Will Planescape ever reappear for d20?

Posts: 1573 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:37 am

I can't say I follow any current d20 products or am familiar with any rumors and new items coming soon. Still, I've been wondering if Planescape will ever reappear? Given it's current large popularity, I suspect WotC must have at least thought about it?

They, of course, took the two main settings and published books right away (Greyhawk and the Realms). They licensed out Ravenloft to Sword and Sorcery . . . so what about Planescape? Even if they weren't interested, I am surprised that they didn't do something as with Ravenloft and let another company produce books for the d20 system. I can't believe that no one would be interested in such a venture. This suggests to me that WotC is keeping Planescape in case they ever want to redo it. Something that they could release some year when business is "slow".

Just a thought . . . Does anyone have any insight into this? Has anyone heard even a whisper of talk about Planescape surfacing again?

Posts: 137 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:22 am

We've had somediscussing about this before on the forums of Planescape becoming d20 and (from what I recall) there are 2 minor issues:

1. Planescape was never a moneymaker, so who'd be interested besides a serious group of fanatics (haha, maybe WE should Very Happy

)

2. WotC is owned by Hasbro and Hasbro makes all kinds of toys for all kinds of people all over the world. Releasing a game where you can (literally) make a deal with a devil might be a bit too much for some religious and more-sensitive people. They might decide to boycott Hasbro for 'unethical' behavior.

Just my thoughts. If I quoted anything incorrectly from previous discussions, let me know.

Posts: 1573 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:48 am

Makes sense - all the more reason I find it odd that another company hasn't decided to maket the product on their own (with WotC's persmission of course).

If Sword & Sorcery could get Ravenloft . . . seems there is a MUCH better investment possiblity in Planescape.

Posts: 762 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:13 am

If it could be done, I'd be very surprised. Monte Cook (one of the original PS guys) runs Malhavoc Press, which is one of the largest of the d20 companies. He (and some of the other original PS guys) put out "Beyond Countless Doors", which was it's own cosmology. As close to PS as, I suspect, they could get.

I'd -love- for PS to come back, ideally in the pre-Faction War form.

Posts: 3151 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:40 am

Sword and Sorcery gave back Ravenloft and Gamm World, there last product for Ravenloft they never released, Guide to the Mists, they simply put on the web (GASP..as a free PDF Smile

)
Planescape I thought Monte Cook didn't want..not sure where I read that though. As for the demons though..Hasbro owned D&D put out the Book of Vile Darkness (by Monte Cook).

ShaneG.

Posts: 177 · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:45 pm

It doesn't look too good for Planescape to resurface in D20 and 3rd Ed. Most of the reasons have already been touched upon. I'm honestly not sure whether I'm saddened or relieved at that.

I guess there are a lot of titles out there from the D20 publishers that cover a lot of somewhat Planescape-like material. Just for example: Aasimar and Tiefling, as well as Armies of the Abyss and Legions of Hell from Green Ronin Publishing. Demonology: The Dark Road from Mongoose Publishing... Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils (I and II) from Fast Forward Entertainment...(There are books on angels, too, I just seem to own the eeevil ones. Hmm.)

Granted, some of them aren't that good.. *laugh*, but it seems like a lot of companies recognize the want for a bit of a planar feel. Though it's not really Planescape. But it could be for the best... there's that chance moving it into 3rd edition would ruin a good thing.

Posts: 7604 · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:16 am

Azurah wrote:

It doesn't look too good for Planescape to resurface in D20 and 3rd Ed. Most of the reasons have already been touched upon. I'm honestly not sure whether I'm saddened or relieved at that.

I guess there are a lot of titles out there from the D20 publishers that cover a lot of somewhat Planescape-like material. Just for example: Aasimar and Tiefling, as well as Armies of the Abyss and Legions of Hell from Green Ronin Publishing. Demonology: The Dark Road from Mongoose Publishing... Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils (I and II) from Fast Forward Entertainment...(There are books on angels, too, I just seem to own the eeevil ones. Hmm.)

Granted, some of them aren't that good.. *laugh*, but it seems like a lot of companies recognize the want for a bit of a planar feel. Though it's not really Planescape. But it could be for the best... there's that chance moving it into 3rd edition would ruin a good thing.

thing is though, about the ONLY thing i like about d20 is that there seems to be more ppl writing material now than there ever was before - the qualtiy of such i will leave to others, but make no mistake, no stone is being left unturned Very Happy

seems a shame tbh, that planescape isnt thrown into the mix, as there is a whole area of the game to be exploited and quite potentially, some fab material may come of it too.

but yeah as you say, i dont see it happening.

which might nor be a bad thing - give azurah a chance to fit all this stuff into her handbags *huge grin*

Posts: 1573 · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:59 pm

Well, I'll go along with "Not in the near future", but I am sure we will see Planescape again someday. (even if D&D is on the 5th edition by then!)

Hasbro owns the trademark . . . it would only take a few years of sluggish sales . . . or a new Planescape video game . . . or a Planescape movie . . . or something to make them want to give it a try.

Time and tide . . . Cool

Posts: 177 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 12:49 am

Do you think a new Planescape game would go over well? I've honestly been working on one off and on with a friend of mine. I think we've got a pretty solid concept. I wonder if the company'd be interested? Smile

Also, I know they released the Book of Vile Darkness with an adult warning on it... But do you think that 3rd edition is targeted more at a younger audience? Would that have anything to do with them not being interested in Planescape? Is the subject matter and such too much (as a whole setting) for what they're trying to do? (Though I own a bit of 3rd ed., I haven't delved into it much at all.)

Posts: 762 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:06 pm

I think 3rd is actually aimed at a more mature gamer. Simply understanding the rules is beyond most non-adults. Hell, it's beyond a lot of adults Wink

That said, I think it appeals more to younger gamers, since d20 offers a linear progression, and lots of "Look at me I'm cool!" things.

Posts: 254 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:30 pm

fluffmaister wrote:

We've had somediscussing about this before on the forums of Planescape becoming d20 and (from what I recall) there are 2 minor issues:

1. Planescape was never a moneymaker, so who'd be interested besides a serious group of fanatics (haha, maybe WE should Very Happy

)

2. WotC is owned by Hasbro and Hasbro makes all kinds of toys for all kinds of people all over the world. Releasing a game where you can (literally) make a deal with a devil might be a bit too much for some religious and more-sensitive people. They might decide to boycott Hasbro for 'unethical' behavior.

Just my thoughts. If I quoted anything incorrectly from previous discussions, let me know.

pretty much all in d20 at: http://www.planewalker.com/index.php

I've read over a hundred web pages of it so far.

Posts: 762 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 8:31 pm

Ethesis wrote:

pretty much all in d20 at: http://www.planewalker.com/index.php

I've read over a hundred web pages of it so far.

It's a good site, but it's almost all non-tested stuff. A lot of it is way off balance Sad

Posts: 24 · Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:39 pm

It is not an impossibility.

Posts: 762 · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:40 pm

Zeb wrote:

It is not an impossibility.

*squeeks with delight in a most un-manly fashion*

Posts: 2437 · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 4:00 pm

Hasbro/WoTC/Whoever, are not averse to flogging dead horses. They beat the f*ck out of a decent game, and just go on and on, even when they've killed it.

Posts: 51 · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:01 pm

Beyondthebreach wrote:

Has anyone heard even a whisper of talk about Planescape surfacing again?

Aha! The recent super-adventure "Expedition to the Demonweb Pits" starts the characters off in Sigil! There's a capsule description for DM's who've never heard of the City Of Doors before.

Posts: 202 · Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:06 am

yeah but the updated 3.5 cosmology just sucks. its over simplified and lacks the feel. Bah, screw it.. i'm happy with ad&d planescape, all the stuff wizards have released for the planes has been sorely dissapointing.

Posts: 19 · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:23 am

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:

yeah but the updated 3.5 cosmology just sucks. its over simplified and lacks the feel.

Right to the point. The Inner Planes have never been so CROWDED as with d20...

Posts: 202 · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:47 am

they were once a lot more crowded. ok the demiplane of shadow's been upgraded but the quasielemental and paraelemental planes seem cut back to me. There aren't as many mephits either.. makes me sad.. mephits amuse me.
I just don't like what 3.5 has done with the planes, all seems like its written by clueless imo.
I liked planescape because things were gonna kill you if you even LOOKED at em the right way. It was harsh and violence usually got you killed, scragged or mazed, led to actual roleplaying. Alas, we've lost the general feel. Not enough Celestials, no yugaloths till one of the later mm (if they appear at all) and very few of the more scary monsters (Sympathetics anyone? ewww).
I hope it isn't rereleased, I like what exists already.. it's perfect.

Posts: 19 · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:23 pm

They ARE more crowded, actually. You pointed it out when you said that Paraelemental and Quasielemental planes have been cut off - with Paraelementals STILL PRESENT in the setting (thus being reassigned to the closest True elemental plane). But you missed the most important issue: now the Astral Plane and Ethereal Plane do overlap, connecting both Inner and Outer planes and making them easier to reach.

Anyway, getting killed easily is IMO a source of frustration for players; the feeling of the setting has been lost on other aspects (mainly the utter disappearance of Sigil in the Manual of the Planes). But I agree on the fact that many good monsters have been overlooked.