Planescape: Eternal Torment

History of the Setting   Planescape joined the gaming scene in 1994 with the release of the Planescape Campaign Setting box set, which quickly established itself with thoughtful writing and lush artwork. It was the first major expansion of planar cosmology since the Manual of the Planes was published in 1987. Planescape took the old planes of 1st Edition and transformed them into a full-fledged setting of belief and philosophy, providing a depth to the cosmology that had been lacking up to that point. With it came a break away from simple alignments, simple plots, and simple worlds.   On it's release, Planescape won Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1994, for the 1995 Origins awards. The major creative minds behind this new setting were Colin McComb, David "Zeb" Cook, Monte Cook, Ray Vallese, and Wolfgang Baur. Many of these writers have since moved on to careers working on other settings or other companies, though they recently gathered together in what has been called the "Planescape reunion" to write Beyond Countless Doorways, published by Malhavoc Press.   The artwork was largely influenced by Tony Diterlizzi, whose unique ink and watercolor style set the tone of all the series' art. The works of rk post and Adam Rex matched his contributions.   The adventure Faction War represented the first major shakeup to the setting, and was in fact intended to be the beginning of a large three-part story arc. This was not to be, however, and in 1998 TSR published what would be the last Planescape book, A Guide to the Ethereal Plane. This left many fans in the lurch, as the game line was closed due to budget costs with little resolution of its plot lines. While the series was selling and certainly had its hardcore fans, the high printing costs of the books were simply prohibitive to further products.   Nevertheless, a year later the computer game Planescape: Torment was released by Black Isle. It was a spectacular depiction of the mood and tone of Planescape, and while its story isn't considered canon, it obtained a cult following and drew many new fans to the setting.   The fans of Planescape were not to be dissuaded, and through the wonders of the Internet interest in the setting continued. A number of fan sites, some predating the closure of the line, continued developing the setting and detailing the gray areas of the infinite planes.   Amongst these a few stood out of particular interest: The Mimir, On the Wings of Mephits, and Planewalker. Of these, Planewalker is the only one still updated and was recognized as the official fan site by Wizards of the Coast when it acquired the rights to Planescape from TSR. With this recognition came the privilege to revise and continue the Planescape Campaign Setting by members of the Planewalker community.   Planescape material now owned by Wizards of the Coast could be used freely in the creation of new products so long as these new works were not used to make a profit, in essence ensuring the development of Planescape remained a fan project.   The Planescape 3rd Edition (PS3E) project began in December of 2002 as several groups were split off to brainstorm and develop various aspects of the setting. The goal was not only to provide a new campaign setting that updated material from the original Planescape box set, but also to include and revise information from numerous Planescape supplements in order to create a truly comprehensive look at the planes.   The PSCS page count places it well over 400 pages, making it one of the most ambitious fan projects the gaming community has known. Development has taken a very long time, but our drive to create a campaign setting worthy of Planescape never faltered.   The future of Planescape is, as it long has been, in the hands of fans. Though many would like to see Planescape in print once again, it is beyond the means of the Planewalker staff to purchase the license to Planescape and no third parties have come forward with interest in reviving the setting. In the meantime, Planewalker has developed into a medium for fans to share their own ideas for the planes. While there are no specific plans for PS3E to release future products, it’s the drive of the fans that will determine what more is to come.