Manual of the Planes

A maximum of 20d6 points of damage can be inflictedin this fashion.FEATURES OF THE ELEMENTAL PLANEOF AIRFor travelers arriving on the Elemental Plane of Air forthe first time, the greatest danger is the panic of findingthemselves in midair without even the sight of groundbeneath you. Some travelers have plummeted to theirdeaths, never realizing where they were and how asimple thought could stop their descent. Setting thewrong direction as “down” can be fatal in such cases ifthere’s a solid object along the path of descent (and if youfall far enough, there always is).But other than that risk, the Elemental Plane of Airoffers no inherent danger. There are regions of extremeweather, but they are a danger to natives as well as visitors.Spells such as avoid planar effects that provide planarprotection do not help against such storms.On a long-term basis, obtaining food and water is aproblem. Rainfall can provide water, but food is alwaysscarce. Elemental creatures, made of the substance of theplane itself, tend to dissipate when slain, and real food ishard to come by. The djinn are welcome allies to manytravelers from elsewhere, because they can create food,water, and wine.Barring clouds, fog banks, rain, and other impedimentsto sight, vision on the Elemental Plane of Air is unaffected,as is darkvision. The entire plane is limned with apearly radiance of no definite source, as if the base matterof the plane held its own inherent radiation.Winds and WeatherThe Elemental Plane of Air is constantly in motion, rangingfrom gentle breezes that tug on a traveler’s cloak tomighty tornadoes that spiral through the empty skies.The majority of the winds are light or moderate, and onlyin specific situations will winds be sufficiently large toimpede or damage travelers.The Weather Hazards section in Chapter 3 of the DUNGEONMASTER’s Guide, provides rules for the effect of winds of variousstrengths. In almost all cases, creatures are airborne onthe Elemental Plane of Air (so they are treated as one sizesmaller for the purpose of wind effects). Creatures that findsomething of sufficient size to hide on or behind avoid thispenalty, but if blown away are thrown into the wind itself,taking damage each round until the wind dissipates.The clouds themselves, common features on the plane,have the same effect as fog, obscuring all sight, includingdarkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures within 5 feet haveone-half concealment, so attacks against them suffer a20% miss chance. Arrowhawks and other scavengersoften hide in clouds to ambush their prey better.Extreme weather is also common on the Elemental Planeof Air, including snow, rain, sleet, hail, duststorms, thunderstorms,blizzards, and hurricanes. Despite the lack of objectivegravity on the plane, rain does occur, falling for milesbefore dissipating and being swept up into new clouds.Smoke BanksOften the result of long-forgotten battles, clouds of chokingsmoke hang in the calmer regions of the plane, backwatersof the greater air currents. Occasionally they areswept up into great moving walls, but in general thesmoke banks are relatively stationary. Large amounts offire also generate smoke banks that hover around thesource of the flame.Characters who enter areas of heavy smoke areaffected as noted in the Smoke section in Chapter 3 ofthe DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide.Flying CastlesThe weightless nature, empty disposition, and hospitableenvironment makes the Elemental Plane of Air ideal forpowerful individuals seeking privacy. These individualsinclude wizards and sorcerers who want uninterruptedtime for long-term studies, clerics of all alignmentsescaping the threats of more dangerous planes, and evenmonasteries and libraries whose users seek solitude andreflection. Any chunk of rock or mineral large enough tosupport a building’s foundation is the site of some structure(or at least it has been in the past).Given the nature of subjective gravity, the roomswithin such a structure may all have the same directionof gravity, or the structure may be a crazy quilt of roomswith shifting gravitational directions. Often this dependson the needs of the users. Those who expect visitors providea common “down” direction for reference.Settlers on the Elemental Plane of Air have to providetheir own method of acquiring food and water, somany strongholds are set up near gates and vorticesthat allow easy access to other planes. In addition, thewizards, clerics, and monks who make these floatingfortresses their homes must make peace to some degreewith the local elemental and outsider population,either by negotiation or force. Not all invaders do sosuccessfully, and travelers may discover the emptytowers and citadels of wizards whose flesh has beenripped from their bones by angry invisible stalkers, orwhose strongholds are frozen solid after crossing afoul-tempered ice paraelemental.Djinni StrongholdsThe djinn are among the most accommodating of theoutsiders that make the Elemental Plane of Air theirnative realm. They tend to settle the larger chunks ofphysical matter on the plane, shards of rock and earthranging from a thousand feet to several miles across.Each of these islands has its own gravity, and the guests ofthe djinn move around as on the Material Plane.A typical djinn community on the Elemental Plane ofAir consists of 3d10 of these creatures (some of whomhave undoubtedly earned levels in character classes),1d10 jann, and 1d10 elemental creatures of low intelligencewho act as servants, pets, or guardians. The mostpowerful of the djinn in the stronghold is known as thesheik. The sheik may or may not be a noble djinni.CHAPTER 6:THE INNERPLANES69