Limbo (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Limbo or more fully, the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, is a chaotic neutral-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard D&D cosmology, used in the Planescape, Greyhawk and some editions of the Forgotten Realms campaign settings.

Publication history

The plane known as Limbo was mentioned for the first time by name in the article "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D", in The Dragon #8, released July 1977. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as the "plane of ultimate Chaos (entropy)".[1] The plane was mentioned again in an appendix of the known planes of existence in the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) Players Handbook, published in June 1978, where it was described as "The planes of Limbo of neutral (absolute) chaos (entropy)".[2]

Description

Limbo is a place of pure chaos where everything is in constant motion and change, especially the landscape, which can shift unpredictably and randomly rolls over upon itself like liquid. Very few places in Limbo are stable enough for normal travel.

Limbo is home to the slaadi and their lords (most notably Ygorl and Ssendam), and to the githzerai. Very few gods call Limbo home, as the plane is not well-suited to any sort of permanent structures. The shared realm of Tempus and the Red Knight can be found on Limbo, as can Shaundakul's realm. The elven god Fenmarel Mestarine calls this chaotic plane home as well.

Realms

The plane of Limbo is the location of a number of godly realms:

Fauna

Historic influences

Limbo is named after the Limbo of Catholic mythology although, apart from being between Heaven and Hell, there is little similarity of philosophy between the two realms. In appearance, it is based on the Abyss in John Milton's Paradise Lost.

References

  1. ↑ Gygax, Gary (July 1977). "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D". The Dragon #8 (TSR) I (8): 4.
  2. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1978). Players Handbook. TSR. ISBN 0-935696-01-6.
Outer Planes
Celestia Bytopia Elysium Beastlands Arborea
Arcadia ↑Good↑ Ysgard
Mechanus ←Lawful Outlands Chaotic→ Limbo
Acheron ↓Evil↓ Pandemonium
Baator Gehenna Hades Carceri Abyss