Knowledge (cosmology)
DM MASTER COPY
Note: In a FIONAVAR campaign, there is no astral or ethereal plane, no elemental planes, no positive and negative energy planes, nor are there outer planes except the Celestial Domains and Nether Dominions. Knowledge of elementals falls under knowledge (nature), not knowledge (cosmology), and elementals are considered spiritual manifestations of natural energy. The only transitive plane that exists in the traditional sense is the Shadow World, through which all the divergent material planes are connected. The Celestial Domains and Nether Dominions have only the infinite material planes between them as a transitive; thus, the mortal worlds are the battlegrounds of celestials and netherals in their eternal war.
Astral Spells: Spells tied to the astral essentially work the same, with the following modifications. Since there is no astral plane in a FIONAVAR campaign, beings utilizing spells and abilities such as dimension door, teleport, or teleport without error simply disappear from one location and reappear at another, instantaneously, without leaving the material stratum they are on. They are not traveling through another plane, but folding space. Summoned monsters are instantly gated to your position from their respective locations along the transdimensional axis, and astral projection sends forth your mortal soul into the cosmos, not an “astral body.” Although an astral traveler can enter any of the infinite mortal worlds along the material axis, she cannot manifest in physical form in any mortal world. Furthermore, an astral traveler is barred from entering the realm of Faerie and the Celestial Domains. Astral projection otherwise works as written. A planar traveler using astral projection does not need to make Knowledge (cosmology) skill checks to enter specific material strata.
Axial Point – the precise location on a given stratum where it is hypothetically closest to the strata immediately neighboring it and, thus, the material axis. Any planar travel spells or powers invoked at a plane’s axial point are cast at +10 caster levels, and planar travelers embarking on a transdimensional journey from the axial point of a plane gain a +10 circumstance bonus on skill checks made to arrive at a desired location or to return to that axial point. The circumstance bonus only applies if a planar traveler transits from an axial point and returns directly to that axial point; any intermediate planar traveling disorients the spellcaster too much to recall the precise coordinates. The axial point of the prime stratum is located deep below the land of Xen’Drik in a Tiamni fortress. The Tiamni built their fortress around the axial point millennia ago to link their Fionavar outpost to the rest of the Imperium, which spans five strata. This is not an uncommon occurrence on strata where the inhabitants recognize the significance of the axial point. Transdimensional empires often control the axial points of every stratum they possess, and link their empires together with permanent gates at those locations.
Dimensional Anchor – this spell works as normal, blocking both inter- and intra-dimensional forms of magical transit.
Dream – the realm of dreams, where sleeping mortals project their psyches and play out their fantasies. Called Dal Quor by its inhabitants, Dream is ringed with dreamscapes – small, temporary envelopes of pseudoreality where dreamers live their dreams for a short time. Within the ring, however, exists the domain of the quori, the alien denizens of Dal Quor, who feed off the psychic energy of dreaming mortals. Time and reality are said to be subjective in Dream. Mortals cannot reach Dream via plane shift nor shadow walk, but they may use both astral projection and gate to travel there.
Faerie – the home realm of the immortal fey, which is coexistent with the mortal world; locations on the material plane match with Faerie duplicates. This plane is ruled by the sidhe-lords of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, which viciously oppose each other. Portals to Faerie only appear at certain times, such as during a new moon, at the equinoxes, or once every ninety days, depending on who you ask. Time is said to pass differently on Faerie than on the mortal world, and the plane is said to entrap the unwary. Shadow walk and other spells that require access to the realm of Shadow do not function in the realm of Faerie. For every day spent in Faerie, one month passes on the prime stratum.
Material Axis – the hypothetical line along which the divergent universes of the material world exist, also called the transdimensional axis. Journeying along the material axis via the Shadow World requires little effort beyond dealing with the denizens of Shadow, but a planar traveler attempting to reach a specific material plane must make a DC 35 Knowledge (cosmology) skill check to arrive there. The DM rolls the check in secret, and you may not take 10. If the check fails, the traveler arrives at a different material plane than the one he intended, and he may not immediately realize it. Multiple characters with ranks in Knowledge (cosmology) can attempt to aid one another on the skill check to arrive at the intended plane, but the DM rolls the aid another attempts in secret as well. A character need not be able to cast planar travel spells in order to aid in this skill check. Making the Knowledge (cosmology) check is a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A shadow walking character can choose to forego making the skill check and simply exit the plane, in which case the material world he arrives upon is entirely up to DM. Outsiders with planar travel capability do not need to make skill checks to transverse the planes.
Stratum – one of the hypothetically infinite number of divergent planes coexisting along the material axis. The widely accepted hypothesis among wizards is that there are infinite material universes, stacked sideways against each other like a roll of coins. Each material universe is unique, but very similar to its neighbors. As the hypothesis goes, whenever an event happens a certain way - such as a battle won or lost - a divergent event creates a new universe in which the opposite occurs. For example, at the beginning of a battle there is a single universe. The battle is fought and won by kingdom A, creating universe A. However, there is also the possibility that kingdom B could have won. That possibility creates universe B. This is called an incident of divergence. An infinite number of incidents of divergence occur in each moment, spawning an infinite number of divergent universes. Each time a divergent event occurs, the universes closest cosmologically to the prime stratum shift. As divergent events continue to happen in each of those universes, they are pushed farther away from the prime as the divergences spawn their own divergences. Thus are the material universes infinite. Travel between them is risky, because who's to say you'll be able to find your own specific universe again once you've left it to visit another? Perhaps more radical is the idea currently in circulation among some wizards that once you leave your own stratum, it ceases to exist for you since an infinite number of incidents of divergence occur between the time you leave and the time you attempt to return. Some wizards argue that each time you travel the planes you necessarily return to a different stratum that is similar enough to the one you left as to make the differences barely noticeable, but that there are differences, and you can recognize them if you are perceptive enough.
Stratum, Prime – the prime material plane as viewed by the denizens of that plane. Denizens of other planes may view their own plane as the “prime.”
The Celestial Domains – a series of places far removed from the mortal worlds that are inherently aligned along the positive axis of moral and ethical philosophy. Unless specifically called by a deity or celestial power, all attempts by mortals to travel to the Celestial Domains automatically fail.
The Far Realm – Beyond description or comprehension, this place is also called, rather aptly, the Realm of Madness. Not only do its alien geometry and unspeakable inhabitants seem like the product of a madman’s nightmare, but any who visit this place risk finding their minds shattered by the experience. The Far Realm is an anomaly in that it does not fit well into any particular cosmological schema. Attempts to plane shift to the Far Realm automatically fail, but it is possible to shadow walk or gate there. Any attempt to shadow walk to the Far Realm requires a DC 40 Knowledge (cosmology) skill check, utilizing the normal rules for shadow walk. Creatures from the Far Realm sometimes reach the mortal worlds through the realm of Shadow. Each round a traveler spends in the Far Realm, they must make a DC 19 Will save or suffer the effects of insanity, as the spell. Outsiders are not immune to this effect unless specifically stated otherwise. The Daelkyr hail from this place. This is the realm at the end of Infinity.
The First World – The hypothetical utopian universe from which all other universes diverged. The cause of the fragmenting of this First World is unknown, though it is guessed that some calamitous Event precipitated it. In fact, what was once the core of the First World is now the Far Realm.
The Nether Dominions – also called the netherworld, this is the abode of countless fiends (often called netherals) and evil powers; it is a series of places removed from the mortal worlds and is inherently aligned along the negative axis of moral and ethical philosophy. Planar travel to the netherworld is easily accomplished by anyone capable of casting the appropriate spells, but travel out of the netherworld requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check, +1 per hellish realm removed from your prime stratum. Thus, a spellcaster on the 9th layer of the netherworld would have to make a DC 29 Spellcraft check to defeat the entrapping energies of that realm and pierce back through to the mortal world. You may not take 10 on this check, but multiple spellcasters with ranks in Spellcraft may attempt to aid the person casting the spell. A character need not be able to cast a planar travel spell themselves in order to aid in the return attempt. Making the Spellcraft check is a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the caster fails to bridge the intervening distance between planes, the spell fails and she becomes fatigued. If the caster attempts to travel out of the netherworld while fatigued and fails, she becomes exhausted and cannot continue until her condition improves to fatigued. If other spellcasters with ranks in Spellcraft are aiding the primary caster on her skill check when she fails, everyone aiding her also becomes fatigued, and if they were previously fatigued when the attempt occurs, their condition worsens to exhausted and they can no longer aid or attempt to leave the netherworld themselves until they rest. If the Spellcraft check is successful, resolve the spell normally. When traveling back to the mortal world from the netherworld, you always return to the stratum from which your journey originated. Upon arriving back at the stratum where the journey originated, the spellcaster is fatigued. If the spellcaster was already fatigued prior to arrival, she is now exhausted. Anyone aiding the spellcaster on the Spellcraft check is likewise fatigued upon arrival, and if they were already fatigued prior to arrival, they become exhausted as well. Exhausted characters cannot initiate planar travel. Outsiders with planar travel capability do not need to make skill checks to leave the netherworld.
The Shadow World – Called the Spirit World by some, or simply the Shadow, this realm is a dark mirror of substantive reality which is coterminous to all material strata but is not directly analogous to any one stratum of material existence. It has been hypothesized that it is an “echo” of the First World, which could explain why there is only one Shadow and not a Shadow for each alternate material universe. Travel through the Shadow via spells such as shadow walk is the primary method of transit to other strata of the material axis. For the purposes of game mechanics, any spell, ability, or creature that is tied to the ethereal plane or the plane of shadow utilizes the Shadow World in a FIONAVAR campaign. Ghosts, for example, are restless spirits that haunt the Shadow. In places farthest removed from material access live the tzen-zai (shin-ZAI), ancient and twisted survivors of the destruction of the First World. The region they inhabit is called by the learned the Deep Shadow. The tzen-zai actually preserve a small piece of the first world within the heart of their culture.
Transdimensional Communication and Observation: Spells that allow communication or observation across dimensional barriers, such as sending or scrying, do not work reliably. The farther apart the individual planes, the more difficult it is to reach a desired creature with such spells. Spellcasters attempting to cast any spell to contact or observe a creature on a different material stratum must make a DC 20 Spellcraft check, +1 per material stratum removed from the recipient (given that there are an infinite number of material strata, the DM will judge whether the stratum the creature is on is in the transdimensional “neighborhood” of the caster). Attempts to communicate with or to observe a creature on Dream, Faerie, the Celestial Domains, or the Far Realm always fail. The Spellcraft DC to communicate with or to observe someone in the realm of Shadow is 21. All attempts to communicate with or observe a being in the Deep Shadow automatically fail. A spellcaster must make a DC 25 Spellcraft check to communicate with or to observe a creature on any layer of the netherworld, +1 per layer removed from the material stratum. You may never take 10 on any of these checks. If the caster fails to bridge the intervening distance between planes, the spell fails and she becomes fatigued. If the caster attempts transdimensional communication or observation while fatigued and fails, she becomes exhausted and cannot continue until her condition improves to fatigued. Other spellcasters with ranks in Spellcraft may attempt to aid the primary caster on her skill check, but if she fails they become fatigued as well. If they were previously fatigued when the attempt occurs, their condition worsens to exhausted. Exhausted characters cannot initiate or aid in inter-planar communication or observation. If the Spellcraft check is successful, resolve the spell normally. Making the Spellcraft check is a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Outsiders with planar travel capability do not need to make skill checks to communicate or observe across planar boundaries.
Now we ARE going to have some adventures which require the PC to investigate outer worlds and travel through them, and that's why I need my ideas and sketches to solidify a bit into something that I can keep in mind (not necessarily telling the players yet) for when the PC are more free to choose their planar destination.
