THE PARA-ELEMENTAL PLANES
THE PARA-ELEMENTAL PLANES
The para-elemental planes
are minor planes that lie between the
major elemental planes.
The para-elemental planes are
Smoke, where Air meets Fire;
Magma, where Fire meets
Earth;
Ooze, where Earth meets
Water;
Ice, where Water meets Air.
These planes are called
minor for several reasons: they are harder to
reach for Prime Material
spell casters; they are home to fewer
great powers; they are less
varied than the major planes; they are
also transition planes between
the major elemental planes.
The plane of para-elemental
Smoke is a large bank of foul-smelling
fog, sweeter and cleaner
toward the plane of Air and its
quasi-planes, hotter and
brighter toward the plane of Fire and its
related quasi-elemental
planes.
The plane of Magma is a long
sea of lava, thinning to burning gas near the plane of Fire and
thickening toward the plane
of Earth until it becomes solid rock.
The plane of Ooze begins
with clammy dampness on the borders
of Earth, passes through
a quicksand-like state in the central part
of its plane, and finally
becomes muddy silt where it borders the
plane of Water.
The plane of para-elemental
Ice is a solid land of
frozen water broken by fissures
and caverns, ranging from scattered
icebergs at the edge nearest
Water and ending in a wnite
wall jutting into the plane
of Air.
As in the major elemental
planes, it is impossible for a traveller
to make his way across the
para-elemental plane w/o aid.
There are a wide variety
of para-elementals, para-animentals,
and para-elemental monsters
that inhabit these planes, some of
which can be convinced to
serve as elemental guides.
The environmental factors
that imperil the well-being of the
traveller vary from para-plane
to para-plane, as follows:
Smoke: The greatest
danger ot the traveller in the plane o f
Smoke is asphyxiation, as
the particles and gases are not breathable
by creatures requiring air.
Modified spells such as airy smoke
and smoke breathing negate
this effect, but only spells
and devices that eliminate
the need to breathe for long periods of
time permit lengthy adventures
on this plane.
Magma: Travellers
in the plane of Magma are treated to the
effects of heat and fire
as if they were on the plane of Fire (see
page 37) and their breathing
also suffers as if they were
immersed in a hot liquid.
Devices that offer protection from fire or
heat offset the damage from
the molten elemental material, but a
modified spell that allows
the caster to breath element or suspends
the need for breathing is
needed to survive in this plane.
Ooze: The murky depths
of para-elemental Ooze have the viscous
consistency of the plane
of Magma, but the material is much
rather than molten rock.
Those caught within this para-plane
unprotected will drown just
as easily as if they were in in the plane
of Water. Spells and devices
that enable water breathing work in
this para-plane without
modification.
Ice: The plane of
para-elemental Ice shares the restrictively
solid nature of the plane
of para-elemental Earth, save that no <para-elemental Earth?>
damage is inflicted through
long-term incarceration (in fact, those
trapped within the ice are
incredibly well-preserved). In addition,
those beings insufficiently
protected against the plane of Ice suffer
1d6 points of cold damage
per round. This is reduced to 1d6
per TURN if the victims
are well-protected or wrapped in furs, and
negated completely if the
traveller has devices or spells offering
prot. from cold || ice.
Vision: Smoke provides
the best visibility, about 30 yards,
while vision in Ooze &&
Magma is ltd. to touch range unless
some device permits x-ray
vision.
Visibility in Ice varies
according to the transluceny of the ice, but is usu. 10-20 yards.
Travellers in any of the
four para-elemental planes have a 1 in
20 chance of an encounter,
checked every eight true hours. If an
encounter is indicated,
roll on the table below:
1-20
Elemental Pocket
21-00
Creature Encounter
There are no outstanding
elemental phenomena that seriously
affect travellers, but each
plane has small-sacle variations in conditions
from place to place (such
as small tornado-like smoke
devils in the plane of Smoke,
or creatures preserved in Ice).
Elemental Pockets
Each para-plane contains
equal numbers of elemental pockets
from each of the two major
planes on either side of the para-plane.
An elemental pocket in the
plane of Smoke is either a fire
pocket or an air pocket,
while one in the plane of Ooze is either an
earth pocket or a water
pocket.
Pockets in the Plane of
Smoke: An elemental pocket in the
plane of Smoke is either
air (50%) or fire (50%). An air pocket is a
spherical or ellipsoid AREA
of clear air space. It has a 30%
chance of containing inhabitants
of the plane of Air. Similarly,
a pocket of fire resembles
a free-standing fireball. There is a 40%
chance of a Fire native
within. No heat radiates out of the pocket
of fire into the surrounding
smoke, but those who enter the pocket
suffer the effects of entering
the plane of Fire (see Survival).
Pockets in the Plane of
Magma: An elemental pocket in the
plane of Magma is either
fire (50%) or earth (50%). A fire pocket
takes the form of a rounded
bubble of open space filled with the
elemental fire and thin
gases that make up the plane. There is a
70% chance that such a pocket
is home to creatures from the
plane of Fire
or Magma (50% chance of either). A pocket of earth
stands out as a granite
pillar or roughly-hewn rock floating int he
surrounding magma. There
is a 30% chance that the pocket is
inhabited. If inhabited,
the settlers are either earth elemental
creatures (40%) within the
pocket or fire and magma creatures
(30%) on the outside.
Pockets in the Plane of
Ooze: An elemental pocket in the
plane of para-elemental
Ooze is either water (50%) or earth
(50%). A water pocket is
an irregular mass of water floating within
the thicker soup of the
muddy plane. There is a 20% chance that
such a pocket is the lair
of a creature from the plane of elemental
Water. An earth pocket consists
of a denser solid in the muddy
mass and has a 30% chance
of inhabitants, either from the plane
of para-elemental Ooze (50%)
or the plane of Earth (50%).
Pockets in the Plane of
Ice: An elemental pocket in the plane
of para-elemental Ice is
either elemental water (50%) or elemental
air (50%). A pocket of elemental
water is an underground lake
of ice-cold water. Any creatures
found within (30% chance from
Water, otherwise from Ice)
are resistant to the chilling effects of
the pocket. A pocket of
elemental air in this plane resembles an
ice cavern of irregular
shape. It has a 70% chance of housing
creatures, either of Ice
(60%) or Air (40%).
Creature Encounters
Creatures
native to the para-elemental planes have special
abilities (and disadvantages)
that depend on their home plane. In
general, para-elementals
are immune to the effects of their para-plane
and its related major planes
while dwelling in the inner
planes (a magma troll is
immune to flame and magma and suffers
no restrictions on the plane
of Earth). Most para-elemental creatures
stand out from their backgrounds
through differences in
color or appearance. Most
count on the vision-dampening
properties of their native
planes to hide them from prey and pursuer.
Smoke:
Creatures of para-elemental Smoke are misty or sooty
in appearance, similar to
air elementals that have dust in their
make-up. Creatures of elemental
Smoke are immune to air- and
fire-based attacks, as well
as the asphyxiating nature of their
home plane.
Magma:
Creatures of para-elemental Magma are hot and fluid,
encrusted with solid bits
of cooling volcanic rock. These creatures
are comfortable in their
own plane and can MOVE and FIGHT
in elemental Fire &&
Earth without difficulty.
Ooze:
Creatures native to para-elemental Ooze are fluid and
can assume humanoid or monster
forms, but often appear as
globs of putty-like mud.
Such creatures suffer none of the ill
effects of their plane,
nor those of elemental Earth && Water.
Ice:
Creatures native to the plane of para-elemental Ice are
generally white angular
beings that look like snow-sculptures of
the equivalent Prime Planar
creatures. These beings are immune
to air-based attacks as
well as the effects of the plane of Water. In
addition, creatures native
to the plane of Ice can MOVE && FIGHT
in elemental Ice, Water,
and Air without restrictions. They are
also immune to cold and
ice attacks based on these substances.
All these abilities and
immunities apply only while these
creatures are in the inner
planes.
Para-Elemental Encounter
Chart
| D8 + D12 Roll | Number | Creatures Encountered | Notes |
| 2 | 1 | Para-Elem Prince of Evil | MoP |
| 3 | 1d4 | Para-Elem Monsters (Cloakers) | MM2* |
| 4 | 1d100 | Para-Elem Monsters (Rats) | MM2* |
| 5 | 1d8+4 | Para-Animentals (Eagles) | MM2* |
| 6 | 1d3 | Para-Elem Monsters (Gi. Octopi) | MM* |
| 7 | 2d6 | Elementals* | MM |
| 8 | 1d10 | ** | MM*/MM2* |
| 9 | 2d6 | Para-Elementals | MoP |
| 10 | 1d10 | ** | MM/MM2 |
| 11 | 20d10 | Para-Animentals (Herd Animals) | MM* |
| 12 | 40d10 | Para-Elem Monsters (Goblins) | MM* |
| 13 | 1d10 | Para-Elem Monsters (Giants) | MM* |
| 14 | 2d6 | Genie from adjacent major plane | MM/MM2 |
| 15 | 2d6 | Elementals**** | MM |
| 16 | 1d2 | Para-Animentals (Electric Eels) | MM2* |
| 17 | 1d4 | Para-Elem Dinosaurs | MM*/MM2* |
| 18 | 1d4 | Para-Elem Monsters (Cave Fishers) | MM2* |
| 19 | 1d2 | Para-Elem Monsters (Land Urchin) | MM2* |
| 20 | 1d2 | Para-Elem Monsters (Behir) | MM2* |
* Depends
on plane: Fire elementals in Smoke, earth elementals
in Magma,
water elementals in Ooze, and air elementals in Ice.
** Human
party in Smoke, lava children in Magma, mudmen in
Ooze,
and winter wolves in Ice.
*** Mihstu
in Smoke, magmen in Magma, and human travellers
in Ooze
and Ice.
**** Air elementals in Smoke, fire elementals in Magma, earth elementals in Ooze, and water elementals in Ice.
Notes:
MM = Monster
Manual creature
MM2 =
Monster Manual II creature
MoP =
Described in Manual of the Planes
MM*
= Creatures are similar in appearance and abilities to monsters of the
same name in the Monster Manual.
MM2*
= As MM*, but refers to the Monster Manual II.
Movement limitations for the para-planes are as follows:
* Magma
and Ooze are similar to the plane of Water for
movement, in particular
the effects of falling through the plane.
* Smoke is treated as the plane of Air.
* Ice
is treated as Earth for the purposes of movement, SAVE
that individuals of any
STR can MOVE through the relatively
soft ice.
Combat
in these planes obeys the general restrictions for all
the inner planes, with the
following additional strictures:
* Magma and Ooze restrict combat as does the plane of Water.
* Smoke restricts combat as does the plane of Air (i.e. hardly at all).
* Ice restricts combat as does the plane of Earth.
Magic
functions in the para-elemental planes with the basic
restrictions and benefits
described for all the inner planes. Particular
planes have further restrictions
based on their natures.
Smoke:
There are no further limitations on the types of spells
that can be CAST here. While
warm and smoky, this para-plane
does not immolate/evaporate/disintegrate
created substances.
Magma:
The restrictions on vision in the plane of Magma
present the primary problem
to spell casting. If the caster is
capable of seeing through
the magma, spells can be CAST through the
medium as if through water.
Further, the effects on created materials
are as for the plane of
elemental Fire, so that most solids liquefy
and most liquids boil off
in one round.
Ooze:
The plane of Ooze has has vision limitations similar to those
of the plane of Magma. In
addition, all spells CAST here suffer the
strictures on magick underwater
(DMG pages 56-57 and UA pages 81-82) as in the plane of Water.
Ice:
The plane of Ice is considered to be as solid as the plane of
Earth for spell casting,
with similar limitations on the caster's
functioning. Spells that
create fire work in the plane of Ice, but
long-standing fires melt
the elemental ice, which then extinguishes
the flames.
The preceding
restrictions apply only to areas of pure para-elemental
material. Magick in elemental
pockets or other material
functions as in those other
planes.
Para-Elementals:
Para-elemental creatures rarely stray from
their native planes; for
this reason not many are known and identified
by Prime Material travellers.
In temperament,
para-elementals are generally wary, unfriendly,
and cautious toward others.
This is not surprising as their
native planes are often
turned into combat zones by competing
groups of elemental powers,
and the para-elementals are not
included in the councils
of the major elemental planes. This tends
to make these beings resentful
at best and bad-spirited at worst.
Even so, large numbers of
para-elemental creatures have information
about bordering planes because
of the continual traffic
across their planes. They
may share this information for a price.
Para-elementals
tend to be gruff and non-committal guides.
They can be bribed into
service in the same manner as elementals
of the major planes, but
items specifically appealing
to them (such as smoke essence
or an ice-carving) ) entice them to
double their duration of
service, These enticements have a 50%
chance of encouraging them
to FIGHT with the party.
Archomentals:
None of the para-elemental groups have one
particular leader, but there
are always ice lords, slime barons,
magma generals, and smoke
duskes vying for control of their
respective groups. The most
powerful of these archomentals are
treated as Demi-Deities,
and of these only one, Cryonax of the
plane of Ice, has been described
(FIEND FOLIO tome). Cryonax
is typical of such great
powers in these planes. Though he is the
equal of Imix or Olhydra
(of the planes of Fire and Earth), there
are no Greater Deities in
the para-planes to control his actions.
Cryonax,
like the other princes && princesses of the para-planes,
has an overriding desire
to establish his realm of Ice as a
dominant elemental plane,
equalling or replacing the planes
about it. He has dreams
of creating his own "para-elemental"
planes of Slush &&
Snow on the borders of Ice. Cryonax's ornate
palace is said to tap the
forces of the Negative Material plane,
though to what end has not
yet been revealed.
The abilities
&& powers of other princes of para-elemental evil
are similar, though their
aims and intentions are a mystery to
most natives of the PMP.
Their names, rescued
from rotting books, are
Ehkank of the plane of Smoke, Chlimbia
of the plane of Magma, and
Bwimb of the plane of Ooze.
Geniekind:
There are no genies native to the para-elemental
planes, though these realms
are often visited by genies. Marids
engage on hunts on the planes
of Ice and Ooze, while dkinn travel
Ice to meet with the marids.
Djinn also USE the plane of Smoke as
a battlefield with the efreet.
The efreet brave the relatively cool
lands of the plane of Magma
to entreat the dao, and the dao in
TURN bore through the soft
magma and ooze looking for riches and
more land to exploit.
serleran wrote:
Is there an elemental lord
for those which are composite creatures, such as the "quasi-elementals"
of mud or ash, for example?
Are they, elemental lords
in general, worshipped by mephits?
Well...
that's the call of the DM
using the system.
I don't envisage a series
of quasi-elemental planes that kack more potent entities than the ordinary,
so there would be a hierarchy thus--
even if not one of conscious
subservience, more akin to that of animals in nature.
As for worship, surely some
sentient creatures somewhere are foolish enough to do that 
Cheers,
Gary