How do you actually Planescape?

TerribleSorcery said:
Torment is proof that Planescape IS actually playable, in some form. But picture the amount of work a DM would have to do to make that happen at his table...
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Yeah. I definitely had to put in a great deal of prep before every session in order to onboard the tangle of pertinent factions and NPC's as well as take copious notes and often draw up diagrams of competing timelines of events. I had a lot more time on my hands back then [sigh]. It was for sure worth it though.
 
The1True said:
Yeah. I definitely had to put in a great deal of prep before every session in order to onboard the tangle of pertinent factions and NPC's as well as take copious notes and often draw up diagrams of competing timelines of events. I had a lot more time on my hands back then [sigh]. It was for sure worth it though.
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I always felt the Factions part of Planescape could have used some sort of Crawford-esque abstracted assets and monthly factional infighting random sandbox system but water under the bridge I suppose.
 
PrinceofNothing said:
I always felt the Factions part of Planescape could have used some sort of Crawford-esque abstracted assets and monthly factional infighting random sandbox system but water under the bridge I suppose.
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What would a 'Crawford-esque abstracted assets' system entail exactly? Sounds cool.

A factional fighting chart sounds like a good idea for any city campaign. I believe Ptolus has a month-by-month timeline of events that just happen in the background which the PC's are welcome to get embroiled in or ignore at will. One of the multitude of reasons why the book costs $100 and you could kill someone with it...
 
The1True said:
What would a 'Crawford-esque abstracted assets' system entail exactly? Sounds cool.
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Factions are assigned ability scores of Force, Cunning & Wealth and a Homeworld (this would be some sort of building in Sigil if you would do a conversion, I believe Crawford might have used the same system with one of his fantasy settings). They can use these scores to gain access to various "assets". Each turn, these assets can be used for different actions: Building new bases of influence on a planet (or District if you would want to convert it), attacking other Faction's Assets, establishing a base of influence, moving one's HQ etc. etc. Its abstracted because it doesn't go into individual units, it will treat, say, an Assassin's Guild as a single Asset that can perform various tasks. Surpisingly deep system, very impressive.
 
The1True said:
Is this the Stars Without Number guy? Sounds like a concept worth porting.
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Crawford is the real deal. One of the few designers in the OSR with the intelligence, the determination and the finesse to create games with the type of depth we would see in old D&D, and everything he does is sandbox.
 
I think I sold my copy of SWN, will have to go digging, I suppose.

It sounds like it would be worthwhile to adapt the content to my current drowic factions design work....

Allan.
 
A recent post by Settembrini at K&KA
Settembrini said:
I recently accidentally found (listening to my Hero Klaus Schulze's Royal Festival Hall I & II, Dome Event, which eerlily also sound like Planescape: Torments Soundtrack) where Dana Knutson et al. wholeheartedly stole the graphic design ideas including fonts, textures, colours etc. for the presentation...an English Designer named Dave McKean:
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had me looking at the PS source book and some of McKean's work.

McKean
1622634229702.pngdaveMcKean01.jpg1622636935848.png

Planescape
1622636073016.png1622636291988.png2615_01_planesofconflict_box_775x961.jpg2603_01_planesofchaos_box_775x964.jpg

I'd say there is definitely a heavy influence there. Clearly digital composting is arriving on the art scene in this era.

PS as Artpunk ground-zero? Is that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in TSR's 1998, A Guide to the Ethereal Plane?
artpunk-ground0.jpg

Perhaps A Red an Pleasant Land was more of a continuation of TSR's status quo than a hard swerve in a new direction. It just shocked the OSR grognards who had never Planescaped.
1622636719380.png1622636780326.png

McKean was big in 90's comic books too IIRC.
 
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Also, to my eye, the interior artwork in the PS books is far more traditional-D&D style (except for the character costumes) and less McKean/artsy than the covers. I think the TSR art department just didn't quite have the chops for it---or perhaps were afraid to go too dark. I was actually a bit disappointed.

I mean this is just standard D&D 2e-cute with a shallow color pallet.
ps-cute00.jpg

Also, apparently, this makes it a coffee table book
ps-std00.jpg

I'm not grumpy --- I just sound that way this morning. :)
 
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Fucking diTerlizzi. Second only to Brom imho for an artist influencing a product. I love his work!
 
I do like Brom. He's the real deal, but diTerlizzi?

This is good
diTerlizzi01.jpg

But this crosses the cartoon-y line for me
diTerlizzi02.jpg

I'm not sure I am reading you correctly, are you a fan of his?
 
squeen said:
A recent post by Settembrini at K&KA
had me looking at the PS source book and some of McKean's work.
McKean was big in 90's comic books too IIRC.
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Yes indeed: Gaiman and McKean were cutting edge back then, and heavily influenced mainstream culture!

Allan.
 
Big diTerlizzi fan. I don't think you can have PS without him, sort of like you can't have DS without Brom.
I've got a bunch of McKean comics. Not a fan. I can see the strong influence there though.
 
Here's a redo by Justin Sweet of a Dark Sun painting

darksun.jpg
www.muddycolors.com

Death Mark - Dark Sun Painting

-Justin Sweet This is a painting I did for Wizards of the Coast which was a redo (on my decision) of an earlier one that I felt wasn't what I was after. It ended up being way too late, so the former made it in. I'm still glad I re- painted it. I had to settle it. I think I painted this one 3 ti
www.muddycolors.com www.muddycolors.com

Still a bit static, I think.
 
If that 5th edition Dark Sun book ever gets made, Sweet is the guy to get as the main artist.
 
squeen said:
It seems that WotC are re-releasing Planescape for D&D5e in 2023. Is that good?
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Only if they get ol' Monte back on the dreamteam...
Finally, WotC takes on a project that's likely to throw me in with the rest of you grumbly old grogs. "Everything was better in the 90's! Get off my lawn!"
 
A Darksun illustration I bumped into, for all you Planescape lovers

F2ozfr0WYAAzHOa
 
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