Cosmology of The Unification

Posted by EarthDragon on 22nd August 2015.

The cosmology of the world of The Unification is somewhat different to that of other campaigns. Many aspects are familiar, some aspects are combined or absent, and some new aspects are featured. This section gives a brief primer on the overall nature of the multiverse of the campaign.

Prime Material Plane

The most obvious plane has no special name in the campaign, most people don’t even think in terms of planes and, since they don’t even have a name for their world, people in general do not have a special name for their plane of existence. There are no special rules for this plane; it merely represents the standard material reality of most people’s lives. Some specific locales within the Prime plane have special rules and properties, but they are rare, are not widely known, and will be dealt with when they arise.

The Elemental Planes

The elemental make-up of the world of The Unification is a little more complex than in other cosmologies and, as a result, there are a few extra elemental planes which influence the world. These planes lie both over and under the material world, and there are frequent “hot zones” where they bleed through into the prime world. These “hot zones” demonstrate features common to the elemental plane (or, in a more complex situation, planes) that is (are) bleeding through. These areas are frequently bordered by some sort of barrier of the element(s) that are in evidence. Sometimes these barriers are solid and impassable, other times they are more permeable. Most dangerous are zones where there is no border or, indeed, any visible sign of the abrupt change to elemental reality. Zones where multiple elements bleed through are more dangerous still as the elements often combine in extremely unpredictable combinations. Some of these zones, but by no means all, can be used as conduits or portals into the plane manifested. The location within the elemental plane(s) in which travellers appear is highly random and totally unpredictable. Travellers are advised to seek more reliable means of egress into the elemental planes unless they are in a hurry or, worse, desperate.

Elemental Plane of Air

The plane of air is, arguably, the most hospitable of the elemental planes; however, it is also the plane most likely to have invisible hot zones, a potentially deadly circumstance. The plane of air has the following characteristics:

  Subjective Directional Gravity

You can determine your own "down", objects do not move.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Air Dominant

This is a fairly obvious trait.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create air are Empowered and Enlarged.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create earth are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

There are numerous creatures native to the plane of air, especially djinn and elementals, though there are others. Numerous floating/flying castles exist, usually belonging to powerful beings or sometimes to people who have escaped The Unification and its constant struggle and have become both powerful and insular since their escape. Weather and winds are quite severe on the plane of air, and they are also generally totally invisible, making them potentially extremely dangerous.

Elemental Plane of Earth

The plane of earth is, as elemental planes go, relatively “friendly” to alien life. Movement is either through tunnels and caverns within the mineral matrix of the plane, or through the earth, clay and stone directly (usually through magic, though other possibilities exist). The plane of earth has the following characteristics:

  Heavy Gravity

Gravity is extreme compared to the prime plane; Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim and Tumble checks take a -8 circumstance penalty, as do all attack rolls; weights of items are doubled, potentially affecting speed, and ranged weapons operate at half-range; falling damage is 1d12 per 10’ fallen, to a maximum of 20d12.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Earth Dominant

This is a fairly obvious trait.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create earth are Empowered and Extended.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create air are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

The plane of earth is, perhaps, the most “impure” of the planes and is known to contain pockets of other elemental planes to, perhaps, a noticeably greater extent than the other planes. An encounter with earth-based creatures is fairly common, and the dao make their home here in their Dismal Delves. They represent perhaps the most civilised race on the plane. Mineral seams and gem pockets are also relatively common. Earthquakes are a very real and frequent danger here. Tunnels and caverns are frequently closed by earthquake activity, and it is not uncommon for prime plane travellers to be crushed and killed in such events.

Elemental Plane of Fire

The plane of fire is perhaps the most inhospitable to life out of all the planes, save perhaps the energy planes. It consists of uninterrupted plains and walls of fire. These flames burn without regard to fuel or oxygen, apparently feeding themselves, however, flammable objects do get consumed as fuel where they are available. Unfortunately, this sometimes includes adventurers. The plane of fire has the following characteristics:

  Normal Gravity

Gravity is the same as on the material plane; the “ground” is made of heavier flame, ash and debris, but it provides for solid footing similar to that on the prime plane.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Fire Dominant

This is a fairly obvious trait.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create fire are Maximised and Enlarged.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create water are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

In spite of its place in the cosmology as an extremely hostile plane, there is life there, predominantly elemental creatures and pure elementals. Another major inhabitant of the plane are the efreeti who reside all over the plane, with a heavy concentration in the City of Brass (which is mildly evil-aligned, imposing a -2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks and skills). Azer and salamanders also make their home here in relatively organised societies. Most of the inhabitants of the plane are relatively hostile to ordinary life, but those creatures organised into societal arrangements of moderate complexity or higher are relatively less hostile than some of their counterparts. It is worth noting that, outside of extremely rare areas of darkness, Darkvision does not function on this plane. Food for members of races from the material plane, being generally flammable, is something of a problem for travellers and adventurers. Rare pockets of steam and rains of ash also cause problems for travellers.

Elemental Plane of Water

This plane is only slightly less inhospitable to members of the prime plane than the plane of fire. This plane is essentially a vast ocean, but with no surface or bottom, just endless expanses of water, wave and tide in every direction. The water varies from ice cold to boiling hot and from salt to fresh, with little regard for the usual laws of physics which govern such things. Settlements are usually formed on some sort of floating flotsam within the endless waters, and they move around with tides within the endless fluid medium. The plane of water has the following characteristics.

  Subjective Directional Gravity

Somewhat similar to the plane of air, but slower and less dangerous than on the plane of air; you determine your own “down”, objects do not move.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Water Dominant

This is a fairly obvious trait.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create water are Extended and Enlarged.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create fire are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

Creatures on the plane of water consist mainly of elementals and elemental creatures, though there are also large numbers of marid. There is also any number of ordinary water-breathing creatures similar to those from the material plane. One feature of the plane of water that distinguishes is from depths of water on any other plane is the lack of pressure at great depths (which would otherwise be an extreme problem since the infinite size of the plane means that everywhere is essentially extremely “deep”). The most interesting feature of the plane is the City of Glass which consists of a hegemony of diverse creatures and species from all over the planes.

Elemental Plane of Wood

Like the Plane of Earth, this plane is relatively “friendly” to outside life, not being buried in water or perpetually burning. The plane of Wood is dominated by plant life in all its myriad forms, including forms never seen elsewhere. The plane itself is a massive, gnarled oak with neither root nor crown, branches the size of Material sequoias twist and curl through space, and other plant-life is cradled among these humungous branches. The branches of the Great Tree fill with water and support mangrove forests, while other ridged portions are homes to domesticated crops. Forests of pine and oak spiral among the great branches; blankets of wildflowers grow up along the great branches of the Great Tree, and within hidden hollows thrive various moulds and fungi.

There is no native animal life larger than the insects needed for pollination. Animals in general and sentient beings in particular are not welcome. While the plane consists of extensive vegetation, it does not burn well. Any inhabitants which would be particularly vulnerable to fire on the Prime do not possess this vulnerability here. In general, the life here is fairly hostile, but characters that do not cut down or burn vegetation are usually only kept under close observation. Failing to observe this practice, naturally, results in outright attack by anything and everything in range (or that can get there before the characters move on). Characters that slash and burn are regarded by the plane and its inhabitants as parasites or a disease and are thus mercilessly purged. Druids instinctively know of this when they arrive on the plane, and druids who ignore this basic survival technique lose their powers until they return to the Prime or some other plane.

Characters that stay in one spot for more than an hour discover that vines begin to grow and twine over them. Those who stay put for more than four hours find themselves caught in the equivalent of an entangle spell. Light here is from an unspecified nebulous source and waxes and wanes between a sunny day and a night lit by the full moon. The Plane of Wood has the following traits:

  Objective Directional Gravity

Down is toward the nearest part of the Great Tree; it is possible to walk along the underside of branches, and up the side of the great trunks, much as ants do.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

This plane represents a balance of fire [through light], air [through breezes], earth [through nutrients] and water [through rain], all of which combine to form the Great Tree.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create wood or water [including those of the Plant domain] are both Extended and Maximised; an enlarge spell cast on this plane lasts 2 minutes per caster level as opposed to 1 minute per caster level on the Material Plane. Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities that are already extended or maximised are unaffected by this trait.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities with the Fire descriptor are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

Elemental Plane of Metal

The Plane of Metal is a strange, harsh place where movement is restricted and the surrounding area is harsh, brittle and often razor-sharp. Light does funny things here, the plane has its own diffuse light in most places, but sometimes the light gets extremely bright, painfully bright, especially if the light source is a torch or a magical light effect; parts of the plane are shiny and extremely reflective, magnifying light to the point where it is physically painful to look on the walls surrounding you. The majority of the plane is somewhat like that of the Plane of Earth in that movement is restricted to “caves” and “tunnels” which are made of various native or alloyed metals. All the common metals of the Prime are present, along with most of the rare earths.

Some areas are subject to mild radiations which make the area seem magical to any sort of scrying, while other areas are subject to intense radiations from the types of materials that are found in minute amounts throughout the Underdark. Their concentrated presence here makes people who stay in these areas rapidly become sick, causing a weakening of all physical stats by an amount of -1 to -5. Metals like gold, silver, platinum and adamantine are present, but they are almost always inclusions inside other metal deposits, making them generally hard to get to, and they’re also usually quite brittle here compared to on the Prime. Oddly, red steel and cinnabril are never found here, nor on the plane of earth, these are only found on the Prime Material plane in the areas designated on the maps as being affected by the Red Curse.

Aside from having an interesting array of metallic monsters, the main danger here is the “weather”. Periodically, the area builds up a massive electrical charge, which discharges into anything non-metal in contact with the metallic material of the plane. These storms build up fairly regularly, and there is a 15% chance in any given ten minute period that an area will be subjected to such a storm. Those in the area when the storm hits are struck with a 15d6 lightning bolt, with a Reflex Save DC of 22 to take half damage. Protection from electricity is thus almost mandated for travel here.

  Heavy Gravity

Gravity is extreme compared to the prime plane; Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim and Tumble checks tale a -8 circumstance penalty, as do all attack rolls; weights of items are doubled, potentially affecting speed, and ranged weapons operate at half-range; falling damage is 1d12 per 10’ fallen, to a maximum of 20d12.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Metal Dominant

This is a fairly obvious trait.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create metal are Empowered and Maximised.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create water or wood are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

Energy Planes

The energy planes represent primal forces and energies which do not ordinarily manifest in an elemental form, but which are nonetheless incorporated in the arcane by providing the energy necessary for many arcane and divine manipulations of the world. Most people think of divine spells as those most closely linked to the energy planes, in that many divine spells channel specifically either negative or positive energy. Nothing could be further from the truth. All magic derives its power from the energy planes, it is just that the mix of positive, negative and temporal energy is different in each spell and some favour one energy type over the other. Characters who make use of spells that find themselves in areas with no connection to any of the energy planes find themselves suddenly without magic.

Positive Energy Plane

It is the blazing heart of the sun, it is life enhanced to the extreme, it is burning, searing power, it is the purest and clearest embodiment of light and purity. The positive plane is a continual furnace of creative energy, a place of searing brilliance beyond mortal comprehension. The plane has no surface and is akin to the plane of Air with its wide, open nature, however, every bit of it glows brightly with raw power, and that power is dangerous for those not made to handle it.

In spite of its beneficial aspects, this plane is one of the most hostile of all, unprotected characters will swell with power as the plane endlessly feeds it into them, growing to beyond the point where they have absorbed the most they can handle and exploding like a dying star. Visits to this plane are recommended to be brief and enhanced with considerable protection. After all, sometimes, life is just too much. Like the Negative Plane and Temporal Prime, this plane is largely empty of native creatures made up of its material (such as you would see on elemental planes). Instead, there are some few alien positive energy creatures which, like their negative counterparts, are beyond ordinary comprehension. Outsiders native to the plane (such as ravids) are immune to the harsh effects of this plane. Also, creatures that cannot be healed in a normal manner or do not benefit from positive energy, such as constructs can also survive here.

The greatest danger here is the plane itself, for one, there is no air here; though it is not a true vacuum, suffocation is a real danger here. The fast healing beings enjoy here has no impact of suffocation damage. Food and drink do not naturally exist here, and subdual damage from starvation is likewise not impacted by the fast healing generated by the plane, so only well-stocked visitors truly have much chance here. This plane is both minor-positive dominant and major-positive dominant, and both regions have soft, undetectable borders, meaning it is incredibly easy to take a step in the wrong direction and die due to a surfeit of life. These borders also sometimes shift on their own, just for the added fun-factor.

Some regions of the plane are more dangerous than others, these areas start safe enough, but suddenly burst into an explosion of positive energy, erupting like miniature suns (these eruptions grant all within 30 to 120 feet an additional 3d10 temporary hit points; and all the usual dangers of exceeding double one’s ordinary hit point total apply). Additionally, these mini-novas require a DC 24 Fortitude save to avoid being blinded for 1d10 rounds. Since this place is almost entirely made of light, the nature of the plane leaches all colour out of things, leaving nothing but white and stark black shadows, and even then, clear vision (including Darkvision) is only for 5 feet, no matter what additional visual acuity a character may have (i.e. even if you have double normal visual range for some reason).

There are also regions here in which inanimate objects take on a sudden and unexpected life of their own; these regions are about 150 to 1500 feet in diameter, and they move. Objects in such zones have a 50% chance of animating, so it’s awfully likely you’ll be having some sort of dispute with your armour and weaponry fairly quickly. Like the negative plane has oft-inhabited doldrums, the positive plane has “edge zones” which are minor-dominant zones with flotsam, jetsam, “islands” of matter, and, of course, inhabitants (not always a good thing here). There are some relatively large and somewhat famous edge zones here, but the degree of “fame” for a particular area depends on your locale. The positive material plane has the following traits:

  Subjective Directional Gravity

Similar to the plane of Air; inhabitants determine their own “down”.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own, unless they are in an animated zone.

  Major-Positive Dominant

Areas within the plane have only the minor positive-dominant trait, and these areas are full of bright colours, extra-hot flames, louder noises and extra-sensual sensations, and they are often well-inhabited [minor-positive zones grant fast healing 2 as an extraordinary ability]; the major zones cause creatures to make a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid being blinded for 10 rounds; creatures also gain fast healing 5 as an extraordinary ability, and gain 5 temporary hit points per round [these hit points last 1d10 rounds], however, creatures must make a DC 20 Fortitude save each round that its temporary hit points total exceeds its normal hit point total (i.e. it is at double its normal hit point total due to temporary hit points) – failing the save results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it; the spell positive energy protection prevents its targets from receiving the fast healing extraordinary ability, risking blindness, or receiving temporary hit points while on a positive-dominant plane

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create positive energy or water [including those of the Plant domain] are both Extended and Maximised; an enlarge spell cast on this plane lasts 2 minutes per caster level as opposed to 1 minute per caster level on the Material Plane; spells/spell-like abilities/powers/psi-like abilities that are already extended or maximised are unaffected by this trait.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities with the Fire descriptor are impeded; a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of spell) is required to cast them.

Negative Energy Plane

It is the heart of darkness, the chill hunger that consumes the soul, searing the body from within tearing away the will to survive. This plane is a barren, empty, chill void, home of not of night, for that implies day, but instead of endless darkness and emptiness. It is a greedy plane, sucking life, devouring energy, seeping the warmth, life and power out of anything even remotely vulnerable, and yet it hungers for more, always hungry, ever empty. To the observer, there is little here, save debilitating cold, draining darkness, an eternal pit where even despair seems bright and happy by comparison. The very fabric of the plane saps away all light and life, uncaring and intolerant of life, eternally eating away at anything it can find.

Only creatures invulnerable to its life draining energies may survive here, and even they feel the endless tug of negative energy and this causes even those invulnerable to negative energy problems, nothing is truly immune here. This plane does not have true elementals like the relatively close elemental planes, however, there are some few creatures of pure negative energy here, and they defy categorisation or understanding and do not bear any resemblance to creatures of other planes. Undead thrive here, to them it is a veritable paradise, energy filling them and maximising their powers, even allowing them to heal by merely bathing in the energies that surround them. The only thing that undead lack here is prey and some cannot bear an existence without prey.

One of the greatest dangers here is that there is no air; true, there isn't a true vacuum, but suffocation is a real and present danger here. Likewise, there is no food and drink that any sort of ordinary creature could consume, so travellers must be well supplied. Mundane light sources sputter and die in half the usual time, though magical light sources function normally, if dimly. Visitors to the plane must also beware that some parts of the plane are minor-negative dominant, while others are major-negative dominant, and the regions have a soft border where there is little to tell when the border is crossed and certainly nothing to be seen of the border. Clear vision (including Darkvision) is no more than 5 feet, and everything is in monochromatic greys and whites.

Voidstone is another danger here, these portions of solidified negative matter are the stuff of which spheres of annihilation are made and contact with the material requires a DC 25 Fortitude saver every round to avoid total obliteration. Certain areas, called doldrums, are less dangerous than the rest of the plane and, while this may seem a blessing, these areas are usually quite well inhabited, and the inhabitants are rarely the friendly, cheery type. Some of these doldrums are quite large and have (relatively) famous locations and inhabitants, though whether you have heard of somewhere/someone/something depends a lot on your locale and listening skills. The negative material plane has the following traits:

  Subjective Directional Gravity

Similar to the plane of Air; inhabitants determine their own “down”.

  Normal Time

This is something to a blessing compared to other planes.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  Major-Negative Dominant

Areas within the plane have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these islands tend to be inhabited [minor negative-dominant zones cause living creatures to take 1d6 damage per round as negative energy damage; at 0 hit points or less, they crumble to ash]; the major zones cause living creatures to make a DC 25 Fortitude save every round; each failure imposes a negative level; a living creature [no matter what] that gains as many negative levels as they have actual levels or Hit Dice die and become a wraith; the negative energy protection spell protects from the damage and level drain

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create negative energy are Maximised; spells that are already Maximised are unaffected by this trait; class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead gain a +10 circumstance bonus to the roll to determine Hit Die affected.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are impeded; these spells/spell-like abilities/powers/psi-like abilities can still be used, but a Spellcraft check [DC 15+spell level] must be passed to do so; characters suffer a -10 on Fortitude saves made to regain negative levels bestowed through energy drain whilst on this plane [though they may leave and make their saves somewhere else].

Temporal Prime

Temporal Prime is a plane continually in motion. It’s a grey windstorm with neither a base nor a top that buffets and overruns travellers who venture within. Everything that enters this plane is tossed and ground against itself until all that remains is more dust – the sands of time carried by the winds to erode new items. Temporal Prime, also known merely as the Plane of Time, is a vast expanse similar to the Plane of Air, however, Temporal Prime is in perpetual motion, storming and churning like a sirocco.

The stormy nature of Temporal Prime poses a physical problem, but it is the nature of time that is the true danger. Those within the sandstorm can be carried months or years into the future, effectively exiling them from their home plane. Several Prime plane cultures viewed Temporal Prime as an ideal prison for the worst of malefactors in their society. However, some of these cultures survived long enough to regret it when their exiles returned centuries after their departure, but aged only a few days.

As an energy plane, Temporal Prime is largely uninhabited, save for beings trapped by magical experiments gone wrong or attempts to harness the power of time for themselves (or by said prisoners from the past). However, there are rare beings best described as Time Elementals which lurk in the chaotic flow of the plane, and which prove dangerous and dogged foes. Additionally, there is a group of five powerful beings whose origins are unknown, but who make the plane their home and who have, after untold millennia, mastered the forces of the plane. These beings can manipulate time at will and with little more than a thought and a gesture. They are widely regarded as nigh on invincible and are known for meddling in the affairs of others for reasons even the gods do not know. Temporal Prime has the following traits:

  Subjective Directional Gravity

You determine your own "down", objects do not move.

  Erratic Time and Timeless

Temporal Prime is timeless with regard to such mundane matters as hunger, thirst, and sleep; it has erratic time when compared to the Prime, however, and characters can be taken out of time – refer to the table below when characters leave the Temporal Prime to find the conversion rate between time spent on Temporal Prime compared to time passed on the Prime Material plane.

d% Time on Prime Material Time on Temporal Prime
01-10 1 day 1 round
11-40 1 day 1 hour
41-60 1 day 1 day
61-90 1 hour 1 day
91-100 1 round 1 day
  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic

The same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

Characters should probably be thankful for this.

  Enhanced Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create time are Extended.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities which use/manipulate/create wind and weather do not affect the winds of Temporal Prime; these winds are not generated by natural causes, but by the relentless advance of entropy through the cosmos (Temporal Prime does experience weather, it just can't be predicted or controlled).

The Borderlund

The Borderlund is a transitive plane somewhat unique to the world of The Unification. Scholars speculate that the plane was once several planes which have fused over time. There is considerable support for this theory, especially given that the plane exhibits traits normally associated with the Ethereal, Astral and Shadow planes of other cosmologies. The plane is not uniform like many other planes are and exhibits a range of traits which are often inconsistent and hard to predict. Two groups of travellers might pass through the same locations within the plane at different times and experience wildly different conditions and challenges. The traits exhibited below are a blend of the effects most worlds see in their Astral, Ethereal and Shadow planes.

The dominance of a particular trait is most readily detected by a shift in the light. The light in the Borderlund is predominantly a dim, silvery-grey, however, some areas demonstrate an almost amber light, which grows stronger the further into that region one goes. Such light brings forward ethereal tendencies, while areas of dim, shadowy light with wisps of darkness bring forth shadow traits. The main three means of locomotion in the Borderlund are flight (using innate flying abilities to fly above the ‘astral’ horizon), swimming (using innate swimming abilities to swim within the ocean-like media of the Borderlund), and sailing on one of the special ships built for sailing on the ‘surface’ of the ‘astral’ sea. Within the media of the Borderlund are collections of islands that are sometimes associated with smears and ribbons of colour and lead to the domains of the gods and worse. Other islands have no associated colour and represent something of a wilderness.

One thing that is sure, however, is that these islands are inclusions of material made up by the Undëvæth and the Nœlvådüth, forming borders between the three realms and the dominions contained within the upper and lower heavens. The unclaimed islands, the ‘wilderness’ if you like, are islands that were once part of the Age Lattice and were part of the domain of a deity or other great power. Now they lay unclaimed, their link to the Lattice shattered and broken. By far the most popular form of travel here is by ship between islands and, through the islands, to regions of the Nœlvådüth and Undëvæth by means of the colour ribbons that separate the realms.

Travellers in the Borderlund manifest differently, depending on how they got there. Those who use the spells traditionally associated with an astral journey gain silver cords, while those who use ethereal or shadow means do not. However, those who use ethereal abilities, whilst able to enter and travel through the Borderlund, are unable to cross the boundary of colour ribbons and patterns. Users of shadow spells, manifest accordingly, and are able to enter colour borders. Ethereal transport seems to be largely limited to traversing the material plane without all the messing about in the real world; for some reason, the ethereal curtains so common in other worlds, do not exist in the world of The Unification. Numerous magical theories abound as to the cause of this, but nobody has settled on a unified theory. The usual means of guarding a place against ethereal intruders works against anyone in the Borderlund, whether they are using ethereal, astral or other means of travel to the Borderlund.

Proceeding deep enough into the Borderlund will result in contact with areas which could, essentially, be considered the same as the Darklands encountered deep in the plane of shadow, but it takes considerable time to get to such regions. Given the apparently combined nature of the Borderlund, creatures normally found in any of the three traditional transitive planes can occur there. Likewise, it is not all that unusual to run across the body of some long-dead deity, in varying states of decay or transformation, as circumstances dictate. Interestingly, the gods that remain in The Unification today deny the existence of past deities, insisting that the bodies in the Borderlund are not deities, and that some of them were never alive to begin with, claiming that they are merely creations of The Creator sent to cause mortals to question the universe and learn and grow from the knowledge and experience; something that The Creator apparently values, but that most of the current pantheon of deities, for some reason, do not. The Borderlund has the following traits:

  No Gravity

There is a definite up and down, but you do not fall in any direction; the surface of the ‘astral sea’ (for want of a better term) allows for swimming in, flying over, or sailing through. Travel time depends on mode and where you are aiming to be.

  Timeless/Normal Time

Regions of the plane demonstrate the Timeless trait [age, hunger, thirst, poison and natural healing do not function here, though they resume in areas or planes that are non-Timeless], while other areas, often characterised by an amber colouration to the light, demonstrate the Normal Time tendency; it is possible to switch between these two traits fairly rapidly in some areas of the plane, a circumstance that tends to produce considerable nausea.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Alterable Morphic/Magical Morphic

Alterable morphic is the same as the material world, objects move or change in response to external forces, not on their own. Magical Morphic zones are characterised by a darkness to the light, shadowy shapes and swirling bits of darkness; in these areas, the spells which interact with the shadow planes can modify the base material of these regions and the spells become more powerful here than elsewhere.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

Characters should probably be thankful for this small mercy.

  Mildly Neutral-Aligned

No bonus or penalty for any particular alignment; neutral turf, anyone can theoretically meet and negotiate here with little fear of ill-effect.

  Enhanced Magic

All spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities performed here are employed as though quickened [unless already quickened or with casting times of more than 1 round]. Spells associated with the shadow descriptor are also maximised [unless already maximised], plus shadow conjuration and shadow evocation spells are 30% [as opposed to 20%] as powerful as the conjurations and evocations they mimic. Similarly greater shadow conjuration and greater shadow evocation are 60% [as opposed to 40%] as powerful as the conjurations and evocations they mimic and, finally, a shade spell is 90% [as opposed to 60%] of the power of the original spell.

  Impeded Magic

No spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities are impeded, anything not enhanced as above is performed normally.

In keeping with the apparently combined nature of the Borderlund, the plane is subject to psychic storms (usually a feature of the astral demesne) and to ethereal cyclones. The frequency of these events is about 5% per hour, with a roughly 50-50 chance of either one happening (depending on exactly where you are, of course; psychic storms do not happen in areas with strong amber light, for example). The effects are as outlined below:

    Psychic Storm

Travellers caught in a psychic storm must roll twice, once for an effect on their location, and once for a mental effect. The table used for the effect on their location depends on whether they are travelling in an astral form, physical form, or some other non-astral form of travel.

    Location Effect: Travellers in Physical/Non-Astral Form
d% Effect
01-40 Diverted. Add 1d6 hours to travel time.
41-60 Blown off course. Add 3d10 hours to travel time.
61-80 Lost. Begin travel again as if starting anew.
81-100 Sent through random colour ribbon. Consult DM.
    Location Effect: Travellers in Astral Form
d% Effect
01-40 Diverted. Add 1d6 hours to travel time.
41-60 Blown off course. Add 3d10 hours to travel time.
61-80 Lost. Begin travel again as if starting anew.
81-95 Silver cord takes 2d10 points of damage, then traveller diverted (as above).
96-100 Silver cord takes 4d10 points of damage, then traveller blown off course (as above).
    Mental Effect: All Travellers
d% Effect
01-40 Stunned (no saving throw) for 1d6 minutes
41-50 Confused (Will save DC 20 negates), as confusion spell, 3d8 minutes.
51-60 Unconscious (Fort save DC 20 negates), for 1d10 hours.
61-80 Fear (Will save DC 20 negates), as spell, for 2d10 minutes.
81-90 Feebleminded (Will save DC 20 negates), as feeblemind spell, for 2d10 hours.
91-95 Pain (Fort save DC 25 negates), as symbol of pain, for 2d10x10 minutes.
96-100 Insanity (Will save DC 25 negates), as the spell.
    Ether Cyclones

Travellers caught in an ether cyclone roll on the table below.

d% Effect
01-30 Take 1d10 points of damage (Fort save DC 20 negates). Roll again in 1 minute if still within the cyclone.
31-60 Move 1d10 miles in a random direction. You are no longer in the storm and can move back normally.
61-80 As above, but move 2d20 miles in a random direction.
81-90 As above, and take 3d10 points of damage (Fort save DC 20 negates).
91-95 Take 3d10 points of damage (Fort save DC 20 negates) and return to the Prime. If you reappear inside a solid object, you’re shunted aside but take 1d6 points of damage for every 5 feet travelled this way (unavoidable).
96-100 Fly to a different portion of the Borderlund and fall through a random colour ribbon.

The Undëvæth

Where other worlds have myriad planes to store the evil, twisted and perverse, to house demons, devils and daemons, The Unification has the Undëvæth, a single, unified Underworld. The Undëvæth is vast and diverse, with different regions displaying different traits and factors. But they are all part of the same place, the darkness is all contained within the one vessel, sending its corrupting tendrils out into the world. And, because the Undëvæth is all one place, the evil that emanates from it is just that much stronger, that much more focused, and that much more twisted and sinister. Evil does not need to contend against evil, demons do not make war on devils and vice versa, they are unified, they are focused, and they are strong, incredibly strong.

Within the Prime, there are places where the taint from the Undëvæth leaks forth into the world, where people become irrevocably twisted and tainted. The taint is palpable, sometimes visible, and darkfriends abound in the world. They are everywhere, it seems, and they spread their taint insidiously and in response to the wishes of their masters, masters who have had millennia to perfect their pitch and to develop their depravities and entice people into them. Within the bounds of the Undëvæth lurk all varieties of evil; there are the common foes, like demons and devils and daemons, and there are hordes of undead and twisted folk, but there also dwell the evil gods and their servants, many of whom have mastered guises which conceal their darkness and depravity, until it is time to reveal it and lay claim to the unsuspecting soul that has fallen for their trap.

The most insidious product of the Undëvæth is the darkfriend, the mortal who has given their soul over to the service of some evil power and, through them, to The Corrupter that lies in the shadows behind every glimmer of light. Visits to the Undëvæth can be difficult and trying for the living. For one thing, this plane is home to the vast majority of souls within The Unification. In spite of the fact that most within The Unification would not brand themselves evil, it is true that most souls have, at some point, been corrupted by darkfriends, and that corruption, no matter how minor, is enough to earn a trip to the Undëvæth for the afterlife. Some of these hapless souls can be redeemed, but the longer they remain here, the less likely they will be able to leave. As souls pass toward the underworld, they are judged by Harukan, the Arbiter. And Harukan has a reputation for being harsh, unreasonably harsh.

The terrain in the Undëvæth is vast and diverse, ranging from plains of noxious vapour, through pits of fiery ruin and fields of searing ice, right up to ordinary plains and forests. Different categories of outsiders lurk in different regions to different degrees, but any type of outsider found on this plane can be found nearly anywhere if you look hard enough. The plane is essentially to combination of all the most evil traits of planes within other cosmologies. The Undëvæth has the following traits:

  Normal Gravity

Gravity here is the same as it is on the Prime Material plane.

  Flowing Time

Time in the Undëvæth flows differently to that in the Prime; 1 year in the Prime equals 1 hour in the Undëvæth.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Divinely Morphic

Entities of at least Lesser Deity can alter the Undëvæth fundamentally; for lesser creatures, it is classed as Alterable Morphic.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

In general, there are no dominant traits, however, some areas within the plane do have elemental and energy dominant areas, particularly fire and ice zones, and areas of noxious vapour with air traits, depending on how they have been altered by local Powers.

  Strongly Evil-Aligned

Non-evil characters suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-, Wisdom- and Intelligence-based checks [including saves].

  Entrapping

Non-outsiders in the Undëvæth experience increasing apathy and despair while here; colours become greyer and less vivid, sounds duller, and even the demeanour of companions seems to be more hateful; at the end of every week here, non-outsiders must make a Will save [DC 10 + the number of consecutive weeks in the Undëvæth], failure indicates that the individual has fallen under the control of the Undëvæth, becoming a petitioner.

  Normal Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities have no special modifications.

Nœlvådüth

To act as foil to the Undëvæth, The Unification has the Nœlvådüth, a plane where all that is good gathers to hold up a tiny flame of light against the ever-encroaching dark. The Nœlvådüth has a landscape as diverse as any you could imagine, catering for the souls of all those who are deemed by Harukan to be worthy of sending to the lands of good, few though they may be. For all that few are sent, there are still plentiful numbers of souls in the Nœlvådüth, not enough to match the numbers in the Undëvæth, of course, but more than one might expect given the disparity in numbers sent to each plane. A large part of this disparity comes from how souls are treated in each of the planes, in Nœlvådüth, souls are cherished and valued, and they are constantly trained and encouraged to improve and progress through levels of ‘perfection’ (the definition of perfection and the trials and training involved varies greatly by deity).

By contrast, in the Undëvæth, souls are beaten down, enslaved and worse yet, consumed. Souls in the underworld are viewed as little more than chattel and coin, to be spent and squandered as deemed fit by any given outsider with any modicum of power. In the Nœlvådüth, souls are still currency, but the outsiders here value them highly because they are sent so few and they know they need to build them up to offset the numbers of the dark underworld, ready for the final struggle between the forces of The Corrupter and the forces of all that oppose it.

The gods of good and light reside in the Nœlvådüth, but they have little influence on the world anymore, because the servants of The Corruptor and the various evil deities have gradually perverted ever more and more of the population. The gods that occupy the Nœlvådüth know they are fighting a losing battle and they struggle hard to train the souls sent to them to maximise their power and usefulness. By comparison with the gods in the Undëvæth, the gods that occupy the Nœlvådüth have largely given up on influencing souls in the Prime, knowing that the vast majority of those they tend to will, most likely, be tainted by darkfriends to the point where they are beyond redemption, and it does not take much taint at that to reach such a point. The traits of the Nœlvådüth are:

  Normal Gravity

Gravity here is the same as it is on the Prime Material plane.

  Flowing Time

Time in the Nœlvådüth flows differently to that in the Prime; 1 year in the Prime equals 1 hour in the Nœlvådüth.

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Divinely Morphic

Entities of at least Lesser Deity can alter the Nœlvådüth fundamentally; for lesser creatures, it is classed as Alterable Morphic.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

In general, there are no dominant traits, however, there are some rare areas with elemental traits, such as the broad, breezy skies around the mountains occupied by some of the gods, these skies are like the plane of air and can be traversed readily, there are also areas with the water-dominant trait.

  Strongly Good-Aligned

Non-good characters suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-, Wisdom- and Intelligence-based checks [including saves].

  Entrapping

Non-outsiders in the Nœlvådüth experience increasing joy and satisfaction while here; colours become brighter and more vivid than on the Prime, sounds more melodious and soft, and the nature of others seems more pleasant and understanding; at the end of every week here, non-outsiders must make a Will save [DC 10 + the number of consecutive weeks in the Nœlvådüth], failure indicates that the individual has fallen under the control of the Nœlvådüth, becoming a petitioner.

  Normal Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities have no special modifications.

Fælünd – Faerie

As the Nœlvådüth is for good, and the Undëvæth is for evil, so the Fælünd is for the neutral or unaligned and for the Fey. The Fælünd manifests as a lush, overgrown wilderness, with forests, mountains, plains, and all sorts of natural settings. The Fey are the dominant form of intelligent life, though there are also some deities who reside in the Fælünd. The plane abounds with animal life and with plant life; it provides the perfect habitat for plants and animals, and for druids and the fey. It’s not quite as ideal for other neutral-aligned beings who are, perhaps, more political than nature-oriented. But, the plane generates an atmosphere of peace, making it relaxing and soothing for all visitors, even the evil or good, though those who are evil or good do feel some discomfort from the penalties they suffer here.

The plane radiates a calm aura of peace and tranquillity that can really get to visitors, sometimes entrapping them within the Fælünd forever, be they dead or alive. The Fey make their presence known everywhere in this realm, with even the deities who live here steering clear of the various Fey kingdoms scattered throughout the plane. Fey from the Prime can travel back and forth between the Prime and the Fælünd with ease and, truth be known, the Fælünd is where Fey originate from; no Fey is ever truly born or formed on the Prime or any other plane other than the Fælünd, though they conceal this information in their dealings with the rest of the world.

Given that evil is so pervasive and corrupting, the Fey of the Fælünd have developed an interesting take on neutrality. They are neutral with respect to the struggle between good and evil and will, therefore, refuse to become involved in the conflict. They will, however, target promising souls and protect them to the best of their abilities in order to hopefully see them ascend to the Nœlvådüth at their time of ascension (death), without actually promoting or denigrating any ideals of either good or evil to those souls.

Likewise, the Fey have developed a scorched-earth policy where it comes to darkfriends. Any darkfriend spotted by a Fey, either on the Prime or anywhere else, is immediately targeted for death, either directly through combat, or through some other agency that the Fey may have access to. Evil mortals in general are left alone, but darkfriends (who are instantly discernible to most Fey and some other creatures) are deemed irredeemable and abominations besides.

That is as close as the Fey or the neutral deities will come to allying themselves with the forces of good for now, though it is believed that should The Corruptor return and the forces of evil rally behind him, then the Fey and neutral deities will take common cause with the forces of good, if only for the sake of survival. The Fælünd has the following traits:

  Normal Gravity

Gravity here is the same as it is on the Prime Material plane.

  Flowing Time

Time in the Fælünd flows differently to that in the Prime; 1 year in the Prime equals 1 round in the Fælünd (yes, you read that right).

  Infinite Size

A fairly common trait; it does make it easy to get lost though.

  Divinely Morphic

Entities of at least Lesser Deity can alter the Fælünd fundamentally; for lesser creatures, it is classed as Alterable Morphic.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits

In general, there are no dominant traits, however, there are some rare areas with elemental traits, such as the woody tangle of growth within the deep forests which bear traits closely aligned to the plane of wood, as well as some areas of earth and water and, even more rarely, air.

  Strongly Neutral-Aligned

Non-neutral characters suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-, Wisdom- and Intelligence-based checks [including saves]; these penalties apply for each aspect of alignment that is non-neutral, so a lawful-good character actually suffers a -4 penalty; -2 for good and -2 for lawful

  Entrapping

Non-outsiders in the Fælünd experience increasing peace and tranquillity while here; everything seems to slow, troubles fade away, stress subsides and even strong emotion fade to nothing, there is room only for peace and tranquillity; at the end of every week here, non-natives must make a Will save [DC 20 + the number of consecutive weeks in the Fælünd], failure indicates that the individual has fallen under the control of the Fælünd, becoming a petitioner.

  Normal Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities have no special modifications.

Drėmwüth

The Drėmwüth is a plane like none other. It is relatively unique in the vast cosmos that expands to encompass all the diverse Primes that have ever been conceived. The Drėmwüth is, technically, a transitive plane, though it shares many common traits with the Prime. First, the terrain in the Drėmwüth is identical to the Prime and, in fact, it is a reflection or impression of the Prime terrain. Stand in the hall of a particular building in the Drėmwüth, and you can step out of the Drėmwüth directly into the exact same place in the Prime.

Movement within the Drėmwüth is also different to that in other planes. Those within the Drėmwüth can, of course, move in mundane fashion akin to those in the Prime, but this is not the power or strength of the Drėmwüth. Those who know what they are doing can step into the Drėmwüth in a particular locale and then, using nothing more than a picture in their mind, instantly travel to another location within the Drėmwüth and then step out into the Prime in that new location. This is more powerful and useful than even the power of teleport since the teleportation ability usually has limitations on distance and runs into accuracy problems in some instances. Travelling by the Drėmwüth takes but a few moments, and is never wrong, and there is no limitation on distance within the Prime that can be travelled. Truth be known, the Drėmwüth also overlays all of the other planes as well, but the Drėmwüth cannot be used to travel between planes, only within.

Additionally, everything in whatever plane is overlaid by the Drėmwüth is reflected in the Drėmwüth. Everything. Should you stand in an office looking over the drawer in a desk, then everything that has ever been in that drawer is reflected in the Drėmwüth. A walker of the Drėmwüth can sift through the contents of a filing cabinet and each file that has ever been there will appear, last for a few moments so that it may possibly be read (depending on the length of its contents and how fast they can read), and then fades to nothing, to be replaced by another. The potential for spying and intelligence gathering here is obvious.

Domestic animals and people are not reflected in the Drėmwüth, though plant life is (including sentient plant life). The Drėmwüth can, however, be touched sometimes by ordinary dreams and, in this circumstance, the person who is dreaming appears in the Drėmwüth for a few seconds before returning to their usual dreams. If the person happens to be having a falling dream at the time, more often than not this brief touch of the Drėmwüth is fatal, since any injury sustained in the Drėmwüth is reflected immediately on the Prime body (unless someone has entered the Drėmwüth physically, in which case the damage suffered here is to the body anyway). Dreamers who die in their sleep with no apparent cause of death have always come into contact with the Drėmwüth for a few moments, to their detriment.

There are, however, any number of people who have skill in walking the Drėmwüth (all having some combination of the feats presented elsewhere for dealing with the Drėmwüth). People who are encountered in the Drėmwüth should always be regarded as dangerous, those truly experienced in the Drėmwüth are deadly indeed, since they know how to manipulate the Drėmwüth and turn it against their opponents. Few last long if a traveller in the Drėmwüth chooses to turn the air they are breathing into a fiery liquid or into solid amber, for example. The Drėmwüth has its own light, which is always somewhere around the light of a candle, but manifested in all directions and as far as can be seen. It is exceedingly rare for the light to be brighter or dimmer here, but it does happen sometimes.

The Drėmwüth always leaves those in it with a sensation of being watched, sometimes they are, and sometimes it is just the plane itself (which is sentient). The Drėmwüth has the following traits:

  Normal Gravity

The same as on the Prime, but a skilled dreamwalker can ignore gravity if they choose, or even change it for their opponents or their companions.

  Normal Time

Exactly the same amount of time passes in the Drėmwüth as on the Prime, though an extremely skilled dreamwalker can alter this if they choose, and if they are very strong, and very careful.

  Infinite Size (Conditionally)

The Drėmwüth that overlays any given plane has the exact same size as the plane it overlays. As it technically overlays all planes, it is infinite in size and is, arguably, even larger than the other infinite planes.

  Alterable Morphic/Sentient

Save that, if you move something, it reappears where it was a few rounds later, the plane is alterably morphic; the plane is sentient and aware, however, but it rarely interacts with others or changes things itself unless the fancy takes it.

  No Elemental or Energy Traits (Conditionally)

Unless the area of overlap where you are has such traits or someone creates such an area through their skill at manipulating dream-stuff, or unless the plane decides to change things on you for some reason.

  No Alignment Traits

The plane favours no alignment, and no-one.

  Impeded Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities cannot be used unless you have the required feats to both enter and consciously act in the Drėmwüth and to cast/use spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities in the Drėmwüth.

  Normal Magic

Spells/powers/spell-like abilities/psi-like abilities have no special modifications save that feats are required to take advantage of these talents.

Note that this listing of planes within reach of The Unification is by no means complete or exhaustive. Neither is the information complete on each plane listed. There are other, less commonly known planes out there, and many more that are completely unknown as well. The information provided is a guide only, and represents the knowledge of the planes taught at The University. Whilst all the planes listed are infinite in size, there are plenty out there that are not, though it is also possible that many listed as "infinite" simply have not yet been adequately explored.