Limbo (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In Dungeons and Dragons
, fantasy
role-playing game
, 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 Plane
s that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape
, Greyhawk
and some editions of the Forgotten Realms
campaign settings.
Limbo is home to the slaad
i 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.
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
.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Limbo or more fully, the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, is a chaotic neutral-aligned plane
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)
The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...
of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Plane
Outer Plane
In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
s that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
, Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
and some editions of the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign settings.
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 slaad
Slaad
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, slaad are a fictional race of Outsiders that resemble giant humanoid toads of various colors.-Development and licensing:...
i and their lords (most notably Ygorl
Ygorl
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ygorl is the Slaad Lord of Entropy.-Publication history:Ygorl was created by Charles Stross, and first appeared in the first edition Fiend Folio ....
and Ssendam
Ssendam
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ssendam is the Slaad Lord of Insanity.-Publication history:Ssendam was created by Charles Stross, and first appeared in the first edition Fiend Folio ....
), and to the githzerai
Githzerai
The githzerai are a fictional race of creatures in the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.Githzerai are extraplanar humanoid creatures that reside on the Plane of Limbo.-Publication history:...
. 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
Red Knight (Forgotten Realms)
The Red Knight is the Faerûnian deity of strategy and battle tactics in Ed Greenwood's Forgotten Realms fictional world of Abeir-Toril, for Dungeons & Dragons.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition :...
can be found on Limbo, as can Shaundakul's realm. The elven god Fenmarel Mestarine
Fenmarel Mestarine
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Fenmarel Mestarine is the elven deity of feral elves , outcast elves, scapegoats and solitude...
calls this chaotic plane home as well.
Realms
The plane of Limbo is the location of a number of godly realms:- The elvenElf (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...
god Fenmarel MestarineFenmarel MestarineIn the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Fenmarel Mestarine is the elven deity of feral elves , outcast elves, scapegoats and solitude...
's realm of Fennimar. - IndraIndra' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, VayuVayuVāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman...
, and AgniAgniAgni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
's realm of Swarga. - LlergLlergIn the fictional world of the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Llerg is the god of Beasts and Strength...
's realm of Beasthaven. - ProcanProcanProcan is a fictional deity in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Procan is the Oeridian god of seas, sea life, salt, sea weather, and navigation...
's realm of Seasedge. - RalishazRalishazIn the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Ralishaz is the god of Chance, Ill Luck, Misfortune, and Insanity...
's realm of The Kiss of Luck. - Shaundakul's realm of Shaunadaur.
- Shina-Tsu-HikoShina-Tsu-HikoShina-Tsu-Hiko is the Japanese mythological god of wind....
's realm of Windshome. - Sirrion's realm of The Flame Void.
- Tempus and the Red KnightRed Knight (Forgotten Realms)The Red Knight is the Faerûnian deity of strategy and battle tactics in Ed Greenwood's Forgotten Realms fictional world of Abeir-Toril, for Dungeons & Dragons.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition :...
's shared realm of Knight's Rest. - SusanooSusanoo, also known as is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Yomi.-Myths:In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when...
's realm of The Globe of Raging Chaos.
Historic influences
Limbo is named after the LimboLimbo
In the theology of the Catholic Church, Limbo is a speculative idea about the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the damned. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church or any other...
of Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
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
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
.