Oc`Kg\i`<]jq` Secrets of the Astral Sea™

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ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT • • Eric Scott de Bie CREDITS

Design Art Director Rob Heinsoo (lead), Mari Kolkowsky Ari Marmell, Eric Scott de Bie, Robin D. Laws, , Cover Illustration William O’Connor (front), (back) Development Stephen Radney-MacFarland (lead), Graphic Designers Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert Keven Smith, Leon Cortez, Emi Tanji

Editing Additional Graphic Design Cal Moore (lead), Soe Hemmi Joanna G. Hurley, Jenny Lockington, Lynnette Struble Interior Illustrations Managing Editing , Kerem Beyit, Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai, Julie Dillon, , , Jason A. Engle, Ralph Horsley, , Jim Nelson, Director of D&D R&D and Book Publishing William O’Connor, Adam Paquette Cartographer D&D Creative Manager Jason A. Engle Christopher Perkins Publishing Production Specialist D&D Design Manager Erin Dorries James Wyatt Prepress Manager D&D Development and Editing Manager Jefferson Dunlap Andy Collins Imaging Technician D&D Senior Art Director Ashley Brock Jon Schindehette SampleProduction file Manager Cynda Callaway

Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules created by E. and , and the later editions by David “Zeb” Cook (2nd Edition); , , , Richard Baker, and (3rd Edition); and Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt (4th Edition).

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1:ASTRALADVENTURING ...... 4 Avernus, the Burning Wastes . . . . . 68 Eldregaard ...... 124 The Astral Sea ...... 6 Adventure: Hell’s Bonds ...... 70 The Forgotten Sanctuary ...... 125 Geography ...... 8 The Outer Torments: ...... 125 Campaign Themes ...... 9 Hell’s Border Islands ...... 76 Kar’ka Dun ...... 126 Explore the Infinite Sea ...... 9 Tytherion ...... 80 Mutas ...... 126 Crawl Astral Dungeons ...... 11 Tiamat’s Realm: Azharul ...... 80 Pluton, the Gray Waste ...... 126 Fight Astral Pirates ...... 12 Samaragd, Shivering Spires ...... 126 Fight the Gods of Evil ...... 14 the Serpent’s Kingdom ...... 82 The Triad Islands ...... 127 Join Heaven’s Order ...... 16 The Scales: Zulkolosz ...... 127 Overcome Heaven’s Flaws ...... 17 Tytherion’s Archipelago ...... 88 Adventure into Myth ...... 18 4:ASTRALDENIZENS ...... 128 Traveling the Astral Sea ...... 19 3:THEDEEPASTRALSEA . . . . . 90 Abomination ...... 130 Ship-to-Ship Combat Astral Render ...... 130 in the Astral Sea ...... 20 RACESOFTHEASTRALSEA . . 92 Hundred-Handed One ...... 130 Astral Vehicles ...... 20 Couatls ...... 92 Malediction ...... 131 Dominion Ships ...... 21 Outlook and Interaction ...... 92 Nullifier ...... 132 Navigating the Astral Sea ...... 25 Cloudlands ...... 93 Voracia ...... 133 Adventures on the Astral Sea . . . . . 27 Life and Culture ...... 93 Banesworn ...... 134 Environmental Hazards ...... 28 Githyanki ...... 94 Banesworn Warrior ...... 134 History of the Githyanki ...... 94 Banesworn Priest ...... 134 2:DIVINEDOMINIONS ...... 30 Life and Culture ...... 96 Juggernaut of The World of the Gods ...... 32 Outlook and Interaction ...... 96 the Black Hand ...... 135 The Gods ...... 32 Maruts ...... 98 Banesworn Iron Bulwark ...... 135 Exarchs ...... 32 Life and Culture ...... 98 Banesworn Lore ...... 135 Angels ...... 32 Outlook and Interaction ...... 99 Encounter Groups ...... 135 Exalted ...... 34 Major Sites ...... 100 Devil ...... 136 Outsiders...... 35 Quom ...... 101 Burning Devil ...... 136 Dominions and Border Islands . . . 36 History of the Quom ...... 101 Indwelling Devil ...... 137 Arvandor ...... 37 Life and Culture ...... 102 Pillager Devil ...... 138 The Glorious Hunt ...... 38 Outlook and Interaction ...... 102 Warder Devil ...... 139 Major Areas ...... 40 Exalted of Erathis ...... 140 Adventure Hooks ...... 41 SHATTEREDDOMINIONS ...... 104 Exalted of Kord ...... 141 Encounter Groups ...... 41 Carceri ...... 104 Githyanki ...... 142 The Green Isles: Arvandor’s TheSample Isles of Carceri . . . file...... 105 Ch’r’ai Inquisitors ...... 142 Archipelago ...... 42 Adventures ...... 106 Duthka’gith ...... 142 Celestia ...... 44 Environmental Features ...... 107 Githyanki Far Wanderer ...... 143 Major Areas ...... 45 Erishani ...... 108 Githyanki Blackweave ...... 144 Gods of Celestia ...... 45 Adventure Hooks ...... 109 Githyanki Ghustil ...... 144 The Game of Mountains ...... 46 Environmental Features ...... 109 Githyanki Pyroclast ...... 145 The Foothills: Encounter Groups ...... 109 Githyanki Sword Stalker ...... 145 Celestia’s Archipelago ...... 47 Adventure: The Monolith Stirs . . . . 110 Gul’othran Marauder ...... 146 Chernoggar ...... 51 Kalandurren ...... 114 Gul’othran Dragon Raider ...... 146 Gods of Chernoggar ...... 52 Environmental Features ...... 115 Tu’narathi Dragon Rider ...... 147 Major Areas ...... 53 Encounter Groups ...... 115 Osyrimon ...... 148 Adventures ...... 55 Pandemonium ...... 116 Vlaakith ...... 149 Between War and Destruction . . . 56 Adventure Hooks ...... 117 Gruumsh ...... 150 The War Expands ...... 58 Environmental Features ...... 118 Battlesworn of Gruumsh ...... 150 The Shrapnels: Encounter Groups ...... 118 Exarchs of Gruumsh ...... 152 Chernoggar’s Islands ...... 59 Shom ...... 119 Quom ...... 156 Hestavar ...... 61 Death of a God, Quom Fanatic ...... 156 Gods of Hestavar ...... 61 Rise of the Illumians ...... 119 Quom Enforcer ...... 156 The Daybreak Islands: The Shattering of the Word . . . . . 119 Quom Harpoonist ...... 156 Hestevar’s Archipelago ...... 64 Adventure Hooks ...... 121 Quom Desperate ...... 157 The Nine Hells ...... 65 Environmental Features ...... 121 Durud Fragment Mage ...... 157 Asmodeus’s Fall and Encounter Groups ...... 121 Durud Healer ...... 158 the Foundation of Hell ...... 65 Encounter: Purifiers of Shom . . . . 122 Durud Slayer ...... 158 Devilish Motives Motes in the Astral Sea ...... 124 and Adventures ...... 66 Archanus ...... 124 MONSTERSBYLEVEL ...... 159 CHAPTER 1 AstralAdventuring

@sk`md`i^`_kg\t`mnand Dungeon Masters might be familiar with previous descrip- tions of the Astral Sea as an infinite silvery plane. In the world of the 4th Edition D&D® game, the Plane Above is that and more—it also serves as the place where many of the deities of the D&D multiverse reside. ) This new view of the Astral Sea includes other aspects that haven’t been part of the cosmology before, such as the border islands that surround the divine dominions. Suffice it to say that the amount of interesting territory and beings that characters might interact with in the Plane Above has been expanded. Those border islands are covered in full later in this book along with the dominions themselves. Chapter 1, however, is designed to help you get the most out of this book for your campaign. The chapter presents seven campaign themes that weave together the rest of the elements of this book. These themes range from the predictable (Fight the Gods of Evil) to the unexpected (Overcome Heaven’s Flaws) to the world-shaking (Adventure into Myth). Sample file “Traveling the Astral Sea” at the end of Chapter 1 revisits the earlier discussion of geography, providing mechanics for navigation, vessels, and astral hazards. The following sections of this chapter create a framework for adventures on the Astral Sea. ✦ The Astral Sea: The Plane Above has many facets to its nature and its history, any of which can come into play. This summary highlights each of those facets. ✦ Geography: Essential physical concepts that play into all the areas the Astral Sea encompasses. ✦ Campaign Themes: Seven diverse approaches to running a campaign that uses the Plane Above. Most of the themes are complementary rather than exclusive, meaning that you can incorpo- rate elements from more than one to create a unique campaign experience. ✦ Traveling the Astral Sea: How to move around in the Astral Sea, and a look at some of the hazards that visitors and natives alike can encounter as they traverse the Plane Above. WILLIAM O’CONNOR WILLIAM CHAPTER 1 | Astral Adventuring / Sample file THEASTRALSEA

Welcome to the world above the world of mortals, Realm took advantage of the devastation wrought an infinite silver expanse dotted by countless small by the Dawn War to pry a hole into reality through shards of land, scattered larger islands, and the which they could enter. And as always, many hor- dominions of the gods. Here are some key highlights rible echoes of the Dawn War are poised to enter to keep in mind as you prepare to use the Plane the Astral Sea unless capable paragon and epic tier Above in your campaign. characters can set things right and create something better in the scars left over by the war. The Astral Sea is a former battlefield still ravaged by the cosmic conflict known as the Dawn War. The Astral Sea is the home of the gods. The deities were the original inhabitants of the Most of the deities who survived the Dawn War main- astral realm when the world was newly created by tain mighty dominions on islands scattered widely the primordials and the mortal races had yet to find through the Astral Sea. Chapter 2 details each of the their final forms. Along with shaping and refining functioning divine dominions, as well as the border the creation of the world, the gods had grand plans islands that cluster around each dominion. (The shat- for a single realm that would link all their domin- tered dominions are discussed in Chapter 3.) ions together with an all-powerful astral connection Although the deities wield much influence in the known as the Lattice of Heaven. mortal world and its echo planes, the Feywild and When the gods intervened to prevent the primor- the Shadowfell, the gods’ influence has been limited dials from destroying the world and starting a new due to the ravages of the Dawn War and the forceful creation, the primordials responded by invading the intervention of the primal spirits. But in the Plane Plane Above. Gods died, dominions crumbled, and Above, the deities are the most powerful agents, the incomplete Lattice of Heaven was shattered into taking direct actions and choosing paths that shape fragments. The astral world that had nearly become a the history of the plane. fantastic interlocked mesh of divine dominions blew Momentous divine events that have acquired apart into an infinite silver sea. Much later, when the mythic force did not end after the Dawn War. Epoch- gods had eked out a narrow victory in the Dawn War, shaping events since that conflict have included only a few of the divine dominions that survived the Asmodeus’s rise to power and manipulation of the devastation still functioned for their deities, hinting gods (page 65), Gruumsh’s invasion of Bane’s domin- at the glory that died forever when the primordials ion of Chernoggar (page 51), the destruction of the destroyed the Lattice. god Amoth and his dominion of Kalandurren by Since that time, shattered dominions (those Samplethat three file demon princes (page 114), and Erathis’s more no longer have a deity), ruins, corpses of forgotten recent determination to restore the dominions of the gods and primordials, and war magic left over from gods and rebuild the Lattice of Heaven (page 61). the Dawn War still linger within the Astral Sea, Depending on the scope and interests of your cam- whether on shards of matter scattered throughout paign, the player characters might be able to reshape the astral realm or floating freely through it. Dra- the Plane Above, including the agendas and life spans matic examples of such remnants include the Golden of the deities that reside there. The campaign themes Monolith of Erishani (page 108), the floating corpse beginning on page 9 explore these possibilities in of the primordial Haemnathuun (Open Grave: Secrets more detail. of the Undead, page 120), and the primordial energy bubble known as Frostburn (page 125). The Astral Sea is the setting for many separate The player characters will most likely have already afterlives for mortal worshipers of the gods. met the free-willed servitors that have a preference Each of the functioning divine dominions has its for killing known as abominations—one of the worst population constantly refreshed by a small number of consequences of the great rituals employed during exalted, the spirits of dead mortals restored to life in the Dawn War. In the prison realm of Carceri (page new physical bodies known as soulforms. The exalted 104), or perhaps on the Glorious Hunt in the domin- are generally not the protagonists of the great stories ion of Arvandor (page 37), the characters might of the Plane Above, since they generally maintain uncover the full story of the abominations’ origin and their immortality only while they stay within their the reasons for their increasing attacks centuries after god’s dominion. But many exalted do venture beyond the end of the war they were created to win. the protection of their dominion on pilgrimages, Gods such as Asmodeus took advantage of the sightseeing voyages, or missions for their deity that Dawn War to seize power they didn’t deserve (see could bring them into conflict or association with the the Nine Hells on page 65). Threats native to the Far player characters.

CHAPTER 1 | Astral Adventuring 1