The wizard in my game wants to use Shadow Walk to get to Occipitus. Can anyone tell me if that plane borders the Plane of Shadow?
If it is possible for him to use it, does anyone know of a good source for some Shadow Monsters? Does the Manual of the Planes have any useful information on the Plane of Shadows?
Thanks!
According to the Manual of the Planes, the Plane of Shadow is Coexistent with the Astral Plane, which I presume means that in any place where one may access the Astral Plane, one may also access the Plane of Shadow. The only restriction the Manual of the Planes places on it is in relation to the Ethereal plane. It states that the Plane of Shadow does not connect to the Ethereal Plane, and that spells and spell-like abilities that access the Ethereal Plane do not function on the Plane of Shadow (it does not explicitly state that the reverse is true, but it seems a logical conclusion if the two have no connection). I would imagine that traveling to Occipitus via the Plane of Shadow is theoretically possible, but it would be dangerous and extremely time-consuming. According to the Manual of the Planes, the Plane of Shadow is in a constant state of flux, making any form of mapping or establishing routes nearly impossible. Thus, assuming there is a point of connection between the Plane of Shadows and Occipitus, it will not be fixed, and therefore extremely unreliable. As well, dangerous creatures are abundant on the Plane of Shadow. The Manual of the Planes has a Shadow Creature template to create a Shadow version of any corporeal creature, while the Tome of Magic (in the Shadow Magic section) also has several new types of specific monsters that would call the Plane of Shadow their home.
Ultimately, if the group has access to spells of a level such as Shadow Walk, I would strongly recommend the faster (and generally safer) Plane Shift. However, once on Occipitus, Shadow Walk could allow the group to move accross the terrain much faster than normal.