An amulet is a small object, typically worn or carried, that is believed to bring good luck, protection or other positive benefits to the owner. These items have been used for centuries in various cultures and religions around the world. One fascinating type of amulet is the Amulet of the Planes. The Amulet of the Planes is a powerful magical item that allows the wearer to travel between different planes of existence. In many fantasy worlds, such as those featured in Dungeons & Dragons, various planes of existence exist alongside the prime material plane where most adventures take place. These planes can be realms of elemental forces, alternate planes of reality or even the realms of gods and mythical creatures.
These planes can be realms of elemental forces, alternate planes of reality or even the realms of gods and mythical creatures. The Amulet of the Planes is typically depicted as a small pendant or charm that can be worn on a necklace or bracelet. It is usually made of precious metals such as gold or silver and adorned with intricate designs.
Amulet of the Planes - Random Plane Selection
I've got a player who's picked up an amulet of the planes as part of his starting equipment for his character.
Given he can only succeed on the DC 15 Intelligence check less than 50% on the time, I need to prep a table of random planes in the event of a failed roll.
So far, here's what I've prepped:
1% to 10% - Astral Plane
11% to 20% - Ethereal Plane
21% to 30% - Shadow Plane
31% to 40% - First World
41% to 50% - Elemental Plane of Air
51% to 60% - Elemental Plane of Water
61% to 70% - Elemental Plane of Earth
71% to 80% - Elemenetal Plane of Fire
81% - Axis
82% - The Boneyard
83% - The Maelstrom
84% - Abaddon
85% - The Abyss
86% - Hell
87% - Elysium
88% - Heaven
89% - Nirvana
90% - Reroll Outer Planes
91% to 100% - Demiplane (GM's Choice)
Anyone have any advice how to best deal with prepping encounters or other surprises for the group when they're dimension hopping around the multiverse?
I mean, besides the "fun" if Id have a character like that in my party, even my 6 INT Wizard would refuse to party with such character.
Imprevisibility is something an adventurer can expected, now, forced imprevisibility, no, I outright refuse it.
If you really want it, you could have 2-3 encounters prepped for each scenario and shuffle between them, or/and just add random NPC reprensentative of those planes that always have a way to go back
Starting equipment? As in first level starting equipment? Oooh, this could be very, very lethal.
Random location in a random plane? So, no elemental protections.
Plane of Earth? Unless you've got earthglide, you're dead.
Plane of Fire? Unless you've got immunity to fire, you're dead.
Plane of Air? Better master your falling right quick or you'll smack into something hard at terminal velocity (20d6).
Plane of Water? Unless you've got gills or water breathing, you're drowning, you're dead.
That's a 40% chance of TPK for just the Inner Planes.
Shadow Plane, infused with negative energy. That sounds deadly.
The Boneyard? I play in a homebrew world, so I don't know anything about this plane, but it doesn't sound good.
The Maelstrom? That sounds at least as bad as the Boneyard.
This is what I found out about Abbadon, "In its blistered and blackened reaches, both mortal souls and outsiders find themselves preyed upon by the fiendish residents, either slain outright or offered up bound and bleeding to the plane’s rulers as specimens upon which to feast or experiment." Okay, that sound like a wipe-out.
The Abyss? Hell? Well, they speak for themselves.
Overall, you're looking at a 55% chance of obliterating the group.
Even Elysium is entrapping, so they'll enjoy their gilded cage.
The Amulet functions as plane shift, meaning everyone has to be holding hands (and willing) to be shifted. Casting time is only a standard action and the Amulet doesn't specify how often it can be used. That's up to you, I guess. Does it have to recharge between uses?
I highly recommend that because if not, don't prep any encounters. They'll just keep randomly popping around the planes every standard action until they get where they want.
They're 15th level so far, so the item's within the Wealth by Level guidelines, and as far as I can see, it functions at will to cast Plane Shift as a standard action command word.
As for encounters, fleeing to a different plane would depend on their initiative roll for the start of combat. Typically they'd be able to survive one round of environmental hazards on most planes, even the ones hostile to humanoids such as the Plane of Fire (3d10 fire damage per round isn't gonna kill a 15th level character fast enough to matter, though they might be more upset that their flammable gear such as cloaks are gonna take fire damage and likely be destroyed).
So far I've got the following:
Astral Plane: Astradaemon (CR 16)
Ethereal Plane: 4 Advanced 14 HD Xill (CR 16)
Shadow Plane: Nightwalker (CR 16), Advanced Dark Creature Lesser Bandersnatch (CR 15)
First World: Advanced Ankou (CR 15), 3 Advanced Fey Hounds of Tindalos and Wild Hunt Scout (CR 16), Phantom Ring (CR 9)
Elemental Plane of Air: Tornado (CR 10)
Elemental Plane of Water: Flowing Water, Whirlpool (no CR, but failed Swim checks separate party members)
Elemental Plane of Earth: Cave-In (CR 8)
Elemental Plane of Fire: Fire-Dominant Trait Damage, Lava Immersion (CR 14)
They're 15th level so far, so the item's within the Wealth by Level guidelines, and as far as I can see, it functions at will to cast Plane Shift as a standard action command word.
As for encounters, fleeing to a different plane would depend on their initiative roll for the start of combat. Typically they'd be able to survive one round of environmental hazards on most planes, even the ones hostile to humanoids such as the Plane of Fire (3d10 fire damage per round isn't gonna kill a 15th level character fast enough to matter, though they might be more upset that their flammable gear such as cloaks are gonna take fire damage and likely be destroyed).
So far I've got the following:
Astral Plane: Astradaemon (CR 16)
Ethereal Plane: 4 Advanced 14 HD Xill (CR 16)
Shadow Plane: Nightwalker (CR 16), Advanced Dark Creature Lesser Bandersnatch (CR 15)
First World: Advanced Ankou (CR 15), 3 Advanced Fey Hounds of Tindalos and Wild Hunt Scout (CR 16), Phantom Ring (CR 9)
Elemental Plane of Air: Tornado (CR 10)
Elemental Plane of Water: Flowing Water, Whirlpool (no CR, but failed Swim checks separate party members)
Elemental Plane of Earth: Cave-In (CR 8)
Elemental Plane of Fire: Fire-Dominant Trait Damage, Lava Immersion (CR 14)
I wouldnt mess with pc items unless it was previously agreed. Messing with pc items could be wrongbadfun for many. I do not take pleasure in having my +5 Saves cape destroyed because I got teleported.
Also, why would the party take the risk of using this amulet? Is there a reason for this?
On the other hand do not rely solely on combat. Plane of Fire could be easily resisted with Resist Energy which last a lot of time, so it's not really a huge problem. If part knows they will be forcefully teleported, they will just get an item/spell to breathe anywhere and solve most of their problems.
Im having a hard time with a party accepting this, unless theres some plot forced down the characters throat.
Thanks for the suggestions Letric! I agree that I'd be upset as a player if my gear was destroyed, but the good news is that the party sorcerer and cleric can both use Greater Make Whole, so any gear that's destroyed can be easily fixed.
The group uses the amulet as it's a means of instantly plane shifting anywhere on any plane without needing a focus component. It streamlines travel times, and between this item and the Shadow Walk spell, they're able to quickly move to their destination.
I agree that pure combat encounters aren't ideal, and I'm hoping somebody has advice about alternative options to a big nasty creature attacking the group. I'm especially having trouble with the astral plane, since it's thematically an empty void. WotC had a lot more content for interesting stuff on the astral plane with githyanki and githzerai, but I can't seem to get excited about Paizo's shulsaga.
You don't need encounters for each random plane.
Prep the next N random planes. [I suggest N=3.]
Each time it gets misused, use the preselected random encounter. After the session, prep another random encounter to replace the used one.
If you use up all the random encounters in a single session, it is OK to end the session early. The players will understand.
These random encounters are often low level, and thus not a threat to the party. The environment, however.
For the Astral plane, you may not encounter locals, but other travelers. They would be more party level, and might be friendly or hostile.
If you really want it, you could have 2-3 encounters prepped for each scenario and shuffle between them, or/and just add random NPC reprensentative of those planes that always have a way to go back
The amulet is imbued with powerful magic that enables the wearer to open portals to other planes. Using the Amulet of the Planes is not without risks. The planes of existence can be dangerous and unpredictable, with different laws of physics and beings of immense power. Therefore, obtaining and using an Amulet of the Planes requires great caution and knowledge. It is essential to understand the specific rules and limitations of the amulet for safe and successful travel. In many fantasy stories, adventurers seek out the Amulet of the Planes to explore new worlds, acquire rare treasures or even confront powerful foes. The ability to travel between planes offers endless possibilities for adventure and discovery. However, the amulet's power can also attract unwanted attention from other beings who seek to control or destroy it for their own purposes. The lore and legends surrounding the Amulet of the Planes vary from story to story, but its core concept remains the same: a gateway to other dimensions and realms. This mystical and enchanting object has captured the imaginations of writers, game designers and fans alike, leading to countless tales of adventure and exploration. In conclusion, the Amulet of the Planes is a captivating amulet that grants the wearer the ability to travel between different planes of existence. It is a powerful and sought-after artifact in many fantasy settings, offering endless opportunities for adventure and discovery. However, using the amulet requires great caution and knowledge of the planes' dangers and rules. Its existence in lore and literature serves as a gateway to incredible tales of exploration and the supernatural..
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