The Material Plane is the center of most cosmologies and defines what is considered normal. It is the plane most campaign worlds occupy.
The Material Plane is the realm of physical sensation and incarnate existence. Souls manifest here in the shell of a physical body, a union so complete that most living creatures do not spend much time contemplating the difference between the gross physical form and the higher monadic soul that guides its movements and destiny. The final destination of a soul is not yet determined during its mortal life, making the Material Plane a magnet for the attentions of gods and outsiders eager to rally mortals to their banners in the afterlife, either willingly or by force. A planar crossroads, the Material Plane is coexistent with the Ethereal and Shadow Planes and coterminous with all of the realms of the Inner Sphere.
Just as little-known forces bind a physical body to its astral and ethereal counterparts, the whole of the universe is bound together by a series of ley lines— spiritual conduits that interpenetrate the many planes of the multiverse. Ley lines are prevalent on the Material Plane, and wise adepts of the occult arts, canny students of the arcane, and even village witches learn to recognize and manipulate these forces to their own ends.
Typically, the Material Plane is all of normal existence for a creature. It includes Earth, or whatever it is called in your setting, just as much as it includes the Moon, Jupiter, whatever planet Jenova came from, and the other galaxies. It would also, however, include the Lunar Cry as found in Final Fantasy VIII, as while the moon is on the material plane, the monsters do not appear from another plane; they are merely moon denizens falling to Earth, more of an extraterrestrial invasion than a planar one. While Terra and Gaia from Final Fantasy IX could be both counted on the Material Plane, it has many inconsistencies, housing Terra in the Ethereal Plane instead but bleeding into the Material Plane, as the Terrans used magic to place Terra in the core of Gaia and existed within the same plane of existence before.
The Material Plane can change widely based on your setting material, as well as what Final Fantasy source you use. The following are a majority of guidelines, but they are malleable by the GameMaster. Whatever the case, the Material Plane is the “default” for traits, and other planes reference it in how they function differently.
Plane Traits
The Material Plane has the following planar traits:
- Normal Gravity
- Normal Time
- Alterable Morphic
- No Elemental or Energy Traits: Specific locations may have these traits, however.
- Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Though it may contain high concentrations of evil or good, law or chaos in places.
- Normal Magic
- Realm: Immeasurable
- Structural: Lasting
- Essence: Mixed
- Alignment: None
- Magic: Normal
Deities
The Material Plane houses many deities at one time or another, as most travel to it due to rites in their name or to sort out planetary issues. Some of the most common are Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh. Minerva is housed within the core of the planet, while depending on the setting and lore, Alexander could be an entire castle. Bahamut can also be housed within a greater crystal, or within the planet’s core as well, or acting as an in-person king for deities living in the Material Plane.
Geography
Wide and varied, the Material Plane houses countless planets and asteroids that hold many landmarks and denizens. Each planet has its own air makeup and gravitational pulls, with a massive solar system that contains most of the campaign settings. Typically, the solar system is based on that of real life, with planets being the same as, or similar to: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, sometimes including Pluto due to the game’s release date or personal faithfulness.
Earth comes with several names, from Gaia and Terra to Eos and Eorzea or simply The Planet. While the main planet can have a single or two moons.
The Moon can sometimes be a different plane entirely based on your setting, or have heavy implications for the Material Plane. It can house countless monsters, as with FF VIII, or house whole races such as the Lunarians from FF IV, or be what symbolises monsters at night, like in FF XV.
Locations
Outside of the planets, Earth contains numerous locales of interest based on your setting. It can have vast oceans just as easily as it could have massive volcanoes. Wide stretches of plains and deserts, to thick forests and sinkholes to the planet’s core.
Inhabitants
The Material Plane can house almost any type of creature, be it on Earth, on any other planet or moon, or even in space itself. Elementals and Outsiders may have specific requirements while on the Material Plane but can often make considerations to stay there indefinitely.