Manual of the Planes

ever-shifting ice floating on a frozen sea. It is a bleak,wintry landscape, worse than even the greatest glaciersof the Material Plane.The Elemental Plane of Cold functions best in a cosmologywhere the Inner Planes are separate planes. In acosmology of coterminous Inner Planes (that is, oneswith borders), the Elemental Plane of Cold sits at thejuncture of the Elemental Plane of Air and the ElementalPlane of Water.ELEMENTAL PLANE OF COLD TRAITSThe Elemental Plane of Cold has the following traits.• Normal Gravity: Down is toward the ground, whichcan be perilous to the traveler because it is ice coveredwith snow.• Normal Time.• Infinite Size.• Alterable Morphic.• No Elemental Traits.• Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities thathave the cold descriptor benefit from being maximized(as the Maximize Spell feat, except the spell doesn’t usea higher slot). A cone of cold cast on the Elemental Planeof Cold deals the maximum possible damage of 6points per caster level. However, many of the plane’sinhabitants are resistant or immune to cold damage.In addition, spells that use water (including those ofthe Water domain) are extended (as the Extend Spellfeat, except the spell doesn’t use a higher slot). Spellsthat are already maximized or extended are unaffected.• Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities withthe fire descriptor are impeded. These spells may stillbe cast, but a successful Spellcraft feat (DC 15 + level ofthe spell) must be made to do so.COLD INHABITANTSThe Elemental Plane of Cold is a paradise for creaturesimmune to its frigid temperatures. The plane is home toits own elemental creatures, as well as cold-dwellingbeings from the Material Plane. In general, such creaturestend to be carnivores.Ice paraelementals, sentient bits of the plane itself,roam the surface of this plane, along with ice mephitsand cold element versions of Material Plane creatures(see Chapter 9 for the cold element template).Material Plane creatures that are resistant or immuneto cold also inhabit this plane. They include frost giants,frost worms, white dragons, winter wolves, cryohydras,and arctic monsters such as the remorhaz. A large colonyof frost giants has set up a trading post on this plane anddeals regularly with dao here.There is no common language of cold. Natives speakGiant, Draconic, or Common when they deal with others.MOVEMENT AND COMBATMoving through the Elemental Plane of Cold is ataxing experience because of the rough terrain. Thesnowy ground counts as a bad surface for movement,cutting characters’ speed in half, and deeper drifts cutcharacters’ speed to one-quarter. A Balance check (DC15) is required each round to avoid falling prone in icyareas (check once per minute if using local movement).Ice cuts overland movement speed to threequartersnormal.Combat is normal on the Elemental Plane of Cold.FEATURES OF THE ELEMENTALPLANE OF COLDThe greatest danger on the Elemental Plane of Cold is thetemperature. The average temperature is 0ºF. An unprotectedtraveler must make a Fortitude save every 10 minutes,against a DC of 15 + 1 per previous check, or take1d6 points of subdual damage that can’t be recovereduntil the character gets out of the cold. Characters wearingcold weather clothing need to make Fortitude savesonly once per hour.The Elemental Plane of Cold is also home to extremeweather, in particular snow, sleet, hail, and blizzards(see Weather Hazards in Chapter 3 of the DUNGEONMASTER’s Guide). On any given day there is a 50% chanceof extreme weather.The atmosphere is breathable on the Elemental Planeof Cold, though frigid. Water is plentiful if characterscan melt ice, and they can hunt Material Plane creaturesfor food if they wish. The traveler’s most important concernis a heat source; there is precious little that burns onthis plane.Vision is normal, but is often obscured by bad weather.The entire plane is limned with a cold, bluish light fromabove during the day. No moon or stars are visible in thenight sky.ELEMENTAL PLANEOF WOODAn alternate cosmology could have five elemental planes:Wind (Air), Waves (Water), Metal (Earth), Flame (Fire),and Wood. The last is a plane where plant life is dominant,an eternal forest beyond the reach of most fleshbasedcreatures.The plane itself is a massive banyan tree with neitherroot nor crown. Instead, branches the size of MaterialPlane sequoias twist and curl through space, and otherplant life is cradled among these humongous branches.The branches of the Great Tree fill with water and supportmangrove forests, while other ridged portions arehomes to domesticated crops. Forests of pine and oakspiral along the great branches. Blankets of wildflowersgrow up along the sides of the Great Tree, and withinhidden hollows thrive various molds and fungi. Thereis no native animal life larger than the insects neededfor pollination. Animals in general and sentient beingsin particular are not welcome.The Great Tree goes on forever, and its leaves covereverything. There is nothing beyond the Great TreeAPPENDIX:VARIANT PLANES& COSMOLOGIES207