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Plane shift was an alteration or conjuration spell that transported the caster and a few others to a different plane of existence.[1][2][3][4][8]

Effects[]

By means of this spell, the caster and up to seven or eight other beings could be transported to a chosen plane or alternate dimension, including specific layers of multilayer planes. Willing subjects had to form a circle with the caster, holding hands or otherwise maintaining physical contact while the spell was being cast. The caster could also choose to send a single subject to a random location on another plane, but if the subject was unwilling, the caster had to successfully touch the target and the victim had a chance to resist the magic of this spell.[1][2][3][4][8]

The earliest version of this spell was quite accurate, placing the travelers at a specific location if desired.[8] Later versions had problems with accuracy,[1][3][4] with one version having a maximum error of 500 miles (800 kilometers).[2]

Components[]

In addition to verbal and somatic components, the key to casting this spell was a forked metal rod of a certain size and composition that attuned it to the desired destination plane.[1][2][3][4][8] In some schools of thought, the size and metal type of the rod were crucial to guarantee the correct destination was reached,[2][3][4][8] but there may have been other ways to attune a given rod to a specific plane.[1] In Kara-Tur, the material component used for this spell by shugenja was an engraved coin. The engravings were characters that represented the plane and was tied around the neck with a leather thong.[7]

Planar Forks[]

The following table details the forks known to access most planes. "Material" is the substance out of which the fork was made, usually metal. For example, in general, gold led to upper planes, while iron led to lower planes. Pure metals were used for inner planes, while alloys of those metals led to the respective paraelemental planes.[10]

"Pitch" is the single note to which an individual fork was tuned. If a plane had layers, this note always led to the first layer of that plane. Quasi-elemental planes could be reached by using a fork tuned sharp for positive planes and flat for negative planes. "Chord", in the table, indicates that multiple forks were required to ring in harmony. Major chords usually took one to the second layer of a plane, while minor chords took one to the third layer. More complicated harmonies were rumored to be able to reach other layers.[10]

Plane Planar Fork[11] Color Pool[12][13][14][15] Ethereal Curtain[16][17][18][19]
Material Pitch or Chord
The Prime Steel about this audio file listen ColorPoolMaterial Silver EtherealCurtainMaterial Metallic silver or turquoise
The Feywild ColorPoolBeastlands Emerald green Opalescent white
The Shadowfell ColorPoolShadow Spiraling black Silver or dusky gray
Elemental Planes
Fire Copper about this audio file listen ColorPoolFire Fire emerald EtherealCurtainFire Flickering green or red
Earth Zinc about this audio file listen ColorPoolEarth Moss granite EtherealCurtainEarth Flickering gray or brown
Water Lead about this audio file listen ColorPoolWater Dark blue EtherealCurtainWater Flickering blue or green
Air Tin about this audio file listen ColorPoolAir Pale blue EtherealCurtainAir Flickering white or blue
Para-elemental Planes
Smoke Bronze about this audio file listen Pearl
Magma Brass about this audio file listen Maroon
Ooze Zinc/lead about this audio file listen Chocolate
Ice Pewter about this audio file listen Aquamarine
Quasi-Elemental Planes
Radiance Copper A♯ about this audio file listen Shifting rainbow
Mineral Zinc A♯ about this audio file listen Milky pink
Steam Lead A♯ about this audio file listen Ivory
Lightning Tin A♯ about this audio file listen Violet
Ash Copper A♭ about this audio file listen Dark gray
Dust Zinc A♭ about this audio file listen Dun
Salt Lead A♭ about this audio file listen Tan
Vacuum Tin A♭ about this audio file listen Ebony
Energy Planes
Positive None known ColorPoolPositive Shining white EtherealCurtainPositive Shining white
Negative None known ColorPoolNegative Cold ebony EtherealCurtainNegative Glossy black
Transitive Planes
Ethereal Glass[tbl 1] about this audio file listen ColorPoolEthereal Spiraling white
Astral Quartz[tbl 2] about this audio file listen Swirling gray
Shadow ColorPoolShadow Spiraling black Silver or dusky gray
Outer Planes
Outlands Platinum about this audio file listen ColorPoolOutlands Leather brown Brown
Cynosure None None None
The Fugue None None None
Mechanus Silver about this audio file listen ColorPoolMechanus Diamond White
Arcadia
  Abellio
  Buxenus
  Layer 3
Gold
C♯ about this audio file listen
C♯ major about this audio file listen
C♯ minor about this audio file listen

ColorPoolArcadia Saffron

Pale yellow
Celestia
  Lunia
  Mercuria
  Venya
  Other layers
Gold
about this audio file listen
D major about this audio file listen
D minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolCelestia Gold


Brilliant yellow
Bytopia
  Dothion
  Shurrock
Gold
E♭ about this audio file listen
E♭ major about this audio file listen

ColorPoolBytopia Amber
Dark yellow
Elysium
  Amoria
  Eronia
  Belierin
  Thalasia
Gold
about this audio file listen
E major about this audio file listen
E minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolElysium Opal


Dark green
The Beastlands
  Krigala
  Brux
  Karasuthra
Gold
about this audio file listen
F major about this audio file listen
F minor about this audio file listen

ColorPoolBeastlands Emerald

Emerald green
Arborea
  Arvandor
    Arvandor
  Aquallor
  Mithardir
Gold
F♯ about this audio file listen

F♯ major about this audio file listen
F♯ minor about this audio file listen

ColorPoolArborea Sapphire
Dark green

Bright blue
Ysgard
  Ysgard
  Muspelheim
  Nidavellir
Gold
about this audio file listen
G major about this audio file listen
G minor about this audio file listen

ColorPoolYsgard Indigo

Purple
Limbo Nickel C[tbl 3] about this audio file listen ColorPoolLimbo Jet Swirling black
Pandemonium
  Pandesmos
  Cocytus
  Phlegethon
  Agathion
Iron
C♯ about this audio file listen
C♯ major about this audio file listen
C♯ minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolPandemonium Magenta


Crimson
The Abyss
  Layer 1
  Other layers
Iron
about this audio file listen
Unknown[tbl 4]

ColorPoolAbyss Amethyst
Swirling red
Carceri
  Orthrys
  Cathrys
  Minethys
  Other layers
Iron
E♭ about this audio file listen
E♭ major about this audio file listen
E♭ minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolCarceri Olive or red


Gray-green
Hades
  Oinos
  Niflheim
  Pluton
Iron
about this audio file listen
E major about this audio file listen
E minor about this audio file listen

ColorPoolHades Rust

Iron gray
Dark red
Gehenna
  Khalas
  Chamada
  Mungoth
  Krangath
Iron
about this audio file listen
F major about this audio file listen
F minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolGehenna Russet


Bright red
The Nine Hells
  Avernus
  Dis
  Minauros
  Other layers
Iron
F♯ about this audio file listen
F♯ major about this audio file listen
F♯ minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolBaator Ruby


Red & black
Acheron
  Avalas
  Thuldanin
  Tintibulus
  Ocanthus
Iron
about this audio file listen
G major about this audio file listen
G minor about this audio file listen
Unknown

ColorPoolAcheron Flame


Metallic red
  1. Glass always breaks in casting of spell.
  2. Quartz breaks about half the time in casting of spell.
  3. Precise determination of destination layer not possible.
  4. Lower layers may be reached through random chords.

History[]

In the time of ancient Netheril, divine spells were considered to come from the breath of gods and called "winds".[20] This spell was classified as being a Transcendent wind.[21]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Appearances[]

Card Games
Spellfire: Master the Magic

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 266. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 262. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 224. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 David "Zeb" Cook (April 1995). Player's Handbook 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), pp. 283–284. ISBN 0-7869-0329-5.
  5. Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 152. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  6. Richard Baker (1996). Player's Option: Spells & Magic. (TSR, Inc), p. 186. ISBN 0-7869-0394-5.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Mark Middleton et al. (1999). Priest's Spell Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 451. ISBN 9780786914210.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 50. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  9. Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 70. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Jeff Grubb (April 1987). “Plane Speaking: Tuning in to the Outer Planes”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #120 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 42–43.
  11. Jeff Grubb (April 1987). “Plane Speaking: Tuning in to the Outer Planes”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #120 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 42–43.
  12. Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 62. ISBN 0880383992.
  13. Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 49. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
  14. Richard Baker, John Rogers, Robert J. Schwalb, James Wyatt (December 2008). Manual of the Planes 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7869-5002-7.
  15. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 47. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  16. Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR), p. 12. ISBN 0880383992.
  17. Bruce R. Cordell (1998). A Guide to the Ethereal Plane. Edited by Michele Carter, Keith Francis Strohm. (TSR, Inc.), p. 20. ISBN 0-7869-1205-7.
  18. Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 57. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
  19. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt (2014). Dungeon Master's Guide 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 49. ISBN 978-0786965622.
  20. slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 19. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  21. slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
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