I'll use your ideas for.