Planar traits The many planes in the cosmology of Toril had traits that greatly differentiated them from the Prime Material Plane with which most adventurers were familiar . Depending on your abilities , race , and even faith the different planes could be warm , welcoming places , or manifestations of pure horror . In 1st and 2nd edition D & D , planes were not categorized by specific traits but instead were described in terms of survival : breathing , time , food and drink , gravity , direction , vision and senses , and movement . Third edition codified the various survival factors into " physical traits " and added traits relating to the elemental planes , alignment , and magic . In addition to those four categories , the Forgotten Realms World Tree cosmology added a " faith trait " that , for some planes , replaced the alignment trait . In 4th edition , the alignment system was overhauled to just four alignments and " unaligned " . Physical Traits . The physical traits of a plane were the " natural " laws of the plane , the size and shape ( if not infinite ) , the malleability of matter , the strength and direction of gravity , the flow of time with respect to the other planes , the boundaries ( if any ) , and borders with other planes . Gravity . If gravity operated on a plane , it might have been constant or had varying strength and direction . The types of gravity traits were : Time . Time could flow at greatly different rates from one plane to another : faster , slower , or effectively stopped with respect to certain aspects of life and magic . It is important to note that the rate of time always seemed to flow normally for the planar traveler — a month in another plane felt like a month regardless of changing planar conditions or what happened when she returned . The types of time traits were : Shape and Size . In 1st and 2nd edition D & D the Inner and Outer planes of the Great Wheel cosmology were all infinite in size . Only the demiplane s had a finite size and a distinct shape . In the World Tree cosmology model , only the plane of Cynosure was finite . After the Spellplague the Astral dominion s were set adrift in the Astral Sea and though vast , were finite in size . The size and shape traits that could be used to describe planes of existence were : Morphic Traits . The matter that made up planes could be manipulated by various means , or not at all . The types of morphic traits were : Elemental and Energy Traits . Cosmologists have determined with some degree of certainty that the universe of the Forgotten Realms is made up of four fundamental elements and two energies : air , earth , fire , water , positive energy , and negative energy . The elemental and energy planes were each completely dominated by one element or energy , but other planes in the cosmology had varying amounts of these elements . Many planes , like the Prime Material Plane , struck a balance where none were dominant . The elemental and energy traits that could be used to describe various planes of existence were : Alignment Traits . In 1st and 2nd edition D & D the outer planes of the Great Wheel cosmology each had an alignment and they attracted beings of similar alignments . In the World Tree cosmology of 3rd edition , powerful entities like deities or demon lords directly determined the alignment traits of the planes they inhabited . Alignment traits were an indication of the ease or difficulty in social interactions between visitors and the native inhabitants of a plane . They could be moral ( good " vs " . evil ) and / or ethical ( law " vs " . chaos ) , or neutral , and either mildly or strongly in effect . Note that the effects of contrary alignments were cumulative , i . e . , a penalty due to a good / evil conflict would add to a penalty due to a lawful / chaotic conflict . Fourth edition D & D eliminated the alignment grid model in favor of just four alignment s and " unaligned " . The alignment traits were : Magic Traits . Magic worked differently on different planes of existence and this trait described the differences relative to the Prime Material Plane . Note that like most planar traits , regions or pockets in a plane could exist where the general trait does not apply , especially where deities were involved . The traits that were used to describe the workings of arcane power were : Faith Trait . The Forgotten Realms added a faith trait to the other planar traits , sometimes using it to replace the alignment trait . The inhabitants of mildly faith - aligned planes treated visitors who did not worship one of the resident deities suspiciously . On a strongly faith - aligned plane , those who followed a deity of opposite faction were not welcome and suffered a penalty on skills and social interactions that were based on charisma , wisdom , or intelligence .