positive/negative material plane (and an energy drain question)

Scion

First Post
Having a bit of a dispute with some people ;) Can anyone tell me how the core rules view the positive/negative material plans? I dont have the manual of the planes, and I am not even sure if what it says is really true anyway for core. I just need to know how they are aligned in the core. I cant seem to find it anywhere.

The second question is the following:

Undead creatures with energy drain, can they choose to not energy drain? It is a supernatural ability, I thought that the user could choose to supress any supernatural abilities that they had.

Thanks for your help!
 

log in or register to remove this ad

As for the first question, what do you mean by the word aligned? You mean what alignment they have? Neither energy plane has any alignment traits. If that's not what you're asking, you might need to re ask your questions.

Remember though that in 3.0 there is no core description of the plaes. In 3.5 it's in the DMG, pgs157-158 for the energy planes.

Here's the SRD:

NEGATIVE ENERGY PLANE
To an observer, there’s little to see on the Negative Energy Plane. It is a dark, empty place, an eternal pit where a traveler can fall until the plane itself steals away all light and life. The Negative Energy Plane is the most hostile of the Inner Planes, and the most uncaring and intolerant of life. Only creatures immune to its life-draining energies can survive there.
The Negative Energy Plane has the following traits.
• Subjective directional gravity.
• Major negative-dominant. Some areas within the plane have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these islands tend to be inhabited.
• Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy are maximized (as if the Maximize Spell metamagic feat had been used on them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized are unaffected by this benefit. Class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected.
• Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are impeded. Characters on this plane take a –10 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to remove negative levels bestowed by an energy drain attack.
Random Encounters: Because the Negative Energy Plane is virtually devoid of creatures, random encounters on the plane are exceedingly rare.

POSITIVE ENERGY PLANE
The Positive Energy Plane has no surface and is akin to the Elemental Plane of Air with its wide-open nature. However, every bit of this plane glows brightly with innate power. This power is dangerous to mortal forms, which are not made to handle it. Despite the beneficial effects of the plane, it is one of the most hostile of the Inner Planes. An unprotected character on this plane swells with power as positive energy is force-fed into her. Then, her mortal frame unable to contain that power, she immolates as if she were a small planet caught at the edge of a supernova. Visits to the Positive Energy Plane are brief, and even then travelers must be heavily protected.
The Positive Energy Plane has the following traits.
• Subjective directional gravity.
• Major positive-dominant. Some regions of the plane have the minor positive-dominant trait instead, and those islands tend to be inhabited.
• Enhanced magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are maximized (as if the Maximize Spell metamagic feat had been used on them, but the spells don’t require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized are unaffected by this benefit. Class abilities that use positive energy, such as turning and destroying undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected. (Undead are almost impossible to find on this plane, however.)
• Impeded magic. Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy (including inflict spells) are impeded.
Random Encounters: Because the Positive Energy Plane is virtually devoid of creatures, random encounters on the plane are exceedingly rare.
 

Yes, I meant alignment, I have been telling them that the planes are not aligned, but they do not believe me. I have been trying to find proof for my position ;)

any help on the energy drain problem?
 

Scion said:
Yes, I meant alignment, I have been telling them that the planes are not aligned, but they do not believe me. I have been trying to find proof for my position ;)

any help on the energy drain problem?

*ponders a bit* Based on absolutely no rule whatsoever (unless it's buried in my subconscious and ingrained inherently in my answer), I think that they could supress their energy drain ability, provided they were intelligent. Whether someone intelligent could direct a non-intelligent undead into supressing abilities or not would be open to debate, in my opinion.
 

I agree completely, however the others do not agree at all. Which is why I need rules from somewhere. I am happy enough to do it the way I think in my campaigns of course, but it isnt a good way to convince people ;) Thanks for the backup though, at least I am not going completely insane
 

The Negative plane isn't evil or good. It's like a black hole. It sucks on life. It just is. Much like the energy created by a supernova is powerful and makes new life, the positive plane isn't good either.
 

Scion said:
I agree completely, however the others do not agree at all. Which is why I need rules from somewhere. I am happy enough to do it the way I think in my campaigns of course, but it isnt a good way to convince people ;) Thanks for the backup though, at least I am not going completely insane
Hrm. Well, upon re-reading the thread, I noticed you said "planes aren't aligned". Well, some of them are. The Negative Energy Plane, it just so happens, isn't. (It doesn't specifically state so in the DMG 3.5, but a few planes later, it specifically states that one of the Outer Planes is mildly good aligned)

The best I can come up with at the moment, rules-wise for allowing a SU ability to be turned off, is that at the beginning of Pg. 289, 3.5 DMG, it lists a basilisk's petrifying stare as an example. Pg. 294, under gaze attacks, states "Unless specified otherwise, a creature with a gaze attack can control its gaze attack and 'turn it off' when so desired." You could use that as a precedent for allowing all SU abilities to be turned off in a like manner. Hope that helps. :)

Out of curiosity, why are the players fighting this? I would think that a player struck by a level-draining touch would really like it if the undead in question decided to turn it off for that one attack... ;)
 

Of course I was only talking in context of the planes under discusion ;) Of course some planes are aligned, however these two are not.

There was discussion about how a paladin turned into an undead creature and later gaining levels in emancipated spawn would not be able to be a paladin because undead are powered by negative energy and negative energy is Evil.

So I had to step in and say that negative energy in and if itself was not evil, but if they wanted it to be in their campaigns then as part of the attonement process (most paladins would have to attone for this) their god could turn them into a positively powered undead. Seemed like a fine solution to me, but it definately stepped on someones toes. Therefore my need for actual references with which to point to and say, 'go read here, it says "Quote" and that means the following'

Also, the reason I need to know if it can be turned off is because someone said that draining levels is evil (as this is written no where but they wont budge from the evilness of it I am going for the next best solution, not useing it). I've already posted for them from the srd where it says you have to use intent and an 'energy draining attack' and 'mere physical contact is not enough' but that doesnt convince them.. in fact they say it proves their point that any touch by the undead creature is an energy drain.. confusing..

The main reason I am continuing the arguement there isnt to convince him, but to hopefully make others who visit that thread understand what is really going on ;)

Thanks for the help all! maybe this will work.. maybe...lol
 

There WOULD be ways to make an undead paladin and not be evil. However such undead are usually ghosts. But not always obviously.
 

True enough, but the template in savage species actually uses a paladin as an example ;) Its third level ability says that it recalls all info and can have its old alignment and such. Seems pretty cut and dried to me, but that doesnt mean everyone agrees, especially as certain splat books do very odd things.
 

Pets & Sidekicks

Remove ads

Top