How do you actually Planescape?

[TerribleSorcery]

I still remember Ignus, this perpetually tormented, flayed and on fire man that I [REDACTED]

Bro, spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As others have said. Torment is widely considered top-5 of all time CRPGs. For me it is unambiguously the #1 electronic RPG, ever. Followed by Fallout 2 and 3, and then a bunch of other stuff further down.

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...

 

[Pseudoephedrine]

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...

Planescape is as much a "vibe" as anything substantive, and if one directs energy to capturing that vibe rather than worrying about sticking to canon, I think it's easier than you might expect. I listed what I thought were key elements of its vibe earlier in this thread.

 

[The1True]

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...

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.

 

[PrinceofNothing]

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.

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.

 

[The1True]

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.

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...

 

[PrinceofNothing]

What would a 'Crawford-esque abstracted assets' system entail exactly? Sounds cool.

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]

Is this the Stars Without Number guy? Sounds like a concept worth porting.

 

[PrinceofNothing]

Is this the Stars Without Number guy? Sounds like a concept worth porting.

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.

 

[grodog]

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.

 

[squeen]

A recent post by Settembrini at K&KA

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:

had me looking at the PS source book and some of McKean's work.

McKean


Planescape


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?


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.


McKean was big in 90's comic books too IIRC.

 

[squeen]

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.


Also, apparently, this makes it a coffee table book


I'm not grumpy --- I just sound that way this morning.

 

[The1True]

Fucking diTerlizzi. Second only to Brom imho for an artist influencing a product. I love his work!

 

[squeen]

I do like Brom. He's the real deal, but diTerlizzi?

This is good


But this crosses the cartoon-y line for me


I'm not sure I am reading you correctly, are you a fan of his?

 

[grodog]

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.

Yes indeed: Gaiman and McKean were cutting edge back then, and heavily influenced mainstream culture!

Allan.

 

[The1True]

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.

 

[squeen]

Here's a redo by Justin Sweet of a Dark Sun painting

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

Still a bit static, I think.

 

[The1True]

pretty badass.

 

[grodog]

Here's a redo by Justin Sweet of a Dark Sun painting

That might almost make me consider being vaguely interested in DS.

Allan.

 

[Yora]

If that 5th edition Dark Sun book ever gets made, Sweet is the guy to get as the main artist.

 

[squeen]

It seems that WotC are re-releasing Planescape for D&D5e in 2023. Is that good?