The multiverse is everything known and everything beyond. Encompassing worlds planes, life, and death, the multiverse's infinite infinities brim with wonder, terror, secrets, and—above all—possibility. Every D&D adventure takes place in the multiverse. Beyond the lone worlds of the Material Plane are countless other realities and the paths and portals that connect every edge of eternity. Those who seek the wonders of the planes take their first step into the endless possibilities of a Planescape campaign.
What Is Planescape?
Planescape is the D&D multiverse and so much more. Beyond the 2 (detailed in the Dungeon Master's Guide), Planescape focuses on reality-bending adventures and aesthetics unbound from those of mortal worlds. Just as other D&D settings highlight certain concepts but can host any genre of adventure or style of play, the same is true of Planescape. Adventures in Planescape campaigns often focus on the following themes:
Everything D&D. Anything from any D&D setting and anything you can imagine might appear in Planescape adventures. Characters might encounter D&D's greatest characters and monsters in situations where they're not pitted against one another.
You'll see these concepts highlighted throughout this book and its companions. Use these themes as guides and encouragement as you explore Sigil and the Outlands, and as you develop your own wonderfully wild Planescape adventures.
Using This Book
This book is a gateway to adventures across the multiverse, with a focus on two thresholds to the planes: Sigil, also called the City of Doors, and the Outlands, which acts as the hub of the Outer Planes. Consult the Dungeon Master's Guide for 2 about the planes and their organization.
DMs can determine how much of this book they want to share with their players. Characters native to a Material Plane world might know nothing of the details herein, while experienced planar explorers could know everything in this book.
This introduction presents an overview of information vital to all who wander the planes.
1 provides players with details on how to create characters suited to a Planescape campaign. It presents the Gate Warden and Planar Philosopher backgrounds, feats inspired by the planes, and a collection of spells and magic items appropriate for planar travelers.
2 introduces the mind-boggling city of Sigil, the enigmatic Lady of Pain, and various other city inhabitants.
3 presents the Outlands, a neutral plane at the center of the Great Wheel, along with details on the gate-towns—communities at the thresholds to the Outer Planes—and other incredible realms.
Three Truths
Infinite possibility doesn't mean infinite complexity. The residents of Sigil and planar travelers know the multiverse follows three basic principles. Reality's vast complexity and the limits of individual perspective might obscure these principles, but those with the time and patience to learn from the multiverse's cycles eventually realize these truths.
Center of the Multiverse
What's at the center of the multiverse? Nothing—and everything.
The multiverse is an infinite expanse, and nothing can literally be at the center of infinity. Nevertheless, countless worlds, faiths, and narcissists consider themselves the center of everything. They're correct, in a sense: wherever you stand is the most important place in existence—at least, for you.
Unity of Rings
Systems, cycles, orbits, planes, lives, even the city of Sigil itself—the multiverse is composed of infinite rings. Whether these are physical or philosophical rings, the elements of the multiverse have no beginning or end, and if you follow any for long enough, you'll return to where you started.
Rule of Threes
When things happen, they happen in threes. You might not always be able to perceive or understand how events are related, but somewhere, sometime, or somehow, every action has two partners. Often this isn't worth worrying about. Other times, nothing matters more.
"Things happen in threes. Simple enough? It's not logical, but it's almost always true."