What level do you need to be to go adventuring on the planes?

[sad_genius]

IIRC characters need to be about 5th/6th level before they can get off the material plane under their power - assuming this isn't a problem, what kind of resources do the players need to navigate the planes? For example, what do you need to wander around the plane of fire without getting instantly deep-fried? What planes are "gentler" than others?

Any help much appreciated.

 

[RigaMortus2]

IIRC characters need to be about 5th/6th level before they can get off the material plane under their power - assuming this isn't a problem, what kind of resources do the players need to navigate the planes? For example, what do you need to wander around the plane of fire without getting instantly deep-fried? What planes are "gentler" than others?

Any help much appreciated.

I don't think there is any such level requirement, it just depends on the planes you want to explore. Your typical 1st level group of good characters can visit most Celestial planes if they have the means, but they would be in trouble if they went to visit something like Carceria or Elemental Plane of Fire.

 

[Oryan77]

Do you know anything about the 2nd Ed. Planescape setting? It was released with the intention of allowing PC's to be planar adventuring even at lvl 1. If you are gung-ho about running a planar game, I would highly suggest buying the old 2e Planescape boxsets or pdf files. The pdf's are cheap (about $5 each) but the actual books will cost you a pretty penny on Ebay. But they are well worth it.

Basically, it's pretty common to just start off first lvl pc's in the city called Sigil. They can adventure there for a level or 2 and then you can wisk them off to a gatetown in the Outlands and run an adventure there. There is a GREAT adventure for low level PC's called The Eternal Boundary. It starts out in Sigil and ends up on the El. Plane of Fire. It's a really good starting adventure.

You can always run low level PC's in the Upper Planes without as much risk. I ran my group on the 1st & 2nd layer of Baator at about 5th-6th level using the adventure called Fires of Dis...also a good adventure I thought.

The boxsets even have short adventures for low level PC's that take them to planes long enough for them to get a feel for it. Nothing too life threatening unless the PC's make it more dangerous.

If you post this in the general section I can guarantee you'll get at least 2 pages worth of suggestions.

 

[werk]

What level do characters need to be to play in Eberron, or Faerun? DMs can tailor adventures in the planes to all character levels. Getting there under their own power...well, that's something different entirely. IMC the majority of interplanar travel was via portals and gateways, so no powerlevel was required (unless specifically required).

I recommend getting/reading the Manual of the Planes, as it answers most of your other questions, such as navigating and surviving the planes through various methods like skills, special materials, spells, feats, etc.

Not this one

This one

Althought hey are both entertaining and fantastically informative reads.

Your question is a little too broad to answer completely on a thread, but if you have anything specific, just ask.

 

[Joker]

That 2e cover is freakin' awesome.

 

[Jack Simth]

Under one's own power?

A Psion(Nomad) can get off the prime at 5th level, with Astral Caravan.

A Cleric can get off the prime material at 9th level, with Plane Shift.

A Wizard can get off the prime material at 11th level, with Shadow Walk.

Not sure if any other class can do so earlier....

What equipment is needed depends on the specific plane. Some, such as the Heroic Domains of Ysgard, don't need much; others, such as the Positive Energy Plane, need a might more.

 

[cmanos]

That 2e cover is freakin' awesome.

Actually, I believe it is a 1st Ed book. 2nd Ed was the Planescape Setting. The 1st Ed book was one of the few books I kept when I sold off all my old D&D stuff.

Bah, hit enter too quick.

There is also a pretty good web-based initiative to recreate Planescape in 3.X (www.city-of-doors.com). They've done a mod for NWN. Server looks down. Haven't been in a while so it may have gone belly up.

 

[DarkKestral]

There's also http://www.planewalker.com too.

 

[Evilhalfling]

If your starting a new game ? 1st I suppose, lean heavily on Sigil and the gatetowns.
UA has an incantation that takes you to Ysgard at the cost of DC 20 checks kn Arcane and DC 20 Perform. (6 total) here 6th-9th lvl group could manage a great trip. I would love to use this in a game.

IMC most groups hit a one of the softer planes - shadow, dreams, or celestial through portals at about 8th level. By 16th one group had become known as planar travlers having been to five planes (out of the 8, I use)

 

[zypherillius]

IIRC characters need to be about 5th/6th level before they can get off the material plane under their power - assuming this isn't a problem, what kind of resources do the players need to navigate the planes? For example, what do you need to wander around the plane of fire without getting instantly deep-fried? What planes are "gentler" than others?

Any help much appreciated.

The outlands would definatly be a good place to start, try to stay away from the places that sound bad, like the 9 hells of baator, the abyss, hades, the beastlands.
it also depends on the party alignment, some planes hinder people of certain alignments, and others have entrapping, id suggest like the other guy did and get the 3.0 manual to the planes, its quite informative indeed. the 3.5 planar handbook has some items you might want to give them to make traveling the planes easier too, like the planar compass.
in fact, in the MoTP, there are some wicked good prestige classes like the planar guardian and planeshifter that provide at higher levels all the stuff needed to travel all the planes without takin gmuch of a hit on anything spell or item wise.