From creators behind The Draconomicon, Tasha's Crucible of Everything Else, Planescape: Metropolis, The Honkonomicon, Planewalker.com, and more comes... |
Manual of the PlanesAn invaluable, definitive work on the most fascinating aspect of the World's Greatest Roleplaying GameA vital sourcebook for players and DMs of all levels of experience, the Manual of the Planes details the manifold worlds of the Great Wheel, the most popular cosmological model of the multiverse. This book describes the layers, locations, and denizens of these worlds, as well as ideas for character creation and building planar adventures in these alien surroundings. A different style of D and amp;D adventure awaits! Related ArticlesThis product is compatible with Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse. |
Look InsideContentsIntroduction
Chapter 1: Character Creation
Chapter 2: Planar Principia
Chapter 3: The Great Wheel
Chapter 4: Creatures of the Planes
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Content WarningIn addition to the traditional antagonists, archetypal evil, and sinister societies encountered in the kinds of fantasy adventures Dungeons and amp; Dragons is known for, this book addresses some topics that can be very stressful for some readers. Negative Psychological Effects Magic, darkness, and even weather can drive characters wild. This is a general theme throughout the book, but is especially prevalent in certain planes described in chapter 3: The Feywild (memory loss) These planes have optional exploration rules to represent the ways the realms wear down or build up visitors and alter their mental state. If anyone in your play group is uncomfortable with this narrative, you can disregard those exploration rules. Death and the Afterlife In traditional D and amp;D cosmology, the souls of deceased creatures live on in the planes. This is a general theme throughout the book and cannot be easily avoided. Chapter 2 provides options for adapting the mechanics and lore of creature agency and the afterlife to suit your play group’s preferences. Child Maltreatment This topic is only breached once in the book, in chapter 3, discussing Mount Celestia’s favorite mortals to protect, watch over, and invite to angelhood. This can be easily avoided by saying that Mount Celestia’s inhabitants have no favorites. |
Being RespectfulEveryone in your play group is responsible to behave respectfully. Here’s some helpful guidelines you can use to establish what boundaries your table wants to set while enjoying a planar campaign. Content Warning Have an open discussion about what player and DM comfort levels are in regards to the topics described in the Content Warning above. This conversation can take place as a group or privately, one-on-one between DM and players. If the table as a whole is comfortable with a topic, discuss how immersive you’d like to get in such moments. Some players enjoy the catharsis of being immersed in difficult conflicts for a character, some don’t. If anyone in the play group is uncomfortable with a topic, don’t breach that topic. You don’t need to ask why; any shock value isn’t as important as everyone having fun. Personal History If a player or DM is uncomfortable with a topic, you don’t need to ask why. Simply knowing preferences is enough information to show respect. If another member of your play group confides in you why they’re uncomfortable with a topic, especially if it’s for a traumatic reason, don’t share it with others and don’t try to incorporate it into the story anyways. Change Topics If your group decides to dive into the darker elements of this book or add your own serious twists to the lore and mechanics within, people may change their minds or discover they’re uncomfortable with topics they originally thought would be fine. If someone raises a concern like this, even if it’s at an inconvenient time in the story, listen. Change the topic. Add it as a new item to your list of topics not to be discussed or brought into the story. Group members can voice their concerns when they come up, but sometimes that can be daunting. To make it easier, you can implement a “magic word,” “safe word,” or “password” that group members can say to indicate they’re uncomfortable. You could also have a special symbol on the table (such as a paper with a large X drawn on it) that a party member can touch to indicate the same. If someone expresses discomfort, that’s a good time to take a break to discuss comfort levels, grab a snack, and use the bathroom. |
The Dark of It (FAQ)Q: Do I need to own Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse to use this book? A: Although many readers will find having both books enhances their experience, no you don't. The Manual of the Planes is designed to be a standalone product that dovetails perfectly with Adventures in the Multiverse, not one that ignores or replaces it. Q: Is there a version of the PDF that is friendly to black-and-white home printers? A: Yes! The reduced-file size version is in black and white and lacks any decorative graphics. It will be available soon. Q: Is there a reduced file size version of the PDF? A: Yes! The reduced-file size version is in black and white and lacks any decorative graphics. It will be available soon. Q: Will there be a print-on-demand edition? A: That's the hope. We intend to offer the Manual of the Planes in print beginning in early 2024. Q: Will there be a discount on the print-on-demand edition if I purchase the PDF version before? A: Yes. If we are able to offer a print-on-demand edition, we will also offer a discount bundle option for the PDF + print-on-demand edition, which will let previous purchasers subtract the PDF's cost from the print-on-demand edition's cost. |
