The Great Beyond is a term that encompasses all the planes of existence that make up the known multiverse. These realities beyond our reality are the domains of the gods, and play home to non-godly powers fit for worship, planar dragons, and entirely alien races.[1]
In total, there are nineteen major planes that comprise the Great Beyond, modeled as two spheres: the Inner Sphere and the Outer Sphere. Connecting the two spheres is the Astral Plane. The spaces between the primary nineteen planes contain countless demiplanes. Despite the names implying a spherical layout, the planes exist on dimensions incomprehensible to mortals, thus these terms are used to represent the planes in two or three dimensions.[2]
Inner Sphere[]
The Inner Sphere is the center of the Great Beyond, sitting at the hub of creation surrounded by the Astral Plane. It is composed of the immensely huge, yet finite layers of the Elemental Planes, which surrounded the Material and Shadow Planes, which are in turn separated by the Ethereal. At the metaphysical center of these sit the dualistic Positive and Negative Energy Planes.[3]
- Elemental Plane of Air
- Elemental Plane of Water
- Elemental Plane of Earth
- Elemental Plane of Fire
- Material Plane
- Ethereal Plane
- Shadow Plane
- Positive Energy Plane
- Negative Energy Plane
Astral Plane[]
- Main article: Astral Plane
The Astral Plane surrounds the Inner Sphere, and fills the space between all of the planes of the Outer Sphere. The Plane of Fire, outermost of the inner planes, is often shown in maps of the multiverse as being a dot, or burning sphere, floating in the Astral Plane at the center of the Outer Sphere.[4]
Outer Sphere[]
While the Inner Sphere contains the elemental planes, the Outer Sphere contains nine planes, each with a strong tie to one of the nine alignments.[4]
Demiplanes and other Dimensions[]
- Main article: Demiplanes
- Armageddon Echo
- Circle Between
- Crypt of the Dying Sun
- Dimension of Dreams
- Dimension of Time
- Dead Vault
- First World
- Fleshwarren
- Freehold of the Rogue Angel
- Immortal Ambulatory
- Kakishon
- Leng
- The Lost
- Machine Armory
- Mnemovore
- Prison of the Laughing Fiend
- Ramlock's Hollow
- Runeforge
References[]
- ↑ F. Wesley Schneider. (June 25, 2008). "There Are More Things in Heaven and Earth...", Paizo Blog.
- ↑ James Jacobs. (July 2, 2008). How are the planes handled in PfRPG?, Paizo Messageboard.
- ↑ Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 178. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Erik Mona et al. (2008). Campaign Setting, p. 182. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-112-1