Manual of the Planes™ ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT SampleRichard Baker • John Rogers • Robert J. Schwalb • Jamesfile Wyatt 4E_ManOPlns_Ch00.indd 1 9/23/08 5:01:14 PM CREDITS Designers Graphic Designers Richard Baker (lead), Soe Murayama John Rogers, Robert J. Schwalb, James Wyatt Interior Illustrations Additional Design Rob Alexander, Dave Allsop, Steve Belledin, Zoltan Chris Sims, Greg Bilsland, Logan Bonner, David Noonan, Boros & Gabor Szikszai, Chippy, Daarken, Eric Deschamps, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Peter Schaefer Steve Ellis, Jason Engle, Ralph Horsley, Howard Lyon, Warren Mahy, Torstein Nordstrand, William O’Connor, Lucio Parrillo, Anne Stokes, Francis Tsai, Franz Vohwinkel Developers Stephen Radney-MacFarland (lead), Mike Mearls, Peter Schaefer, Stephen Schubert D&D Script Design Daniel Reeve Editors Julia Martin (lead), Publishing Production Specialists Greg Bilsland, Alex Jurkat Angelika Lokotz, Erin Dorries, Christopher Tardiff Managing Editor Prepress Manager Christopher Perkins Jefferson Dunlap Director of RPG R&D, Roleplaying Games/Book Publishing Imaging Technicians Bill Slavicsek Travis Adams, Bob Jordan, Sven Bolen D&D Story Design and Development Manager Production Manager Christopher Perkins Cynda Callaway D&D System Design and Development Manager Building on the design of previous editions by E. Gary Gygax Andy Collins and Dave Arneson (1st Edition and earlier); David “Zeb” Cook (2nd Edition); Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison (3rd Edition). Art Directors Kate Irwin, Keven Smith This book is also built from the bones of giants. From the initial planar visions of Gary Gygax and Dave Sutherland, Cover Illustration through the original, inspiring Manual of the Planes by Howard Lyon Jeff Grubb, with its contributions by Roger Moore and Ed Greenwood, to the vibrant PLANESCAPE® work of David Cook, Colin McComb, Michele Carter, and Monte Cook, the planes have been an ever-evolving cosmology. Other resources for this work include the 3rd Edition Manual of the Planes by Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, and David Noonan; Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss™ by Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona; and Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells™ by Robin D. Laws and Robert J. Schwalb. 620-21893720-001 U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS WIZARDS OF THE COAST, BELGIUM 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 & LATIN AMERICA Hasbro UK Ltd ’t Hofveld 6D Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Caswell Way 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden First Printing: December 2008 P.O. Box 707 Newport, Gwent NP9 0YH Belgium ISBN: 978-0-7869-5002-7 Renton WA 98057-0707 GREAT BRITAIN +32 2 467 3360 +1-800-324-6496 Please keep this address for your records DungeonsSample & Dragons, D&D, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Manual of the Planes, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide,file Monster Manual, D&D Insider, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2008 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WIZARDS.COM/DND 4E_ManOPlns_Ch00.indd 2 9/23/08 5:01:17 PM contents 1: EXPLORING THE PLANES . 4 4: THE ELEMENTAL CHAOS . 62 7: PLANAR CHARACTERS . .131388 The Planes and Your Campaign . 6 Visiting the Elemental Chaos . 64 Paragon Paths . 140 Characteristics of Planes . 7 Exploring the Elemental Chaos . 65 Blade of Cendriane . .140 Types of Planes . 7 Elemental Chaos Inhabitants . 68 Doomguard Marauder . 141 Planar Traits . 12 Elemental Chaos Locales. 73 Gatecrasher . 142 The World Axis Cosmology . 12 The City of Brass . 73 Knight of Celestia . 143 Customizing the Cosmology . 13 The Keening Delve . 76 Malec-Keth Janissary . 144 Navigating the Planes . 14 The Ninth Bastion . 76 Planeshifter . 145 Portals . 14 Zerthadlun . 77 Shadow Captain . 146 Rituals . 19 The Abyss . 78 Soul Guide . 147 Vehicles . 20 Rituals . 148 Phenomena . 20 5: THE ASTRAL SEA . 84 Analyze Portal . 148 Planar Terrain and Hazards . 21 Sailing the Astral Sea . 86 Astral Guide . 148 Sigil, City of Doors . 25 Exploring the Astral Sea . 87 Astral Sojourn . 149 The Far Realm . 30 Astral Sea Inhabitants . 88 Create Teleportation Circle . 149 The Plane of Dreams . 31 Astral Sea Locales . 90 Demicache . 150 Arvandor, the Verdant Isles . 90 Elemental Transference . .150 2: THE FEYWILD . 32 Celestia, the Radiant Throne . 91 Fey Passage . .150 Visiting the Feywild . 34 Chernoggar, the Iron Fortress . 92 Far Sending . 150 Exploring the Feywild . 35 Hestavar, the Bright City . 94 Plane Shift. 150 Feywild Inhabitants . 36 Kalandurren, Rope Trick . 151 Feywild Locales . 41 the Darkened Pillars . 96 Scramble Portal . 151 Astrazalian, The Nine Hells . 97 Shadow Passage . 151 the City of Starlight . 41 Pandemonium . 106 Magic Items . 152 Brokenstone Vale . 42 Shom, the White Desert . .107 Armor . .152 Cendriane . 42 Tytherion, Weapons . 153 The Feydark . 43 the Endless Night . 108 Holy Symbols . 154 Harrowhame . 43 Other Locales . 110 Orbs . 154 The Isle of Dread . 43 Rods . 155 6: MONSTERMONSTERSS OOFF TTHE H E PPLANES L A N E S . 112112 Mag Tureah . 44 Staff s . 155 Archon, Air . 114 Maze of Fathaghn . 45 Arms Slot Items . .156 Astral Dreadnought . 115 Mithrendain, Feet Slot Items . .156 Bladeling . 116 the Autumn City . 45 Head Slot Items . 156 Bladeling Characters . 117 The Murkendraw. 45 Neck Slot Items . 157 Baphomet . 118 Nachtur, Rings . 157 Howling Blade . 119 the Goblin Kingdom . 46 Waist Slot Items . 157 Demon . 120 Senaliesse . 46 Wondrous Items . 158 Canoloth . 120 Shinaelestra, the Fading City . 46 Vehicles . 159 Vor Thomil . 47 Chasme . 121 Shadow Demon . .122 3: THE SHADOWFELL . 48 Solamith . 123 Visiting the Shadowfell . 50 Devil . 124 Exploring the Shadowfell . 51 Barbed Devil . 124 Shadowfell Inhabitants . 53 Brazen Devil . .125 Shadowfell Locales . 57 Pain Devil . 126 Gloomwrought, Storm Devil . 127 the City of Midnight . 57 Dispater . 128 Letherna, Aspect of Dispater . 129 Realm of the Raven Queen. 60 Graz’zt . 130 The House of Black Lanterns . 60 Aspect of Graz’zt . 131 Moil, the City That Waits . 60 Chosen of Graz’zt . 132 Nightwyrm Fortress . 61 Cults of Graz’zt . 133 The Plain of Sighing Stones . 61 Keeper . 134 The Shadowdark . 61 Korred . 135 SampleRaavasta . 136 file 4E_ManOPlns_Ch00.indd 3 9/23/08 5:01:17 PM CHAPTER 1 Exploring the Planes Beyond the circles of the world await peril, power, and adventure unimagined. Fomorians brood in the purple gloom of caverns illuminated by danc- ing auras of wizard’s fire. Titanic stone sphinxes half buried in white sand guard the gates of a forgotten deity’s ruined heaven. Hooded sorrowsworn assassins glide silently through the streets of a city perpetually veiled in shadows. Demon princes brood on thrones of 1skulls in the terrible depths of the Abyss, plotting the destruction of the mortal realms and the ruin of all. Welcome to the planes. Great heroes face quests that require them to ven- ture into the far corners of the cosmos in search of lore and treasure forgotten in the mortal realms. The boldest heroes are called to fight their battles across many different planes of existence, and venture into dimensions where few mortals have ever dared to go. Other heroes venture into the planes for nothing more than the desire to see wonders unimagined. To those who have studied their secrets, the planes offer infi- nite experiences and possibilities. This chapter explains the basics of venturing into the planes, including: ✦ Planar Traits: The different qualities and charac- teristics that planes demonstrate. ✦ The Cosmology: How the components of the D&D® game universe fit together. ✦ Portals: Portals are the most common means of planar travel. Here’s how they work. ✦ Planar Vehicles: When you can’t find a portal leading to where you want to go, you have to find a different means of transportation. ✦ Planar Hazards: Learn about some of the more common hazards planar travelers face. ✦ Sigil, City of Doors: The most well-known demi- plane is Sigil, City of Doors. No one knows who created it or how, but Sigil holds portals aplenty. ✦ The Far Realm: The Far Realm is “beyond” or “above”Sample the normal cosmos. file ✦ The Plane of Dreams: The nature of this plane is a matter for debate. The Plane of Dreams is a vast repository where dreams go when they are dreamt. ZOLTAN BORXOS & GABOR SZIKSZAI CHAPTER 1 | Exploring the Planes 4 4E_ManOPlns_Ch01.indd 4 9/23/08 5:02:34 PM Sample file 4E_ManOPlns_Ch01.indd 5 9/23/08 5:02:40 PM THE PLANES AND YOUR CAMPAIGN The world (sometimes called the mortal world or the magic item to convey the player characters from their natural world) of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game is native world to the site of the adventure. Ideally, the only one piece of a much larger cosmos. The world is adventure should soak up at least some of the planar surrounded by the Feywild and the Shadowfell, paral- flavor of its setting. lel dimensions that lie tantalizingly close at hand. It stands on foundations of matter drawn from the seeth- The Planar Progression ing Elemental Chaos that preceded creation. And yet, at Some campaigns follow adventure arcs that naturally the same time, the mortal world drifts as a lonely speck introduce the player characters to ever-greater vistas of light and life in the eternal expanse of the astral of the cosmos as they rise in level.