I have a homebrew rule that alteration spells of high level cause mutation. One of which is free will. Some orcs, minotaurs, and drow will grow up wondering why their parents are self destructive jerks.
Another is that some animals are not stupid.
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To vote for the races go here
Obviously, if anyone has any combinations of races they'd like to see but aren't listed, they can be mentioned here.
I have some news.
The race poll is that the majority of the those who voted so far want the creativity option (yes, I voted. No, I'm not going to tell you what I voted for).
Other Pole Results:
Something Weird was voted over the Heliocentric system for the the solar system by 7 votes.
Real Physics is leading over the Aethereal and Non Astronomical in that poll so far (I haven't voted in that one). Most people want 12 planets in the solar system. 67% of those polled want us all to design 2 nations, while 33 percent want 2 baker's dozen.
Should each of the major races have their own nation, aside from the cross-bred races such as half-elves and half-orcs? Of course the races would be scattered about the world as well, but if we could concentrate a few areas on specific races it could help us define that race's general outlook on the world and other races.
For example, dwarves may be fairly secluded from humans and elves. Their main interactions with other races tend to be violent encounters with the goblins, orcs, and giants that cut them off from the more civilized races to the south. Their main connection to the outside world is through the gnomes who travel through the savage lands in mirage caravans to trade with them. Perhaps some dwarves opt to join the gnomes in order to see the world, but these dwarves are generally looked down upon by their kind as deserters who abandon their struggle with the savage races. The harshest punishment for a dwarf is to be exiled from their home and most dwarves found outside of their homelands are criminals; this tends to give dwarves a bad reputation with other races, they are viewed as a race of thieves and murderers.
This is a fairly generic example that explains the racial hatreds of dwarves and gnomes, offers a suggestion for geography, and provides examples of racial tensions and stereotypes within our world. If we want a race to be more prevalent, such as elves, they could have once been a dominant world power before their civilization collapsed and they dissolved into various smaller groups.
Out of curiosity, who are the 10 people "currently participating" in this project?
Robot role call!
Out of curiosity, who are the 10 people "currently participating" in this project?
Well, in the 'Number of Nations' poll it reads "20 -- we each get 2" so I deduced somehow there are 10 people.
I'm reposting my nation suggestion.
I'm thinking the Elven forrests, the gnome hills, the halfling villages, and others formed an alliance. The Sylvian alliance is more concerned with fighting the orcs and goblinoids than the human's political squabbles.
I've been voting in all the poles even when I hate all of the options.
Out of curiosity, who are the 10 people "currently participating" in this project?Time for a sound off.
I'm still following the thread and waiting for ways to contribute. I've voted, but remained silent through the race discussions. As long as humans are available, I'll gladly pitch in with nation write-ups.
I think I'm going to bow out of this project. You may do what you like with what I've submitted so far.
Well, I know I've been counted as participating. I'm mostly interested in planar and solar physics (or magics as the case may be) though, but I could come up with a race for the custom races (which I did vote for, so I would feel obliged to in any case). I'm not great with nations and politics, so I think I'll leave most of that to others.
Edit: BTW, on a planar note, I like the elemental chaos over the inner planes. The positive and negative energy planes may be separate from that though.
Edit again: As for a race, I'm thinking something of the ooze type... (I don't have the ARG, so I don't know if there's an existing price for that.)
That's funny, MagiMaster, I have no interest in the solar physics of our world, but I AM interested in the political aspects. That may be because I'm reading A Song of Ice and Fire right now.
What do you mean by "elemental chaos over the inner planes"?
I'm thinking the Elven forrests, the gnome hills, the halfling villages, and others formed an alliance. The Sylvian alliance is more concerned with fighting the orcs and goblinoids than the human's political squabbles.
I'm ok with that, but I never really considered halflings "Sylvan". It seems like a shame to kick dwarves out of the club as well, since they have a racial hatred for giants, goblins, and orcs. I'd rather see dwarves and gnomes aligned against those races (plus kobolds); maybe they tend to be particularly cruel towards them (racists). Perhaps internal conflicts are occupying the elves at the moment, a struggle between those that revere nature and those that favor arcane magic. The nature attuned elves have allied with sylvan creatures, while the arcane inclined make pacts with outsiders and gods of magic. Strange creatures have been coming out from the mountain the elves' forest surrounds and killing or abducting any creature they come across; none of the elvish scouts sent to investigate the caves have returned and now the elves are divided on how to deal with the problem.
The elemental chaos (a specific plane) is like all four elemental planes and limbo combined. I was saying I like that idea a little more than the idea of four separate elemental planes. (Although the geometry of six inner planes is appealing.)
If you go with the positive energy plane, negative energy plane and elemental chaos, then that can carry over to the material plane as:
- Suns/stars are vortices to the positive energy plane
- Planets (at least at the core) are vortices to the elemental chaos
- Dark stars/black holes are vortices to the negative energy plane
I am interested, but Pantheons/physics are not an area where I can contribute. Politics/geography would be more my style, so I'll follow until that comes up.
That's funny, MagiMaster, I have no interest in the solar physics of our world, but I AM interested in the political aspects. That may be because I'm reading A Song of Ice and Fire right now.
What do you mean by "elemental chaos over the inner planes"?
I'm thinking the Elven forrests, the gnome hills, the halfling villages, and others formed an alliance. The Sylvian alliance is more concerned with fighting the orcs and goblinoids than the human's political squabbles.I'm ok with that, but I never really considered halflings "Sylvan". It seems like a shame to kick dwarves out of the club as well, since they have a racial hatred for giants, goblins, and orcs. I'd rather see dwarves and gnomes aligned against those races (plus kobolds); maybe they tend to be particularly cruel towards them (racists). Perhaps internal conflicts are occupying the elves at the moment, a struggle between those that revere nature and those that favor arcane magic. The nature attuned elves have allied with sylvan creatures, while the arcane inclined make pacts with outsiders and gods of magic. Strange creatures have been coming out from the mountain the elves' forest surrounds and killing or abducting any creature they come across; none of the elvish scouts sent to investigate the caves have returned and now the elves are divided on how to deal with the problem.
The Dwarves qualify as others and may be dealing with gnomes more than Elves. You can design the 9th kingdom, which is the subterranean dwarf kingdom.
The Elves named it the Sylvan Alliance, even if it includes some lizardmen. That's why I put it in quotes.
The elemental chaos (a specific plane) is like all four elemental planes and limbo combined. I was saying I like that idea a little more than the idea of four separate elemental planes. (Although the geometry of six inner planes is appealing.)
If you go with the positive energy plane, negative energy plane and elemental chaos, then that can carry over to the material plane as:
- Suns/stars are vortices to the positive energy plane
- Planets (at least at the core) are vortices to the elemental chaos
- Dark stars/black holes are vortices to the negative energy plane
This could be interesting. I tend to go with the idea of having Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Cold. Where Fire and Cold act similarly to the Positive and Negative energy planes. That is, where Fire touches Earth it becomes Magma, where it touches Water it becomes Steam, and where it touches Air it becomes Lightning. Where Cold touches Earth it becomes Mineral, where it touches Water it becomes Ice, and where it touches Air... I haven't figured it out yet. I usually think of it becoming Acid (the last energy), Void/Vacuum, or Trokeneis (dry ice - for lack of a better term for air that's frozen solid).
Where Earth and Water touch they form Mud, where Water and Air touch they form Cloud, and where Air and Earth touch they form Dust.Of course, this is when I'm not using a Primordial Prime or something from WoW.
The Elves named it the Sylvan Alliance, even if it includes some lizardmen. That's why I put it in quotes.
How big would this alliance be? Does it exclude evil fey?
I look forward to what you've got.
How expansive can I make this dwarf kingdom? Can I make several lesser kingdoms among them that are defined by the metals, mineral, or gems they mine?
The Elves named it the Sylvan Alliance, even if it includes some lizardmen. That's why I put it in quotes.How big would this alliance be? Does it exclude evil fey?
I look forward to what you've got.
How expansive can I make this dwarf kingdom? Can I make several lesser kingdoms among them that are defined by the metals, mineral, or gems they mine?
Yes. The surface elves may call them the Dwarf Kingdom and the Dark Alliance, but the deep gnomes and grey dwarves play whatever part you choose.
Back to the elemental cosmos. There will be openings to all elemental planes. The dreaded blade storms will come from the plane of metal and be shaped like comets. There will be a wooden planet. The periodic elemental galexy will be very far away.
If the planets are a product of the elemental chaos, then different planets can have different elemental aspects. All planets have all elements, but some may be weak in one or dominant in another. The main planet of the setting would likely have a perfect balance of elements, although that could be changing (any one going up or down would be bad).
In addition, the ethereal plane can be a positive echo of the material plane and the shadow plane would be a negative echo. (That is, the ethereal plane is closer to the positive energy plane than the material plane is.)
This groups the planes into three layers. The lowest layer is the energy planes, then the material planes, then the outer planes. The astral plane is all around/beside everything. The great beyond is outside of that. (I think that covers all the usual planes.)
I personally vote for conventional, seperate elemental planes. I want a very conventional cosmology in general as it will make it easier to incorporate this setting into my planeswalking campaigns.
Also with regards to nations, we shouldn't forget that many of them are likely feudalistic. Feudal nations are divided up into several smaller fiefs, which are likely to be a source of conflict in some cases, as feudal lords pick fights with each other or try to rebel against the crown. Also there may be areas that once were nations, but have since divided into many smaller nations, such as Italy during the Middle Ages.
My favorite theory is that there was nothing, and the god of genisis created itself. It was the opposite of nothing so it started to create things to place between itself and the "outer darkness". The early experiments are the far realm, the old ones, and horrendous original titans. The God of Genisis, sometimes known as the demiurge, manipulated the original titans, which were extensions of the demiurge made of ideas and passions capable of forming solid bodies, to create worlds. These worlds were soon organized into the multiverse. An infinite structure containing infinite planes. I think when lucifer messed up reality on the eighth day, G*d cast reality out of the multiverse making us all unable to reach any other plane within our lifetimes. In any case, original titans created worlds in which to live, and then created more titans to handle the detail work. These secondary titans, were immortal living creatures. For various reasons, infinitely powerful beings tend to turn on their parents. Part of this is the Demiurge wanting to be distracted. This is why Titans, Gods, and mortals all act like they are part of a soap opera playing for keeps.
cool... that is all
I was thinking that the dwarven mountain ranges have long separated the elven forests from the orc badlands. The dwarves had always been a powerful race but they mostly focused on their underground kingdom and protecting their mountains. Their kingdom was greatly reduced when a sudden and powerful earthquake left them exposed to attacks by the drow and duergar. They were forced to collapse several important tunnels, sacrificing thousands of dwarves in order to save the rest of their kingdom. The years following the wars were rife with political tension and blame-casting and kept the dwarves focused on their own national crises. Now, further bickering among the clans and a rapid increase in the number of aberrations stalking the underdark has resulted in the dwarves further focusing their attention on subsurface concerns; they have abandoned the mountain clans to fight giants and orcs on their own.
The mountain passes that were once ruled by the dwarves are now infested with savage races hellbent on pillaging the forests on the other side of the mountains.
So there is a quick breakdown of some of the stuff I've been thinking about for our bearded brothers. Comments, complaints, concerns?
Goth Guru, can this fit in at all with what you had in mind for your Sylvan Alliance?
It looks like the races will be chosen or made as folks want them to be. I might suggest listing the races here so we can get our history together correctly.
I was thinking that the dwarven mountain ranges have long separated the elven forests from the orc badlands. The dwarves had always been a powerful race but they mostly focused on their underground kingdom and protecting their mountains. Their kingdom was greatly reduced when a sudden and powerful earthquake left them exposed to attacks by the drow and duergar. They were forced to collapse several important tunnels, sacrificing thousands of dwarves in order to save the rest of their kingdom. The years following the wars were rife with political tension and blame-casting and kept the dwarves focused on their own national crises. Now, further bickering among the clans and a rapid increase in the number of aberrations stalking the underdark has resulted in the dwarves further focusing their attention on subsurface concerns; they have abandoned the mountain clans to fight giants and orcs on their own.
The mountain passes that were once ruled by the dwarves are now infested with savage races hellbent on pillaging the forests on the other side of the mountains.
So there is a quick breakdown of some of the stuff I've been thinking about for our bearded brothers. Comments, complaints, concerns?
Goth Guru, can this fit in at all with what you had in mind for your Sylvan Alliance?
The humanoid threat is the reason for the alliance. One of the abandoned clans can be a source of PCs.
With the Elemental caos model, the elemental dimension is as obvious as height, length, and width. More so than time. I'm thinking elves should have the option of wood bending. Dwarves could become earth or metal benders.
I take it Dragons and Drow are more common in the underdark.
We might need a poll on planar cosmology, but we'd need a list of choices first.
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I need the list of choices before starting the poll on Planar Cosmology. Although I figured that it would be the same as Pathfinder's.
Planes are not something you can just roll out. They come whole cloth out of everyone's imagination.
My suggestions for a few outer planes.
* The Ethereal.
* the Plane of Shadow
* Eden (or some facsimile thereof)
* Somewhere representing Hell.
* A plane of Dreams.
* Someplace that is a reasonable facsimile of the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.
One of the abandoned clans can be a source of PCs.
That's what I figured. I was also thinking that there is another "clan" that was exiled. Basically they're a group of mercenaries called the Goldaxes made up of all the dwarves who were kicked out. Cutthroats and brigands, scum of the underdark type fellows.
I'm thinking elves should have the option of wood bending. Dwarves could become earth or metal benders.
How do you mean? Give them extra spell-like abilities, a la shape earth/warp wood or is this some Avatar reference (I don't really know anything about that show).
Dominate:
HumanMajor:
Psionic Human
Elf
DwarfMinor:
Halfling
Orc
Gnoll
Wyvarin
I would rather not involve psionics in this setting.
What is a Wyvarin?
I'd like to see gnomes on that list as well, personally I prefer them over halflings. If we're getting crazy, I could convert the whisper gnomes from 3.5, but that's probably not worth worrying about right now.
I'd drop gnolls off the list, they seem more appropriate in a less eurocentric setting.
I don't remember if we decided if we should have an under dark or not.
If we don't have an underdark, I'd rather not bother working on dwarves.
I seem to recall a vote for a normal planet. Gloriathon (sp) has an underdark. If we put the underdark to a vote, I would be for it. The Jules Vernian Earth had pockets of air, magma, and sunless oceans. He invented the underdark.
Dominate
Humans (PC race)
***or Linnorms (intelligent variant)
Major
Catfolk (PC race)
Dragons (short-lived, less-than-intelligent variant)
Dwarves (minimal subterranean involvement, PC race)
Goblins (urban scavengers, sane, PC race)
Ratfolk (PC race)
Minor
Aasimars (PC race)
Gargoyles (mostly neutral, urban variant)
Gripplis (larger-but-still-small sewer dwelling variant, PC race)
Hobgoblins (non-militant, agriculture-focused, PC race)
Sphinxes (accepted in urban areas, serves as non-standard patron option)
Tieflings (PC race)
Savage, NPCs only
Elves (wicked/psychotic variant, standard elves replace drow and orcs)
Giants
Tengus (homicidal, nocturnal variant)
I'd like to see an "underworld". We could do what I've been doing in my homebrews and give the underground regions an association with the land of the dead and other planes of existence.
Thanks for your list, Necromancer. Your notes bring up an important point, we will need to discuss variants of major races and how our races are different from those in Pathfinder. I've been making assumptions about the Pathfinder races because everyone is familiar with them. We'll need to think long and hard before making any dramatic changes or deciding if a base race will be NPC only.
It might be easier to make some of these decisions if we knew more about the nature of the crusade.
I'd like to see an "underworld". We could do what I've been doing in my homebrews and give the underground regions an association with the land of the dead and other planes of existence.
I'm a bit hesitant to get behind that, there is already so much material available for underdark type creatures and races it would be a shame to dismiss all that just to replace it with undead and outsiders. Although, if our pantheon is pseudo-Grecian, then flavor-wise an underworld would be appropriate...
I need the list of choices before starting the poll on Planar Cosmology. Although I figured that it would be the same as Pathfinder's.
Planes are not something you can just roll out. They come whole cloth out of everyone's imagination.
My suggestions for a few outer planes.
* The Ethereal.
* the Plane of Shadow
* Eden (or some facsimile thereof)
* Somewhere representing Hell.
* A plane of Dreams.
* Someplace that is a reasonable facsimile of the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.
(AFAIK) Golarion doesn't have a defined planar cosmology yet. They've just said it's compatible with the Great Wheel.
Planes can't just be added randomly to a consistent cosmology though. The Ethereal and Shadow planes are often coexistent with the material plane. Such planes are tied tightly to the world and it'd be exteremely unlikely for one to remain undiscovered.
Outer planes, those not closely related to the material plane, can usually be added as needed, but the inner planes (elemental planes, ethereal/shadow/astral) should be internally consistent.
Edit: I think I misread part of what you wrote.
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I would rather not involve psionics in this setting.
well, there was a reason why I said we could design our nations as we pleased. I wanted everyone to have total freedom with their nations. :)
However, I am willing to be flexible. There is a reason why PAIZO has the Dreamborn and Starsoul Sorcerer bloodlines in the APG.
I need the list of choices before starting the poll on Planar Cosmology. Although I figured that it would be the same as Pathfinder's.
Planes are not something you can just roll out. They come whole cloth out of everyone's imagination.
My suggestions for a few outer planes.
* The Ethereal.
* the Plane of Shadow
* Eden (or some facsimile thereof)
* Somewhere representing Hell.
* A plane of Dreams.
* Someplace that is a reasonable facsimile of the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.
(AFAIK) Golarion doesn't have a defined planar cosmology yet. They've just said it's compatible with the Great Wheel.
It was voted down in favor of elemental caos. Also, the great wheel was incomparable with oriental adventures. Someone may still add a Japan like island.
Planes can't just be added randomly to a consistent cosmology though. The Ethereal and Shadow planes are often coexistent with the material plane. Such planes are tied tightly to the world and it'd be exteremely unlikely for one to remain undiscovered.
The land of the dead is only as big as the prime material, and it's an overlap of the ethereal and astral. Spiritualists (we believe in ghosts) feel those too attached to material things visit deep in the earth and must claw their way to the surface to haunt.
Outer planes, those not closely related to the material plane, can usually be added as needed, but the inner planes (elemental planes, ethereal/shadow/astral) should be internally consistent.
Edit: I think I misread part of what you wrote.
I hope I cleared that up for you.
Why don't we vote on a name for the game world. I nominate Gia.
One of the abandoned clans can be a source of PCs.That's what I figured. I was also thinking that there is another "clan" that was exiled. Basically they're a group of mercenaries called the Goldaxes made up of all the dwarves who were kicked out. Cutthroats and brigands, scum of the underdark type fellows.
I'm thinking elves should have the option of wood bending. Dwarves could become earth or metal benders.How do you mean? Give them extra spell-like abilities, a la shape earth/warp wood or is this some Avatar reference (I don't really know anything about that show).
Benders animate an element to simulate magic spells. They use full body gestures, verbal elemental sounds, but no material components aside from the element. I think fire benders are able to pull fire from the sun.
well, there was a reason why I said we could design our nations as we pleased. I wanted everyone to have total freedom with their nations. :)
However, I am willing to be flexible. There is a reason why PAIZO has the Dreamborn and Starsoul Sorcerer bloodlines in the APG.
I was hoping we could focus on Paizo published material while designing this, with the exception of our own tweaks for classes, races, and pantheon as appropriate for the setting, so that we're all somewhat on the same page. The only psionic support I've seen has been from 3rd party sources, and I'm hesitant to include an additional magic system that not everyone is familiar with.
If enough people are interested in including it in this setting, by all means include it, but my vote is against it.
What do you mean about the Dreamspun and the Starsouls? Is this referring to psionics, because I don't see how it's relevant.
Benders animate an element to simulate magic spells. They use full body gestures, verbal elemental sounds, but no material components aside from the element. I think fire benders are able to pull fire from the sun.
You mean like furycraft from Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series? How would you implement this in our setting? There are already a number of alternative racial traits that can boost a race's "elemental bent" (pyromaniac for gnomes, stonesinger for dwarves, etc.).
I don't know about the elemental racial traits.
I like to refer to other topics on this board, but whatever.
I have been pushing for elemental magic schools for over a year now. That's only good for wizards.
There are elemental bloodlines for sorcerers.
If you people keep drawing battle lines we may have to split the topic.
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I don't know about the elemental racial traits.
I like to refer to other topics on this board, but whatever.
I have been pushing for elemental magic schools for over a year now. That's only good for wizards.
There are elemental bloodlines for sorcerers.If you people keep drawing battle lines we may have to split the topic.
I thought there were elemental magic schools for pathfinder.
But if there isn't, there is a book from 3.0 era we can use to make the Elemental schools. There is an article in Occult Lore from Atlas Games that we can update. We can cut out the Elementalist class and just update the spell list and any unique spells and add new Pathfinder ones, and wholla. :)
Four whole elemental schools for wizards.
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What do you mean about the Dreamspun and the Starsouls? Is this referring to psionics, because I don't see how it's relevant.
I do, actually.
Dreamborn description:
Your family is a long line of dreamers, who dream not as ordinary mortals do but rather as those who reach through and touch the supernal realm of dreams and the farthest shores of night. Whether it is a gift or curse is not always clear, but your visions of the past and future call you ineluctably to a life of adventure.
Starsoul Description:
You come from a line of stargazers and explorers who delved deeply into the darkness beyond the stars. In touching the void, the void touched them, and your mind, spirit, and body yearn to span the gulf between worlds.
Both bloodlines can have a psionic flavor. :)
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Notes on the race poll:
The poll is closed by now and the result by 5 votes is Creativity. This pretty much means that we still have to decide which races are dominate. ('Creativity!': Each person may choose or create any number of races. 56% (5))
Since Creativity has won, I will say that we stay with the Pathfinder base races, and creatively use the other races in the ARG as minor races or rare monsters and allow the rare unique race. Battlelines aren't needed for this project and we aren't ready to compete with each other.
Lets see this through, okay?
So, I take it everyone assumes we have an Underdark, right? Do we also have sea nations involved, or uninvolved?
Merfolk are probably not adjacent to the Sylvan Alliance. I want pixies to be tiny as that is criticle to the concept. The rest or the races can be as written.
Pazio has been designing psionic monsters as having spell like abilities.
They might not have rights to Psi points.
I don't know about the elemental racial traits.
I like to refer to other topics on this board, but whatever.
I have been pushing for elemental magic schools for over a year now. That's only good for wizards.
There are elemental bloodlines for sorcerers.If you people keep drawing battle lines we may have to split the topic.
I'm sorry, I must have misinterpreted you. I thought you were proposing that we have races aligned to the elements, which honestly I have no interest in anyway.
APG introduced elemental schools for wizards and Ultimate Magic added the metal and wood schools to those.
Both bloodlines can have a psionic flavor. :)
I still don't see it, but I'm really not all that up to date with psionics anyway. I'd always viewed it as an innate, ESP type thing, which is why I find it strange to include it in a high-fantasy setting.
Since Creativity has won, I will say that we stay with the Pathfinder base races, and creatively use the other races in the ARG as minor races or rare monsters and allow the rare unique race.
I agree, but I'd also say that anyone designing a nation may decide what races are dominant for their nation, so long as PC races are kept balanced.
So, I take it everyone assumes we have an Underdark, right? Do we also have sea nations involved, or uninvolved?
Yes on the Underdark. By sea nations do you mean submarine kingdoms? If so, I say there is something, but I have no interest in designing it; they worry about their own and don't bother the dry races.
I hope I cleared that up for you.
Actually, that didn't clear up much. Also, I don't see how the Great Wheel is incompatible with an oriental campaign.
Anyway, options for planar cosmology:
- Great Wheel (from 3.x)
- Norse World Tree
- Elemental Chaos (instead of separate elemental planes)
- Points of Light (did this have a cosmology?)
Obviously we need a few more choices before putting up a poll. (Or maybe we need a few polls.)
Edit: Also, I'm terrible with names, so I'll leave that to others.
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I hope I cleared that up for you.Actually, that didn't clear up much. Also, I don't see how the Great Wheel is incompatible with an oriental campaign.
Anyway, options for planar cosmology:
- Great Wheel (from 3.x)
- Norse World Tree
- Elemental Chaos (instead of separate elemental planes)
- Points of Light (did this have a cosmology?)Obviously we need a few more choices before putting up a poll. (Or maybe we need a few polls.)
Edit: Also, I'm terrible with names, so I'll leave that to others.
No, it's enough.
----------------
The Great Beyond
In the cosmology of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, the planes are collectively known as the Great Beyond, and form a vast, nesting sphere. At the heart of the sphere lie the Material Plane and its twisted reflection, the Shadow Plane, bridged by the mists of the Ethereal Plane. The elemental planes of the Inner Sphere surround this heart. Farther out, beyond the void of the Astral Plane, sits the unimaginably vast Outer Sphere, which is itself surrounded and contained by the innumerable layers of the Abyss
The planes that make up the Great Beyond are briefly detailed below. For additional information on these planes, see Pathfinder Chronicles: The Great Beyond.
Material Plane
The Material Plane is the center of most cosmologies and defines what is considered normal. It is the plane most campaign worlds occupy.
The Material Plane has the following traits:
Normal Gravity
Normal Time
Alterable Morphic
No Elemental or Energy Traits: Specific locations may have these traits, however.
Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Though it may contain high concentrations of evil or good, law or chaos in places.
Normal Magic
Shadow Plane
The Shadow Plane is a dimly lit dimension that is both coterminous to and coexistent with the Material Plane. It overlaps the Material Plane much as the Ethereal Plane does, so a planar traveler can use the Shadow Plane to cover great distances quickly. The Shadow Plane is also coterminous to other planes. With the right spell, a character can use the Shadow Plane to visit other realities. The Shadow Plane is a world of black and white; color itself has been bleached from the environment. It otherwise appears similar to the Material Plane. Despite the lack of light sources, various plants, animals, and humanoids call the Shadow Plane home.
The Shadow Plane has the following traits:
Magically Morphic: Parts of the Shadow Plane continually flow onto other planes. As a result, creating a precise map of the plane is next to impossible, despite the presence of landmarks. In addition, certain spells, such as shadow conjuration and shadow evocation, modify the base material of the Shadow Plane. The utility and power of these spells within the Shadow Plane make them particularly useful for explorers and natives alike.
Mildly Neutral-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells with the shadow descriptor are enhanced on the Shadow Plane. Furthermore, specific spells become more powerful on the Shadow Plane. Shadow conjuration and shadow evocation spells are 30% as powerful as the conjurations and evocations they mimic (as opposed to 20%). Greater shadow conjuration and greater shadow evocation are 70% as powerful (not 60%), and a shades spell conjures at 90% of the power of the original (not 80%). Despite the dark nature of the Shadow Plane, spells that produce, use, or manipulate darkness are unaffected by the plane.
Impeded Magic: Spells with the light descriptor or that use or generate light or fire are impeded on the Shadow Plane. Spells that produce light are less effective in general, because all light sources have their ranges halved on the Shadow Plane.
Negative Energy Plane
To an observer, there's little to see on the Negative Energy Plane. It is a dark, empty place, an eternal pit where a traveler can fall until the plane itself steals away all light and life. The Negative Energy Plane is the most hostile of the Inner Planes, the most uncaring and intolerant of life. Only creatures immune to its life-draining energies can survive there.
The Negative Energy Plane has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity
Major Negative-Dominant: Some areas within the plane have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these islands tend to be inhabited.
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy are enhanced. Class abilities that use negative energy, such as channel negative energy, gain a +4 bonus to the save DC to resist the ability.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy (including cure spells) are impeded. Characters on this plane take a –10 penalty on saving throws made to remove negative levels bestowed by an energy drain attack.
Positive Energy Plane
The Positive Energy Plane has no surface and is akin to the Plane of Air with its wide-open nature. However, every bit of this plane glows brightly with innate power. This power is dangerous to mortal forms, which are not made to handle it. Despite the beneficial effects of the plane, it is one of the most hostile of the Inner Planes. An unprotected character on this plane swells with power as positive energy is forced upon her. Then, because her mortal frame is unable to contain that power, she is immolated, like a mote of dust caught at the edge of a supernova. Visits to the Positive Energy Plane are brief, and even then travelers must be heavily protected.
The Positive Energy Plane has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity
Major Positive-Dominant: Some regions of the plane have the minor positive-dominant trait instead, and those islands tend to be inhabited.
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy are enhanced. Class abilities that use positive energy, such as channel positive energy, gain a +4 bonus to the save DC to resist the ability.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy (including inflict spells) are impeded.
Plane of Air
The Plane of Air is an empty plane, consisting of sky above and sky below. It is the most comfortable and survivable of the Inner Planes and is the home of all manner of airborne creatures. Indeed, flying creatures find themselves at a great advantage on this plane. While travelers without flight can survive easily here, they are at a disadvantage.
The Plane of Air has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity: Inhabitants of the plane determine their own “down” direction. Objects not under the motive force of others do not move.
Air-Dominant
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the air descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create air (including those of the Air domain and the elemental [air] bloodline) are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the earth descriptor or that use or create earth (including those of the Earth domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [earth] bloodline, and spells that summon earth elementals or outsiders with the earth subtype) are impeded.
Plane of Earth
The Plane of Earth is a solid place made of soil and stone. An unwary traveler might find himself entombed within this vast solidity of material and crushed into nothingness, with his powdered remains left as a warning to any foolish enough to follow. Despite its solid, unyielding nature, the Plane of Earth is varied in its consistency, ranging from soft soil to veins of heavier and more valuable metal.
The Plane of Earth has the following traits:
Earth-Dominant
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the earth descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create earth or stone (including those of the Earth domain and the elemental [earth] bloodline) are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the air descriptor or that use or create air (including those of the Air domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [air] bloodline, and spells that summon air elementals or outsiders with the air subtype) are impeded.
Plane of Fire
Everything is alight on the Plane of Fire. The ground is nothing more than great, ever-shifting plates of compressed flame. The air ripples with the heat of continual firestorms and the most common liquid is magma. The oceans are made of liquid flame, and the mountains ooze with molten lava. Fire survives here without needing fuel or air, but flammables brought onto the plane are consumed readily.
The Plane of Fire has the following traits:
Fire-Dominant
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the fire descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create fire (including those of the Fire domain or the elemental [fire] bloodline) are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the water descriptor or that use or create water (including spells of the Water domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [water] bloodline, and spells that summon water elementals or outsiders with the water subtype) are impeded.
Plane of Water
The Plane of Water is a sea without a floor or a surface, an entirely fluid environment lit by a diffuse glow. It is one of the more hospitable of the Inner Planes once a traveler gets past the problem of breathing the local medium.
The eternal oceans of this plane vary between ice cold and boiling hot, and between saline and fresh. They are perpetually in motion, wracked by currents and tides. The plane's permanent settlements form around bits of flotsam suspended within this endless liquid, drifting on the tides.
The Plane of Water has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity: The gravity here works similarly to that of the Plane of Air, but sinking or rising on the Plane of Water is slower (and less dangerous) than on the Plane of Air.
Water-Dominant
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the water descriptor or that use or create water (including those of the Water domain or the elemental [water] bloodline) are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the fire descriptor or that use or create fire (including spells of the Fire domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [fire] bloodline, and spells that summon fire elementals or outsiders with the fire subtype) are impeded.
Ethereal Plane
The Ethereal Plane is coexistent with the Material Plane and often other planes as well. The Material Plane itself is visible from the Ethereal Plane, but it appears muted and indistinct; colors blur into each other and edges are fuzzy.
While it is possible to see into the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, the latter is usually invisible to those on the Material Plane. Normally, creatures on the Ethereal Plane cannot attack creatures on the Material Plane, and vice versa. A traveler on the Ethereal Plane is invisible, insubstanial, and utterly silent to someone on the Material Plane.
The Ethereal Plane has the following traits:
No Gravity
Alterable Morphic: The plane contains little to alter, however.
Mildly Neutral-Aligned
Normal Magic: Spells function normally on the Ethereal Plane, though they do not cross into the Material Plane. The only exceptions are spells and spell-like abilities that have the force descriptor and abjuration spells that affect ethereal beings; these can cross from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane. Spellcasters on the Material Plane must have some way to detect foes on the Ethereal Plane before targeting them with force-based spells. While it's possible to hit ethereal enemies with a force spell cast on the Material Plane, the reverse isn't possible. No magical attacks cross from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane, including force attacks.
Astral Plane
The Astral Plane is the space between the Inner and Outer Planes, and coterminous with all of the planes. When a character moves through a portal or projects her spirit to a different plane of existence, she travels through the Astral Plane. Even spells that allow instantaneous movement across a plane briefly touch the Astral Plane. The Astral Plane is a great, endless expanse of clear silvery sky, both above and below. Occasional bits of solid matter can be found here, but most of the Astral Plane is an endless, open domain.
The Astral Plane has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity
Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, afflictions (such as diseases, curses, and poisons), and natural healing don't function in the Astral Plane, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves the Astral Plane.
Mildly Neutral-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: All spells and spell-like abilities used within the Astral Plane may be employed as if they were improved by the Quicken Spell or Quicken Spell-Like Ability feats. Already quickened spells and spell-like abilities are unaffected, as are spells from magic items. Spells so quickened are still prepared and cast at their unmodified level. As with the Quicken Spell feat, only one quickened spell or spell-like ability can be cast per round.
Abaddon (Neutral Evil)
A realm of vast wastelands under a rotten sky, Abaddon is perpetually cloaked in a cloying black mist and the oppressive twilight of an endless solar eclipse. The poisoned River Styx has its source in Abaddon, before it meanders like a twisted serpent onto other planes. Abaddon may be the most hostile of the Outer Planes; it is the home of the daemons, fiends of pure evil untouched by the struggle between law and chaos, who personify oblivion and destruction. Daemons, which are ruled by four godlike archdaemons, are feared throughout the Great Beyond as devourers of souls.
Abaddon has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Abaddon can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Evil-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the evil descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the good descriptor are impeded.
The Abyss (Chaotic Evil)
Surrounding the Outer Sphere like the impossibly deep skin of an onion, the layered plane of the Abyss begins as gargantuan canyons and yawning chasms in the fabric of the other Outer Planes, bordered by the foul waters of the River Styx. Coterminous with all of the Outer Planes, the infinite layers of the Abyss connect to one another in constantly shifting pathways. There are no rules in the Abyss, nor laws, order, or hope. The Abyss is a perversion of freedom, a nightmare realm of unmitigated horror where desire and suffering are given demonic form, for the Abyss is the spawning ground of the innumerable races of demons, among the oldest beings in all the Great Beyond.
The Abyss has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic and Sentient: Deities with domains in the Abyss can alter the plane at will, as can the Abyss itself.
Strongly Chaos-Aligned and Strongly Evil-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the chaotic or evil descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the lawful or good descriptor are impeded.
Elysium (Chaotic Good)
A vast land of untamed wilderness and wild passions, Elysium is the plane of benevolent chaos. Freedom and self-sufficiency abound here, personified in the azatas native to the plane. In Elysium, selfless cooperation and fierce competition clash with the violence of a raging thunderstorm, but such conflicts never overshadow the lofty concepts of bravery, creativity, and good unhindered by rules or laws.
Elysium has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Elysium can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Chaos-Aligned and Strongly Good-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the chaotic or good descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the lawful or evil descriptor are impeded.
Heaven (Lawful Good)
The soaring mountain of Heaven towers high above the Outer Sphere. This ordered realm of honor and compassion is divided into seven layers. Heaven's slopes are filled with planned, orderly cities and tidy, cultivated gardens and orchards. Though they began their existences as mortals, Heaven's native archons see law and good as indivisible halves of the same exalted concept, and array themselves against the cosmic perversions of chaos and evil.
Heaven has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Heaven can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Law-Aligned and Strongly Good-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the lawful or good descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the chaotic or evil descriptor are impeded.
Hell (Lawful Evil)
The nine layers of Hell form a structured labyrinth of calculated evil where torment goes hand in hand with purification. A plane of iron cities, burning wastelands, frozen glaciers, and endless volcanic peaks, Hell is divided into nine nesting layers, each under the malevolent rule of an archdevil. Torture, anguish, and agony are inevitable in Hell, but they are methodical, not spiteful or capricious, and serve a deliberate master plan under the watchful eyes of the disciplined ranks of Hells' lesser devils. The nine layers of Hell, from first to last, are Avernus, Dis, Erebus, Phlegethon, Stygia, Malebolge, Cocytus, Caina, and Nessus.
Hell has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Hell can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Law-Aligned and Strongly Evil-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the lawful or evil descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the chaotic or good descriptor are impeded.
Limbo (Chaotic Neutral)
A vast ocean of unrestrained chaos and untapped potential surrounds and is coterminous with each of the Outer Planes. This is Limbo—beautiful, deadly, and truly endless. From its unplumbed depths were born all the other planes, and to its anarchic deeps will all creation eventually return. Where the formless sea of Limbo laps against the shores of other planes, its substance takes on some measure of stability, and it is within these borderlands that travel is safest, though it is still fraught with danger from Limbo's chaos-warped inhabitants. Deeper into the plane, Limbo's native proteans cavort in the Primal Chaos, creating and destroying the raw stuff of chaos with unfathomable abandon.
Limbo has the following traits:
Subjective Directional Gravity and Normal Gravity: On the few islands of stability within Limbo, gravity is more likely to be normal (down is toward the center of mass). Everywhere else, gravity is subjective directional.
Erratic Time
Highly Morphic
Strongly Chaos-Aligned
Wild Magic and Normal Magic: On the few islands of stability within Limbo, magic is more likely to be normal. Magic is wild everywhere else.
Nirvana (Neutral Good)
Nirvana is an unbiased paradise existing between the two extremes of Elysium and Heaven. Its stunning mountains, rolling hills, and deep forests all match a visitor's expectations of a pastoral paradise, but Nirvana also contains mysteries that lead to enlightenment. Nirvana is a sanctuary and a place of respite for all who seek redemption or illumination. Nirvana's native agathions have willingly postponed their own transcendence to guard Nirvana's enigmas, while celestial beings fight the forces of evil across the planes.
Nirvana has the following traits:
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Nirvana can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Good-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the good descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the evil descriptor are impeded.
Purgatory (Neutral)
Every soul passes through Purgatory to be judged before being sent on to its final destination in the Great Beyond. Vast graveyards and wastelands fill its gloomy expanses, along with dusty, echoing courts for the judgment of the dead. Purgatory is home to the aeons, a race who embody the dualistic nature of existence and who are constantly both at war and at peace with each other and themselves.
Purgatory has the following traits:
Timeless: Age, hunger, thirst, afflictions (such as diseases, curses, and poisons), and natural healing don't function in Purgatory, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves Purgatory.
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Purgatory can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Neutral-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the death descriptor, or from the Death or Repose domains, are enhanced.
Utopia (Lawful Neutral)
Utopia is a bastion of order against the chaos of Limbo and the countless demonic hordes of the Abyss. A great city of eternal perfection, Utopia's streets and buildings are paragons of architecture and aesthetics; everything is ordered and nothing happens by chance. While no one race rules Utopia, axiomites and inevitables make their homes here, forever striving to expand their perfect city.
Utopia has the following traits:
Finite Shape
Divinely Morphic: Deities with domains in Utopia can alter the plane at will.
Strongly Law-Aligned
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the lawful descriptor are enhanced.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the chaotic descriptor are impeded.
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The Great Beyond is from Gamemastery and should work as a fifth Choice.