Other Planes

Outer Planes

The Outer Planes are sometimes refereed to as the Planes of Power because they are the realms of powerful beings worshiped by others on the Prime Materials Planes. The most common form of travel to the Outer Planes is when someone dies and they come to their final resting place. Travel to the Outer Planes by living beings is accomplished through the Astral Plane as well as various gateways and spells.

• The 17 Outer Planes
• Reaching the Outer Planes
• Survival in the Outer Planes
• Movement in the Outer Planes
• Time Distortion in the Outer Planes

The 17 Outer Planes

Reaching the Outer Planes

All travel to the outer planes involves moving through the Astral Plane — there are no outer planar vortices that connect directly between the outer planes and Prime planes. The degree to which the traveler must move through the Astral plane is determined by the method of movement.

Three common methods are conduits, spell effects, and color pools. Conduits and spell effects move the traveler rapidly into the outer planes, while astral color pools enable travelers to check out an area before they enter.

Conduits are also called wormholes or gates. They usually have one mooring in the Prime Material and the other in a specific location in an outer plane (though there are also conduits that lead from one outer plane to another). The Prime Material end is often a temple complex or other location dedicated to a particular power, while the other terminus is in part of the realm ruled by that Power. This terminus is not necessarily on the top layer of the outer plane. Travel via conduit through the Astral Plane is rapid (one round) and not noticed by the travelers, so it appears that the travelers step off the Prime and directly into the desired outer plane. Astral beings cannot affect those in conduits.

Conduit travel has the advantage of bringing the physical body along without a trip into the Astral plane. Its disadvantages are threefold: a gate must be found in the Prime plane, the gates are often guarded, and the terminus location may not be friendly to the traveler. Conduit travel is safest when the traveler is expected or is powerful enough to deal with any hazards on the far side.

Conduit travel takes those who enter the conduit and all they wear and carry into the other plane. The travelers cannot break the sides of the conduit to enter the Astral plane (indeed, most travelers are unaware that the Astral is traversed in the course of conduit travel). Only a few high-level spells enable the caster to move directly into the outer planes. Each spell has advantages and disadvantages.

The clerical spell, plane shift, transports the caster and his companions to any known plane. The destination plane is determined by the material component of the spell, a tuning fork of a particular material. A single note brings the caster to the top layer of the outer plane attuned to the tuning fork. Deeper regions are said to be reached by combinations of chords, so that a group of random chords may take the player to a random layer of the Abyss.

The plane shift spell grants little control over the part of the plane the caster arrives in. While this does not matter in the amorphous inner planes, Ethereal Plane, and Astral Planes, the widely varying natures of the outer planes make random placement rather unpleasant. This spell is usually guided by a basic idea of where the caster wants to go in that planar layer, so the drop-off point is usually not too far off. Use the following table for travel into the outer planes by the plane shift spell.

d100 Roll - Effect

• 1-20 - Within 100 yards of where the caster visualized
• 21-60 - Within 10 miles of where the caster visualized
• 61-90 - Within 100 miles of where the caster visualized
• 91-00 - Within 1,000 miles of the area visualized, and usually in the realm of another powerful extraplanar being. (At least you hit the right plane!)

The clerical and magic-user gate spell can also reach the outer planes by summoning a Power and beseeching it to return with the caster (and any allies) to another plane. This is not beyond the abilities of any Power or Demi-Power, but most operate according to the following rules: A Power will not transport individuals to another Power's realm if the other Power is of equal or higher level; a Power will not let a group of mortals into its home plane to wreak havoc; a Power will agree to such transportation if there is sufficient reward for the Power to do so.

The teleport without error spell and the succor spell can also span the planes. The former requires some knowledge of the destination, with the standard chance of teleporting too high or low. The latter is an automatic teleport that brings the characters to an outer plane only if that spell was originally cast in that outer plane.

Several devices duplicate spell abilities. The amulet of the planes transports the wearer randomly into the first layers of the outer planes in the same manner as a plane shift spell. In this case, the DM selects a point of arrival and rolls to see how far away the character lands from it. The well of many worlds transports the user into the first layer of any outer plane or any Alternate Material plane, at the choice of the DM.

All of the preceding spells and items bring the travelers physically into the plane, with all worn and carried items.

The frequent choice of extraplanar travelers, such as adventurers seeking to sneak into the lair of a petty demigod or arcanadaemon lordling, is through an Astral Plane color pool. The passage into the Astral plane and location of a color pool enables the traveler to view the terrain before entering it. He can also move the viewpoint to a safe location before entering the plane. The disadvantages of this method of travel have been mentioned earlier, including the possible detection of the Astral viewing point and that only the topmost layers of the planes can be reached.

A traveler who is physically in the Astral plane can enter an outer plane by passing through the appropriate color pool. If the region is inhospitable to mortal life, the traveler can be injured or slain. The physical traveler brings all his magical items through the portal with him, even the ones that lose their magical auras in the new plane.

An astrally projected traveler can also enter a color pool, but the passage creates a new body out of materials in the other plane. (If the traveler enters in a relatively terrestrial environment, his new body is close to normal flesh in appearance and effect). The traveler who attempts to materialize in an extraplanar pool of magma becomes a magma-like creature—immune to fire but doubly affected by water. For this reason care is advised for the traveler who manifests in a strange form (one cautionary tale involves a traveler who became solid rock and eroded as he moved) DMs are encouraged to be fiendishly creative in assigning advantages and disadvantages to forms that players create.

The astral individual retains his silver cord on the new plane. It is invisibly attached to the traveler and disappears after 10 feet back into the Astral Plane. The astrally projected traveler can still return to his original body in 1d100 rounds (he expresses that desire and is immediately returned to his original body). If the silver cord is cut while the traveler is in the outer planes, the traveler does not perish. What happens is that he can no longer return to the Astral Plane or his original body without casting another astral spell and re-inhabiting his original form. The traveler is immediately aware when his silver cord has been snapped. This is usually a sign that one of the more powerful natives of the plane is aware of the character's presence.

When an astral traveler passes through a color pool, any magical items that will not function in the outer plane (that is, totally lose their magical abilities) do not pass through the pool but return to the traveler's original body (if possible). If such items cannot be reunited with the original body, their astral presences erode and the physical item decays in 1d10 turns.

Survival in the Outer Planes

In general, the outer planes are similar to the Prime Material planes. When adventuring in the outer planes, survival depends on the particular nature of the plane occupied. While portions of these planes pose hazards, the planes themselves are not hostile to intruders from the Prime. The best way to describe the outer planes is that they are like the Primes, only more so. The mountainous regions of these planes dwarf the lesser peaks of the Primes, their breezes are sweeter, their storms fiercer, their freezing domains colder, and their deserts hotter and drier.

Breathing: The atmospheres of the outer planes are generally breathable to most travelers from the Prime Material plane. Those that are greatly different are noted under their descriptions.

Time: The flow of time in all the outer planes is similar to that in the Prime Material planes (true time flows at the same rate as subjective time). Travelers tire and require food at the usual intervals.

Gravity: Gravity is localized in the outer planes. There is a general down that may hold for miles in all directions, then suddenly change into a new direction. Those within the area of that gravity field are affected normally. Damage can occur only if the unprepared traveler crosses into another gravity field and falls upon a solid object. Gravity field boundaries often mark the edge of a Power's realm, as all lawful Powers and most chaotic ones maintain a distinct gravity within their realms. Though gravity appears to function normally, the inhabitants and features of the outer planes are often gigantic compared to their Prime Material counterparts. This enhances the sense of grandeur Prime travelers feel while in these planes.

Direction: Magnetic directions are different for each realm. A traveler going north in one realm, crosses into another realm and finds that north is now in another direction. Two direction-finding devices exist. The planar compass is a weather vane made of orcanthium. This enchanted device spins faster if a planar boundary or portal is approached. A traveler can determine roughly how far he is from a boundary to another layer or portal to another plane by observing the spin of the planar compass. The other device is a magical gem known as a power compass. Such a gem flashes a steady light if a Demi-, Lesser, or Greater power is within its range. This detection occurs only if the Power manifests itself in its true godly form. It does not work if the Power is disguised as another creature. The power compass is best used for detecting large concentrations or pantheons of Power level beings.

Food and Drink: The outer planar traveler tires, thirsts, and grows hungry at the same rates as in the Prime plane. The availability of materials to satisfy these needs for astral travelers in nonhuman bodies is left to the DM.

Vision and Senses: The ability to detect other objects in the outer planes is as for the Prime Material plane in similar circumstances. Infravision (but not ultravision) functions in the outer planes.

Movement in the Outer Planes

Travelers who have labored with mental conundrums in the Ethereal plane, overcome forces of will in the Astral plane, and sought elemental guides in the inner planes are usually grateful that movement through most of the outer planes is similar to movement through the Prime plane. There are, however, differences that become obvious only when you reach the borders between realms in a layer, between layers of a plane, or between planes.

Inter-realm Borders in a Layer

A realm is a region that operates under a common set of physical laws (gravity has the same strength and direction throughout the realm, magnetic directions are consistent, etc.). Realms are usually (but not always) under the control of a particular Power or a group of Powers organized into a pantheon. Different Powers and pantheons can occupy the same layer of a plane in peaceful (or not-so-peaceful) coexistence. Realm borders are usually (but not always) marked by a change in the terrain to reflect new physical laws.

The borders between realms indicate changes in physical laws, in particular gravity, but other physical effects like temperature, winds, and sentience can also be affected. Within a planar layer, these realm borders have a physical edge, so the traveler sees them from a distance and knows when he is passing from one realm to another (for example, the new realm could be at right angles to the first).

Moving from one realm to another is done by stepping over the border. Upon crossing the line, all effects of the new realm take immediate effect. A realm with gravity at right angles to the previous realm makes the traveler walk up what previously was a vertical surface, while a realm whose gravity is the reverse of its neighbor makes the unwary fall down (previously up) immediately upon entry. Cautious travelers inspect realm borders carefully before crossing them.

As movement through the outer planes is physical, and most landmarks (save in the planes of Chaos) are fixed, maps of the general area help the traveler get around. In general, a five-mile trip in the outer planes takes the same time and effort as a five-mile trip in the Prime Material plane. As a final note on travel on a particular planar layer, remember that the outer planes have no ethereal component, so travel via the Ethereal Plane is impossible. Astral travel is limited to the first layers of the plane (except for conduits and permanent gates to the lower planes).

Inter-layer Borders in a Plane

The borders between the layers of a plane overlap, similar to the overlap of the Ethereal Plane and Prime Material planes. It is possible to travel from one layer of a plane to another by exerting one's desire to break through the inter-layer barrier. Every traveler wishing to breach such a barrier must make a successful Ability Check against his Wisdom to break through the barrier. Breaking through a barrier at a certain point always brings travelers to the same location. Thus several travelers who break through from the same place find themselves together on the next layer, even though they had to break through separately.

The barriers between planar layers are shown as straight lines on many diagrams, but they take many shapes in the outer planes: thick irregular areas, circular paths, thin borders, or spheres of planar space. They have no effect on travel to other planes, but they facilitate movement into other layers of the plane. Note that major concentrations of power rarely exist in layer interfaces, as these barriers see a lot of traffic. Occasionally Powers reside in these borders if they control the territories on both sides of the interfaces.

Conditions in adjacent planar layers can differ greatly, according to the nature of the plane and its ruling inhabitants. In the case of the Nine Hells, all layer barriers open into mid-air above the next lower plane. A traveler moving from the third layer of Hell into the fourth layer finds himself a half mile up from the ground of the fourth layer. This holds true for most of the Hells and contributes to the common perception that they are rings leading down deeper into a pit. This setup also makes it difficult for adventurers to leave deeper levels the way they came. In a similar fashion, each layer of the Seven Heavens is topped by mountains of incredible grandeur. It is on these lofty peaks that inter-layer barriers lead to the next layer.

Barriers are usually (70%) one way, so that the traveler has to find another way back. In the Hells in particular, most of the ways back are either well-guarded or high above the ground, creating problems for those who wish to leave.

Magical items generally do not lose further effectiveness as they descend through the layers, unless the Powers that rule those realms have specific banishments against certain spells or items (Orcus takes a dim view of arrows of demon-slaying and thus they do not work in his realm). Specific spell effects that violate the general rules set down in the magic section are more common in the chaotic planes and in those layers in which a single Power holds sway.

Inter-planar Borders

In addition to travel within a plane, there is movement from outer plane to outer plane — from the Twin Paradises to Elysium, for example. This occurs via magical portals similar in function to conduits. These whisk the traveler to either a specific or random location in the other plane. The appearance of these portals varies from plane to plane, as well as from portal to portal. In the plane of Arcadia, a portal may appear as a thin fog stretched between two apple trees, while in one of the lower planes it may appear as a foul-smelling, foreboding cave. The River Styx flows through many portals in the lower planes and provides a regularly-used highway through these planes.

These portals generally only appear in the top layer of the planes, though some free-standing portals that pass through the Astral Plane (like the Yggdrasil) pierce the lower reaches of some planes. Certainly portals are most common in the top-most layer of a plane, so that travelers searching them out have a 1 in 6 chance of finding a portal per day (unless the Powers of that realm have closed them or restricted access).

Each time a traveler moves to a new outer plane, his magical items lose an additional plus and can become non-magical. For example, a traveler in the Prime with a sword +3 moves into the Astral Plane, where his weapon becomes a sword +2. Upon entering Limbo he is wielding a sword +1. The sword becomes non-magical if he enters another outer plane. (Once he re-enters the Astral Plane, his sword becomes +2 again.) Thus if he wants his sword to be magical in the plane of Gladsheim, for example, he must re-enter the Astral Plane from Limbo, then go directly from the Astral Plane to Gladsheim.

The portals between outer planes are often (50%) one-way and also often (50%) intermittent (lasting a few hours to a few weeks), with the rate of their appearances varying from Prime Material days to years apart. There is no apparent pattern to where they appear on other planes, so two portals that are adjacent in Olympus may lead to radically different areas of Gladsheim.

Time Distortion in the Outer Planes

When traveling the Planes time operates differently on various Planes than it does on the home Prime Material Plane. Some are faster, or slower, or unpredictable. There are differences in time from the Upper Planes to Lower Planes or sections of Planes as well.

• Time Distortion in Astral Plane
• Time Distortion in Olympus
• Time Distortion in Pandemonium
• Time Distortion in Twin Paradises

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