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I was thinking about the tuning forks that are used for plane shift and it got me wondering. How long would it take to figure out the resonance frequency needed for an unknown plane. That is you can't just buy a fork or quest for X lore. You need to do magical research to figure out the correct frquency to make a fork for say planeshifting to Elysium. How long do you feel such research should take? Then when I got home from work and looked it up to see if there were rules I saw an unatuned fork has to be physically taken to a plane to attune it before it can be used for plane shift spells.
So how would you handle getting to a plane when you have no fork or convenient portal for it? Lets say an inhabitant of an unknown plane is banished and wants your help getting home. There is no convenient portal between your planes, you have no tuning fork and can't get ahold of one. Can't even make one before you get to that plane for the first time. So how do you get to an unknown plane?
I'm leaning towards an alternative to attuning the fork in the plane if you have something from it e.g. clothing, a quill, hair from someone that's a native where you can research the frequency and attune an unatuned fork using the item as consumeable component. One that would take longer depending on the type of fork made e.g. common = 1 week, uncommon = 1 month, rare = 1 year and unique is GM judgement e.g. to the plane of time may take decades of research.
Still I'm curious how other people would handle getting to an plane for the first time?
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you only get plastic forks on planes nowadays ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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The description of Plane Shift list the focus as a forked metal rod attuned to the plane of travel. It also does not list a cost so the cost of the fork is of negligible cost and is assumed to be in your spell component pouch. It does not specifically state it is a tuning fork. To me this indicates that they are not expensive or difficult to make. It seem to me that requiring a tuning fork set to a specific harmonic frequency would be more expensive than a small square of silk (the F for Magic Aura).
Attuning the fork could be a mental exercise where you focus on the nature of the plane instead of needing a separate fork for each plane. If you do want to use a tuning fork it should only be a knowledge planes roll to figure out the frequency. If it is more difficult the focus should have a listed cost.
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The description of Plane Shift list the focus as a forked metal rod attuned to the plane of travel. It also does not list a cost so the cost of the fork is of negligible cost and is assumed to be in your spell component pouch.
That was true for the first nine years of PF1. Then Planar Adventures was released. . .
Page 85 of Planar adventures adds a lot more complexity to plane shift. Forks for the 20 most common planes (including the material) cost 100 gp each. Less common planes get much more expensive. Forks for forgotten or deliberately hidden planes are completely unavailable for normal purchase. It's up to the GM to decide how - or even if - players could access those planes.
It also includes rules for tuning untuned forks to a plane. For common planes like the First World, Axis, or the Plane of Earth it's as easy as striking the fork on a solid surface and letting it sit for 24 hours. And again; the less common planes are harder.
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As to the original question: It's completely up to the GM.
But if you want to try to stay as close as possible to "the rules" as expanded by Planar Adventures, you have a few options. For Elysium in particular, you're in luck. It's one of the common 20, so it only costs 100gp to buy a fork. Likely available almost anywhere. For the inhabitant of an unknown plane, your first step is probably to use powerful divinations to determine what plane it is from. Then you could call (not summon) a creature native to that dimension with access to plane shift as as spell-like ability. One of the things Planar Adventures did NOT do is require a fork for spell-like plane shift.
If you're asking how I would handle accessing new planes in general (as a GM) - very carefully.
Assuming that my campaign isn't based around hopping will-nilly around the planes (in which case I would make it very easy) I would probably have them go on a quest for some McGuffin to transport them to the plane the first time. If I don't want there to be a permanent gate, a Planar Keystone is perfect. If I think the campaign will be helped by them having tuning forks after that then they will find a unique feature to strike. If I want the plane to be a one-off they won't. Straightforward GM fiat.
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Hmm gate is a possibility if your high enough. The whole point of my speculation is when you don't have that tuning fork easily available for purchase. As is the amulet of the planes, perhaps a variant cheaper one made with material from a plane that has a 60% desired location, 40% random but still on the plane but only for that plane . . .
Oh and Nethys has the rules under planar cutlery https://aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2508
They could use The Matrix. All they would need is a spoon …
… oh wait.
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There's an old discussion thread on what planes border the plane of shadow in the Golarion setting here, since we're bringing up Shadow Walk as planar travel. At the very least it should be able to take you to the Ethereal, Astral, Shadow, Material, and Negative Energy planes.
I'm not sure I'd want to visit those planes but interesting dicussison.