Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Chimerasame Jul 12, 2014 9:30:50	I haven't seen all of the playtest documents -- and it may not have even been included in them -- but, what are folks' thoughts about the 'default' cosmology for 5e? 'Course, naturally, each individual campaign reality could have its own cosmology; that stands to reason. Just thinking about what they're going to present as the 'norm'. Is anything known yet?   In 4th, I became somewhat accustomed to the natural world+feywild+shadowfell+astral-sea+far-realm system, but I find myself also nostalgic for something resembling the older inner-ethereal-prime-astral-outer planes system.
#2 Brock_Landers Jul 12, 2014 9:43:34	Looks like the Ethereal is back, the Elemental Planes and the Great Ring, the Feywild is in, but what disturbs me is the Plane of Shadow/Shadowfell looks to be called Ravenloft...
(Reply to #2) Chimerasame	Brock_Landers wrote:
#4 Brock_Landers Jul 12, 2014 10:03:34	Chimerasame wrote:
#5 kill_the_wiz_first Jul 12, 2014 10:04:43	Chimerasame wrote:
#6 Brock_Landers Jul 12, 2014 10:05:52	Chimerasame wrote:
#7 JohnLynch Jul 12, 2014 10:10:25	We have this article from last year: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20130701   We'll have the elemental chaos at the outermost edge of the cosmos. Closer in towards the prime material plane there'll be the classical elemental planes. These will be places where a single element dominates. Closer to the material plane than even that will be the "border planes" which more closely resemble the prime material plane. This is regions where the elemental planes bleed into each other. For example the border of the Plane of Fire and Plane of Earth would be a chain of volcanoes where azer live in towers made of basalt.   The Feywild and Shadowfell will be included as border planes. The Feywild will border the Plane of Positive Energy and the Material Plane, while the Shadowfell will border the Plane of Negative Energy and the Material Plane.   I personally like this approach as it takes the best aspects of all editions and finds a way to work them together. Also it's fairly malleable as if you want a more classical planar structure you can just ignore the elemental chaos. If you want a more 4th ed structure you can treat the pure elemental planes as regions in the elemental chaos where one element is particularly dominant.
#8 Luis_Carlos Jul 12, 2014 10:52:23	I create the cosmology the way I want. For me the demiplane of dread is near of plane of shadow, but it isn´t within, and the demiplane of dread has different "layers" as parallele earths but more post-apocalypse and where live lots of incorporeal fays, undeads and deathless.   And I add the plane of mirrors, what is almost adjacent to the plane of shadow, and they is a cosmic conflict betwen both.Let´s say a great part of plane of shadow was from the plane of mirror.   Also I use the plane of wood and the demielemental and quasilemente demiplanes because I miss the demielementals and quasielementals.   Other idea is the time spheres, demiplanes like the hollow world from Mystares. Places where the History shouldn´t change. One of that time spheres is the alternative timeline where Raitslin killed all the gods of Dragonlance.. (and now there are planar gates to Sithicus, one of the dark realms from the demiplane of dread).    Do you remember "Councyl of wyrns"? The Io´s blood dragons islands are a great demiplane where all the canon dragon species from the different worlds can live. Yes, it is a really big demiplane, or linked lot of demiplanes.   And more ideas, for example softer layers of elemental planes where low level players can visit, for example the demiplane of water would be lots of giants bubles linkes with floatings rives, with a appearance of a neuronal web, with mini-starts across the void among the bubles.   The official books can say a thing, but after I use the background how I want, for example I add the chronomancers and the time dragons to create a version of Dr Who.
#9 bawylie Jul 12, 2014 11:14:09	I was never much for the great wheel, planescape, or spelljammer. So I'll stick with the 4E cosmology. It was focused and easy to keep in the brain - the great wheel was too hodge-podge for me.
#10 pukunui Jul 12, 2014 12:57:41	I much prefer 4e's simpler cosmology myself, although I'm OK with having the Ethereal Plane as well (I'm going to call it the Fade, a la Dragon Age, in my game though).
#11 Consona Jul 13, 2014 1:51:44	JohnLynch wrote:
#12 kill_the_wiz_first Jul 13, 2014 4:54:05	Isn't this thread supposed to be up to six-hundred(+) replies by now?
#13 strider13x Jul 13, 2014 5:13:52	I don't really include the planes in my campaigns. I prefer the 4e approach but what other have described that kinda combines the old and new approach sounds worthy.   Come to think of it in 20 years of DMing I have only ever used the Feywilds and the Shadowfell (only once each and even then never called them by name). Once the full rules are out our group is going to continue with our playtest campaign and complete the D/Q series which will takes them to a demi-plane. I will intro the default planes at that time.
#14 Rastapopoulos Jul 13, 2014 7:34:55	I find it sort of pointless to try and describe exactly what or where the demiplane of Ravenloft is.   You don't get into Ravenloft unless the mists want you too. And you don't get out by any of the usual means of planar travel. You likely don't ever get out. That's one of the most essential parts of the setting.   So since traveling back and forth to Ravenloft by one's own account is impossible, why not just leave exactly what the demiplane is a mystery? It's only fitting to the feel of horror and mystery of the setting.
#15 The_White_Sorcerer Jul 13, 2014 9:31:56	I really hope there's a misunderstanding somewhere and they're not actually going to call the Plane of Shadows/Shadowfell "Ravenloft." It's the (in-game) name of one castle, applying it to an entire plane of existence seems odd.
#16 Lord_Kyrion Jul 13, 2014 11:22:20	The Basic document only contains a short section on the cosmology, which doesn't mention ravenloft or the plane of shadow, so hold your action.
#17 Brock_Landers Jul 13, 2014 11:26:50	In the first playtest packet it mentioned goblins originating in Faerie, which I thought was cool.
#18 DaleMcCoy Jul 13, 2014 14:48:21	Oddly enough, I'm cool and with whatever Wizards presents. This is odd because I didn't care for the 4e cosmology and I detailed the plane of shadow (Shadowsfall) for Pathfinder. But I really just feel that I'll give it a clean slate and stick with what whatever direction wizards goes.