Dungeon Master's Guide
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
SPELLS<br />
Sa~ya raised her hands and began to declaim the words of<br />
a very powerful spell, one of the most dangerous she knew,<br />
a spell designed to breach the barriers between the planes<br />
and create a magical bridge into another realm of existence.<br />
The myth a/ thrummed in response, th e intangible pulse of<br />
the old device taking on a new and different note. Sarya<br />
ignored the myth a/ stone's change and pressed on, finishing<br />
her gate spell with skill and confidence.<br />
"The gate is open!" she cried. "Malkizid, come forth !"<br />
Before Sarya a great ring or hoop of golden magic<br />
coalesced from the air. Through it she glimpsed the realm<br />
of Malkizid, an infernal wasteland of parched desert,<br />
windswept rifts, and black, angry skies torn by crimson<br />
lightning. Then , through the gate, the archdevil Malkizid<br />
appeared. With one smooth step he crossed from his<br />
infernal plane into the myth a/ chamber.<br />
-Richard Baker, Farthest Reach<br />
A number of spells allow direct or indirect access to<br />
other planes of existence. Plane shift and gate can<br />
directly transport adventurers to any other plane, with<br />
different degrees of precision. Etherealness allows<br />
adventurers to enter the Ethereal Plane. And the astral<br />
projection spell lets adventurers project themselves<br />
into the Astral Plane and from there travel to the<br />
Outer Planes.<br />
Plane Shift. The plane shift spell has two important<br />
limitations. The first is the material component: a<br />
small, forked, metal rod (like a tuning fork) attuned to<br />
the desired planar destination. The spell requires the<br />
proper resonating frequency to home in on the correct<br />
location, and the fork must be made of the right material<br />
(sometimes a complex alloy) to focus the spell's magic<br />
properly. Crafting the fork is expensive (at least 250 gp),<br />
but even the act of researching the correct specifications<br />
can lead to adventure. After all. not many people<br />
voluntarily travel into the depth of Carceri, so very few<br />
know what kind of tuning fork i required to get there.<br />
Second, the spell doesn't end the caster to a specific<br />
location unless he or she ha pecialized information.<br />
The sigil sequence of a teleponation ci rcle located on<br />
another plane allows the ca rer ro travel directly to that<br />
circle, but such knowledge is even harder to come<br />
by than the specifications of the required tuning<br />
fork. Otherwise, the spell transports the caster to<br />
a location in the general vicinity of the desired spot.<br />
Wherever the adventurers arrive, they'll most likely<br />
still need to undertake a journey to reach the object of a<br />
planar quest.<br />
Gate. The gate spell opens a portal linked to a specific<br />
point on another plane of existence. The spell provides<br />
a shortcut to a planar destination, bypassing many of<br />
the guardians and trials that would normally fill such<br />
a journey. But this 9th-level spell is out of reach for all<br />
but the most powerful characters, and it does nothing to<br />
negate any obstacles that wait at the destination.<br />
The gate spell is powerful, but not infallible. A deity,<br />
demon lord, or other powerful entity can prevent such a<br />
portal from opening within its dominion.<br />
ASTRAL PLANE<br />
Halisstra opened her eyes and found herself drifting in<br />
an endless silver sea. Soft gray clouds moved slowly in<br />
the distance, while strange dark streaks twisted violently<br />
through the sky, anchored in ends so distant she couldn't<br />
perceive th em, their middle parts revolving angrily like<br />
pieces of string rolled between a child 's fingertips. She<br />
glanced down, wondering what supported her, and saw<br />
nothing but more of th e strange pearly sky beneath her fee t<br />
and all around her.<br />
She drew in a sudden breath , surprised by the sight, and<br />
felt her lungs fill with something sweeter and perhaps a little<br />
more solid than air, but instead of gagging or drowning<br />
on the stuff she seemed perfectly acclimated to it. An<br />
electric thrill raced through her limbs as she found herself<br />
mesmerized by the simple act of respiration.<br />
-Richard Baker, Condemna tio<br />
The Astral Plane is the realm of thought and dream,<br />
where visitors travel as disembodied souls to reach<br />
the Outer Planes. It is a great silvery sea, the same<br />
above and below, with swirling wisps of white and gray<br />
streaking among motes of light like distant stars. Most<br />
of the Astral Sea is a vast, empty expanse. Visitors<br />
occasionally stumble upon the petrified corpse of a<br />
CHAPTER 2 I CREATING A<br />
E