Manual of the Planes

CHAPTER 6:THE INNERPLANES74the Great Dismal Delve is a freestanding gate to almostevery secret location within the D&D cosmology.The dao encourage this rumor and make their passagesavailable to planar travelers who crave secrecy in theircomings and goings. The only thing keeping the GreatDismal Delve from being more a popular destination isthe dao’s own devious nature. The dao assume that everyoneelse is as untrustworthy as they are, and they keep along list of grudges against anyone, deity or mortal, wholooks at them sideways. As a result, many of the mostpowerful beings in the D&D cosmology avoid the GreatDismal Delve.EarthquakesThe Elemental Plane of Earth is constantly in motion.Usually this motion is a slow, grinding process that fillsin the caverns and tunnels made by those who havepassed before. Sometimes the motion is much moresudden and dangerous.Those caught within the area of an earthquake (usuallya 150-foot radius) suffer the effects of an earthquake spell.In addition, characters in caverns or passages must makeReflex saves (DC 17) or wind up in the bury zone of acave-in (see Cave-Ins and Collapses in Chapter 4 of theDUNGEON MASTER’s Guide). Characters buried by loose soiland rock must either dig themselves out or be extricatedby their allies.EARTH ENCOUNTERSThe Elemental Plane of Earth is place of great mass andsolidity. Creatures that can’t burrow and lack the xorn’s abilityto pass through the earth are only encountered withintunnels, caverns, or other pockets that dot this solid plane.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.On a d% result of 96–100, characters encounter somethingon Table 6–2: Elemental Plane of Earth Encounters.Roll once per hour.ELEMENTAL PLANE OF FIREIt is a plane continually ablaze.It smells of burning flesh and ashen dreams.It is flame incarnate.Everything is alight on the Elemental Plane of Fire.The ground is nothing more than great, evershiftingplates of compressed flame. The air ripples with the heatof continual firestorms, and the most common liquid ismagma, not water. The oceans are made of liquid flame,and the mountains ooze with molten lava. It is a crematoriumfor the unprepared traveler and an uncomfortablespot even for the dedicated adventurer.Fire survives here without need for fuel or air to burn,but flammables brought onto the plane are consumedreadily. The elemental fires seem to feed on each other toproduce a continually burning landscape.ELEMENTAL PLANE OF FIRE TRAITSThe Elemental Plane of Fire has the following traits.• Normal Gravity: The “ground” beneath one’s feet ismade of heavier flame, ash, and debris, but it providesfooting similar to the ground on the Material Plane.• Normal Time.• Infinite Size.• Alterable Morphic.• Fire-Dominant.• Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities withthe fire descriptor are both maximized and enlarged (asif the Maximize Spell and Enlarge Spell had been usedon them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots).A fireball spell would thus deal maximum damage(although many of the plane’s natives are immune to firedamage). Spells and spell-like abilities that are alreadymaximized or enlarged are unaffected by this benefit.• Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that useor create water (including the summoning of water elementalsor outsiders with the water subtype) areimpeded. This includes spells of the clerical Waterdomain. These spells and spell-like abilities can still beused, but a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level ofthe spell) must be made to do so.FIRE INHABITANTSDespite being one of the most hostile of the Inner Planes,the Plane of Fire is also one of the most vibrant and populated.A number of elementals, outsiders with the firesubtype, and fire-using creatures may all be found here.Elementals are sentient pieces of the plane itself,moving with something that resembles volition and purpose.They include elemental analogs of creatures of theMaterial Plane, as well as the fire elementals known tospellcasters through the various summon monster spells.Such elementals normally have no love of fleshy, coolercreatures, and many attack merely to burn them and feedoff the flames.Outsiders such as efreet, azers, and salamanders havemore organized societies. They often have large settlements,the best-known of these being the efreeti City ofBrass. Outsiders tend to be (at least slightly) more hospitableto outsiders, and several communities go out oftheir way to accommodate travelers.Fire-using creatures call the Elemental Plane of Firehome as well, usually residing near elemental pocketsand vortices that lead to their home planes. Creaturesthat are immune to fire, such as devils (but not demons orcelestials), may also be found at such locations. There isregular traffic in information, goods, and prisonersbetween the City of Brass and the Nine Hells.The native language of most inhabitants of the ElementalPlane of Fire is Ignan, a sharp, hissing and clickinglanguage. Those natives who deal with other planesmay speak additional languages. Infernal and theCommon tongue of the Material Plane are oftenspoken in such cases.