Monte Cook: Planescape
and Beyond

Without a doubt, the Planescape Campaign Seting is one of the most exciting things to ever happen to Dungeons and Dragons. Described as 'Philosophers with Clubs', Planescape took the traditional AD&D concepts of the 'multiverse' and planar travel, and created a whole new universe full of wierd Planar denizens, creatures, and environments.

At the heart of the Planescape universe (both literally and figuratively) is the city of Sigil, a sort of Casablanca of the Planes. Also known as the 'City of Doors' (because of the numerous planar gates that lead to all the planes of the universe) Sigil serves as a meeting place where beings of all persuasion can meet and co-exist (though not necessarily peacefully...)

With the release, and subsequent success, of Planescape: Torment for the PC, the Planescape setting is getting more press than ever. Ironically however, the Planescape setting is now being phased out by Wizards of the Coast/TSR with the impending release of 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, which promises to revolutionize the game we all know and love.

WoC's Monte Cook recently took some time out of his hectic schedule to answer some of DAM's questions regarding the past, present, and future of the Planescape setting. Mr. Cook has been involved in the roleplaying industry for over ten years, and has been with TSR since 1994. He is one of the lead designers of 3rd Edition, and is currently writing the bulk of the material for the new Dungeon Master's Guide, due out in late 2000. Mr. Cook's Planescape credits include the indispensible Planewalker's Handbook, the Inner Planes, and Tales From the Infinite Staircase, and many more.

The Interview

Destroy All Monsters: First off, thanks for your time. With 3rd Edition on the way, I'm sure you are all pretty busy right now.

Monte Cook: Extremely busy, in fact.I don't mind answering a few questions, though. It's a nice break.

DAM: What was the genesis of the Planescape campaign setting? The basic idea for the Planes has been in AD&D since the beginning. Where did the idea for Planescape, and the unique elements contained within, come from? Sigil and the Factions were particularly brilliant, especially the Lady of Pain. Any word on where these came from?

MC: The basic idea for the setting was conceived by Slade Henson, but all the development, particularly Sigil and the Factions, was done by David Cook

DAM: With all of the bizarre and original ideas floating around the Planescape universe, was there anything that you came up with that was later decided to be too weird to include in the original campaign setting? Any cool 'directors cut' information?

MC: I wasn't involved with the original campaign setting. That was all David Cook. However, later on-when I did get involved-I wanted to have an adventure that involved time travel, where the PCs go so far back in time that they see that the planes are all different, Sigil and even the Lady of Pain are all different. Everything would have been sort of "prototypical" of its normal version. For example, there would just be an "Upper Plane," a "Lower Plane," a "Chaos Plane" and a "Law Plane." The Blood War wouldn't have started yet. The Lady would have just finished the City of Doors, and there wouldn't be any factions yet. That was deemed too weird.

DAM: The anti-roleplaying hysteria of the 80's was spurred by AD&D's perception of deities (both good and bad), and their effect on youthful minds. Planescape seems to have taken these ideas and really run with them, offering players the chance to meet the diety of their choice face-to-face. It seems as though a lot of the more vocal anti-Dungeons and Dragons elements have gone the way of the dodo, but was this ever, or will it ever, be an influence on the way AD&D and Planescape is marketed?

MC: Well, the decision (pre-Planescape) to refer to gods as "powers" generally was continued in Planescape products until Dead Gods which pretty much put it all on the table, so to speak. It was just such a powerful title, we had to use it. And no one seemed to mind. The "hysteria" as you called it seems to have died down, so I don't think it influences us much anymore. We just try to be sensitive and tasteful.

DAM: How will the 3rd Edition of AD&D deal with the complex issues that the Planescape system addressed without the game setting in circulation? Specifically, the new player races (like Assimar and Bauriar), or Planescape settings or events (like Sigil or the Blood War)? Will these be addressed, or will they be dropped altogether?

MC: Aasimar and tieflings will be with the game from the outset, I'm happy to say. In fact, the 3E Monster Manual will be extraordinarily planes-friendly. Expect some 3E planar treatment soon after the core books come out, and expect to see a lot of Planescape elements in that treatment. Just like other things are going to change with 3E, however, some things with the planar setting will change as well, particularly some of the mechanical elements, such as how the planes affect spells.

DAM: Planescape: Torment is currently storming up the sales charts, quickly becoming one of most successful computer RPG's in history, both critically and financially. How pleased are you with the computer translation of Planescape into a computer game? Were there elements of the 'pencil-and-paper' version that you wish could have been implemented into the computer game?

MC: I'm very pleased with it. As you might know, Colin McComb worked on the computer game assisting in the design for Interplay. Colin used to work at TSR as a designer on the Planescape team. That really helped. Chris, the lead designer of Torment is also a huge Planescape fan and really understood what the paper version of the game was trying to do, and translated it into a computer game brilliantly.

DAM: The forthcoming 'Manual of the Planes' will, I am assuming, address most of the planar issues that AD&D players will face, but without all the trappings of Planescape. Will the great success of Torment have any effect on TSR/Wizards of the Coast's intention to discontinue the Planescape material?

MC: I really have no idea. Sorry. But don't expect all the "trappings" of Planescape to go away as much as you might think.

DAM: In short, what is the future of the Planescape Campaign setting? More AD&D material? Books? Computer games? Movies?

MC: I don't have any official answer to this question, although I don't know of any more books (or movies). I can't speak for Interplay, but I bet there'll be some add-ons for Torment and/or even a sequel maybe, but that's just based on how the computer game industry seems to work. Planar material and adventures will still be important to D&D, but they won't have a "Planescape" logo on them, as far as I know. The cool concepts and ideas won't go away, though.

DAM: In closing, I would like to thank you and everyone else who contributed to Planescape. It is by far the greatest thing to happen to AD&D since the creation of the game itself. And once again, thanks for your time.

MC: No problem. I've been happy to be a part of the whole Planescape setting and feel about it the way you do. I'm also really excited about the direction that things are going in the future. Thanks for your attention.

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