Plane Shifting to the Material

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

If a caster is on a plane other than the material and attempts to plane shift back, can he do so with pin-point accuracy? Does he need to be familiar with the location that he's shifting to? I'm asking because the SRD text only indicates that there's a percent miss chance for shifting from the material, not to it, but in the preceeding sentence it indicates that precise accuracy when plane shifting is "nigh impossible."

You move yourself or some other creature to another plane of existence or alternate dimension. If several willing persons link hands in a circle, as many as eight can be affected by the plane shift at the same time. Precise accuracy as to a particular arrival location on the intended plane is nigh impossible. From the Material Plane, you can reach any other plane, though you appear 5 to 500 miles (5d%) from your intended destination.

Note: Plane shift transports creatures instantaneously and then ends. The creatures need to find other means if they are to travel back.

Thoughts?

 

[moritheil]

If a caster is on a plane other than the material and attempts to plane shift back, can he do so with pin-point accuracy?

In theory he can, but it is "nigh-impossible." If you want to make it work mechanically, give him a DC 50+ Know (geography) skill check, or something. It shouldn't be easy, and he shouldn't expect to pull it off.

 

[MarkB]

In theory he can, but it is "nigh-impossible." If you want to make it work mechanically, give him a DC 50+ Know (geography) skill check, or something. It shouldn't be easy, and he shouldn't expect to pull it off.

I think the "nigh-impossible" is already covered in the 5-500 mile deviation. I'd simply use that for the material plane, just as if you were traveling to any other plane.

 

[moritheil]

I think the "nigh-impossible" is already covered in the 5-500 mile deviation. I'd simply use that for the material plane, just as if you were traveling to any other plane.

That is actually what I do; however, the OP seemed to strongly imply that he found this distasteful due to the wording of the rules text.

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

That is actually what I do; however, the OP seemed to strongly imply that he found this distasteful due to the wording of the rules text.

Sorry, I didn't mean to give that impression. I'm not biased one way or the other. I happen to agree with you that it should be 5d100, I was trying to ask impartially on behalf of one of my players.

Thanks!

 

[Jack Simth]

If a caster is on a plane other than the material and attempts to plane shift back, can he do so with pin-point accuracy? Does he need to be familiar with the location that he's shifting to? I'm asking because the SRD text only indicates that there's a percent miss chance for shifting from the material, not to it, but in the preceeding sentence it indicates that precise accuracy when plane shifting is "nigh impossible."



Thoughts?

The book text, SRD or paper, assumes a standard set. In the standard set, it's 5d100 miles off course from the prime material. By way of stating that from the material you can go anywhere but have a particular innaccuracy rating, it implies that it's kinda DM fiat what you can/can't do from other planes - such as, say, the Heroic Domains of Ysgard, or demiplane 3976543216 of the Great Magus Johanananshlon.

Consider a quick cosmology; Plane Shift gives you a particular amount of "push energy" for jumping from one plane to another. The Prime Material is in the middle, and there's enough "push energy" to push something from the Prime Material to any other plane, although "distance" and "stuff in the way" gives uncertainty on where you're landing.

From stuff at the "top", there's maybe not a clear path to stuff at the "bottom", so you can't go straight to the Lower Planes from the Upper Planes by Plane Shift; you have to stop somewhere as a stepping stone.

Maybe the Outer Planes off to the "sides" can't always reach each other - the "push energy" from Plane Shift can't quite get you all the way across the wheel - it can't get a good trajectory.

From the lower planes, the "push energy" can't get you up to high; sure, you can get to the Lower Planes from the Prime Material, but it's like jumping off a cliff; there's plenty of energy to get down.... but up? That's tricky.

Mind you, if you don't have any particular cosmology in mind, Plane Shifting from anywhere to anywhere with the same innaccuracy is probably more than sufficient.... but it's not the only option.

 

[Taraxia]

Yeah, but doesn't _Manual of the Planes_, providing more options for planewalking characters, state or at least imply that the core D&D cosmology treats _plane shifting_ off course consistently between the planes, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the plane writeup?

 

[Taraxia]

In any case, not that big a deal -- if you're going onto the Prime, presumably the destination you're reaching for is a place you're already familiar with, meaning you can _teleport_ there once you _plane shift_.

The main issue is not allowing _plane shift_ to replace _teleport_ or act as a way to get around restrictions on _teleport_.

 

[MarkB]

Just out of curiosity, since the spell description doesn't really specify, how nasty do people generally get as DMs in applying that inaccuracy?

I.e. do you just make it "5d100 miles off course on the world's surface, roll 1d12 to pick a clock-face direction"?

Or can it be 5d100 miles in any direction - including straight up or down if the dice roll that way?

 

[Corsair]

Just out of curiosity, since the spell description doesn't really specify, how nasty do people generally get as DMs in applying that inaccuracy?

I.e. do you just make it "5d100 miles off course on the world's surface, roll 1d12 to pick a clock-face direction"?

Or can it be 5d100 miles in any direction - including straight up or down if the dice roll that way?

Depends: Does the DM want to have his players show up next session?