Well of Worlds (1994) was the first Planescape adventure anthology, following the stand-alone module The Eternal Boundary. It does a lot of work establishing what a Planescape adventure could be, for both players and designers.

First off, let’s talk about the cover, by Robh Ruppel. Something horrible is happening to that dude, and he looks more like he was just hanging out in a goth club rather than some fantasy tavern. This goes a long way in explaining that you should expect something different from Planescape and is a pretty good example of how the setting expanded expectations for what a D&D game could be.

Second off, and this might sound silly, but this book is super well-organized. Each scenario is broken down into its constituent plot parts (set-up, build-up, climax, epilogue) with all the stats and necessary information neatly presented and easy to find. I can’t stress enough what an improvement this is over a regular D&D product. It is also a necessary one. Planescape scenarios are much more narrative-driven then concerned with exploration and combat, so this organization is helpful for managing the big ideas.

The scenarios themselves are mostly short and punchy jaunts that bring players to a variety of locales on the planes. The first is a solid way to bring non-Planescape characters into the setting. Some skew toward railroady, but as one of the first attempts by designer Colin McComb at implementing Planescape’s philosophical adventure style, I think the overall result is one that shows a lot of promise for the line.

Bonus: This is a DiTerlizzi illustrated Planescape book, which is always a treat. Downside: about half of the art is recycled from the box set and Monstrous Compendium and some of the best illustrations are spreads stuck in the book’s binding (for example, that sweet cambion I have reproduced here). Boo.