PLANE OF ELYSIUM - The Only Afterlife with HOA-Free River Property

Welcome back to the RPGBOT.Podcast, where today we're talking about Plane of Elysium—the one afterlife that sounds so good the Dungeon Master has to invent mechanics to stop you from moving there permanently. It's paradise. Your needs are met. You're at peace. You're happy. Too happy. In fact, if you stay too long, you might fail a Wisdom save and decide adventuring, heroism, and saving the multiverse are overrated compared to eternal riverfront property and a Mai Tai. And if that sounds suspiciously like quitting D&D to live in a gated community called "Ecstasy," don't worry—we'll explain why enforced happiness, dragon shift-work, and a giant bone spine gate mean Elysium is still absolutely unhinged. Show Notes What Is Elysium? Elysium is the Neutral Good Outer Plane, positioned between the Beastlands and Arborea. It represents true contentment, rest, and fulfillment, rather than law, chaos, or moral absolutism. Souls here aren't punished, tested, or judged—they're finally allowed to relax. The Core Vibe No labor, no scarcity, no stress. Everything you need is provided. Happiness is genuine—unless you're in the gate town, where it absolutely is not. The Four Layers of Elysium Amoria Gentle meadows, forests, and idyllic towns along the River Oceanus. Every settlement somehow has riverfront property. Biomes get weirder the farther you travel from the river (plains, badlands, deserts… for reasons). Eronia Craggy mountains, harsh winters, rugged terrain. Heaven for dwarves, mountain folk, and anyone who thinks Colorado weather is "nice actually." Belierin (Bellerin) The prison layer of heaven, which is a sentence that should worry you. Holds legendary threats that couldn't be killed: hydras, ancient evils, fallen dukes of Hell. Access is restricted—mostly via the River Oceanus. Perfect setup for a level 20 "heaven jailbreak" campaign. Thalassia Endless ocean dotted with heroic islands. Where the best souls go—or where deities personally abduct you before you die because you're just that good. Eternal tropical vacation, sailing, fishing, and zero capitalism. The River Oceanus A holy river that flows through Elysium and beyond. Functions as a major planar highway connecting multiple Upper Planes. Also conveniently Hydra-proof. Who Lives Here? Guardinals (celestial animal-folk with extreme "Narnia energy") Moon Dogs (the best boys; CR 12; hunt evil; deserve all the treats) Phoenixes, because nobody here is trying to harvest them for profit Numerous deities, including Pelor, Lathander, and Shantaea Pathfinder vs. D&D Pathfinder does have an Elysium—but it's functionally closer to D&D's Arborea. Same name, wildly different vibes. The Gate Town: Ecstasy Located in the Outlands, connected to Elysium. Appears joyful, welcoming, and celebratory… because happiness is magically enforced. Suppressed emotions inevitably explode into violence. Ruled by twin dragons: The Lightcaller (gold dragon, daytime ruler) The Night Whisperer (silver dragon, nighttime ruler) Never seen together. Definitely suspicious. Key Locations in Ecstasy Philosopher's Court – a "safe" place to vent grievances that now regularly turns into Fight Club. Revelhome Inn – run by a Lawful Neutral medusa who turns problem guests into garden statues. The Bone Plinth – a giant spine you climb to reach the gate to Elysium, because nothing says "upper plane" like skeletal horror décor. Planar Mechanics Overwhelming Joy (Optional Rule): Fail repeated Wisdom saves and you refuse to leave Elysium. If forcibly removed, you'll do everything possible to return. Fear effects are weakened. Violence is rare—unless you're in Ecstasy, where it's scheduled. Key Takeaways Elysium is D&D's most tempting afterlife—and the one most likely to derail your campaign. It offers true happiness, not moral judgment or endless labor. The layered structure lets every character imagine their perfect heaven. Belierin quietly turns heaven into an endgame boss rush. Ecstasy proves that enforced happiness is way scarier than honest suffering. Overwhelming Joy is a brilliant narrative mechanic for testing player priorities. If your party reaches Elysium and leaves voluntarily, they are either heroes… or liars. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati