Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mumamuma Wurm 06-18-05, 06:43 PM	OK... weird question. In my setting-ish thing, there are no planes in the D&D sense (no elemental planes, alignment-based planes, and so on). Instead, there are 40 Nherbis, with each "Nherbi" being roughly the same kind of thing as the real-life universe as we know it (the 40th Nherbi). There's only a few things besides the 40 Nherbis... 1: A network of nomally-invisible, almost tube-like areas that connect the Nherbis to each other. They are referred to by different names depending on who you ask--the common name in the First Nherbi is "Num Warps" or just "Warps", while other names ("Portals", "Gates", etc.) are used in other places. Some places have permanent openings to the Num Warps, which appear as circular, swirling-blue holes in the air, in a wall, in the ground, etc. Most of the time, however, some outside force (magic, psionics, technology, or something else) is needed to open up one of these entrances. Time does not pass inside the Num Warps. If you jump into a Num Warp opening, travel through the network of Num Warps to some random place, and then exit, it will still be the same time outside of the Num Warps as it was when you entered. However, your watch (if you were wearing one) will show the wrong time, because it was still going while you were in the Num Warps. Living creatures do not age (or digest food, or breathe) while in the Num Warps, though exactly why this happens is unknown. ----------------------------- I guess the closest thing in D&D to these is the Astral Plane, since both are used for teleporting. There's some big differences, though... nothing actually lives in the Num Warps, for one thing. 2: The Zero Nherbi. Basically, this is everything that's outside the 40 Nherbis. It's not infinite, though it is equal in size to all of the 40 Nherbis put together. Hardly anyone has ever been to the Zero Nherbi, and it's very hard to get there--very few Num Warps link to it at all. ------------------------------ The closest thing in D&D to the Zero Nherbi would be the Far Realm, though they're not exactly the same either. 3: An unnamed spirit-world/"Heaven"-like place. Exists in the same physical location as the 40 Nherbis, but on a different level. The souls of dead creatures go here when they die (assuming the dead creature had a soul. mindless things, like most bugs and plants, don't). Exceedingly evil souls are destroyed permanently--there is no "Hell". Others "live" here after their death. Living creatures cannot cross over to this world, even with the aid of magic (or other forces), though they may be able to see visions of it at some point (through magic, through dreams, etc.)--though if they do, they often don't realize what they're seeing. There is an all-powerful being in control of this world, though it usually doesn't get involved (either in the spirit-world or in the physical world) with the affairs of normal creatures. Those living in the spirit-world may (and often do) have some communication with this being, but it is very rare (just about never happens) for anyone in the physical world to have any contact with it at all. Evil souls are guaranteed to see it at least once, however--this being is what destroys them, if they happen to be TOO evil. This being is, essentially, the omnipotent/omniscient/omnipresent God of the various monotheistic religions in real life. However, it is so far beyond human-level existance that it has no desire for worshippers--this is a supreme being, not some "big dumb human in the sky". ------------------------------- Not sure if this has any real D&D equivelant. Then again, I'm not much of an expert on the planes and such to begin with, so there might be something sorta-similar in there somewhere... Now, the actual question... In a setting with no elemental/alignment planes, how exactly would Elementals and Outsiders be defined? And since the "Material Plane" is just about everything in a setting without other planes, how would you tell the difference between Elementals and Fey? Since, in the descriptions, Fey are essentially "nature spirit" types with ties to a specific part of the material plane... and are often plant-based or water-based... it seems like they'd almost overlap with Elementals now.
sabrewolf 06-18-05, 08:11 PM	hmmm... maybe outsiders as a whole are more like mortals, though then without a body, their souls, soaked with some knd of energy double as a body.. mayhaps the reality-pocket or ´nherbri´ they come from have an energy unbalance causing it to be like an elemental or semi-elemental plane and it´s inhabitants elementals, fey and other outsiders.. one for each type..
Ouranos Harpy 06-18-05, 08:24 PM	how would you tell the difference between Elementals and Fey? Since, in the descriptions, Fey are essentially "nature spirit" types with ties to a specific part of the material plane Elementals are thier respected element given life, they are sentient beings. Almost like risen animals, if you are fimilar with that concept. fey are on the other humanoids that are 'very' closely aligned with a particular aspect of nature or nature as a whole. You can play around with the concept that Humanity is made up of all four elements in equal parts. Fey are made up of same elements, but one element stands out above others; water for Nixie, *one aspect of (Plant life)* earth for Drayds. The exact can be said about Outsiders; Djinn are limited in thier ability completly understand the nature of the element air, but get it better than say a a regular Joe human or a Elrond elf could. To understand the concept a bit better you can make it like a percentage Graph. .) Human/Elf/Dwarf/Halfling/Gnome etc - 25% of all elements mixed together (More or less). .) Nixie - 75% water- 25% other elements mixed together. .) Drayd - 80% Earth- 20% other elements mixed together. [Note: I am not talking about the actual bilogical makeup, but more of a psychological/spiritual makeup of particular race] Hope that helps and makes sense...
Mumamuma Wurm 06-18-05, 10:43 PM	Oh, OK... I think I get the Elemental/Fey thing now. Elementals ARE the elemental energy (except they're alive), while Fey are mostly-normal creatures with more of a connection to the elemental energy than usual. Outsiders are still a bit weird... I know I've read/heard somewhere that regular D&D outsiders don't have a seperate body/soul--it's all the same stuff. So I'm guessing something incorporeal would be closer to "soul stuff" rather than solid matter, while something physical-based would be the other way around. Edit: Also, Nherbis generally aren't unbalanced as far as elemental stuff goes... BUT, I haven't actually made up much of anything for most of the Nherbis (beyond the First, Second, 16th, and 20th... and then the 40th is the universe as we humans know it), so that could also be possible. Or maybe it could be a single planet that's unbalanced rather than the entire Nherbi... hmm.
Fiery_Overlord 06-19-05, 11:35 AM	Nature is an meta-elemental concept, it is composed of all the standard elements and life, beings living in wild conditions. Fey spring forth from nature, not its component pieces. Nature is more than some stone cliffs, a little wind and few waves; it is all that and the ecosystem that dwells in it. Fey are much more complex than elementals. Elementals are the fundamental building blocks of the universe given life and sentience, fey are the (mostly anthropomorphic) embodiment of nature.