The physical characteristics of the Multiverse were introduced in the Companion Set rules.
Planes of Existence:
In game terms, a "plane of existence" (or simply Plane) refers to an area seen by mortal beings as a three-dimensional volume of unmeasurable size.
The Ethereal touches the Prime at all points. The Prime and Elemental planes are connected by tubes that reach through the Ether, forming a branching network very similar to the roots of a tree.
The Prime, Ether, and the four Elemental Planes are collectively called the Inner Planes. The Inner Planes are surrounded by the Astral Plane, which is connected to the Elemental and Ethereal Planes but not to the Prime.
Far beyond the Inner Planes, across the vast "astral ocean" are other planes of existence, the homes of the Immortals and other beings. These other planes are called the Outer Planes.
From a viewpoint in the Astral Plane, the boundary of most Outer Planes appear as a silvery surface. The size of this boundary bears no relation to the size of the plane within it. The boundary only indicates the amount of the plane which is adjacent to the Astral Plane.
Examination of the boundary of an Outer plane with magical aid, such as detect invisible, reveals a slight tint to the silvery color. This color reveals the Sphere which is dominant in the plane: pink for Energy, tan for Matter, light blue for Thought, light green for Time, and gray for Entropy.
When multiple Spheres are present in perfect balance, a spectrum of colors can be observed. If a powerful magical aid (such as truesight) is used, some small part of the actual interior of the plane can also be examined, to the range limit of the effect employed.
Dimensions:
The first dimension measures length or distance between two points, and thus has a beginning and an end. The second dimension measures breadth and direction of the object in the first dimension. The third dimension measures volume or magnitude or size of an object. The fourth dimension defines the relation between two objects, finding all points of similarity, or convergence. And finally, the fifth dimension measures the unique nature or essence of an object in relation to all others, or divergence.
A mortal can perceive only three dimensions at once. An Immortal can perceive four dimensions at once - but four only. The fifth dimension is referred to by mortals as the Dimension of Nightmares. There are life forms who consider the five dimensions in a way exactly opposite to the mortal view. Similar to mortals, they perceive and accept a three-dimensional world, but the dimensions that normal mortals call the fifth, fourth, and third, these beings perceive as their first, second, and third.
Within the Astral Plane, a mortal perceives the second, third, and fourth dimensions, and lacks the ability to see the first. (The Nightmare creatures are just the opposite, lacking the ability to see the fifth dimension.) A human sees himself as a flat, two-dimensional thing, unable to see one of his natural dimensions. Since Immortals are four-dimensional beings, mortals who encounter them on the Astral Plane see them as solid, three-dimensional creatures.
The change in dimensional perspective causes all things on the Astral Plane to appear outlined in a sparkling, shimmering substance. No such substance actually exists; the effect is merely illusory, a matter of perception.
Effect on Magic:
The magical strength of any enchanted item on the Astral Plane is reduced by one; for example, a sword +4 is treated as a sword +3 in all respects while on the Astral Plane. Any item of +1 enchantment is effectively non-magical. The magic is still there, not dispelled or suppressed, but has no effect.
Spells of mortal origin may produce effects different from their standard forms, which can be logically deduced by the shift in dimensional perspective. For example, a fire ball spell cast by a mortal adventurer would create a perfectly thin disc-like explosion. Potential victims might not be damaged even when very near the center of the explosion.
A teleport or dimension door effect opens a pathway across the fourth dimension, allowing the user to bypass the first three dimensions and apparently cross any amount of space in very little time. However, this has little effect while the user is on the Astral Plane, as that dimension is now one of the three "normal" ones.
On the Astral Plane, a standard teleport effect (including teleport object) merely allows three-dimensional flight, as the fly spell description. A dimension door effect also enables flight, but at half the speed given. A magical fly effect only enables levitation (slow two-dimensional movement), and a levitate is useless.
The Secret of the Multiverse:
The multiverse was created by the Old Ones; beings to whom even the power of the Immortals is but a drop in an ocean. Just as Immortals await and desire the appearance of exceptional mortals, so do the Old Ones watch and wait for the greatest and best of all the Immortals.
Withdrawing themselves into the sixth and higher dimensions, the Old Ones created a type of wall between themselves and the rest of existence. Whenever an Immortal tries to pass beyond the first five dimensions, he or she enters a special realm, a whirlpool of infinite size, made of a watery form of ether. This swirling chaos is called the Dimensional Vortex.
Approximately one Immortal per 10,000 reaches Full Hierarch status. A few - perhaps one of each hundred or two - chose to prove their ultimate superiority, on the remote chance that some greater power might be watching. They dispersed their life essences into their Home Planes, and reincarnated themselves as mere mortal humans once again.
Only a handful both desired and reached Immortal status a second time. And of these, only a few reached Hierarch status a second time. And finally, of these few, only two dared once again to seek more. They saw the coming of the blackballs as their punishment and final destruction, but unbeknownst to all, they passed beyond the barrier, and exist now with the Old Ones.
The Immortals rules do not describe the Old Ones, for their powers transcend the framework of any mere game. If any player character succeeds in the great journey, not merely achieving Hierarch status but proving his or her superiority by doing it twice - well, no higher goal can be attained, and no reward is too great. The player wins the game and his character vanishes.
The Immortals set was supposed to finish the D&D rules. It thus had to cap off the game in some way. But it wasn't cool for me to write about God (uppercase) or reality or anything like that, so you got mythology & gods (lowercase, ie immortals) and all that.
The whole bit about going through existence twice was an afterthought. But after being a DM for ages, I knew that SOME rules lawyer would ask "what's next?", so there it is.
Immortals are hard enough to understand and play. The Old Ones are so incomprehensible as to transcend the game entirely. If you really insist, you can try to devise a rules set and adventure scenarios for Old Ones. But you'll almost certainly be underestimating them (by definition) and trivializing their existence. (Wherever the Old Ones are, and whatever they do, I'm sure it involves a Place involving Hahn-Banach and compound Hilbert spaces. If you wanna pursue this, start by grasping those nettles firmly and acquire a perspective from which they seem trivial.)
Frank Mentzer, from Dragonsfoot (February 29, 2008)
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