Material Plane

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Material Plane (物质位面)
Species/Race	Plane; the largest planar space in the multiverse’s known structure 198
Affiliation	Multiverse; directly connected to the Shadow Plane, Spirit Realm, Astral Plane, and Four Elemental Planes 308 578
Status	Extant; repeatedly threatened by weakening planar barriers, divine conflict, and extraplanar invasion 789 1206

Cosmology and Structure

Aspect	Details
Form	A vast, flat plane enclosed by a planar barrier rather than a spherical world 578 788
Position	The largest planar space, formed where the layered Upper and Lower Planes meet like joined pyramids 198
Core-layer relationship	One of three closely related core layers: the Material Plane, the semi-material Shadow Plane, and the soul-energy Spirit Realm 308
Elemental foundation	Channels at its bottom connect it to the Elemental Planes of Earth, Fire, Air, and Water 578 788
Astral relation	Suspended within the Astral Plane’s wider planar network, which links it to Outer Planes, Lower Planes, elemental worlds, demiplanes, and divine realms 578
Other worlds	It is not the multiverse’s only Material Plane; other material worlds exist and may be sealed off by their pantheons to protect their faiths 848 1087

The Material Plane is the central mortal world of the setting and the foundation of the wider divine order. Most petitioners in divine realms originate here, while demon lords and other extraplanar rulers also depend on the souls of its believers to sustain their domains 256.

Its elemental balance supports ordinary life. Earth provides the underlying structure, fire the deep magma, water the seas and rivers, and air the atmosphere; imbalance in these elemental connections can alter a plane’s gravity, climate, and habitability 578 788.

Connections to Other Planes

Shadow Plane

The Shadow Plane overlaps the Material Plane like a distorted reflection. It mirrors local geography—forests, seas, islands, and old settlements—while rendering all colors in a permanent gray tone 312 971.

• Long-standing Material Plane structures can be projected into the Shadow Plane, though heavily enchanted sites such as wizard towers are generally too energy-dense to copy 312.
• Travelers use the Shadow Plane as a transitional route for long-distance movement and access to other planes 312 971.
• Its close overlap makes it a key strategic bridge for travel beyond the Material Plane 971.

Four Elemental Planes

The Material Plane’s elemental channels connect it to the Elemental Planes of Earth, Fire, Air, and Water, whose energies underpin its physical structure 578 788.

• Earth — Provides rock, soil, and gravity; excess influence creates crushing high-gravity conditions 787 788.
• Fire — Produces magma and heat; excessive influence can turn a space into a sea of fire 788.
• Air — Supplies breathable atmosphere and is necessary for sustaining most life 788.
• Water — Creates moisture, pools, rivers, and other water systems 788.

Rifts to the Elemental Plane of Earth can create abnormal gravity and expose the Material Plane to hostile elemental lifeforms 1023 1024.

Astral Plane

The Astral Plane surrounds and connects most planar spaces. From astral projection, the Material Plane appears as an immense flat realm encased by a planar barrier 578.

• Astral travel exposes travelers to ancient god corpses, demiplanes, banished godspawn, and unknown worlds 347 578.
• Demiplanes typically grow by drawing energy from the Astral and Ethereal Planes, while their physical stability depends on elemental balance 347 506.
• Astral observers have identified planet-like worlds distinct from the Material Plane’s flat structure, though their nature remains unknown 578.

Divine and Magical Significance

The Material Plane is a principal source of faith, souls, worshippers, artifacts, and divine influence. Deities may maintain effects that blanket the world, such as Kelemvor’s Realm of Eternal Rest, which normally prevents ordinary corpses from naturally rising as undead 1088.

• Dozens of artifacts are believed to remain on the Material Plane, though only a small portion are publicly known 721.
• The Weave governs much of its spellcasting. When the Goddess of Magic fell, the Weave’s collapse stripped many wizards and clerics of their normal magical capabilities 770 946.
• The collapse of the Faith Network also made it far more difficult for deities to answer prayers from worshippers 946.
• The Mythal Core installed at Port Nyanzaru can draw from the Weave to power magical infrastructure and project an antimagic field over a limited area 1127.

Inhabitants

The Material Plane contains native civilizations as well as races that originated elsewhere in the multiverse.

• Orcs, beholders, mind flayers, lizardfolk, and other peoples are identified as non-native arrivals that eventually settled in the world 899.
• The plane supports major human, elven, dwarven, gnomish, drow, and orc populations, alongside monsters, dragons, outsiders, and elemental lifeforms 250 899 1112.
• Its mortal population is unusually valuable to extraplanar powers because it supplies the souls sought by gods, devils, demons, and other entities 256 970.

Major Crises

Time of Troubles

As the Time of Troubles approaches and unfolds, the balance between planes weakens. Dimensional rifts increase, allowing the Abyss, Baator, the Elemental Planes, and even astral entities to influence the Material Plane more directly 256 789.

The crisis also forces deities into vulnerable mortal-world conditions, while their divine realms and portfolios become targets for rivals 789 971.

Collapse of the Weave

The Goddess of Magic’s fall causes the Weave to collapse, leaving many spellcasters unable to use their former magic and severely disrupting divine spellcasting through the Faith Network 770 946.

The collapse exposes major differences in magical talent: naturally gifted individuals can relearn and memorize spells far more effectively than ordinary wizards 946.

Dissipation of the Realm of Eternal Rest

When Kelemvor’s world-spanning Realm of Eternal Rest begins to dissipate, death energy thickens across the Material Plane. Dead creatures may then rise as undead without necromantic intervention 1088.

Blood War Invasion

Asmodeus launches a direct invasion from Baator, and Blood War legions rapidly conquer mortal territories, devastate the Emerald Forest, breach dwarven fortresses, and corrupt conquered lands into hellish wastelands 1206.

The Material Plane survives because several prepared strongholds resist the invasion:

• Arendelle — Protected by the princess’s ice wall and Snow Golem Legion 1206.
• Misty Forest — Defended by treants, druids, high dryads, and the remaining power of the Father of Oaks 1206.
• Barren Gobi — Held by paladins wielding the Holy Avenger and Pale Justice 1206.
• North Tower — Reinforced by an active mythal and floating-tower technology 1206.

The Abyss’s renewed offensive against Baator ultimately forces the devils to divide their strength and retreat from the Material Plane after harvesting enormous numbers of souls 1206 1215.