Manual of the Planes

CHAPTER 5:THE TRANSITIVEPLANESstrength. An eerie howling increases with each round,and with a brutal suddenness the ether cyclone tears ateverything in its path.Travelers can flee the ether cyclone by moving onto thecoexistent plane or seeking shelter. Spells with the forcedescriptor, such as Leomund’s tiny hut, protect the travelerfrom the effects of an ether cyclone, but weather spellssuch as control wind and control weather have no effect onan ether cyclone. It’s otherwise impossible to outrun anether cyclone.One of the greatest dangers of an ether cyclone is howit can scatter a group of adventurers, leaving them unableto find each other—or to find exits from the EtherealPlane. At the DM’s option, roll only once on the tablebelow for a group of travelers, provided they are relativelyclose to each other when the ether cyclone strikes.Table 5–5: Ether Cyclonesd% Effect01–30 Take 1d10 points of damage (Fort save DC 20negates). Roll again in 1 minute if still within thecyclone.31–60 Move 1d10 miles in random direction. You are nolonger in the storm and can move back normally.61–80 As above, but 2d20 miles in random direction.81–90 As above, and take 3d10 points of damage (Fort saveDC 20 negates).91–95 Take 3d10 points of damage (Fort save DC 20 negates)and return to the Material Plane. If you reappear insidea solid object, you’re shunted aside but take 1d6 pointsof damage for each 5 feet traveled this way.96–100 Fly through an ethereal curtain into another plane ordemiplane. Determine destination randomly onTable 5–4.Undead are unaffected by ether cyclones, includingghosts and such creatures as devourers. Ghosts that aren’ttied to a particular Material Plane location may even ridean ether cyclone, surfing on the ethereal winds.Table 5–6: Ethereal Encountersd% Encounter Number CR At EL01–04 Blink dog 3d6 2 905 Celestial, ghaele 1 13 1306 Celestial, planetar 1 16 1607 Celestial, solar 1 19 1908 Couatl 1 10 1009 Demon, armanite† 1d3 7 910–11 Demon, bebilith 1d3 9 1112 Demon, succubus 1 9 913 Devil, cornugon† 1 10 1014 Devil, narzugon, and nightmare 1 10 1015 Devourer 1 11 1116–35 Encounter on coexistent terrain* — — —36–40 Ether cyclone — — —41–42 Ethereal Clr11 1 11 1143–44 Ethereal Clr11 and Ftr8 1 15 1545–54 Ethereal curtain — — —55–56 Ethereal Ftr9 1 9 957–61 Ethereal filcher 1 3 362–66 Ethereal marauder 1 3 367–68 Ethereal Sor15 1 15 1569–70 Ethereal Wiz15 1 15 1571–72 Ghost Ftr5 1d3 7 973–74 Ghost Wiz6 1 8 875–76 Ghost Rog7 1 9 977–78 Ghost minotaur 1d6 6 979–80 Ghost troll 1d3 7 981–85 Mercane trading mission‡ — — 586–89 Nightmare 1 5 590–95 Phase spider 1d8 5 1196–100 Xill 1d6 6 11*Roll a random encounter for the terrain this part of theEthereal Plane is coexistent with. This may include creaturesthat are capable of detecting and affecting creatures on theEthereal Plane, including those with vision-based attacks suchas basilisks and those with spells and spell-like abilities.†This creature does not have the ability to travel to theEthereal Plane of its own power. Its presence may indicate thatit was sent here through another situation (90%) or that theremay be a curtain to that creature’s native plane nearby (10%).‡Trading mission consists of two mercanes and nine Ftr5.pqqqqrs58OPTION: MULTIPLE ETHEREALSWithin the Great Wheel of the D&D cosmology, only theMaterial Plane has a coexistent Ethereal Plane. But you mayallow other planes access to the Ethereal Plane as well.Some, all, or none of your planes can be coexistent with etherealplanes of their own. You might restrict these “mini-etherealplanes” to planes of a particular type, such as Elemental Planesor Outer Planes. This means that there could be an EtherealElemental Plane of Fire, or an Ethereal Plane of Elysium.Inhabitants of those planes would be able to access theirparticular Ethereal Plane and use spells and spell-like abilitiesthat effect the Ethereal Plane. Creatures that call the EtherealPlane home would be found in the associated Ethereal Planesas well.An Ethereal Plane connected to another plane may havesome, all, or none of the attributes of that plane. It still has thecore traits of the Ethereal Plane (no gravity, and a normaltime). But it could have, for example, the fire-dominant trait ifit’s coexistent with the Elemental Plane of Fire, or a weak evilalignedtrait if it’s connected to the Gray Waste of Hades.Multiple Ethereal Planes can be used in conjunction with theDeep Ethereal option. In this case, travelers can move from theMaterial Plane to another plane directly through the EtherealPlane. First a traveler attains the Ethereal Plane that’s coexistentwith the Material Plane. Then the traveler moves into theDeep Ethereal, and from the Deep Ethereal moves to theEthereal Plane that’s coexistent with the destination plane.To make such a trip, use the time scale as indicated for theDeep Ethereal, giving the effort the same time as “returning tothe Material Plane.” Travelers coming out of the Deep Etherealappear at a random location on the Ethereal Plane that’s coexistentwith the new plane.Finally, you can link multiple planes through one EtherealPlane. For example, all the Outer Planes might link to the sameEthereal Plane, while another Ethereal Plane links the InnerPlanes to the Material Plane.pqqqqrs