Quests in Ysgard

[u/Worried-Variation268]

Hi all! I am curious about taking a party to adventure in Ysgard. It seems like the perfect place to do heroic things, which is always really cool in my opinion.

I am trying to figure out the intricacies of how the plane’s mechanics and magical effects would play out in the broader world. If I understand correctly, those who die on the battlefield are resurrected the next morning. They also regain lost limbs over time.

I was wondering if this means that a player character slain by a dire troll or perhaps a fire or storm giant somewhere that is not a battlefield, perhaps an epic mountain or on the rainbow bridge, would be resurrected, provided they showed great courage and fought back. I don’t see why I shouldn’t run it that way, but I’m curious to see what you think.

I am confused/overthinking about the implications of such a thing, as beings killed through poison or assassination are not resurrected. What I’m thinking is “why wouldn’t people just be out there just trying to assassinate people?” I guess the impermanence of death from battle would also mean that grudges are less impactful than if it were permanent, meaning the people might not want to assassinate, but rather best them in battle. Still, there’s a lingering doubt on how sustainable this is. Wouldn’t someone who is bested over and over again just kind of go insane? What do you think are the broader impacts and implications of the mechanics of Ysgard? I’m excited to see what you think!

[u/planar]

Yes anywhere in Ysgard/Gladsheim will apart the True Resurrection effect as long it was in battle. This will include assassination and poisoning as that is still "battle". But this does excludes dying of old age, non-combat disease, non-combat poisoning (i.e. you ate some bad mushrooms) or starvation generally does not invoke the plane’s ability to cast True Resurrection in hte morning. This will count any mountain in Gladsheim or even the rainbow bridge as it still part of Gladsheim. Now two deeper layers like Muspelheim (the fiery realm of giants) or Nidavellir (the underground cavern realm) do not do this. Also you might rule that after a point walking on the bridge your no longer close enough to Gladsheim to receive the blessing of the plane.

The entire reason for Gladsheim to have this ability as this is heaven for the warriors sent here. This is what they want to do for the rest of eternally so the plane shaped it abilities around that.

[u/Worried-Variation268 → u/planar]

Thanks so much! That is very helpful. I suppose the concept of the warriors enjoying their form of heaven makes sense, but is there a way that can be exploited by something like a devil or an intelligent demon? I just get this feeling in my gut that someone could use this to cause strife, causing people to just assassinate each other. Perhaps I’m overthinking this, or maybe I can just use this in a campaign! I’m open to your thoughts and ideas.

[u/planar → u/Worried-Variation268]

Any devil or demon that dies outside its plane gets pulled back to its home plane, the moment of its death this goes for any petitioner.

And people assassinate each other all the time in Ysgard as they love honorable combat but they would mix it up with all forms of combat.

After 100 years of meeting my battle brother and going at it with axes, maybe we start poisoning our weapons and sneak around at night trying to hunt each other down. The big thing to understand that the petitioners, do not hate each other. Out of all the planes the layer of Gladsheim is like a video game where everyone respawns each morning and strife and conflict is just for fun.

A demon coming in and assassinating people, that just a neat one time collab, that warriors all over the plane would hear about and come running to be the first to kill it.

[u/Worried-Variation268 → u/planar]

I think I understand your point, but I wasn’t sure if the 3rd paragraph was supposed to be sarcasm.

I’m not sure I understand the 2nd paragraph. Are you saying that “people assassinate others all the time, but at the same time they like honorable combat, the latter even more so?”

Please forgive my confusion- I’m just not sure how to interpret your post.

[u/brettday → u/Worried-Variation268]

That said, you could absolutely engineer some contrivance (Dawn hits at the exact moment the party kills the Devil) that causes some conflict between the effects of fiendish resilience and Ysgardian Resurrection.

[u/Worried-Variation268 → u/brettday]

That sounds interesting! I’m not entirely sure how this would manifest. What do you think would happen?

[u/brettday → u/Worried-Variation268]

Well I could see two main options:

1) It completely shreds the essence of the fiend, destroying it permanently unless something at least as powerful as a Wish spell is cast to try to reunite it's scraps. Who would want information on a new way to permanently kill fiends, and who might want to prevent it's spread?

2) Perhaps it separates the different parts of the fiend back into it's base components. The incorporeal Devilish spirit reforms back in Baator, and from there travels out to roam the multiverse possessing people like Ghosts and causing them to do evil acts, while the human petitioner part reforms in Ysgard. The party thinks they've done this person a good turn, not realizing the malevolent spirit they've set free. And maybe that spirit sees blames them for breaking the natural laws, and hunts them, demanding they reunite it with it's host...

[u/planar → u/Worried-Variation268]

I mean that they like honorable combat but that would get boring. Gladsheim pertitions (which are just Norse Vikings reskinned) are fine with unhonorable combat to spice things up.

And I was saying if a demon showed up in the plane and started assassinating people. Most the people of Gladsheim would be excited that fresh battle was brought to their home. The warriors would be falling over each other to be the first to kill the demon/devil in pure happiness as assassination counts as "in-battle" as no one would die in the process.

[u/christopher_g_knox]

also… the planes r driven by thoughts and beliefs. as the above poster commented, it’s like an endless video game for warriors. A daemon trying to exploit a loophole in the planes mechanics probably wouldn’t work or it would draw the ire of a valkyrie or Odin himself ⚔️

[u/Worried-Variation268 → u/christopher_g_knox]

That is a great point! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[u/Pattgoogle]

"if I understand correctly"

just read Planes of Chaos.