16 replies to this topic

[Feanor]

Magic from the Prime Material Plane works also in other planes ? For instance, a mage or a cleric from Toril can still use his spells in Baator ?

[Andyr]

Yes.


There was some rule about Clerics being less effective the further away the alignment of the plane they were on was from their deity's alignment, but I don't recall it offhand.

[NiGHTMARE]

Both arcane and divine spells generally still work in other planes, but very often they'll work differently.

Sometimes the difference is merely cosmetic: for example, summoning spells call up creatures native to the plane, so Monster Summoning in the Abyss would bring forth some demonic equivalent to hobgoblins, gnolls, etc.

Sometimes spells will be less or more powerful. For instance, in the demi-plane of Shadow, light-based spells will result in less light and if duration-based, have shorter lifespans. Darkness based spells, on the other hand, will be more effective and longer lasting than usual.

There are times when certain types of spell don't work at all. Fire-based spells won't work in the Elemental Plane of Water, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, water-based spells would be far more powerful than usual.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 10 March 2005 - 04:59 PM.

[Stone Wolf]

For priests, it's a little different. A priest loses one casting level (only for determining spell power and spells per day) for each plane between the plane he is on and the plane his deity resides on. While in the Outer Planes, that distance is counted along the outside of the ring (so no counting the outlands!).

If on an Inner Plane, the Astral Plane, or the Ethereal Plane, you count directly. If the Priest is on the Prime Material or in Sigil, he's at full power.

Oh, remember that some spells need to access either the astral or the ethereal plane to function. Since you can't connect to the Astral from the Inner Planes, and you can't connect to the Ethereal from the Outer Planes, those spells won't work.

Edited by Stone Wolf, 10 March 2005 - 06:03 PM.

[Deathsangel]

A really dead magic zone is in the Outlands. The more you travel towards the spine the more magic fails, both divine and arcana. The exception to this rule is Sigil, who lies on top of the spiral (and thus close), in which all magic works.

[Andyr]

IIRC, there is something of a "weave" of magic that allows mages to cast arcane spells. The only time this has really ever had a major disturbance was when Karsus attempted to use his scroll. (If you want more information on that, just ask.)

The Weave powers all arcane and divine spells on Faerun, though is not used by Shadow Weave casters or psionics.

When not on the Prime Material, though, the lack of a Weave does not hinder casting as casters draw on magic inherent to the planes. It is a bit of a FR oddity that the WotC people don't draw attention to.

[oralpain]

I'm not sure how they explain it in 3rd edition, but in second edition AD&D the weave is FR specifc and only concerns wizard magic. I'm not sure if it even is mentioned in pre 2e.

[Andyr]

The Weave also affects divine magic in 3E. I thought it affected divine magic in AD&D too...

[taza]

Faerunite casters relying on Weave or Shadow Weave are in big trouble at the planes. They need to relearn how to use magic.

Dragonlance casters relying in the power of the moons face similiar difficulties.

Casters from the planes or Spelljammer have no trouble casting in Krynn or Faerun though.

[NiGHTMARE]

In 3rd Edition, each official setting exists in its own seperate universe, meaning Spelljamming and Planewalking from f.ex Aber-Toril to Krynn (via an intermediate plane for Planewalking) is no longer officially possible). I'd guess that in the 3E FR universe, the Weave exists in all the planes.

IIRC the Shadow Weave is a 3rd Edition invention as well, and if I were to introduce it to the 2E D&D universe I'd make it so it also exists in the demiplane of Shadow, and in the part of Hades were Shar resides.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 12 March 2005 - 03:36 PM.

[taza]

3rd ed rules, 2nd ed campaign setting.

The planes don't exist in 3rd ed anyway - just a cheap imitation. For example, Her Serenity is not LN.

[Andyr]

Faerunite casters relying on Weave or Shadow Weave are in big trouble at the planes. They need to relearn how to use magic.

The 3.XE FR sourcebooks do not mention anything about Faerunian casters having to learn anything different to cast magic when on the Planes.

[NiGHTMARE]

As I said, in 3E each official setting has its own set of planes. The only setting which keeps the planes pretty much the same as they were in 1E/2E is Greyhawk. For both FR and Dragonlance, they've been given a huge makeover. Dunno how Eberron handles the subject at all .

[Andyr]

I prefer to attribute the new FR cosmology to scholars making mistakes, and prefer to keep with the Great Wheel than the Great Tree.

[Stone Wolf]

Actually, 2E Planescape said that not all Prime worlds have the same concept of the Planes. Most Primes stay on the Prime world they were born on, and that includes most adventurers and sages. As a result, their knowledge is limited and fairly often wrong. There is a reason people from Prime worlds are called the Clueless on the Planes.

[Deathsangel]

I do not have the 3e book 'Magics of Fearun', but I reckon it ought to stand in there.

I do not agree with Taza that the planes don't exist anymore in 3e. There are planes, but you need special books to get to know about them, like 'Manual of the Planes'. There is the connection explained between all of them. However, it depends which rules you use. There are some optional rules giving in 'Manual of the Planes', which guide it more to 2e rules. Also the book 'Unearthed Arcana' can give you options in order to create more difference.