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Making the chaos planes more... chaotic
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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6089902" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>Combat In Limbo</p><p></p><p>Due to the ever changing laws governing the plane of chaos, and the fact that nothing here truly resembles a straight line, missile weapons are hard to use everywhere in the plane of Chaos except in illusionary domains specifically created to resemble the prime (none within this module unless created by the players). As such, the range of any attack is considered to be one step further than normal for all purposes. For instance, point blank is considered short; short is considered medium and so forth. Missile attacks from long range always hit only on a natural 20.</p><p> In the Chaos Soup there is also the additional problem of no gravity. This effects missile users used to the ballistics of the prime by giving them a -3 penalty to hit until they become used to weightlessness.</p><p></p><p>Travel In Limbo</p><p></p><p>Travel on the outer planes in general, and on Limbo in particular, is quite different from travel on the Prime Material plane. It is to be remembered that infinite distances separate the majority of locations on the outer planes, and some of these locations are also of infinite size. Mortal perception and intelligence is insufficient to fully grasp the enormity and complexity of many of the objects that exist in the outer planes. Therefore, mortal perceptions can produce false understanding of surroundings - a problem that is compounded on Limbo by the planes natural distortion of objects, distances, and perception. For instance, an object in the outer planes can appear to a mortal to have finite dimensions, but is in fact infinite. It will be impossible by moving at a finite speed to leave the vicinity of such an object. An object may appear to be a finite distance away, but it is actually an infinite distance away. It will be impossible by moving at a finite speed to come closer to such an object. Many infinite actions will appear to be subjectively finite. An object may appear to traverse a given space in a given time, when in fact it has traversed an infinite space at an infinite speed. A deity may perform a feat many thousands of times, but to an outside observer will appear to have performed it only once. It will be impossible to duplicate the feat by working at finite speed.</p><p> Therefore, the only way to travel about the outer planes with any degree of freedom is to move at infinite speed. The simplest way to do this is to teleport or open a gate, and these means are quite popular among natives of the outer planes. However, not all denizens of the outer planes are sufficiently potent to teleport without error at will, and teleportation is only possible if a destination is in mind. Therefore, by teleportation it is not possible to discover some unknown, patrol the borders of infinity, or go whence you have not gone (at least intentionally). Some areas are also warded against teleportation, particularly the domains of gods and powers. Some potent deities are capable of traveling at infinite speed, and may appear anywhere they wish at will and everywhere at once, but the vast majority of outer planar beings move at a slower but still infinite rate. That is to say, most beings - even gods - find that even moving at infinite speed, a finite time is still required to travel an infinite distance. This movement is known as 'planes walking'.</p><p>All native outer planar beings are capable of planes walking to one extent or another and all souls acquire this ability (perhaps as a gift of one of the gods) once they begin their afterlife. The more powerful the being, the greater the skill they have at planes walking, and thus the less finite time is required to traverse and infinite distance. In general, planes walking beings may be classified as one of five types. These types, and examples of each, are related in the list below:</p><p></p><p>Elder Deities - The most potent powers.</p><p>Greatest Spirits - Most gods, Solars and other chiefs of the upper planes, heirarch modrons, slaad lords, dukes of hell, demon princes, elemental princes, lords of the animals, and rulers of the genie. </p><p>Greater Spirits - Planatars, devas, greater animal spirits, greater servitor beings, genies </p><p>Lesser Spirits - aisamon, fairy nobles and fairies native to the outer planes, greater elementals, lesser servitor beings, genie-kin (such as Jann)</p><p>Least Spirits - petitioners, lesser animal spirits, familiars, most fairies native to the inner planes, manes, numberinos, lemures, imps, mephits, monodrons, lesser elementals and elemental-kin, heirophant druids, natives of the outer planes not otherwise classified (for instance hell hounds), beings possessing the dimension walking psionic skill</p><p></p><p>Elder Deities require no travel time to go anywhere. Anywhere they wish to be, they are. All other spirits require finite time to move from one place to another infinitely removed from the first. In the case of Greatest Spirits this can be very fast indeed. All other things being equal, spirits of lesser rank require an order of magnitude greater time than the spirit one rank above them in order to travel the same distance. For instance, greater spirits require ten times the travel time of the greatest spirits, and lesser spirits require one hundred times as long to journey from once place to another compared to the gods. The poor least spirits require one thousand times as long. Since it can require many days for even a god to journey across a single infinite plane (they would normally teleport), a journey by a mere petitioner might require years or even decades of time - if it can be completed at all.</p><p> In addition to the power of the planeswalker, travel time in the outer planes is also dependent on the finite (subjective speed) of the traveler. A greater spirit that moves at 48" finite speed, also covers infinite distances four times faster than a greater spirit that moves at 12" finite speed. Therefore, a lesser spirit with a 96" normal movement rate actually travels faster than a greater spirit that only moves at 9".</p><p> One interesting aspect of planes walking is that the true motion of a being always depends on the true motion of the most powerful planes walker in the vicinity. So long as it remains in close proximity to a greater spirit, a lesser spirit may travel at the same infinite speed. For this reason, it is not possible for a greater spirit to simply flee away from a slower lesser spirit. In order to separate from the lesser spirit, the greater spirit must also have greater finite speed than the lesser spirit. On the other hand, if the actual desire is to have the lesser spirit accompany the greater, the greater spirit may enjoy the company with no loss of speed on his journey. The most frequent means of transportation by visitors to the outer planes is to induce a native spirit to act as guide for the wayfarer and to journey with them, thereby accomplishing an infinite movement rate. In fact, if the lesser spirit can carry the greater and has greater finite speed, the combination may move quicker than either could alone.</p><p> Unless otherwise specified, travel times on the outer planes assume a lesser spirit moving at a normal speed of 12". Adjust times accordingly if other circumstances prevail, and remember that most unguided denizens of the prime cannot effectively make any infinite journey.</p><p> Finally, it should be stressed so that no misunderstanding takes place that the laws that govern the prime material generally prevent movement at infinite speed, save by teleportation. Simply being able to planeswalk while on the outer planes does not confer dimension walking (a closely related but different skill) on the being.</p><p> </p><p>Sensory Overload</p><p></p><p>One of the chief dangers of the plane of Chaos is its ability to over stimulate the senses of travelers within it, both by displays of chaos and by the ever shifting subtle changes in the laws of reality around (and within) the being of the traveler. Such effects quickly destabilize the mind of the traveler, and in extreme cases are fatal to them. In effect, the traveler is subject to the equivalent of a psionic blast every hour that he travels within the chaos soup. Lawfuls save at -2 (lawful neutrals at -3), and chaotics at +2 (chaotic neutrals at +3). Some protection against these effects can be afforded by creating an illusionary terrain to travel in. In such cases, the effects are felt only 10% of the time (or on failed chaos shaping checks if that skill is employed by a non-native). The drawback of creating an illusion to travel in is that, the maximum speed will be limited by the maximum propagation of the illusion.</p><p>Sleeping characters or unconscious characters are not effected by sensory overload.</p><p></p><p>Random Incidents</p><p></p><p>Although random things will be happening all around the characters at all times, most of these incidents will not directly effect the party or will be so minor as to require no specific note. However, the chaos soup is continually generating random objects traveling at random velocities throughout the soup, and some of these objects will be large enough or fast enough to be difficult to avoid, and some of these will be of a nature that makes avoiding them a particularly good idea. There is a 10% chance per turn that some large object wants to occupy the same space that the party occupies. Roll on the following table to determine what sort of object crosses the path of the character. Each party member must avoid each object by a successful save vs. paralyzation. Characters perfectly adapted to the plane always pass this check (if they wish to). As long as the characters travel with a guide, the worst save vs. any random incident is that of the guide. (Note that even though native guides are immune, the characters must still pass a saving throw.) Note that some very large effects cannot be avoided (generally those described as 'clouds') -even by natives (though they could probably shape the environment back to however they prefer it).</p><p></p><p>A blob of rock 30'-60' in diameter (in effect a small asteroid) and traveling at 12d8" per round. Damage is equal to 1 per 2" of speed of boulder. Characters impacted by the boulder are carried by at its current speed until they can crawl off it and jump clear. This requires a successful dexterity check. Once off the boulder the character remains traveling at the speed he last moved until he intersects something else, his inertia decides to randomly change (5% chance per turn), or he manages to stop himself. A character should be allowed to attempt chaos shaping to create a landing spot, but unless they also make a second successful roll they suffer 1d6 falling damage per 8" speed they are traveling when they impact their newly created reality. Characters should receive a bonus to this roll if they have thought ahead enough to make their new reality a giant marshmellow, stack of mattresses, trampoline, haystack, or similar object.</p><p>A blob of ice. Treat as blob of rock above, except that it also does 1d4 cold damage per round as long as the character is in contact with it.</p><p>A cloud of normal refreshing air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. No effect, but characters do not require planar protection while the pocket endures. Lasts 1-6 turns.</p><p>A cloud of heated air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Lasts 1-6 turns. Each turn characters suffer from heat exhaustion as from air of 130-180 degrees Fahrenheit (for simplicity 1d6-1 to 1d6+4 damage) unless they have protection from heat or fire.</p><p>A cloud of chilled air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Lasts 1-6 turns. Each turn the character suffers cold damage as from air of 0 to -50 degrees farenheit (for simplicity 1d6-1 to 1d6+4 damage) unless they have protection from cold. Normal clothing especially several layers of garments or very thick garments will provide some protection.</p><p>A blob of fire that does 8-48 damage.</p><p>A lightning bolt that does 8-48 damage, plus make a SSS check or suffer a heart attack for 3-18 damage and the permanent loss of 1 CON.</p><p>A blob of water. Dexterity check at -4 (or swimming NWP) or take 1d6 damage. Characters are submerged for 1-4 rounds, and must make a swimming NWP check (or be able to breath water) each round or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll (no gravity). Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, before released from its grip. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the water at 2-12" per round.</p><p>A fierce gust of wind. Characters are carried in 1d6 rounds, 6-600" off the path, before released from its grip. Twenty percent of these gusts already carry debris which attacks as a 8 HD monster for 1d6 damage each round. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the wind at 3-30" per round.</p><p>A sudden fierce blaze of light. Characters are blinded for 1d3 rounds, and must make a save vs. paralyzation or be blinded permanently. Undead and shadow creatures in the area take 20-120 damage.</p><p>A cloud of darkness that obscures the area for 1-6 turns. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Light sources are required or the characters are considered blind, and the radius of all light sources is quartered for the duration. All saves to avoid other random obstacles are at -1 or -2 if the light is no better than a candle light or similar weak source. If the characters are blind the save falls to a penalty of -10 (-5 if the character passes a blind fighting NWP check). Undead and shadow creatures regenerate an extra 3 h.p. per round while in the area.</p><p>A cloud of mist that obscures vision to only a few feet for 1-6 turns and renders all melee attacks at -2 during this time. All saves to avoid other obstacles are at -2 as well. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED.</p><p>A gust of toxic vapors. Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, and must spend 1-6 rounds breathing the vapors. A save vs. poison is required each round, and for three rounds after exiting the fumes. Each failed save results in 1d4 damage and being stunned for a round. Three successive failed saves results in death. Characters within the fumes are at -2 to hit. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the wind at 2-20" per round.</p><p>A blob of harmless but viscous slime. Dexterity check at -4 (or swimming NWP) or take 1d6+1 damage. Characters must make a swimming NWP check at -2 each round (or have a means of breathing slime) or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Exiting the slime requires three successive swimming NWP checks at -2 AND a successful strength check, or three successive swimming NWP checks AND magical aid (such as the ability to fly). Each round caught in the slime blob carries the character 8-96" from the path. Characters remain covered in slime and are at -1 to all actions until cleansed in some fashion. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the slime at 2-16" per round.</p><p>A cloud of ash. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED.</p><p>A dust storm. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED.</p><p>A cloud of stinging salt. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED.</p><p>A blob of acid or caustic fluid. Dexterity check at -4 (or diving NWP) or take 1d6 damage. Characters are submerged for 1-4 rounds, and must make a swimming NWP check (or be able to breath water) each round or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Characters take 1d8 damage per round, and for 1d3 rounds after leaving the acid (unless cleansed in some fashion). Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, before released from its grip.</p><p>A blob of hot magma traveling at 8d8" per round. Damage is 1 point per 4" of speed, plus 8-48 points of fire damage per round. Characters must make a successful dexterity check AND successful strength check in the same round AND have some sort of magical aid (such as flight) in order to extricate themselves from the magma.</p><p>A leftover illusionary fantasy (in effect someone's dream). Characters within must save vs. spells at -3 (wisdom modifiers apply) or be subject to the suggestion that this is real and will temporarily forget who they were outside the illusionary reality. Creatures within the illusionary reality are just as dangerous as real creatures. Allow a new roll every turn to recognize the reality as false, and provided the character desires to leave it the reality may be left in one turn. For each turn in the reality, the characters will be carried 1-1000" from their last location.</p><p>A pocket of primal chaos upwelling from deep within the plane! Save vs. spells or disintegrate! If disintegration is avoided, suffer as if attacked by a psionic blast, and save vs. spells to avoided permanent form mutability (see the section on shapechanging)!</p><p></p><p>Naturally, chaos shaping can be used to great effect to assist a character in any number of ways in most of the above situations. The exceptions are primal chaos, which may not be shaped, and illusionary fantasies, which requires an initial contest of skills between the character and the original shaper (skill 1d20+14).</p><p></p><p>New Non-Weapon Proficiency</p><p>Chaos Shaping - Mage (all others require two slots), Intelligence</p><p></p><p>Common Chaos Shaping Penalties</p><p>Alter existing (but untended) reality -6</p><p>Alter existing tended reality contest of skills at -6</p><p>Per additional 10" diameter of effect -1</p><p>Complex or mechanical objects -3 (or higher as warranted)</p><p>Magic Items -1/100 XP award of the item</p><p>Plants -6</p><p>Animals -8</p><p>Intelligent Beings -10</p><p>Physical laws different than the shaper's native reality -12</p><p>Opaque (cannot be seen out of) -1</p><p>Opaque (cannot be seen into) -3</p><p></p><p>Suggested Chaos Shaping Limitations</p><p>Valuable Substances: Valuable substances (like gold, reagents, or gems) are highly organized and impossible to create out of chaos alone. Illusionary substitutes can be created and these will become permanent, but when removed from the glamour of the plane they will always be found to be made of some common relatively valueless substance like lead, straw, or glass.</p><p>Magic Items: Any magic item created out of chaos loses its enchantment when removed from the plane. Magic items that heal the character (such as a potion of healing) have a 1% chance per hit point restored of causing permanent form mutability in the subject (see the section on shape changing). Other sorts of objects that permanently effect the character (such as by raising stats) are unlikely to be created (because of their great worth) but such objects should always have extreme side effects (personality/alignment change, permanent incurable insanity, form mutability, permanent change of true form, sex change, loss of charisma or comeliness, etc.).</p><p>Food: Food can be created out of chaos, and once it becomes real, it is as sustaining as any other sort of food. Eating small quantities of this food (a few days worth at most) has no effect on a character, but character's journeying in Limbo for long periods (weeks) are best advised to bring provisions with them. Eventually, sustaining ones physical form with the stuff of chaos is likely to result in adverse physical effects or at the very least enchantment of some sort. Food manufactured in this manner and brought off the plane often proves to be inedible (or virtually inedible) goop once removed from the glamour of the plane.</p><p>Trade Goods: It is possible to manufacture large quantities of items of moderate value and complexity (steel, bricks, glass, tin, lead, etc.) and transport them back to the prime for resale. Wizards hoping to corner the wholesale markets in this fashion are likely to learn (and best advised if they bother to ask) that there are better and easier means of production on the Prime. First, the goods are quite likely to attract hungry Chaos Elementals before they can be collected and brought through the gate. Secondly, once brought off the plane the goods should retain some subtle chaotic taint (or jinx) which renders them unpredictable, unstable, and ultimately unsaleable at a profit once the reputation of the goods (and the wizard) is more widely known. Thereafter, the wizard should find himself not trusted in business dealings of any sort even if he sells more mundane wares. Lastly, such manufacture is not likely to endear the character to the Gods of law and balance in the slightest.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6089902, member: 4937"] Combat In Limbo Due to the ever changing laws governing the plane of chaos, and the fact that nothing here truly resembles a straight line, missile weapons are hard to use everywhere in the plane of Chaos except in illusionary domains specifically created to resemble the prime (none within this module unless created by the players). As such, the range of any attack is considered to be one step further than normal for all purposes. For instance, point blank is considered short; short is considered medium and so forth. Missile attacks from long range always hit only on a natural 20. In the Chaos Soup there is also the additional problem of no gravity. This effects missile users used to the ballistics of the prime by giving them a -3 penalty to hit until they become used to weightlessness. Travel In Limbo Travel on the outer planes in general, and on Limbo in particular, is quite different from travel on the Prime Material plane. It is to be remembered that infinite distances separate the majority of locations on the outer planes, and some of these locations are also of infinite size. Mortal perception and intelligence is insufficient to fully grasp the enormity and complexity of many of the objects that exist in the outer planes. Therefore, mortal perceptions can produce false understanding of surroundings - a problem that is compounded on Limbo by the planes natural distortion of objects, distances, and perception. For instance, an object in the outer planes can appear to a mortal to have finite dimensions, but is in fact infinite. It will be impossible by moving at a finite speed to leave the vicinity of such an object. An object may appear to be a finite distance away, but it is actually an infinite distance away. It will be impossible by moving at a finite speed to come closer to such an object. Many infinite actions will appear to be subjectively finite. An object may appear to traverse a given space in a given time, when in fact it has traversed an infinite space at an infinite speed. A deity may perform a feat many thousands of times, but to an outside observer will appear to have performed it only once. It will be impossible to duplicate the feat by working at finite speed. Therefore, the only way to travel about the outer planes with any degree of freedom is to move at infinite speed. The simplest way to do this is to teleport or open a gate, and these means are quite popular among natives of the outer planes. However, not all denizens of the outer planes are sufficiently potent to teleport without error at will, and teleportation is only possible if a destination is in mind. Therefore, by teleportation it is not possible to discover some unknown, patrol the borders of infinity, or go whence you have not gone (at least intentionally). Some areas are also warded against teleportation, particularly the domains of gods and powers. Some potent deities are capable of traveling at infinite speed, and may appear anywhere they wish at will and everywhere at once, but the vast majority of outer planar beings move at a slower but still infinite rate. That is to say, most beings - even gods - find that even moving at infinite speed, a finite time is still required to travel an infinite distance. This movement is known as 'planes walking'. All native outer planar beings are capable of planes walking to one extent or another and all souls acquire this ability (perhaps as a gift of one of the gods) once they begin their afterlife. The more powerful the being, the greater the skill they have at planes walking, and thus the less finite time is required to traverse and infinite distance. In general, planes walking beings may be classified as one of five types. These types, and examples of each, are related in the list below: Elder Deities - The most potent powers. Greatest Spirits - Most gods, Solars and other chiefs of the upper planes, heirarch modrons, slaad lords, dukes of hell, demon princes, elemental princes, lords of the animals, and rulers of the genie. Greater Spirits - Planatars, devas, greater animal spirits, greater servitor beings, genies Lesser Spirits - aisamon, fairy nobles and fairies native to the outer planes, greater elementals, lesser servitor beings, genie-kin (such as Jann) Least Spirits - petitioners, lesser animal spirits, familiars, most fairies native to the inner planes, manes, numberinos, lemures, imps, mephits, monodrons, lesser elementals and elemental-kin, heirophant druids, natives of the outer planes not otherwise classified (for instance hell hounds), beings possessing the dimension walking psionic skill Elder Deities require no travel time to go anywhere. Anywhere they wish to be, they are. All other spirits require finite time to move from one place to another infinitely removed from the first. In the case of Greatest Spirits this can be very fast indeed. All other things being equal, spirits of lesser rank require an order of magnitude greater time than the spirit one rank above them in order to travel the same distance. For instance, greater spirits require ten times the travel time of the greatest spirits, and lesser spirits require one hundred times as long to journey from once place to another compared to the gods. The poor least spirits require one thousand times as long. Since it can require many days for even a god to journey across a single infinite plane (they would normally teleport), a journey by a mere petitioner might require years or even decades of time - if it can be completed at all. In addition to the power of the planeswalker, travel time in the outer planes is also dependent on the finite (subjective speed) of the traveler. A greater spirit that moves at 48" finite speed, also covers infinite distances four times faster than a greater spirit that moves at 12" finite speed. Therefore, a lesser spirit with a 96" normal movement rate actually travels faster than a greater spirit that only moves at 9". One interesting aspect of planes walking is that the true motion of a being always depends on the true motion of the most powerful planes walker in the vicinity. So long as it remains in close proximity to a greater spirit, a lesser spirit may travel at the same infinite speed. For this reason, it is not possible for a greater spirit to simply flee away from a slower lesser spirit. In order to separate from the lesser spirit, the greater spirit must also have greater finite speed than the lesser spirit. On the other hand, if the actual desire is to have the lesser spirit accompany the greater, the greater spirit may enjoy the company with no loss of speed on his journey. The most frequent means of transportation by visitors to the outer planes is to induce a native spirit to act as guide for the wayfarer and to journey with them, thereby accomplishing an infinite movement rate. In fact, if the lesser spirit can carry the greater and has greater finite speed, the combination may move quicker than either could alone. Unless otherwise specified, travel times on the outer planes assume a lesser spirit moving at a normal speed of 12". Adjust times accordingly if other circumstances prevail, and remember that most unguided denizens of the prime cannot effectively make any infinite journey. Finally, it should be stressed so that no misunderstanding takes place that the laws that govern the prime material generally prevent movement at infinite speed, save by teleportation. Simply being able to planeswalk while on the outer planes does not confer dimension walking (a closely related but different skill) on the being. Sensory Overload One of the chief dangers of the plane of Chaos is its ability to over stimulate the senses of travelers within it, both by displays of chaos and by the ever shifting subtle changes in the laws of reality around (and within) the being of the traveler. Such effects quickly destabilize the mind of the traveler, and in extreme cases are fatal to them. In effect, the traveler is subject to the equivalent of a psionic blast every hour that he travels within the chaos soup. Lawfuls save at -2 (lawful neutrals at -3), and chaotics at +2 (chaotic neutrals at +3). Some protection against these effects can be afforded by creating an illusionary terrain to travel in. In such cases, the effects are felt only 10% of the time (or on failed chaos shaping checks if that skill is employed by a non-native). The drawback of creating an illusion to travel in is that, the maximum speed will be limited by the maximum propagation of the illusion. Sleeping characters or unconscious characters are not effected by sensory overload. Random Incidents Although random things will be happening all around the characters at all times, most of these incidents will not directly effect the party or will be so minor as to require no specific note. However, the chaos soup is continually generating random objects traveling at random velocities throughout the soup, and some of these objects will be large enough or fast enough to be difficult to avoid, and some of these will be of a nature that makes avoiding them a particularly good idea. There is a 10% chance per turn that some large object wants to occupy the same space that the party occupies. Roll on the following table to determine what sort of object crosses the path of the character. Each party member must avoid each object by a successful save vs. paralyzation. Characters perfectly adapted to the plane always pass this check (if they wish to). As long as the characters travel with a guide, the worst save vs. any random incident is that of the guide. (Note that even though native guides are immune, the characters must still pass a saving throw.) Note that some very large effects cannot be avoided (generally those described as 'clouds') -even by natives (though they could probably shape the environment back to however they prefer it). A blob of rock 30'-60' in diameter (in effect a small asteroid) and traveling at 12d8" per round. Damage is equal to 1 per 2" of speed of boulder. Characters impacted by the boulder are carried by at its current speed until they can crawl off it and jump clear. This requires a successful dexterity check. Once off the boulder the character remains traveling at the speed he last moved until he intersects something else, his inertia decides to randomly change (5% chance per turn), or he manages to stop himself. A character should be allowed to attempt chaos shaping to create a landing spot, but unless they also make a second successful roll they suffer 1d6 falling damage per 8" speed they are traveling when they impact their newly created reality. Characters should receive a bonus to this roll if they have thought ahead enough to make their new reality a giant marshmellow, stack of mattresses, trampoline, haystack, or similar object. A blob of ice. Treat as blob of rock above, except that it also does 1d4 cold damage per round as long as the character is in contact with it. A cloud of normal refreshing air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. No effect, but characters do not require planar protection while the pocket endures. Lasts 1-6 turns. A cloud of heated air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Lasts 1-6 turns. Each turn characters suffer from heat exhaustion as from air of 130-180 degrees Fahrenheit (for simplicity 1d6-1 to 1d6+4 damage) unless they have protection from heat or fire. A cloud of chilled air. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Lasts 1-6 turns. Each turn the character suffers cold damage as from air of 0 to -50 degrees farenheit (for simplicity 1d6-1 to 1d6+4 damage) unless they have protection from cold. Normal clothing especially several layers of garments or very thick garments will provide some protection. A blob of fire that does 8-48 damage. A lightning bolt that does 8-48 damage, plus make a SSS check or suffer a heart attack for 3-18 damage and the permanent loss of 1 CON. A blob of water. Dexterity check at -4 (or swimming NWP) or take 1d6 damage. Characters are submerged for 1-4 rounds, and must make a swimming NWP check (or be able to breath water) each round or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll (no gravity). Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, before released from its grip. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the water at 2-12" per round. A fierce gust of wind. Characters are carried in 1d6 rounds, 6-600" off the path, before released from its grip. Twenty percent of these gusts already carry debris which attacks as a 8 HD monster for 1d6 damage each round. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the wind at 3-30" per round. A sudden fierce blaze of light. Characters are blinded for 1d3 rounds, and must make a save vs. paralyzation or be blinded permanently. Undead and shadow creatures in the area take 20-120 damage. A cloud of darkness that obscures the area for 1-6 turns. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. Light sources are required or the characters are considered blind, and the radius of all light sources is quartered for the duration. All saves to avoid other random obstacles are at -1 or -2 if the light is no better than a candle light or similar weak source. If the characters are blind the save falls to a penalty of -10 (-5 if the character passes a blind fighting NWP check). Undead and shadow creatures regenerate an extra 3 h.p. per round while in the area. A cloud of mist that obscures vision to only a few feet for 1-6 turns and renders all melee attacks at -2 during this time. All saves to avoid other obstacles are at -2 as well. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. A gust of toxic vapors. Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, and must spend 1-6 rounds breathing the vapors. A save vs. poison is required each round, and for three rounds after exiting the fumes. Each failed save results in 1d4 damage and being stunned for a round. Three successive failed saves results in death. Characters within the fumes are at -2 to hit. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the wind at 2-20" per round. A blob of harmless but viscous slime. Dexterity check at -4 (or swimming NWP) or take 1d6+1 damage. Characters must make a swimming NWP check at -2 each round (or have a means of breathing slime) or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Exiting the slime requires three successive swimming NWP checks at -2 AND a successful strength check, or three successive swimming NWP checks AND magical aid (such as the ability to fly). Each round caught in the slime blob carries the character 8-96" from the path. Characters remain covered in slime and are at -1 to all actions until cleansed in some fashion. Characters remain traveling in the same direction as the slime at 2-16" per round. A cloud of ash. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. A dust storm. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. A cloud of stinging salt. MAY NOT BE AVOIDED. A blob of acid or caustic fluid. Dexterity check at -4 (or diving NWP) or take 1d6 damage. Characters are submerged for 1-4 rounds, and must make a swimming NWP check (or be able to breath water) each round or drown. Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Characters take 1d8 damage per round, and for 1d3 rounds after leaving the acid (unless cleansed in some fashion). Note that the weight of armor (or any other object) has no effect on this roll. Characters are carried 3-300" off the path, before released from its grip. A blob of hot magma traveling at 8d8" per round. Damage is 1 point per 4" of speed, plus 8-48 points of fire damage per round. Characters must make a successful dexterity check AND successful strength check in the same round AND have some sort of magical aid (such as flight) in order to extricate themselves from the magma. A leftover illusionary fantasy (in effect someone's dream). Characters within must save vs. spells at -3 (wisdom modifiers apply) or be subject to the suggestion that this is real and will temporarily forget who they were outside the illusionary reality. Creatures within the illusionary reality are just as dangerous as real creatures. Allow a new roll every turn to recognize the reality as false, and provided the character desires to leave it the reality may be left in one turn. For each turn in the reality, the characters will be carried 1-1000" from their last location. A pocket of primal chaos upwelling from deep within the plane! Save vs. spells or disintegrate! If disintegration is avoided, suffer as if attacked by a psionic blast, and save vs. spells to avoided permanent form mutability (see the section on shapechanging)! Naturally, chaos shaping can be used to great effect to assist a character in any number of ways in most of the above situations. The exceptions are primal chaos, which may not be shaped, and illusionary fantasies, which requires an initial contest of skills between the character and the original shaper (skill 1d20+14). New Non-Weapon Proficiency Chaos Shaping - Mage (all others require two slots), Intelligence Common Chaos Shaping Penalties Alter existing (but untended) reality -6 Alter existing tended reality contest of skills at -6 Per additional 10" diameter of effect -1 Complex or mechanical objects -3 (or higher as warranted) Magic Items -1/100 XP award of the item Plants -6 Animals -8 Intelligent Beings -10 Physical laws different than the shaper's native reality -12 Opaque (cannot be seen out of) -1 Opaque (cannot be seen into) -3 Suggested Chaos Shaping Limitations Valuable Substances: Valuable substances (like gold, reagents, or gems) are highly organized and impossible to create out of chaos alone. Illusionary substitutes can be created and these will become permanent, but when removed from the glamour of the plane they will always be found to be made of some common relatively valueless substance like lead, straw, or glass. Magic Items: Any magic item created out of chaos loses its enchantment when removed from the plane. Magic items that heal the character (such as a potion of healing) have a 1% chance per hit point restored of causing permanent form mutability in the subject (see the section on shape changing). Other sorts of objects that permanently effect the character (such as by raising stats) are unlikely to be created (because of their great worth) but such objects should always have extreme side effects (personality/alignment change, permanent incurable insanity, form mutability, permanent change of true form, sex change, loss of charisma or comeliness, etc.). Food: Food can be created out of chaos, and once it becomes real, it is as sustaining as any other sort of food. Eating small quantities of this food (a few days worth at most) has no effect on a character, but character's journeying in Limbo for long periods (weeks) are best advised to bring provisions with them. Eventually, sustaining ones physical form with the stuff of chaos is likely to result in adverse physical effects or at the very least enchantment of some sort. Food manufactured in this manner and brought off the plane often proves to be inedible (or virtually inedible) goop once removed from the glamour of the plane. Trade Goods: It is possible to manufacture large quantities of items of moderate value and complexity (steel, bricks, glass, tin, lead, etc.) and transport them back to the prime for resale. Wizards hoping to corner the wholesale markets in this fashion are likely to learn (and best advised if they bother to ask) that there are better and easier means of production on the Prime. First, the goods are quite likely to attract hungry Chaos Elementals before they can be collected and brought through the gate. Secondly, once brought off the plane the goods should retain some subtle chaotic taint (or jinx) which renders them unpredictable, unstable, and ultimately unsaleable at a profit once the reputation of the goods (and the wizard) is more widely known. Thereafter, the wizard should find himself not trusted in business dealings of any sort even if he sells more mundane wares. Lastly, such manufacture is not likely to endear the character to the Gods of law and balance in the slightest. [/QUOTE]
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