In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Beastlands (more properly, the Wilderness of the Beastlands, formerly the Happy Hunting Grounds in early versions of the game) is a neutral (chaotic) good-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Greyhawk and Planescape campaign settings, as well as some editions of the Forgotten Realms setting.
The Beastlands is a plane of nature and animals, and is also known as the Happy Hunting Grounds. Peaceful alpine forests and groves of giant mushrooms can be found here. A varied climate exists across the plane, providing a suitable environment for many species of animals and plants. The number of traditional settlements is very small, with most inhabitants living beneath the trees out in the wilderness.
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The mortal souls that come to this plane after death take on animal traits soon after they arrive, developing pelts of fur and growing horns or pointed ears or other such features. Over the course of centuries they continue to slowly change, becoming celestial beasts.
As an Outer Plane, the Beastlands are spatially infinite, further consisting of three infinite layers (or sub-planes). The Beastlands first layer shares borders with the neighbouring planes of the Olympian Glades of Arborea and the Blessed Fields of Elysium; travel is possible between the Beastlands and these planes at certain locations.
The Beastlands consists of three layers:
The River Oceanus, flows through the first layer, Krigala. Many lakes dot the plains in between the lush forests. Day and night does not occur normally on Krigala, but a continual late afternoon sun fills the sky. Gentle rains occur once per day allowing some measure of time passing.
Day and night on Brux is still static like Krigala, but here it is eternally dusk. A silver moon can be seen in the opposite direction to the sunset. The temperature here is naturally lower than on Krigala.
The lowest layer of Karasuthra is in continual night, with a single moon providing some illumination to the layer. The most dangerous creatures exist here, hunting their quarry through the night.
The Beastlands are based on the happy hunting ground in some Native American mythologies, and the plane was referred to by that name in the game's first edition.
Outer Planes | ||||
Celestia | Bytopia | Elysium | Beastlands | Arborea |
Arcadia | ↑Good↑ | Ysgard | ||
Mechanus | ←Lawful | Outlands | Chaotic→ | Limbo |
Acheron | ↓Evil↓ | Pandemonium | ||
Baator | Gehenna | Hades | Carceri | Abyss |