It's not bad, but it could be much better. Compared to old 2ed PSCS there is less information.
Sigil section is quite good. There are places from PS:T (Smoldering Corpse Bar, Dead Nations, Warrens of Thought). One of the most disappointing things is that there are no descriptions of Outer Planes (even such basic as mentioning names of layers and important sites). The adventure is okay (de facto "Planescape Torment" for your players). It's not the best, but is decent. While I understand why adventure was created (to show the "practical use" of PS). I think it would be better if books focused on setting itself. Monsters are quite nice, but I don't know why sometimes not all of them were converted from previous editions (like not all Rilmani). The biggest disappointment are NPC. Most of them are only mentioned in Sigil Ward descriptions (like "here lives X, use Y stat block"). Some have unexplained stat changes (the biggest weirdo is Lothar who from 20+ cleric become CR2 NPC). There should be a list of important NPC in Sigil (even in the form "Name, Stats, one-sentence-description"). No NPC has sex given (in most cases you can get it from describing text but not always), which is weird. Seriously, I don't want to check in Factols Manifesto if Erin or Rhys are male or female. The only detailed NPC is Shemeshka, and only because she's in the adventure. Some other old ones (like Grixitt, Koe, Parakk, the Us) are off-handily mentioned.
As mentioned in several YouTube videos, it's been said that the 2024 DM Guide will include a lot more information about the Planes that link into Planescape.
5th edition allowed DMs to use optional rules to give the "feeling" of different previous editions. For example, using Feats to give the "feel" of 3rd edition.
The Wizards RPG team keeps saying that the new "setting" for One D&D is the Multiverse and they have also said they want to make One D&D create an umbrella that encompassed all editions of the game (although they made it clear THAC0 is dead forever) and I find it interesting and fun they already are opening Planescape doors to previous edition modules in the Planescape Adventure book, specifically Dungeonland and Temple of the Frog.
I expect 2024 adventure books to return to suggesting how each adventure might be played in the various different world settings like older books and Dungeon magazine used to do. I'm not sure they will move on from Forgotten Realms or not. Maybe they will return to Greyhawk again. Who knows. But I think the Multiverse outlook makes it that each book going forward will have toolkits to play in all the settings.
I got my preorder books today and flipped through them. I'm overall very happy with everything I've seen so far. 👍
Edit: And thank goodness! I know many people will probably not feel this way but the Planescape DM screen provides some of the information that I constantly forget from the Core books like: Jumps, concentration, cover, conditions, and it makes me happy. Has DM useful information on a DM screen. How thoughtful! 😁
I'm pleased with it overall. It's enough for any DM to dip into Planescape and make it their own. We often forget that the vast majority of D&D players and Dungeon Masters are seeing this setting for the very first time. In that context, it's wonderful. In the context of my owning the Manual of the Planes, it provides a new look at things and denies me nothing.
My only honest complaint? There are far too many tables for things like:
Adventure Hooks
Faction Missions
Sigil Calamities
Encounters in Sigil
Random tables are far too subjective to be of use in every campaign. They chew up page space so the book can hit its designated page length but really don't offer much more than a flash-in-the-pan idea, and there are several tools online to generate ideas for encounters, adventures, etc.
Instead, I'd like to see a section for DMs focused on teaching what a good adventure hook, calamity, etc., is. Teach the new DMs to fish... instead of giving them the fish. There are enough tables in these books to cover several pages of "This is how you do it!" information that empowers DMs to expand their understanding of encounter pacing, appropriateness for the story, theme, and adventure paths in front of the characters, balancing, and more.
I realize I'm an old DM, which makes these tables less helpful for me, but if I'm mentoring a new DM, I don't give them tables for things like this. I teach them how to think through these game operations opportunities themselves.
Beyond that? And to be very clear? I think this is the best bang for the buck purchase I've made on official Dungeons & Dragons product this year.
This misses the point that a new DM benefits from the "How to do this in Planescape" lesson.
As an experienced DM the tables are worthless to me. I see the benefit for someone newer, but learning how to design encounters, random or not, is more useful than learning how to build on a single dice roll (in my respectful opinion).
This misses the point that a new DM benefits from the "How to do this in Planescape" lesson.
As an experienced DM the tables are worthless to me. I see the benefit for someone newer, but learning how to design encounters, random or not, is more useful than learning how to build on a single dice roll (in my respectful opinion).
Again, encounter design itself is something covered in the DMG. The tables are thematic prompts to build around, and honestly they usually look more like plot hooks than combat encounters.
Im irked by the articles that go "yeah the stuff for razor vines is in the dmg, go look it up there" when the whole city is covered by those. Same for portals, in the city of portals...
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I haven’t gotten it quite yet, but I’m excited (and nervous) to see what Wotc did the planescape. So what’s your first impression? Is it worth it?
Depends. I have some mixed feelings.
It's not bad, but it could be much better.
Compared to old 2ed PSCS there is less information.
Sigil section is quite good. There are places from PS:T (Smoldering Corpse Bar, Dead Nations, Warrens of Thought).
One of the most disappointing things is that there are no descriptions of Outer Planes (even such basic as mentioning names of layers and important sites).
The adventure is okay (de facto "Planescape Torment" for your players). It's not the best, but is decent.
While I understand why adventure was created (to show the "practical use" of PS). I think it would be better if books focused on setting itself.
Monsters are quite nice, but I don't know why sometimes not all of them were converted from previous editions (like not all Rilmani).
The biggest disappointment are NPC. Most of them are only mentioned in Sigil Ward descriptions (like "here lives X, use Y stat block"). Some have unexplained stat changes (the biggest weirdo is Lothar who from 20+ cleric become CR2 NPC).
There should be a list of important NPC in Sigil (even in the form "Name, Stats, one-sentence-description").
No NPC has sex given (in most cases you can get it from describing text but not always), which is weird. Seriously, I don't want to check in Factols Manifesto if Erin or Rhys are male or female.
The only detailed NPC is Shemeshka, and only because she's in the adventure. Some other old ones (like Grixitt, Koe, Parakk, the Us) are off-handily mentioned.
As mentioned in several YouTube videos, it's been said that the 2024 DM Guide will include a lot more information about the Planes that link into Planescape.
5th edition allowed DMs to use optional rules to give the "feeling" of different previous editions. For example, using Feats to give the "feel" of 3rd edition.
The Wizards RPG team keeps saying that the new "setting" for One D&D is the Multiverse and they have also said they want to make One D&D create an umbrella that encompassed all editions of the game (although they made it clear THAC0 is dead forever) and I find it interesting and fun they already are opening Planescape doors to previous edition modules in the Planescape Adventure book, specifically Dungeonland and Temple of the Frog.
I expect 2024 adventure books to return to suggesting how each adventure might be played in the various different world settings like older books and Dungeon magazine used to do. I'm not sure they will move on from Forgotten Realms or not. Maybe they will return to Greyhawk again. Who knows. But I think the Multiverse outlook makes it that each book going forward will have toolkits to play in all the settings.
I got my preorder books today and flipped through them. I'm overall very happy with everything I've seen so far. 👍
Edit: And thank goodness! I know many people will probably not feel this way but the Planescape DM screen provides some of the information that I constantly forget from the Core books like: Jumps, concentration, cover, conditions, and it makes me happy. Has DM useful information on a DM screen. How thoughtful! 😁
I'm pleased with it overall. It's enough for any DM to dip into Planescape and make it their own. We often forget that the vast majority of D&D players and Dungeon Masters are seeing this setting for the very first time. In that context, it's wonderful. In the context of my owning the Manual of the Planes, it provides a new look at things and denies me nothing.
My only honest complaint? There are far too many tables for things like:
Random tables are far too subjective to be of use in every campaign. They chew up page space so the book can hit its designated page length but really don't offer much more than a flash-in-the-pan idea, and there are several tools online to generate ideas for encounters, adventures, etc.
Instead, I'd like to see a section for DMs focused on teaching what a good adventure hook, calamity, etc., is. Teach the new DMs to fish... instead of giving them the fish. There are enough tables in these books to cover several pages of "This is how you do it!" information that empowers DMs to expand their understanding of encounter pacing, appropriateness for the story, theme, and adventure paths in front of the characters, balancing, and more.
I realize I'm an old DM, which makes these tables less helpful for me, but if I'm mentoring a new DM, I don't give them tables for things like this. I teach them how to think through these game operations opportunities themselves.
Beyond that? And to be very clear?
I think this is the best bang for the buck purchase I've made on official Dungeons & Dragons product this year.
Teaching the DM is what the DMG is for. The tables assume the DM already has the background and/or resources to build on the ideas they present.
This misses the point that a new DM benefits from the "How to do this in Planescape" lesson.
As an experienced DM the tables are worthless to me. I see the benefit for someone newer, but learning how to design encounters, random or not, is more useful than learning how to build on a single dice roll (in my respectful opinion).
Again, encounter design itself is something covered in the DMG. The tables are thematic prompts to build around, and honestly they usually look more like plot hooks than combat encounters.
Feels like the other sets. My friend got the physical copy and I do love the smell of a new book.
for ease of reading I have the digital copy and so far really enjoy it!
I didn’t see what you did there.
Im irked by the articles that go "yeah the stuff for razor vines is in the dmg, go look it up there" when the whole city is covered by those. Same for portals, in the city of portals...