The Prime Material plane (also seen as Prime Material Plane) was the plane in which worlds like Toril and Oerth existed. The phrase "Prime Material plane," or simply the "Prime," was generally used by beings from other planes in the multiverse (notably Sigil), and "prime" was used by the same beings to refer to the inhabitants of the Material Plane.[8]
Cosmography[]
In the Great Wheel cosmology, the Prime Material plane consisted of an infinite expanse filled with a fluid known as phlogiston, within which floated immense crystal spheres, each enclosing an entire system of one or more worlds. Specific conditions varied greatly from one crystal sphere to another, but they were all considered to be part of the same plane.[10][11][12]
The mostly empty space contained inside the crystal spheres, known as wildspace, as well as all the worlds that existed within each sphere, were connected to the border of the Ethereal plane. It was unclear whether the phlogiston was also connected. The Ethereal plane served as a conduit between the Prime and the Inner Planes.[10]
The Prime Material plane was also connected to the Astral Plane, which served as a conduit to the Outer Planes.[13] There was no known direct way to travel between the Inner and the Outer Planes, or between the Astral and the Ethereal, that did not pass through the Material Plane first.[10] Similarly, the Prime was the only plane in which spells that required a connection to the Ethereal or the Astral both worked.[14]
Being the only plane that intersected both the Ethereal and the Astral, the Prime Material plane occupied an important position as a crossroads of the multiverse,[15] and all other planes were defined in relation to the Prime.[16]
A few early versions of the Great Wheel cosmology, as well as the World Tree cosmology,[18] considered that there was an infinite number of material planes, among them Toril's Material Plane, Oerth's material plane, Krynn's material plane, and the universe in which Earth was located.[19]
In the World Tree cosmology, Toril's Material Plane was the main hub that connected all the planes of the cosmology.[20] For that reason, travel between planes was almost exclusively done via passing through the Material Plane first. Portals were rumored to exist that connected Toril to other material planes, using conduits that passed through the Plane of Shadow.[18]
In the World Axis cosmology, the Material Plane, more usually called "the mortal world",[21] existed between the two opposing fundamental planes: the Astral Plane, commonly called the Astral Sea, and the Elemental Chaos.[20]
Known Worlds[]
The Prime Material Plane was known to be home to:
- Aebrynis (the homeworld of the Birthright setting)
- Athas (the homeworld of the Dark Sun setting)
- Krynn (the homeworld of the Dragonlance setting, found in Krynnspace)
- Mystara (the homeworld of the Mystara setting)
- Oerth (the homeworld of the Greyhawk setting, found in Greyspace)
- Toril (the homeworld of the Forgotten Realms setting, found in Realmspace)
- Other worlds, such as:
- Gith, the original home of the githyanki and githzerai people
- Glemayne
- The unnamed world on which can be found the Io's Blood Isles archipelago
- Logicus
- Neirston
- Ortho, the homeworld of the Harmonium
- Qua-Nosham
- Ranais
- The Rock of Bral
- Rublia
- Terras
- Tuimuhva
Appendix[]
External Links[]
Material Plane article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.- Prime Material plane article at the Ravenloft Wiki.
Background Information[]
In 1st Edition (q.v. D&D: Manual of the Planes ), the term "Prime" was used as "Primary" -- seeming to imply only the campaign world an individual group was using. In a Forgotten Realms game, Toril and its environs would be the "Prime" Material Plane, while another world like Krynn might be an "Alternate" Material Plane.
With the introduction of 2nd Edition, and Spelljammer setting placing each campaign world within their own crystal sphere floating in phlogiston, "Prime Material" terminology expanded to include every known world.
3rd Edition seems to have banked on the original definition, and simply used "Material Plane," dropping the "Prime" part, but subsequent editions have included it once again.
References[]
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), pp. 12, 62. ISBN 0880383992.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (1998). A Guide to the Ethereal Plane. Edited by Michele Carter, Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-1205-7.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 49, 57. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
- ↑ Richard Baker, John Rogers, Robert J. Schwalb, James Wyatt (December 2008). Manual of the Planes 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7869-5002-7.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 47, 49. ISBN 978-0786965622.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (April 1987). “Plane Speaking: Tuning in to the Outer Planes”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #120 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 42–43.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 41–44. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
- ↑ Monte Cook (1996). The Planewalker's Handbook. Edited by Michele Carter. (TSR), p. 8. ISBN 978-0786904600.
- ↑ Black Isle Studios (December 1999). Designed by Chris Avellone. Planescape: Torment. Interplay.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Bruce R. Cordell (1998). A Guide to the Ethereal Plane. Edited by Michele Carter, Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 7. ISBN 0-7869-1205-7.
- ↑ Monte Cook (1996). The Planewalker's Handbook. Edited by Michele Carter. (TSR), p. 32. ISBN 978-0786904600.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ Monte Cook (January 1996). A Guide to the Astral Plane. Edited by Miranda Horner. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 8–9. ISBN 0-7869-0438-0.
- ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, A DM Guide to the Planes. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1560768340.
- ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, A DM Guide to the Planes. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 978-1560768340.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 43. ISBN 978-0786965622.
- ↑ Black Isle Studios (December 1999). Designed by Chris Avellone. Planescape: Torment. Interplay.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 117. ISBN 0880383992.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 44. ISBN 978-0786965622.
- ↑ Richard Baker, John Rogers, Robert J. Schwalb, James Wyatt (December 2008). Manual of the Planes 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7869-5002-7.
Connections[]
Prime Material plane • Feywild • Shadowfell • Fugue Plane
Transitive Planes: Astral Plane • Ethereal plane
Inner Planes: Elemental Plane of Air • Elemental Plane of Water • Elemental Plane of Earth • Elemental Plane of Fire • Elemental Chaos
Para-Elemental Planes: Frostfell • Swamp of Oblivion • Fountains of Creation • Great Conflagration
Quasi-Elemental Planes: Lightning • Radiance • Minerals • Steam • Vacuum • Ash • Dust • Salt
Outlands: Sigil
Outer Planes: Arcadia • Mount Celestia • Bytopia • Elysium • Beastlands • Arborea • Ysgard • Limbo •
Pandemonium • Abyss (Layers) • Carceri • Hades • Gehenna • Nine Hells • Acheron • Mechanus
Energy planes: Positive Energy plane • Negative Energy plane
Planar Pathways: Infinite Staircase • Oceanus • Mount Olympus • Styx • Yggdrasil
Far Realm
Prime Material plane • Cynosure • Fugue Plane
Transitive Planes: Astral Plane • Ethereal plane • Plane of Shadow • Spirit World
Celestial Outer Planes: Arvandor • Brightwater • Dwarfhome • Dweomerheart • Gates of the Moon • Golden Hills • Green Fields • House of Knowledge • House of the Triad
Fiendish Outer Planes: Abyss (Layers) • Barrens of Doom and Despair • Blood Rift • Clangor • Deep Caverns • Demonweb Pits • Fated Depths • Fury's Heart • Hammergrim • Nine Hells • Nishrek • Supreme Throne
Neutral Outer Planes: Dragon Eyrie • Heliopolis • House of Nature • Jotunheim • Warrior's Rest
Inner Planes: Elemental Plane of Air • Elemental Plane of Earth • Elemental Plane of Fire • Elemental Plane of Water • Positive Energy plane • Negative Energy plane
Planar Pathways: Infinite Staircase • River of Blood • World Tree
Far Realm
Prime Material plane
Fundamental planes: Astral Sea • Elemental Chaos
Astral dominions: Arvandor • Banehold • Celestia • Cynosure • Deep Wilds • Demonweb Pits • Dismal Caverns • Dwarfhome • Eternal Sun • Fugue Plane • Gates of the Moon • Green Fields • House of Knowledge • Nine Hells • Nishrek • Supreme Throne • Towers of Night • Tu'narath • Warrior's Rest
Elemental realms: Abyss (Layers) • City of Brass • Cresting Spires • Fimbulwinter • Hidden Realm • Muspelheim • Root Hold • Sky Home • Steading • Thraotor • Undying Pyre • Zerthadlun
Parallel planes: Feywild • Shadowfell
Anomalous planes: Far Realm