When I entered a digital press room to hear what Wizards of the Coast has in store for Dungeons & Dragons, I didn’t expect to find a comparison with the movie but it is neither more nor less than what happened. And the strangest thing is that it is actually well worn, because «Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse» wants to embrace all imaginable settings in a single game of the famous TTRPG.
Planescape, in case you are not very familiar with the subject, is one of the many D&D settings – Baldur’s Gate 3, for example, takes place in the Forgotten Realms, which is the most commercially exploited – and it is probably familiar to you because it is where they come from. some classics of the CRPG genre. The first is the legendary Planescape: Torment from 1999, which brought together a real of veterans of the western role, like Chris Avellone or Guido Henkel.
The story of “Adventures in the Multiverse” without going any further, begins exactly the same as that of that video game, with the heroes waking up in a morgue next to Death (only here he is looking for someone else). That’s when the magic of Planescape comes: it’s an adventure virtually infinite that covers and connects everything that has ever happened in D&D, from where the gods come from, to a game you played years ago with some friends who bought the starter kit, to everything you’ve done in BG3.
In other words, the new campaign gives you resources so you can link the tour main story with any other stories you have in mind and want to import into the session. Naturally, this also gives rise to a component of strangeness, a chaotic and overwhelming collision of worlds and realities, which is what designer Wes Schneider was referring to during the presentation when talking about last year’s American film. But it’s not like you have to complicate yourself too much your head to play, if you don’t want to.
Planescape: Torment is a classic CRPG signed by true legends of the genre
The creative recognizes that all books are designed knowing that “they can be the first role adventure someone” and it is totally valid to follow the instructions to the letter. Planescape covers a grandiose background of incomprehensible beings, but in reality you don’t need to understand everything to know where you are because you are accompanied at all times by a mimir (a mechanical head) that contains logs and recordings of visitors of all kinds to the D&D multiverse that are read verbatim to properly document the personnel.
Beyond its own campaign, you can link the session to Ravenloft, Spelljammer, or any D&D game imaginable – everything is canonically correct
Based on the comments of the WotC representatives, the Sigil book takes us to meet the Lady of Pain in the city of the same name, as an enigmatic governor whose will is above even that of the deities, and who controls all the doors. of this particular multiverse. Do you have to explore everything? No, because it would be impossible, and if you prefer something more traditional you can go to the “Turn of Fortune” campaign where a Walking castle It automatically transports you through lands in constant transformation.
Planescape relaunching in 2023
Personally, I like the idea of returning to Planescape because of the bizarre nature of its proposal: you can see the March of the Modrons, you have multiple character sheets to cycle through until you reach the best version of yourself at lvl. 17 and you have multiple factions you can join in Sigil. But I think that those who are going to enjoy “Adventures in the Multiverse” the most are those who try to weave together stories from their own or other people’s games and games in what clearly seems endless. This requires experience, intensive knowledge of D&D, and a lot of skill, but it’s exciting to say the least.
In case you plan to add it to the wish list, take note: it arrives on October 3 as a early access to the D&D Beyond subscription service, and to bookstores on the 17th of the same month. The complete product has inside the box a screen for Dungeon Masters, a double-sided poster serving as a map and three books of content: “Turn of Fortune”, which is the one for the main campaign; “Sigil and the Outlands”, the one about history and context; as well as “Morte’s Planar Parade” which serves as a bestiary. As is common in other WotC releases, in physical stores it is possible to find versions with alternative covers.
