Planescape: Torment

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Planescape: Torment

Developer(s)	Black Isle Studios
Publisher(s)	Interplay
Designer(s)	Chris Avellone
Engine	Infinity Engine
Release date(s)	December 12, 1999
Genre(s)	Computer role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen) USK: 12+ ELSPA: 11+ OFLC: M15+
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Media	4 CD-ROMs (2 for later releases)
System requirements	200MHz CPU, 32MB RAM, 4MB video card RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 6.0, 650MB available hard disk space, Windows 95/98
Input	Keyboard, Mouse

Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows by Black Isle Studios. Released on December 12, 1999 (see 1999 in video gaming), the game takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape campaign setting. Torment places emphasis on conversation and storyline instead of combat. The game begins in Sigil, where the protagonist, an enigmatic and heavily scarred immortal dubbed The Nameless One by the game's interface, wakes up in a mortuary with no memory of his identity and past experiences. Assuming the role of The Nameless One, players embark on a quest to solve the mysteries surrounding him.

The game sold about 400,000 copies, according to game designer Scott Warner, ^[1] but received almost universal critical praise;^[2] it has since become a cult classic. The game was added to Gamespy's "Hall of Fame" in August 2004,^[3] and to Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" list in October 2005.^[4]

1 Gameplay
2 Plot
3 List of characters
4 Literary aspects
5 Post-release work
6 Trivia
7 Compatibility problems on newer hardware
8 External links
9 References

[edit] Gameplay

The Mortuary room in which the game opens. Visible are two Player characters, a zombie, the bottom-menu, and the radial actions-menu.

Torment is built on the Infinity Engine, which presents the player with a two-dimensional world, in which protagonist characters are controlled from an isometric perspective. Exploration is accomplished by clicking on the ground to move, or on objects and characters to interact with them. Items and spells may be employed through hotkeys, "quick slots", or a radial menu.

The player is able to join several of the factions that exist in Sigil, including the Dustmen, Sensates, Godsmen, Anarchists, and Chaosmen. Also, the player may recruit adventuring companions over the course of the game. While there are seven potential members, only five (or fewer) may accompany him at any point.

[edit] Plot

The Planescape campaign setting incorporates beings, locations, and oddities from several different planes of existence (based on the Dungeons & Dragons "Planescape" campaign setting). The player travels to destinations such as Avernus (the first layer of Baator), Carceri (the prison plane of thieves and liars), two of the Lady of Pain's Mazes, a "pregnant" alleyway, and more. The slang terms of the setting — such as cutter, berk, dark, etc., referred to in-game as "the Cant"^[5] — are based on actual 17th century English slang, spoken by the working class. Also, according to lead designer Chris Avellone, Planescape: Torment has numerous inspirations from a variety of books, comics, and games. Notable works among them include Archie Comics, The Chronicles of Amber, The Elementals, Final Fantasy, and Shadowrun.^[4]

One idea that presents itself many times during the game is consensus reality — if enough people believe in something, then it is real, and begins to exist. For example, when people ask The Nameless One his name, one of the choices of response is to lie that it is "Adahn". If the player tells 10-12 people that this is his name, a man named Adahn will appear in a certain location, claiming to be an old friend, even though he never existed before. Another example is a recovered memory of a past event in which the Nameless One apparently debates a man out of existence. Also, the Githzerai make their home in the plane of limbo, using collective belief to shape their cities out of chaos. Another theme that is presented prominently, is the inevitability of fate - no matter which path The Nameless One chooses, in the end he is still doomed to the depths of hell to fight for eternity in the Blood War, exactly the fate the very first Nameless One tried so hard to avoid. The act of becoming immortal was a desperate ploy by the Nameless One to avoid the punishment he was doomed to suffer should he ever truly die.

The overall goal of the game is to recover The Nameless One's lost memory, and to discover both his identity and why and how he has become immortal. Ultimately, this leads to tracking down his lost mortality, separated from him and given a life of its own by the "flawed" ritual that made The Nameless One immortal. This is achieved by following clues and hints that the previous incarnations of The Nameless One have left. For instance, the tattoos on his back instruct him to read his journal and to find Pharod. Were the Nameless One to lose his memory again, he would be lost without a single guide to nudge him in the right direction and would probably never recover his mortality. Throughout the game the Nameless One receives memories of his previous lives helping him to uncover more clues. These memories range from remembering a long dead language, which a previous incarnation made sure was extinct by murdering the only other man that knew it, to remembering previous battles and events thus increasing certain skills. Also, through the various events that The Nameless One uncovers or remembers during the game, he is able to piece together what some of his previous incarnations were like, and how wildly different each life was. One was a brilliant but cold man, another was a crazed lunatic who sometimes used his own severed arm as a club. Three of these incarnations appear in the Fortress of Regrets at the end of the game; Chris Avellone commented that these were chosen because of Planescape's Rule-of-Threes, and because they were the ones that had the most impact on the character's life throughout the game^[6].

Through the course of the game, the protagonist learns that his original incarnation sought out Ravel Puzzlewell, an infamous night hag and greatest of the Grey Sisters, whose pursuits were the "solving of puzzles not needed to be solved," and whose crimes included crossing the Lady of Pain and attempting to open all of the portals in Sigil. It was this incarnation who asked Ravel for immortality. Within the Planescape universe, upon dying a person becomes a Petitioner, ending up in a heaven- or hell-like plane depending on the manner in which that person conducted his/her life. The request was made because he had performed a terrible crime (or crimes, the specifics leading to The Nameless One's damnation are never revealed); a crime so wicked, that a lifetime of good deeds could not save him from eternal damnation in the Blood War, an ancient demonic feud. Ravel took up this challenge and attempted a solution, which was mostly successful — The Nameless One could still die when wounded badly, but would later wake up physically intact, albeit missing his memories. Unfortunately, this was only discovered when Ravel killed the first incarnation in order to test her work. Upon waking, The Nameless One had forgotten his goal of why he wanted to become immortal, as well as everything tied to his identity. The reason for this, as explained in the game, is that life is a closed circuit, and must eventually come to an end. "I know that you must die, while you still can! The circle must come to a close, my love," calls the ghost of a woman who loved a previous incarnation.

[edit] List of characters

[edit] The Nameless One

(voiced by Michael T. Weiss)

The being now known only as The Nameless One is one of the closest things the multiverse has to a true immortal. Precisely how long he has lived or how many reincarnations he has had is unknown, but judging from some of the contacts he has made (Lum the Mad, among others) he is probably at least several thousand years old, and a former "incarnation" notes that he has died several thousand times. In his most recent incarnation, when asked for his name, he will sometimes claim to be "Adahn." The game's creators have established that there is no special significance to this pseudonym: it is not The Nameless One's real name.

Over the centuries, The Nameless One has taken myriad life-paths. This allows him his rapid skill growth, since he is often merely rediscovering old forgotten skills, not learning new ones. According to Morte, his longtime companion, his personality often changes with each death. He has been virtually everything, from mighty wizard to petty thief, a paragon of virtue and a heartless villain. He even at one point thought Morte was his own skull, and tried to crush and consume him. Another time, he engaged in a game of logic with a man, and successfully proved that the man did not exist, causing the man to disappear.

At the beginning of the game, The Nameless One awakens in yet another incarnation, remembering nothing of his long and complex history. This time around, however, he finally possesses the ability to recover from death without a memory loss. If the player gets The Nameless One killed, the game will simply continue with the hero waking somewhere else (this can be anywhere from a metal slab at the Mortuary or a bed at an Inn, depending on the hero's location at death), and the player will be able to continue his journey.^[7]

Upon the skin of the Nameless One is an unusual symbol which represents Torment. It represents the nature of the existence that he endures. Additionally, those who are drawn to him and become his companions are themselves tormented in some way - usually by their own nature. For example, Fall-From-Grace is tormented because she is denying her nature as a succubus. Dak'kon is tormented because of his fate. Nordom is tormented because he is disconnected from the Source. Annah is tormented because of love. Morte is tormented because of his past sins.

The symbol has been explained by the artist who designed it^[8] and within the game itself, in conversation with the dabus Fell:

"The symbol that lies upon your left shoulder is the mark of torment."

"It is torment. It is that which draws all tormented souls to you." Fell nods at your left arm, at your shoulder. "The flesh knows it suffers even when the mind has forgotten. And so you wear the rune always."

The artwork^[9] was sufficiently impressive that a number of fans of the game have had the tattoo done themselves^[10].

[edit] Mortimer "Morte" Rictusgrin

(voiced by Rob Paulsen)

A floating skull with an acerbic attitude. While he lacks a body, he is a capable warrior in many respects, biting with his sharp fangs and throwing foes off guard with taunts, while his smaller size, lack of vital organs, and pseudo-undead nature protect him from many attacks that would normally inflict serious wounds. Many fans wonder where he keeps his inventory.

Morte accompanies the Nameless One from the beginning of the game. He is the source of much of the game's humor, not the least being the chaotic conversations that can result between him and the Nameless One, whom he refers to as Chief.

Morte is occasionally referred to, even by himself, as a unique form of Mimir. While a mimir similar to Morte could conceivably be constructed, this is a lie told to disguise his true nature and origins.

[edit] Dak'kon the Pariah

(voiced by Mitch Pileggi)

A Githzerai zerth, Dak'kon is the last known wielder of a karach (chaos-matter) blade, which alters its shape, appearance, and abilities depending on the power and mental state of its owner/wielder. Unlike most githzerai, Dak'kon is a capable wizard and an even more capable warrior; however, his coal-black eyes hold a deep, secret pain, one that weighs on his very soul.

In the main campaign of Neverwinter Nights 2, Dak'kon is spoken of as one of three Githzerai Heroes. Apparently, his travels with The Nameless One made him the stuff of legends.

[edit] Annah-of-the-Shadows

(voiced by Sheena Easton)

A brash young tiefling (person with fiendish heritage; one of Annah's grandparents was a fiend), Annah appears mostly human except for her tail. A fighter and a thief, Annah was raised to be a capable rogue. Annah has no tolerance for fools or the clueless, and she is quite skilled at heaping verbal abuse, heavily laden with Hive slang, on those who annoy her. She is somewhat superstitious, especially where the Lady of Pain and Ravel Puzzlewell are concerned.

[edit] Ignus

(voiced by Charles Adler)

A pyromaniacal mage, Ignus is chaotic and insane. Ignus once attempted to burn down the Hive, and was only stopped by a collaboration of many local magic users, from minor hedge wizards to mighty sorcerers. Furious at his mad killing spree, they converted him into a living conduit to the Elemental Plane of Fire as an ironic punishment. Such treatment would have instantly incinerated a normal mortal, but Ignus survived. Stuck in a semi-coma and reveling in the never-ending flames coursing over his body, he was eventually made into a mascot for the Smoldering Corpse Bar.

[edit] Nordom Whistleklik

(voiced by Dan Castellaneta)

A Modron of the Quadrone caste who separated from the Modron hive mind after being exposed to the raw elemental chaos of Limbo, Nordom usually remains a very logical, mechanical thinker but occasionally with a touch of chaos. While often referred to as "he", Nordom is sexless.

Nordom has chosen to replace the wings that other Quadrones usually have with a second set of arms. He is a very confused creature, unused to his new individuality; he's not entirely certain what happened to him to split him away from Mechanus, and he is used to being part of a hierarchy.

Nordom is similar to a secret character, as players can play through the game without meeting him or even learning of his existence entirely, though he is mentioned in the game's manual.

[edit] Fall-from-Grace

(voiced by Jennifer Hale)

Fall-from-Grace is a succubus, one of the tanar'ri, a creature literally formed of raw chaos and evil, her body and mind the perfect template to tempt a man of any species or age. She is the proprietress of the Brothel for Slaking Intellectual Lusts.

A creature of contradictions, Fall-from-Grace is a cleric but worships no god. She is formed from pure chaos and evil, but is (apparently) lawful neutral with leanings towards good. She runs the Brothel For Slaking Intellectual Lusts, a forum whose staff offer intellectual and emotional stimulation rather than sexual services. Perhaps the oddest of all, she is a beautiful succubus, but is by all appearances chaste. Her kiss is fatal.

One of hundreds of children, Fall-from-Grace was sold by her mother Red Shroud to the baatezu, the tanar'ri's mortal enemies. After suffering years of mental torture, she was able to trick her baatezu master and won herself her freedom.

[edit] Vhailor

(voiced by Keith David)

This suit of Mercykiller armor apparently has been standing here in the prison under Curst for some years. It has not been disturbed, which is strange, considering how very quick the people of Curst are to seek a profit.

A fanatical Mercykiller who is lawful neutral, Vhailor's drive for Justice is so strong that it enabled his soul to remain long after he had died and his corpse rotted completely away. He now inhabits his suit of armor, and does not acknowledge that he has died. An imposing, emotionless figure, Vhailor's being is completely dedicated to justice and order - to the point of being a sort of avatar to this concept. Vhailor's favored weapon is his cursed executioner's axe, "Final Judgement".

[edit] Ravel Puzzlewell

(voiced by Flo Di Re)

All the stories you heard about Ravel Puzzlewell prepared you for a loathsome monster who would devour your soul. If she intended that, though, she chose a strange way to go about it - she is undeniably insane, trapped in a black-barbed maze of thorns and evil. You can't help but pity her, despite her great power: She has lost everything and doesn't even know it.

One of the ladies of the Gray Waste, well-known and feared throughout the planes. Many people come to ask boons of her, and are enslaved when they fail to answer her riddles.

At the time of the game, Ravel had been "mazed" by the Lady of Pain: placed in a pocket dimension constructed from an unused section of Sigil. This was in retaliation for Ravel's attempt to destroy Sigil.

Most notable of her riddles is, "What could change the nature of a man?" Only The Nameless One's first incarnation could answer, partly because he gave Ravel not the answer she wanted, but the one he believed to be true, and partly because the first incarnation was able to make Ravel fall in love with him.

In the game, when The Nameless One encounters a portrait of her, he recovers a memory of himself experiencing a classic, macabre three wishes joke.

[edit] Trias the Betrayer

(voiced by John de Lancie)

Trias is a deva, a celestial being from the Upper Planes. First encountered in the prison of Curst, imprisoned in an obsidian bubble, his beauty is astonishing to behold; the aura of goodness rolls from him like a glorious wave of light. His wings are charred down to the bone, yet he seems to bear his suffering with pride.

Trias the betrayer, as he is also known, was responsible for tricking Fhjull Forked-Tongue into a life of good as long as Trias remained alive.

[edit] Literary aspects

Planescape: Torment is notable for the quality and quantity of textual dialogue it contains. It is estimated that the game's script contains around 800,000 words.^[11] A review in the New York Times noted that, "The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers."^[12]

The complex and storyline-based nature of the game means that gameplay often focuses on resolution of quest and story objectives through selection from available dialogue choices, rather than through combat encounters. Simply stopping and having a long - often a very long - chat with one of the other members of the player's group can often advance the game more (and reveal more surprising things) than hours of combat and questing in other games. In fact, there are only four or so required combat encounters within the game, as compared to tens or hundreds in contemporary role-playing games. All other encounters can be resolved or avoided through dialogue or stealth. As the game's interface borrows from other Infinity Engine computer role-playing games like the Baldur's Gate series, it was occasionally criticised for being ill-suited to such a large number of dialogue-heavy encounters.

A book based loosely on the game was also released,^[13] though the plot was largely different from that of the game, due to the script not being completely finalized at the time of the book's writing. Fan reactions have been generally negative due to liberties in plot and characterization. For instance, The Nameless One actually chooses a name, and is referred to by it early in the book, something he never does in the game.

An unofficial novelisation based more closely on actual game dialogue was completed by RPG author Rhyss Hess.^[14]

Torment has been translated to several languages by fans and enthusiasts. A full translation into Hungarian^[15] took over 4 years to develop. The Italian Translation Project took about 15 months translating 1.4 million words in 68,510 dialog sentences.^[16] A Korean translation was completed as a one-man effort. A Spanish translation by Clan Dlan, an RPG fan group, was reviewed and reported to be on a professional level.^[17] A full Polish translation took almost a year and is considered to be of a very high quality by the Polish gamer community due to its attention to detail, skillful transliteration of the cockney of the game's underclass, and little inside jokes understandable to Poles.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Post-release work

On St. Patrick's day and Easter of 2000, the developers released a pair of humorous character modifications — one that turned the character of Annah into a leprechaun, and Morte into an easter egg.

After Interplay dropped support for Planescape: Torment, some of the original game designers released additional, unofficial game modifications (mods), including an additional fix pack that corrects many bugs not resolved by the official 1.1 patch. Numerous other mods have been produced for Planescape: Torment, including mods that add back in several quests and items (such as the Eye of Vecna) that were omitted from the final version of the game.^[18]

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

[edit] Trivia

The designers chose not to have any swords in the game with three exceptions: Trias' Celestial Fire (only usable by Lawful Good characters), Dak'kon's karach blade (only usable by Dak'kon), and Coaxmetal's Entropic Blade (only usable by fighters/thieves). Axes, maces, and daggers are all common, but other than the aforementioned there are no swords.
The game Baldur's Gate II has an optional quest which involves a group of actors from Sigil. Some rare magical items related to Planescape: Torment can also be purchased from a special merchant (such as Dak'kon's Zerth Blade or Vhailor's Helm).
"Planescape: Torment - The Soundtrack," an unofficial promotional soundtrack album by Mark Morgan and Richard Band for Planescape: Torment, was released in Poland by CD Projekt as a bonus CD which contained several tracks not included in the game. It includes two unused themes for a "good" and a "neutral" ending; it appears that only the "bad" theme made it into the game's final version. A 38th bonus track of the game credits not included was released from the unofficial community fansite.^[19]
"The Brothel for Slating Intellectual Lusts" was actually misspelled in the final version of the game, as the original title was "The Brothel for Slaking Intellectual Lusts." The correction was added in the unofficial community patch. (Note that 'slaking' is not likely a misspelling, as is an actual word with a similar meaning, and entirely appropriate to the context. Mishearing is a far more likely origin)
A poem recited by one zombie in the Mortuary is actually part of a poem by Li Shangyin, a poet of the late Tang Dynasty period of China.
Industrial/Dark Ambient musician Lustmord was hired by Interplay to create the musical score for the game, which was not used in the end.^[20]
The Festhall's public sensorium has a reference to Kafka's Metamorphosis; the sensory stone titled 'complete bafflement' depicts the experience of a bug waking up to find that it has become a human.

[edit] Compatibility problems on newer hardware

During gameplay with newer video hardware, there is the possibility of corrupted graphics, especially when casting magics. The game might even crash when these errors occur. ^[21] ^[22]

Altering hardware acceleration has been known to fix corrupted graphics issues.