Need help with a Gems to Planes Relationship

[Three_Haligonians]

So, in the treasure my players are about to recieve (if they survive) there happens to be a well of many worlds. Part of its description says that activation and destination can be up to the DM.

Since it's up to me I thought about the following: It can be attuned to a particular plane by tossing in a gem worth 10,000 gp. The gem has to be inscribed with particular runes, but this is no more difficult than a Spellcraft check and is really just to insure that they can't attune to a different plane by accidently walking in with a different gem that qualifies.

What I need help with is with the particular gems. There a quite a few planes out there and I was wondering what gems you all would attune to certain planes. Rubies seem pretty obvious for the Elemental Plane of Fire, but what about Celestia? Diamonds perhaps? Would you use Pearls or an Aquamarine for the Elemental Plane of Water?

Suggestions would be great!

J from Three Haligonians

 

[William_2]

A couple of things spring to mind for me. One is: would anyone who built such a device see any advantage in requiring such incredibly valuable gems to be used to activate it? That is, who would want to throw such wealth away- was there no way to build it without that feature?
The other is: can there even BE such valuable gems? The absolute most valuable gems in the world might be described as priceless, but they can actually be bought for amounts that really don't move wealthy people too much. Such gems are rare, though, at the same time. So my questions would be: is any gem in your D&D economy worth that much, and how many of them could characters come by? They might have the money, but are the gems there?
Along the same lines, if the very largest and rarest gems of certain types are worth 10,000 gp, how is it possible to have less rare gems be of that value? Each gem type should have some sort of ceiling, really, once you are way out there.
Your players might end up spending more time hunting down extraordinary gems than anything else, and that might or might not be fun.

Not much of an answer to the specific question about gems and planes, I know, but maybe some help on the broader idea. I would suggest lowering the top value a lot, and maybe have some variation in value among gem types.

Finally, how are PCs to know what quality of gem they require? The magic can't really be based around current market value, so a price tag can't help. There must be some record of the gems required. I'm really blathering on here. Basically, I suggest a list of activation words instead. I am trying to be helpful.

OK, I stole these lists off the web- there are lots of similar ones out there.

Water: Aquamarine, blue topaz, chalcedony, aventurine, moonstone, amethyst, fluorite, rose quartz, sodalite, turquoise, jasper, lapis

Air: yellow topaz, amber, clear or smoky quarts, flourite, rhodochrosite, rose quartz

Fire: fire opal, agates, bloodstone, carnelian, sunstone, dark amber

Earth: agates, amber, jet, bloodstone, geodes, malachite, obsidian, tiger eye, hematite

 

[Three_Haligonians]

A couple of things spring to mind for me. One is: would anyone who built such a device see any advantage in requiring such incredibly valuable gems to be used to activate it? That is, who would want to throw such wealth away- was there no way to build it without that feature?

Well, I didn't want to make too cheap so that the party could just constantly hop from plane to plane. I want this ability to be somewhat of a limited resource. I suppose I should have mentioned that the character's are all about level 26, that does make a difference in the amount of wealth they are pulling in.

The other is: can there even BE such valuable gems? The absolute most valuable gems in the world might be described as priceless, but they can actually be bought for amounts that really don't move wealthy people too much. Such gems are rare, though, at the same time. So my questions would be: is any gem in your D&D economy worth that much, and how many of them could characters come by? They might have the money, but are the gems there?

Well, Raise Dead requires a diamond worth 5,000 gp and Resurrection needs one worth 10,000 gp and True Resurrection needs one worth 25,000 gp and those are prices straight from the PHB.

Your players might end up spending more time hunting down extraordinary gems than anything else, and that might or might not be fun.

Well your right, it would probably be a neat thing the first few times to track down such a gem, but after a while it would probably grow old.

The magic can't really be based around current market value, so a price tag can't help.

Well, it seems to be for the spells that raise the dead. Interestingly enough, I once played a game in which the plot revolved around the idea that a diamond mine was discovered in the local area, thus the bottom fell out of the market and diamonds that used to be worth enough to function for a Resurrection spell no longer were and so couldn't be used anymore which wreaked a little havoc since the area was at war etc...

I am trying to be helpful.

You are! Thanks!

J from Three Haligonians