THE PLANE ABOVE Secrets of the Astral Sea™ ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT Rob He insoo • Ari Marmell • Eric Scott de Bie CRED1TS Design Art Director Rob Heinsoo (lead), Mari Kolkowsky Ari Marmell, Eric Scott de Bie, Robin D. laws, Matthew Sernett, Rodney Thompson Cover Illustration William O'Connor (front), Ralph Horsley (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 Dave Allsop, Kerem Beyit, Zoltan Boros & Gabor Kim Mohan Szikszai,Julie Dillon, Vincent Dutrait, Wayne England, Jason A. Engle, Ralph Horsley, Howard lyon,Jim Nelson, Director of D&D R&D and Book Publishing William O'Connor, Adam Paquette Bill Siavicsek 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 Production Manager Cynda Callaway Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS'" mles created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the later editions by David "Zeb" Cook (2nd Edition);Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison (3rd Edition); and Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt (4th Edition). 620-25116000-001 EN U.S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS WIZARDS OF THE COAST, BELGIUM 987654321 & LATIN AMERICA Hasbro UK Ltd Industrialaan 1 First Printing: Wizards of the Coast LLC Caswell Way 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden April 2010 P.O_ Box 707 Newport, Gwent NP9 OYH Belgium Renton WA 98057-0707 ISBN: 978-0-7869-5392-9 GREAT BRITAIN +32.070.233.277 +1-800-324-6496 Please keep this address for your records DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, d20, d20 System, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, Player's Handbook, DUfl8eon Moster's Guide, Monster Manual, ESERRON, D&D Insider, Dra8on, Divine Power. 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V1S1T OUR WEBS1TE AT WWW.DUNGEONSANDDRAGONS.COM 1: ASTRAL ADVENTURING ...... 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: Frostburn............. ....... .. 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 . ......... .. 1 2 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: ASTRAL DENIZENS .........128 Traveling the Astral Sea ....... .. 19 3: THE DEEP ASTRAL SEA . ... 90 Abomination . .. .... ....... ..... 130 Ship-to-Ship Combat Astral Render ... .. .... .........130 in the Astral Sea .. .. ... ....... 20 RACES OF THE ASTRAL SEA .. 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 C1oudlands ............... .. ... 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 War Priest. .. .......134 2: D1V1NE DOMINIONS . .. .... .. 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 ......... .. ...... 1 38 The Glorious Hunt . .... ........ 38 Outlook and Interaction ... ..... 102 Warder Devil .... .. ... ......139 Major Areas ........ ......... 40 Exalted of Erathis . ... .......... 140 Adventure Hooks . .............. 41 SHATTERED DOMINIONS......104 Exalted of Kord .................. 141 Encounter Groups . .. .. .... .. .. 41 Carceri. .. ... ....... ... ........104 Githyanki ... .. ......... ......142 The Green Isles: Arvandor's The Isles of Carceri ....... .. .. .. 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: lihe Monolith Stirs ... 110 Gul'othran Marauder ......... .. 146 Chernoggar . ................ ... 51 Kalandurren.................. ... 114 Gul'othran Dragon Raider .... ... 146 Gods of Chernoggar .... .. .. ..... 52 Environmental Features ... ... .. 11 5 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 Cnernoggar's Islands .. ..... 59 Shom ....... ..... ..... .... 119 Quom .......................... 156 Hestavar ..... .. ... ........ .. ... 61 Death of a God, Quom Fanatic .... ............ 156 Gods of Hestavar................ 61 Rise of the lIIumians ..... ... 119 Quom Enforcer .. ......... ... .. 156 The Daybreak Islands: The Shattering of the Word ... .. 11 9 Quom Harpoonist. ...... .. .. 156 Hestevar's Archipelago ..... 64 Adventure Hooks ......... .... 1 21 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 MONSTERS BY LEVEL ..... ... 159 EXPERIENCED PLAYERS and Dungeon Masters might be familiar with previous descrip• tions ofthe Astral Sea as an infinite silvery plane. In the world ofthe 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 ofthe 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