Border Elemental Planes
Wild and unruly, the border regions between the Elemental Planes create distinct realms that act as a hybrid between the neighboring regions. Where Air and Water meet, the Plane of Ice is created; the border of Fire and Earth creates the Plane of Magma; the meeting of Earth and Water results in the Plane of Ooze; and the combination of Air and Fire births the Plane of Ash. These realms are smaller in scale than the core four, yet remain expansive nonetheless – they are still each larger than most Material Plane worlds!
Some planar scholars say that the Border Elemental Planes are relatively new in the multiverse. Others say that the constantly shifting nature of the Elemental Planes keeps these border regions from settling, resulting in regular patterns of activity that is unsuited to the formation or continuation of intelligent species. Certainly there are native creatures in these planes, but they tend toward the animalistic in nature rather than intelligently civilized, though certain exceptions exist (mephits, for example, but they generally lack the discipline to craft lasting legacies).
It has been theorized that the core energy types – fire, acid, cold, and lightning – are birthed from the Border Elemental Planes and not from their core Elemental Plane counterparts. Like many things in planar lore, the truth is likely never to be known and the facts remain debatable in scholarly circles. For example, the cold energy type certainly makes sense to originate from the Plane of Ice, and it’s not too far of a leap to connect acid to the Plane of Ooze. But how is fire a byproduct of the Plane of Magma? And though lightning is common on the Plane of Ash, it is not what most consider a dominant trait of the plane. Debates continue.
Geography
LAY OF THE LAND
Each of the Border Elemental Planes is a distinct realm, though there isn’t as much variation in the landscape as the prime Elemental Planes.
The Plane of Ice sits between the Planes of Water and Air, and it is one of the coldest planes in the multiverse. The bulk of the Plane of Ice is comprised of a region known as the Frostfell – broad, wind-carved tundras and mountains hiding ice-locked lakes of unknown depth. The skies are gray with constantly churning storm clouds pushed in from the Plane of Air mixing with the heavy moisture from the Plane of Water, and it is always snowing somewhere across the Frostfell.
Between the Planes of Air and Fire is the Plane of Ash. Scorching winds blow constantly through the Great Conflagration, the main region, which is dominated by a firestorm of immense proportion. The smoke-choked air obscures vision to only a few dozen feet, and blackened earth motes drift chaotically through the swirling ash. Unlike the Plane of Air, gravity has an effect here, but the supercharged heat from the Plane of Fire keeps even large earth motes and objects afloat, though unstable. A red glow from the fiery realm filters through the ash-filled sky.
Towering peaks and volcanoes pierce the Plane of Magma on the borders of the Planes of Fire and Earth. Mighty underground channels of lava cut through the rock, creating a cycle of cooling and re-heating that keeps the area full of dangers. The area is also known as the Fountains of Creation, and in the deep caverns great seas of magma are known to hide dangers and threats beyond the real possibility of burning or drowning.
The bubbling, rumbling Plane of Ooze rests between the Planes of Water and Earth. Dominated by the aptly named Swamp of Oblivion, this plane is difficult to travel on the ground because of the sludge-like pools that dominate the terrain. It’s not friendly to air travel either, though, as great insect swarms act as dark clouds that block out the meager light from the Plane of Water.
Ecosystem
Highlights & Impressions
The below listings include notes on highlighting the nature
of the Border Elemental Planes as characters explore
and travel through it. These are suggestions of elements
that can be used in descriptions of the landscape and
denizens with the goal of actualizing the “outside” nature
of the multiverse beyond the Material Plane. Use them to
incorporate into encounters and adventures on the Border
Elemental Planes.
Raging Elements. The four Border Elemental Planes sit at the crossroads of the Inner Planes, and their very existence is the result of powerful elemental forces clashing on an almost inconceivable scale. The individual elements of each Border Elemental Plane are constant presences, from the titanic waves slamming into the icebergs on the Plane of Ice to the fiery tornadoes whipped up on the Plane of Ash.
Constant Change. Nothing is static in the Border Elemental Planes. Even the Plane of Ice, which most picture as simply frozen in place, is a place of constant and never-ending change, from water to ice and back to water again. Mud bubbles and flows on the Plane of Ooze, roiling lava eats away at porous earthen tunnels on the Plane of Magma, and billowing choking clouds fill the skies of the Plane of Ash. Everything is in motion on these planes, far more than the Inner Planes.
Strange and Wild. The awe-inspiring and raw elemental forces that create the Border Elemental Planes find a way to surprise travelers in new and strange ways. Whether it’s a brilliant multi-colored icicle forest on the Plane of Ice, a towering mountain of sludge on the Plane of Ooze, sticky lava that clings to the ceiling of a vast cavern in the Plane of Magma, or twinkling shards of obsidian dancing in a firestorm on the Plane of Ash, there’s always something amazing to see here. Some of it may only last a moment and then be gone.
Ecosystem Cycles
CYCLE OF TIME
The Border Elemental Planes share dim ambient light energy from the Planes of Fire and Water, which both have regular day/night shifts. It isn’t as distinct as on those Ele-mental Planes – a slight darkening of the sky at night, and a brighter tinge to the air during the day. Most of the travel and interesting sites on the Plane of Magma takes place under-ground, and the Plane of Ice hides its fair share of secrets below the surface as well, so in these regions no exterior force exists to assist in recording the passage of time.Localized Phenomena
HAZARDS & PHENOMENA
Like the rest of the Inner Planes, the Border Elemental Planes have hazards that can wreak havoc on travelers and natives at a moment’s notice. From chokeclouds on the Plane of Ash, to deep freezes on the Plane of Ice, to magmafalls on the Plane of Magma, to insect swarms on the Plane of Ooze, each one of these realms holds dangerous ways to threaten life and limb.
Plane of Ash: Chokeclouds While the entire Plane of Ash is dangerous to creatures that breathe air, the phenomena known as chokeclouds can be particularly threatening. This is primarily due to the fact that a chokecloud is near invisible on the plane – it appears as little more than another cloud of ash and embers in the red-lit endless sky.
Creatures that encounter a chokecloud can make a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check to smell its presence, which is made at disadvantage if a bandage or cloth is covering the creature’s face to protect from the plane’s natural hazard. Chokeclouds have a faint odor of brimstone, stronger than the rest of the plane, and canny travelers that detect the presence of the hazard can attempt to change course to avoid direct contact with it. Creatures that breathe air that run into a chokecloud, which is usually miles across, must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure they suffer 18 (4d10) poison damage and gain a level of exhaustion, while on a failure they suffer only half damage and no exhaustion.
The saving throw must be repeated for every round spent in the chokecloud. Escaping a chokecloud with a flying pace of 30 feet or more requires a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check and 1d6 rounds; flying at lower speeds doubles the amount of time to escape.
Plane of Ash: Red Lightning Strike The Plane of Ash is riddled with streaks of red lightning that dance between the thick ember-filled clouds that fill the Great Conflagration. Some strange property of the plane draws the red lightning to non-natives, so encountering a burst of it while traveling involves a short window of dangerous activity.
A random non-native member of the party is targeted by a bolt of red lightning, and the target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 21 (6d6) lightning damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. The lightning waits 1d4 rounds before it strikes another random target, and it continues the cycle until 1 minute has passed.
Native creatures are often attracted by the red lightning strikes. Roll for another random encounter, re-rolling any non-creature result. The random encounter arrives 5 rounds after the red lightning strikes begin.
Plane of Ice: Blizzard A wind constantly blows on the Plane of Ice, and it is perpetually snowing at least a little throughout the bleak days and bitter nights on the Frostfell. When a blizzard picks up, however, it blankets a very wide region in highspeed winds and heavy snow. A blizzard on the Plane of Ice lasts for a variable amount of time based on the below table.
1d20 Blizzard Duration 1-10 8 hours 11-14 1 day 15-17 4 days 18-19 1 week 20 1 month During a blizzard, a whiteout occurs in a radius of 1d6 x 50 miles. During a whiteout, visibility is reduced to 30 feet and every 1 foot of travel requires 2 feet of movement pace, which includes flying speed (but not burrowing) because of the heavy snow. Any ranged attack in a blizzard suffers disadvantage, and Wisdom (Survival) and Wisdom (Perception) checks are also made at disadvantage. Dexterity (Stealth) checks are made at advantage, however.
Plane of Ice: Deep Freeze Snow and ice are constant threats, but one of the real terrors of the Plane of Ice are the sudden drops in temperature. Called deep freezes, these polar plunges occur without warning and can freeze even the most careful of travelers in a matter of minutes. A deep freeze lasts 1d8 hours, during which creatures that are not immune to cold must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw every round. On a failure they gain a level of exhaustion. No amount of winter gear assists against a deep freeze, only complete immunity to the cold.
The only known way to escape a deep freeze is to get underground. Some particularly unhinged guides that have been to the Plane of Ice claim to have survived a deep freeze wrapped in the body of a dead frost salamander, but such prospects seem skeptical at best.
Plane of Magma: Magmafall The most dangerous hazard on the Plane of Magma is the magma itself, and some travelers think that by avoiding the rivers of lava that cross the realm they are safe. Unfortunately, magma has a way of shifting the landscape, and sometimes that can happen above an unlucky group of travelers. When this happens, a magmafall occurs, which dumps scalding lava in an area 1d10 x 10 feet wide from the ceiling or wall (determine randomly if necessary). Creatures caught in a magmafall must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure they are caught fully in the cascading material, suffering 55 (10d10) fire damage and becoming immersed in a sudden pool of lava 5 feet deep. On a success they suffer half damage and are pushed to the edge of the newly created lava pool.
Plane of Ooze: Insect Swarms Moving about the Plane of Ooze is a dangerous prospect, and not just because of the monsters that inhabit the realm or the slow pace that overland travel must take. Enormous swarms of insects feed off the muck and slime of the plane, and they enjoy nothing more than a fresh meal of flesh and blood. The first sign of these swarms is a drone-like buzzing on the air that grows louder over the course of 1 minute, at which point a veritable black cloud of flies and other airborne insects descend out of the gloomy sky.
An insect swarm in the Swamp of Oblivion fills the area with a heavily obscured cover, making sight difficult, and the droning causes every Wisdom (Perception) check to made at disadvantage. Spellcasters must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw while concentrating on a spell in an insect swarm every round or lose their spell, and conversation becomes impossible at distances greater than 20 feet. Every minute spent in the insect swarm, creatures suffer 10 (4d4) piercing damage from countless bites.
The insect swarms on the Plane of Ooze last for 10 minutes and follow groups of travelers relentlessly until driven away by some means. A strong blast of wind can disperse the swarm, and creating a fire to smoke the swarm out reduces the duration by half. Spells and effects that affect normal insects also affect these swarms.
Plane of Ooze: Mudsink While avoiding the great clouds of biting insects that infest the Swamp of Oblivion, travelers may stumble blindly into the other big hazard of the plane – mudsinks. A mudsink appears as a normal region of swamp on the Plane of Ooze, roughly about 50 feet in diameter, but any creature walking into must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure they are pulled down into the mudsink up to their waist as the sucking mass surges around them, affecting other creatures within 10 feet of the original victim. Creatures that succeed on the saving throw avoid falling into the mudsink entirely.
Escaping a mudsink requires a DC 15 Strength check, which can be aided by someone with a branch or pole long enough to reach from the bank, granting advantage on the check. A stuck creature is able to move 5 feet on a successful check, so two such successes are necessary under normal circumstances to escape. However, at the end of a stuck creature’s turn, it must succeed at a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure they are pulled further into the mudsink, up to their shoulders, and further attempts to escape are made at disadvantage (which can be cancelled out through the aid of a non-stuck helper).
After a third failure the mudsink pulls the victim down bodily into the slime, forcing DC 15 Constitution saving throws to avoid gaining a level of exhaustion every round. Escape is only possible by succeeding at the DC 15 Strength check to climb out but it cannot be assisted once the victim is fully submerged in the mudsink.
Random Encounter Tables The below tables can be used by the Dungeon Master as a source of inspiration when a party of characters is traveling around the Border Elemental Planes. Four separate tables are provided – one for the Plane of Ash, one for the Plane of Ice, one for the Plane of Magma, and one for the Plane of Ooze.
Plane of Ash 1d100 Plane of Ash Encounter 01-10 A belker 11-20 Hostile ash elementals 21-30 Hostile fire elementals 31-40 Swarms of ash rats 41-50 Chokecloud 51-60 Red lightning strike 61-90 Smoke mephits 00 An ancient blue dragon Plane of Ice 1d100 Plane of Ice Encounter 01-10 A pack of yeti 11-20 Hostile ice elementals 21-30 Hostile air elementals 31-40 A group of frost salamanders 41-50 Blizzard 51-60 Deep freeze 61-90 Ice mephits 00 An ancient white dragon Plane of Magma 1d100 Plane of Magma Encounter 01-10 Hungry lava sharks 11-20 Hostile magma elementals 21-30 Hostile fire elementals 31-40 Hostile earth elementals 41-50 A horde of ragewraiths 51-60 Magmafall 61-90 Magma mephits 00 An ancient red dragon Plane of Ooze 1d100 Plane of Ooze Encounter 01-10 Hungry mud serpents 11-20 Hostile ooze elementals 21-30 Hostile water elementals 31-40 Dripping crawlers lying in ambush 41-50 Insect swarm 51-60 Mudsink 61-90 Mud mephits 00 An ancient black dragon
Natural Resources
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The Inner Planes
the various plane are connected , you can switch between them through the transition zones
Para-Quasi Elemental Planes
by Omnibius
These days, there are two schools of thought in the Planewalker Guild regarding the Inner Planes.
The established, traditional one claims that besides four elemental and two energy planes, there are also four paraelemental planes (Ice, Magma, Ooze, and Smoke) representing the mixture of two true elements, and eight quasielemental planes (Ash, Dust, Salt, Vacuum, Lightning, Mineral, Radiance, and Steam) representing the mixture of one true element with either positive or negative energy. The traditionalists also say that the Ethereal Plane touches upon each of the eighteen or so Inner Planes, and that the Shadow is merely a demiplane within the Ethereal. (We’ll leave their ideas regarding the Astral, Ordial, and Outer planes aside for the moment.)
The new, and currently more popular theory claims that the Inners consist of only four elemental planes (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water) and two energy planes (Negative and Positive). The up-and-coming sages believe that the so-called para- and quasi- elemental planes are nothing more that border regions of these six planes, where multiple elemental and energy traits overlap to form unique ecosystems.
Regardless of which school of thought it prefers, a body must recognize that there are indeed several odd and interesting areas of the Inner Planes that spawn few planewalkers, yet draw the interest of many. Whether you call them paraplanes, quasiplanes, or borderline areas, is of secondary importance.
In order to bring the attention of the planewalking community to these areas, and possibly aid a few young explorers, I hereby bring the information drawn from the records of the Guild and present it in the standardized post-FW form. These documents do not describe the inhabitants and locations to be found on the plane, only the prevalent planar traits and general conditions that any planewalker may find relevant.
Note that the term “plane” is used in order to maintain simplicity, and not necessarily add my voice to the supporters of the Old ways. My Mimir chokes when I dictate the phrase “border-regional anomaly of combined planar traits” multiple times in a single paragraph.
PARAELEMENTAL PLANE OF ICE
Glistening white ice, cracked and scored, lies in a sheet as far as the eyes can see. It’s an endless arctic plane, where only frozen crags of ice-locked mounts shatter the smooth sheet and give features to the terrain. Closer to the plane of Water, small patches of open water appear, and the ice eventually breaks into enormous floes and bergs. At the plane of Air, the sheet tapers into fingered bridges and icicles that fade into nothingness.
Dig and there’s no limit to how deep the ice extends. And during that dig a basher might get lucky and find caverns filled with the purest air, or unlucky and hit a boulder bigger than a mountain.
Traits: The Paraelemental Plane of Ice has the following traits.
Objective Directional Gravity. A traveler is oriented “down” toward whatever natural surface of ice is nearest. This often varies in certain areas, so pitfalls and crevices occasionally surprise unwary ice-walkers.
Cold-dominant: All creatures and objects take 3d10 points of cold damage per round. Creatures of the fire subtype take double damage each round.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create air, water, or cold (including spells of the Air, Cold, and Water domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create earth or fire (including spells of the Earth and Fire domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or fire subtype) are impeded
Breathing: Breathable air is plentiful on Ice, if lung-numbingly cold.
Movement: On the icy surface, every creature’s land speed is halved and the DC of all Balance and Tumble checks is increased by +5.
Vision: There are few natural light sources. Wise travelers take care to include their torches and lanterns when applying elemental abjurations, lest these be extinguished by the cold.
Creatures: Frost giant, frost salamander, frost worm, frostmite, ice mephit, ice paraelemental, ice troll, immoth, menglis, polar bear, remorhaz, yeti, white dragon, winter wolf.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Arcolantha: A cave within the solid ice, smooth walls, a glowing orb floating in center shedding white light, living animals from other planes encased in ice.
The Chiseled Estate: The icy fortress of Cryonax, the evil archomental prince; extends a mile above and four miles below the ice; colder than the rest of the plane.
Mountain of Ultimate Winter: A windy mountain near the border with Air; all non-natives risk being frozen solid regardless of protections.
PARAELEMENTAL PLANE OF MAGMA
Bordering the two inhospitable planes of Elemental Earth and Elemental Fire, it shouldn’t be a surprise to any traveler that Magma’s an unpleasant place. It’s easiest to imagine it as spewing out from the plane of Fire, whose leaping flames die down to a hellish glow and then spread in an ever-cooling mass to the plane of Earth.
The surface constantly churns and shifts as the scabrous, hardening chunks are churned back into the molten flow. Near the plane of Fire, this landscape bursts with occasional geysers of cryoplastic flow, lava that splatters nearby. Closer to the plane of Earth float pillars of solid rock, borne away by the searing tide. Few extraplanars can survive this hostile land, so there are few places of note to visit.
Traits: The Paraelemental Plane of Magma has the following traits.
Heavy gravity. All Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim, and Tumble checks suffer a -2 penalty; all weights are doubled, while weapon ranges are halved; falling incurs 1d10 points of damage per 10 feet fallen, up to a maximum of 20d10.
Mixed earth- and fire-dominant. The ever-present flowing magma deals 2d6 points of fire damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion which deals 20d6 points of damage per round. Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact (that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round).
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create earth or fire (including spells of the Earth and Fire domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create air or water (including spells of the Air and Water domains and spells that summon creatures with the air or water subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: Magma is no easier to breathe than earth. However, since most travelers stick to the shifting tunnels and caves, they will find enough breathable air; this air is often quite toxic, so most cutters use some sort of filter to breathe safely.
Movement: Although several artificially coagulated regions can be found, for the most part the Paraplane of Magma is a churning mass of molten stone that scorches all who come into contact with it. An immunity or resistance to fire serves as immunity to magma. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown in these seas of boiling rock.
Vision: Below the surface of magma, vision is impossible for non-natives (magma paraelementals and mephits, earth and fire elementals, thoqqua, etc.) whose darkvision works normally. Above the surface, the blazing magma usually provides normal illumination.
Creatures: Blazon, fire bat, fire giant, gelterfish, magma mephit, magma paraelemental, magmin, thoqqua.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Caldera: Basalt fortress of the magma mephit high-up Chilimba, a cruel little berk that used to serve the baatezu.
Fields of Nevermore: Settlement of primes built around the chillsword, an artifact that pushes back the magma heat; inhospitable, under pressure from the magmin and dao.
The Monolith: Mysterious black tombstone-like structure 90 ft. by 40 ft. by 10 ft., impervious to all harm.
Oolan’s Laboratory: The kip of an ancient lich graybeard from Oerth.
Targath’s Tower: Built entirely of invisible wall of force effects, commissioned by a successful knight-o’-the-post (ex-Free League provides shelter to planewalkers.
PARAELEMENTAL PLANE OF OOZE
It’s all mud and slime, a quivering ocher ocean of muck – hardly the place a cutter cares to go. It’s a place of torturous death and exile, too. With a wave of the hand, evil wizard-tyrants send their enemies here to drown, choking on lungfuls of stagnant silt. Kinder souls merely imprison their foes here, sealing them inside bubbles of pure air.
Little relieves the unending ocean of muck. Toward the plane of Earth, the mud grows drier, filled with abrasive grit, and toward Water it thins into rippling silt that a cutter can sometimes swim through. Drifting through it all are blocks of stone and puddles of clear water.
Traits: The Paraelemental Plane of Ooze has the following traits.
No Gravity.
Mixed earth- and water-dominant.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create earth or water (including spells of the Earth and Water domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create air or fire (including spells of the Air and Fire domains and spells that summon creatures with the air or fire subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: Creatures naturally able to breathe water are unable to breathe the ooze, so their risk of suffocation as great as anybody else’s. However, any magic effects that let a cutter breathe water (such as the water breathing spell) also enable him to breathe within the ooze.
Movement: Within the elemental ooze, a DC 10 Swim check must be made each round to laboriously wade through the muck. Regardless of movement mode, the speed is halved. The exceptions are incorporeal creatures and creatures of the ooze type; their movement is not hindered in any way.
Vision: Below the surface of the ooze, all sight (including darkvision) is limited to 5 feet. The exception are non-natives (ooze paraelementals and mephits, creatures with the ooze subtype, etc.) who see normally. Above the surface, sight functions normally. There are few natural light sources, but artificial ones function well enough.
Creatures: Black pudding, gray ooze, ochre jelly, ooze mephit, ooze paraelemental, ooze sprite, otyugh, miscellaneous eels and insects.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Gnome’s Home: A 500-ft. raft-like mobile shelter constructed by forty or so gnomes who wandered in from Earth years ago and had to adapt.
The Trash Heap: Sigil’s miles-wide waste basket.
PARALEMENTAL PLANE OF SMOKE
Little traveled and less known, the paraplane of Smoke lies between the Elemental Plane of Air and the Elemental Plane of and Fire. It is groundless like Air and hot like Fire, though it doesn’t scorch. The air is filled with roiling clouds of choking smoke, foul with brimstone and gases, so it’s almost impossible to breathe safely without aid.
Traits: The Paraelemental Plane of has Smoke the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity. Inhabitants of the plane determine their own “down” direction. Objects not under the motive force of others do not move.
Air-dominant. The atmosphere of the Plane of Smoke is barely breathable. A character must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create air or fire (including spells of the Air and Fire domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create earth or water (including spells of the Earth and Water domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or water subtype) are impeded.Breathing: See the Air-dominant trait above. Breathing berks who come to Smoke without a bottle of air or a similar trinket typically don’t last long.
Movement: See the subjective directional gravity trait above. Usually the speed of flyers on Smoke is kept much lower than on Air, since the field of vision on Smoke is severely limited.
Vision: Within a 15-ft. radius, vision is normal. Beyond that, all creatures and objects have concealment (20% miss chance).
Creatures: Belker, djinni, efreeti, smoke mephit, smoke paraelemental, sootbeast, vapor rat.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
The Choking Palace: Seat of power of Enkahk, prince of the Smoke mephits; floating castle of gray iron holding a vast library.
Cinderwood: An archipelago of cinder islands of varying sizes.
The Hidden City: Mortal-made atop an active spring, ruled by twins, veiled by smoke and spell.
Reinsong’s Ashen Fortress: A powerful cloud giant’s fortress; he keeps grell pets.
The Valley of Blinding Mists: Efreet staging grounds; strongly fortified.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF ASH
Ash. Miles upon miles of choking ash – that’s what a berk’s going to find here. It starts at the edge of the plane of Fire; the flames flicker and die, and from them cooling ashes rise. A little farther on and the air grows thicker, and farther still the burnt earth beneath gives way. At first, the ash swirls in tendrils ’round a being. Then, before he knows it, a berk’s swimming in an ocean of ash. The red glow of distant fire fades, warmth turns to chill, and the air is choked with charcoal soot.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane Ash of has the following traits.
Normal gravity.
Minor cold-dominant: It is said that Ash remembers being Fire, and desperately absorbs heat from everything within it. All creatures and objects take 2d6 points of cold damage per round. Creatures of the fire subtype take double damage. Natives are immune to this effect.
No energy traits. Some regions have the minor negative-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create cold or negative energy (including spells of the Cold domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create fire, positive energy, or water (including spells of the Fire or Water domains and spells that summon creatures with the fire, positive, or water subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: For the most part, Ash is a semi-solid mass of gray-white flakes. Although there is usually some difference between “ground” and “air”, the atmosphere is a thick, powdery cloud unfit for breathing. Natural flames won’t ignite, although magical fire-based effects still may work (they are impeded, as stated above).
Movement: In most areas, a body can walk over the layers of ash that had formed a solid enough mass over the eons. The land speed is halved, however. Occasionally, the ever-present ash becomes so fine that a traveler begins to sink and drowns quickly. No known creature except the ash quasielemental is able to swim through these seas of ash.
Vision: Below the surface of the ash, all sight (including darkvision) is limited to 5 feet. Above the surface, sight functions normally up to 60 feet; beyond that, all creatures and objects have concealment (20% miss chance). There are no natural light sources on Ash.
Creatures: Ash child, ash quasielemental, ash mephit, ash witch, descriat, ember hulk, l’zoir, negatai, rast, tem’mat, ulish, undead (cold resistant), xorn.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Ammet Hansha: The only known settlement of the tem’mat, a githzerai subrace that has lost most of its psychic talent.
Cavitius: Giant skull-shaped citadel, once stolen from the Doomguard by the undead power Vecna, now returned to a Doomguard fraction controlled by Spragg and Devland; Cavitius is still the home of many undead spirits, but somehow the Sinkers manage to get along with them.
The Citadel of Former Flame: Home of Gazra, the Ash quasielemental prince. Always dark.
The Void Sphere: A gigantic sphere of annihilation on the site that once was the Crumbling Citadel of the Doomguard; worshiped by the cult of Spherus.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF DUST
At the border of the Elemental Plane of Earth, this plane starts as a dusty expanse, broken free of the endless caverns. A traveler’s pretty happy to escape the closeness and step into the dark, open world. Farther on, the dust reaches up to his knees. It’s thick and it pulls against him. Close to the Negative Energy it becomes an abrasive sea that chafes as a traveler swims through the grit.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Dust has the following traits.
No gravity. A body merely floats in space, unless other resources are available to provide a direction for gravity’s pull.
No elemental or energy traits. Some regions have the minor negative-dominant trait, or the cold-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create negative energy are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create air or positive energy (including spells of the Air domains and spells that summon creatures with the air or positive subtype) are impeded.
Eroding. All material creatures and objects on the plane automatically take 2d6 points of damage per round (Fort save DC 15 halves). If reduced to 0 hp this way, they are disintegrated. Hit points lost to this effect cannot be magically healed on the plane unless accompanied by a death ward or restoration effect. Natives and creatures immune to negative energy damage take no damage from this effect.
Breathing: While a thin atmosphere is present on Dust, it is not sufficient to sustain most breathing creatures, or even to support nonmagical flames.
Movement: There is no gravity in Dust, although there is a definite up-down orientation between layers of partially solidified dust and layers of cloudy dust. Most travelers need to find solid objects to push off of, but solids are rare due to the natural disintegration process of the plane.
Vision: Although there are no natural light sources on Dust, sight functions normally up to 60 feet. Beyond that, all creatures and objects have concealment (20% miss chance). Frequent dust storms additionally hamper vision.
Creatures: Aeshar, dune stalker, dust mephit, dust quasielemental, hakeashar, kirth, koylith, negatai, sandling, sandman, skriaxit, tabbitbug, undead (any), valkarthi, verd.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Cathedral of Cobwebs: A huge mazework of webs, apparently not spun by spiders; contains a small arachnide burg called Loom.
Citadel Alluvius: One of the four major Doomguard citadels; ruled by an aging female human called Pereid.
The Centrifuge: A mephit-powered device built by the Guvners; sifts the Dust and filters out particularly useful findings.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF LIGHTNING
A sky filled with black clouds that flash with internal fires, the air tingling with ozone, and the touch of electricity prickling your hairs. Bolts leaping from cloud to cloud and the sky ringing with the laughter of lightning elementals.
This plane is a scary place to fly through – a cutter can dodge a jagged bolt only to steer himself into the path of a tumbling ball of lightning. An eerie glow dances over everybody and everything that comes into the plane with an unnerving, electrical brilliance.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Lightning has the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity.
Electricity-dominant. Any metal object (or creature) of size Tiny or greater attracts one bolt of lightning per minute. The DM chooses the exact round on which the lightning strikes. Each bolt deals 10d8 points of electricity damage (Fort save DC 15 halves) to the object and its wielder, if any.
No elemental or energy traits. Some regions have the minor positive-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create air, electricity, or positive energy (including spells of the Air domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create earth or negative energy (including spells of the Earth domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or negative subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: The air is crisp, pure, and plentiful. It has a strong smell of ozone.
Movement: In addition to the movement modes enabled by the subjective directional gravity trait, natural flight is also possible in Lightning.
Vision: The constant bolts of electricity crisscrossing the sky-scope provide a strong source of natural illumination, although the effective range of vision is occasionally hampered by storm clouds. Also, an electrical halo quickly forms around any material object or creature. This effect renders invisibility useless.
Creatures: blue dragon, lightning mephit, lightning quasielemental, mrebb, shocker, tempest, uun.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
The Eye: A calm area, no storms, containing a chunk of Earth with a small burg on it.
Stormfront: A djinn burg, nobles hunting mephits and shockers.
The Tower of Storms: A mysterious electric-blue tower projecting out of the very border with the Positive Energy Plane; no obvious doors.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF MINERAL
The plane of Mineral. Iron, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, silver, gold, and more, all pressed up in veins that wrap around each other. All a blood’s got to do is go get it.
Of course, the sod’s got to find a way to move through this crystal world, a world filled with razor edges sharper than a vorpal blade. Even after that, there’s things out there that don’t want a cross-trading rogue to make off with their kip.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Mineral has the following traits.
Normal gravity.
No elemental or energy traits. Some regions have the minor positive-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create earth or positive energy (including spells of the Earth domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create Air or negative energy (including spells of the Air domain and spells that summon creatures with the air or negative subtype) are impeded.
Petrifying. A creature alien to Mineral slowly grinds to a halt and turns to stone. At the conclusion of every week spent on the plane, any non-native must make a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check). Failure indicates that the creature is turned to some kind of mineral matter (GM’s choice), effectively petrified.
Breathing: Like Earth, this plane is mostly solid. Travelers who arrive run the risk of suffocation if they don’t reach a cavern or other pocket within the mineral matter.
Movement: Most, if not all open passages on Mineral are lined by sharp crystals that deal 2d4 points of piercing and slashing damage for every 10 feet of movement. A natural armor bonus of +4 or more, or a base armor bonus (without enhancements) of +5 or more negates this damage.
Vision: There are no natural light sources on Mineral, and artificial illumination can sometimes play strange tricks with a berk’s perception, reflecting off the ever-present crystals at odd angles. Sound, on the other hand travels very well; all Listen checks enjoy a +5 circumstance bonus.
Creatures: Crysmal, khargra, mineral mephit, mineral quasielemental, tsnng, xorn.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
The Tower of Lead: A gray building of unknown origin on the Positive border ground; blacksmiths and such find it extremely useful; visitors occasionally disappear.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF RADIANCE
Bright but featureless, this is the most barren of all planes – that’s likely to be most folks’ impression of Radiance. It ain’t necessarily true though. Travelers who’ve been there will tell a body it’s a place of aching beauty. Every color ever imagined glows and burns with painful splendor. They’ll tell a soul about the curtains of color crashing over each other like waves on a beach, and as they talk, tears’ll form in their dead, blind eyes.
That’s the way it is. It’s a joy and beauty that’ll burn a berk right out, that’ll show him the most beautiful glories he’ll ever see and the last he’s likely to ever see. What’s the point of seeing more, after a body’s seen the greatest lights of all?
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Radiance has the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity.
Minor fire-dominant. The heat of Radiance is severe. All creatures that are not immune to fire must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Creatures wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a -4 penalty on their saves. A creature that takes any nonlethal damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued.
No energy traits. Some regions have the minor positive-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create fire, light, or positive energy (including spells of the Fire domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create darkness, earth, or negative energy (including spells of the Darkness or Earth domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or negative subtype) are impeded.
Brilliant: All non-native creatures with unprotected eyes must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 +1 per previous check) once per minute or be rendered permanently blind.
Breathing: The atmosphere is extremely hot, but fully breathable.
Movement: In addition to the movement modes enabled by the subjective directional gravity trait, natural flight is also possible in Radiance.
Vision: There is way too much illumination here. Most travelers cover their eyes somehow prior to hopping in. Closing your eyes doesn’t work, although it renders you effectively blind even before the radiance gets to you. Both mundane and magical means of protection (thick lenses of smoked glass, miniature darkness effects, etc.) impose a -4 penalty on all Search and Spot checks.
Creatures: Darklight, glimmerfolk, positai, radiance mephit, radiance quasielemental, scile swarm, varisoh.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
The Heart of Light: a.k.a. Tower of Healing, a structure of blue light; wounds heal quickly due to proximity to Positive Energy.
The Kingdom of the Blind: A burg built inside a huge mineral pocket, protected from the blinding light.
The Refuge of Color: Realm of the mysterious dual powers, King Black and Queen White, protectors of the varisoh birds
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF SALT
The skin shrivels, the lips crack, the throat fills with dry choking, and the eyes – well, the eyes are the most horrible. Welcome to the plane of Salt.
At its safest edge, it still seems to be only water bitter and unpalatable, but still water. Travel deeper into the plane and the water grows more laden with minerals. Crystals form, solidifying on even the smallest mote of a seed. Travelers who venture farther are in peril of becoming completely encrusted, the salts leaching all moisture out of their cells. Finally, all water is gone and there is only a solid mass of crystalline salts, hard and deadly, to block all progress.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Salt has the following traits.
Normal gravity.
Anti-water-dominant: The thirst of Salt is limitless. All liquid evaporates at ten times the normal speed. All living creatures suffer 2d6 points of damage from dehydration every minute; a successful Fortitude save (DC 15) halves this damage. Creatures of the water subtype take double damage. Natives are immune to this effect.
No energy traits. Some regions have the minor negative-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create negative energy are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create positive energy or water (including spells of the Water domain and spells that summon creatures with the positive or water subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: Like Earth, this plane is mostly solid. Travelers who arrive run the risk of suffocation if they don’t reach a cavern or other pocket within the salt.
Movement: There is scarce little open space on Salt. Creatures without the ability to burrow are entombed in the salt and must dig their way out (5 feet per turn).
Vision: Like on other primarily solid planes, there are no natural light sources here.
Creatures: Crysmal, facet, hlach, negatai, salt mephit, salt quasielemental, sloggosh, undead (any)
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Citadel Sealt: Another Doomguard stronghold; built entirely of salt; used to run weapons for the Blood War; ruled by Roth, a tiefling warrior.
Mines: Almost as prolific as on the planes of Earth and Mineral; most somehow warded against the dehydrating trait of the plane.
Resonance: A large cavern deep within Salt echoes with a mournful song.
The Salt Geysers: A magma pocket has spawned a unique effect; geysers spew hot, molten salt into the arid air; according to the chant Graz’zt wants some.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF STEAM
The plane of Steam is surprisingly cool. Mist is a better name – clammy, thick, cloying mist that seeps into everything. The danger here isn’t boiling, but drowning in lungfuls of water.
Near the edge of the plane of Water, the mist is more like an ocean filled with bubbles. These gradually become finer and finer, and they glow with energy stolen from the Positive Energy Plane.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Steam has the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity.
No elemental or energy traits. Some regions have the minor positive-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create positive energy or water (including spells of the Water domain) are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create earth or negative energy (including spells of the Earth domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or negative subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: Breathing on Steam is possible, but made very difficult by the endless thick mists. All non-aquatic creatures that need to breathe must succeed on a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or become fatigued. The fatigue ends when the creatures reaches an area with normal, dry air. A water breathing effect removes this nuisance.
Movement: In addition to the movement modes enabled by the subjective directional gravity trait, natural flight and natural swimming is also possible in Radiance.
Vision: Although there are few natural light sources on Steam, sight functions normally up to 60 feet. Beyond that, all creatures and objects have concealment (20% miss chance).
Creatures: Calden, fabere, feggis, javoose, klyndes, mist mephit, positai, steam mephit, steam quasielemental, wavefire.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Adrift: A ring-shaped burg populated with both non-native humanoids and native mephits.
The Straits of Varrigon: A “canyon” of clear air amid the clouds of steam; ownership contested.
The Tower of Ice: Mysterious structure near the Positive Energy Plane; hard to enter; brewing potions becomes easier inside.
QUASIELEMENTAL PLANE OF VACUUM
This plane is the prelude to ultimate death, a glimpse at the fate of the failed petitioner, because this is the plane of Nothing. Leaving the banks of Air, the atmosphere here becomes less and less until there’s nothing – no breath, no light, no sound, no warmth.
Traits: The Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum has the following traits.
Subjective directional gravity.
No elemental or energy traits. Some regions have the minor negative-dominant trait, or the cold-dominant trait.
Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create negative energy are both empowered and enlarged.
Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create earth or positive energy (including spells of the Earth domains and spells that summon creatures with the earth or positive subtype) are impeded.
Breathing: There’s absolutely nothing to breathe here, so artificial sources are a necessity for most beings. How the lack of atmosphere still allows for a steady pressure and a constant temperature (both fairly very low), no one is quite certain. It just does.
Movement: The single movement mode is provided by the subjective directional gravity trait; natural flight is impossible due to the lack of atmosphere.
Vision: There are no natural light sources on Vacuum, and artificial light sources usually do not function unless they are magical in nature (torches do not burn when there is no air to feed on). However, the effective range of magical sources of illumination is doubled; the same applies to darkvision and low-light vision.
Creatures: Egarus, negatai, undead (incorporeal), vacuous, vacuum quasielemental.
Sites: The following locations might be of interest to a planewalker.
Citadel Exhalus: a.k.a. Portal of Last Breath, the fourth major Doomguard citadel; ruled by Nagaul, a dwarven philosopher and priestess of Shiva.
Tourism
GETTING THERE
The easiest access point for all of the Border Elemental Planes is to travel to the Elemental Planes, reach the region closest to the border, and keep traveling, though the distance is variable and highly subjective to the whims of the multiverse. If you are on the Plane of Earth and travel to the Mud Hills, if you keep going through that area you’ll eventually reach the Swamp of Oblivion and be on the Plane of Ooze. Such travel is not without its inherent dangers, as the natural properties of the Elemental Plane give way eventually to the hostile nature of the Border Elemental Plane, but the trip can usually be accomplished by going in a certain direction.
Portals exist to various points on each of the Border Elemental Planes, but these tend to be spontaneous events as much as purposely constructed permanent gateways. Savage blizzards in hostile arctic terrain on the Material Plane can create a sudden vortex to the Plane of Ice, and the appearance of the right conditions in a particularly nasty swamp can create a temporary gate to the Plane of Ooze for a short period. The wizards and sages of the Guild of Mages on Calypso in the Plane of Air have one of the most complete collections of known portals to the Border Elemental Planes known to exist.
SURVIVING
Each of the Border Elemental Planes offers its own interpretation on ambient danger that travelers must be the Plane of Magma. Falling into or being immersed in the raw magma of the plane results in 55 (10d10) fire damage. If a creature starts its turn in the magma, it takes the same fire damage.
On the Plane of Ice, the dangerous temperatures can drive unprepared travelers into frosty graves. Creatures and characters that complete a short or long rest anywhere on the Plane of Ice must succeed at a Constitution saving throw (DC 12 for a short rest, DC 18 for a long rest). Creatures that fail gain one level of exhaustion. Bundling up in Material Plane winter gear reduces the DC by 2. In the Cloud City of Calypso on the Plane of Air, specialty clothing shops make ice-repelling fur gear that can offer advantage on the saving throw, but acquiring them requires more than just gold.
The Plane of Ash offers a similar hazard due to the thick choking clouds. Creatures that need to breathe air must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw every hour; on a failure they gain a level of exhaustion from the soot-filled clouds that dominate the plane. Wearing a strip of cloth over the mouth moves the required saving throw to once every 8 hours, but the cloth must be replaced at the end of those 8 hours as it ceases to provide any benefit afterwards.
Traveling the Plane of Ooze offers no special threat to living creatures, but the entire plane is considered difficult terrain for the purposes of traveling on the ground. The insect swarms and mudsinks are another matter entirely (detailed under Hazards & Phenomena).
The Plane of Ash is hazardous to breath and difficult to see, but aerial creatures can fly relatively unimpeded (avoid-ing the earth motes that dot the region and the searing hot winds). The Plane of Magma offers the most difficulties to traditional travel, as the entire plane consists of underground shifting molten rocks. Creatures that need to breathe air are going to be in for trouble, and those without the ability to swim through lava or shift through rock naturally need to find some magical means of getting around outside of portals or gates.
It’s worth noting that the Border Elemental Planes, like the Elemental Planes, do not have the traditional “compass” directions of north, east, south, and west. Among planar cartographers, direction is usually identified as inner – meaning towards the center of the Elemental Planes, which is the Material Plane – or outer – towards the absolutely realm known as the Elemental Chaos. Each of the Elemental Planes uses its neighboring Border Elemental Planes as a navigation point for travelers.
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
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