Manual of the Planes

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CHAPTER 5:THE TRANSITIVEPLANESPlane. The ethereal jaunt and etherealness spells take youto the Ethereal Plane, the astral projection spell takes you tothe Astral Plane, and the shadow walk spell takes you to thePlane of Shadow. Such spells should function in anylocation coexistent with or coterminous to the plane. Ifthe Plane of Shadow and a particular Outer Plane connect,then the caster should able to cast the shadow walkspell from that Outer Plane. But if the two planes aren’tcoexistent or coterminous, the spell won’t work.Matters become more complex when you cast one ofthese spells while on a Transitive Plane. Will a particularspell allow movement from one Transitive Plane toanother? Here are the answers for the D&D cosmology.From the Ethereal Plane to the Astral Plane: Youcan move to the Astral Plane from almost everywhere onthe Ethereal Plane, because the Astral Plane connects toeverywhere on the Ethereal Plane. (The Ethereal Planedoes not necessarily connect to everywhere on the AstralPlane, however; see below.) If you’re using an astral projectionspell, your physical body remains in the EtherealPlane, and the astral form moves to the Astral Plane. Ifyou physically travel to the Astral Plane, your form losesits insubstantial nature and becomes solid.From the Astral Plane to the Ethereal Plane: It ispossible to move from the Astral Plane to the EtherealPlane in regions where the two planes are coexistentor coterminous. If you are in a region that would notnormally access the Ethereal Plane, no such travel ispossible. A physical body moving from the Astral Planeto the Ethereal Plane becomes insubstantial (as theethereal jaunt spell), whether it reached the EtherealPlane by means of a spell or by moving through a colorpool. An astral form can enter the Ethereal Plane, and itgains the ethereal properties while there (it can beaffected by force attacks or gaze abilities, for example).But if your astral form travels to the Ethereal Plane,that’s as far as you can go; you cannot manifest on theMaterial Plane. If you are forced onto the MaterialPlane, your astral form is destroyed and your soulreturns to its original body. If you physically movefrom the Astral Plane to the Ethereal Plane, you cancontinue your travels by manifesting on the MaterialPlane at any time afterward.From the Plane of Shadow to the Astral Plane:From the Plane of Shadow, you can use the astral projectionspell, leaving your body behind on that plane (notnecessarily a good idea, because the Plane of Shadow isthe most hazardous of the Transitive Planes). You canphysically move into the Astral Plane from the Plane ofShadow as well, because the Astral Plane and the Planeof Shadow are coexistent.From the Astral Plane to the Plane of Shadow:There are no shadows per se on the Astral Plane (a gentleglow suffuses the entire plane), but the plane has locationsof sufficient darkness to allow access to the Plane ofShadow. It is possible to move into the Plane of Shadowfrom the Astral Plane either physically or in astral form.A color pool is the most common way to reach the Planeof Shadow. When you use a color pool, your silver cordruns from the Plane of Shadow to the Astral Plane, thenback to your original body.From the Plane of Shadow to the Ethereal Plane,or Vice Versa: In the D&D cosmology, these twoplanes are coexistent with the Material Plane, but notwith each other. Spells and effects that use the Plane ofShadow do not function on the Ethereal Plane, andpqqqqrs46CHARACTERS IN MOTION: HOW IT FEELS ONTHE TRANSITIVE PLANESThe descriptions of the various Transitive Planes tell how characters’senses function while traveling through the EtherealPlane, the Astral Plane, or the Plane of Shadow. But in additionto the game effects on characters, each Transitive Plane has a“feel” that’s unmistakable to the experienced planar traveler.The Ethereal Plane subtly deadens the senses; it feels like awarm fog is surrounding the character. Sights and sounds areslightly muted. Objects give off only faint smells, and anyunusual touch sensations are dulled.Conversely, the Astral Plane makes the senses feel sharper.Characters can’t actually see farther or hear better, but their sensesfeel more alive. Motions seem sharp and clear, sounds are full anddeep, and scents are distinct and almost pungent. Even the senseof touch is affected, heightened slightly so that the weave of fabricand the presence of a layer of ink on a page is noticeable.The wide-open nature of the Astral Plane creates a ticklingalong the nervous system. It has the feeling of air after a storm;the astral protomatter continually renews itself, sparking thesenses anew. Overall, travelers feel as though their senses arereaching great distances into a vast emptiness.The Plane of Shadow darkens the senses; the environmentfeels like a weight on the soul. As much as the Astral Planeprovides a feeling of release, the Plane of Shadow creates afeeling of captivity. Darkness lurks on all sides, oppressive andhungering for the characters’ light and warmth. Sounds aredistant, scents are faint, and objects feel slightly slick to thetouch. While not as openly hostile as some of the Inner Planes,the Plane of Shadow is a forbidding, soul-chilling place.No matter what plane a character is traveling to, somechange of sensation is usually noticeable right away. Apartfrom the obvious changes of moving between, say, theElemental Plane of Water and the Elemental Plane of Fire,there are thousands of small differences. Sometimes thesensation is like moving from a shadowy area into one morebrightly lit. Other planes can give a brief skin-prickling sensationor a sudden flush or chill in the body. Only if the interplanarjourney is very gradual (across a border region orthrough a portal shaped like a long corridor, for example) willtravelers not automatically know that they’ve crossed aplanar boundary. Even in such cases, a character whosucceeds at a Spot check (DC 15) will notice the subtlechange in sensation.pqqqqrs
spells and spell-like effects that use the Ethereal Planedon’t work on the Plane of Shadow. Travelers can’t godirectly from one plane to another.If you decide that these twoplanes are coexistent in yourcampaign, then spells fromone plane should functionon the other. This meansthat your characters canhave ethereal encounterson the Plane ofShadow and shadowencounters on theEthereal Plane. Individualstraveling fromone plane to the otherwould gain or losetheir insubstantialethereal bodies.ASTRALPLANEIt is the space betweeneverything.It is the road thatgoes everywhere.It is where you arewhen you aren’tanywhere else.The Astral Planeis the space betweenthe planes. When acharacter moves through an interplanar portal or projectsher spirit to a different plane of existence, then she travelsthrough the Astral Plane. Even spells that allow instantaneousmovement across a plane, such as dimension door,briefly touch the Astral Plane.The Astral Plane is a great, endless sphere of clear silverysky, both above and below. Large tube-shapedclouds slowly coil into the distance, some appearinglike thunderheads and others looking like immobiletornadoes of gray wind. Erratic whirlpools of colorflicker in midair like spinning coins. There are occasionalbits of solid matter here, but most of the AstralPlane is an endless, open domain.Both planar travelers and refugees from other planescall the Astral Plane home. The most prominent denizensof the Astral Plane are the githyanki, an outcast race thatpreys on travelersthroughout the plane.The Astral collectsthe flotsam and jetsamof great events that haveshaken the foundationsof the cosmologyitself. The shattered,fused bodies of deaddeities, forgotten bytheir worshipers andbanished from thedivine planes, can befound here. Some saythey are not trulydead, only sleeping.ASTRAL TRAITSOf the three TransitivePlanes, the AstralPlane is the mostalien to natives of theMaterial Plane. Thefirst-time travelerfrom the MaterialPlane finds almost nothingfamiliar.The Astral Plane has the followingtraits.• No Gravity: Those traveling through it move bythought (see below). Objects and creatures with noIntelligence score cannot move in the Astral Plane,though they may be pushed.• Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healingdon’t function in the Astral Plane, though they resumefunctioning when the traveler leaves the Astral Plane.• Infinite Size.• Alterable Morphic Trait.• No Elemental or Energy Traits: Some small regionson the plane may have one or more of these traits, butthe plane as a whole does not.• Mildly Neutral-Aligned.pqqqqrsOPTION: MORPHING THE ASTRALThe Astral Plane can have one or more morphic traits, though no Such spells or abilities would only function on planes thatspells currently exist to shape the plane in that fashion. Certain are coterminous to the Astral Plane. In the D&D cosmology, allspells (or spell-like abilities, or other powers such as psionics) planes are coterminous to the Astral Plane, so there would bemay be able to twist and morph the astral haze, similar to the way little difficulty in utilizing such abilities. But if the Astral Planethe substance of shadow is manipulated by shadow spells such is separate from other planes in your cosmology, then suchas shadow conjuration. It’s possible to invent spells for your abilities do not function there.cosmology that affect the Astral Plane in this fashion.pqqqqrsCHAPTER 5:THE TRANSITIVEPLANES Illus. by M. Moore47
Page 2 and 3: MANUAL OF THE PLANESJeff Grubb, Bru
Page 4: INTRODUCTIONIntroductionThis book i
Page 7 and 8: of the universe (earth, air, fire,
Page 9 and 10: within a plane where the rules are
Page 11 and 12: Shapes of the PlanesinfiniteGreat W
Page 13 and 14: save (DC 25) or gain a negative lev
Page 15 and 16: Illus. by A. Swekelven if a plane i
Page 17 and 18: Planar RelationshipsPlaneAPlane ACo
Page 19 and 20: Creatures that use positive or nega
Page 21 and 22: GETTING FROM PLANETO PLANEThe plane
Page 23 and 24: Illus. by A. Swekelhe planes are la
Page 25 and 26: Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (C
Page 27 and 28: Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowle
Page 29 and 30: damage bonus does not apply to crea
Page 31 and 32: to a limited extent. On planes with
Page 33 and 34: Greater planar bindingHoly wordLess
Page 35 and 36: elemental form to put out nonmagica
Page 37 and 38: Audible Alarm: An audible portal al
Page 39 and 40: On planes you create yourself, safe
Page 41 and 42: Illus. by A. Swekelhe Material Plan
Page 43 and 44: Oerth’s cosmology is laid out in
Page 45: Illus. by A. Swekelhe Transitive Pl
Page 49 and 50: often used by astral travelers who
Page 51 and 52: There is no day or night on the Ast
Page 53 and 54: Table 5-3: Astral Encountersd% Enco
Page 55 and 56: try to lure adventurers away from e
Page 57 and 58: even if prisoners escape, they’re
Page 59 and 60: Any creature becoming ethereal (inc
Page 61 and 62: The Plane of Shadow does not connec
Page 63 and 64: describes some typical abilities an
Page 65 and 66: Illus. by A. Swekelhe Inner Planes
Page 67 and 68: positiveElementalPlane ofWaterThree
Page 69 and 70: A maximum of 20d6 points of damage
Page 71 and 72: of material and have his life crush
Page 73 and 74: Table 6-2: Elemental Plane of Earth
Page 75 and 76: MOVEMENT AND COMBATThe Elemental Pl
Page 77 and 78: ELEMENTAL PLANEOF WATERIt is an oce
Page 79 and 80: Red TidesA dangerous contagion has
Page 81 and 82: • Impeded Magic: Spells and spell
Page 83 and 84: Class abilities that use positive e
Page 85 and 86: Illus. by A. Swekelf the Inner Plan
Page 87 and 88: CHAPTER 7:THE OUTERPLANES87Beastlan
Page 89 and 90: everything within a ten-mile radius
Page 91 and 92: Only those who suffer mortal wounds
Page 93 and 94: Plane drift through the miasma: bit
Page 95 and 96: FamiliarityVery familiarStudied car
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Every word, scream, or shout is cau
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oulders, and worked stone, as if a
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directional gravity. Unless stated
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sun no brighter than the Material P
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and Colothys confines liars whose u
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OthrysCathrysMinethysColothysPorpha
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Normal petitioners in Hades gain on
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PlutonThe third gloom of Hades is a
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Gehenna CombatCombat on Gehenna is
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NINE HELLS OF BAATORIt is Hell, whe
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added to the Bronze Citadel. Work g
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dribble of slimy water sluices into
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StygiaThe fifth layer of the Nine H
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they first enter the downdraft or b
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are big enough for whole cities and
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the truth, the ice sheet has object
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Scion Queen Mother at all times, an
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they have three possible courses of
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always find themselves in the surf
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amid treasure gathered over eons—
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BYTOPIA INHABITANTSBytopia is home
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on the Material Plane, sounds more
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BelierinBelierin is a land of misty
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without touching the ground. The Be
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ARBOREA LINKSArborea borders the Be
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CHAPTER 7:THE OUTERPLANESOUTLANDS I
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OutlandsExcelsiorSigilTradegateEcst
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CHAPTER 7:THE OUTERPLANES152Table 7
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CHAPTER 8:DEMIPLANES154to multiple
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of naivete. Neth doesn’t know how
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Illus. by A. Swekelhe planes suppor
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BARIAURMedium-Size OutsiderHit Dice
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precious and lovely, firres take up
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Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Tanar’ri
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Spinagon (Baatezu)Narzugon (Baatezu
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Xag-YaXeg-YiMedium-Size Outsider (I
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dull black orbs that reflect noligh
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DaoMaridLarge Outsider (Air, Evil)L
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is drawn in melee, the blade transf
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When an inevitable is created, it r
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matter at hand. They use alter self
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Ice Paraelemental, Small Ice Parael
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Magma Paraelemental, Huge Magma Par
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succeed at a Fortitude save or inha
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CanolothMezzolothMedium-Size Outsid
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strange and often distasteful rites
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Climate/Terrain: Any land and under
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Elemental: Immune to poison, sleep,
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Skills: Water element tigers receiv
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Damage: Bite 1d6+3, claw 1d3+1; spi
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Alignment: Always chaotic (any).Adv
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Appendix: VariantPlanes & Cosmologi
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Region of DreamsDreamscapesDreamsca
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A mirror-self is created somewhere
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ever-shifting ice floating on a fro
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Time onTime ond% Material Plane Tem
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FAERIE INHABITANTSThe Plane of Faer
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are needed to swim through it. Movi
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Myriad PlanesCosmologyplanar clumpp
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sends that character’s double fro
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WINDING ROAD LINKSPlanar travelers
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Planar Rips: Planar rips are holes
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Lolth 100, 103Lucid Dreaming 203Lun
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Table 1: Modron CastesCaste No. of
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4pursuit of order is particularly b
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THE MODRONCATHEDRALDeep in the hear
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drones have limited conversational
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10tually any environment, withstand
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12Modron Traits: Immune to mind-inf
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Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.Sp
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16Spell-Like Abilities: At will—c
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Wholeness of Body (Su): A secundus
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2of the common room into other part
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credence to this theory by occasion
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PLAY MOREFREE D&D® V.3.5 ACCESSORY
Page 250 and 251:
Table of ContentsThe Nature of the
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Pandemonium: Electricity and sonic
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Manual of the Planes MonstersFeats
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