Who's on the 5e Planescape cover? | D&D Lore

Looking at the Planescape 5e book covers and finding lots of nods to older Planescape and a few changes. Let's take a look!
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[@aarndal90]

I believe that the Arcanaloth on the cover is a completely new character. It would be fun if it's Shemeshka from DCA who is described as a fox lady.

[@briancorvello3620]

Shemeshka is the owner of the Fortune's Wheel. Think it is very likely to be her.

[@Jorphdan]

oh dang you are probably right! Thanks!

[@kurtpearson2793]

They mentioned her by name in a official video 👍

[@rpghorrorstories]

@@kurtpearson2793 Which one?

[@kurtpearson2793]

@@rpghorrorstories Arrggg!!! Trying to remember……. Not long ago…..

[@skuarf]

Quick Notes about Monsters: -The Arcanaloth on the cover is clearly Shemeska the Marauder, owner of the Wheel of Fortune business and the leader of Sigil's best guild of spies, thieves and assassins. Jokingly called with the utmost respect the "King of the Crosstrade", as Yugoloths are originally sexless hermaphroditic beings, Shemeska just prefers being a female. Another giveaway is she loves to flaunt her jewelry and wealth even more than the usual Arcanaloth as Yugoloths are the purest incarnation of Greed and Selfishness. -A'kin the Friendly Fiend is a male Arcanaloth that runs the store you mentioned. He hates living in Shemeska's shadow and wants to overtake her empire but they have cooperated many times as he is her supplier even though Shemeska is always the one to backstab him (or anyone). A'kin rationalizes that helping others out of greed and profit is a very good way to do good while being a selfish jerk. Fun and non-toxic way of being a pure Neutral Evil fiend. He is also the number 1 detractor of the Factions and their political power as he wrote "The Factol's Manifesto", a critique exposing the secrets and shames of the Factions. -Bariaur are native from Ysgard and most are Chaotic Good. Maybe they are trying to redeem them because they fell off the map instantly as a playable race in 2ed. No one wanted to play them as they were just centaurs with nordic flavour and a ram attack and had the very same problems as a centaur playable character like being unwieldy when it comes to climbing or hiding. Back in 2ed their Classes were also limited to sexes for some reason: Males were martials, usually barbarian, ranger or paladin. Females were casters (but can be fighter and only fighter too). Hornless males can also be casters. Males had a bonus to STR and CON and a penalty to WIS and DEX, Females on the other hand get more WIS and INT and a penalty to STR and DEX. -The big eyed things with tentacles is a Modron Decaton, the lowest rank of the hierach caste, the one above regular Modrons. They evolve from Pentadrons and evolve into Nonatons. -Time dragons make sense. Chronepsis, the Dragon God of Time resides in the Outlands. Time dragons were also the highest CR in 3.5 ed at an absurd CR 90 with meme stats. They were first published in Dragon Magazine September 2007. -The red chunky thing with blisters (actually brains and ganglia) is indeed an Eater of Knowledge. They serve Ilsensine , the Mind Flayer god that sleeps in the Caverns of Thought under the Outlands. -At the bottom are some Cranium Rats, a known psionic pest in Sigil. Rats touched by the will of the Mind Flayer god that form a collective consciousness to cast spells or psionics. -The mechanical thing with four arms is an Inevitable, embodiments of Lawful Neutrality. Probably a Kolyarut or Quarut because those 2 resemble golden mechanical clockwork humanoids. Kolaryuts are the only ones to wield swords (though only 1 with 2 arms in previous editions) as Quaruts are much more powerful and only use slams. Kolyaruts are sent to punish those who break oaths and vows. - The blue insects should be Sun Flies because the closest thing are Lim Lims (small green chicken-like things with dragonfly wings that don't fly, seen all around Sigil in Planescape Torment) -Bonus: Morte is not a Mimir despite jokingly claiming to be one in Planescape Torment (or Vecna's head). Mimirs are considered a construct that fullfills the Wikipedia role in lore. Morte is some kind of unique Chaotic Good undead made from a good soul who went to the Nine Hells for lying to someone out of kindness and this ended up causing that person's death.

[@agustinvenegas5238]

I thought it was an inevitable, good to see them appear properly in 5e besides the Marut

[@Satchmojones]

Ah so more PC agenda bullshit, this time in furry form? Yay 5e! And yes I get it the character and lore they are using pre dates current the current ideology they are pushing....shocking

[@srottfaen]

Morte was a soul taken from the pillar of skulls made up of liars and cheats in Avernus.

[@skuarf]

@@srottfaen and before his very first death he pointed the Nameless one in the direction of Ravel. He thought she could grant him the immortality he was seeking. Later one of the incarnations pulled him from the Pillar. Morte did not know it would end up causing the whole plot of Torment and the first death of the main character at the hands fo Ravel, to test the immortality curse.

[@KochiAvenue]

I wish I could just absorb everything you know about dnd.

[@briancorvello3620]

According to Uncaged Faces of Sigil, Shemeska the Marauder (also an arcanaloth) is the owner of Fortune's Wheel, so I'd say it is probably her. Also, the Great Modron March happens every 17 rotations of Mechanus, which is about once every 289 years, however, in the adventure of the same name, there was a crisis that caused it to start decades early.

[@Jorphdan]

gah how did I miss this? lol thanks!

[@briancorvello3620]

@@Jorphdan No worried, up until 5 minutes ago I didn't even know there was a Planescape relaunch, and I absolutely LOVED the setting back in 2nd Edition!

[@ryanconrad2786]

This is correct, though lesser marches happen more frequently. And it is too interesting a concept to not reuse in newer things. (Although non canon, it has often been used in Idle Champions for instance.) In Dragon 354 modron society was changed after the events of Dead Gods, and this could be a result.

[@alucas705]

Theres a good chance that "general grevious" is one of the inevitables but who knows mort gets himself into trouble any time he opens his mouth so it could be something else

[@kedraroth]

Glad to see you back talking about DnD!

[@emeraldcityelicitor2281]

Tir na Og wasn't a proprietary name, that's probably why it was changed. Tir na Og is from Celtic mythos

[@nicka3697]

Likewise Tir fo thuinn is gaelic too. Maybe they wanted names they could copywrite or were embarrassed that they had used the name of a fey realm for a city and the name of a sunken island for a lake. The original cells were much more inventive.

[@Dolmio12]

It was also annoyingly misspelled, so I’m kind of glad it changed.

[@theGhoulman]

Yes, everyone remembers the scene in Titanic. Where a mother tells her children they will go to the Irish heaven, Tír na nÓg.

[@Veltharis]

On the topic of the towns on the standard-edition DM Screen, assuming you're right about Ribcage to the left, I think the circular town in the center might be Hopeless, the Gate-Town to the Grey Waste, which is a circular, one-road town spiraling inward to the gate at its center.

[@blondemaverick]

Planescape is one of those settings that will always get me screaming like a sports' fan when anything related to it gets announced.

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

Same here! I have waited since 2E and Planescape Torment for it to return.

[@MelodySigers]

The only two possibilities for the flying mountain/enclave I can think of: In the Forgotten Realms, one of the only Netherese Enclaves to survive Karsus' Folly was Selûnarra, known as Opus in Loross (Netherese). It transported to the Gates of the Moon, Selûne's realm in Ysgard, in -339 DR and survived the destruction of the Weave. If it isn't that, it might be some kind of Storm/Cloud Giant city.

[@agentchaos9332]

I was unaware any Netherese cities survived. Thanks for that lore-bit

[@blaink8064]

I think the four-armed construct might be a redesign of one of the inevitables. Like the Marut

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

The Marut already has art in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, and is more Modron-like with one big eye. I think this is the Zelekhut, or the Kolyraut.

[@blaink8064]

@@SwiftNimblefoot yes, I used it as an example, marut got a major design overhaul in 5e

[@zarathoucles]

Aww man i’ve been in a Sigil kinda quest homebrewed and now i can’t wait to show the players the new stuff going on with the new maps!!!

[@3dartstudio007]

Discovered Saturday Morning D&D show earlier this year, currently I'm up to July 2019 you and Sir Lucian talking about D&D beyond possibly joining forces with WOTC. Super weird hearing "pre 2020" D&D talk knowing the future and cringing at soooo many talking points. Just had to drop you a note, love hearing the show each day on my boring 2 hour drive back and forth to work. Tons of fun!

[@campfirecompanions]

Wow I just went down the rabbit hole when you mentioned about the Mimir, clicking on your link in your bio then Googling the Mimir. This is one of the reason me and my group love your content Jorphdan, there's so much content to digest with every video. Excited to see what DnD do with these new Planescape books.

[@MarkMeszaros95]

I have a feeling that the skull on the adventure book could be Vecna. I am not versed with older editions and the Planescape adventures, but if I remember correctly, the last time Vecna was featured in an official adventure he was being a thorn in the Lady of Pain's side.

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

gods can't enter sigil but vecna managed too as he tried to become one above all/replace Ao or become stronger than.

[@maldorblackwater8527]

Agreed

[@JonBondgsr]

It was definitely more than being a thorn.

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

Nah. That is a Mimir. We have seen a chapter 4 pic of the adventure book and it mentions a Mimir.

[@dwrichter]

It's Shemeska, the owner of the Fortune's Wheel!

[@Hyodorio]

Watching this and preparing for Planescape makes me miss the Great Modron March AP, hopefully if it isn't scrapped we can get the series again! It was one of my favorite AP while it was going

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

Here is hoping when they make minis, we get a Modron Warband. So we can assemble our own Great Modron March. :P

[@nihildomini]

The Arcanoloth on the Fortune's Wheel is Shemeshka The Maurauder, the king of the crosstrade. If I remember she has a direct connection to The Fortune's Wheel as she does business out of there.

[@Juodrus]

You can see the turtle head next to the Hidden Realm! and i know its not the DnD lore but it looks to me like maybe its a dragon turtle, and the hidden realm is on top of it...

[@cryberry03]

My immediate thought looking at a flying city near Angels like that is Bahamut's palace, I'm not familiar with where it's supposed to be in 5e but I would hazard a guess that whatever transition into the next edition happens will be apocalyptic enough to maybe provoke his attention and have him help Celestia bring angels and archons to the Outlands. Perhaps whatever power allows him to move it through and around the mountain lets him planeshift too?

[@brodeeo]

6:34 Lava t-rex looks like the giant version one we are getting in Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants

[@TimeTravelingBunnis]

The Flying Citadels were in Dragonlance, from Krynn.

[@user-om1pp5qe5z]

Good to see you oot and aboot 😊

[@danielwatson2701]

I ran A'Kin in my Descent into Avernus campaign when my players came across the wandering emporium. His store was completely empty, tables and shelves with nothing. But if the players wanted any magic item and could afford it, he could summon it and it would appear. They got a powerful amulet and a scimitar that would deal cold damage. As they left, an Empyrean came and demanded the amulet back because it belongs to Wauqeen, they gave it back. Then Drizzt Do'Urden came with Twinkle to get his sword back. My players did not want to part with their weapon and killed him. They went back to A'Kin but he was gone. It was fun

[@bill68503]

The weird floating cristal thing looks like Vault of the Ninth World an NPC in Planescape Torment. Its a floating head that manages the Warehouse in the Lower Ward.

[@bill68503]

@jorphdan is it you or a false account?

[@KillerBeaArthur]

That's definitely Shemeshka on the cover of Turn of Fortune's Wheel.

[@RichardBalsley]

The Arcanoloth on the cover is likely Shemeska the Marauder.

[@rachelyoung1616]

C’mon Jorphdon! It’s Shemaskhka the Marauder obviously!

[@kevoreilly6557]

I’ll be buying this for DiTerlizzi to go with my 2e PS collection … apart from that don’t have high expectations

[@phaedruslive]

Man, I can't say I'm surprised. The aesthetic is totally different from the original 2e Planescape (Which was kind of like if Moebius was a strung out industrial artist) but totally alike to pretty much anything going in MTG. Imagine that.

[@viktord2025]

I really wish I could still get excited for 5e stuff. But my sail is void of all wind. Oh well, at least the art might be pretty to look at, even if I prefer 2nd edition DiTerlizzi. Also, calling it now, the adventure is gonna be another freaking anthology.

[@Gunman0803]

That 4 armed dude looks pretty similar to some old art of the inevitables

[@theyellowninjadude]

The giant obelisk is the spire in the middle of the outlands with the donut above it aka Sigil!

[@tomkerruish2982]

10:30 1e DDG art!

[@Kholan95]

Floating castle for the plane of air and the magma dinosaur for the plane of fire.

[@Kholan95]

@Jorphdan Looks like you got scammers...

[@Dragowolf_Rising]

I think all the obelisks are going to tie in to some grand plot of Vecna's. Time travel or manipulation is what I'm thinking.

[@paulbigbee]

Would like to see a bit of the alternative covers and edition!

[@fistimusmaximus6576]

Got a bad feeling about them redoing Planescape after what they did to spelljammer.

[@agentchaos9332]

First thing to go will be the Antimagic rings. Guarantee you with the current state of play they won't allow something with the potential to nerf PC's that hard

[@Tortle-Man]

Personally I’d be fine with it as an optional only rule. It really does make shit kind of weird.

[@patrickjfahy]

Please pick back up the Modron March campaign I miss it!

[@briancorvello3620]

DAMN, why didn't I hear about this???

[@adolchrystin]

pretty sure the arcanaloth is Shemeshka the Marauder

[@leomonteiroart]

I think the other gate-town might be Curst? It would make sense, what with it being reeelatively close to Ribcage. Older Planescape art also shows Curst as a circular city surrounded by a stone wall, so the art matches.

[@roflo1]

I thought about Hopeless. It's also close to Ribcage.

[@maldorblackwater8527]

I believe the floating island is from the elemental plane of air.

[@KarmicCycle]

You can see that turtle head poking out over the river next to the Hidden Realm. Possibly the Hidden Realm is on its back, or it is stuck under that mountain?

[@wbbartlett]

Cute furry foxes and cute disney robots - just what I want for my dark & dangerous RPG.

[@dandrive3249]

Tir na og is the name of the Celtic land of the gods. (Think like mount Olympus for the Greek gods.) they probably removed it to avoid controversy? I don’t know for sure I just know their have been a lot of Celtic and Irish based things being retconned in shows lately, and that’s usually the answer I see.

[@diogenesstudent5585]

I love Morte!

[@thefinalfrontear]

me, a dca fan, not even hesitating: ITS GOTTA BE SHEMESHKA

[@Thagmar]

I feel like the arcanaloth is Shemeshka

[@thiagofernandes4083]

Maybe the Dendrar serpent is the serpent deity that Vecna says he draws his magic from originally. Since Vecna is the BBEG of 5e, it would make sense to make this serpent somehow involved on his amaggedon plans. Vecna has already messed up with Planescape at the end of 2e, maybe we could see something similar all over again.

[@Nykademos]

The Serpent's identity is either Mok'slyk, a personification of magic itself, or Asmodeus, the King of Hell. This was revealed in the last printed issue of Dragon Magazine.

[@johnjones6115]

WoTC (in the spirit of Spelljammer, probably): Players just want to adventure, they don't really care about traveling to different planes.

[@Moleje1337]

I absolutely adore A'kin but my money is on Shemeshka.

[@ROY0BOY0]

5:39 Yo Jorphdan, sorry if someone's mentioned it already, but could this be a Weaver?

[@ROY0BOY0]

Reading other theories now about Inevitables: I can't get an idea out of my head that there might be Inevitables from Mechanus modeled after weavers. After the Last Word and Tenebrous and all that nonsense it'd make sense.

[@Dustylee703]

Oh is that not Shameshka??

[@billygilmore6515]

I think the fox is an Ardling. I think we would have got them if they went over better in these books

[@ILoveEvadingTax]

the "hidden realm" doesn't look too hidden to me

[@dillpickle987]

That would blow my mind if they are indeed connected.

[@jacoschalkwyk5925]

What if the skull is vecna?

[@SamuraiMujuru]

Hazarding a guess on the Tir na Og name change, wouldnt be surprised if its part of WotC's (and gaming as a whole) endeavor to un-appropriate cultures and such.

[@NisansaDdS]

1:40 I am a bit upset of you calling Arcanaloth a demon. It is a Yugoloth, which makes it a fiend, yes but the embodiment of Neutral Evil rather than Chaotic Evil which is what Demons are.

[@SwiftNimblefoot]

Um, dude, look at the eyelashes and the crown. That is clearly Shemeshka the Marauder. She was already mentioned in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (she got his writings to be distributed without his knowledge). Akin usually has spectacles and a beard, plus, well, he is a guy.

[@WckD135]

morte in Italian literally means death

[@Bondanalloy]

uhm ackshuallly i think Dendar is female. Great video as always hoping this isn't another spelljammer.

[@agentchaos9332]

Pretty sure an arcanaloth, or any Yugoloth for that matter, would kill you horribly for referring to them as a Demon

[@Jorphdan]

true!

[@cameronpearce5943]

I think the Tir na Og change might be for cultural reasons

[@brianwalsh1339]

Oh cool so they’ll do planescape but not dark Sun. Cool.

[@yeoldendummy7304]

watch the vecna conspiracy be not even true and the Jorphdan side of the fanbase implodes

[@r4z0rv1n3]

Looks like Dendradis is a crack leading right up to the Spire so if it's about the Night Serpent then maybe the idea is that he'll pop out and destroy the Spire cause that's supposed to be the center of the outer planes.

[@EthanTSavage]

Tir na Og and Tir fo Thiunn are mystical places in Gaelic folklore. WOTC is probably rebranding them for cultural sensitivity reasons.

[@Kholan95]

Damn, that scammer is getting around Please be safe and don't send messages to the Telegram scammer...

[@denexki]

Its WOTC's Furry oc.

[@rafaeldepinho4477]

That´s Shemeska, the marauder, not akin. Bt the way: the new covers are a crap!

[@TravisDoomGuide]

The Fox looking person makes me think of Garak from Deep Space Nine. Garak is a Cardassian fashion designer. Although male was mildly effeminate. I could totally see that happening with the Friendly Fiend.