Outer Planes

The Outer Planes is a collective term used to describe a subset of the known planes of existence in Realmspace. The term refers to the placement of the planes being the outermost concentric sphere that make up the multiverse in the Great Wheel cosmology model.

Description

The Outer Planes vary widely in their makeup, and how hospitable they are to outsiders. Each plane exists as an independent realm within the astral sea, and connections between them are much more limited than the inner planes. Many of the Outer Planes mirror characteristics of the material planes, but lack the immutability and fixed nature of them. As the demesne of the gods, they have a strong influence on the traits of their respective realms, and the realms are physically subject to their whims.

Planar Alignment

All of the outer planes are strongly aligned, and are organized along that alignment. The two axes along which they are arranged are that of Law-Chaos and Good-Evil. The axis of Law and Chaos is considered the primary axis, and runs left to right, while the axis of Good and Evil is considered the secondary axis, and runs top to bottom. The planes are arranged radially around the center, based on the direction and strength of alignment of each axis. At the center of the axis is the Concordant Domain of the Outlands, which is a strongly Neutral aligned plane, and considered the center of the outer planes.

Planes of Law

The strongly Law aligned planes are aptly called the planes of law, and include the following:

Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, the pinnacle plane of Law, and bearing no alignment towards Good or Evil.
Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, strongly aligned to Law, with a weak alignment towards Good.
Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia, equally aligned to Law and Good.
Infinite Battlefield of Acheron, strongly aligned to Law, with a weak alignment towards Evil.
Nine Hells of Baator, equally aligned to Law and Evil.

Planes of Chaos

Antithetical to the planes of Law are the planes of Chaos, all containing a strong Chaotic alignment:

Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, a plane of pure Chaos.
Ysgard, a strongly Chaotic aligned plane with a weak alignment towards Good.
Olympian Glades of Arborea, equally aligned to Chaos and Good.
Windswept Depths of Pandemonium, a strongly Chaotic aligned plane with a weak alignment towards Evil.
Infinite Layers of the Abyss, aligned to Chaos and Evil.

Planes of Conflict

As the planes at the top and bottom of the great wheel bear a weak or even no alignment towards Law or Chaos, they are called the planes of conflict. Rather, these planes are strongly aligned towards either Good or Evil:

Blessed Fields of Elysium, a plane of pure Good that transcends Law or Chaos.
Twin Paradises of Bytopia, a plane of Good that has a weak alignment towards Law.
Wilderness of the Beastlands, a plane of Good that has a weak alignment towards Chaos.
Gray Waste of Hades, a plane of pure Evil that transcends Law or Chaos.
Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, a plane of Evil that has a weak alignment towards Law.
Tarterian Depths of Carceri, a plane of Evil that has a weak alignment towards Chaos.

Upper and Lower Planes

While primarily categorized by their aligment towards Law or Chaos, the outer planes can also be organized by the upper and lower planes, or the planes of Good and Evil. Both The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus and The Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, along with The Concordant Domain of the Outlands bear no alignment towards Good or Evil, and are considered neither upper nor lower planes.