So, I have a few feats I want to share with you for my campaign. My campaign revolves around hopping around an infinite number of planes. These planes are more like alternate worlds (that we see in Magic the Gathering) than what we see in most DnD games (so no Elemental Plane of Fire) and I wanted to create a mechanic that would help to implement this in a way the flavor of Magic where you play a Planeswalker.
Currently in Pathfinder, (my favorite system) the best ways to hop around planes is to use Planeshift or Gate spells or to access a portal. Unfortunately, those spells are pretty high leveled, and I want to introduce the Planeswalking as early as possible. An adventure in this campaign is a lot like an Indiana Jones movie, but instead of going to different countries you are hopping around to different worlds.
This isn't like in regular DnD where you go the Abyss or the Elemental Plane of Fire etc. Rather it's like jumping from Krynn to Faerun to Eberron to Golarion.
The planes are organized in a web, just like how some planets are closer than others, some planes are closer. Planeswalkers travel along these webs (whether that is through teleporting or other means).
So came up with a few low level spells that would allow access to planeswalking at relatively low levels. Then I am going to present a few feats that would allow access to this by non-spellcasting classes to show that the truly exceptional become Planeswalkers.
Alternatively, I've thought about making it an an ability that all the players could have that makes them stand out from regular people (like Action Points from Eberron) So I'd like to get some feedback from you guys about your theories, or if this is too powerful of an ability.
NEW SPELLS
Planejump
School: Conjuration (teleportation) Level: Cleric 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Casting time: 10 minutes
Components: V,S
Range: Self
Target: Self and up to 8 other willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
You move yourself and your allies to another adjacent plane. You appear up to 5 to 500 miles from your intended destination. This plane must be an adjacent Plane or a Demiplane attached to your current plane.
Plane Leap
School: Conjuration (teleportation) Level: Cleric 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Casting time: 10 minutes
Components: V,S
Range: Self
Target: Self and up to 8 other willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
As Plane Jump except that you and your allies can travel to a plane up to 1d20 planes away from your current plane.
I really wish I could post images so I could share my map of the Cosmos. It is a series of circles overlapping each other, these circles are leylines, safe passageways through the dangerous Astral Plane. Deviating from them is suicide and only the craziest of planeswalkers would dare. On the circles are dots, which represent new and unique planes, each with their own peoples, histories, magics, and gods. To allow players of all classes to planeswalk I came up with a few feats that grant Planeswalking as a Spell-like ability. I like this approach because it allows the players to decide if everyone should take the feat or if only one person should. If one person takes it, then the party is forced to rely heavily on that person (WHAT IF THE DIE?) Meanwhile, if the party spreads out the burden then they can potentially travel further in a few days together than they could alone.
NEW FEATS
Planar Sojourner
Prerequisites: none
Benefit: This feat allows a Planeswalker to cast Planejump 1/day
Planar Pilgrim
Prerequisites: Planar Sojourner, 5th level
Benefit: This feat allows a Planeswalker to cast Planejump a number of times per day equal to an ability modifier of their choice.
Planar Traveler
Prerequisites: Planar Sojourner, Planar Pilgrim, 10th level
Benefit: This feat allows a Planeswalker to cast Planeleap a number of times per day equal to an ability modifier of their choice.
Planar Master
Prerequisites: Planar Sojourner, Planar Pilgrim, Planar Traveler, 15th level
Benefit: This feat allows a Planeswalker to cast Planeshift a number of times per day equal to an ability modifier of their choice.
I wouldn't even make them feats or spells, but special rituals that use relatively hard Knowledge (the planes) skill checks.
And they can use Aid Another to help each other plane hop!
And there might be special ritual sites where plane hopping is easier to accomplish (like a thin veil between worlds) or special alignments of stars, constellations, moon phases, etc., so special times for plane hopping (like Brigadoon).
With my dimensional cosmology, parallel worlds are just in the 5th dimension. Rather than post that again here, I would suggest that a person with the Illuminated Feat would be able to map the planes, and control arrival destination. You would still need a planeswalker to open the way. An illuminated character can also sense the approach of astral and ethereal creatures.