2. THE FINAL WORD
1. HELP FOR NOVICE DMS
Q: What's this "Philosophers with Clubs" malarkey?
A: The Outer Planes are built from belief, and this fact is reflected wherever you look. The planes themselves embody ideas and concepts which people live their lives by. A body needs to know where he stands in all of this, or risk going barmy at the majesty of it all. Enter the factions. The factions represent a way of looking at the multiverse. There's something compelling about what each of them say: Something that's undeniably true. Cutters join factions which most closely mirror the way they think, not just to talk philosophy with other members (thought that's doubtless an important aspect of the factions) but also because they're like great social clubs. A faction can provide many services for its members: Protection against persecution for their beliefs, a safe place to meet and conduct business, facilities for hiring mercenaries or other specialists, information and darks on the planes, rival factions or individuals...the list goes on. Bashers who aren't in a faction tend to be viewed with a little suspicion by most planars; the Outer Planes are often a place where folks wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Besides, there are so many benefits to faction membership that a sod's got to either be Clueless or up to something if they ain't a member of one! See also page 8 of Sigil and Beyond.
A: The Outer Planes are built from belief, and this fact is reflected wherever you look. The planes themselves embody ideas and concepts which people live their lives by. A body needs to know where he stands in all of this, or risk going barmy at the majesty of it all. Enter the factions.
The factions represent a way of looking at the multiverse. There's something compelling about what each of them say: Something that's undeniably true. Cutters join factions which most closely mirror the way they think, not just to talk philosophy with other members (thought that's doubtless an important aspect of the factions) but also because they're like great social clubs.
A faction can provide many services for its members: Protection against persecution for their beliefs, a safe place to meet and conduct business, facilities for hiring mercenaries or other specialists, information and darks on the planes, rival factions or individuals...the list goes on.
Bashers who aren't in a faction tend to be viewed with a little suspicion by most planars; the Outer Planes are often a place where folks wear their beliefs on their sleeves. Besides, there are so many benefits to faction membership that a sod's got to either be Clueless or up to something if they ain't a member of one!
See also page 8 of Sigil and Beyond.
Q: How do I introduce Clueless primes and players to the factions?
A: Try a friendly tout or two. Quite a few DMs make the mistake of using a sarcastic tout the first time...that's not so wise, because you don't want to put the players off joining the factions in the first place. It's best to paint 'em all in a favourable light at first, then when the players have joined their respective factions you can really start the in-fighting up!
Q: How do I keep a party of opposing faction members together?
A: Emphasise that it's quite possible for members of factions with very different ideologies can still get along as friends. It ain't every member who's a raving fanatic, and factions are more about understanding beliefs than segregation of belief. Just like in the real world, it's perfectly possible for a socialist and a capitalist to be good friends (so long as they keep politics out of it), there shouldn't be a problem with a Guvner and a Xaosman being buddies. 'Course, there'll probably be a bit of good-natured teasing about each other's beliefs, but all-out war's a bit of an exaggeration! Of course, that don't mean that all factions are the best of friends, just that fanatics are the exception rather than the rule.
A: Emphasise that it's quite possible for members of factions with very different ideologies can still get along as friends. It ain't every member who's a raving fanatic, and factions are more about understanding beliefs than segregation of belief. Just like in the real world, it's perfectly possible for a socialist and a capitalist to be good friends (so long as they keep politics out of it), there shouldn't be a problem with a Guvner and a Xaosman being buddies. 'Course, there'll probably be a bit of good-natured teasing about each other's beliefs, but all-out war's a bit of an exaggeration!
Of course, that don't mean that all factions are the best of friends, just that fanatics are the exception rather than the rule.
Q: How do I stop players wanting to kill everything they meet?
A: Try putting them in a situation where using their brains rather than their swords is the only way they can possibly escape alive. The Blood War might be the perfect excuse here: No matter how over-powered a party of characters might be, they'd never defeat a legion of fiends. Add a teleport anchor to stop the players running away with magic, and they'll be forced to negotiate or die. Maybe after they've died a few times they'll start to get the message :-) Seriously, though, it's a big problem if your players want to fight everything. Your best bet is to continually reinforce the message that the planes are home to creatures unimaginably more powerful than the PCs, which get along fine without resorting to violence. Maybe if they're made aware that they're the unreasonable ones - you could even include a bunch of planar creatures who tell them, in no uncertain terms, that they're quite the rudest and most sorry group of clueless primes that the planes ever saw. The Planescape Boxed Set briefly touches on this topic in Sigil and Beyond, page 13.
A: Try putting them in a situation where using their brains rather than their swords is the only way they can possibly escape alive. The Blood War might be the perfect excuse here: No matter how over-powered a party of characters might be, they'd never defeat a legion of fiends. Add a teleport anchor to stop the players running away with magic, and they'll be forced to negotiate or die.
Maybe after they've died a few times they'll start to get the message :-)
Seriously, though, it's a big problem if your players want to fight everything. Your best bet is to continually reinforce the message that the planes are home to creatures unimaginably more powerful than the PCs, which get along fine without resorting to violence. Maybe if they're made aware that they're the unreasonable ones - you could even include a bunch of planar creatures who tell them, in no uncertain terms, that they're quite the rudest and most sorry group of clueless primes that the planes ever saw.
The Planescape Boxed Set briefly touches on this topic in Sigil and Beyond, page 13.
Q: How do you stop PCs going somewhere you don't want them to go?
A: Don't give them a portal to get there! There are many ways of preventing PCs from using portals, even if they already know the location and key of the door they want to use. How about: The portal's a shifting or temporary one rather than a permanent one, and it's shut down when they try to use it (or, worse still, takes them somewhere else altogether...perhaps, surprise surprise, where you intended them to go in the first place!) The portal's been destroyed, perhaps by the Grixxit (see Uncaged: Faces of Sigil for details on this portal terrorist). The burg where the portal used to be has been absorbed by another plane...oops! The portal's been taken over by some other force, who're demanding money (the Merkhants), garnishes (the Fated) or blood sacrifice (the tanar'ri) to let cutters pass. Some sod's gone and built a temple, fortress or tavern around the portal, hiding or damaging it in the process. The gate key ain't available anywhere (perhaps the market trader who sold 'em's just been scragged by the hardheads for being a suspected Anarchist!) The portal simply ain't working today...maybe by the Lady of Pain's whim! This might sound heavy-handed, and if you're prepared to wing it when the players take a trip to a plane you'd not planned on them visiting then more power to you. Basically, though, an infinite multiverse is a lot to get used to, and you'd certainly not be the first DM to stop players gallivanting across it!
A: Don't give them a portal to get there!
There are many ways of preventing PCs from using portals, even if they already know the location and key of the door they want to use. How about:
This might sound heavy-handed, and if you're prepared to wing it when the players take a trip to a plane you'd not planned on them visiting then more power to you. Basically, though, an infinite multiverse is a lot to get used to, and you'd certainly not be the first DM to stop players gallivanting across it!
Q: How do I create the sense of awe and majesty inherent in the planes?
A: Think strange, and think big. Try to relate how much grander everything looks on the planes compared with the prime ('even the colours have an extra hue'). Envelop all the senses - don't just describe sights and sounds, but smells, tastes and emotions too. Use adjectives in new ways: Give inanimate objects qualities you'd normally associate with creatures, as if everything were alive or sentient in some way (and surprise the players when some of 'em are). When trying to describe infinity, emphasise how impossible what they're seeing is, and mention how much their brains hurt trying to comprehend the sights. Maybe they'll even start to go a little barmy if they think about things too long. Remember also that much of the Outer Planes has always existed, or existed for so long that it might as well have always been there. Planar creatures might easily be thousands of years old, and more intelligent than any mortal's got any right to dream of becoming. Bear this in mind, and you can't go far wrong.
A: Think strange, and think big. Try to relate how much grander everything looks on the planes compared with the prime ('even the colours have an extra hue'). Envelop all the senses - don't just describe sights and sounds, but smells, tastes and emotions too. Use adjectives in new ways: Give inanimate objects qualities you'd normally associate with creatures, as if everything were alive or sentient in some way (and surprise the players when some of 'em are).
When trying to describe infinity, emphasise how impossible what they're seeing is, and mention how much their brains hurt trying to comprehend the sights. Maybe they'll even start to go a little barmy if they think about things too long.
Remember also that much of the Outer Planes has always existed, or existed for so long that it might as well have always been there. Planar creatures might easily be thousands of years old, and more intelligent than any mortal's got any right to dream of becoming. Bear this in mind, and you can't go far wrong.
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