At the center of the known universe is the material plane. This plane is the one most familiar to characters and is usually the “home base” for a standard D&D campaign. The Material Plane tends to be the most Earth-like of all planes and operates under the same set of natural laws that our own real world does. Even though the Material Plane is a comfortable place for PCs, it is a strange and dangerous environment for many creatures that are native to other planes. The material plane is the reality for most characters, though it isn't necessarily the only one. Other material planes may exist, though they may not be readily accessible to one another.
The Material Plane is where all the other planes tend to come together. It is made from the building blocks available on the Inner Planes, and it is where the great powers of the Outer Planes gain their worshipers and their strength. The Material Plane is usually connected to the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, and the Plane of Shadow, and its natives are often extremely interested in visiting other planes.
In certain settings the material plane consists of five layers, each surrounding the next like an onion. From the highest to deepest, they are the Brightrim, Aether, Midland, Underdark, and the Embercore.
Traits
The material plane has the following traits, though they may vary slightly by layer.
- Normal Gravity
- Normal Time: All other planes set their clocks by the Material Plane.
- Finite Size
- Alterable Morphic
- No Elemental or Energy Traits: Specific localities may be elemental or energy-dominant, however
- Mildly Neutral-Aligned
- Normal Magic
Links to Other Planes
- Elemental Vortices: The Material Plane has weak spots in areas that have particular affinities with elemental types. Vortices to the Elemental Plane of Fire may be found in volcanoes, for example, and vortices to the Elemental Plane of Water may be found in the deep ocean. The Elemental Plane of Earth may connect in the deep Underdark, and the Elemental Plane of Air is accessible from the highest and windiest mountaintops.
- Freestanding Portals: The Material Plane is physically connected with specific locations on the Inner and Outer Planes. See the Magic Portals section in Chapter 2 (MotP) for an explanation of how such portals function.
- Transitive Planes: The Material Plane is coexistent with its Ethereal Plane, coterminous to the Astral Plane and Plane of Dreams, and has limited, spell-based access to the Plane of Shadow.