Manual of the Planes

CHAPTER 5:THE TRANSITIVEPLANESPlane to anywhere the Astral Plane touches. Such portalsare found in the rougher regions far from the “normal”areas of the Plane of Shadow. A traveler who can’t reachthe Outer Planes directly can travel to the Plane ofShadow and find a portal that uses the Astral Plane toreach her destination.Shadow QuakesThe Plane of Shadow is a morphic landscape, but in generalit moves slowly. Over the course of a week the landscapemay alter sufficiently to be unrecognizable,although someone continually observing the planewouldn’t see it actually moving. But the Plane of Shadowhas its own version of earthquakes that can prove deadlyto the shadow traveler.Shadow quakes tend to be dramatic but localized,having the same effect as an earthquake spell within a100-foot radius. Flying and incorporeal creatures areunaffected.The shadow quake can also break the effect of a shadowwalk spell. The spellcaster must make a Concentrationcheck (DC 20) to maintain control of the spell. If thecaster fails, the spell’s targets are stranded on the plane asif lost or abandoned. It is still possible to return to theMaterial Plane by casting another shadow walk or locatinga shadow vortex or other portal.The Shining CitadelThis legendary fortress may or may not exist, but it’s thetalk of planar travelers everywhere. The legend contendsthat the Plane of Shadow is artificial, created by a longforgottencreature with the power of the deity. Once amere demiplane, the Plane of Shadow has at its heart aShining Citadel of color and light. To power the citadel,members of an order venerating the plane’s creatorsucked the life, light, and color from the rest of reality.Thus was the Plane of Shadow born. None have foundthe Shining Citadel, but it is said that those who neverreturn from a visit to the deepest regions of the Plane ofShadow have found it.SHADOW ENCOUNTERSCreatures found on the Plane of Shadow may be natives—lumpish creations made of the stuff of shadow itself in ahollow mockery of life. Others are creatures of the MaterialPlane that have fled the world of sunlight for one ofeternal darkness.The table below is suitable for typical travelers, but theDM can also use it as a springboard for encounter tablesfor specific areas by adding new creatures or changingthe percentages. Creatures grow more perilous (and theChallenge Ratings higher) as one moves into the darklands farther from the Material Plane.On a d% roll of 96–100, characters encounter somethingon Table 5–7: Plane of Shadow Encounters. Rollonce per hour.Table 5–7: Plane of Shadow Encountersd% Encounter Number CR At EL01–05 Astral portal — — —06–07 Bodak* 1d6 8 1108–09 Cloaker* 2d4 5 1010–16 Ephemera, dusk beast 2d4 3 817–18 Ephemera, ecalypse 1 9 919–20 Ephemera, umbral banyan 1 10 1021–23 Mercane trading mission† — 5 1224–25 Nightshade, nightcrawler 1 18 1826–27 Nightshade, nightwalker 1 16 1628–29 Nightshade, nightwing 1 14 1430–32 Shadow basilisk‡ 1d3 6 933–35 Shadow black bear‡ 1d6 2 636–38 Shadow dire ape‡ 1d8 3 839–41 Shadow dire rat‡ 3d6+2 1 842–44 Shadow dire wolf‡ 2d4 4 945–47 Shadow gray render‡ 1 9 948–50 Shadow grick‡ 1d6 4 851–55 Shadow mastiff 2d4+1 5 1056–58 Shadow owlbear‡ 2d6 5 1159–61 Shadow phantom fungus‡ 1 4 462–63 Shadow quake — — —64–66 Shadow umber hulk‡ 1 8 867–76 Shadow (undead)* 3d6 3 1077–86 Shadow walking Sor14 1 14 1487–96 Shadow walking Wiz13 1 13 1397–100 Wraiths* 2d4 5 10*Nonnative, but have found their way onto the Plane ofShadow and made it their home.†Trading mission consists of four mercanes with a pack of 3d4shadow mastiffs.‡Apply the shadow creature template.pqqqqrs64VARIANT: SHADOWDANCERS AND THE PLANEOF SHADOWThe shadowdancer prestige class described in Chapter 2 of theDUNGEON MASTER’s Guide uses shadows but does not enter thePlane of Shadow directly. You could tie the shadowdancer’sabilities closer to the Plane of Shadow, however. Doing thiswould have the following effects.• Summon Shadows: The shadows summoned originate onthe Plane of Shadow.• Shadow Jump: The ability passes through the Plane ofShadow instead of the Astral Plane. If something goes wrong(as with the dimension door spell), the shadowdancer istrapped on the Plane of Shadow instead of the Astral Plane.• Shadow Illusion: This ability would gain the shadow descriptor,even though the silent image spell it copies does not have it.If you make this change, realize that tying these abilities to thePlane of Shadow limits them on planes where the Plane ofShadow cannot be accessed.pqqqqrs