After veering between it, Sorcerer's Crusade, Exalted, and an all-mage Al-Qadim variant, we're playing Planescape.
Why?
Because we were sick of epics. One of my players has defined it as "we want Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, not Tolkien."
And Planescape is too damn big for any epic to be seen as too much serious. Or for any character to damage the setting too much. And it still allows me to play with weird notions and landscapes, without these being too ponderous.
Therefore, I say that Planescape is the ideal D&D campaign.
And you would be 100% correct. No matter how world-shattering the events of any campaign in Planescape, odds are it affects only one section of one infinite plane. Just watch out for power creep.
"Okay, then with the Staff of Ra I collide Avernus into Celestia! Wraaagggh!"
"No matter how much you nuance and clarification you include in a statement, someone else will ignore it and argue against something you didn't say, then refuse to acknowledge that they misread/skimmed your post." - Zeea's Law
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I dreamt that I was perched atop a throne of human skulls
On a cliff above the ocean, howling wind and shrieking seagulls
And the dream went on forever, one single static frame
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name
I think Planescape can be epic in scale - but the effects of PC actions are limited in scope. The real beauty of the setting is the way that a campaign is so power-flexible. Low-level characters can play without being overwhelmed by hugely overpowering threats.
For example, the Blood War is huge and unstoppable. PCs could rally an army of tens of thousands and plunge into epic campaigns - but in the grand scheme of things, it won't matter. equally, low-power PCs could get involved in the struggle and not be so completely overpowered as to be useless.
One reason I like Planescape is because there's always something bigger and badder than you out there. As much as I love Dark Sun, it's pretty limited in power. Once PCs get near the level of power of a Sorcerer-King, the game is pretty much over. Yeah, you could run a political campaign, but that's just not Dark Sun.
In Planescape, though, there's always something waiting on the other side of a portal that can beat you down...
"No matter how much you nuance and clarification you include in a statement, someone else will ignore it and argue against something you didn't say, then refuse to acknowledge that they misread/skimmed your post." - Zeea's Law
I'm only a relatiely recent (within the last year or so - yay used games) fan of the Planescape setting, but I'll sound off in support of it as well. What I like about Planescape is the flexibility it gives. Want to run a political game? Great, jump into Faction politics. Want to run a fighty game? It doesn't get any bigger than the Blood War. A game of exploration? Via Sigil, all of the planes are your playground.
Pulling off my fan hat, and putting on my business hat - I'm forced to wonder how well Planescape sold compared to other D&D settings. If the central goal of D&D is to burst into a 10x10 room, kill an ork, and take his stuff - then Planescape is probably one of the D&D campaign settings that's furthest from it. It could very well explain why nobody to my (possibly limited) knoweldge has made an offer to purchase the rights to make a d20 version of it.
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Mike Williams
Earthdawn Line Developer
Living Room Games
www.lrgames.com
info@lrgames.com
No... but "Planescape" is currently a heading over at WotC's catalog. I spoke to Sword & Sorcery, and they gave me the impression that WotC didn't want to give up the rights to it.
I'm suspicious, and optimistically hopeful.
I don't know how well PS sold when it was still being printed, but I believe that out of all the extinct game lines, it continually gets the highest bids on eBay.
Just watch out for power creep.
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