Introduction
Planescape Dormant is set in the world known as Ascendarion. It is the prime material plane in a large multiverse containing several other planes of existence some so esoteric its location is known only to its creator, some vast and inhabited by a population that spans in the billions. On Ascendarion, there are a number of gates which lead to these planes. And while the scholars agree that these should be studied safely from a distance in a lab, many an adventurer has gone missing thinking otherwise.
The Material Plane
Ascendarion itself is split in many kingdoms, and often a fragile peace exists between them, allowing trade and prosperity for both nations. Of the Human nations of the Old World, the most important by far is that of the Empire of Man, more often called simply The Empire, forged by the warrior-king and ascended deity Dommar from the primitive human tribes of barbarians who inhabited what became the lands of the southern Empire. Neighbouring the Empire to the West are the lands known as Piïstri. It is a coalition of city states. While separate they lack the power to defend themselves from outside attack. Over the centuries they've learned that together they can defend against even a power as the Empire.
The adventure starts in the City State of Iksiksei. A City State both bordering the Empire and a mountain range called the Mix-of-Brown-and-Grey Mountains which the Dwarven Clan Aggar calls its home.
The Planes
The Astral Plane
The Astral Plane is the realm of thoughts and dreams, where visitors travel as disembodied souls to reach the outer planes. It is a great silvery sea, the same above and below, with swirling wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of lights like distant stars. Most of the Astral Sea is a vast, empty expanse.
The Etherial Plane
The Ethereal plane is a misty, fog-bound dimension. Its "shores," called the Border Ethereal, overlap the Material Plane and the Inner Planes, so that every location on those planes has a corresponding location on the Ethereal Plane.
Feywild
The Feywild exists in parallel to the Material Plane, an alternate dimension that occupies the same cosmological space. The landscape of the Feywild mirrors the natural world but turns its features into spectacular forms.
Shadowfell
The Shadowfell overlaps the Material Plane in much the same way as the Feywild. Aside from the colorless landscape, it appears similar to the Material Plane. \columnbreak
The Inner Planes
The Inner Planes surround and enfold the Material Plane and its echoes, providing the raw elemental substances from which all worlds were made. The four Elemental Planes - Air, Earth, Fire and Water- form a ring around the Material Plane, suspended within a churning realm known as the Elemental Chaos.
The Outer Planes
If the Inner Planes are the raw matter and energy that makes up the multiverse, the Outer Planes provide the direction, thought, and purpose for its construction. Many sages refer to the Outer Planes as divine planes, spiritual planes, or godly planes, for the Outer Planes are best known as the homes of the deities.
The Outlands and Sigil
The Outlands is the plane between the Outer Planes. It is the plane of neutrality, incorporating a little of everything and keeping all aspects in a paradoxical balance. At the center of the Outlands, like the axle of a great wheel, is the Spire - a needle-shaped mountain that rises high into the sky. Above this mountain floats the ring-shaped city of Sigil, its myriad structures build on the ring's inner rim.
House Rules
Power of Belief
Belief can move mountains, and in the Planescape setting that might mean literally. Inspiration, in Planescape, might represent the power of a character’s ideals - their beliefs - made manifest.
Gaining Inspiration
When a Character (from now on Hero) acts in accordance with one of their ideals or flaws in the face of great cost or personal loss, the hero gains Inspiration. Examples of great costs or personal losses include nearly dying (or actually dying) on a quest, sustaining a debilitating disease or injury, sacrificing something, or refusing to comply and expecting to be punished for it. Bear in mind that sacrificing a healing potion to save an NPC isn’t necessarily Inspiration worthy; however, if doing so clearly supports the hero's ideal and the hero (or other party member) could really use that healing potion, then it’s definitely worth Inspiration.
Additionally, heroes are rewarded inspiration for doing actions with extra flair. Whenever a hero attempts something, an attack, a skill check or anything else, they can declare this in advance and while the DC of the check is raised, if the roll was significant enough, the hero will receive inspiration from this action.
You have a limit of Inspiration Points up to the maximum class level you have in a single class. For example, a Barbarian(3)/Wizard(2) can retain up to a maximum of 3 Inspiration.
Using Inspritation
Inspiration - belief - lets you break the rules of the planes. In addition to spending Inspiration to gain advantage as normal, a player can instead call upon one of these options:
- Attune to a planar touchstone, much in the same way one would attune to certain magic items. This provides special benefits according to the touchstone. Attuning to a new touchstone costs an amount of Inspiration Points equal to square of the new amount of touchstones you're attuned to. Replacing or recharging a touchstone only costs one.
- Faction Abilities. Each faction in the Planar part of the setting has unique belief-fueled abilities which can be activated by spending Inspiration.
- Gain an Intuitive Clue. Ask the DM a question or ask for a hint, reflecting the character being in tune with the cadence of the planes. It is up to the DM how much he or she reveals.
- Shape the Planes. You can literally reshape the planes with the power of belief. Unlike other uses of Inspiration described above, this may require consecutive or simultaneous uses of Inspiration, often at the culmination of a quest.
Planar Touchstones
Certain places in the cosmos resonate with unique forms of energy. The cosmological association of linked planes, demiplanes, and connective dimensional realms creates a vast network over which the energy of existence itself is
The Burning Rift - Planar Touchstone
Location: The Elemental Plane of Fire Base Ability: You gain a +4 on saving throws against fire effects. Higher-Order Ability: You can cast Fireball at will without expending a spell slot or material Components. The spell slot used is equal to half your character level rounded down. You must finish a Long Rest before you can use this ability again. Higher-Order Uses:5 Recharge Condition: Drink from the "headwaters" of the Rift River.
The Rules of the Planes
There are three principles (or heuristics) governing the world of Planescape: the Rule-of-Three, the Unity of Rings, and the Center of the Multiverse.
Rule-of-Three
The first principle, the Rule-of-Three, says simply that things tend to happen in threes. The principles which govern the planes are themselves subject to this rule.
Unity of Rings
The second principle is the Unity of Rings, and notes that many things on the planes are circular, coming back around to where they started. This is true geographically as well as philosophically.
Center of All
The third principle (fitting neatly into the Rule-of-Three above) is the Center of All, and states that there is a center of everything — or, rather, wherever a person happens to be is the center of the multiverse... from their own perspective, at least. As most planes are functionally infinite, disproving anyone's centricity would be impossible. In Planescape, this is meant philosophically just as much as it is meant in terms of multiversal geography.
Downtime Activities
At times you, as a player, will be unable to attend a session. During such times your character will spend time away from the group. Also, during some sessions you maywant to spend some time researching, gambling, getting to know the locals,.. Descriptions and rules for these and more are described in the rulebook "Xanathar's guide to Everything". You are not restricted to these.
Changes to Leveling
When you level, you may exchange one skill you are trained in, for another you have access to. The old skill retains a +1 bonus. Your newly trained skill will gain your proficiency bonus -1.
Spellcasting on the Planes
Spellcasting on the planes is slightly different from on a material plane. There are three things spellcasters have to keep in mind when casting spells on the planes:
- The effect of magic on creatures in their home planes
- The relative position of the current plane compared to the source of the power, or other planes involved in the spell
- The availability of extradimensional space.
Arcane Spellcasters
For each plane, there are secret spell keys that attune an Arcane spellcaster to the magical vibrations of that plane. Once the spellcaster's in harmoney with the plane's essence, some or all of his spells may behave normally again. Spell keys take a lot of forms, which are never the same from plane to plane. It's only a question of finding the right one.
Divine Spellcasters
For Divine spellcasters the main issue is the distance to its power-giver. The more planes they are away from it, the weaker the bond becomes. Luckily there are power keys, these are fragments of a deities power and extend the influence for the carrier of the key.
Character Creation Rules
Core Idea
Your character will make part of a team of adventurers, at the start of the campaign you will all know each other and you will even have some other unlisted friends you frequently adventure with (player characters not present at the start of the campaign).
Starting Level
The character will start at level 2, however it will not gain a new level until it gains a total of 900 experience points, which is the sum of both level 1 and 2. You cannot make use of the "changes to leveling" for this level.
Stats
- Roll 4d6, 6 times, and discard the lowest. You can then switch 2 stats around.
- Alternatively, use the pointbuy system in the PHB for 27 points.
Races
- Any race from the Players Handbook is allowed.
- Any race from Volo's Guide to Monsters and any tiefling variant from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes is allowed. If you pick one of these however, you will need to create a sufficiently in depth background justifying why a person of this lineage would make a part of the group.
Classes and Class options
- Any class from the Players Handbook is allowed.
- Any class from Xanathar's Guide to Everything is allowed. If you pick one of these however, you will need to create a sufficiently in depth background justifying why a person with this profession would make a part of the group.
Loot
- A form of group loot will be used. Everyone gets its share of the treasures uncovered while exploring dungeons, killing dragons, completing quests, or bartering at the local market during adventures.
- The DM will keep track of everything.
Experience Points
An experience point system will be used. Experience points will be rewarded for:
- Killing monsters
- Defeating monsters non-violently
- Defeating Traps
- Solving Riddles
- Solving Quests
- Downtime Activities
- Use NPC's to do any of the above
- Great Roleplaying between the characters
Further Information
The campaign will also have its own page on World Anvil.
Planescape
Dormant
V1.1
A Planescape Player companion containing all the information my players need to know, without overwhelming them with everything they can learn during play.
V1.0: First Draft V1.1: Fixed Typo's, refs. and player input
Info: DnD 5e DMG - WotC DnD 3.5 Planar Handbook - WotC DnD 2nd Planescape Campaign Setting - TSR Player's Guide to Planescape - Chris Perkins The Infinite Planes Player's Companion - Aaron Infante-Levy Art: Cover Art: Unknown Artist Stone Golem p2: Geunjoo Baek Lady of Pain Logo p3: mathulessjoking Warlock p4: derricksong Blacksmith p4: Benjamin Widdowson Dragon Warrior p5: nraza Art Back: Image from the Player's Guide to Planescape