Being the crossroads of the multiverse, Sigil and the Outlands are chock-full of strange creatures and mystical energies. If your adventurer hails from this multiversal microcosm, they may have been shaped by the mysterious forces that ebb and flow from the surrounding Outer Planes, so much so that they have developed otherworldly abilities.

Let's take a look at the backgrounds and feats introduced in Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse and talk about how we can use them to flesh out our interplanar characters!

• Welcome to the Center of the Multiverse
• Gate Warden Background
• Planar Philosopher Background
• Scion of the Outer Planes Feat
• Agent of Order Feat
• Baleful Scion Feat
• Cohort of Chaos Feat
• Outlands Envoy Feat
• Planar Wanderer Feat
• Righteous Heritor Feat

Welcome to the Center of the Multiverse: Sigil and the Outlands

Sigil and the Outlands are a place of neutrality, true neutrality, unburdened by allegiances to good or evil, order or chaos.

Hailing from Sigil or the Outlands can give you a great opportunity to explore a more neutral alignment. When one of the areas surrounding Sigil takes on the nature of an Outer Plane, it breaks away from the rest of the Outlands and becomes absorbed. If your character grew up under these conditions—where dedication to a cause could literally upend the very ground you walk on—consider how they might feel about the setting's gods, factions, and schools of thought.

Of course, you can play any alignment. Perhaps your character wants their hometown to be absorbed by an Outer Plane or wants to establish a brand new church in Sigil itself. With the new backgrounds and feats presented in Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse, you can create a character who knows their way around the multiverse and might have some thoughts about their place within it.

Gate Warden Background

Artist: Quintin Gleim

A Gate Warden has been highly influenced by planar forces, likely by growing up near a portal to another plane of existence. Anybody growing up in Sigil or its Outlands' gate-towns would fit this description, but you might also choose this background if your character was raised near a fey crossing or a tunnel to the Plane of Earth.

As a result of this experience, you've become accustomed to even the stranger aspects of interplanar relations. You might chat with genies or demons as easily as you would a bartender, and you've learned to ignore the occasional rain of frogs or influx of unicorns. You might even run errands in Elysium before making dinner reservations in Pandemonium (though I hear the service there is terrible). The grand wonders and impossibilities of the multiverse are commonplace to you.

Benefits of the Gate Warden Background

When you select the Gate Warden background, you gain proficiency in Persuasion and Survival, two languages of your choice, plus the Scion of the Outer Planes feat (covered below).

Who Should Build a Gate Warden

On its face, the Gate Warden background is a perfect fit for a Horizon Walker ranger or Oath of the Watchers paladin. But because there's an Outer Plane for each alignment and several wild Inner Planes to boot, this background could reasonably fit any class, lineage, or alignment. This background is perfect for players who want to invest in their character's backstory and explore how the circumstances of their upbringing might have deeply affected their worldview.

Planar Philosopher Background

Artist: Robson Michel

As a Planar Philosopher, you seek to understand a truth about the universe—perhaps the truth, if there is one. In Sigil and its Outlands, you have seen this universe's interstitial spaces, its veins and arteries, and you must know more, understand more. You are ready for your adventures to challenge and sharpen your view of the world and to allow you to share all that you've learned.

A Planar Philosopher has probably found like minds and close friends among at least one of Sigil's 12 ascendant factions. Whether you believe that there is no greater truth to the universe or that all of existence is governed by laws we must understand, a faction in Sigil awaits with open arms and a network of allies. Though you may have friends or acquaintances in many factions, Planar Philosophers who dedicate themselves to one faction will be rewarded with its connections, shelter, and support.

Benefits of the Planar Philosopher Background

When you select the Planar Philosopher background, you gain proficiency in Arcana plus one other skill associated with your faction (or of your choice), two languages of your choice, and the Scion of the Outer Planes feat (covered below).

Who Should Build a Planar Philosopher

While wizards, bards, and some rangers make for obvious Planar Philosophers, any character with a strong innate sense of curiosity or conviction should consider this background.

Scion of the Outer Planes Feat

Prerequisite: Planescape Campaign

Artist: Michele Giorgi

Scion of the Outer Planes represents your exposure to the far reaches of the multiverse. This influence often leaves a mark on a character—and thankfully, not just horns or a tail. This feat represents your connection to one of the Outer Planes:

• Chaotic Outer Plane: In planes of chaos, danger is deceptive. You become resistant to poison damage and you learn the minor illusion cantrip.
• Evil Outer Plane: Touched by evil, you find yourself unbothered by death magic. You become resistant to necrotic damage, and you learn the chill touch cantrip.
• Good Outer Plane: Years spent near the shimmering plains of Elysium, the shining peaks of Mount Celestia, or another good plane have touched your soul. You become resistant to radiant damage, and you learn the sacred flame cantrip.
• Lawful Outer Plane: You have become so orderly and put-together that you no longer pile clothes on top of a chair in the corner of the room, and you have cleaned your junk drawer. You become resistant to force damage, and you learn the guidance cantrip.
• The Outlands: After a lifetime in the Outlands, nothing can phase you anymore. You've been there, you've done that, you went on that blind date with the aberration. You become resistant to psychic damage, and you learn the mage hand cantrip.

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse also introduces six planar-themed feats for 4th-level and above characters who have taken the Scion of the Outer Planes feat. Depending on which Outer Plane you choose for Scion of the Outer Planes, you'll gain access to the plane's associated feat at 4th and higher levels.

Agent of Order Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes (Lawful Outer Plane) Feat

Gaining the Agent of Order feat means you've absorbed the cosmic powers of order from an Outer Plane. This could manifest in something silly and mundane like being the planner of your friend group or something more epic like a steadfast dedication to a set of principles. Use this feat to restrain your foes, making them easier for your allies to attack and hindering their attacks against you.

Characters With Agent of Order

While the restrained condition is helpful for almost any character, it might be ideal to pair this feat with one who frequently deals damage, whether up close like a Path of the Berserker barbarian or Oath of Conquest paladin, or from afar like many sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. And because you’re attacking the opponent with advantage, I recommend combining this feat with others that power up your critical hits. For example, Crusher, Piercer, and Slasher all add an extra effect to a critical hit, and Elven Accuracy (if you have an elven heritage) can be activated easily by attacking restrained creatures.

Baleful Scion Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes (Evil Outer Plane) Feat

You’ve been touched by evil, though whether that means bloodthirsty killer or edgy goth is thankfully up to you. The power bestowed by the Baleful Scion feat allows you to siphon hit points from your enemies.

Characters With Baleful Scion

I would be excited to take this feat if I were playing a Way of Mercy monk. These monks can use their Hand of Healing to restore hit points to themselves or an ally and their Hand of Harm to deal additional damage to an enemy. But by pairing Baleful Scion’s Grasp of Avarice feature with Hand of Harm, you can deal extra damage to an enemy and restore hit points to yourself. Alternatively, I’d pair this feat with a Fiend warlock or with a dhampir of any class—any character who leans into their spookiness.

Cohort of Chaos Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes (Chaotic Outer Plane) Feat

With the Cohort of Chaos feat, you’re an agent of chaos, a wild thing, utterly unpredictable. Nothing can quite pin you down. You simply can’t be tamed! Well, except by the d4, and this table of Chaotic Flares. You’ll roll on this table of random effects after you roll a 1 or 20 for an attack roll or saving throw.

Characters With Cohort of Chaos

This feat works best for players who love to embrace the randomness of D&D and who enjoy risking a curse for the possibility of a boon. If this is you, you might already be playing a Wild Magic sorcerer, Path of Wild Magic barbarian, an Alchemist artificer, or a College of Spirits bard. The Chaotic Flares themselves can buff allies, damage or hinder all nearby creatures, or allow you to teleport a short distance. Embrace the unpredictability!

Outlands Envoy Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes (The Outlands) Feat

Living at the crossroads of the multiverse leaves its mark and may provide your character with the Outlands Envoy feat. With misty step and tongues, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the perils of Sigil, the City of Doors.

Characters With Outland Envoy

A feat for the party face, for the courtiers and the far travelers, the half-casters and the skill experts. Outland Envoys can use the tongues spell to great effect, especially in cities like Sigil, ensuring that your party can communicate with powerful NPCs and overhear the best gossip. If you find yourself caught in some trouble, the misty step spell is often great for popping out of danger.

College of Eloquence or Glamour bards, Fey Wanderer rangers, and Circle of Dreams druids would do well with this feat, as would any character who isn’t afraid to take a lead in social interactions. It also pairs well with feats like Actor, Skilled, or Skill Expert—or, really, any feat you use to help smooth over a tense conversation.

Planar Wanderer Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes Feat

Artist: MICHELE GIORGI

Characters with the Planar Wanderer feat have visited many different dimensions and seen many strange places. They’ve learned languages, been exposed to new cultures and customs, and like to talk about that summer they studied abroad way too much.

Characters With Planar Wanderer

The Planar Wanderer feat has three features, two of which are most often useful outside of combat. The Planar Adaptation feature grants you resistance to acid, cold, or fire damage when you finish a long rest. Tanks—that is, characters who try to occupy enemy attention and soak up enemy damage to protect allies—benefit greatly from a damage resistance that they can tweak to suit their adventure.

The Portal Cracker and Portal Sense abilities will help your character find nearby portals and attempt to open or close them without a key. You might want to play this as a Thief rogue who is already an expert at cracking physical safes or as a Horizon Walker ranger who has specialized even further in portal magic.

Righteous Heritor Feat

Prerequisites: 4th Level, Scion of the Outer Planes (Good Outer Plane) Feat

Whether you’d call yourself a hero or not, your life has been changed by forces of good. This imprint of cosmic excellence has given you the Righteous Heritor feat and allows you to better protect yourself or your allies.

Characters With Righteous Heritor

Characters who already focus on defending or buffing allies will probably enjoy this feat the most. Some builds already have reactions they can use to protect allies, like counterspell or the Protection Fighting Style, but this feat will heighten the defensive prowess of any class lacking one of these reactions. Party healers of any class will appreciate this feat when their healing abilities are stretched too thin; spare yourself a cure wounds later by reducing damage now!

Adventures in Planescape

Interplanar adventure awaits! Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse will give you everything you need to run multiversal adventures, including the new character options we discussed above. Where will your characters travel in the vast and infinite expanse of the multiverse?

Damen Cook (@damen_joseph) is a lifelong fantasy reader, writer, and gamer. If he woke up tomorrow in Faerun, he would bolt through the nearest fey crossing and drink from every stream and eat fruit from every tree in the Feywild until he found that sweet, sweet wild magic.