designer: monte coo •k editor and developer: michele...
TRANSCRIPT
PLANEWALKER'S
CREDl
Designer: Monte Cook • Editor and Developer: Michele CarterCreative Direction: Andria Hayday
Cover Artist: Robh RuppelInterior Artist: DiTerlizzi • Cartography: Dave Sutherland
Color Plates: Alan Pollack, DiTerlizzi, Sam Rakeland, Ned DameronArt Direction: Bob Galica
Electronic Prepress Coordinator: Dave Conant • Typography: Angelika LokotzBorder Art: Robert Repp 4- Graphic Design: Dawn Murin
Proofreader and Helping Hand: Ray Vallese
Author's special thanks to: Michele Carter, Andria Hayday, Colin McComb, Mike Nystul,Bill Slavicsek, Ray Vallese, Sue Weinlein-Cook, and Skip Williams
TSR, Inc.201 Sheridan Springs Road
Lake GenevaWI53147
U.S.A.
TSR Ltd.120 Church EndCherry HintonCambridge CB1 3LBUnited Kingdom
2620
ADVANCED DUNGEONS Et DRAGONS, ADM), BIRTHRIGHT, DARK SUN, DRAGONLANCE, DUNGEON MASTER, FORGOTTEN REALMS, GREYHAWK, the TSR logo, and the Lady ofPain logo are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. DM, PLANESCAPE, and PLAYER'S OPTION are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters,character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TSR, Inc. ®1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Made in the U.S.A. Random Houseand its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English-language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the toy andhobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. This material is protected under thecopyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited withoutthe express written consent of TSR, Inc.
Sam
ple
file
9,
CSNINIRODIKIION 4
Using this Book 5
A PLANFWAI KIR'S Guiut ro I I I I PFANLS fa
Some Basic Concepts 6Three Truths 6Who's Who 8What's Where 8
The Cage 9The Outlands 10
The Gate-Towns 10The Great Ring 12
Two Rivers, a Mountain,and a Really Big Tree 12
The Blood War 14The Abyss 14Acheron 15Arborea 16Arcadia 17Baator 17The Beastlands 18Bytopia 20Carceri 20Elysium 20Gehenna 21The Gray Waste 21Limbo 22Mechanus 23Mount Celestia 23Pandemonium 24Ysgard 25
The Inner Planes 25The Elemental Plane of Air 25The Elemental Plane of Earth 27The Elemental Plane of Fire 27The Elemental Plane of Water 28The Paraelemental Planes 28The Quasielemental Planes 29The Positive and Negative Energy Planes . .30
The Astral and the Ethereal 31The Silver Void 31The Misty Shore 31
The Prime Material Plane 32
TkAVFIINIi TIIF MllLI'IVFRSF 3 4
Portals and Gates 34Finding and Opening a Portal 36Portal Types and Destinations 36Specific Portal Dangers 38Portal Tricks 38A Few Exceptions 38
Spells and Magical Items 39Conduits „ .Mkm 40
Planar Conduits 41Vortices 42Paths and Pools 42Caravans 43Intraplanar Travel 43
GFTTING THLRL OR JUSr GFITINU BY:
PLANFWAI KFR TIPS 44Point One: What to Take 44Point Two: What Spells to Prepare 46
All Spellcasters 46Wizards 47Priests 47
Point Three: What to Watch For 48Point Four: Who to Talk To 48Point Five: Who to Avoid 48Dealing With Others 49Planar Time 53The Cant 53
THE FACTIONS 54
Faction Central: Sigil 54.Sects 54
Belonging to a Faction 56Changing Factions 56Avoiding Faction Membership 57
The Athar 57The Believers of the Source 57The Bleak Cabal 58The Doomguard 58The Dustmen 60The Fated 60The Fraternity of Order 61The Free League 61The Harmonium 62The Mercykillers 63The Revolutionary League 63The Sign of One 64The Society of Sensation 64The Transcendent Order 64The Xaositects 65Outsiders 65Factions at a Glance 66
RACFS AND ARCHFI'YPFS 68
Planar Populations 68A Word about Planar Demihumans 69Aasimar 70Bariaur 71Genasi 71Githzerai 75Planar Half-Elf 75Planar Human . . . ._^^_. 76
Sam
ple
file
TABJ.EceN+£N+s
• *„
Rogue Modron 76Tiefling 78
Character Archetypes 82Berk Without a Past 82Cager 82Champion of Good 83Chant Broker 83Clueless 84Dimensional Explorer 84Disinterested 84Faction Slave 85Knight of the Post 85Planar Elitist 86Planar Hunter 87Planar Trader 87Prime Blood 87Proxy-In-Training 88Refugee From Darkness 88Spiv 89
PLANAR KI IS AND PROFICIENCIES 90
Planar Professions 90Planewalking Kits 92
Kit Structure 92Planewalker Warrior 93Planewalker Wizard 94Planewalker Priest 95Planewalker Rogue 96
Kits Based on Location 97Abyssal Warrior 97Floating Sorcerer 97Hinterland Bandit 98
New Proficiencies 99Existing Proficiencies 101Languages of the Planes 101
Planar Common 101Other Languages 101
MAGIC: ON THE PI ANI.S 102
Magical Effects on the Planes 102General Conditions 102
Mages and Magic 104Dimensional Relations 105Alterations By School 106Spell Keys 106
Powers and Priests 108Power Keys 109
Magical Items 110True Names IllLast Word 112Wizard Spells 112Priest Spells 125
Pi ANLWALklNG EOUIPMENI 1 32
Tools of the Trade 132Baatorian Green Steel Items 132Bariaur Equipment 134Celestial Etheroscope 134Modron Equipment 134Sickles and Scythes 135
Magical Items 136What to Look For 136New Items 137Planar Protections 141
PLANTSCAPE" CAMPAIGNING 142
The Power of Belief 142Belief on the Planes 143Who Believes? 143Player Character Beliefs 144Belief Points 145Conflicting Beliefs 147Disregarding Belief 147
Starting a PLANESCAPE Campaign 147Prime to Planar 147Planar Natives 148Mixed Group 148
Variant PLANESCAPE Campaigns 148Single Race Campaign 148Planar Creature Campaign 148Single Goal Campaign 149Partial PLANESCAPE Campaign 149Elemental Campaign 149The One-Plane Campaign 149The Two-Plane Campaign 149
Planar Glossary 150Cant Dictionary for the Clueless 154Index 158
TablesSCHOOL ALTERATIONS BY PLANE 107
MAGICAL ITEM BONUS LOSS BY PLANE
(QUICK REFERENCE) Ill
PLANAR ABSOLUTES 107
PRIESI LEVEL LOSS BY PLANE (QUICK REFERENCE) . . . 109
PRIEST SPELLS WITH PLANAR PATHWAYS 110
RACIAL TABLES 81
TIEI LING TABLES 80
WIZARD SPELTS WITH PLANAR PATHWAYS 105
ChartsPRIEST LEVEL LOSS BY PLANE 156
MAGICAL ITEM BONUS LOSS BY PLANE 157
Sam
ple
file
INTRODUCTION
THA + 'S +HEWAY ©F +HE PLANES
B E R K '
"And then there's Limbo, where you don't hear the chant so much as smell it.. . . " Delmirsis leaned back in his chair. He loved these green primes, theirwide-eyed view of the Great Ring, and (most especially) their purses full ofjink. Six of them sat in a circle around him, waiting to hear more. One exag-gerated look toward his empty mug and the tall one was quick to order himmore bub.
"So, tell us more about the Abyss. We heard that's where all the nastieslive," the black-haired womansaid.
"Well," Delmirsis began,"you're right and then you'rewrong . . . "
"Mostly wrong." The voice from the now-open door-way was deep and steady. "The real 'nasties' are
right here in Sigil, peeling clueless sodslike yourselves." The
woman was talland imposing,walking to thetable with an
assured stride.She leaned down until
her face was even with thatof Delmirsis. Even the primes could see the contrast: His profile showed a fewdays' stubble and his breath stank of cheap bub and old cheese, while her facewas sharp with confidence and determination.
"You're not wanted here, Tarsheva. I'm trying to tell a sodding story tothese top-shelf young cutters."
"Here in the Cage, we call berks like Delmirsis 'cony-catchers'," Tarshevasaid to the newly arrived adventurers. "Old Two-Fingers, as we call him, is try-ing to peel you. He hasn 't been out of town or beyond in years. He probablyhasn't even been out of this tavern in days." She turned back to Delmirsis."Pike your screed and get out, old man. Or I'll show you the new way they'retreating fat, smelly bashers like yourself in Avernus."
Delmirsis knew Tarsheva Longreach 's reputation. He grabbed his hat andshuffled to the door without a word or a look back.
The experienced planewalker settled into the old man's chair asT W © ' - ' F I N G E R . S s^e sP°ke- "Now, if you primes want the real chant..."
Planewalkers are the most knowledgeable bloods this side of. . . well,anywhere. If a body's not stuck in the mire of some prime-material world, if heknows the chant, then he knows a planewalker's what he wants to be. Plane-walkers know the dark of things. They've seen the acid pits of the Abyss andthe gold-leafed trees of Arborea. They wend their way in and out of faction in-trigues. They make their homes on the twisting streets of Sigil, the city's ever-changing secrets their purview.
Planewalkers know the paths to power.Planewalker's Handbook is a guide for planewalkers, beginning and expe-
rienced. It offers all manner of suggestions, advice, tips, and new information.Think of it as a travelogue to the planes, a guidebook for planewalking, and atraining manual for bloods — all wrapped up into one source.
• 4
Sam
ple
file
• USING +HISThis book contains everything a player needs to participate in aPLANESCAPE™ campaign. Some material has been pulled from othersources, so that this book will be a complete player resource.Other material has been re-presented, clarified, and expandedinto a new form with additional details not offered to players be-fore. Most of it is completely new to players and Dungeon Mas-ters (DMs) alike.
More specifically, this book is for players of planar charac-ters. A number of secrets of the planes, Sigil, magic, planartravel, the factions, and more are re-vealed here. This book contains thesort of things a planar should know,but about which some green Clue-less just in from the Prime shouldn'thave the foggiest notion.
But players of prime charac-ters can find plenty of usefulthings here, too. Even if thecharacters're completelyclueless, the players can stillfind information on what itmeans to come from the Primeand how their characters might actand react to planar situations.'Course, as the prime learns aboutthe planes, he'll be able to use thisbook more fully.
Because of this, the DM has thefinal say as to what material in thePlanewalker's Handbook is availableto players in his campaign. Thatmeans that the DM's going to haveto read through this too. That's notso bad, though, 'cause a lot of thematerial here is brand new. A DM'llfind new spells, magical items, ad-venture ideas, planar sites, and othersuch valuable material. A DM bloodwill also find the player information— the kits, races, role-playing sugges-tions, player tips and advice, the up-dated cant, and the belief guidelines— useful as well.
N 0 , + H I SIS +HE WAY
ef +HE PLANES .
— TARSHEVALeNGREACH
Sam
ple
file
"You know there's more to reality than the placewhere you were born. You have a grasp of the true
scope of things.You've heard the maddening winds of
Pandemonium and seen the crystalwaterfalls of Mount Celestia. You've
walked the Great Road and witnessedthe naked reality of the Inner Planes. You are a
planewalker."Planeivalkers can hold their own in a fight
with a baatezu, share the chant with a githyanki,and navigate their way through the diaphanous
Blade Maze ofTherores in the heart of Ocanthus.They are capable, hearty, intelligent, and knowl-
edgeable. Planewalkers know their wayaround a fight, but they know when
to avoid a scuffleas well.
They're nostrangers to
magic, and theyknow which side of a
sword-point to be on. The darkof subtlety in word and deed is not lost on them.
"The planes are too big for anyone to know everything about them — andno true planewalker ever claims to know everything about everything. The trickis to know a little about a lot. That's what keeps a planewalker out of the dead-book. The essence of the planewalker is knowing how to get from here to there,who to talk to, who to avoid, and what to do to stay one step ahead. Knowledgeis power."
— Tarsheva Longreach
It's obvious that cutters can't go everywhere in the course of^u u LJ i w o 7 i i IN *J i_ ix J their planewalking careers. Still, planewalkers need to have a
W H E R E HE W A S F R © ITI, general sense of what's what and what's where. Bashers have toH E ' D S A Y , know the difference between Acheron and Arcadia to avoid getting lost —
' A L L + H E P L A N E S in e v e r y s e n s e of the word-A R E m Y C A S E B L ® ffi D ' ^ n e f°H°w'n& information comes from the renowned
© L D T W f f i - F I N G E R S N E E D E DA G©©D L E S S ® N
® N +HE W ® R D ' I N f I N I + E'I F vffiu A S K m e .
W H A + A SffiDDING
TARSHEVALeNGREACH
planewalker, Tarsheva Longreach. She claims that it's all —or at least mostly - accurate. She does extend the caution,however, that things change quickly on the planes, some-
DIffi + .
times in major ways. Just because a body visited atown, realm, or even layer yesterday doesn't meanthat it'll still be there today.
• seme BASIC ceNcep+s •Before learning the specifics, it's essential to grasp a few multiversal truths andget the basics of "who" and "where" straight.
TRU + HS
The multiverse operates around three basic principles. Learn these, and a bash-er'll have a head start on understanding how things really work.
• 6 •
Sam
ple
file