Plane of Fire

The Inner Planes are comprised of the universal building blocks of existence - earth, air, water, and fire. But these planes of existence are much more than just their dominant trait, and hold a wealth of treasure, danger, and excitement just waiting to be discovered. For the unwary, the Plane of Fire holds death around every corner.
But it’s not all danger. For travelers who can find their way to this place great treasures and mysteries abound. Though ever present, the threats are still not enough to stop the curious and brave from seeking the Eye of Murzak, the Crimson Shield of the Ashen Palm, or plundering the storied depths of the Obsidian Tower, the Everburning Forest, or the Treasure Vaults of the Fire Giant God.

Geography

LAY OF THE LAND

As the name suggests, the Plane of Fire is hot – very hot. The air is suffused with fire, so creatures and objects that are not protected against the extreme temperatures are going to suffer. The suffering should be enough to force visitors to take precautions without burning them to a crisp upon arrival – characters still need to visit the plane in order to partake in its treasures, after all.


The nature of the plane has created a realm where the landscape is dominated by several distinct geographic features. The Sea of Fire is a molten ocean of burning lava. The fiery waves crash against rocky islands and eventually wear those down to lava as well, and as some waves crest high enough they cool quickly enough to form new islands. This pattern of cooling and melting is common, and wise travelers know not to rely on any given island of burnt rock for too long.


Beyond the Sea of Fire lays the bulk of the plane known as the Cinder Wastes. This vast plain of baked and arid dust is dangerous to traverse, with titanic cracks in the earth appearing with a moment’s notice to spew lava from the plane’s depths onto the surface. This effect is known as a lava geyser, as the result is often spectacular and dangerous for anyone nearby. Upon this wasteland rests hills, mountains, and valleys upon the crimson horizon.


The largest chain of volcanoes on the Plane of Fire are known as the Fountains of Creation, which is the realm’s closest point to the Plane of Earth. Some salamanders are known to dwell here, working titanic forges in the hearts of the most violent volcanoes to create wondrous items sought after across the multiverse.


Ash is another problem, and in some areas great billowing clouds – some as large as a city - spread across the burnt landscape. Choking is a real danger for anyone caught in one of these ash clouds, and the sky is filled with slowly moving black masses of them. They can obscure light just like a regular cloud and can reduce visibility from hazy to nearly black.

Ecosystem

Highlights & Impressions

The below listings include notes on highlighting the nature of the Plane of Fire 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 Plane of Fire.
Hazy Air. The incredible heat generated by the Plane of Fire distorts vision, especially in the larger wilderness regions of the Cinder Wastes and the Sea of Fire. Objects become warped, elongated, or even elastic as the heat ripples just barely visible in the air. Groups traveling overland across the Cinder Wastes may see mirages appear as well, which exist as reflections of the crimson sky on the incredible temperature of the air. Perhaps some monsters in the wilderness have learned to use this effect to their advantage.
Always Thirsty. The Plane of Fire attacks water directly, evaporating it at a quicker rate than one would normally expect. Non-native creatures find themselves thirsty almost immediately as their mouths dry up and their skin becomes dry and flaky. This effect is just cosmetic and doesn’t impact the amount of water they must consume while traveling, but creatures that travel to the Plane of Fire that naturally live underwater – such as tritons and sea elves – immediately feel the effect all over their bodies.
Constant Heat. It stands to reason that the plane comprised entirely of the element of fire would be hot, but the heat on the Plane of Fire takes many shapes that some find surprising. Burnberries, for example, are not hot to the touch but are incredibly spicy in flavor, while scorch onions are an angry red color and actually get searing hot the longer a person holds them. Every natural element of the Plane of Fire possesses a level of heat nearly unheard of anywhere else in the multiverse.

Ecosystem Cycles

CYCLE OF TIME

The Plane of Fire has what passes as a sun in its sky and it cycles around in a 24-hour cycle, similar to the Material Plane. At noon, the sun blazes a brilliant orange and the heat becomes nearly unbearable, while at midnight a spectral deep red twilight descends across the land.

Localized Phenomena

HAZARDS & PHENOMENA

Traveling on the Plane of Fire is a harrowing experience in and of itself. The realm is full of dangers that can cook unprepared visitors with barely a moment’s notice.
Ash Cloud Great billowing black clouds of ash dot the ember-lit sky and they can suddenly bear down on a location without a moment’s notice, threatening everyone in a large area. Those caught inside an ash cloud must survive choking in near-blackout conditions that lasts 3d10 minutes. Magically produced wind can move an ash cloud out of (or into) an area.
Blackout Periods of deep black can stretch across the Plane of Fire, miles across, the result of the natural light dying out as would an ember in a fire pit. These blackouts normally do not last more than several hours, during which superstitious salamanders and other intelligent natives know to stay inside lest they risk the wrath of some unknown being. Legends say blackouts are caused by the elemental lords gathering power, sucking the energy out of the air.
Hot Zone Pockets of hotter than normal temperature frequently appear all across the Plane of Fire. These hot zones produce more heat and damage than the normal air and can spread across miles of terrain. They are often the harbingers of a future lava geyser, but occasionally they can be the result of some titanic battle between native forces.
Inferno Wave The great flaming sea hosts its own share of natural phenomena, and one of the most dangerous is an inferno wave. These rolling waves of lava can rise hundreds of feet in the air, cresting and falling with tremendous force and power onto unsuspecting vessels. Damage to anyone caught in an inferno wave is 10d6, which can encompass an area 1d10 x 100 feet wide.
Lava Geyser This can either by an eruption from the cracked ground or a sudden uprising in the ocean of fire, but in either situation it can be deadly. Those caught in the blast suffer extreme fire damage (20d6) and are hurled away 1d6 x 10 feet from the blast. A lava geyser can last up to an hour, reaching heights of one hundred feet into the air. Rumors persist of some lava geysers reaching hundreds of feet across and thousands of feet into the air, though thankfully these are rare occurrences.
Rain of Fire Ash clouds are not the only threat from the sky. Sometimes the sky rains fiery debris onto the ground, the result of a particularly large lava geyser or other natural occurrence. This rain of fire hurls flaming boulders and rocks which can crush the strongest of opponents, which have the effect of a 10d6 fireball. Victims gain saves for half damage (DC 14).
Random Encounter Tables The below tables can be used by the Dungeon Master as a source for inspiration when a party of characters is traveling around the Plane of Fire.
Wilderness 1d100 Plane of Fire Wilderness Encounter

• 01-05 Salamander raiding party
• 06-10 Pack of cinderbones
• 11-15 Ash cloud
• 16-20 Fire roc
• 21-25 Rain of fire
• 26-30 Magma ooze
• 31-35 Lava geyser
• 36-40 Cloud of fire flies (4d10)
• 41-45 Hot zone
• 46-50 Fire hounds on the hunt
• 51-55 Blackout
• 56-60 Wild fire elementals
• 61-65 Salamander village
• 66-70 Fire griffons
• 71-75 River of lava (1d100x10 feet wide)
• 76-80 Double-sized lava geyser
• 81-85 Some swarms of emberbats
• 86-90 A horde of magmins
• 91-95 A traveling magma mephit merchant
• 96-99 Abydos, King of the Salamanders
• 00 Roll again twice
• Sea of Fire
• 1d100 Sea of Fire Encounter
• 1-10 Inferno wave
• 11-20 Fire roc
• 21-30 Fire griffons
• 31-40 Lava geyser
• 41-50 Fire whale
• 51-60 Lava zombies
• 61-70 Rain of fire
• 71-80 Hot zone
• 81-90 Ash cloud
• 91-99 Magma oozes
• 00 The wreckage of a seaworthy vessel

Tourism

GETTING THERE

Portals to the Plane of Fire can exist spontaneously in the hottest areas of the Material Plane, with volcanoes being the primary source. Characters wishing to transport themselves to this elemental realm must either possess the appropriate magic (which is usually reserved for more powerful or advanced characters) or risk themselves finding one of these open portals. Occasionally a portal will spontaneous appear in the heart of a raging forest fire, though these instances are rare.

SURVIVING

Nonmagical and unprotected paper of any sort catches fire immediately on the Plane of Fire. At the hottest hour of the day (noon), nonmagical and unprotected metal (including armor and weapons) melt in 1d4 rounds, and those unfortunate enough to be caught holding such items suffer 10 (3d6) points of fire damage. During this time, liquids that are nonmagical and unprotected also evaporate in 1d4 rounds. Magical varieties of paper, metal, and liquid are immune to these effects.
Characters and creatures on the Plane of Fire suffer 22 (4d10) points of fire damage each round unless they are protected from nonmagical fire.

TRAVELING AROUND

Much of the Plane of Fire is hardened, black earth covered with a fine layer of ash, so creatures capable of walking are not impeded much by the land itself. Mountain ranges are tall and rife with volcanoes of all sizes, and in the valleys between the peaks fierce salamanders – half-snake, half-humanoid intelligent denizens of the plane – have formed tribes.
One of the most dominant features of the plane is the Sea of Fire, which is not filled with water but molten magma. The temperatures of the plane are so extreme that the lava that fills this sea is as liquid as water, roiling and boiling, creating huge waves that crash down upon the islands that form the solid ground. Specially designed ships have been developed by travelers that can withstand the extreme heat of this sea – distilled essence of wood from the mythical Everburning Forest is required to make these boats float, which is a rare ingredient indeed.
The air is ash and dust filled, so breathing is a problem for any creature wishing to take to the skies. Clouds of ash pose serious problems to everyone and can be created in the blink of an eye. Great fire rocs are known to hide in these ash clouds, waiting for the right moment to strike at easy prey.

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

Inner Planes