Open Design - Dark Roads and Golden Hells

DarkRoads
& G olden Hells

Planar Options for the Pathfinder RPG
by Dan Voyce
Dark Roads &
Golden Hells
Credits
Lead Designer: Dan Voyce Cover Artist: Malcolm McClinton
Designers: Jarrod Camiré, Sarah Hood, Interior Artists: Rick Hershey, Marc Radle,
Chad Middleton, Umber Phillips, Hugo Solis, Corey Trego-Erdner
John Pope, Burt Smith, Brian Suskind, Cover Design and Interior Layout: Marc Radle
George “Loki” Williams Publisher: Wolfgang Baur
Editor: Scott Gable
Patrons
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: LORE OF THE PLANES 3 THE CONCEPTUAL PLANES 12

WHAT ARE THE PLANES? 4 PLANES NEW & OLD 13
AN INFINITE MULTIVERSE 4 CHAPTER 3: OTHER LOCATIONS 29
A UNIVERSE OF IDEAS 4 BETWEEN 29
LAND OF THE DEAD 4 THE CASINO 36
ABSTRACTION AND ALLEGORY 5 EVERMAW 42
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE 5 THE MARKETPLACE 49
LIKE CALLS TO LIKE 5 THE PLANE OF SPEARS 56
YOU CAN’T OUTRUN YOURSELF 5 RUSTY GEARS 62
MAGIC NUMBERS 5 THE WELLSPRINGS OF LIFE AND
OUTSIDERS: BELIEF MADE FLESH 6 THE PLANE OF RADIANCE 67
THE GODS 6
CHAPTER 4: HEROES OF THE PLANES 73
OUTSIDERS 6
NEW RACES 74
PERSONALITIES OF IMMORTALITY 7
NEW FEATS 78
CHAPTER 2: COSMOLOGY 9 NEW TRAITS 81
A BRIEF HISTORY OF INFINITY 10 NEW INCANTATIONS 83
THE PRIMAL POWERS 10 NEW SPELLS 84
THE OLD GODS 10
CHAPTER 5: GAMEMASTERING INFINITY 88
THE NEW GODS 11
PLANAR TRAVEL 88
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME 11
PLANAR ECONOMICS 96
THE THREE THAT ARE ONE 11
MAGIC ITEMS - ARTIFACTS 97
PSYCHOMACHIA: THE BATTLE
FOR MORTAL SOULS 11 CHAPTER 6: BESTIARY 88
THE FRACTAL DANCE OF NEW TEMPLATES 98
ORDER AND CHAOS 12 NEW MONSTERS 101
2 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

1 Lore of the Planes
“The gate is opening. Take my hand. Prepare your eyes for wondrous
things. Prepare your soul for terror and temptation. Don’t let us
become separated. And never think that you’re safe in either the
brightest Heaven or the emptiest Hell. This place is not for mortal kind.
It is the playground of gods and the prison of things that the gods threw
down. You will not return unchanged.”
—Cicerone the Upfallen
3
Dark Roads and Golden Hells
here are more lands beyond the world than any one man never were and might have been—and slip entirely from this reality
T can dream. Worlds of perfect clockwork order and worlds of
broiling chaos. Planes that embody love, war, solitude, and
into mirror versions and infinite permutations of all these worlds
and planes. Wherever you look, there’s more to see.
second chances. Places where memories cluster in bleak, dark eddies The planes are as big as you can handle, and then one horizon
and stories have the power of gods. more.
These are the planes beyond, a sea of dreams and possibilities—
more than mere afterlife and godly real estate. The planes beyond flow
with the glorious results of the creative mortal mind: philosophies,
morals, and ideals; unimpeachable freedoms, laws, and universal
A UNIVERSE OF IDEAS
principles; faiths and dreams. Sometimes they are known as the Built from faith and ideas, you can find a place for every facet of the
“outer planes,” but they are bound to the mortal world. To explore mortal soul out here. Good and Evil, Order and Chaos, are just the
one is to explore the other. most famous and easily identified planes. There are planes of Art and
So let’s go exploring. Beauty, Music, Freedom, and Trade—each with their own ambience
and powers. But few are as powerful as the great alignments.
As mortal belief and dreams shift their focus between different
ideals, the Sea of Possibilities changes. Planes mate and merge, giving
WHAT ARE THE birth to new realms; demiplanes and pocket dimensions evolve as
belief in them grows and changes. Although they might deny it, even
PLANES? the mighty planar continents of Heaven and Hell began this way,
many eons ago.
All of Creation is made from souls. Here’s an example: they say that War has swelled immensely
This is the first and greatest truth of all Creation: the woven since Heaven and Hell began their fight, reaching out to touch
web of planes is formed by transubstantiated soul energy—passions, Slaughter and Massacre; Honor and Pride; Ambition, Cowardice,
faith, and belief spawned by the living and harvested from the dead. and Disregard—and tainting many other planes with Battle. Both
In a way, the multiverse is a giant perpetual motion machine, a mill sides draw upon the power of War, and with their actions, War’s
grinding up soul (albeit painlessly in some places) to create the power feeds back into the mortal realm, entering the souls of more
materials needed to endlessly power, repair, and expand itself. and more mortals, in a cycle of growing power. There are those who
Sages, magi, pontiffs, and philosophers all have differing views fear that War may eclipse even Heaven and Hell one day, causing
on the planes, but in many respects, truth is not as important as Good and Evil to embrace the fight itself and forget why they’re
conviction. All these competing, sometimes contradictory views fighting.
Lore of the Planes
empower their believers equally. Are they all paradoxically correct, Of course, planes can also fall into ruin or wither so small that
part of some greater whole we cannot understand? Or is it all a you can hold them in the palm of your hand. Starved of soul energy,
matter of perspective, and even cosmic truths are relative? No one a plane can shrink and atrophy to a mere shadow of its former self,
can say. What makes mortals mortal may be the biggest barrier of all or even be deliberately wounded and maimed. In a spiral of decay,
to understanding the planes. We’re just not designed to be out here. a wounded plane loses the ability to inspire the mortal heart, and
There are so many things that no one understands. Maybe the as it slips from the mortal mind, it loses more and more power.
gods know all the secrets of the planes, but even that is doubtful— Nowadays, few creatures remember what “jakumnaziak” is, or the
and if they do know, they are certainly not telling. Perhaps everyone color ulfire, so those planes are now almost powerless.
must find his or her own answer. Great metaphysical questions drive So long as at least someone believes in it, however, a plane won’t
many, mortal and outsider alike, to venture beyond what they know. vanish completely or be totally consumed by somewhere else. The
The knowledge and wisdom to be gained out there is more potent ruins of former planes litter Creation like the dungeons that are
than the highest magic. scattered across the mortal realm.
Here is gathered what the wise have learned.
LAND OF THE DEAD

AN INFINITE
1
All the men, elves, goblins, dwarves, and myriads of other living
MULTIVERSE creatures are outnumbered countless times over by the dead. The
passion and deeds of those gone before weigh heavily on the planes.
Whatever maps and religious geography may imply, Creation is They are the bricks and mortar upon which Creation is built. Plane-
boundless. Wherever you look, there are wonderful and terrible and walking characters can seek the council of dead enemies, the wisdom
incomprehensible things to be found—always more and more layers of ancient sages, and the knowledge of forgotten kings. In many
to unpeel, always another piece of the puzzle to be found, another circumstances, you’re much more likely to encounter the dead than
place just around the corner or over the horizon, a world beyond or the living out here.
a world within a world. Beyond Midgard is the aether, other planets, Released upon death, only a favored (or unlucky) few souls
imperious and alien stars. Step further and see the glory of Heaven, are claimed directly by their patron power. Most souls are drawn
goodness embodied, or Hell, the pit of eternal wickedness. Then downward, deep into the earth or into the ethereal mists: long lines
there’s order and chaos pervading (and invading) the conceptual of souls make their slow progress to the Underworld. Then there are
planes. Dreams and nightmares. The strange terrain of the far edge of those who become lost or get pushed out of line or refuse to move
reality—planes where time and reality wear thin, where possibilities forward: undead and other lost souls.
are cast like shadows, and you can encounter living paradoxes—the For the majority, the Underworld is only a temporary stopover

on the way to final reward or damnation. Most souls are disputed, or war, and for everything else. Beings in the planes care about
and while they linger, courts adjudicate the claims of gods and the potential of things, more than necessarily the practical use of
devil lords and other interested parties upon it. Like any massive things—that’s why planar payments can often be strange indeed, like
administration, it is often backlogged, sometimes corrupt or a lover’s first kiss, a vampire’s last breath, or even weirder things.
negligent, and occasionally a tangle of Kafkaesque nightmare One thing the planes are famous for is that if you’re prepared to
bureaucracy. Souls can and do fall through the cracks, but angel and spend the time and have all infinity to look, you can find anything:
demon alike try to cover it up because it’s just bad for business. a second chance, a lost love, a rematch against your greatest foe, the
Most judgments are simple: every action colors the mortal soul, secret of true immortality, or a gate to the Plane of Vorpal Swords.
painting it the unique hues of Heaven, Hell, or some other conceptual Anything is possible, but finding it and getting there—and
plane. Sometimes a soul’s allegiance is clear; others are a patchwork getting out again—now’s that’s the adventure.
quilt of virtues, vices, and conflicting beliefs. Agents of interested
powers vie to claim such disputed souls—especially if they were
noteworthy in life. Legal wrangling can sometimes drag on for years.
Bribes and backroom deals are more common than mortals would LIKE CALLS TO LIKE
ever suspect. Soul theft and smuggling are regular crimes. While the
arguments rage, the soul is trapped in the Underworld. Sometimes All things are connected, linked by a kind of cosmic resonance.
one side or another tries to tip it in one direction or another during This is why great planes and linked ideas flow into one another and
the process, but the dead are notoriously intransigent. merge, such as the Seven Heavens, Eleven Hells, the City that is All
For those pledged to a god or pantheon, the process is a little Cities, the Market that touches all Markets.
different. They’re still tainted or blessed by their actions, but It has more subtle applications too, echoed in sayings like “evil
allegiance to a god is a powerful weight on the soul. True faith counts begets evil” or “kindness brings kindness”—all reflections of the
most of all, but lip service, rituals (such as baptism and last rites), universal truth that like calls to like. This is well understood by the
and even being the recipient of divine magic spells all have an effect. denizens of the planes. It’s the basis of the afterlife: their economies
There’s a reason why pacts and devilish deals are usually watertight and their wars. Outsiders value mortal souls because greatness and
contracts. There are as many lawyers in Heaven as in Hell. power draws other souls of similar nature and rising to a particular
Each culture or pantheon judges the dead by its own customs plane grants it the potential to draw in more.
and standards. What the Northern gods condemn a soul for may be
very different from what their southern counterparts consider sin.
Sometimes good men are condemned to Hell or the undeserving can
gain a place in Heaven via loopholes and technicalities. Sometimes
YOU CAN’T OUTRUN
1
their assigned fate is final; others are condemned to the Underworld
to pay off sins for a time before moving on to their final afterlife.
YOURSELF
Given the psychoreactive nature of the planes, it’s no surprise that
Lore of the Planes

your secrets, your nature, and the lies you tell yourself come back
to haunt you: celestials and fiends will judge you, your childhood
ABSTRACTION AND hero might greet you at the gates of Heaven, old enemies will harbor
grudges from Hell.
ALLEGORY Maybe it’s as simple as like calls to like or mortals’ karma, but
Planes are never just places. This is the geography of myth and planar adventures have an uncanny knack of drawing you into
legend, homes of the gods and ideals made flesh and made into stories similar to your own. The actions of allies and villains seem
rivers, mountains, forests, savannahs, and metropolises. They do not to test your resolve and make you re-examine deeds and motives:
merely exist, as locations in the mortal realm do, shaped by wind
and rain and rumbling earth. A plane is a state of being: Heaven is
literally made of grace and benevolence, of every ray of sunlight and
sweet-smelling lawn, and of every wise soul in their endless reward.
Hell is eternal damnation, and you can see it in the eyes of every
condemned soul, feel it clearly in the lick of cruel flames and the
rotten egg stench of brimstone.
When traversing the planes, never forget that they mean
something. The terrain embodies some part of the mortal psyche.
A bleak snowy night in the Shadow may be the memory of every
lost traveler in the winter snows, full of fear-beasts and stalking
nightmares, or it might be a reflection of the dark, cold heart of the
local fey lord, whose icy tower rises from its centre… but the snows
will relent if his heart melts.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
The planes are all about potential. The potential of a soul to rise to
great deeds or fall to the depths of villainy. The potential for harmony
Dark Roads and Golden Hells 5

the redeemed find themselves involved in stories of corruption and sustain them—living vessels for the power of an idea. Unlike most
redemption, the wise find their wisdom tested, the goodly find their outsiders, however, they aren’t just built from soul energy. They
faith tested with hard decisions in the face of implacable foes. drink deeply from the wellsprings of the conceptual planes: Donar is
You can’t escape yourself. strength embodied; Hermes is living trickery and speed; Archdevils
and Demon Lords are wickedness personified.
Unlike mere outsiders, gods are beings who straddle several
conceptual planes, drawing the different powers into their own
MAGIC NUMBERS divine essence. They share the power with divine servants in the
form of domains, so it’s usually easy to know from which conceptual
Three Norns, three Fates. Nine worlds in Northern legend. Four planes a deity draws its power. It’s hard to say much more, for certain,
elements to some, five to others. Seven Heavens, eleven Hells. about them: gods wear masks and who can say which is the true face
Thirteen moons to make the werewolves howl, and thirteen warlocks or name of a deity? Whether they are one or many?
in a coven, proud. Mortal or outsider, no one sees more of the gods than they want
Numbers are everywhere. The forces of Order tell us that us to see.
everything is part of a great equation, and wise men can see the math
underlying reality and use it for their own advantage. Everyone has
a lucky number: for Northmen it’s nine; for the fey of Arbonesse, it’s
the rule of threes; two for dwarves (for their patron gods); and for OUTSIDERS
Midgard’s hebdomad of southern cities, seven.
Look for the numbers and the patterns, and seize their power. There’s a critical difference between mortals and outsiders.
Mortals grow in flesh and evolve in spirit naturally. Form and
function aren’t linked. People decide their own purpose in life and
infuse their souls with morals (or their lack) with each thought
OUTSIDERS: BELIEF and deed—the peril and bounty of free will. Outsiders however,
are fashioned from soul-stuff and planar energy, belief made flesh.
MADE FLESH Celestials are literally built from Goodness, their “race” just the
outward expression of a unique mix of virtues.
There has never been a more hypocritical and absurd war than the one
For humans and other mortal races, passions come and go and
between Good and Evil. Neither side sees it, but they are fools. While
choices made by free will provoke or inspire their feelings. As being
blood is shed and beings die, only pain and sadness has been generated.
made of their component ideas, however, outsiders come with built-
Both sides claim victories and declare them reasons to celebrate, but for
in natural responses: for example, demons are living inequities, full
every win, there have been a thousand losses and nothing gained. The
mortals are the cause. They want this war because it lets them feel good of savagery and rage, programmed to think that objectionable moral
and not responsible—but they are. choices are best. They’re not incapable of other reactions, but their
We are only shadow puppets in the struggle that occurs in each natural inclinations are far stronger than those of mortals.
and every one of them. If all the planes were taken by celestials, fiends,
or whomever, they would live their lives the same, unknowing and SERVANTS OF A CAUSE
unaffected. They will always rebel against whichever side offered them
counsel. They are children, and we are a part of their game.” Outsiders always have an agenda. It’s a rare individual indeed who
isn’t actively serving something. Most outsiders were created for a
—The Mortal Game by Husslymon the Fallen purpose, whether that’s upholding a general moral or concept or
(banned in both Heaven and Hell) that’s serving a deity. Their (in theory) every thought and action is
tinged by that. It’s rare to find mortal races with such dedication
Avatars of sin and angels of our better nature aren’t just metaphors. outside the ranks of priests and paladins. To them, mortal free will
They are real creatures. and mortal free agents are alien concepts.
They’re called outsiders because they’re exactly that. No matter
It is easy for mortals to forget that whenever they interact with
how much they may sometimes superficially resemble us, no matter
an outsider, word of the encounter travels up and down their chain
how we connect with them—how much faith or fear we place in
of command. One can never be sure if an unseen command is behind
them—dwellers in the outer planes are different to the core from
the behavior of summoned servants. Certainly most creatures called
mortal born. And to their minds, inhabitants of the Material Plane
with spells, like summon monster, come from cadres specially tasked
are often just as strange and incomprehensible as mortals find aeons
with answering mortal calls and reporting on the world and their
and proteans.
handler’s suitability for use by higher-ranking outsiders.
Not even gods, it seems, can rule—or wish to rule—the cosmos
alone, so they gather outsiders to their banner (or make them
THE GODS directly from soul-stuff), to take care of the day-to-day business of
divinity. There are spells and miracles to deliver, prophets to inspire,
When it comes to gods, little is known for sure. What are they really? godly palaces to maintain, and enemy faiths to harry. Almost every
Living personifications of the universe, or merely powerful creatures outsider is part of a larger hierarchy, and many are defined by their
skilled in propaganda and manipulation of mortals? You probably place it in it, physical shape changing as they ascend in rank.
have to be a god to find out the truth. In fact, to some extent, knowing Hierarchies work tirelessly to strengthen their patron power—
that truth may very well be what makes you one in the first place. whether that’s a god, an ideal, or the intricate bureaucracy of an entire
Like other outsiders, deities are bound to the energies that pantheon. Their ultimate aim is to tip the universe in their chosen

terrain’s favor—order or chaos, the luxuries of vice and earthly gain, which makes them somewhat predictable. Even if one is intelligent,
or just rewards after death. however, it lives in a world of rote and repetition, of standard answers
In some cases, the hierarchy can come to overshadow the god and disinterest in anything outside its immediate function. The
itself in power, as sometimes happens in the ubiquitous and tangled perfect choice for summoners and fodder for clever manipulators.
divine bureaucracy of the East. Sometimes a god dies or disappears, Once an outsider begins to experience life beyond their comfort
its archangels or demon princes serving empty thrones. Sometimes zone (usually their home plane), they either withdraw into their
the hierarchy gives birth to a new god to replace the absent or “programming” or emerge changed. They might become true
diminished old one. Sometimes they see no more need for a god at believers or find their faith worn away and become cynics or even
all, and the hierarchy becomes a perpetual motion machine, serving fallen. Not a few choose to make themselves even more aloof from
only itself. their troubles, withdrawing from interactions that cause them to
question their very foundation of their form.
PLAYERS IN A LONG GAME

THE CHESSMASTER
Most outsiders are outright immortal, and even those that are not
are usually very long-lived. Accordingly, they typically take the long Chessmasters always look for the big picture but usually fail to see the
view, and many possess the wisdom to see and understand chains little one. Some are genuinely uncaring or contemptuous, viewing
of cause and effect (or random events) that can spring from their souls and belief as commodities or strategic targets. Others claim
actions. Mortals always seem so impulsive, rash, and ignorant of the they serve a higher purpose and merely cannot weep whenever a
consequences of their actions. It’s natural to look down on them as sparrow falls. But the effect is much the same: an aloof distance from
children. mortal concerns and a tendency to see the contest for soul-stuff as a
Chaotic outsiders, cloistered celestials, and many fey simply don’t game against a worthy opponent. Chessmasters have an amazing gift
comprehend how the passage of time affects mortals—and more not only for convoluted, far-reaching plans but also for revising their
importantly their memories and obligations. It’s not uncommon for strategies as new circumstances arise, positioning and repositioning
devils to plague the same family for generations or for fey to expect their pieces and outguessing the other side until the enemy has no
the deals made centuries earlier to be upheld many generations down option but to admit defeat.
the line. Individuals don’t concern the chessmaster. They’ve seen untold
The other side to this attitude is that many outsiders have seen it thousands of souls come and go. One or a thousand, souls only seem
all before. Fiends are wily and Celestials wise often not from innate to have individual value to their owners, but they’re really just tiny
ability, but because they have been doing their jobs for many times a leaves compared to the forest of souls that have come before and that
human lifespan. It can be incredibly difficult to surprise them. will decide the final fate of the multiverse. Sometimes, there need to
1
be sacrifices for the cause.
Chessmasters excel in the upper middle ranks of hierarchies,
HARVESTERS OF SOULS where commanders do not deal with individual souls or minor
Lore of the Planes

matters but juggle multiple schemes and major plans that may take
Although the method varies, most outsiders spring from the fabric decades or centuries to come to fruition. With each side employing
of their home plane, manifestations of its ideals given form for immortals, almost godlike wisdom, and skilled diviners in their
a specific task. Many devils are literally a part of Hell that walks plans, the art of machination has been elevated to a high art. No
and claws and lies to further the hateful spirit of that place. Being one plots like an immortal, and Heaven has as many chessmasters as
created is not enough, however: They require a continued flow of Hell.
energy in order to sustain their existence.
Every plane is a giant philosophical battery, stripping down THE CYNIC
native souls to their essential essence for use by their authorities. Hell
tortures its inmates, slicing off sins strip-by-strip and forcing souls to Outsiders are by nature idealists, usually devoted to their cause. But
abandon all hope and other virtues while Heaven says they help the when one power must confront another in its heartland or in the
goodly dead shed their last fears and sins, transforming them into changeable vagaries of mortal life, even the inbuilt beliefs of a plane-
pure goodness. The results are the same, though: it’s about power. born creature can be worn away. Rather than fall, however, they
And using it to control the planes. continue to serve, but they replace faith with cynicism. The cynic
realizes the real world isn’t born to the same beliefs as they, but they
choose to fight on anyway. Not because they believe they will truly
make a difference but because it’s the “right” thing to do. They hate
PERSONALITIES OF themselves for their lack of faith but fight the fight nonetheless. It’s a
precarious attitude, ripe for falling.
IMMORTALITY
Here are some classic personality types for outsiders of all alignments. THE ELEMENTAL
Naturally most common among the elementals themselves, this
outsider embodies the passions mortals believe live within each
THE AUTOMATION element: fire is fast and furious, water adaptive and capricious, earth
Automata are built from belief, and that’s all there really is to them. stoic and strong, air mercurial and flighty. Those who embody a
Walking, talking machines built from philosophy. Many supposedly concept take it to extremes even by the standards of other outsiders:
unintelligent outsiders are merely so in tune with their nature that devils of Greed might have bodies composed of piles of coins; angels
they don’t need to think. They react exactly as they’re supposed to, of War might have the form of flaming swords, casting themselves

onto battlefields to be used by whoever dares to take them up. They also enjoy ripping souls from bodies and binding them with
They are so consumed by one thing that it’s hard for them to powerful enchantments or harvesting useful resources from the
understand how other creatures work—sometimes with fatal results. mortal mind like dreams.
They find creatures from the mortal plane especially wondrous and
confusing: strange spirit things, “insiders” dwelling at the nexus of
the planes, a unique and bizarre mix of elements.
THE TRANSFORMED MORTAL
Most outsiders aren’t built from the whole cloth of a single soul. An
individual must be truly exceptional for its belief energy to be pure
THE FALLEN enough to use directly in the creation of an outsider. But sometimes it
For outsiders who spend all their time in their respective domains, happens through apotheosis or martyrdom. Or—even more rarely—
it’s easy to be a mere automata, but when you’re forced to dive into when a living mortal is offered a permanent place in the service of
your enemy’s philosophical terrain or, worse, experience the world a god or idea.
from the mortal “make-it-up-as-you-go” perspective, an outsider’s Other outsiders have mixed feelings toward them, tending to
normally unshakeable belief can be worn away—”infected,” if you look down on transformed mortals while envying their position.
will, by foreign ideas. Transformed mortals may never be quite as pure as native outsiders,
For example, angels walk in darkness, that’s part of what they but their understanding of free will and shades of grey means
do. But they also walk with darkness because, to effectively fight the they’re usually more robust against contamination. Transformed
forces of Hell, an enemy whose mind revolves in endless loops of mortals can often be found in roles that deal with mortal hearts and
treachery and wickedness, you have to be able to think like them— minds, as they understand them best. They are trusted to be “out
and that’s really not part of a Celestial’s mindset at all. Inevitably, there” more than newly created naïve outsiders but are rarely given
there are casualties. the most secret and dangerous missions. Mortals have always been
The process works in reverse, too. There are demons that come corruptible, after all.
to question the endless slaughter, wildness, and destruction. There
are devils with honor that can’t help but admire their foes’ passion
and resolve, who come to value bravery and camaraderie. Order
THE TRUE BELIEVER
and Chaos, too, can love the dance too much, suffering madness or The champion. The demagogue. The fanatic eager to lay down its life
stagnation as they fail to know where one ends and the other begins. for the cause.
A fallen outsider is a being in terrible pain. Formed from The true believer is devoted to a patron power. They may not
pure belief, they can’t easily process and accept alien thoughts and understand the subtleties, they may not be able to argue their corner
feelings. And because for them soul and flesh are one, their torment well, but they believe. Their very existence is a statement of faith, and
and their failure is written across their bodies: wings lose their they strive to live up to it in every word and deed.
angelic feathers, nobility mars a previously horrible fiendish visage; Most new outsiders, hardwired by the planar energy that forms
cracks and rust mar an inevitable’s steely form, servants of peace them, fall into this category. For some its innocence and naivety: the
sprout terrible claws. celestials who’ve never left Heaven, the newborn incarnate evils of
Hell. Others manage to reach enlightenment through long decades
or centuries of life, passing through cynicism and disillusionment to
THE PHILOSOPHER find the cause again.
Not content to merely be the offspring of belief, some outsiders It takes a lot to shake the faith of a true believer, but when they
explore what makes them tick and what it brushes against, enemies fall, they fall hard.
and sometime allies. They make a moral or concept the topic of
meticulous study. They become experts in their ideals: the debaters
and demagogues, scientists and philosophers looking for new ways
THE WHISPERER
to spread the word. They’re the celestials working on potions of The mortal metaphor of a “devil on your back” or an angel perched
redemption, the demons trying to master hate as a form of energy, on your shoulder nudging your conscience is often all too true. These
the hundun and proteans who create whole worlds just to see what are the influence peddlers. They whisper in your ear, not controlling
happens. but nudging, tempting, and cajoling. A single word can give you
It’s possible to lose focus and fall. Others become cynics courage, swell your fear, or turn your dream into a nightmare.
as they realize that, deep down, one cause is no different from Whisperers work mainly on the mortal plane, invisible or ethereal
another. Interested in aesthetics more than practical beliefs, most presences with an uncanny knack of finding souls hanging in the
philosophers are somewhat aloof. balance.
THE SLAVER
Most common among fiends and fey, the slaver believes that mortals
are commodities or portable sacks of soul energy. The think of
mortals the way mortals think of animals (creatures to be harvested)
or worse (vermin). Contempt or disregard is the best that mortal
born can expect.
Many slavers delight in summoning and binding mortals to
various tasks, in mockery of their own summoning vulnerability.

2 Cosmology
“In the beginning…” is a phrase you’ll hear in every faith and cult, wise
magi and eccentric philosopher alike. Whatever comes next has one thing
in common: they’re wrong. No one knows for sure—despite the many
claims. Maybe the gods truly understand the origins of Creation—perhaps
those oldest and wisest of their number or those who stole the lore from
even more antediluvian beings. But the minds of gods are so abstract and
allegorical that it’s doubtful that we could understand, even were they of a
mind to tell us. Perhaps ignorance is bliss? Perhaps we’re better looking to
the origin tales of mortal faith than even the renowned devilish histories
or the mythistorians of Chaos, or Heaven’s halls of reliquary paleology.
Mortal legends tell us most about the mortal mind, after all.
9
his chapter deals with our sample cosmology, the planes of Good and Evil, the ever-warring twins. In time, the fourfold powers
T the Midgard. met and mated, merged and separated. Nuances began to appear,
Order and Chaos mingled with evil and good. They spread and
changed, and soon there was a fifth power: Neutrality, which stood
between the four. There was balance and stability, the multiverse
took on a more cohesive form. Heaven and Hell took on their proto-
PREMISE ZERO: PLUG AND PLAY forms, and there was a new bright core of Creation: neutral ground,
where creatures were born, where elements converged and fed the
You’ll find a lot of different ideas, themes, and major and rest of existence like a wellspring. The mortal plane, bright and new.
minor locations in this book to introduce to campaigns. Toy or tool for those who wished to play.
Some of these suggestions have wide-ranging consequences, For there were giants in those days.
but they all stem from one basic premise: this book is
designed to “plug and play.” You can incorporate it whole
or just cherry-pick the ideas and insert them piecemeal
into your game. Making it easy for you to insert bits of
this supplement into your own game was one of the basic Forget the talk of Good and Evil, Law and Chaos. I heard
principles of its design. that Fate and Chance were the first of all powers. In the very
Most of the planes mentioned here can add to or replace beginning, it was just those two:
“Nothing occurs that is not fated,” said Fate. “For I am
the existing planar landscape of your campaign with little
that which sets all things in motion. Thus, I am the eldest
difficulty, regardless of what shape or edition it is.
and most potent of all beings.”
If your players have visited the planes previously, you
“Not so!” Chance replied. “For before there was fate
can introduce the rules and locations here as something
there was the possibility of fate. And in possibility, I was
new or as just one part of an existing plane. Any changes created, fully formed.”
might be the result of recent upheavals or something new And so Fate and Chance argued, and their argument
descending from the Plane of Archetypes (see p.15). Or became a game, to see which power was most potent.
maybe things were always this way, and the PCs are the first And the board was everything that’s ever existed. And the
mortals to bring that knowledge back to the mortal world... outcome no one knows, for the game is still ongoing.
in which case, it will be their reports that future scholars and
explorers will refer.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD GODS

Cosmology
Call them jotuns, titans, or primordials, once upon a time there

INFINITY were the Old Gods—or things Not-Quite-Gods who ruled the
world before the deities we know now. Some of them were elemental
Midgard’s Northmen claim that existence sprang from the clash of
creatures, tied to great natural forces. Others were the gods of
heat and cold in Ginnungagap, the yawning void of the Negative
creatures now passed from the mortal plane, or merely natural (and
Energy Plane, and that the mortal world was made from the flesh
unnatural) beings of immense size and power. There was war among
and bones of the first giant. The southern philosophers of the Seven
them and between them and the eldest of the new gods. And the
Cities say that, in the beginning, there was only Chaos and the Ever
Ancient Powers were eventually thrown down.
River and wandering gods who separated sea and sky for the first
The legacy of the war still lingers in countless ways, both upon
time by dancing on the waves. Other cults speak of the first gods
2
Midgard and in the planes, from dwarves, mortal champions of

emerging from the infinite seas, of the bringing forth of Order from
the new gods, to lurking aberrations and other monstrous living
Chaos or the hatching of a cosmic egg—all in a time when Heaven on
weapons. They’re only remnants however. The Old Gods are gone.
high had not yet been named. Perhaps there are infinite stories of the
Some were chained in the Underworld, the first and greatest
beginning, and like the contradictory faces of the gods themselves,
of prisons. Others retreated to the Far Beyond or to the Elemental
all may be true.
Indwelling, or they were left as echoes in the Shadow Realm or as
stories in the plane now known as the Elflands. Remnants of these
gods, the societies that followed them can be found scattered in
THE PRIMAL POWERS the wilderness and deep beneath the earth of Midgard, in obscure
and ancient planes out in the Beyond, and in the oldest tales of the
There’s an old joke that’s also a very old debate, still doing the rounds victors. They have their followers still, and many plot revenge. Some
in outer planar taverns. “Want to start a fight? Ask an outsider what have brooded for so long that they are lost in their own thoughts
came first: Order or Chaos, Good or Evil?” and insensible to the rest of the universe. Some have been changed
These are the primal powers, the very first and originally most by the bitter, angry beliefs of their remaining worshippers, turned
simple beliefs. They were spawned from the Old Gods, the primordial into almost mindless engines of hostility set against all the New
titans, before time and mortal kind. Perhaps Change sprang from the Gods have created. A few made peace with their foes and survive in
Unchanging, or Order formed like a yolk within the egg of infinite the planar hinterlands: the Far Beyond or remote kingdoms of the
Chaos, or sprang from the first moments of fledgling intelligence. Elemental Indwelling
With the first sapience came the first choice, and from that spawned

seems so unambiguous at first glance… but if pick off the skin, beneath
THE NEW GODS things aren’t so clean cut. There are noble devil warriors, dauntless and
brave; cynical celestials just trying to survive; suave propagandists,
The mortal world shook beneath the footfalls of deific warriors,
deal-makers, and spies; and dispassionate chess-masters on both sides
shattered and burned and frozen beneath their magic. Had the war
who no longer feel anything for the mortals they’re vying over, being all
continued much longer, surely the mortal plane would have been
about the Game.
sundered. Fortunately, they learned this lesson before it was too
They call it Psychomachia. Both the prize and the battlefield is
late. These days, they do not walk the mortal world. They choose
the mortal soul.
champions, assign agents, inspire worshippers. Midgard is too
The fight for souls is a constant tug-of-war. Each side struggles
precious a source of faith to risk again.
to instill its values in the mortal heart. Bitter rivals, unalterably
The aftermath of the war marked a new age for the remaining
opposed, the sides rarely make common cause against other foes.
gods and their mortals. It was the time when gods claimed new
Even those who may have a grudging respect for their enemies never
powers and new followers, and the power of divinity moved from
forget that peace or accommodation is impossible—eventually, one
elemental and uncaring to being bound to the morals and beliefs of
side must destroy the other.
mortal kind.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THE SHAPE OF THINGS Mostly, it’s a cold war. Agents battle in the shadows, but the aim has
long been to get mortals to side with Good or Evil of their own free
TO COME will. Both sides have learned the hard way that the Material Plane
can’t survive major open conflict and that it is the choice, not slavery,
Things change. Nothing remains the same forever. The end of the age
of mortals that’s needed. If enough souls can be gathered by one
of the new gods is coming. Their fate is already woven, and rumors
side, then eventually, the balance will tip and all the planes will align
of what will come after abound: Ragnarok, the escape of titans, the
beside either Heaven or Hell. Then Heaven or Hell will be all there is.
return of cyclopean horrors from beyond space and time. There are
Direct intervention on the Material Plane is forbidden, an
hints of it in every faith and culture. No one knows what form the
agreement upheld (mostly) by all factions. Of course, rules are
coming apocalypse will take, who will survive, or what the age to
stretched, bent, manipulated, and sometimes outright broken by
come will be.
both sides, but archangels, devil lords, and demon princes all largely

THE THREE THAT ARE

GOOD VERSUS EVIL
ONE
2
Good and Evil are tangible forces in the planes. Psychomachia,
with its chessmasters, espionage, risen demons, and pyrrhic
Three strands of fate, three great contests, three themes run through
victories, may muddy the waters on occasion, but don’t let
Cosmology
this book, tying together its locations, factions, peoples, creatures,
Good and Evil become just two different colors, two sides of
and magic. Like a tangled ball of thread, they are separate yet woven
a game. They mean something.
one amongst the others so tightly, no one can pick them apart.
It’s all too easy to make Good into the intolerant preachy
They are the bedrock of life in the planes, defining the place and
types and Evil into the black leather cool guys. Evil may
motivations of mortals, outsiders, and gods alike. Wherever you
sometimes seem to have that mystique, but under the veil,
look, you can find their loose strands. They bind the disparate planes
it should be shown as something truly awful. Not just ranks
together and are ready-made hooks for countless adventures.
of fiendish armies or primordial bugs but sadists feeding off
They are Psychomachia, the fractal dance of Order and Chaos,
our misery, our desperation, our sense of helplessness. The
and the power of the conceptual planes.
painful stories of pimps luring young girls into dark lives
of shame and addiction. The mortals who deal with Mora,
carting off kids for profit. The wife-beaters, the serial killers,
PSYCHOMACHIA: THE the ones who learn your secrets to use them against you. And
enjoy it.
BATTLE FOR MORTAL Good is the opposite: the social worker who won’t
give up on her kids. The therapists and lawyers actually
SOULS fighting the good fight. The tribal leaders rehabilitating child
soldiers. The good cops that learn the names of the families
Heaven and Hell are conceptual planes so powerful that they’re on their beat and engender trust because they put their lives
ubiquitous, subsuming countless lesser beliefs beneath their respective on the line. The activists against tyranny. Celestials should be
banners. Heaven sings out in a choir of Goodness, one song with just as genuine in virtue as the fiends are in pursuit of evil.
many voices—Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic Good. Hell’s hegemony They make mistakes in their desperate war, they sacrifice
encompasses both ordered, labyrinthine Evil and its wild, destructive thousands to save millions. They can come off as fanatics in
counterpart, in a cacophony of moral turpitude. their beliefs about Freedom or Justice. But at their heart, they
With polar powers so utterly incompatible, there could be only war. are putting themselves on the line to bring about paradise for
Good vs. Evil. The battle between the celestials of the Seven all creation.
Heavens and the demons, devils, and daemons of the Eleven Hells. It Don’t sell them short.

enforce the rule. Instead, standard operating procedure is inspiration
and temptation, sabotage and propaganda, unpalatable political deals
THE FRACTAL DANCE
for the sake of expediency and battles between proxy forces. Move
and countermove, all designed to provide the steady accumulation of
OF ORDER AND CHAOS
souls. In contrast to the eternal feud and mutual loathing of the powers of
And of course, when necessary, out in the planes there are hot Good and Evil, Chaos and Order are lovers both at play and at war.
wars where celestials with flaming swords clash against the forces of They call it the Fractal Dance because often where one side ends and
Hell. With battles of a size and ferocity incomprehensible to mortals the other begins is hard for anyone, even the participants, to say for
that last for centuries with no quarter asked or given. Battles with no sure.
negotiation and no hope of resolution because neither side can afford Order and Chaos sometimes fight just as viciously as their
to give the slightest ground. A bloody grind of outsider bodies and Good and Evil counterparts, but often, there’s more sense of a game
expended souls. or competition or seduction to their meetings. Each side of Order
Many people think the war will never end. Some, especially and Chaos sees the other as a flawed aspect of itself, a fundamental
those not allied to either side and even some jaded fighters, think of misunderstanding or misperception of the truth. It’s less a war and
it as an eternal game, but to most, it’s an all-out, life-or-death struggle more of an argument with each side trying to prove the other wrong
and, in some apocalyptic future, winnable. Every victory changes the or of a courtship with each side looking to seduce the other to its
battlefield a little, and makes the collection of fresh souls to the cause ways.
even more vital. So… the hundun playfully and spontaneously create, and
algoriths try to order the result. Proteans compete to destroy great
works of Order, while axiomites confound them by adapting and
THE ROLE OF MORTALS rebuilding. Inevitables enforce universal laws while chaos beasts
Another reason that mortals are so prized by outsiders, as well as the undo them, and both sides try to entrap the other with riddles and
spoils of the war, they are also the perfect agents. tests. Chaos and Order have allies on both sides of the Great War and
If you know where to look, the mortal plane is filled with the frequently interfere or act as proxy agents in places where it would
work of outsiders although they rarely act openly. They deliver be to impolitic for Celestials or Fiends to tread. Neither Heaven nor
dreams and inspiration to aspiring cults and churchmen, royalty Hell trusts them, of course—but they have their uses.
and rebels. Agents plant the seeds of destruction in enemy territory; Order and Chaos do not maintain their own exclusive planes
strategists plot, developing elaborate plots where obscure nobodies but lodge wherever they find a comfortable concept: Law has long
rise up to challenge the established order; propagandists speak their held Gears and Mathematics for example (and prevented them
compositions to oracles and prophets. Outsiders can perform all from falling into Good or Evil’s hands) while Chaos visits Madness
these tasks without breaking the rules of intervention. But when it often, mixes Dreams, and inspires many via the power of Art but is
comes to murder, theft, warfare, and a hundred other dirty little jobs, happiest outwards of the Farthest Shore. Justice and Vengeance they
mortals make by far the best catspaws. share—indeed the two planes overlap and it’s often hard to tell one
Cosmology
Outsiders are easy to detect if you know how, and their souls- from the other.
made-flesh mentality makes disguising themselves amongst mortals And sometimes they cooperate. There are planes where Chaos
a difficult and uncertain stratagem. Far better to use the very people provides inspiration and Order gives it form, like portions of the
you are fighting over to evade the ban on intervention and slip Gear Plane where mad science is allowed to run wild or the city of
unnoticed passed other extraplanar eyes to do the dirty work. And Singing Throat—sitting at the center of a web of musical planes—
even better, the mortals’ every action drives their souls deeper into where tremendous symphonies are drawn out of wild cacophony,
one camp or the other. and both sides quell their arguments in the name of Art.
Both sides prefer to work behind the scenes, disguised as mortal
patrons or allies or invisible providers of inspiration or temptation.
2
OTHER PLAYERS IN THE WAR

There are many other players in the Psychomachia. It’s spread
far beyond the rivalry of Heaven and Hell. From exiled titans and
elemental lords, to gods seeking new domains and worshippers, to
the agents of conceptual planes looking to strengthen their power,
just about everyone has a hand in the game. Some players hope to
someday claw their way to become the cosmic powerhouses that
Heaven and Hell are now. Others are just trying to secure their
borders or bribe their way into one camp or another. They are bit-
part players compared to the uncompromising fanaticism of the
principles, but both sides have a use for allies, foils, and neutral
ground... at least for now.
Heaven and Hell both make it clear that, eventually, everyone
will be expected to pick a side.

THE CONCEPTUAL mortals who live there and take it for granted. It is an iridescent
bubble of unfettered life, a precious jewel valued by Heaven, Hell,
PLANES and all points between, which floats in the center of everything.
The Material Plane is like an island, and the planes are the
Whether you support or refute their causes, there’s no doubt that surging seas and cosmic forces seeking to shape or overwhelm it. All
Good and Evil, Law and Chaos, are among the multiverse’s most outsiders “harvest” mortals for their own ends because only mortals
powerful concepts. These planes touch many other ideas, from great provide the essence from which the planes are built.
powers such as War and Love, to more abstract beliefs like Solitude Souls are a crucial battleground in the Psychomachia and the
and Second Chances. Every side tries to gather concepts into its fold. shifting competition of conceptual planes. Souls give shape and
Conceptual planes are inextricably tied to the Psychomachia. They definition to Creation, linking evil to war or goodness to love,
are also tied to mortal plane. charity, and aid. They prevent ordered reality from slipping away
Conceptual planes are powers in their own right, however. Some into the limitless, ever-changing possibilities of Chaos, the Far
are almost as powerful as the philosophical keystones of Good, Evil, Beyond. The unfathomably ancient, enormous universe is all about
Law, Chaos, and Neutrality. (Indeed, Heaven and Hell are really just these flickering lights, and the great acts of the planes often revolve
supremely powerful conceptual planes.) Wherever there is a belief around destinies on the material world.
in something, from ideas to physical things, you’ll find a plane Souls are valuable because of the incredible potential within
embodying it somewhere in the multiverse. them. They can empower concepts, energize magic, serve as a source
for new outsiders, and make dreams a reality and deny reality for
dreams. Similarly, souls that gravitate to a particular alignment, god,
CONCEPTUAL PLANES AND or idea grant it a great deal of power: fighting in war gives power to
THE MORTAL REALM War and thus to the gods and servants of war. Like calls to like.
Certain locations in the mortal realm are natural fonts of belief,
channeling power directly to the conceptual planes. Metaphysical PLANAR TRAITS
lynchpins tying the planes to the mortal world, they’re strategic
points of interest to Heaven and Hell, to gods and other powers. • Coterminous with the Shadow Realm: By way of its fey
Why? Because if you can influence or control the wellsprings of roads, and with many other planes by the Road of Doors.
belief, you can bring the concepts they feed into alignment with your At the very edge of the mortal world, where the Father of
own. The best way to illustrate this is by example. Serpents wraps it, Midgard becomes coterminous with the
Although the inhabitants don’t know it, the Free City of Zobeck Sea of Possibilities.
is one such place. In the old times of the rule of House Stross, it was • Coexistent Hub: All of Midgard overlaps with the Elemental
tied to Shadow by their deals with the dark fey but also to the Plane of Indwelling, the Ethereal Mists and Underworld, and the
Radiance through the nobility’s faith in the Sun God and his mighty Astral Plane.
2
cathedral. In time, however, demons wormed their way into the • Occasional Energy Traits: Some locations have elemental
Stross’ confidence, and the place began to strengthen the power of traits from a strong connection to one or more planes of the
Hell. The Stross became tyrants; the city’s nobles became vicious and Indwelling.
Cosmology
cruel.
In time, they were overthrown, and its influence shifted. Still • Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Midgard is the source of all souls,
strong with Shadow’s power, it also began to feed the Plane of and powers of all alignments have a stake in keeping it free.
Rebellion and its legacy of gearforged citizens and technological
advances strongly empowered the Plane of Gears. Now devils and Just one of many worlds of the mortal plane, Midgard is not a globe.
celestials work in the city’s shadows to turn the fruits of Zobeck’s It resembles a coin wrapped around by a snake. This is Veles, among
rebellion toward either Evil or Good. Whoever wins will not only many other names the Father of Serpents, who girds the edges of
have subtle influence over the thousands of souls dwelling in the Free the earth and keeps the mortal realm from being washed away by
City but will tilt the cosmos a tiny bit toward Hell’s view of what planar tides. One face of the coin is the land we know, Midgard
“rebellion” and “gears” should be about. If Heaven wins, the forges of (the “middle land”) in the ancient tongue of giants. The obverse is
Zobeck may create wonders for the betterment of mankind; if Hell variously called the Bright Land, the Elflands, Alfheim, or the Fair
wins, all manner of technological terrors will surely result. Place. It is here that the elves come from, a land both more magical
and wilder than the world we know.
Between the two sides of this coin lies the Shadow Realm. It is a
third land of greys and darkness, untouched by the sun’s lamp. It is a
PLANES NEW & OLD plane of long shadows and unending dusk. It is a land of nightmares,
in which the unready and unprepared can be lost forever. And it is
In this section, we’ll present a fresh look at some of the existing
not empty. This shaded desolation was pierced by the magic of the
planes and the cosmology of Midgard—some old friends revamped
elves, which allowed them to arrive in Midgard, and they wove a web
and revisited and some entirely new.
of passages between their world and this one: the Fey Roads.
Midgard sits at the center of a vortex—or the head of a surging
MIDGARD, THE MORTAL spring—of swirling primal matter, known as the Elemental
Indwelling. The Indwelling in turn sits at the heart of the Sea of
REALM Possibilities, where all things are. This is all a spawned from the
You can’t discuss the planes without starting here. great bright fire of the Positive Energy Plane, which itself descends
Midgard is special, and everyone knows it. Everyone except the in time through the Underworld to the great dark void of negative

energy. The multiverse is unfathomably big, but the mortal plane is
the fulcrum, the spinning point, the heart.
TRAILBLAZING IN THE SEA OF
POSSIBILITIES
LOCATIONS IN MIDGARD Most of the time, PCs will travel by spell or planar road,
ELEMENTAL WOODLANDS: Where the Indwelling touches the but it’s also possible to travel “overland” through the Sea
mortal world, places can sometimes find themselves bonded to of Possibilities. The problem is it’s always shifting and
rarefied elements. A river might wash soil from an endless canyon, changing, making it almost impossible to map. Here are a
or a storm cloud might yield lightning from a depthless cloud realm few ideas (1d12):
where electric arcs of fire run through the infinite thunderheads.
1. An endless blue-black firmament where constellations
One might find gold leaf under layers of tree bark, or forest fires of
manifest as glowing fleets of glass ships, each named
elemental flame might, years later, lead to warm copses of pines that
after a star, and planets hang above the upward-curving
steam in the winter. A once living forest might find itself a collection
horizon as if at the center of an unfathomably large
of dead, petrified fossils overnight.
hollow sphere. Planes are visible as sunken islands
beneath the waves—some close to the surface, others far
below.
HOW DO ALIGNMENT 2. An endless labyrinth whose doors provide entrance to
TRAITS WORK? various planes and demiplanes. Philosophical dangers
Many of the planes described here have alignment traits that manifest as physical traps and monsters.
inflict penalties on characters with a different outlook, but
3. The streets of a deserted city, style and architecture
how do they actually work? The answer is that planes are
shifting as you move. Godly realms can be seen rising
born from their attendant philosophies. If you choose to
up in the distance, towering cathedrals dominating the
walk a different path, then you’re walking on hostile ground.
skyline. The city walls are crumbling, and aberrations
In Hell, the terrain is literal wickedness in physical form,
lurk in the cracks.
just another way to bring cruelty and hate to the world, to
make it inhospitable to those who do not share its truth. The 4. An endless sky, clouds and weather fronts reflecting
sun never shines, it beats down mercilessly; the wind howls different planes. Venture into a cloud and, eventually,
and cuts into you, as do the jagged rocks, the irritant sand, the mists part to reveal a new plane.
and the dusty earth blowing into your eyes and choking 5. An ash tree of unfathomable size: Yggdrasill the World
your throat. Tree, roots digging into the Underworld and Hells,
Heaven is the same for fiends and evil souls that dare
Cosmology
leaves basking in the golden light of Heaven.

to venture in. Bright sunlight burns their eyes; the laughter
of happy children is like nails down a chalkboard to them, 6. A great mountain with Heaven glimmering at its summit,
and the weight of their sins feels like a sack of iron ingots on wracked by smoking chasms containing fiery Hells. The
their back. terrain of the slopes reflects nearby conceptual planes.
The situation only gets worse when you talk to the locals. Caves and crevices allow access to them.
Heaven sees every twitch of doubt or moment of dubious 7. An enormous chessboard. The pieces seem to represent
morality written all over your face, while Hell is blatantly gods, devils, and angels. (Best not to concentrate too
selfish and willfully cruel. Order demands you behave “their hard on the shadowy outlines of the players.)
way or the hard way,” and who knows what Chaos will be
8. A patchwork of stitched together dreams, one bleeding
2
like today?
into another. Find the dreamer within to find the door to
In the planes, terrain has character, and PCs are always
step through into his or her own plane.
traveling through in someone’s idea of Heaven or Hell.
9. The machinery of a cyclopean orrery. Travelers must
clamber across its massive swinging arms and revolving
MERCY STREET: Sometimes, when the need is great enough, orbs to break into the correct globe. Tiny hatches lead to
a new alley appears in the worst ghetto of town. It’s called Mercy minor planes.
Street, and it may not look like much (in fact it looks miserable and
destitute, and it stinks), but it’s populated by disguised celestials 10. A web of infinite complexity from which worlds and
offering succor and protection. Woe to those of evil intent who come planes dangle. Immense spider-like creatures scurry
wandering down this lane... everywhere.
11. A pile of shards, millions of pieces of mirror. Every pane
THE ELUSIVE DRAGON: This pawnshop is found always in reflects the view of a mirror somewhere on another
dark alleyways of otherwise upstanding cities or in the backs of plane. Characters can pass through some of them into
opium dens and fragrant pleasure houses. It’s a place of commerce the place that’s shown.
unfettered by conscience. Whether it’s the last hit you need to get
clean or the kiss of the enrinyes you crave, the smiling gilded devils 12. An endless river, weaving its way through the misty
of Mammon will be happy give it to you for the right price. There are edges of planes. (See the Ever River in Chapter 5.)
gold statuettes of forbidden gods, unicorn horns, planar drugs, angel

feathers, preserved fetuses of races long extinct... and after you’ve THE CONCEPTUAL PLANES
thrown your life in the gutter for them, the devils will offer you one
more deal. The solar deva bursts onto the field of battle with a wave of Courage
sweeping over his allies; his shield made of Sacredness, his banner
THE SEA OF POSSIBILITIES

An unbounded expanse formed from the dreams, faiths, hopes, and THE PLANE OF ARCHETYPES
fears that flavor the mortal soul, the Sea of Possibilities begins with
the fountainhead of all Creation, the pure fire of the positive energy No one’s sure if this plane truly exists—it’s just a theory.
plane, pouring down raw energy and life into existence. This is the The theory is that everything that exists, ever existed, or
power that the gods wield directly for their miracles, but it almost will exist comes from an unseen location somewhere above
immediately begins to be polluted. Creation meets Entropy— or outside the rest of the multiverse. The plane from where
initially only a pinprick on the bright horizon—and its energies positive energy flows and where the negative energy void
mingle, clash, mate, fracture, and divide. Matter and energy are eventually leads. The plane that recycles the energy of the
created and become flavored with the radiating beliefs of mortals. universe and from which new ideas descend. When the time
Raw creative energy splinters into infinite shapes and forms: the Sea is right (or perhaps at random), ideas emerge or are born
of Possibilities. from the Plane of Archetypes and flow into Creation.
Sages point to the Archetypical Sword (see Chapter
PLANAR TRAITS 5) as evidence of the plane’s existence, and there are things
ended or faded away that still have their devotees who hope
• Infinite Size: The Sea contains all Creation, everything between the object of their affections has returned to the Plane of
the eternal font of Positive Energy to the empty void of Negative Archetypes and can one day be retrieved. Both Heaven and
Energy.
Hell and Order try to stop them because if archetypes can be
• Highly Morphic: The Sea is often different each time you removed from the plane, or even modified and controlled,
experience it, and unique rules may apply any given trip (see then Creation will surely fall into the wrong hands or come
sidebar). crashing down. Such a person would have the power to
• Mildly Neutral Aligned transform or snuff out anything, not just from the present
but from all time.
• Changed Magic: Divine casters traveling to the Sea of
Or perhaps they know something we don’t? Maybe they
Possibilities by plane shift or similar spells have a 50% chance
know of concepts best left gone or never born.
of experiencing the it as a manifestation of their faith or beliefs.
(For example, a Northman cleric might see Yggdrasill the World
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Tree, while a southerner might see Mount Olympus, and an
eastern mystic Mount Sumeru.)
The Sea contains both Heaven and Hell, the glorious and grotesque Hope. The pit fiend who climbs up onto the bloody pile of his rivals’
bodies is wrapped in a cloak made from Misdirection; the demon
Cosmology
wilds of Chaos and the harmony and tyranny of Order. All things
can be found here, mixing and transforming and blending one into lord’s weapons are hooked and spurred blades called Savagery and
another. Every aspect of the mortal soul, from dwarven steadfastness Revulsion.
and the purity of the noblest elf, to the degenerate lust of ogres and Every conceptual plane is tied to something—an idea, a belief,
the incomprehensible morality of mimics and aboleths. or a physical thing: Time, Horses, Holidays, Language, Pride, and a
The secret that outsiders don’t tell people from the mortal world million more. The great planes of the multiverse are really nothing
is that this makes Midgard and its inhabitants the most important more than conceptual planes of unmatched power, manifestations
people in Creation. Existence flows from their souls, so what paints of ubiquitous ideas like Goodness and Evil, Death and Fate, Shadow
and taints them and their final fates defines the Planes. and Radiance.
Most conceptual planes aren’t tied to any alignment—or more
likely, are tied to several (you can have a goodly war and an evil
peace, after all). They represent key beliefs of the mortal world and
are places of strategic interest in the cold war of Heaven and Hell and
the endless rivalries and counting coup among gods and pantheons.
USING CONCEPTUAL PLANES Souls (or a portion of their power) are drawn to the concepts
Conceptual planes are an easy way to introduce a theme that they served in life, so powerful factions are always trying to
to a session, adventure, or campaign in an immediate increase their power over the conceptual planes in order to harness
and physical fashion—in fact, the ground your PCs will those souls to their cause. Mortals also influence the meaning and
be walking on. Use planar traits and unique physical and power of these concepts, and in turn, they are influenced by the
planes. Like begets like, echoes beget echoes.
magical laws to make players feel that they are literally
adventuring through dreams or ideas.
If you want some sample conceptual planes, use the PLANAR TRAITS
examples here as a guide or just check out the list of cleric
Every conceptual plane has its own traits, as varied as the infinite
domains and use them as inspiration for creating a physical
possibilities of dreams. Some are almost indistinguishable from the
place. mortal plane, others utterly bizarre. In general, the more powerful

the concept or widespread a belief, the bigger the plane and the FLYING ISLES OF FREEDOM: No door or manacle can be
easier it is to get to. locked here. No spell can bar a creature’s movement. Bindings and
compulsions can be neither invoked nor enforced. Every visitor is
• Conceptual Magic: Magic that champions the plane’s concept
a god in their own little kingdoms, but they are not permitted to
is enhanced. Magic that goes strongly against its philosophy is
impinge their reality upon anyone else. SUGGESTED TRAITS:
impeded. Specific spells may also be affected.
Timeless, highly morphic, subjective directional gravity, mildly
chaotic-aligned; permanent freedom of movement effect on all
ARTIFACTO-ELEMENTAL PLANE OF PIPES: An endless warren
inhabitants. To leave this plane, you need only desire it to plane shift
of sewers and other urban infrastructure—where the Ever River
to a location of your choice.
is split into trickles that run through endless pipes and cisterns,
through waterwheel and steam generators powering Who-Knows-
GLADES OF PETRICHOR: The demiplane of Petrichor embodies
What. Some tunnels play host to spirited shantytowns, though even
the refreshing smell of earth just after it rains. It floated free of the
these are periodically fractured by the plane’s spatial whims.
Elemental Indwelling after celestials came once too often to enjoy its
sweet refreshing air, which helps cleanse and assuage the conscience.
CHILDHOOD’S DREAMING: In the swirling seas drawn up
It’s kept from drifting entirely into Heaven by a cabal of devils and
from the minds of multiversal dreamers, this coiling of currents is
demons, who visit it to let the sweet rains wash away their doubts
sustained by the subconscious thoughts of sleeping children. Here and fears. SUGGESTED TRAITS: Mildly good-aligned; rain occurs
the half-fiend child soldiers of Hell and the living playthings of every 1d8 hours and provides an effect similar to atonement.
Abyssal nobility are sometimes offered reprieve, allowed to play with
those raised by more worthy guardians. PALACE OF LOST & BROKEN THINGS: You can’t find this
Yet here are also the fear and shame, the loneliness, the place by any magic or mundane power—you can only stumble
nightmares both irrational and all too real. Forlorn plagues threaten upon it when lost. A crumbling palace of dark stone that’s not quite
to infect all others in sadness, and darker things lurk in the ash of obsidian, floating in a cerulean void. Within are housed monuments
burnt villages and the street corner shadows of candy brick cities. and museums to things lost or broken: names abandoned by liches,
Beware the father-mothers, giants drawn up from the thoughts of the cast-off sins of risen demons, forgotten gods, and dwindled
billions. They are elementals of emotion and their very identities planes. They say a former god is its caretaker, but whom and of
shift like the weather from nurturing to abusive. Beware the agents what is unknown, even to him. SUGGESTED TRAITS: Timeless,
of Mora, for though passionately hunted by angelic guardians, these divination-based effects do not function here.
fiends creep in to scout out children most easily taken or recruited
toward nefarious endings. PLANE OF SECOND CHANCES: Everything on this plane has been
seen and done before. Everyone you meet is drawn from memory.
CITY OF GLYPHS: Here both buildings and inhabitants are made Old enemies come back at you, friends and lost loves reappear,
of interlocked runes that can be read. Deeds done cause buildings to encounters echo the major events of visitors’ lives—or just replay
Cosmology
grow, sigil by sigil, shaped by each component rune—achievements exactly. It’s said that there are rare gates here that can transport
soar skyward as towers and secrets manifest as hidden rooms and those truly tormented by their decisions back in time. SUGGESTED
passageways. Many people come here to have their lives recorded for TRAITS: Whenever you fail a saving throw against an effect with a
posterity in the city’s foundations. Others are brought as captives, to duration, you may make another attempt 1 round later. Encounters
be interred in prisons built from their own recorded sins, released here echo significant moments of travelers’ previous lives, and PCs
only when their expunged guilt creates a door. SUGGESTED find themselves replaying encounters from earlier adventures.
TRAITS: Mildly lawful-aligned; all magic involving runes, symbols,
and glyphs is enhanced here. SANCTUARY OF SOLITUDE: A mostly barren, misty isle where
everyone is invisible and insubstantial to each other. Holy hermits
DRAGON’S END: A cavern brimming with the treasure of the ages, and lonely depressives challenge each other to rearrange the solipsist
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the master hoard of all dragon-kind glitters and twinkles in dunes caryatids that will one day move their realm to either Heaven or Hell,
100 ft. tall. All who know of Dragon’s End want its treasures, though once mortals reach some accord that solitude is mostly a good or bad
tales of success are rarely heard and even more rarely believed. A thing. SUGGESTED TRAITS: Timeless, static; changes made to the
demiplane constructed in ages past by the progenitor dragons, plane by one creature only come into effect for others when the area
any dragon can gain access in its final days by willing itself and its or item is unobserved by anyone.
hoard there to join those who’ve gone before in eternal slumber.
What treasures are hidden here? What defends such a place? What
happens when the dragons wake up? THE ELEMENTAL
DREAM DISTILLERY: Dream smiths might be able to coax INDWELLING
something real out of the great dream seas that border mortal The worlds that elemental spirits inhabit are inextricably part of
worlds, but to find something that is neither volatile nor ephemeral, Midgard. Only a hair’s breadth out of phase from us, they glide
something not laden with the traitorous thoughts of the subconscious, through the stone beneath our feet or through the air around us,
that is quite the challenge. sometimes intersecting the mortal realm in eruptions of flame or
The distilleries are built on the backs of the turtle and whale- cloud scraping mountains, skies, and seas. Elementals rarely concern
like creatures that swim the dream seas. They are great factories themselves with mortals however, for their business is with shaping
where night hags and sandmen pan for treasure in the thoughts of the stuff of the world: swirling ocean currents, sculpting mountain
slumbering mortals. ranges, letting loose summer breezes and winter gales. Whole
societies quietly work on building and maintaining the mortal world

while mortals live and die heedlessly within bowshot of cities they’ll (notoriously difficult to influence) elements to one moral or another.
never see. Most elementals find their efforts baffling and tiresome.
These are the inner workings of the world, never meant to be
seen by mortal eyes. Gods and ephemeral beliefs are distant here. The
Indwelling is all about materials and hardware, about the engineering Locations of Air
behind the mortal world. 999 LUFT BALLOONS: Free from the constraints of gravity, giant
luft-wasps are intelligent, organized, and highly proficient with
magic. Their floating hives are composed of almost weightless
PLANAR TRAITS chitin (recycled from their own bodies), weighted on vast twisting
The Elemental Planes overlap each other and Midgard, sliding cables, dragged across the sky by straining swarms, or hung from
across and through one another like oceans washing against the the enchanted flight-organs of harvested aerial creatures (including
shore, or rivers mixing in the sea. All the planes of the Indwelling themselves). Due to the calculations required to accommodate non-
are coexistent with Midgard, and where they touch the mortal plane flying visitors, the wasps expect heavier races to strap on enough
most closely, they influence its geography and weather. floating, glistening viscera to negate their own weight.
• Coexistent with Midgard: The planes of the Indwelling are CARNIVAL OF FLESH AND SPIRIT: Here, curious elementals
inextricably linked to Midgard and easy to reach from points that come to observe and play with the bodies of the strangely constructed
have a strong elemental presence in the mortal world (oceanic creatures of other planes (living mortals, fey, undead, and so on). The
depths, active volcanoes, and so on). Carnival floats on a series of flattened rocks, floating in the eye of a
• Coterminous Indwelling: Shifting between the different planes hurricane. Magic allows the elementals to invade dreams and share
of Indwelling is easy, and in many places, it’s possible to move the sensations that they force spellbound prisoners to experience.
physically from one to another. There are points where the
Indwelling’s elements mingle, creating minor kingdoms and CLOUD CITY CROFT: This is certainly one of the planes’ more
marcher states—admixtures like ice, fog, and mud. Some say the beautiful spectacles. Passionate about architecture, the Lord and
mortal world itself is just one big coterminous point. Lady Croft are also style-obsessed and capricious, so that are
always overseeing multiple renovations across this city-in-a-
• Finite Size: Each elemental plane contains a massive but cloud. Their demolition technique is rather blunt—mages simply
technically finite amount of matter, equivalent to the all the transmute sections of real estate into cloudstuff and let them drift
mortal world’s elemental matter of that type. away. Centuries of fickleness have left a sprawling squatter city in
• Elemental Gravity: The Indwelling has normal gravity on the the cloud’s interior: the Undercroft, mismatched haute wreckage
planes of Earth and Fire, but the planes of Air and Water have occupied by those judged not pretty enough to live in the city above.
subjective directional gravity. Points of admixture may have
either. REALM OF THE EVENING SKY: This is a groundless vista, blue
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skies interlaced with a red-gold hue. The warm, safe, and peaceful
• Normal Time: Time passes in the Indwelling as it does in the sky of a sleepy summer evening. Since time immemorial, planar
mortal plane but has little effect on the plane or its inhabitants. travelers have used this place to lay their honored dead to rest.
Cosmology
• Divinely Morphic: Gods, powerful elementals, and genies can There’s no earth to be interred in, so caskets are given “sky burials”—
shape the local area to their will. floating sarcophagi suspended from drifting balloons. Aerial grave
• Elemental Traits: Each plane of the Indwelling has the robbers may occasionally attempt to plunder the coffins, but those
appropriate elemental trait. Coterminous points typically possess who avoid the realm’s self-appointed celestial guardians sometimes
the traits of all the elements in their makeup. find more than they bargained for. Canny adventurers sometimes
imprison wraiths and vampires in the floating coffins, entombing
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Elementals barely understand
them in the unending golden light.
morality, let alone have concern for it.
• Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the local SUSURRUS: The last breath of a dying god, its final exhalation
elemental descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create that powerful enough to warp the living and bring inanimate objects
element are enhanced. to life. Years here are punctuated by a thunderstorm known as The
Great Death Rattle before the Last Breath Begins Anew. At this
With the right magic, mortals can survive in these realms but time, the entire realm becomes magically and psionically dead for
must always take care on their journeys. The Indwelling does not a month.
“accommodate” mortals easily or often, and they are as strange to Descendents of the dead god’s faithful ply the rippling winds
the elementals as elementals—a half-spirit, half-flesh thing, in touch on massive airships, but schism has ripped the fleets of the Bishop-
with mystical realities beyond the material—are to mortals. Mortals Admirals apart. Some factions strain to catch their god’s last words,
may be asked to become an ally creature to elemental spellcasters or others are forever heading outward in search of the divine soundwave.
enslaved just as genies are by mortal man. One is dedicated to sacrificing strangers to their deceased power in
a vain attempt to restore him; another has eschewed religion entirely
in favor of arcane magic, another believes that the greatest tribute to
LOCATIONS IN THE their god’s doom is the death of others.
INDWELLING TUMBLING GREEN: In this patch of sky, water clumps into flying
As fundamental building blocks of the mortal plane, outsiders spheres, like titan raindrops suspended in space. Green orbs of
of all alignment like to meddle in the Indwelling, trying to tie the spherical jungle circle the droplets like planets around suns. The

Tumbling Green is home to flora and fauna adapted to zero gravity. clouds between are a fractal mesh that ties and unties itself in
Native animals are spindly and elongated, maneuvering in batrachian nausea-inducing patterns. Order and Chaos are inextricably linked
leaps or by organic jets, like aerial squid. Arishkagel the demon lord but unlike the Caverns of Contest, here mortals make it so.
of filth has recently begun a campaign to make the Tumbling Green When rain hits the ground, the land thrums with power. In their
his own. Vermin armies clamber through the canopy, and battle cries non-Euclidean castles in the clouds, the House of Sanguine Twain (a
echo through the endless sky. family whose blood contains the waters of both Order and Chaos)
drop magically engineered seeds and shoots, cocoons and eggs, onto
WHISPERING NIGHT: The sky is a deep indigo, unreachable the earth below. The resulting species spring up in miraculously swift
horizon aglow with angry flames. There seem to be stars and moons, ecosystems that last for mere hours or days. When things inevitably
forever just out of reach. Hints of jeering or condescending faces collapse, the families of Sanguine Twain harvest what looks useful
from your memories appear in those stars and moons. The wind and then experiments begin anew.
whispers, advising travelers to put lust and greed above loyalty, and
hateful anger before love and compassion. Flocks of hissing owls fly
between floating cloud islands, upon which wind-carved ice castles LOCATIONS OF FIRE
are ruled by beautiful but emaciated fiends. Evil is making great FOREST OF VALOR: The Forest of Valor is one of Heaven’s strongest
strides in influencing this part of the plane. One day soon, it may allies in the Elemental Indwelling. Its trees are akin to tawny arcs of
even drift into Hell itself. lightning; leaves the colors of autumn, shaped from flames; sap is as
hot as molten lava, treasured by planar alchemists.
Fire-haired, winged celestials dwell alongside their elemental
Locations of Earth counterparts, dedicated to stoking the fires of courage in the
CAVERNS OF THE CONTEST: Phosphorescent fungi of varied hearts of mortals, pushing them to glory in the battle against Evil
species and putrid hue clash with the soft white light emitted by with righteous flame. When not tending the forest, they and their
crystals growing from these cavern walls. Spores fill the air, and elemental and noble efreet allies can be seen screaming down upon
many creatures find their bodies blossoming with Chaotic fungal the battlefields of the Psychomachia. Unsurprisingly, they’d prefer a
growths. Thankfully, the crystals’ Lawful radiation mitigates the hot war to the cold.
infections but bleeds out all emotion, shepherding the species of this
place towards a docile, hive mind. MOLTEN TARN: The good-hearted fire giants of Molten Tarn
A Lord of Chaos and a Lady of Law are dancing here. Their travel by pumice skiffs from hardened glass castles to harvest the
contest has been interrupted, however, by an enclave of vengeful steel-strong glass to hammer into shape. The efreet regard this tiny
shaitan reclaiming the caves and destroying both fungi and crystals. “kingdom” as insignificant (at least in public) but are secretly wary of
the giants’ physical might and prize their fine glasswork. (Fine works
MOUNTAIN OF REMEMBRANCE: An infinite, gleaming of art are very much in vogue with stylish genies, despite an official
mountain formed entirely from shards of gemstone, obsidian, metal, ban on trade by the Lords of Brass.)
Cosmology
and quartz. The arrangement is nonsensical to all but the earth

elementals, who regard it as a holy site: a manuscript written in gem-
colors and veins of precious metal, detailing the long history of the LOCATIONS OF WATER
Earthen Indwelling and its people. FORGE OF MISTS: A steam-driven city, sitting on a muddy
convergence of elemental water and earth, it is connected strongly
PLAINS OF WOMB SOIL: Touched by Chaos, soil in these fields with ideals of Invention. The forge is inhabited by both land dwellers
is pregnant with potential and possibilities. Touched by Order, and aquatic folk. Pipes, water slides, and canals interconnect the city,
droplets of rain hold minute snow flake-like glyphs of Law. The and aquatic beings can breathe for a few minutes on land thanks to
the constant water-laden fog, saturated with elemental water.
The city’s rulers are a trio of mermaid celestials exiled from some
2
aquatic Heaven—exiled not for evil acts but for excessive vanity. They
FEY TIME still marginally support the war effort (mainly through technological
gadgetry) but have become more and more embittered over the
Time in the Elflands isn’t something that passes so much centuries. It will only take a nudge to turn them from Heaven’s cause
as something to set the scene. When you’re in love, golden entirely.
afternoons last forever; wickedness meanwhile, inevitably
takes place on dark and stormy nights. Basically, in the
Elflands, the passage of time is a manifestation of mood and THE ELFLANDS’ RULES AND
plot. The GM is crafting a story and so is the plane itself. RULERS
Time moves accordingly to your needs. The inhabitants
Faerie, as it’s sometimes known, is a beautiful but perilous land. The
accept this as perfectly natural.
danger here is not the wickedness of Hell, but it’s no less dangerous.
For those passing in and out of faerie, however, time It’s the carelessness, disregard, and amorality of natives who see
moves at a perilously unpredictable rate. A night in the mortals as pets as best, vermin and playthings at worst. Obscure
Elflands can be 100 years in the mortal realm (and vice- customs, laws, and magical rules are also an ever-present danger:
versa), and because the Elflands’ stories transcend time, names and gifts have power, every deal is a sealed oath, and no ill
it’s possible to wander into a tale from long ago or meet deed goes unpunished.
inhabitants dragged hundreds of years forward in time. With coin and beautiful things easy to create with magic, the
economy of faerie functions mainly by favor and barter. Uniqueness

has a certain cachet, however, and mortals—for all they’re often CONCORDANCE OF THE HARVEST GODS: Endless grain
scorned—are also something of value. Mortals provide a distraction fields and orchards, watched over by tall wicker men. As you walk,
from the ennui of endless life, beauty, and petty feuds. Like many you’ll feel the crunch of bones in the blood soaked soil: remains
other planes, a shard or sliver of soul is a prized commodity, but of countless sacrifices from worlds upon worlds given to ensure a
living mortals are often regarded as living masterpieces. bountiful harvest.
Courtesy is paramount. Ever wonder why fey are usually known This place is home to the Green Gods of agriculture—from
as the “Fair Folk” or the “Good Folk”? It’s because they’re dangerous generous to capricious but all unconcerned with Good and Evil.
enough to polite and cautious people, but they’re downright lethal The gods here vary. Some dwell invisibly within complex, concentric
to those who show disrespect. Even a thoughtless act of offence can arrangements of rough-hewn plinths or mountainous piles of cairn
result in overwhelming and tragic retribution. And what offends a stones. Others have large, cathedral-like manors—infinite on the
mortal and a fey can be very different things. Innocently offending a inside—at the center of villages whose makeup shifts with the phases
helpful brownie by bringing up the subject of payment may not just of the moon. Often it feels as if the Green Gods are shifting into
result in broken dishes and unswept floors but from a murderous each other, changing from merciful to bloodthirsty. Maybe there is
visit from a neighborhood redcap. An idle insult can spark bloody actually only one god here but with many masks.
war while a polite transgressor might escape the wrath of the most
vengeful witch queen. GIGGLING DRAGON WOOD AND THE BEAST THAT
Good manners doesn’t just mean politeness (although that’s CHITTERS: A sprawling expanse of apple trees, “ruled” (for lack of
a valuable survival skill), but “doing what is considered correct.” a better term) by a gaggle of giggling faerie dragons. Benevolent—if
Bargain or give, never offer merely to pay. Guard your name carefully potentially as annoying as Hell—the dragons delight in decades-
and accept no gift without giving something in return—for the long “wars” of pranks and practical jokes, and they relish fresh
receiver is required to return something of equal value or forfeit their opportunities for mischief (that is, visitors). Travelers are carefully
property or life to the giver. Look for the subtle twisting of words warned to beware the dragons’ protector: “The Great Beast That
in oaths and promises, for this is considered a high art among the Chitters,” “The Eater of Villains,” “the giant squirrel with big nasty
fey. Learn what each race considers proper and honorable. Never teeth—seriously they’re huge—and it’ll bite your head off I’m not
forget that appearances are always deceptive and enchantment covers kidding.” Often presumed to be just another joke, fiends and mortals
everything. alike who dare to harm the faerie dragons are found torn to pieces,
strewn across an acre of land. No one knows what it is, but the Thing
That Chitters seems to be very real.
LAND OF THE THIRSTY TREE: The scent of pine cloys the air
THE STORY HUNTERS and stings the eyes. You can’t miss the axis mundi of this plane: a pine
Fey and mortals, mystics and bards, the story hunters are tree as big as a mountain with sacrificial victims—animals as well
nomads. They carry myths and legends in their satchels and as humanoids—pierced with pine needles the size of greatswords.
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sleep in tents stitched from ancient tales. They rove the planes Tribes of men claim the snow dusted soil and tribes of winged elves
and the mortal world for inspiration but perform before the claim the canopy. Feuds and skirmishes occur, but the worship of
crystal and chrysanthemum palaces of the Elflands’ nobility. the Great Pine (and the need for sacrifices) unites them. If you’re
Cosmology
Their caravans appear where mortals love or kill each other, prepared to pay the great pine’s sanguine price, it is a powerful oracle.
whenever great drama is occurring. They care nothing for the
morality of the actions, instead seeking to squeeze as much SHELTER-WITHOUT-WALLS: This is a safe haven for animals
of all kinds, made by ancient gods of old: the Wolf, the Hart, and
pathos as they can from events, so they might re-enact them
the Owl. Long stretches of grass, scattered forests, and lakes. Every
for bored fey lords. A sordid tale of murderous adultery
now and then one might see mountains and deserts. Each terrain
excites their clients just as much as the fair maiden sacrificing
is self-contained, but you can step from one to another if you truly
all to wake her cursed true love.
desire it. Humanoids are few and devoted to their charges, such as
Whenever they are around, luck and misfortune gather the nomadic Cat Herders, arachnid shepherds, and the Mistress of
upon heroes and villains, princes and princesses, poor but the Reptile Orphanage.
honest farm boys and virtuous maidens. All the better to
create and recreate great stories. WHITE LILY TOMB: Hidden by the trees of a mist-shrouded
mountain, surrounded by the slender silvery bones of the fey—from
the corners of the eye, one sees the ghosts of restless elves. The tomb
itself is an open casket of white stone, in which an elf girl rests on a
LOCATIONS IN THE ELFLANDS
bed of white lilies, embroidered petticoat decorated with poignantly
CHANGELING HOUSE: When the fey steal human children, they placed cowrie shells. She could almost be sleeping but for her blue
bring them to locations such as this. Imprisoned in this sprawling lips and the flock of white butterflies that rest on her unmoving form.
mansion and surrounded by menacing woods, these kids are raised
by a cadre of hedgehog-like fey. The headmistress judges those fit
to be consorts for fey lords or lifelong drudges or merely troll food. THE LOOM
Children destined to be consorts treat their fellow orphans as less Take up the flying shuttle of skuld, and traverse the gaps between
than pets: cruelty is the main lesson taught here, and the students the warp and weft of Fate’s great tapestry. Step between moments
know that if their pretended smiles, laughter, and devotion aren’t of destiny and bathe in the still fires of potential realized and
convincing enough, they get traded to the bogeymen of the Children’s squandered. This is the realm of destiny, whether you call its agents
Table (see Shadow Planes & Pocket Worlds PDF). Norns, Fates, or Morae, and even the gods are bound by their power.

No matter whom you are—merchant or royal, peasant or deity— and empowered when cast in the Loom. Each divination effect
your fate is woven here. And sometimes a thread can be cut or re- also provides a +1 circumstance bonus to its caster’s AC while in
woven. effect (these bonuses stack).
Imagine a gigantic web and mechanical looms always clicking
• Limited Magic: Any effect that would irrevocably change or
and clacking busily away. Shifting mists occlude your vision, hiding
nullify a person’s destiny (at GM’s discretion) automatically
stones that float like unanchored moons in a dark void, connected
fails here unless the target’s personal thread of fate is used as
by strands of silky fiber of all diameters, extending in all directions.
the material component. Gods cannot manifest avatars or work
Trace the silk for an eternity and you’ll discover that every loom is
miracles within the Loom, except with the express permission of
connected to every other. Each thread is a spun destiny: the fate of
Fate.
an individual, a city, a planet, or a god.
Most inhabitants of the Loom seem to be faithful oracles of fate People come to the Loom for many reasons. Indeed, creatures mortal
who served its power in life although scattered here and there are and otherwise spend their lives trying to find it. Most are looking
famous individuals who denied or embraced their fate. Often they for a chance to reweave fate—save the life of a loved one, prevent a
serve as intermediaries between the Fates, godlike in power, and great tragedy or evil, or undo past mistakes, perhaps. Many petition
their visitors—or as examples for cautionary tales. the Fates, for without their sanction, the outcome of such quests is
The cloaked and always weaving Fates of the Loom sometimes always doomed. Others come for a glimpse of their future or past.
turn a blind eye to small scale intrusions, but significant meddling Ironically, many visitors return to try to undo actions taken or
brings down their ire—and in the Loom, they hold absolute power. knowledge gained on a previous trip.
Victims are typically polymorphed, plane shifted, twisted into The Loom connects to everywhere, in theory, encompassing the
infinite loops of repeating space-time, or simply snuffed out of fate of all times and places. Ways to enter the Loom, however, are
existence, never having been. few and far between. There are certain rare portals in the Ethereal
and obscure branches of the Shadow Roads, and legend says an
artifact known as Skuld’s Flying Shuttle and a place called the Fringe
PLANAR TRAITS can also get you there. Just one way is well known: in the roots of
Mist fills the Loom, limiting visibility to a 60-ft. radius. Despite the Yggdrasill, titanic silkworms, nourished on the flesh of dead gods,
clatter of moving shuttles that fills the air, everything seems muted. spin dweomersilk. This is the substance from which the tapestries
Sounds, smells, and tastes seem distant (−4 to Perception checks). of fate are woven. If you can find the silkworms you can follow their
The Loom also has the following traits: dweomersilk lines into the heart of the Loom itself—but you must
• Subjective Directional Gravity also avoid the seven-legged tesserachnids that harvest the silk.
Any method of course, only works if you are fated to make the
• Erratic Time: To mortals, the effects on time seem random, but journey.
all is organized by the will of Fate.
• Infinite Size CHALICE LAKE: In a misty vale where the clack of looms is muted
Cosmology
and strands rise up like distant mountains, there’s a lake—an actual

• Static Plane: Norns, Fates, and similar creatures of destiny lake. A long flat mere of steely water where no bird lands, no fish
can alter the plane at will, but even the gods cannot damage swims, no beast drinks. All is quiet here, and the air is as heavy as the
or change the Loom… unless the act is fated to occur. Mortals burdens that outsiders bring to the shore.
cannot interfere with or damage most of the looms and threads They come with artifacts of great power, children of chosen
without very powerful magic. prophecy, things too important and dangerous to keep within mortal
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Though it may contain high reach. All left at the water’s edge, awaiting the Ladies in White to
concentrations of Evil or Good, Law or Chaos in places. emerge, sodden as mourners’ cheeks, to accept the offerings. They
• Mildly Positive Dominant: Fate is all that is, was, and will be. take objects and people on which destiny hinges, keeping them in a
Creation is woven here. murky and muted realm where light barely shines. Over the centuries,
2
the sisters have performed their duties perfectly, and many a destiny
• Enhanced Magic: Spells of the divination school are extended
FATEFUL ADVENTURES A legend even in this realm of condensed destiny, many

After setting off some terrible chain of events, the party returns deny the existence of the Tapestry of Dead Gods. Stories tell of a
to the Loom to undo their actions. The Norns will allow it but at titanic loom, operated by a female cyclops of equal stature. The
a cost. Posing as agents of their patron deity and answering their tapestry she weaves is a kaleidoscopic image of dead deities and
own past selves’ divinations, the party must subtly steer their slaughtered primordials. It is said the woven gods will sometimes
former selves to avert instead of accidentally accelerate the end answer questions.
of the world. The Door Not Opened is a unique trap that haunts the
The thread of a world’s fate seems to have become knotted, Loom, shifting every time it’s encountered. It creates a duplicate
and the Fates seem not to have noticed. The gods sends the of any character that opens it. This alternate version is of a
PCs to petition the greatest weavers of the Loom to unravel the random different alignment and possessed of whatever other
mystery. Have they really not noticed? Can something impede differences the GM deems appropriate. While it’s not necessarily
their normally flawless perceptions, or was the plan to lure the hostile, Fate decrees that only one may exist. The duplicate
PCs here all along? insists, however, that it is the real one and opened the door.

was averted and an object kept safe. However, some in the sisterhood the plane may only have mild traits, and these tend to be more
have come to believe the order has protected nothing, rather stolen survivable and inhabited.
away the futures of many great heroes and locked away the weapons • Wild Magic and Erratic Magic
that might serve good best. Two sects have risen because of it, one
dedicated to the tradition of the sisterhood since its founding, the In the Far Beyond, you can see things considered impossible even in
Vivianes, and the other believing these burdens should only be the infinite planes: geometries that writhe like snakes, living spells
housed until which time they are most needed, the Nyneves. These and unique creatures both hideous and awe-inspiring. Proteans
sects, while maintaining serene and cordial exteriors, have become gather the souls of those who believed above all in unbridled chaos,
bitter rivals and conspire amidst the like-minded, preparing for the and hundun gather for the dance of creation. Formulae have a savage
day one of their wards or objects is needed on the surface. Then, predatory life of their own while algoriths descend and ascend like
perhaps, the end of the order, or the birth of two. Or an opportunity diving whales through oblique angles of space-time.
for evil to claim many a precious holding. Through it all, aeons fly, quietly intervening to maintain the elegant
dichotomies.
ONE IN THE WEB: Dangling in a portion of otherwise empty void
is a tangle of webs enwrapping a rogue seer who greatly offended the
Fates. Faint ruby light leaks from of the prisoner’s cocoon. The air RANDOM TERRAIN OF THE FAR
shimmers where reality itself has been wrapped into a binding. The BEYOND (ROLL 1D20)
One in the Web knows much, too much, about the secrets of fiends—
1. Non-Euclidean geometries abound (see PLANAR HAZARDS).
their histories and their future. Appease the giant, deadly spiders that
guard him, and they say he’ll answer a question in exchange for just 2. The area has Subjective or Objective Gravity (50/50 chance of
one of his binding threads being cut. either).
WHITE WELL: On a gigantic web-hung root that stretches up into 3. The thoughts of all living creatures become visible as floating
the void—a root of no less than Yggdrasill, the World Tree, they images, and inhabitants live within structures created by their own
say—lies the White Well. Here, the Norns hold court, Fates that judge dreams and fears. A DC 20 Will save is required to conceal your
the destiny of Northmen, in a white hall beside a well of milk-colored thoughts.
water occupied by two immortal swans. The milk of the White Well
preserves and nourishes the World Tree and blanches stark white 4. Time resets itself at critical moments. In 1d6 rounds into an
anyone who bathes in it. Valkyries are common callers, and Wotan encounter, time restarts from just before the encounter. Hit points
himself is said to come by on occasion. and other resources do not return, but everyone remembers what
happened last time
5. Time is tangled. The incorporeal shades of past and future events
THE FAR BEYOND overlay the present. Wise creatures may be able to glean clues
equivalent to augury or divination by sifting through the overlapping
2
Travel far enough from Midgard and the planes turn strange, even
images.
by the weirdest standards. Here, far from the material, concepts that
dominate the mortal mind are less powerful. It is the metaphysical 6. This is a juncture of real and unrealized realities. Every decision
Cosmology
that rules, here. The basic building blocks of creation are visible made creates a simulacrum of the decision-maker. The farther you
stark and naked in the air, but the physical, chemical, and biological move from the spot, the more incorporeal they become until they
laws of the mortal plane do not apply. This is where Law and Chaos fade away entirely.
dance their wildest, out of mortal sight and unconcerned with 7. As option 6, but the characters discover that they are simulacra.
mortal perceptions. This is where embryonic worlds are conceived 8. During combat or other stressful situations, there’s a 1-in-20 (or 5%)
before being birthed into the mortal realm. Things are not as set chance each round that a random spell or slot from an arcane caster
here; the normal rules don’t apply. Possibilities and unrealized discharges itself, becoming an intelligent living spell (of normal
realities lap against the actual, like drifting dreams. duration).
Few mortal creatures choose to wander the Far Beyond. 9. Next time a good or evil act is taken, an imp, cassisian angel, or
Fluctuating extremes of Order and Chaos are equally unsurvivable. other minor outsider of appropriate alignment claws its way out of
the character, causing damage equal to its maximum hit points.
PLANAR TRAITS 10. Every time you speak someone’s name, you exchange places via a
teleport-like effect.
Anything is possible in the Far Beyond, where Chaos and Order
mate and multiply. The terrain has countless pocket planes and 11. An entity of Law or Chaos attempts to possess you. You are subject
demiplanes, seas of Chaos and Law, and shards of worlds flowing to a magic jar effect, lasting 1d8 hours.
into one another. Most planes are either strongly chaotic or lawful, 12. All elements (and elementals) in the area shift every 1d6 minutes.
and some are somehow both. Most of them aren’t conducive to life, For example, fire becomes water, earth becomes air, and so on.
as mortals know it. Whenever a spell is cast with the appropriate type, it changes to a
• Erratic Gravity random other element.
• Erratic Time 13. Chance is almost completely absent from this pocket plane. For the
next 20 skill checks and attack rolls, roll 1d3 rather than d20:
• Highly Morphic or Static
1d3 Roll 1 2 3
• Strongly Law- or Chaos-Aligned: Every portion of the plane Effective result 1 10 20
may be either strongly Lawful or Chaotic. Some areas within

14. Time dilations shimmer across the terrain like a heat haze. Every ECHOES OF WHIMSY: This planar maelstrom becomes more
round, characters are either hasted or slowed (50% chance of either), random and chaotic the closer one goes towards its center, for a great
until the start of the next round. artifact of Chaos serves as the plane’s axis mundi. Only proteans and
hundun can survive far in from the edge; what they’re doing and
15. All creatures radiate an aura that reveals their emotions and
what the artifact may be is unknown, but inevitables and algoriths
alignment.
are gathering at the edge… as if readying to invade. Peering out from
16. Reality is fragile but protects itself. Creatures or objects damaged for their floating geometric fortresses, the forces of Order are suspicious
more than 20% of their hit point total are shunted into a semi-real of the number of aeons that also seem to be showing an interest in
dimension (becoming incorporeal) for 1d10 minutes. If they take the place.
more than 20% of their hit points while incorporeal, they vanish
from the multiverse entirely, and a wish is required to get them back. EDGE OF ANNIHILATION: They speak of an unknown cataclysm
17. Pocket Mirror Universe. All creatures except the PCs are the on the far fringes of the multiverse, a wavefront of destruction. Still
opposite of their normal alignment. (Celestials are Evil, demons are expanding after eons, swallowing up countless realms and plane-
Lawful Good, and so on.) shards. No one knows who caused it or what has been lost to it,
as everything consumed disappears entirely from Creation—even
18. The terrain consists of flying chunks of ruins and natural terrain, memories and written records go blank. Even infinity may one day
torn from their home planes and connected by a series of tesseracts be engulfed.
(see PLANAR TERRAIN)
19. This area was formerly part of another plane and retains that plane’s ENGINE OF CREATION: This massive machine is the size of a
traits and general appearance. moon. Continent sized sections lie dark, while other areas are a whir
of activity with mechanisms the size of cities always moving. Legend
20. This area is a null point, where all energies cancel out. The whole area
has it that this is the machine that first began to turn primal chaos
is grey and lifeless. Outsiders gain 1 temporary negative level/hour
into stable planar matter. The Champions of Chaos certainly hate
if they stay here, eventually fading away to nothing. Abstraction is a
common affliction (see PLANAR HAZARDS). it. The creatures of the lawful planes gather to protect it although
the machine itself also spawns Inevitable-like mechanical beings to
defend itself.
LOCATIONS IN THE FAR
BEYOND
THE SEA OF HALAK’YAM
Travelers and traders come from far and wide to harvest the strange
flotsam that washes up on the shores where order meets wild Halak’Yam is one of the great oceans of the Far Beyond, lit
possibility. by a silver glyph-like sun of Law that shines Order onto the
waters. There are ice-castles constructed according to fantastic
Cosmology
BATTLEFIELD BOTH PRISON AND PARADISE: The ichor- mathematical algorithms, inhabited by creatures of cold
soaked soil is littered with clockwork and corpses. The air aquatic logic, while the depths beyond the light are inhabited
reverberates with echoes as Cacophony wrestles with Harmony. by the tentacled spawn of Tiamat, in coral cities twisted with
Titans of living equations sweep through hordes of scurrying wet strange geometries and alien symmetries.
polyps. The sky is divided; a bright blue wave, where refracted The surface is ordered, a place where ice shifts into
sunlight reveals incorporeal ki’rin, crashes against a night sky in crystalline patterns and harmonized symphonic wind creates
which the stars are glowing spots on swarming ichthyic horrors. On runes in flurries of snow—a song to the inherent Order of
one horizon are the whirring, smoking orchestra-factories of Order weather and fluid mathematics. Even the cracking and shifting
while the other holds the promise of flashing thunderheads and of ice floes have a regular, musical quality.
glaciers of churning flesh. The euphotic zone, where light shines through the ice,
2
Watching the conflict with expressions of utter serenity are is populated by orderly kingdoms living mostly in harmony,
adolescents of silver light who dangle from a host of argent, phantom but without the precise regulation of the surface. Their heroes
chains. These are the Children in Chains, aeons that once dared engage in chaoskampf against the monsters of the depths.
interfere with the Fractal Dance. For all the miraculous chemicals The twilight region of the disphotic zone is balanced. When
staining the fields and all the glyph armories and the scattered Ka-Ishah, the Argent Dolphin, slew the gigantic vampire squid
remnants of the glaciers’ forced miscarriages, every promise of Haorn in these waters, the body became a thousand glowing
power or fortune is tainted by the their perpetual imprisonment. sea anemones. Within this luminous field, a great pleroma
The plane, a warden to its own confines, scours the clashes of Order aeon floats; its exact purpose is unclear but its abode offers
and Chaos to create beasts like clockwork proteans, which eliminate sanctuary to divers and traders.
anyone who might release the children. The deeper you descend, the more Chaos dominates: the
wilder and more improbable the dream creatures, the more
CREATURE CITIES: Moving majestically through the primal unreal and defying of natural law, survivors of the killing fields
sea are shoals of creatures so large as to defy categorization. Their of nightmare-spawn. At the very bottom, primordial chaos
bodies are big enough to have their own gravity and atmosphere, spews from the trenches, and the muck is inhabited by covens
and support their own ecosystems. Resembling miles-long rays, they of flatworm hags and paradox spirits and shoals of irrational
glide safely and effortlessly through the raw soup of Beyond, entire numbers. In the deepest reaches, a restless leviathan slumbers,
cities constructed on and in their skin. dreams manifesting from vents on its back and becoming
more and more real as they bubble toward the surface.

GLYPH SKATERS’ RINK: Upon an otherwise featureless plain
of glass beneath a milky white sky, strange, angular creatures slide
across the surface, leaving fiery, prismatic tracks behind their skate- THE SEVEN VIRTUES
like feet. Some say the silent skaters are writing the entire history The Virtues are philosophical kingdoms. Each is distinct, but
of the multiverse in their swirling sigils while others say it’s a giant also a part of the greater whole, just as each virtue is a part of
magical glyph that when completed will bring the entire multiverse the goodness of Heaven:
into perfect order.
Diligence rings the outer edge of Heaven, watchful and
LIBRARY OF THE IMENTESHES: A massive gemstone floating wary. Its guardians form the Wall of Blinding Spears, a living
in a crackling storm cloud, the titanic jewel continually alters its hue barrier of celestial might. It is the home of zealousness and
and facets—a fractal structure whose spiraling corridors tremble carefulness in one’s actions, a decisive work ethic, and sense
like breath on water and in whose mineral depths swim schools of of simple satisfaction in a job well done. Here, the Heavens
living symbology, from mathematical notations to musical notes and come to craft and trade, to host visitors and diplomats, and to
magical glyphs. Imentesh proteans have given it a life of its own— muster for battle.
an ecosystem of mythologies, deepening the consciousness of the
“Library Jewel” and all who risk madness to share their mind with it. Humility welcomes new arrivals to Heaven. Here, there are
countless reunions as friends and family await loved ones,
ONSLAUGHT: A rapine engine of clawing, twisted steel, bone, and and unfinished business, like lingering mortal feelings, is
unidentifiable flesh, the massive Onslaught grinds through planes worked through and expunged in the name of greater and
and worlds seemingly at random howling like a thousand banshees. purer goodness. This part of Heaven is most like the mortal
Built by creatures of madness from beyond the planes, its “design” world, albeit brighter and more beautiful than anything on
is a mind-bending maze of grinding gears without pattern or logic. the Material Plane.
Orcus himself once conquered it but soon abandoned the machine—
Courage embraces boldness, moral wholesomeness, and
now refusing to speak of the matter.
purity of thought. Famed for its tourney fields, this is the
afterlife of a thousand proud knightly orders and Heaven’s
POTENTIAL WILDS: The creatures exist not as singular entities
but as a collection of possibilities that have evolved in a place of greatest philosophers and inquisitors. Here, Heaven’s many
shifting realities. As such, you’ll find cats that shift between crystal, armies train.
flying, and upright forms chasing birds that move between their Temperance is home to those who teach self-control,
hummingbird, raptor, and shadow-stuff bodies in a jungle whose abstention, and moderation: the monks and oracles of
trees are blood drinkers, wise oaks, and flirtatious dryads all at once. Heaven and those who embrace a solitary path. You can find
a surprising number of troubled souls in meditation here.
SHORE OF THE SKETCH-SMITHS: On an ever-darkened beach Many celestials in danger of falling find solace in the quietly
2
of white and rose quartz sand, where tides of primordial waters lap at
serene mountains, and you can find many angel faces hidden
the shore, tall spindly creatures armored in mahogany brown chitin
in its caves and glades.
trace out pictures of weapons, gears, and other mechanical parts.
Cosmology
The churning storm above continually strobes with lightning. Bolts Generosity embodies nobility of thought and action. It is
rain down and transform pictures into life. These fulgurite products known as Heaven’s Tabernacle, for here, mighty relics and
command high prices. miracles both glorious and terrible are crafted by celestial
smiths for mortal and immortal use.
STRIDING MOUNTAINS: Prowling the shores of the chaos sea,
the Striding Mountains move with ponderous grace on impossible Peace features the Parliament of Heaven, court of the ruling
spindly legs. Like some titanic herd, they travel the planar wilderness archangels, and liaisons from celestials in divine hierarchies
in languid strides, unconcerned to what’s crushed beneath their and conceptual planes across the cosmos. It teaches
colossal feet. The inhabitants have adapted: clutchtrees grasp one forbearance and endurance through moderation, the skills to
another for support against the sway, magnetic boulders cling to the resolve conflict peacefully, and the triumph of Goodness over
juddering surface. Flying creatures of all kinds swoop down from the violence.
mountain to hunt in the lands below while land-bound scavengers Kindness is home to charity, compassion, friendship, and
trail in their wake to pick their footsteps clean of victims. The contentment. It is filled with restful places—a vacation
mountains themselves seem barely sentient, communicating only by
earned by those who lived troubled lives and a place of respite
earthquakes and mountain-wide moans.
(including sanitariums and infirmaries) for warrior spirits
returning from the war with Hell.
THE SEVEN HEAVENS
Heaven is beauty. Heaven is Just. It’s restful balm and solace for the
soul. It’s where Celestials of all alignments live in (relative) harmony promote the seven virtues and draw the conceptual planes into their
and uphold the word of Good. It’s the final reward for souls that lived embrace for the final victory. A council of archangels leads the war
a benevolent life, from beggars to kings. It’s a perfect picture of what effort: Currently its chairwoman is Adriel, Archangel of Hope (see
the world would be if evil did not exist. Kobold Quarterly #4), who has charged her generals with reigniting
It’s also at war. Celestials of all kinds come to join forces (and the hope for final triumph over evil, in both the mortal mind and the
occasionally strike out on their own) against the forces of evil and, hearts of Heaven’s more cynical champions.
perhaps more importantly, discuss (never say plot in Heaven) how to

PLANAR TRAITS MONASTERY OF CLEANSING AND COLLECTION: From an
infinite height, a massive cataract of holy water falls from a heavenly
Heaven is varied but always beautiful. Portions may have unique mountain into the valley below. In the midst of the cascade is a
traits, but the following is always true: monastery, in the eastern style, run by celestials concerned with
• Alignment-based Gravity: Evil creatures and Good creatures in wealth and economics. The sacred flow continually refreshes the
need of atonement treat Heaven as a heavy gravity plane. Neutral souls of those who labor here and cleanses the treasure acquired
creatures treat it as normal gravity. Creatures of Good alignment from Evil hands.
experience Heaven as a light gravity plane. Exceptional Good Bought souls pass into this place, but they are always released
mortals (for example, paladins) and Good-aligned outsiders although those who sold their immortality for power, beauty,
also gain the benefit of permanent feather fall and jump effects revenge, or some other short-sighted goal are made to work off their
whenever they’re in Heaven. debt first. Those who sold their souls to save another are honored
and occasionally asked to join the ranks of those who dwell here.
• Infinite Size: Traveling between different areas of Heaven is
about aligning your goodness to the location’s specific flavor,
ORCHARDS OF BLOSSOMING INNOCENCE: A great orchard
rather than physical distance.
where the trees have grown in a slightly disordered environment—as
• Strongly Good-Aligned. Certain locations may favor a Chaotic, if it was slowly becoming a wild forest over time. Most inhabitants
Lawful, or Neutral approach to goodness (and the natives of this joyous place are children; they grow like fruit on the boughs,
certainly do), but Goodness unites all. live as carefree youths for decades, and finally experience a hasty
• Enhanced Magic: All magic with the Good descriptor is ripening that makes them first elderly caregivers, then new trees.
enhanced.
REQUIEMS: Your local tavern, your favorite fishing hole, your
• Limited Magic: Spells with the Evil descriptor simply do not wedding day, that moment beside a crackling fire when you held
function in Heaven. Failed attempts to cast such magic are your daughter for the first time… Heaven is filled with very personal
obvious (that is, flickering darkness, smoke, and vile stenches), demiplanes, planes-within-a-plane that contains the pleasant
and it results in swift and overwhelming retribution. dreams and memories of good beings.
• Sustaining: Good creatures do not hunger or thirst while in Most “requiems” exist in the kingdom of Humility, where
Heaven although many creatures still enjoy (in fact, relish) the newly arrived souls can enjoy the rewards and reminiscence of their
excellent food and drink available. lives before moving on. They allow good’s animuses to enjoy their
personal view of Heaven as well as the sometimes-overwhelming
The Seven Heavens are named for the cardinal virtues, the original majesty of greater Heaven. They are private places, accessed via
ideals of goodness that merged to form Heaven and the function of a gate that activates when the appropriate memories are invoked.
the archangels whose coalition formed the first council. Many more Friends and lovers may find their requiems’ touch.
concepts have since been subsumed, and work continues to bring
Cosmology
new planes into the fold. Despite a reputation for peace, Heaven SACRARIUM: A cathedral of many great halls and grand chambers
contains many tourney fields where matters of honor are settled and where the words and deeds of ancient heroes, legendary kings,
new tactics tested, vaults and armories of fearsome weapons that the honorable generals, and peace’s most compelling orators are
archangels hold back from using (at least for now), and even prisons. remembered forever. Demigods and heroes come here to reflect on
Beyond the seven kingdoms of virtue, Heaven has marcher states the legacy of good that has come before them. Marble statues line
and wild places aligned to other concepts that the archangels hope to the walks, emblems and artifacts are kept on display, each a source
one day bring into the fold. of inspiration and reverence. And an armory in times of dire need.
ALMOST HEAVEN: This misty shantytown stands (just barely) TOWERS OF PERSUASION: The Towers of Persuasion rise from
within sight of Heaven’s gates. It sprang up when several thousand a plain of frozen holy water. The ice glows with a soft azure light,
2
unworthy mortals attempted to barter their way in—lightly damned chilling the bones of evil even if it’s normally immune to such things.
and middling, purgatorial souls. A fallen archangel and a risen devil An ice devil could die of frostbite here.
run things. They retain enough power to enforce two rules: everyone’s In the adamantine Towers of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, veteran
welcome and no fighting. liaisons to the mortal plane teach their heavenly brethren how to
An inn of the same name stands at the heart of Almost Heaven. guide souls toward the Good. More than just a school, the Towers
Regulars range from penniless squatters to legendary heroes, are filled with scrying mirrors and dream diving pools that allow for
sympathetic elementals and tight-lipped Psychomachia agents to the close study of mortal subjects. Each tower is also a laboratory
roguishly charming eldritch abominations and lovelorn trolls. and forge for magical items based around its particular form of
persuasion. Even taking one tower would be a great victory for the
FIRES OF TRUST AND BINDING: Ashen lands of celestial flame fiends.
littered with charred bones, the celestials use the fires here to root out
spies and test the veracity of potential but suspicious allies. TOWER OF THE FEATHERED DAGGER: In cavernous depths
Oaths sworn within the fires are enforced by heavenly flame. lined with glowing gold and silver, passageways twist and alter, laced
Each fire tests different claims: such as, promises to not betray, with spells of confusion and sleep and prowled by celestial wolves
sworn loves or sworn enmity, loyalty to an ideal such as Freedom, and drakes. Evil must not learn the location of this marble tower,
repentance. Each fire was started by the willing martyrdom of one lit by a thousand floating candles, for it is filled with precious gates
or more people whose life reflected the test their flame conducts. The and some of the greatest armories, spell libraries, and alchemist
flames are kept alive by new martyrs—some sit serenely as they turn laboratories of the planes. This is the place from which Good outfits
to ash, others scream in pain but do not ask for reprieve. and sends off its spies and assassins.

THE ELEVEN HELLS • Limited Magic: Spells with the Good descriptor are impeded.
Sometimes, it’s a theocracy where evil is the faith. Sometimes, it’s • Flowing Time: For every day in the mortal plane, ten days pass
a police state full of corrupt corporate executives or a dictatorship in Hell, allowing ample time for torture and schemes.
born of one man’s tyrannical desires. Hell is many things, all bad. • Special: Creatures hunger or thirst normally while in Hell but
Where Heaven is many voices raised in unison for the greater good, cannot actually perish from either. Victims become disabled at
Hell is a cacophony of selfishness and mutual hate. Lawful and worst.
Chaotic fiends and numerous wicked philosophies all compete to
dominate the concept of Evil. Hells chief device of torture (and most common terrain) is the
purgatory—carefully crafted, sealed off portions of hellspace where
Of course, to be united by hatred makes for a fragile alliance. prisoners are constantly provoked or reminded of their sins and
Politics in the Hells has been likened to a ball of rabid snakes, which their wickedness is harvested again and again, until all that’s left
occasionally unite to bite outside threats. The eleven most powerful are quivering soul scraps. Some purgatories are as small as a single
and famous realms are locked in stalemate, endlessly seeking control room, where victims can find respite from torture only by becoming
or destruction of their rivals while pursuing their own interests and torturers themselves. Others are the size of castles or kingdoms,
the war of souls. Everyone conspires against everyone else, and as where like-minded sinners are imprisoned together and encouraged
soon as a leader overreaches or shows signs of weakness, alliances to find ways to plan fruitless escape attempts or find ways to abuse
disintegrate and subordinates rebel. the system at the expense of their fellow inmates. Some purgatories
are temporary punishments, burning off the sins of an animus before
it’s released to its true afterlife. Some are even maintained by devils
Nine of the eleven darkest lords of Hell are infamous, who genuinely believe they are doing good work by purifying souls
pridefully casting their names across the multiverse, as if of their god or pantheon.
daring mortals to invoke them. Each lays claim to a concept Selfishness is one of the most common traits of evil, however, so
or particular flavor of evil that’s long been associated with there are plenty of places between the purgatories and the palaces
of the lords of Hell where devils, daemons, and demons—and
Hell and plot ceaselessly to ascend to the unholy throne of all
even condemned souls—can go to shirk their responsibilities, be
Evil. They names follow:
entertained, or avoid their duties for the meager price of a handful
Akyishigal, Demon Prince of Filth of soul-stuff. Superficially, they almost look civilized. There are drug
Arbeyach, Prince of Swarms dens and lusty pleasure barges on the Styx, sweatshops churning out
evil artifacts, and auctions where prized mortals, infernal contracts,
Asmodeus, Lord of Witches and Wizards and living sins can be bought or sold. The dark corners of the mortal
Belphegor, Archdevil of Sloth plane are bad enough, but in Hell, they are unspeakable.
Jezebel, Princess of Poison Winters
2
Mammon, Arch-demon of Greed
Locations in Hell
Mordiggian, God of Death and Hunger
ACADEMY OF THE SCALPEL: Demons come here to learn the
Cosmology
Orcus, Demon God of the Undead art of torture, and for most, this also means learning patience. The
Titivullus, Patron of Scribes school forces demons to ravage at the proper pace, to not only
Beyond the eleven Hells are countless lesser kingdoms. extract information from prisoners but to control their own desire
to inflict pain and horror. This place is a feast hall and shrine as well
The remaining Hells are wastelands or contested regions,
as a school. The headmistress is Lady Amarant, a pale and entirely
ruled by coalitions of minor fiends or cabals who strive to
hairless succubus who maintains the appearance of a cheerful, lanky
keep their identities secret: an excellent opportunity to stage
teenage girl wearing the white robes of a penitent nun.
civil wars and political intrigue, or to populate with monsters
and NPCs of the GM’s own diabolical creation. BETRAYAL OF HEZROT THAICH: Four huge, segmented, and
For the tortured souls condemned there of course, who’s many-spined towers top massive wheels that float in blackness,
in charge rarely matters. Whatever alignment a particular orbiting a central spire that blazes with fell incandescence. When the
place of Hell may have, it is a grim marvel of efficiency for the spines of a tower brush against the central spindle, energy courses
cultivation of misery and sin and for harvesting it. into its tower. When two towers brush, the outpouring is greater;
when all four are in contact with the central spindle, the machinery
of betrayal is dazzling to behold. Each of the towers is thousands of
PLANAR TRAITS feet high, inhabitants growing more powerful and paranoid as you
progress upward.
Hell’s purgatories often have unique traits, but the following is true Hezrot Thaich’s great demonic machine was created to develop,
everywhere in Hell: encourage, and draw power from betrayal—when the four towers
• Infinite Size: Hell is infinite in size although specific realms conjoin, whoever has true mastery of its central spindle receives
may be finite or self-contained. Traveling between its layers a massive influx of conceptual energy, becoming a literal god of
and various domains is about embracing or committing their betrayal. So far, no demon as survived long enough to enjoy its
associated sins, not physical distance. supposed powers... or perhaps that promise is just another betrayal.
• Strongly Evil-Aligned: Hell champions Evil in all its forms.
COURT OF GLEAMING ARDOR: In his insatiable lust for wealth,
• Enhanced Magic: All magic with the Evil descriptor is enhanced. Mammon has thrown open the gates of his Hell to travelers from

every plane. He welcomes visitors to a city, where the streets are it’s also sometimes beautiful: home of fey feasts beneath the stars and
paved with gold (and copper, silver, orichalcum, and other metals): night’s cloak of protection that wraps deeds both good and ill.
a maze of high tenements and gilded alleys, surrounded by hungry Tunnels burrow through here like worms, connecting the
slums and starving shantytowns, markets, suks and zócalos, bank Elflands with the mortal realm. The darkest of fey also dwell in its
vaults, bars, and casinos. Narrow streets intertwine endlessly, darkness here; some like the dark, others are drawn here to drown in
crowded by panhandlers, touts, and temporary stalls. From his fat tragedy and sorrow when their hearts are broken.
palace at its heart, the Devil Lord hosts auctions of stolen souls and
artifacts—and worse things that even the marketplace won’t touch.
PLANAR TRAITS
DESECRARIUM: Even angels can be made to weep by fiendish The Shadow has the following traits:
torture, but sometimes, a stubborn saint, greater celestial, or proud • Coexistent with the Material Plane and the Elflands
hero proves unnaturally resilient. For them there’s a special horror:
the Desecrarium, where Carnivean, surgeon-general of Hell and • Timeless: Those traveling the Shadow feel hunger, fatigue,
his creatures of pain and woe practice methods of mutilation and and thirst but do not age or actually starve (remaining merely
anguish so heinous it leaves the victims with a wound upon their disabled). Old wounds linger and resurface here. There is no
very soul, a wound that festers and eventually envelops them entirely. natural healing in the Shadow.
• Infinite Size: The Shadow is a shifting morass of memories and
FLOWER GARDEN OF THE DAMNED: A Hell that seeks to claim tenebrous remnants.
the compromised and the unwittingly deceived, the Flower Garden
is filled with giant, sweet-smelling flowers on whose petals tiny • Highly Morphic: Shadow locales bleed into one another,
naked souls have been crucified. Butterfly demons with razor sharp shifting and changing as fresh shadows drive older ones into the
legs cut at the souls and slake their thirst on the damned. Oftentimes, amorphous dark. Certain spells can also modify the Shadow.
their thirst makes them inebriated, and they flagellate each other Powerful creatures such as fey lords can mostly stabilize their
with their proboscises, licking off any blood they can to increase the domains, creating effective landmarks, but even these shift and
high from their fix. have their own uncontrolled eddies and spirals.
Outside the Garden, these insectile fiends walk in the guise of • Sentient: The Shadow isn’t actually sapient but is a gestalt of
men and conduct themselves with whispered grace. Only in their emotions and memories that feels incomplete and hungry for
own home do they release themselves from composure. The butterfly more. It provokes memories in those who travel there, sometimes
fiends are wary whenever other denizens of the Hells are around. creating shadow creatures and locations from visitors’ minds.
They know they’re a two-bit operation that doesn’t have the muscle
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: The Shadow steals from each and
to compete with major Devil Lords. Best to stay unnoticed.
every plane, regardless of alignment. Empowered by wicked
deeds or reflecting repressed memories, some locations may be
HYPOCRISY, THE SUBTLEST HELL: Many who find themselves
Cosmology
mildly evil-aligned.
here don’t recognize it as Hell. The soft landscape and serenity covers
its cruel truth. As you spend time there, misfortunes plague you • Changed Magic: Because it’s built partially from memories,
and comfort seems impossible to attain due to small, “innocent” spells that affect them can have profound effects when cast in the
events. Soon visitors begin to understand their miserable fate, as Shadow (see sidebar).
sleepless nights and tiny losses accumulate into an agony of existence • Enhanced Magic: Spells with the shadow descriptor and
surrounded by the promise of peace never achieved. magic that affects memory are enhanced. Spells, like shadow
An astral deva known as Arlecchinos claims to oversee justice conjuration and shadow evocation, are always 10% more
and peace in this land and to be no fallen celestial. All her actions powerful than normal.
seem virtuous but tend to result in self-serving and oppressive
results. It remains impossible for anyone to point to clear evidence • Impeded Magic: Spells with the Light descriptor, or that
2
of any misdeed. No one knows for sure whether she even realizes the primarily use or generate light or fire are impeded.
truth; she may be genuinely blind to the fact that she is doing more • Limited Magic: All illumination (both magical and mundane)
harm than good. has its range/area of effect halved in the Shadow, as do spells and
abilities primary composed of light or fire.
PETAL-FLOORED CIRCUS: The floor is densely packed rose petals.
The audience is fiends and depraved mortals. The performances are The Shadow is perpetually dimly lit. Sometimes it’s as bright as the
degrading, put on by succubae and the enslaved souls of pimps and full moon, at other times as dark as the fearful space beneath a child’s
adulterers. Ringmistress Tessanae is skilled at convincing exemplars bed, but never quite pitch black. It seems to be hiding from the light
of non-Hellish domains to attend her red silken tents. Many lusty, of the Creation, crouching beneath the material world.
curious, and amoral fey have recently fallen into her influence.
BLACK OAKS: Gloom and Gloam rule the black oaks, whose paths
are used by shamans and dreamwalkers. There are mansions dark
THE SHADOW REALM and terrible, surrounded by vast self-aware oak trees of terrible
countenance. Wraiths and phantoms, still wearing the visages of
If Midgard and the Elflands are two sides of the same coin, then the
fallen magicians, walk narrow paths to smaller cottages surrounding
Shadow Realm is the darkness between. The place where memories,
the silver-lit mansion of an unnamed archwizard.
dark thoughts, and dark dreams fall away—or scurry off to hide. The
Shadow is an afterlife for things that were never alive: memories and
CITY OF WHISPERING SHADOWS: Looming out of a cold dry
regrets, and everything that’s feared on dark and stormy nights. But
desert, Whispering Shadows is quiet and pristine. No life has touched

its sprawling streets in thousands of years. Yet something survives Among the thousands of spinning panes of glass, you can find caught
within. Walking through the streets, one finds it littered not with reflections of distant vistas and watch as their tableaux unfolds in
corpses but with shadows burned into the ground. Scratches on the alternate dimensions. Watch too long and one’s own past might
walls warn travelers of “the shining beast with wings of blinding sun be replaced with the alternate past, or you might become warped,
and frigid moonlight.” From the alleyways, a melodic voice whispers resembling the alternate self while the only memory of your original
promises, offering gifts and pleading for companionship: “Please, spins away into the void.
I’m so alone. Please don’t leave me. Don’t dare leave me.”
HALLS OF THE MISSING ONES: Lost children, absentee parents, THE UNDERWORLD
slave-taken lovers and enemies in hiding—they all have their This is the abode of Death, the place to which departed souls are
phantom echoes here, walking the winding hieroglyph-marked drawn and from which ghosts and other undead return to plague
passageways of this ruined edifice. Despite the phantoms, those the living. It’s the staging post of souls, the tavern on the road to the
who visit this place can glean useful auguries from the erratic dream dark and yawning void at the end of all Creation. It’s the easiest of
figments of those they are seeking. all Outer Planes to reach. Anyone can do it: all it takes is an inch of
steel, a slip and fall, or the ravages of winter or disease. Of course, it’s
LIVING CONSTELLATIONS: There’s an empty black grass usually a one-way trip.
plain where you can look up at a vast field of stars, constellations What mortals call the “ethereal plane” is actually the misty
imagined by all the cultures of the world. In this ever-dark sky, borderlands of the Underworld, the fog road connecting Midgard to
they form gigantic creatures, living points of silvery fire shaped for the land of the dead, providing ingress for departed souls and a way
their namesakes in the mortal world. Supplicants can question the for the undead to sometimes claw their way back.
Centaur, the Crab, or the Belted Hunter and hear the wisdom of the
Great Bear or the chill logic of the pole star. PLANAR TRAITS
• Infinite Size: There’s infinite space for souls in the Underworld.
MNEMOSYNE SWAMPS: Formed from the rotting carcass of an
Paradoxically however, the Underworld does appear to have at
unknown primordial being, the swamplands are sticky wet jungle
least one edge (see below).
and mangroves. Illumination coming only from flares of burning
swamp gas and patches of foxfire fungi. The swamplands connect • Coterminous: It’s possible to pass into the Underworld
to the memories of varied beings. You can find various memories physically from Midgard by crossing the River Styx (usually
wandering the swamp, believing they are real and entrapped. If you deep below ground), and it can also be reached via the Ethereal
dive beneath the waters, you can enter the past, though it truly exists Mists. Certain parts of the Underworld are coterminous with the
only in your mind. Negative Energy Plane.
• Divinely Morphic: Deities and powerful pyschopomps can alter
SABLE COURT OF THE SHADOW FEY: Some fey choose to
2
the plane at will, creating new connections to various afterlives.
live in the Shadow: exiles and monsters and those who delight in
darkness—both those who love dancing under the starry sky and • Strongly Neutral-Aligned: Outsiders of all alignments regularly
those who revel in the blackness of the mortal heart. They are ruled come to the Underworld to collect souls, but all find their beliefs
Cosmology
by Sarastra, Queen of Night and Magic, and her husband and lover- scoffed at by death’s servants.
enemy, the Moonlit King. Power shifts between the two courts of • Altered Magic: Spells that manipulate or create positive energy
the shadow fey, but each is equally filled with illusions, intrigue, and have side effects when used in the Underworld (see sidebar).
danger (for more the black fey and their rulers, see COURTS OF
THE SHADOW FEY). • Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the death
descriptor, magic that uses negative energy, and spells from
TUMBLING MIRRORS: Said to be located “behind the moon,” domains such as Death or Repose are enhanced.
there rests a cloud of shining mirror glass, as hard as adamantine.
The Underworld is a point of call for all deceased souls but final
destination for only a few. Souls are inexorably drawn here from
Because it’s formed partly from memories, spells that affect the mortal world where they must linger in bleak afterlife until
the mind can be used in new and potent ways if cast while on claimed by Heaven, Hell, or some other power. Transient souls loiter
the Shadow. Use the following examples as a guide: in endless spiraling lines, awaiting judgment. Inevitably, some are
lured away, making their way back to the mortal realm as ghosts or
• Memory lapse acts as hold person on native creatures
into the moribund economy of the Grey Lands. Others fall between
• Modify memory can be used to give a shadow creature a the cracks, finding themselves in a spiritual no-man’s land—neither
new form, as if by baleful polymorph or polymorph. drawn to nor desired by any plane. And some souls of course, are
sure that judgment is best delayed indefinitely.
• Memory net allows the caster to put a shadow inside
A portion of the dead are claimed by the gods of the Underworld
another creature, as if by magic jar.
as subjects, especially those who, knowingly or not, served (or
• You can instill an appropriate memory into a shadow cheated) Death during their lives. Other souls linger, hoping for a
conjuration at the time of casting with a Concentration chance to escape back into the living world or some pleasant afterlife
check (DC 15 + level of the spell), which raises the DC they’re otherwise denied, dodging the angels of death and bounty
to disbelieve it by 2. If you roll a 1 on the concentration hunters employed by both Heaven and Hell. Those who greatly anger
check, however, you lose the memory from your own Death are also likely to find a place ready and waiting for them. The
mind.

chill venom, to the white marble colonnades where Hades’ angels
sit in judgment. You can find the Scales of Mayet where souls are
Vim Flare weighed against a divine feather and eastern realms where red-robed
Whenever you cast a spell that creates or manipulates life Yama Kings assign reincarnations as reward or punishment. The
force (most notably cure spells), the positive energy reacts multitudinous courts of the Underworld are comparatively bright
with the moribund aura of the Underworld and Negative points in an otherwise barren plane: cities and palaces of death gods,
Energy Plane. The result is a flare of white light, which attracts thronged with devils and angels, divine proxies and agents of obscure
dead souls and undead like moths to a flame and is regarded conceptual planes, all competing to secure souls for their home.
as unspeakably vile by negative energy creatures. These “vim
GREY HINTERLANDS: Travel out from the busy chokepoints
flares” emanate from the spell’s caster and normally die away
of the soul trade, you’ll find yourself beyond the domain of any
within 1 round.
pantheon: the Grey Hinterlands, border and badlands of the afterlife.
The flare’s intensity increases with the level of spell used:
This is the home to ghosts looking for a way back to the mortal plane
SPELL LEVEL INTENSITY and to the renegade souls of outlaws and rogues.
Travel far enough and eventually the mist gets so thick you can
0 As candle
walk on it, and the ground fades entirely away. This is the Ethereal
1–3 As torch (20 ft.) Plane. The border of Death’s domain is technically open, but the
hinterlands are patrolled by creatures on the lookout for wayward
4–6 As daylight (60 ft.)
souls: roving minions of the death gods, packs of hungry ghouls,
7–9 As sunburst (80 ft.) soul-enslaving devourers, liches, night hags, and devilish slavers.
Creatures vulnerable to bright light suffer the normal penalty Few would-be escapees make it to the mists or Styx.
when within the radius of a flare of 4–6th level. All creatures
HORIZONLESS GRAVEYARD: This is a nexus point connecting
within a flare created by a 7th-level or greater spell are dazzled
every place where the dead have been laid to rest. Crematoriums and
for 1d3 rounds (those with light sensitivity are blinded for
burial grounds mark the spaces between mountains whose insides
1d3 rounds instead).
are filled with crypts and whose outsides clatter with the bones of sky
burials. Corpse roads thread the lands of this place alongside corpse-
congested rivers and seas filled with the burnt remnants of Viking
Underworld is the first and most secure of all prisons. funeral ships. The air is saturated with the sound of weeping; a gray
The land is grey and bleak with veins of evanescent ethereal mist cloud cover cries salted rain; and the wind carries countless dirges
in otherwise eternal night. Hungry darkness lurks all around, but the and eulogies on its back. Here and there are the oases, the places
Underworld is usually more melancholy than wicked. The darkness born from those cultures that celebrate death as a moment of release
claws away memories and regrets (eventually feeding them into the or opportunity for growth in the spiritual world.
Cosmology
Shadow Plane) while interlopers find their life energies leached away
by the Negative Energy Plane, which lies even further below. OUBLIETTES: In the Grey Hinterlands, you can find vast and
The Underworld exists beneath Midgard, both literally and windowless keeps: prisons where the worst of Creation are
metaphorically. There’s always stone above although the roof may entombed. Terrible monsters, barely controllable engines of death,
be so high it’s barely visible. Sometimes the ceiling is carved in primordials, and fallen gods are restrained in doorless towers made
staring faces or baroque inverted towers or one of the rivers of the from the unbreakable alloy of dead stars. There’s a cave awaiting
Underworld drips down a deadly rain of hate, fire, or forgetfulness. Loki here, and many giants and titans of old lay chained in anguish.
Darkness and mist are the only constants. Mortals too can be found laboring here on eternal and impossible
Those who remain too long in the Underworld are often little tasks, denied even the finality of Hell or the chance to earn a place
more than husks, dead and living alike. The shades of great men among its devils. Death reserves these tortures for those who sought
2
and women wander despondently among lesser spirits, who flutter to overthrow its dominion or evade their end.
like mindless moths. Most souls residing here perform their duties
mechanically, almost mindlessly, laboring endlessly on work that UNDERWORLD CAVES: Liches hide their names in these caves.
echoes their station in life with personalities washed away. It’s far They inter them in a honeycomb of trapped alcoves and passageways,
from pleasant but also far from Hell. dark and secret nooks warded by all the cunning spells they can
devise and by the roving patchwork thing of jagged glass and twisted
metal known as the Beast of Broken Phylacteries. The walls are
Locations in the Underworld covered with the hollow-eyed faces of weeping figures. Some seem
COURTS OF THE UNDERWORLD KINGS: The Underworld struck by grief, others scream in rage, and a few weep tears of joy.
has many kingdoms, as many as the mortal world has or ever had Most of the faces weep natural tears, several weep tears of blood, and
in fact—from serpent-thatched halls in Niflheim, swimming in there is one face of a dwarf child weeping tears of honey.

3 Other Locations
BETWEEN
By Burt Smith
“What’s that? You’re offerin’ to use yer magic to send me home? Pah!
I’d rather walk, thank ye very much. I’ve seen what happens when that
magic fails. It’s the lucky ones who end up dead.”
—Phoebus the Scrivener
ise travelers know that magic for planar transit planes—both tear creatures from their realms, never to return. The
W sometimes goes astray. Failures often have no

ill effect, but occasionally, travelers are battered
victims of these and other terrible mishaps may find themselves in
Between.
and bruised when they arrive. Other times, the magic Less than a true plane but more than a conduit, Between is a
fails, leaving the would-be voyager disoriented but safe crack in existence swallowing victims of planar mishaps. Endless,
and untransported. More disturbing are the dire failures claustrophobic, and eternally dark, it is populated by the lost,
and the inexplicable artifacts found in dark corners of the disturbing creatures transformed by the Between itself, predators
29
of its own creation. It has no fixed form save what its prisoners can Black Lakes
wrest from it. Tunnels twist like the innards of an immeasurably large
The Black Lakes are not one location but many, scattered throughout
beast with an unpleasant tendency to shrink and close unexpectedly.
Between. These reservoir lakes contain putrescent liquid and shards
Though the willful can forge safe houses and even their own
of bone formed from the remains of victims who perished in
demesne, the weak find themselves trapped in shrinking prisons
Between, coalesced over the untold ages by the endless motion of
they cannot unmake. Even the creations of the strong-willed
Between. The smallest of the lakes is no larger than a small pond, but
have no permanence, for their works slowly but surely lose form.
many are far, far larger, rivaling the largest lakes of the mortal realms.
It is not strange to find mortal remains or foreign objects trapped
Many of the Lakes sit quiescent, trapped by the implacable walls
in the unyielding matter of Between. No intruder is safe, as those
of Between, until the squeezing and shifting causes a horrific release
who surrender transform into grotesque travesties, neither object
of pressure. The resulting torrent moves faster than a mortal can run
nor creature, prowling the endless passages and preying on those
and drives a deluge of debris before it. Living creatures are overcome
who resist. Even the “natives” of Between were likely once mortal
in moments, driving the air from their lungs even as the debris shreds
creatures, horribly changed by it.
the flesh from their bodies. The foul liquid leaves festering wounds
on those who escape. Less commonly, a chance opening drains one
THE LIMNUS of the Black Lakes, forming slow, pustulant rivers as it drains into
surrounding passages.
Between is inseparable from its animating force—a hidden, Even more dangerous than the corrupted ichor of the lakes
malevolent intelligence called the Limnus by those who dare are the undead residing in their corrupted depths. These powerful
speak of it. Most believe the Limnus notices only the largest of creatures ooze and squirm through the putrescence, and insubstantial
disturbances, yet seemingly random events spoil most attempts to monstrosities revel in the filth even as they are eternally trapped by
escape—hindering spells, destroying items, and ruining the magic the walls of Between.
of salvation. Between’s predators are manifestations of its alien
will, creatures uncannily ready to prey on new arrivals or attack Durigrin’s Tomb
survivors when quakes of terrifying power crumble the defenses of
Buried in Between is a vast boulder of granite containing a dwarven
a safe haven. There is little practical difference amid the Limnus and
citadel. Once the fortress of Durigrin Stonehammer, it was carved
Between. The few scholars who have survived investigation into the
into the summit of a strategically placed mountain until a powerful
matter liken them to the actions of a psychopath while awake and
but ill-conceived wish transported both citadel and mountain into
asleep.
Between. Too large for even the mighty strength of Between to crush,
Those who escape from Between may find their dreams haunted
the Limnus sent waves of denizens against it until no defenders
forevermore, and some develop unreasoning fears of dark doorways,
survived. The former mountaintop is honeycombed with tunnels,
closed sacks, and magical transport. Those free from Between
Other Locations
many created before the calamitous transfer but some excavated by

have no inclination to return and resist efforts to convince them
the diminishing ranks of dwarves. The creeping matter of Between
otherwise.
has plugged all exterior tunnels for dozens of feet, and within many
passages the traps lain by Durigrin and his garrisons are still active.
PLANAR TRAITS Even the passages free from dwarven hazards are treacherous,
• Infinite Size: Between is a single, endless layer with nothing roamed by transformed creatures that once were dwarves. The
above or below. Digging more than a few feet into the floor or wealth of Durigrin is secreted deep within his stronghold, guarded
ceiling quickly attracts the direct attention of the Limnus, a by the most cunning hazards in the entire citadel.
surely fatal event. This innermost sanctum of the citadel is the final resting place
of Durigrin himself. He is one of the few dwarves who neither
• Highly Morphic: The Limnus can modify Between at will, and succumbed to the fatal call of Between nor died in battle. During
the changes it makes are often sudden and devastating. Strong- the final days of the dwarves, a powerful trap malfunctioned during
willed creatures can also alter Between but at the risk of drawing creation, mortally wounding the already ailing ruler. When Durigrin
the notice of the Limnus. There are scattered stable areas, long fell, it completely demoralized the dwarf resistance, and within days
ignored by the Limnus, where alterations are simpler to perform. of laying Durigrin to rest in his tomb, all who remained fell to the
3
• Mildly Evil-Aligned: With the exception of a few safe havens, siren call of Between. Now Durigrin’s ghost (NE dwarf ghost fighter
Between is mildly evil-aligned. 10) guards the inner hall, alone and bitter and filled with hate for any
who intrude on his demesne.
• Limited Magic: Most magic is unaltered in Between, with notable
exceptions: effects altering the shape of Between, especially Hold
transmutation magic, are enhanced while effects changing the
Perhaps the largest stable location in Between, the Hold is a chamber
material into something else unerringly fail. Attempting to leave
several hundred feet across, encased in a tremendous cyst, like a stone
Between is dangerous, for not only does the effect often fail, but
embedded in a tree. The buildings are a mix of ancient stone and
it can attract the attention of the Limnus. Magic in Between is
the strange substance of Between. The mighty barrier encompassing
described in detail under ENVIRONMENT, below.
the Hold is penetrated by a few narrow tunnels, all barricaded and
GEOGRAPHY watched closely by the residents.
The settlement is ruled by Captain Wilhelm Karast (LN aristocrat
Despite the ever-changing nature of Between, places prevail 3/fallen paladin 5), an aging, mournful man, who rules the Hold with
by avoiding notice or enduring the destructive actions of the a quiet but iron fist. Second to Captain Wilhelm is Garant Malachin
environment. (LN fighter 4), the oldest surviving member of the former city watch.
The two leaders ensure no one disturbs the tenuous balance that

allows the settlement to remain unnoticed by the Limnus, and they entirely by will alone by the warlord Ored Fastuden, and with its
have no qualms doing so with the edge of their battered swords. creator gone, it is slowly returning from whence it came.
Wilhelm was once a paladin, advisor to the governor of a Long ago, Ored was captured by his enemy Janus Donoc and
fortified border city. Decades ago, a visiting noble had made a given a devil’s choice: he elected a near-certain destruction of a bag
pact with a powerful devil and fell to the trickery of his contract of devouring to a beheading by his adversary. A sharp-witted but
during a gala in his honor. The talisman sealing his fate spawned ruthless man, Ored quickly learned the ways of Between, creating
a cataclysm threatening to pull both the aristocrat and the city a small and secure dwelling soon after his arrival. As he guarded it
itself into the infernal realms. Wilhelm reacted calmly but quickly, from the denizens, he attracted a small following, and the group of
using a generations-old scroll in an attempt to avert damnation. bandits preyed on the many perceived enemies banished by Janus,
The powerful magic prevented a total catastrophe, instead hurling and the band slowly grew the fortified building into a small keep.
a section of the city into Between. Wilhelm quickly organized Not long after, Janus himself was defeated and sent where he had
the bewildered city guard, pulling survivors from the rubble and banished so many others. Upon his arrival and quick but unpleasant
fighting off the attacking denizens of Between, but most victims of death, the flow of victims ceased.
the calamity did not survive beyond the first few days, succumbing With the loss of his source of entertainment, goods, and even
to attacks and the mind-numbing effect of Between. food, Ored was forced to range farther from the keep in search of
Today the inhabitants of the Hold number barely more than 80, victims, and this dangerous activity caused the denizens of Between
and they fight to survive, cultivating what little food they can in the to attack his raiding parties with increasing strength and frequency.
remains of the city and using the spare sustenance given them by an Eventually, Ored fell in battle, followed rapidly by his lieutenant and
enchanted cauldron, created long ago to help the city withstand a the remainder of the bandits. Today the remains of his stronghold
long siege. Wilhelm discovered long ago he could shape the material slowly melt away, making them a dangerous but lucrative place to
of Between into rough shelters. His small group works daily to explore due to Ored’s short but profitable career as a bandit.
keep their world from crumbling around them. In the Hold, true
stone, wood, metal and pottery are more valuable than any treasure.
Attrition is high, and few of the original victims remain, having
INHABITANTS
succumbed to attack or the malaise of Between. The residents born The barren tunnels of Between are unfavorable to life, and even
and raised in the Hold are without pity, and intruders who seem creatures not needing nourishment find the passages hostile. The
apt to disturb the balance are slain without warning, supporting the mindless native creatures are formed from the very substance of the
community by fertilizing the carefully tended crops of mushrooms walls, making them resistant to many weapons, and when destroyed,
and fungus. they are absorbed once again into the material from which they were
Wilhelm lost his wife and two children on that day but has come created. Those imprisoned able to survive often join strongholds or
to view all who live in the Hold as his charges, and his morale is create their own places of safety, but some lurk in the crevices of
3
good despite his sour demeanor. The bleak nourishment available Between, ever cautious of discovery by denizens or being consumed
in makes Captain Karast’s most prized possession a magical ring of by the Black Lakes. Some eke out a solitary existence, others raid
sustenance he found on that fateful day. He is careful to take his share for survival, and occasional noble souls assist others in need. Not
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at mealtime, however, so none realizes the true source of his vigor. everyone who is trapped in Between can resist its malaise, and those
Most dwellers are inured to their pitiful existence, and they who fail become the Forsaken, pitiful yet dangerous creatures with
perform their duties without complaint. However, a growing no will of their own. Barely distinguishable from the natives of
faction believes they would do better without Wilhelm’s many Between, the Forsaken are little more than empty shells, lashing out
restrictions. Led by their furtive leader Aaron Narath (CN rogue at any living things they encounter.
2), they call themselves Daylight, knowing the word without truly The denizens of Between are rarely encountered singly. Between
comprehending its meaning. They would need little incentive to creates them to fight off intrusions as a body fights off infections, and
attempt a coup. the mindless but dangerous creatures afflict others with a miasma
of the will, making it difficult to fight the despairing nothingness
Ored’s Folly of Between. Persistent defenders can triumph over the waves of
Once a small but stout fort, Ored’s Folly is now slowly melting back attacking denizens, for the attacks diminish over time and fallen
into the substance of Between. The size of a small keep, it was forged denizens are reabsorbed, forming insulating walls and shielding
those inside from the notice of the Limnus and from further attacks.
While not common, many undead dwell in the endless passages
of Between, even beyond those residing in the Black Lakes. The
Planar Connections unpleasant deaths travelers can suffer once entombed in the walls
Between is difficult to escape, yet frighteningly easy to enter. of Between sometimes causes them to linger on in undeath, and
Many bags of devouring deposit their victims in Between, adventurers who burst open protuberances in search of treasure
though scholars are unsure if this is intentional or merely may eventually be surprised by something far less pleasant than
mummified corpses and festering remains.
a side effect of their creation. Magical mishaps, wild and
primal magic, faulty magic items, and defective portals can
also leave the unlucky trapped in the tunnels of Between.
Permanent portals exist, but Between slowly encases them
Sample NPCs
in a vast cyst of solid matter, making repeated use of them Few survive alone in Between. The combination of luck, magic, and
skill necessary to survive in the shifting tunnels while avoiding notice
fatally dangerous. The powerful and malicious are known to
create trap portals to Between, an effective way to dispose of
adversaries and the unwanted.

but has barely survived several attempts
to convert the raw material of between to
edible food. His biggest fear is being caught
by one of the Black Lakes, and always has
burrow prepared in the hope it will save
him.
Berel Carroch
Male human rogue 2
CN Medium humanoid (human)
The unfortunate petty thief Berel Carroch
mistook a bag of devouring for a bag of
holding and tumbled into Between. After
exhausting himself while evading the land’s
strange denizens, he soon fell asleep. He
awoke only to find himself entombed in
a stony sarcophagus. He is now in the last
stage of the malaise before he succumbs,
and as his sanity slips away, he wonders
whether he is imagining his limbs gradually
turning to stone.
ENVIRONMENT
An endless maze of shifting claustrophobic
passages assaults the traveler in Between.
Any path is rarely the same for longer
than several days, and travel times are
unpredictable. The bones of long-dead
creatures poke through tunnel walls,
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and ominous bulges can hold remains

of the trapped, mummified by long
imprisonment. Occasionally, weeping cysts
disgorge a putrid slurry when disturbed, the
only remains of more recent victims. The
rarest and most disquieting protuberances
contain the transformed bodies of those
who have surrendered their will. These
partially or fully transformed travesties
attack without fear or reason.
Sound is deadened as in a thick
fog, and temperatures in Between are
uncomfortably cool. While those without
the benefit of a warm bedroll wake shivering
and unrested, any form of fire is ill advised
3
as an instinctive reaction of Between will

by the Limnus and death at the claws of the denizens of Between is seal the area, quickly filling it with choking smoke. The tunnels of
beyond the capabilities of most who find themselves imprisoned. Between contain neither food nor drink, and many fight off the
denizens of Between only to perish from thirst or starvation. Others
Evren Hasteld turn to less wholesome foods, or even attempt to sate the pangs of
Male half-elf adept 1/ranger 10 hunger with fragments hacked from the walls. Those who alleviate
N Medium humanoid (half-elf) their craving with the substance of Between discover too late it has
an insidious, euphoric effect, hastening their transformation into
Evren Hasteld, like Ored Fastuden, was exiled by Janus Donoc, but mindless, forsaken beasts.
he managed to evade Ored and his bandits. Originally an adept in a Those of strong will can survive in Between by altering its shape
small village, he left his home for training as a member of the border to meet their needs and using magical means for sustenance. Few
rangers, developing acute survival skills, which he now uses to avoid settlements persist in Between since permanent structures are often
the perils of Between. He is unhappy if discovered and, believing destroyed by unfortunate accident or when the Limnus reflexively
there is no safety in numbers, is untalkative. He is extremely crushes them. Surviving locations are encrusted like a tumor in
knowledgeable and can teach of the dangers of Between if he can be tough layers deflecting the unwelcome attention of the Limnus, and
convinced to be helpful. He subsists using his meager spellcasting the settlements must grow slowly if at all, for the deceptive safety is

easily shattered by sudden changes such as a large alteration or the liquid behind after they pass; this repulsive slop takes hours to drain
arrival of newcomers. If a settlement is fortunate, it remains beneath away. Anyone damaged by a Black Lake is subject to filth fever,
the direct notice of the Limnus, which may reflexively send denizens bubonic plague, or worse.
to fight off the perceived infection. The attention of the Limnus
invariably results in crushing devastation and extinction. CYSTS: The twisting passages of Between feature many bulging
protuberances. Most are merely lumps of the chalky matter of
The Walls of Between Between, while others contain desiccated remains, rotting corpses,
The walls of Between consist of a fragile substance like soft, or undead creatures, and some bulging masses are dangerous sources
crumbling chalk, neither organic nor mineral. It varies from gray to of the denizens of Between. Cysts occur randomly, but usually
brown, and a faint aroma of mildew is eternally present. The material in clumps of 2d4. For random determination of contents, use the
does not burn or melt, and attempts to build with it invariably following table.
result in a deteriorating ruin as it quickly crumbles once excavated.
The tunnels and chambers of Between are endless, and while they
d% Result
may rise or fall, they never cross above or below. The material can 01–50 No contents (solid mass)
be carved as easily as very soft stone, but digging into the floor or 51–75 1d4 contain fragmentary remains (no treasure)
ceiling is extremely hazardous and quickly attracts the attention of 76–90 1d4 contain rotting or desiccated remains(1)
the Limnus (see below). 91–95 1d4 contain trapped Forsaken(2)
The material of Between has deceived unlucky souls into 96–99 1d2 contain trapped undead(2)
believing it to be edible, particularly when they find themselves 00 One is a node spawning denizens for 2d4 rounds if
starving in the barren tunnels of Between. It provides no nutrition, disturbed
instead exerting a soporific effect soon after being ingested. Any (1)
Rotting remains subject those exposed to disease
who fail a DC 20 Will saving throw immediately fall asleep and are (2)
Forsaken and undead have CR-appropriate treasure
subject to the hazards of sleeping in Between. In addition, regardless
of the result of the saving throw, their next save against the malaise is
subject to a −4 penalty. MALAISE: The insidious dolor pervading Between saps the will
of all who are trapped there. Any who spend longer than 1 day in
Safe Havens Between suffer 1d3 Wisdom damage unless they succeed on a DC
The dangers of Between are reduced where those of strong will 15 Will save, though any who are in a safe haven more than half the
have formed the substance of Between into something of their time may reduce the damage to 1 point. A creature whose Wisdom
own. Regardless of size, if someone forces the matter of Between is reduced to 10 or lower by the malaise begins to change: they suffer
a −2 penalty to Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma
3
into a shape of their making, even if it is but a single room, it is
considered a safe haven and provides some safety from both the (minimum 1) and gain DR 5/bludgeoning as their skin begins to
denizens of Between and the life-sapping malaise. If a safe haven is harden. Should their Wisdom be reduced to 5 or lower, the attribute
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not maintained, the protective effect fades after 1d4 days. penalties increase to −6. A creature whose Wisdom is reduced to 0 by
the malaise is transformed into a Forsaken (detailed below).
HAZARDS IN BETWEEN SLEEPING IN BETWEEN: It is unhealthy to rest unless one is in a

Between is a dangerous and often fatal destination for travelers. Its safe haven. Any creature falling asleep unprotected in Between must
narrow passages tend to shift and close, and quakes and tremors make an additional saving throw against the malaise. That save and
shake it with alarming frequency. Simply being in Between incurs all others for a 24-hour period incur a −2 penalty.
a risk of succumbing to a mind-numbing dolor, and magic can be Healing ability damage removes the penalties due to malaise
unpredictable and dangerous. The denizens of Between are attracted but not the Will save penalty due to sleeping in Between. Heal and
to outsiders and significant disturbances, but the most significant any restoration spell removes the penalty for sleeping in Between
risk in Between is attracting the attention of the Limnus. without preventing it from recurring.
BLACK LAKES: The fetid liquid of the Black Lakes is extremely MAGIC IN BETWEEN
dangerous. Built up pressure periodically triggers explosions. The
liquid is certainly not water, and it suffocates any breathing creature, The mutable nature of Between causes all effects altering its shape
even creatures with water breathing capabilities. Besides the hazards without changing its nature to be doubled while all effects changing
of any undead creatures lurking in the foul liquid, several other its nature unerringly fail. For example, disintegrate would destroy 20
dangers are present. Black Lake eruptions advance at a speed of cu. ft. of the substance of Between, but transmute rock to mud would
1d8×5 mph (each 5 mph corresponds to a speed of 100 ft.). Eruptions fail. Attempts to leave Between are dangerous for they risk the notice
traveling faster than 20 mph fill tunnels from floor to ceiling, causing of the Limnus in addition to the high chances the effect fails.
accompanying wind effects within 100 ft. of the front of the wave. Any effect used to escape Between is virtually certain to fail
Furthermore, anyone caught in the rushing pus of a Black Lake unless it is performed in a safe haven, and the Between or the Limnus
eruption takes 1d4 damage/round from the shards of bone and may still react to such attempts. Spellcasters gain a bonus equal to
rusted metal. They must also make a DC 20 Swim check to avoid their CL. No bonus is applied to items.
being swept away, taking and additional 1d6 damage/round from
buffeting against the tunnel walls and being carried downstream.
The smallest of these eruptions expends its energy in 1d4 rounds,
while the largest may take minutes to pass. All leave 1d4 ft. of putrid

d% Result CREATURES IN BETWEEN
0 or less Effect fails; item/focus is destroyed; 30-ft. concussive Few creatures other than the surviving prisoners are found in
burst does 5d6 damage Between. Undead persist for a time but eventually succumb to the
1–25 Effect fails; item/focus is destroyed crushing tunnels of Between, and even incorporeal undead cannot
26–50 Effect fails; Reflex save DC 35 or item/focus destroyed (5 forever avoid the assaults of the denizens.
damage on success)
51–75 Effect fails; Reflex save DC 25 or item/component Denizens of Between
takes 5d6 damage Four-legged eyeless creatures the size of a large dog, the denizens
76–99 Effect fails of Between are sometimes called dirt hounds. They ooze from the
100+ DC 25 CL check or effect fails walls of the tunnels, sometimes two or three at a time, and attack
Modifiers: until destroyed or targets fall victim to the dolor of Between. Created
In a safe haven: +10 by Between in reaction to intrusions from beyond, denizens are
Under attack by denizens of Between: −10 usually Medium in size and mindless, driven only to attack creatures
Under active or focused attention of the Limnus: −25 invading their realm. Except as noted below, they are equivalent to
an animated object formed of the stuff of Between. They never use
These bonuses and penalties stack. or wear equipment, and when defeated, they crumble, absorbed by
the walls of Between over several minutes. If more than two denizens
Controlling Between are destroyed in the same place, the location is difficult terrain until
The substance of Between can be modified by a strong-willed they are absorbed.
creature by using their planar modification bonus (PMB) to make
a modification check against the planar modification DC (PMD) Senses: Blindsight 60 ft.
of Between. The PMB is the sum of their Intelligence, Wisdom,
Defensive Abilities: Instead of hardness, denizens have DR 5/
and Charisma modifiers, and Between has a base PMD of 20. A
bludgeoning.
controller can Take 10 or Take 20 as per standard rules, and the
amount by which they exceed the PMD determines their effective Attacks: The natural attacks of a denizen of Between are considered
CL for the resulting fabricate effect; a controller can modify 1 cu. ft. as ghost touch weapons.
of the substance of Between per CL. As described for safe havens,
Special Abilities:
modifying the substance of Between creates a temporary area of
safety. Once created, a structure remains safe for 1d4 days, after Numbing Bite (Ex)—The dangerous bite of a denizen has an effect
which it gradually melts away. While still intact, a simple PMB check similar to ingesting the material of Between. The Will save DC
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maintains the fabrication: 1 check must be made per 10 cu. ft., and is based on HD: a typical denizen of Between requires a DC 11
the controller may Take 20 on this check. This check may be made by Will save to fight off the effects. As with the unsavory material of
anyone, not only the original controller. Between, failure has a soporific effect. The victim immediately
Maintaining or modifying the material of Between is a standard falls asleep and is subject to the hazards of sleeping in Between.
action unless the controller chooses to use the Take 20 action, in Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the victim’s next save
which case it takes 2 minutes Controlling Between is difficult against the malaise is subject to a −2 penalty. Denizens ignore
because the plane opposes all attempts. Multiple attempts at control sleeping creatures.
without 10 minutes of rest require DC 15 Constitution checks with Travel Between (Ex)—Denizens can move through the material of
a cumulative +1 penalty to the DC after the first attempt; failure Between in a manner akin to earth glide. They can move through
indicates the controller is fatigued (or if already fatigued, then material shaped by an intruder, but their speed is reduced to 5 ft.
exhausted).
Construction Points: Denizens do not gain construction points.
Some special modifiers to the modification check apply in Between: Instead, they have two claw attacks and a bite attack appropriate
Circumstance Modifier for their size.
Challenge Rating: As animated object of equivalent size +1.
3
In safe haven +4
Fatigued −2
Exhausted −8 Forsaken
Arrived within 1 hour −4
The forsaken were once prisoners but succumbed to the malaise
Fleeting, brief, or short attention of the Limnus −4
of Between. Similar in appearance to denizens of Between, they
Active or focused attention of the Limnus −20
are significantly less dangerous. Except as noted below, they are
equivalent to animated objects of a size and shape the same as their
Multiple controllers can work together. Each must be able to
former bodies, now formed of the stuff of Between. While they may
communicate for the entire duration. Any who succeed on their
incidentally wear armor or even magic items, they do not wield
modification check adds a +2 bonus to the primary modification
weapons or any tools. They blindly stumble and stagger toward all
check. Each 10 by which individuals exceed the PMD increases their
creatures not of Between and claw, slam, and bite them to death as
assistance by +2. The Take 20 action cannot be used when aiding
best as able. When a Forsaken is destroyed, its remains are slowly
another controller.
absorbed by the walls of Between, leaving behind fragments of bone
Using planar modification to increase the size of a chamber
and any equipment not dropped when the creature was transformed.
is different than digging into the floor or ceiling and is much less
likely to attract the attention of the Limnus, but manipulating the
substance of Between is never without peril.

Senses: Blindsight 60 ft. USING THE PLANE
Construction Points: Forsaken do not gain construction points. Adventures Seeds
Instead, they retain all natural attacks of the original creature. Between can be a dangerous place, but groups of many levels can
Creatures without natural attacks have a slam attack, two if they survive with preparation, luck, and care. For lower-level groups, a
are Medium or larger. defined entrance and exit point is recommended, and a search and
Defensive Abilities: Forsaken have no hardness but have DR 5/ rescue mission is likely the best choice. The following adventure
bludgeoning. ideas are suitable for many groups.
Challenge Rating: As animated object of equivalent size.
• Awakened Cave: Due to a juxtaposition of planar effects, a cave
in the mortal realm has taken on aspects of Between. Effects in
Limnus this area are identical to those in Between, but the attention of
Everywhere in Between and nowhere, the Limnus is a malignant the Limnus can never be more than short, regardless of result.
intelligence. Inseparable from Between, it rarely turns its attention The ability of the characters and possibly their adversaries
on any one creature imprisoned in Between. However, congregations to modify their surroundings can result in a dynamic and
of intruders increase the chances of garnering its notice, resulting in interesting encounter. Suitable for any level.
attacks by denizens or even crushing spasms inflicted by Between. In • Denizen Stone: A huge protuberance near the Hold in Between
areas where the Limnus has focused its attention, Between is nearly is issuing denizens at an alarming rate, and Wilhelm Karast
as immutable as the domain of any deity while areas far from its requests the aid of the characters in finding a way to stop it
notice are far more malleable. before it overwhelms the Hold. At the GM’s option, simply
The Limnus has no form separate from Between and no attempt defeating enough of the denizens may be sufficient, or it may
to communicate with it has ever succeeded. It most often reacts require powerful magic or direct control of the area while under
reflexively, lashing out as one might at a biting gnat, but the unlucky assault. Suitable for mid-levels.
few who attract its full attention discover the full might of Between
can crush any opposition. Arriving in Between, attempting to leave, • Intrusion from Between: A planar rift has temporarily given
modifying Between, and destroying denizens can all attract the the creatures of Between access to the mortal realm, where they
attention and ire of the Limnus to varying degrees. The base chance are terrorizing local residents. Investigation reveals someone
for any action of attracting attention is 0%, subject to applicable used a powerful artifact to create a rift and then used it to enter
modifiers: Between for purposes unknown. The party must enter the rift,
track down the culprit, and use the artifact to close the portal
Circumstance Modifier before the local devastation becomes widespread.
3
Arrival in Between +50% • Prisoners of Between: Hurled into Between, the characters
Failed attempt to use effect1 +25% must determine where they are and how to escape. Meanwhile,
Planar modification check2 +5%
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they encounter partially transformed victims of the malaise.
Destruction of a denizen +5%/HD of denizen Suitable for higher-level groups, given the difficulty of escaping
(forsaken are ignored) from Between
Digging up or down +10%/ft. beyond 5 ft.
Large modification +10%/10 cu. ft. of material • Rescue in Between: A person or object was accidentally sent
to Between, and the party must track it or them down. Suitable
(1)
Failed attempt to use planar transport, attempted polymorph for many levels based on the method of access: a low-level
any object on substance of Between, and so on. party could use a forgotten portal to follow the missing person,
(2)
Regardless of success or failure. allowing them to return once they’ve faced the dangers of
between, while a more powerful group might be required to
When a check is made to determine if the Limnus has noticed an take a leap of faith through a bag of devouring in order to track
action, success indicates the action was performed with no further down a missing heirloom, finding their own way back once it is
ill effects. Failure indicates the die roll was less than or equal to the retrieved.
chance of being noticed. The failure is the amount by which the roll
failed. For example, if the chance of being noticed is 25% and the
check result is 20, the failure is by 5.

Failure Attention Effect
0–50 Fleeting 1d4 denizens arrive, starting in
2d4+2 rounds
51–75 Brief 1d4 denizens arrive per round for
1d4+1 rounds, starting in 1d4 rounds
76–100 Short Earthquake centered on location,
then as brief attention above
101–125 Active 1d4+1 earthquakes spaced 1d2 rounds
apart, then as per brief attention above
126+ Focused Earthquake 1/round until there is no
motion within 160 ft. of focus of
attention

THE CASINO
By Sara ?
“Visiting the Casino today are we? Well, you’d best watch your pockets and
your purse, eh? Right-i-o, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You larks expectin’ a
good time, I suppose. Fair enough, fair enough. But you watch what you put
on the table to bet there. An’ you watch anyone what tells you he can give ye
an advance on yer next bet—y’don’t want no part o’that deal.”
—Phoebus the Scrivener
rder and Chaos meet in many places, in the improvisation of docks are designed to accommodate vessels of significant size. The
O a singer’s performance or the invention of a trained engineer,
but nowhere do they meet in quite the same explosion of
Lethe is a reliable path of travel into the valley and clever captains
in the past have arranged for regular docking with the Casino to
energy, passion, and joy as in the halls of the Casino. provide river tours to paying (and gambling) guests in exchange for
a small cut of the house profits. To the north, the river runs through
The Casino sits at the borders of two realms, evenly split between a dense forest of grand trees with roots that reach into the river itself.
Law and Chaos—a sprawling complex of meeting rooms, gaming Rumors persist that not all of the roots link to trees in this forest
halls, racecourses, and lodgings built over thousands of years with and that passage to the roots of Yggdrasil may be found by risking
the coin of history’s gamblers. The ongoing experiment between the wading through the waters of the Lethe.
forces of Law and Chaos to find the ultimate game has led uncounted Other travelers reach the Casino through one of its many gates,
numbers of games to be played here, some based on skill, some on the largest of which is in the marketplace. Other gates may be found
pure chance, most on a combination of both. in gaming halls throughout the multiverse and in places where a
strong presence of both Law and Chaos exist in harmony.
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Few passages exist through the mountains, and travelers are

PLANAR TRAITS: warned that, as often as not, the high passes will simply lead right
The Casino and its surrounding valley and mountains are a self- back to the Casino’s valley. Stubborn or very lucky wanderers may
contained realm. find a path through the mountains that will lead to a plane of strong
Lawful or Chaotic nature depending on the side of the river their
• Self-Contained Shape: The mountains around the Casino loop
journey took them. Returning by the same path generally proves to
back on themselves.
be impossible, and once taken, other travelers from the Casino are
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: A meeting point between Law and unable to repeat the journey.
Chaos; the two great philosophies are carefully balanced.
INSIDE THE CASINO

There are two sorts of people at the Casino: the employees and the
GEOGRAPHY guests. Beings from across the multiverse can be found in either
The Casino is a city-sized complex of interconnected buildings group, but guests generally don’t stay at the Casino for longer than
a year. Those that do are generally approached to join the Casino’s
3
and gardens centered in a deep valley. It is divided almost exactly

in half by the deep and fast River Lethe, which winds through and ranks or politely asked to move on to allow another guest to stay
sometimes under the buildings of the Casino. Terraced fields provide with the Casino.
for the inhabitants and guests, leading up to the steep mountains
that border the realm. Day and night in the Casino follow the usual House
pattern, one after the other. While the sun’s course is so regular a The largest building in the Casino is also the oldest. The House is the
sundial set by it over a thousand years ago remains accurate, nightly center of high-class gambling in the City, and a constant stream of
the patterns of the stars change in patterns that have defied the guests pass through the massive iron doors. A domed hall of huge
longstanding efforts of scholars to define. stained glass and polished marble, the House is centered directly
At the center of the city is the House, the main floor of the Casino. over the river. Five bridges within the hall cross over the river as it
Immediately surrounding it are smaller, more intimate venues for splits the ground floor in half. One half of the floor is dedicated to
gambling, as well as the Changing House and other buildings that games involving more Law than Chaos, and games featuring more
serve the immediate needs of the House and its guests. Outside this Chaos than Law may be found on the other side of the river.
central area are found other entertainments that have grown up In the center of the third bridge is an island built from marble
around the central ward: pubs, theaters, and general housing. There portions of both halves of the floor. The center holds a raised and
are docks along the river throughout this outer rim of the Casino. empty dais, the spot reserved for the “ultimate game” that contains
Many visitors to the Casino come by boat on the Lethe, whose a perfect balance of Law and Chaos. Challenges to the emperors for

the Dual Throne are held on this island with each game available in took the opportunity to challenge the Empress of Chaos. Winning
the Casino brought to the island for the competition. the challenge, however, and serving as one-half of the Dual Throne
The floor of the House is a tangled maze of tables, sliding screens, alongside the very guard who had dedicated herself to his pursuit
and large gaming boards. Most pathways on the floor bend and turn was not in the plan.
back on themselves, encouraging guests to get lost in the available In the decade since, he has proven to be a very active, if not very
games. Rapid movement is hampered due to the obstacle course of focused, emperor. As often found in the Inventor’s Hive prying apart
games and other gamblers. the machines built there as he is on the floor of the House annoying
Overlooking the open floor of the House are rows and rows the chess players, Savvan remains more interested in making trouble
of balconies, reaching halfway up the dome. The balconies are set than in staying out of it.
between the grand windows and provide a striking view of the
floor from the rooms set into the dome. The first two floors are Einanda Greenstaff (LN Human fighter 5 / ranger 10) was once
dedicated to the gaming for high rollers, and the others floors are a guard in the marketplace and was dedicated to the pursuit and
accommodations for the high rollers and their guests or for others apprehension of repeat offenders. Savvan was a personal obsession,
granted the luxury of an evening’s stay by one of the emperors. and his disappearance into the relative safety of the Casino left her
The Dual Thrones of the emperors are found on the main floor a very angry and very frustrated woman. When the challenge came,
of the House, one to each side of the river. Guests are allowed to she gleefully took the opportunity to assist him in his quest. Only
approach the throne directly to issue challenge. The Emperor of after the new emperor was crowned did she, with great personal glee,
Chaos may be found on the Law side of the river, and the Emperor remind him that he needed a watcher and claimed her own throne.
of Law on the Chaos side. The two Emperors preside over the games The years have mellowed Einanda. Since her “partner” in
on their respective side of the river, ensuring that all are held fairly running the Casino seems easily amused at the luxury and gadgetry
within the defined rules of the game. around him, she has since turned her attention to more dangerous
foes. Mammon’s infiltration into the Casino has not gone unnoticed,
and while her rank forbids her from personally acting against his
efforts to secure his position in the Casino, nothing prevents her coin
The Sounds of Joy from being used to good effect.
Throughout the House, the sounds of coin jingling or simple
upbeat tunes can be heard. Most of the noise comes from the High-Roller Tables
nearby games, though some are produced by musicians and While most of the floor caters to the mundane guests, the high-roller
other entertainers on the floor. The cheerful environment tables are often a matter of life, death, or eternal servitude. High
creates a subtle effect, as per suggestion. After 10 minutes rollers at the Casino don’t simply gamble in terms of coin. The tokens
of exposure to the environment, guests must make a DC 16
3
at high roller tables generally represent more ephemeral values, such
Will save. Failing this save puts the “guest” in a cheerful and as souls, years yet to live, or memories. Celestial and fiendish guests
willing mindset, making it seem a delightful idea to play a are commonly found here, bringing their own personal wars to the
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game. After at least one game is played, the suggestion passes, Casino, though security usually keeps disputes nonviolent. Nothing
leaving a sense of good cheer in its wake. Deafened characters forbids mortal players from joining the high-roller tables, assuming
are immune to this effect. they possess something of sufficient value to bet.
A regular at the high-roller tables, Kirroshilam makes an unusual
sight. Most angels who play the tables come for one purpose—to save
a soul, or many souls, from the hands of evil. They bet high and tip
The Dual Emperors freely. And when they win their prize, they revel in the moment with
“Wait? You mean I won? Really? I get to be emperor? Great! I have… drinks and parties in the city. Not so Kirroshilam. He grimly works
what do you mean she’s an emperor, too? Since when was that part of his way from table to table, building a stack of tokens he gifts to other
the deal?” angels at the Casino. Rarely without a strong drink in hand, with
—Emperor Savvan Zdimir robes stained and ratty hair, he follows the devil Molagan from table
to table building his stack of tokens up to be able to deal in for a game
The Dual Throne is not inherited but, rather, gained by Rite of with the other gambler. Rumor has it his ultimate goal is the token
Challenge to either or both of the current emperors. If only one Molagan keeps around his neck on a chain—a low valued token
emperor receives a challenge then the members of the other court representing the whispered confession of Kirroshilam himself.
will review the challenger’s life to find an appropriate partner to
complete the challenge with. The thrones are always held by a pair
of linked souls who may be committed lovers or the greatest of
Dark Tables
enemies—and sometimes both. The challenge takes the form of a Not all games at the Casino operate under the watchful eye of the
series of games played between the emperors and the challenging emperors. Some tables may be found tucked into forgotten corners
rivals. The challenger to the Throne of Law must beat the Emperor of the floor, backrooms, kitchen pantries, or in gardens between
of Law at every game on the Chaos side of the House floor and vice buildings in the complex. The players at these tables play in “real”
versa for the challenger to the throne of Chaos. coin, not house tokens, and cheating is common. Guests are warned
that the fairness of games at these dark tables cannot be guaranteed,
Savvan Zdimir (CN Human rogue 17)—aka Cat’s Whisper, the and should security catch a game in progress, all players are subject
Gilded Cutpurse, and the Lord of the Crow-Stepped Gables—holds to equal punishment for playing.
the Throne of Chaos. A long-term guest at the Casino, Savvan
overstayed his welcome almost a decade ago while avoiding charges Exchange
for theft in the marketplace. Under escort by security, the thief Immediately outside the House and connected to it by a wide

covered pathway is the Exchange. This
square building is arguably the most secure
building in the entire Casino with vaults
that are rumored to dig deep into the
bedrock beneath the city itself. Here, rows
of tellers convert the coin of a thousand
worlds into playable House tokens marked
with the equivalent value. Coin and other
material goods are valued according to
the blackboards behind each teller to
ensure fair accounting for all players.
Non-material goods may be converted as
well and are appraised by a pair of tellers
each representing the interests of Law and
Chaos.
At any point, the tokens may be
returned to the Exchange to be converted
back into the coin they are worth. Non-
material tokens grant the value they
represent to the current holder of the token,
until ownership of the token is taken by
another player. They may also be exchanged
to allow the holder to permanently retain
the value represented.
Inventor’s Hive
The games played at the Casino come
from worlds throughout the multiverse,
and nearly any game that can be played is
played here. But that doesn’t mean that the
games come to the Casino perfected. The
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Inventor’s Hive calibrates each rule and

piece carefully to best serve the interests
of the Casino and the entertainment of the
guests. The Hive is a low, round building
found at the edge of the Casino complex,
surrounded by gardens and clear open
ground for occasionally bombastic testing.
The Hive is in search of a game that
perfectly balances the efforts of Law
and Chaos. While there have been close
contenders, so far, no single game has
managed the perfect balance. Guests are
invited to play to provide feedback to the
inventors, though not with House tokens
3
since the game rules are still in development. While tokens are not House’s floor or focus on particularly popular games. Each building
on the line in such play, life and limb may be, as not all of the games has its own rooms and themes, though all abide by the House rules
have been designed with the safety of the players in mind. and feature the same security as the rest of the complex.
The betting halls catering to off-site racing are especially popular.
Daso Bokkin (NG Gnome expert 8) is the closest thing to a “leader” Races are tallied here as they occur, allowing guests to place bets
the inventors at the Hive have. The shops here are open, allowing from around the multiverse.
guests to come and practice their crafts for a fee, though even that is The hall known as Diviner’s Folly is also popular. Here,
laxly enforced and negotiable. Most of the Hive inventors are more representatives of Law and Chaos coordinate with expert diviners
interested in the product than in the formalities of security, or even to give odds on specific events and their likelihood of occurring
of safety precautions. within a given time frame, allowing guests to place customized bets
accordingly. The head priest is Eledhror Cleareyed (LN Elf cleric
And All the Rest 12), a servant of Byelobog, but he rarely participates in the betting
Many other buildings may be found in the Casino, most connected predictions. However, on rare occasions, he has been known to
to the House by covered walkways interspersed with gardens and stop in the middle of observations and whisper prophecies that are
gazing pools. The other buildings contain games not promoted to the immediately taken by security to the Dual Emperors, regardless of
the time of night or their social obligations at the time.

OUTSIDE THE CASINO On Cheating
Ballcourt Cheating at the Casino tables (at least for games where cheating is
not strictly part of the codified rules) offends both Law and Chaos
Betting isn’t restricted to only racing. Other competitions and sport
and defeats the ultimate goal of the Casino as a whole. The harshest
fighting are available at the Casino as well. These events occur at
of punishments are reserved for cheaters, who may quickly find
the Ballcourt—a morphic playing field for competitors from across
themselves in servitude to the emperors for the rest of their lives.
the multiverse to compete before cheering spectators. The Casino
provides a guaranteed betting environment as well, of course. The
Championship is held each year, a tournament event featuring the
On Security
best players of that year’s chosen sport. Led by the once-mortal Quintius Anidius ( LN Human fighter 10),
security in the Casino is handled by a selection of trained specialists
City from both Law and Chaos. Each teller and dealer in the Casino
receives training and a geas to ensure neutrality while on the job.
The city surrounding the Casino has grown over time to be as
Specific areas of the Casino are under the direction of a boss who
sprawling as the Casino itself. Accommodations may be found
coordinates security within a territory. In addition, specific areas
throughout the city, as would be expected in a metropolis of this
of the Casino are under watch by the observers: a networked series
size. From the finest of gilt establishments to the plainest flea-ridden
of magically ensconced eyeballs in the ceiling. These eyes are ever
flophouse, the city can provide for all ranges of wealth. Most of the
present, every watching, and can see through most attempts to
residents are familiar with the ups and downs of the average gambler
deceive them.
and rarely look on the attire of a guest as a judge of worth. If you have
Guests to the Casino can expect security to intervene in cases
the coin for it, you are welcome. House tokens are welcome here, as
of violence, property destruction, kidnapping, and theft. The Casino
are tokens from high-roller tables, though those may be greeted with
considers all guests to be of equal standing and does not turn guests
wariness depending on the establishment.
over to security for crimes committed outside the Casino regardless
of who makes the request. Occasionally, this allows a criminal to use
Lady’s Gambit the Casino as a refuge from crimes, but as the Casino does not allow
The oddly lumbering boat called the Lady’s Gambit makes a regular for permanent guests, this is at best a delaying tactic.
run of it along the Lethe. The captain goes by the name Loki (CG
Human fighter 3 / rogue 3)—almost certainly a nickname, but he On Crime
is otherwise a jovial fellow full of stories and a free hand with drink
Crime is a natural part of the gambling world. Players routinely lose
and tobacco. The boat leaves the docks in the morning and offers
money or valued items in the course of play or simply don’t know
3 days worth of gambling and sightseeing on the river. The boat
when to quit. When desperate, they may turn to unsavory elements
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features three decks, only the first two are accessible to guests of the
to cover their debts or borrow from.
Gambit. The top, covered from the weather, features a selection of
While the Casino’s willingness to turn non-material goods into
game tables and a bar. The second deck provides guest quarters and
House tokens undercuts much of the criminal element’s traditional
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other accommodations, and the third deck is for the crew.
avenues of profit, the Casino is unwilling to exchange what a
guest does not currently possess. As a result, predatory loans are a
Races common problem in the Casino, though the Casino itself makes no
Not all of the Casino’s entertainments can fit into the House complex. efforts to curtail the practice. Occasionally, security may be called if
Some simply require more room or a specialized environment. The an argument gets heated, but otherwise, the practice continues.
Races are built on the edge of the city on a wide flat expanse of Token clipping on the other hand, is something that interests the
land. Here, all manner of beast or humanoid are raced, and betting Casino a great deal more. House tokens are to be read at the values
is available for all events. Between races, the grounds are open for they are issued and markets that attempt to undervalue or overvalue
guests to explore and enjoy. At the far end of the central racetrack is the tokens soon find themselves under the scrutiny of the Casino
a tarot tree attended by the groundskeepers. Guests are encouraged and its agents. This is less strictly enforceable outside the realms
to select a card if the tree has one available as a souvenir of their day.
While greyhound and horse races are regular, also not to be
missed are the Gnomish Races held twice a year. While not races
of gnomes themselves (that’s an entirely different racetrack), Casino Training
these are races of gnomish inventions. Lumbering, slithering, and
Employees at the Casino are generally of a strongly Lawful
occasionally flying inventions make their way from one end of the
or Chaotic nature. Employees in sensitive positions, such as
course to the other—and not always in one piece. Attendees are
advised that goggles and fire-resistant clothing may be wise if their tellers and dealers and those who directly interact with the
seats are within the first three rows. games, all receive basic training in how to spot a cheater and
what to do if one is found. On completing this training, the
employee also takes an oath, enforced by a geas (CL 18), to
GAMING report cheaters to Casino security. Standard employees are
Games played at legitimate tables at the Casino are designed to be to alert security but, otherwise, allow cheaters to continue to
fair with a reasonable but not excessive house edge for those games believe they’ve gotten away with it until security arrives to
where an edge is expected. All other profits from the Casino are deal with him.
gained during currency exchange or as part of the services provided
Standard Casino training grants the following benefits: +5
to guests.
Spot, +5 Sense Motive, and +3 Bluff.

of the Casino, but the occasional merchant in the marketplace has the social contest of players or randomization. Regardless of the
been awoken in the middle of the night by agents of the Casino preferred game, certain traits become common among long-term
demanding debts be paid in full. players.
The largest organized crime in the Casino operates in the
gardens lying between the buildings and outside the direct gaze “I’ll quit when I’m ahead.”
of the security observers. This network offers loans, trades tokens
Also known as the gambler’s conceit, this is the idea that a gambler
(often clipped), and arranges for the less legal entertainments of
will have the self-control to stop, having made a profit. In practice,
the guests in the Casino. Their head of operations is a man by the
the gambler on a roll rarely stops until it is too late.
name of Wulfa Redsteele (NE Human fighter 5 / rogue 3), an agent of
Mammon. The efforts of the operation are supported by Mammon’s
“My number is due.”
coin, and the majority of their work is with the obvious targets—
gamblers who have fallen into desperation and addiction. The gambler’s fallacy is a failure to understand that a game, in
general, has no memory. Unlike racehorses, where past performance
Wulfa’s immediate lieutenants are: can be used as an indicator of future performance, games such as
dice, random lotteries, and wheels have no memory. The result of one
Sige Redsteele (LE Human rogue 5) is in charge of tracking game is not dependant on the next, no matter how many times in a
the loans and interest offered to players at the Casino. He also row the same result has occurred.
coordinates channeling tokens into the marketplace for proper
clipping and resell ensuring a steady line of profit for the Specific Games
organization. Popular games at the Casino include those of pure competition
between skilled players (though usually with available betting) as
Ewid Smithsson (NE Half-Elf rogue 3) is the master of well as the more stereotypical gambling and guessing games. Not all
entertainments for Sige’s clients, arranging for any array of players at the Casino are fond of random results, and many pride
expensive and questionable entertainments at a price. Ewid themselves on their skill. Betting is available for all contests on the
also makes quite a business of lifting tokens from other guests House floor.
at the Casino and keeps a strict eye on thieving in the House to In addition to well-known card games, random wheels, and
minimize competition. lotteries, other games may be played at the Casino.
Aethrytha the Wrathful (NE Elf fighter 7) is the enforcer. Not Fan Tan
an intelligent or subtle woman, but she doesn’t need to be. She’s A classic guessing game, fan tan is played with a set of small
very good at her job. gold chips and a bowl. The dealer selects two handfuls of chips
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and, without counting them, puts them in the bowl. With an

However, their efforts are farther reaching than the immediate extravagant display, the dealer then turns the bowl upside
opportunities, and Sige sees great potential to be had in corrupting down over the chips and takes bets out of a division of four,
the games produced by the Inventor’s Hive. If the ideal game can how many chips will remain on the table. Any combination of
be made to enthrall players and lead them deeper into greed and the four options may be selected. Bets are placed until the bowl
debt, then in the eyes of Mammon, they would have been able to is removed at which point, four at a time, the chips are removed
successfully automate the creation of sinners to offer to the Lord of from the table until the remaining chips may be counted and
Greed. Rumor has it, the operation sponsors the efforts of Daso of the the results tallied.
Inventor’s Hive in his ever more complex variations of pachinko— This game may be played with a simple roll of 1d4 at the
something Daso remains blissfully unaware of. table. Characters with abilities that allow them to reroll dice
Sige’s work to secure the criminal element of the Casino under may hold their current bets and ask for a reroll after the results
his control has been foiled by Wormwood (LE Human wizard 15), a are displayed. Characters with abilities that allow them to
man who arrived to the Casino less than 6 months ago. Rumor holds randomly modify the results of a roll, such as the Gambling
his tampering is behind a recent spate of token clippers strung by the subdomain power, may use the power and add the result to the
3
gut from the rafters in the marketplace. In addition, he has regularly roll, taking the remainder after the result is divided by four to
made a point of shadowing the most pitiable of Sige’s victims, determine the value of the roll.
whispering advice on the games that inevitably have paid out well.
Pachinko
But the man has never been seen to play a game himself. When
Pachinko machines may be found throughout the House,
asked why he hasn’t played at the Casino, Wormwood simply smiles,
occasionally tucked into small nooks where other gaming
taps the head of his walking stick against the table, and answers the
tables would not fit, and often lining the aisle of the maze-like
question with a question: “What makes you think I’m not playing?”
floor. These machines come from many sources throughout
the multiverse, and new versions are crafted each year in
Games the Inventor’s Hive at the Casino. The machines are played
Many games are played at the Casino, most of which can be broken by the ball, each ball costing a minimal token fee. The ball is
down into combinations of skill and luck. Many of the games have launched into the machine by a spring-loaded lever and rattles
at their core a certain mathematical understanding, tempered by throughout the device bouncing off pins and carefully placed
gearwork, producing a series of cheerful sounds and lights on
its course. When the ball settles, it may land in a prize position
or may have triggered a prize on its fall to the bottom of the
machine, providing the player additional balls or, more rarely, a

ADVENTURE SEEDS
Gambling in Game • Lucky Strike: While visiting the Casino, one of the PCs in the
party begins to experience an unusually strong series of lucky
Many of the games at the Casino may be played with a set
rolls. Game after game seems to fall in the PC’s favor. After a day
of dice, a handful of tokens, or a pack of cards at the table.
of this, security takes the entire party aside demanding that they
Unfortunately, this approach to playing the Casino does not explain how they have been cheating or be forced to work for the
account for the skills and personal abilities of many PCs. Casino for the length of their natural lifespans.
The GM is encouraged to modify the rules of any particular
game to provide ways for the character’s abilities to affect the • Stack the Deck: The party is hired to tilt the odds in favor of a
outcome. In addition to the rules given for specific games, an particular play in a high-roller poker game that is to occur at
the Casino in a week. The stakes are high, featuring many non-
abbreviated form of gambling may also be handled by use of
material offerings, and players of many different alignments and
the Profession (gambling) skill to determine profit given a
political groups are represented at this game. Unfortunately, the
set time of play.
party wasn’t the only ones hired for this job, and the rivals have
their own plans.
direct payout of tokens. Many pachinko machines are designed

to provide increasing payouts the longer they are played. REVISITING THE CASINO
At the table, this game may be played with 3d6. The GM
Since the Casino comes with its own built in security, the PCs may
selects (or rolls) a number, and the character pays for every roll
choose to rent rooms on a regular basis to use the safety to create
of 3d6 to match that number. DMs should keep careful track
their own local headquarters. Repeat visits to the Casino may feature
of each version of the machine played since many operate by
any of the various events that occur at the Casino year round, and
different sets of rules.
new faces are always available to meet.
Signal Noise The cult of Mammon, here operating in the guise of organized
Originally a drinking game at a Mathematics department of a crime, are a constant piece of trouble. The actions of the PCs against
small university of the Gear Plane, Signal Noise is a guessing the criminal element would be greatly appreciated by at least one
game involving a displayed illusion and any number of players. of the Emperors. Their actions in favor would be appreciated by
The players place bets with the dealer on whether or not the Mammon himself, of course.
displayed image originates from a Chaotic root or a Lawful
root. Players have anywhere from 5 minutes to 3 hours to place
bets. Players are allowed to perform mathematical proofs to
3
assist their betting and scratch paper is provided, but failure
to show work or passing other’s work off as their own forfeits
Other Locations
the bet.
This game allows characters who do not have Profession
(gambling) to partake of a game of skill. An appropriate
Knowledge or Profession may substitute for gambling when
playing this game.
USING THE PLANE

The Casino is a great location to send PCs for a little bit of rest and
relaxation, but there are other reasons to visit this place. The Casino
has two major paths running straight though it, the Lethe and the
roots of Yggdrasil at the northern banks. In addition, the Casino’s
own gateways to other gaming halls around the multiverse are useful
transit.
There are many excuses to get players at the Casino, any
number of tournaments and competitions to bring them in. Fleeing
opponents may choose the Casino as a good way to ditch a tail. The
meat of the Casino is its use as a center of vice and intrigue, and few
players can resist the lure of a good caper.

EVERMAW
Dan Voyce
“All things hunger, and sooner or later, all things become carrion. And where
there is carrion, there is always me. When all creation ends, I’ll be there to
suck the marrow from its bones.”
—Mordiggian, the Hunger God
here’s a dusty corner of Hell containing a desert as red as • Finite Size

T War’s bloody cloak, where the Ever River is a meager trickle,
where living and dead alike must thirst and starve. This is the • Divinely Morphic: Mordiggian can alter his realm at will but
realm of the Hunger God. rarely does so.
• Energy Traits: The deeper reaches of the city, sinkholes in
Here are condemned those souls that sinned in the name of gluttony the wilderness, and the edge of the plane are mildly negative
or hunger—the starving who took to waylaying travelers to fill their dominant.
stewpots, the fat lords who stuffed their bellies while peasants went
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: Mordiggian cares nothing for Order or
hungry. It’s also the place where ghouls and vampires and other
Chaos.
rapacious undead, already exiles or escapees from the Underworld,
are condemned or rewarded when they meet their second death. • Strongly Evil-Aligned: Hell’s relentless evil taints this plane.
This is the home of Mordiggian, archdaemon and deity with many Mordiggian himself rarely encourages active evil beyond the
names: the Patient One, He Who Comes After, Jackal Lord, Duke of endless cycle of starvation and cannibalism, but there’s no lack
Carrion, the Cannibal King. of wickedness in his domain.
• Impeded Magic: Magic that creates edible materials, sustenance
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HISTORY of any kind, or water requires a concentration check (DC 20 + the

level of the spell) or the spell fails. If it succeeds, every creature
The histories of gods and lords of Hell is a tangled business, within 100 ft./level of the spell becomes instinctively aware that
colored with the faith and mythology of countless worlds, food has just been created somewhere nearby.
contradictory and impossible. But here’s what most people guess to
be the origins of Evermaw and the Hunger Lord: • Hunger’s Gift: Living or dead, construct or elemental, all
Eons ago, Mordiggian was a servant of the Underworld. It’s said creatures feel hunger in Evermaw. (See sidebar for details.)
that Famine was his power, that he was one of the terrible archangels
of Death. But he turned traitor or was tempted and gave his loyalty
to Orcus, Demon Prince of the undead, and offered him the perfect GEOGRAPHY
synthesis of death and hunger: ghouls. If they are not his literal The sky of Evermaw is blood red, a never-ending twilight lit by the
children, then they are certainly Mordiggian’s favored race. corona of a glimmering black coal of a sun, which hangs over a desert
In time, Mordiggian abandoned (“betrayal” really has no of blood dust and the bare stone of tombs. The air is dry but forever
meaning in Hell) his new master as well, retreating into the
hinterlands of the infernal realm to create his own kingdom. He
3
took the worship of ghouls with him, something that Orcus does not
forgive or forget.
In the ages since that time, many cities have risen and fallen in Hunger’s Gift
the red dust desert of Evermaw. Mordiggian’s currently capitol is the Such is Mordiggian’s power that everything (even rocks and
funnel-like city of Vultures Beyond, but the Patient One knows that, dead wood, it’s said) feel hunger in his realm. This includes
in time, this too will surrender to entropy, and he’ll devour what creature types that don’t normally require sustenance, such as
remains and raise the city anew. the dead (and undead), constructs, and elementals.
How exactly this works is up to the GM: fire elementals
PLANAR TRAITS might need to burn things while gearforged might need
to insert new cogs and springs. Such creatures hunger and
Evermaw follows all the general rules of the Eleven Hells, and has the
starve as if they were normal humanoids but do not suffer
following individual traits:
the enhanced starvation rate of the realm. Mindless creatures
• Normal Gravity still hunger and, in combat, have a cumulative 1% chance/
• Hungry Time: Time passes normally except that all creatures round to go on an insane rampage (similar to the berserk
starve and thirst at twice the normal rate. This effectively doubles quality of flesh golems).
the amount of food and water characters need each day.

chills—a cold desert. Jaundiced clouds may gather, but it hardly ever INHABITANTS
rains. The climate is generally passive and unchanging, fronts so still
it feels like the weather is waiting for something. Patience hangs in The Hunger God does not restrict his hierarchy to a particular race or
the atmosphere and many visitors find it unbearable. alignment—daemons, demons, devils, and more obscure creatures
The terrain is mostly powdered blood and goes deeper than even can all be found in his service. Daemons are most common, but
a dwarf could dig. It gusts and dunes like sand but, occasionally, there are also demons that embody devouring hunger and pushing
becomes packed down, hard and clay-like. Here and there jagged hungry mortals beyond all civilized bounds and devils who tempt
spurs of rock rise up to break the monotony: obsidian, bleached noble epicures into forbidden rites of cannibalism or encourage
granite, and crimson gneiss. Beneath the dusty surface, there are them to force starvation on the poor. For both divine servants and
layers of copses pressed together—seams of soul and flesh, both souls, promotion is typically based on the quantity and “quality”
dead and undead. Natives mine these “skin-layers” for meat and of flesh and souls devoured. Many of Mordiggian’s outsiders are
occasional artifacts. eventually transformed into devourers, the Hunger Lord’s most
Evermaw (or at least its landmass) isn’t infinite in size. Travel far favored servants.
enough from the capitol and eventually you’ll find yourself wading
through dust that’s flowing faster and faster down a gentle slope. The Dead & the Undead
Eventually it pours out into bleak space. There’s nothing but dark Evermaw is home to countless undead that hunger for flesh, blood,
and stars below—although madmen who’ve journeyed to the edge souls, or life energy. Wraiths and spectres, vampires and (especially)
and back sometimes speak of a colossal shape swimming far below: ghouls. Of course, animuses formed from the sinful dead (cannibals
the Drinker in the Dark, legend names it—a colossal undead beast, and others who served starvation and hunger on the mortal plane),
feeding on the endless flow of blood dust and always wanting more. form the masses. Mordiggian’s favored worshippers often find their
souls reborn as fiendish ghouls.
The majority of new souls aren’t allowed to roam free. Corralled
and used like edible mobile currency, the fate of most is to be
stripped slice-by-slice, bite-by-bite, down to the bone. Relatively
few manage to barter their way out of the farms and storehouses of
Vultures Beyond to make a life on the dusty streets, but it’s enough to
Planar Connections
Among the Eleven Hells, Evermaw is regarded as something
of a backwater: a place where exiles, outcasts, and failures of
all evil alignments can languish and scheme for their return Living Ghouls
to glory. Mordiggian’s disregard for order and chaos (and
3
The traditional ghoul is undead, victim of ghoul fever or
most other things) also makes it ideal neutral ground for the curse brought on by abominable necrophagy. It’s not
discreet meetings: More than one event that shook the planes always so clean-cut, however. Sometimes a ghoulish nature
Other Locations
began here with a sly deal or conclave in some back alley flourishes while the victim is still alive.
water house or feeding den. Evermaw is home to many living ghouls. These are
Of his fellow devils, Mordiggian has most dealings with typically gourmands or degenerates who’ve developed a taste
Orcus and Arishkagel. Orcus continues to regard Mordiggian for mortal flesh. Much like lycanthropy, their secret life scars
as a traitor and a thief, and the lords’ minions regularly try to soul and flesh alike with telltale marks—a predatory cast, a
poach worshippers from each other’s hungry dead. Despite squint from eyes that spend more time in darkness than light,
this, the two realms sometimes coordinate their efforts— long nails, stinking breath, an aversion to cooked meat, and
especially when it comes to mischief in the Underworld. general poor hygiene. The most degenerate examples become
Usually, Mordiggian’s spies assist the minions of Orcus in prognathous, almost jackal-like.
their brutal (and so far pointless) campaigns. Mordiggian’s Many living ghouls become the servants of true undead,
devils have also begun to work closely with those of Jezebel. acting as their servants and spies where undead are not
Gluttony and Lust, it seems, are very compatible sins. tolerated. Many of Mordiggian’s secret clergy in the mortal
Getting In and Out realm likewise hide behind a mask of living flesh.
The Road of Fangs is the most common means by which souls Living Ghoul Traits:
are brought in from the Underworld and other realms of Hell. • Living ghouls do not have the undead type. They remain
Scattered portals lead to other realms, most commonly from living creatures and cannot be turned. Upon death,
the tombs that dot the wasteland. Portals in Vultures Beyond however, their body automatically rises as an undead
itself are highly prized by both the cult of Mordiggian and the ghoul unless destroyed.
city’s many shady dealers. They are always guarded, and the
fee for use is severe (if permitted at all). Most are located in • Concealing a living ghoul’s nature counts as disguising a
the dark hearts of the city’s ziggurats. minor trait (see “Disguise” in the Pathfinder Roleplaying
The Negative Energy Plane is always close—often too Game Core Rulebook)
close—at hand. Lying directly below the dust. Evermaw is as • If close-cropped to appear more human, the nails of a
close to the ultimate destruction as perhaps any plane of Hell ghoul do only normal unarmed combat damage for a
dares, save for the realm of Orcus. Getting there is simple— creature of its size although it is lethal slashing damage
just cast yourself into a sinkhole or over Evermaw’s edge. and still carries the ghoul’s paralysis.

give the city a bustling feel at odds with the empty desolation of the that herald sinkholes; the inobservant find themselves caught in the
desert. If the inhabitants have one thing in common besides hunger, flow before they realize it’s there, unable to struggle out against the
it’s a ruthless determination to be the one doing the eating and not inexorable pull of dust.
the one being eaten. Quicksand-like patches of consuming dust are another common
hazard—sucking, choking, and finally entombing travelers deep
The Living below the surface.
Evermaw doesn’t see many living immigrants. Most are temporary
visitors, seeking the city’s specialist services, or escapees from other Road of Fangs
domains of Hell who cannot secure a way to happier planes. The Lucky travelers lost in the waterless wastes may find a road made
living can forge a life here however, despite being regarded mainly from clay-like packed blood, which trails through the desert like a
as free-range food. As always in Hell, power, cunning, and usefulness lolling tongue. This is the Road of Fangs, Evermaw’s primary trade
are the keys to survival. route, running from the gullet-like pit of the capitol to other realms
There’s one more reason that the living come (or more accurately, of Hell. Only starving travelers can find its terminus at the city of
are brought) to Evermaw: to many of the city lords, meat that’s alive Vultures Beyond. Those who try to evade hunger find themselves
and kicking is the most mouth-watering dish. Living creatures of all stranded, the daemonic highway stretching infinitely long in either
kinds are constantly ferried in from across the planes, both to fill the direction.
pantries of the city, and to serve as sport and game. The secret to traveling in the other direction (out of Evermaw) is
relatively easy: lay a creature native to your destination on one of the
countless basalt altars that line the road and devour it alive. With this
MAJOR LOCATIONS act of blasphemous homage to the Hunger Lord (and a full belly),
Bone Mystics the path from Evermaw will open.
Not every devotee of Mordiggian serves in his divine hierarchy.
Scattered throughout the wilderness, enormous bones rise like pillars Tomb Forests
from the sand. In the surmounting joints of these titanic once-limbs, Ruins protrude from the red desert like crooked teeth from bleeding
mystics and other solitary masters pursue enlightenment and power gums: sunken pyramids, crumbling ziggurats, crypts, tombs,
through starvation. Many of them claim that their god speaks to barrows, and gravestones. Evermaw’s more reclusive inhabitants
them, either directly or through the shriek of carrion birds and the make their lairs within these subterranean graves, and there’s more
hum of wind on dunes. than a few who were kidnapped and sealed in against their will.
Supplicants crazy enough to climb a pillar and petition its monk
or oracle more often than not end up on the dinner plate. Those who Around the capitol, the tombs are much more prolific and serve
Other Locations
successfully walk the knife-edge between becoming a disciple and as meeting grounds for rebels and thieves, storehouses for slavers
becoming lunch, however, can return with untold secrets—mastery and smugglers. They are also renowned for containing portals to
of pain and privation, sorcerous bloodlines of famine and death, other planes (incidences are actually rare but there are thousands of
martial arts styles specializing in tooth and claw. tombs), usually leading to or from the ghoul empires, the graveyards
of Midgard, or the Underworld.
Desert of Blood Dust
The vast majority of Evermaw is nothing but powdered blood. It’s THE CITY OF VULTURES BEYOND
said that every time a vampire drinks or a ghoul eats, the swallowed
gore ends up here. Wind constantly shifts the desert dunes, leaving At the heart of the realm is a yawning pit known simply as the Maw,
few permanent landmarks. The dust swallows structures efficiently: and around it, Mordiggian’s osseous capitol, called Vultures Beyond.
ruined crypts, clay barrows, and fallen towers are common just below Built on a funnel-like pit of trickling dust, its winding and crowded
the surface.
Hunger prowls the wastes like a walking geas. With so few
resources, life exists in predatory starvation. Reclusive or wandering
undead are the most common encounters. Mortals find life almost
Evermaw Terrain
3
impossible. Cannibalism is the rule for living and dead alike. Evermaw exists in perpetual dim light. Undead are unharmed
The desert is waterless save for a few quagmires, where a trickle of by the weak red glow of its black coal sun. The terrain is
the Ever River creates bloody mud or the occasional mold-encrusted mostly desert (sand dunes) and rocky badlands. Dust storms
spring dribbles from a crack in some protruding rock. Such water are common (treat as sandstorms). There are also a few
usually comes from the Lethe, Styx, or other stretches tainted by its plane-specific hazards:
passage through Hell (see HAZARDS OF THE EVER RIVER for
more details). Very rarely, the land is splattered by yellow acid rain, • Acid Rain: Clouds of jaundiced yellow are common in
creating sudden and devastating floods of gore. the sky, but rain is so rare as to be almost legend. When
Hidden among the red dunes are deceptively shallow (at least it comes, its acid eats into metal, stone, and flesh, causing
at first) inclines that lead to sinkholes, where blood dust pours 1d4 damage/minute of exposure. A typical rainstorm lasts
downward at increasing speed. Legend says these sinkholes are the 1d12 hours.
remains of former capitols that the Hunger Lord allowed to slip • Quickdust: Treat this exactly like quicksand (described in
entirely into oblivion. Sinkhole depths have the minor negative- the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook) except
dominant trait and eventually lead to the void below—a guaranteed that it is dry and suffocates victims with choking dust
way to enter the negative energy plane for those mad enough to
rather than water.
take it. Travelers must be constantly alert for the trickles of dust

in sympathetic magic, should their servant betray or rebel.
The Lords of Vultures Beyond know that to fall into apathy means
Vulture’s Beyond at a Glance doom, for Mordiggian will follow suit and allow their metropolis to
Here’s Evermaw’s capitol presented using settlement rules slide into the Maw and be destroyed. They relentlessly promote vigor
(see Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide). in their subjects and the city’s trade. Some struggle to maintain order
Some of the qualities and disadvantages here are further in a city that’s frequently lawless; others embrace Chaos or consider
detailed in Chapter 4. themselves above such concerns. Mordiggian himself doesn’t seem
to care one way or another so long as the city endures… and hungers.
CITY OF VULTURES BEYOND Unless especially favored, newly arrived souls are caged and kept
NE large city on farms where they’re fed just enough to maintain their strength
Corruption −1; Crime +2; Economy +2; Law +2; Lore +5; until the time comes to be served fresh on the platters of those who
Society +0 can afford such delicacies. Luckier souls manage to claw their way
Qualities Holy Site, Insular, Magically Attuned, Notorious, (literally or figuratively) out onto the streets. A few races are worthy
Pious of note.
Danger +20
Ghouls: The chosen of Hunger are everywhere and make up the
DEMOGRAPHICS
lowest ranks of Mordiggian’s divine hierarchy. Many were ghouls
Government Magical (Theocracy)
in their previous (un)life, but others are souls granted that form in
Population 20,000 reward for deeds done in Hunger’s service. Ghouls and ghasts with
NOTABLE NPCS the fiendish template are common.
• Nilda Gray, Speaker of the Meat (LN female fallen
paladin 8) Vampires: Vampires can be found as both masterminds and
• Radhak Pascha, master of the Blind Tiger (LE rakshasa) parasites, as nobles leading packs of ghoulish retainers or scabrous
• Sweet Tooth, night hag madam of the House of Esurience. addicts desperate for a fix. Because they must feed on the living, most
• Whipstitch: Ghoul informant and guide, whose lips have vampires haunt the alleys and taverns around the Kinegather Ghetto.
been sewn shut with magical thread (NE ghoul rogue 5) Only a few vampires have wealth enough to maintain a harem of
living victims. The majority are little more than penniless vagrants,
MARKETPLACE slaves to their desires. The other races of Evermaw look down on
Food and drink costs 5× the normal amount. Wholesome them as scavengers, despite their sacred need.
food (guaranteed no sentient body parts) costs 10× normal.
Obvious worshipers of other deities must also pay 150% of The Living: Despite the obvious dangers, the living can find a place
3
the normal price for all goods and services and face mockery, in Vultures Beyond. Some jobs require too much thought or dexterity
insult, or even violence. to be given to lower undead types, and there’s a certain prestige in
being able to support and protect living servants.
Other Locations
Base Value 12,000 gp; Purchase Limit 85,000 gp; Spellcasting
Some mortals are raised in luxury, almost like pets, to be
9th level snuffed and reanimated as undead concubines or attendants once
Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; Major 2d4 Items their bodies have matured to whatever state their master wishes
to preserve. The majority aren’t so fortunate: “unclaimed” mortals
must live in the Kinegather Ghetto, on the steep slope of the Maw.
streets are home to outsiders and undead, sinful souls and hungry
At least the law forbids killing the living simply for their meat, but
mortals. The outer edge is most prestigious while the further down
in exchange for this protection, all mortals must play the lottery (see
and more severe the slope, the more slums and filth predominate.
LAWS, below).
Blood dust gets everywhere.
Death and its by-products are the main industry of Vultures
Beyond. The city is voracious: it skins, chops, grinds, hacks, and
Sons of Abnegation & the Teeth of Gula
carves, constantly and efficiently. It’s a city of butchers and tanners, Mordiggian, Evermaw’s inhabitants claim, is a fair and even-handed
of scrimshaw and rendered fat and polished bones. Bone and sinew god—or at the very least, a disinterested one. Few definite personal
are common materials for tools, decorations, and even buildings. It’s attributes are ascribed to him. He’s usually depicted as an impersonal
used for shanties and lean-tos in the lower reaches and as decoration force, a raw and elemental power like fire or negative energy, largely
elsewhere. unconcerned with the minutiae of the living. This hasn’t prevented
Meat is both a commodity and a currency, and most locals have his worshippers from developing their own competing versions of
pawned parts of themselves at some point: flesh is exchanged for the faith. There’s a schism at the heart of Mordiggian’s hierarchy.
goods and services in time of need with replacement parts purchased Two competing cults rule Vultures Beyond: the Sons of
when available, regardless of aesthetics. It’s not pretty, but for those Abnegation and the Teeth of Gula. Both robe themselves in black
looking for a cheap alternative to regeneration, Vultures Beyond is and red and white, both wear skull-like silver masks. Both produce
replete with options. clerics and monks who fight with the savagery of frenzied sharks.
There’s little to tell either group apart, but failure to do so can prove
Inhabitants fatal.
The Sons of Abnegation believe that denying their hunger for
In the city’s social circles, the amount and quality of flesh you
as long as possible is the greatest prayer to their god while the Gula
consume determines status. Ritual scarification is a common
preach that gluttony best expresses their faith. Mordiggian seems to
adornment; bites are often taken as a badge of fealty—fingers, ears,
favor each doctrine equally, but his divine hierarchy is violently split
lips, and noses devoured by greedy masters or carefully kept for use
between the two sects.

Members of both cults live and work out of the blood-streaked Upper City
ziggurats that ring the city. Plots and schemes—and outright civil
The Upper City lies on the almost horizontal top of the Maw. It
war—keep every temple and venture of the faith in uncertainty and
houses the powerful and influential, the most expensive markets,
turmoil.
and the seven great ziggurat-temples of Mordiggian’s priesthood.
CITY LOCATIONS Blind Tiger

One of the loop’s most prestigious venues, the Blind Tiger is a
Vultures Beyond is built on dust and unstable formations that shift
tenement of interlaced gaming halls, bars, brothels, and gladiatorial
and crumble without warning. Only the wealthiest landowners can
pits tucked away from the prying eyes of the authorities. Fresh water
afford solid, safe foundations on the level top of the Maw. Everyone
and food both pure and direly wicked can be procured within the
else lives with some degree of risk. The further down the slope you
walls, which are also enchanted to prevent scrying.
go, the more dangerous and unstable things are. If you’re lucky,
The Tiger’s master is Radhak Pascha, a supposedly disfigured
the dust is packed like clay, forming a relatively stable area. If not,
rakshasa never seen without an adamantine mask and his personal
a dwelling must be anchored to rare chunks of rock or tethered to
attendants: a pair of veiled medusa courtesans. Rumors say he lost
other buildings for support.
his eyes centuries ago to one of Mordiggian’s devils, and knowing that
they’re still out there somewhere, he’s made the Tiger a welcoming
Walls hub for stolen goods and smuggling deals in the hope of one day
The walls of Vultures Beyond are crumbled and broken, remnants of getting them back.
the last great invasion by the legions of Orcus (more than a century
ago) when he tried once more to seize back power over the hungry House of Esurience
dead. More piles of rubble than fortifications, the countless gaps A night Hag known only as Sweet Tooth won the deed to the House
are filled with grotesque vignettes: the impaled, still-living bodies of Esurience at the Casino (see p.36) years ago. Vampires, ghouls,
of demonic invaders, arched backwards and twitching in pain. The erinyes, and succubuses serve as courtesans, and services from the
mouth of each captive is sewn into the stomach of its neighbor in elegant to the grotesque are all available. Sweet Tooth herself is a
an endless chain of consumption. Virulent poison cycles endlessly regular visitor to Mora, the Children’s Table (see Shadow Planes &
through the throat and belly of each and every one. Pocket Worlds PDF), where she acquires fresh meat for favored guests.
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN VULTURES BEYOND (D20)

Other Locations
1. Child-ghouls with painted faces. Masquerading as street 12. Powerful aesthete (vampire, lich, epicurean ghoul, and so on)
performers, they’re looking to snare newcomers, stealing their aggressively courts a distinctive PC. There’s a 50/50 chance
purses and luring them into cramped spaces for an ambush. they’d like to either “preserve their beauty” (transform them
2. Twitchy and emaciated vampire, looking to beg or barter a into undead) or just devour them.
mouthful of blood. 13. Acid Rain. Shops, taverns, and the like become crowded
3. The Walking Prison marches by. Several prisoners plead for with creatures seeking shelter. Temporary rivers of acid turn
help and make outlandish promises in exchange for their the dust to gore. Vampires rush out to gorge themselves.
freedom. 14. The Sons of Abnegation and the Teeth of Gula battle openly
4. Two devils sewing up the mouth of a struggling ghoul for in the street.
breaking the feeding laws. 15. A passing lich from the Ossein Academy spies an item on
5. A helpful citizen offers to conduct the group to a speakeasy one of the PCs that it needs as a rare spell component.
where fresh water and food can be obtained for a steep price. 16. Violent dust storm descends upon the city for 1d12 hours
6. A beggar, three of his limbs gone, offers to exchange a handful (treat as a sandstorm).
3
of fingers for some food. 17. A pregnant woman offers to sell the PCs her unborn child.
7. Heralds and bodyguards clear the way for a palanquin hauled 18. Impromptu slave auction or meat market. There’s a 20%
by sweating slaves. It contains a powerful member of the city’s chance that it’s illegal and raided by Mordiggian’s forces or a
elite, followed by a trail of servants and sycophants. rival street gang.
8. A swaggering, newly created outsider looking to prove itself. 19. Street fight or tavern brawl breaks out. Combatants are…
9. Mammonite slavers hit town. They’re profligate spenders who (roll 1d8 twice) 1—criminal gang; 2—outsider servants of
demand only the best. Mordiggian; 3— foreign adventurers; 4 —exotic beast; 5—
powerful devil or demon serving another lord of Hell; 6—
10. Shifting foundations cause a nearby building to collapse. In the ghoulish citizens; 7—vampires; 8—ferocious local mortals.
lower city, this may well instigate an avalanche.
20. Smugglers (typically of slaves, water, or food): 50%
11. Time and space shift as Mordiggian alters his realm: distances chance they’re trying to masquerade as legitimate traders;
distort, streets change destination, souls warp into new and otherwise, PCs chance upon them while they’re doing
fearsome shapes, and the normal magical rules may change or something obviously illegal.
be negated for a time. The city becomes even more exotic and
nightmarish for 1d8 hours.

Ossein Academy change from the practical to the horrific (and back again) as you
A complex of bone white buildings, domed rooftops crawling with walk. Leather goods and ropes of hair and sinew give way to exotic
skull-faced gargoyles, the Ossein Academy is a school where liches skins and carved bone jewelry; fine restaurants give way to houses of
grudgingly impart the secrets of bone and blood magic. ill-repute and slave blocks.
Spellcasters of all wicked races come here to learn necromancy,
for the academy uses corpses and body parts just as thoroughly as Lower City
the city’s butchers and artisans. New animation and bone-hardening On the lower, steeper slopes of the Maw, locals are forced to huddle
techniques, uses of organs as components, skins as cloaks and robes. on uneven rocky protuberances or risk tumbling into the gullet of
Many also come in the hopes of prying the secrets of lichdom from the Negative Energy Plane. There are a few flat areas, but these are at
the Masters. The skills of unsuccessful priers dangle like wind chimes least partly covered by stairs of wood and bone, connected by ladders
from the walls. and rope bridges. Shifting dust becomes an increasingly common
hazard as you move down the city.
Seven Ziggurats Outside of the main access ways for the gristle yards, streets are
Blocks of ancient red stone. Stepped pyramids streaked in gore. narrow and twisting, choked with dust and ash and smoke from the
Piles of picked-clean skulls. Altars soaked black by blood and pitted city’s ovens and furnaces. Buildings lean together and overhang, and
by ichor. Yawning portals always open. Dark passages and fuliginous most of the lower city is in near-darkness.
shapes. These are the Seven Ziggurats, inside which the Hunger
Lord’s outsider and undead servants do their master’s work. Alleyway of the Speechless
Awful are these fanes, places of terror into which the living are This shifting back alley seems finite at first glance, but once you
dragged to pay their forfeits of flesh. Few of the living have ever enter the tight dark confines, the exit becomes ever elusive. The
seen beyond the outermost chambers—the receiving rooms and damned here have had their mouths sewn shut with threads of black
amputation chambers. Judging by the numbers of dead ferried adamantine: dehydrated and starving but unable to die. They’re used
within, and the outsiders that vomit forth in time in need, their as silent couriers and messengers.
innards must be twisted into looped and overlapping dimensions,
far bigger within than without. Cleaver Square
The streets around the gristle yards are filled with tanners, dyers,
Skintraders’ Loop butchers, and other workers. This is a rough area, home to brawling
All aspects of the skin trade have their outlet on the loop, which laborers and out-of-work mercenaries. Cleaver Square sits at the
rings the Maw like a garrote. Center of the city’s external commerce, heart of the yards—a market where cleaver-wielding butchers and
it’s a hub for foreign merchants and other visitors. The loop contains tanners proudly brag that anything can be skinned and filleted for
the city’s premier outlets for meat and related goods. Vendors subtly you.
3
Other Locations

Gristle Yards of Mordiggian’s outsiders, or otherwise interacts with the city, they
The city specializes in butchery, skinning, scrimshaw, leatherworking, must make a DC 30 Will Save. Those who fail discover that a four-
and cooking. Here’s where the raw materials are prepared. A steady digit number has appeared on their forehead, as if by arcane mark.
stream of corpses comes into the city, and not a scrap of their bone, This is their number in the city’s lottery. Allow PCs to roll their own
flesh, or hair is wasted: fat, oils, and ambergris, skin and bones, are number on 1d1000 (roll 1d10 three times to generate a number
stripped and processed from a myriad of creatures. The stench is from 1–1,000). This permanent arcane mark can be removed in the
truly vile, and the air is choked with rancid smoke. normal way, but canny visitors contrive to spend as long as possible
before acquiring one.
Kinegather Ghetto
By Mordiggian’s law, mortals must live in a steep-angled slum of PLAYING THE LOTTERY: Every intelligent living mortal creature
Vultures Beyond, enduring the smoke and stench of the city’s gristle in Evermaw must roll 1d1,000 each day. If the number they roll
yards. The ghetto’s leader is known as the Speaker of the Meat, more matches their arcane mark, then they have been selected (supposedly
a reluctant representative than a true leader. The current speaker at random) to “donate” a body part to the city in exchange for the
is a hard-eyed human, old before her time: Nilda Gray, a former continued protection of its mortal populace. The roll must be made
paladin who’s been forced to make far too many hard decisions for regardless of whether or not the character is in the city, but creatures
the greater good. She protects the majority as best she can but has outside of Evermaw are exempt (although the mark remains). The
long since ceased to weep over her failures. roll is made at the same time every day (at what passes for noon).
When “selected,” the mark is superimposed with Mordiggian’s skull
Walking Prison symbol until the debt has been collected. Characters must report to
The walking prison needs neither guards nor walls, for every cell is the nearest temple for harvesting; a reward is paid to anyone who
also a warden. delivers a marked creature. Failing to report to the temple is a crime
In this square, eleven times eleven devourers stand in rows. In punishable by additional forfeits.
each creature’s prison of ribs, a soul or mortal who broke one of If a PC “wins” the lottery and presents themselves for harvesting,
Evermaw laws. Visitors are permitted to walk among the devourers roll on the table below to determine what they’re required to give.
unmolested and even speak to prisoners (for a fee). They may also The size of the donation required does not always indicate its
purchase the use of a spell-like ability from one of the devourers, severity.
cast either immediately or on a scroll peeled from the soul of the
imprisoned. Mordiggian’s law is simple: if prisoners or their allies d100 Donation Required Suggestions
can pay their fine before the imprisoned soul is all used up, they may
01–40 Tiny Donation 1d3 fingers, eye, ear, nose, horn,
go free.
tongue
Other Locations
41–70 Small Donation Hand, foot, tail (if appropriate),

Dustfisher’s Run head
At the very bottom of the city, the maw is near vertical, and there 71–90 Medium Donation Arm, leg, wing (if appropriate)
are constant streams of dust and debris tumbling down. Ruined 91–00 Large Donation Whole body
buildings lean at impossible angles, and the only “streets” are
precarious ropeways. This is Dustfisher’s Run, and its inhabitants are The donation is (usually) collected by Mordiggian’s lesser servants
hungry and desperate even by the obscene standards of the realm. and the victim is released 1d3 hours later with minimal medical care.
Most rest their heads in tents or crude burrows in the dust, or they Nothing prevents the missing body parts from being regenerated as
wriggle into nooks and crannies, sleeping lightly and with a weapon normal.
to hand.
The dustfishers are beggars and scavengers. They sift and sieve
trinkets, scraps, and debris from the constant flow of sand, looking Crime & Punishment
for enough to sate their ravenous hunger each day and hoping to Mordiggian does not indulge in the labyrinthine bureaucracy
make that one big score that will allow them buy their way higher up favored by his more lawful counterparts, nor does he allow anarchy
the city. and abject chaos. He largely leaves the city to fend for itself—
3
enforcing order when necessary but, generally, allowing inhabitants

the freedom to prey upon each other in the shadows.
LIFE IN VULTURES BEYOND A common punishment for minor crimes is to be condemned
Amidst its many open horrors, visitors are often surprised to see to the “second draw” of the lottery—this a straight 1% chance of
the people of Vultures Beyond going about the common business of being selected. This punishment can last a single day (for minor
everyday life. Porters pass with bales of household goods upon their infractions), be ongoing for a period of days, or (in the case of more
shoulders. Drunkards slur loudly in taverns and bazaars. Harlots serious crimes) until the offender can persuade or bribe one of
lounge in alleyways. Merchants squat beneath awnings or in shops Mordiggian’s servants to lift it.
much like merchants elsewhere—although their wares are very More serious crimes are often punished by a direct “meat fine”
different, and the most common currency is meat or souls. (removal of a specific body part or a set number of bites taken from
the victim). Imprisonment usually takes the form of incarceration
The Lottery at the Walking Prison. Those condemned to serve in Mordiggian’s
The first time (and every subsequent time until they fail) that a living temples are usually never seen again: they grace the tables of his
character buys something from a resident, makes a deal with one favored angels and, sometimes, of the archdaemon himself.

THE MARKETPLACE
By Brian Suskind
“Welcome to the marketplace, sirs. You’ll not leave disappointed—unless

Disappointment is what you’ve come to buy, of course! For this place has
everything, and I mean everything! You want celestial tears? Two stalls that
way. Flame-wracked organs of a risen demon? Down two levels, across the
bridge, and look for the sign with the shriveled pixies stuck to it. Bottles of
distilled soul? Well now, I happen to have one right here, traded fresh from the
River Styx this very morning for a hundredweight of Hate. Yours for its volume
in Hope or a day’s Voice or the like in trade.”
—Honest Sarn, typical Marketplacer
magine a city growing outward in all directions from a spherical HISTORY

I core: a metropolis formed entirely of stacked shops, stores, and
stalls connected by bridges of rope, wood, and bone where the “The Marketplace is easy to find. Every place where goods get switched
buildings shift position, anything in the planes can be had for the or money jingles intersects with the Marketplace somewhere or
right price, and dangerous mysteries lurk in the darkness below your somehow. Ye can also try lookin’ fer a gate. Jest go to the biggest berg
feet. ye can find, and look for the sign of the sphere. It’ll be there. Most cities
3
have a shop or three with a front door in the mortal world and a back
Welcome to the Marketplace. door in the Marketplace.”
—Phoebos the Scrivener
Other Locations
The Marketplace is a crossroads in the branches of many a planar
road. A confused array of structures, a three-dimensional maze of Creation of the Plane: The Marketplace was created around the time
shops and stalls, where new markets sprout and spread like fungus of the dawn of the planes to be a place where trade, commerce, and
and shoppers can wander into and out of many worlds. communication could occur without the interference of the constant
struggle between good and evil, chaos and law. A grand conclave of
PLANAR TRAITS gods and other beings of power met in a tiny demiplane and there,
in a rare moment of cooperation, pooled their resources to capture
The whole of this plane is a sprawling urban environment in the
an idea. Commerce, the very archetype of all trade, barter, and
rough shape of a sphere.
exchange, was given spirit and form and was harnessed to become
• Self-Contained Shape: The Marketplace is a sphere. It’s possible the core of a new plane. On that featureless sphere, the gathered
to find the top, but many of its paths wrap back on themselves, beings declared that, henceforth, the new plane would be neutral
and creatures flying into the misty void beyond eventually find ground and no god, demon, devil, or other entity there gathered or
themselves flying downward toward it once more. any yet to come would ever try to possess it.
• Sentient Morphic: As agents of the Core, the Auditors can
Building the Marketplace: When the first mortal travelers reached
modify the Marketplace when six or more of them work together.
the sphere, they found the first layer of shops waiting for them
• Neutral Aligned Plane: Due to the treaty that caused its creation, and they called the plane “Marketplace.” Over the centuries, more
the Marketplace is outside of alignment-based struggles and travelers came and went, and as they did so, they built upward until
conflicts. the first layer and hundreds above it were covered over with new
• Impeded Magic: For the most part, magic acts normally with levels of shops and streets.
a notable exception: spells and effects that attempt to alter the
landscape (such as stone shape, move earth, or earthquake) are The Rise of the Auditors: About 500 years after the Marketplace’s
impeded due to the Auditors’ influence. creation, a new race of beings emerged from the buried levels. These
red-cloaked living constructs appeared to be an offshoot of inevitables
There is no sky or stars or sun in the Marketplace. Ambient light and called themselves the Auditors. Virtually overnight, the Auditors
from the atmosphere gives off an illumination similar to twilight and seized control of law-enforcement in the Marketplace, crushing any
the temperature is constant, though somewhat tepid. and all opposition with overwhelming numbers. However, instead of
The layers of the Marketplace, in descending order, are… cementing their rule over the plane, the Auditors decreed that there

would be no law, no rules except for one: trade must continue. Since
that time, anything that disrupts the flow of commerce has been met While only the size of a large city, the Marketplace economy
with unforgiving force.
is more vigorous and vibrant than most metropolises.
Over the centuries since their rise, the Auditors have been
channeling the emotional and spiritual energy released by the
THE MARKETPLACE
act of commerce down into the Core where they are infusing the
Neutral Large city (augmented)
personified commerce in an attempt to create a new god. It is not
clear if the Auditors were born from the Core’s heart in order to feed Corruption +5; Crime +3; Economy +9; Law +0; Lore +6;
itself or if they came from outside the Marketplace in order to feed Society +6
the Core’s heart. Qualities: Academic, Magically Attuned, Notorious,
Prosperous, Strategic Location, Tourist Attraction
The Portal Plague and Mammon’s Greed: The recent history of the Danger +20
Marketplace is marred by two events, both of which have left their Demographics
mark. About 50 years ago, a fundamental shift in the fabric of the Government: Council (Guilds), Secret Syndicate (Cartels)
Marketplace created a rash of portals to other planes. These new and Overlord (the Auditors)
gates open and close randomly but seem to lead only connect the
Population: 15,000 (approximately 3,000 human; 2,000 elves;
Marketplace to markets in large cities. While too chaotic to make
2,000 dwarves; 2,000 fey; 2,000 outsiders; 1,000 halflings;
for regular trade routes, these portals have led to a new influx of
1,000 gnomes; 2,000 other)
travelers and immigrants. Unfortunately, as word of the riches of
the Marketplace spread far and wide, it attracted some unwanted Marketplace
attention. Mammon, the Arch-demon of Greed, attempted to You can find just about anything here if you look long enough.
infiltrate the Marketplace with his thralls 25 years ago in an attempt Base Value: 16,200 gp; Purchase Limit: none; Spellcasting:
to secretly gain control. His plan was ultimately thwarted, but it 9th and epic
is said that many of the demon’s agent are still hidden among the Minor Items: all; Medium Items: all; Major Items: all
population and many incidents are attributed to these demonic
terrorists.
Current Marketplace: Today, the plane buzzes with the sounds

not—atmosphere of competition between them. However, the locals
of commerce and trade. Plane-traveling caravans arrive daily to
have learned to switch loyalty quickly in case they find themselves
bargain with mighty merchant guilds in their gilded towers. Shops
transported to a new ward.
of all shapes and sizes offer everything imaginable. Travelers of every
Other Locations
Now, some buildings do not move due to powerful magics

race from across the planes walk the streets. Amidst all of that, the
holding them in place, so the Uppermarket wards have taken on the
Auditors silently patrol ensuring that trade, and the Marketplace,
names of these famous and unmovable buildings within them. Life
continues.
within each ward is controlled by powerful guilds or organizations,
which regulate trade, accept tithes from local businesses, and provide
GEOGRAPHY “protection” for the inhabitants.
Uppermarket Undermarket
Usually just called the Market or Marketplace, the Uppermarket
As the Marketplace grew, new shops and buildings were built over
is the surface of the sphere. The streets and alleys are lined with
the old in a never-ending cycle. As a result, below the street are layers
anywhere from three to five levels of shops, stores, and stalls.
of the remains of buildings from ages past. The first five layers are
Haphazard timber bridges connect various floors, giving the streets
occupied by those whose activities were too dark, odd, or evil for
a web-like look of being draped with rope and wood. The buildings
even the Marketplace’s already open-minded nature. While you
are patchwork, constructed of whatever material was available at the
might find morally questionable or cursed objects up above, in the
time, though some of the larger structures, such as the Towers of the
Undermarket, the items are probably stolen, soaked in death, or
3
Trading Guilds, are more carefully made of stone and steel. Wagons,
prohibited by various religions. Anything that you cannot find in the
mounts, and other vehicles travel on the wood and stone cobbled
Uppermarket is assuredly for sale in the Undermarket, assuming that
streets while the upper floors are open only to foot traffic.
you survive to reach it. The Undermarket is only vaguely patrolled
The Uppermarket is roughly divided into four wards—
by the Auditors and is primarily controlled by gangs and powerful
Ascendant, Crucible, Wentletrap, and Openhand—by the major
warlords.
avenues running between the four Grand Plazas. But unlike other
urban centers, the wards of the Marketplace are not organized
by similar occupations, such as a merchant ward or temple ward.
Depths
This type of arrangement never developed in the Marketplace After about five layers, the Undermarket gives way to the Depths.
because, from time to time, some of the buildings and even whole This is a place of dungeon-like passages and caverns hewn from
streets mysteriously change locations in the blink of an eye. These ancient buildings, shops, and structures. The creatures that inhabit
alterations cause neither damage nor injury. Most inhabitants blame these dark places are true monsters. Some are creatures escaped
the Auditors and whisper that the Marketplace’s odd guardians have from various stores over the centuries, others wandered in through
their own hidden reasons why they move things about. some portal, and still others are desperate folk who shunned the
The inhabitants of each ward take great pride in their Marketplace above in favor of the harsh world of the Depths. Fortune
neighborhoods. There is a generally healthy—though frequently seekers have recently begun exploring the Depths searching for lost
treasures and secrets.

The Core canny leadership but for his girth. Becoming fat, for a race with a
hyperbolic metabolism that lives on honey and sugar, is quite an
At the heart of the Marketplace is the Core, a half-mile diameter
accomplishment.
stone sphere that supports all the upper layers. Some say that the
sphere is the bound essence of commerce itself: literally, an idea
given form and substance and then bound to the demiplane. It is
Ever River
from here that the Auditors derive. Whether they are created by As one of the major connections in the planes, the Ever River also
some hidden race or emerge from the sphere itself, none can say. No influences the Marketplace. It flows out of the “sky”—falling like
one has successfully delved down to the Core and returned. a waterfall at one end of the sphere—and splits to flow around
Within the Core are crystalline spawning crèches and flesh tanks the circumference until it meets at a harbor on the other side of
where humanoids are stripped of their skins and skills only to be the Marketplace where it flows up—like an inverse waterfall—to
grafted to the Auditors. These chambers surround the nascent heart continue on its course through the planes.
of commerce personified, but none besides the Auditors have ever Where the river arrives and leaves the Marketplace are two
witnessed this wonder. harbors, complete with dock and warehouse facilities. Most people
use the river to dispose of garbage, bodies, and anything anyone
wants to forget.
MAJOR LOCATIONS
“Just remember, friends. While you will certainly find what you seek, be Grand Plazas
sure that’s a good thing. For upsphere or downsphere, the Marketplace There are four large plazas in the Marketplace located where the
ain’t for the unwary.” plane is connected to four planar roads. The plazas are surrounded
—Four-Fingered Johan, ‘Splosives and Such by the businesses of large trade groups, powerful beings, and other
(shop on Backbite Street, SW Openhand Ward) major players in the city. Every day, caravans of planar merchants are
either leaving or arriving from these strategic points.
There are hundreds of interesting places to see in the Marketplace, Centered in each plaza are the Thorn Gates, arches formed from
but even in a city this diverse, there are a few that stand above the the intersection of 100-ft.-tall ivory spines carved with all manner
rest. Unless otherwise noted, these locations do not ever change of arcane glyphs. Simply passing through the arch allows access to
position. either Marketplace or road. However, the location of the gate along
the planar road tends to change. There are many theories as to why,
Aerie but most believe that the Thorn Gates are attracted to planes with the
The massive, inverted cone of a tower known as the Aerie is perhaps strongest commerce. The Grand Plazas never change location.
one of the most well known buildings in the Marketplace—and not The four plazas have elements of the Planar Roads they are
3
just because it stands balanced on a point no wider than a coin. The connected to, and as such, are very distinctive.
Aerie is the headquarters and home of the Right Honorable Guild of
Couriers and Guides. Made up primarily of a clan of unseelie pixies, Arbor Plaza: This plaza is located at the top of the sphere, on the
Other Locations
the guides have been in the Marketplace almost since its founding. border between Ascendant and Crucible Wards. The ground here
This duration has given its members the unique ability to locate any appears to be wood, but it is harder than stone. At the edges of the
building that has been moved by the Auditors. This is handy because plaza, the wood merges back into the normal cobblestones of the
the Aerie changes location almost every day, flitting from ward to Marketplace. The Thorn Gate is linked to the World Tree.
ward almost as if the Marketplace cannot make up its mind where
it should be. Weaver’s Plaza: Located at the equator, between the Ascendant and
Distinctive in their blue uniforms, the pixies have turned this Openhand Wards, the ground in this plaza looks as if it were made
ability into a career, flitting about and hiring themselves out as from woven together spider webs. The Thorn Gate is linked to the
guides. The cost is set by the guide at the time of the hiring and can Webways.
be anything from coin to food to something shiny. The average price
is usually about 5 gp, which seems expensive but it is time consuming Purgatories Plaza: Set at the bottom of the sphere, this plaza is
if not impossible to find a moved building without a guide. Recently, shared by the Wentletrap and Openhand Wards. There are pipes
the guides have opened up membership to other small, flying races and conduits that are imbedded in the ground, leading out from
like mephits, imps, quasits, and even a small family of awakened the Thorn Gate and extending until they vanish underground. The
stirges who only accept a sip of blood for their fee. Thorn Gate is linked to the Underwalk.
The clan chief is a shrewd fellow called Rotund Tam (LN pixie
aristocrat 4/rogue 8) who is revered by his people not only for his Shades Plaza: This equatorial plaza is set between the Wentletrap
and Crucible Wards. The area around the Thorn Gate appears to be
made of shadows, but this effect fades toward the edges of the plaza
were the normal cobblestones become dominant. The Thorn Gate is
Sustenance linked to the Shadow Road.
Since there are no fields or farms in this plane, all food and
water must be imported into the Marketplace by caravan. The Wards
Prices are harshly regulated to keep demand in check and to
Ascendant Ward
prevent riots. Many enterprising clerics make good coin by
wandering the streets casting create food and water on demand This ward of the Marketplace is named after Shining Ascension, a
for those who can pay. magnificent golden palace built by the efreeti Vaili. The glow from

Other Locations
the shining dome increases the illumination of the neighborhood the lair of an ancient red dragon or taking a nap in the bedchamber
significantly. The signs and flags of the buildings in the ward often of a king, the trespassers see every obstacle as a lure, every do-not-
depict some form of domed palace on them. enter sign as a dare. The current chairman is Sir Wilhelmina Kandler
(CG rogue 5/ranger 5), a woman who’s temper is nearly as famous as
Controlling Organization: her exploits.
Day to day operations in the ward is handled by the Goldstamp
Cartel, a loose association of fey, genies, and celestials. The members Lesser Groups:
of this group hold long-range merchant concerns, including Blackshield Caravan Company: Upstart import businesses run by a
caravans and planar sailing ships, as well as controlling interest in former adventuring group.
the larger businesses in the ward. It is rumored that the cartel is
Clockwork Liberation Army: Public office of the plane-spanning
trying to expand their influence downward into the Undermarket.
emancipation movement dedicated to freeing all clockwork beings
Traditionally, the cartel has a long-standing relationship with the
from their slavery at the hands of the “fleshed.”
Association of Alchemists, Artificers, and Arcanists in the Crucible
Ward, and while the two compete, they do so without malice, for the
Notable NPCs:
3
most part. However, recent clashes between the cartel and the Divine
Darby Threegrow: (CN leprechaun bard 10) This merry fey is the
Intermediaries Union, might strain this alliance.
spokesman for the Goldstamp Cartel. He is the public face of the
organization and, as such, walks the Ward daily using his bardic
Notable Locations:
talents to put a cheerful demeanor on the Cartel’s yoke.
The Trespasser’s Club: Located at Adventurer’s Way, Ascendant
Ward. This austere three-level brick and marble building could be Vaili the Efreeti: (LE efreeti aristocrat 4) The reclusive and powerful
a bank or the domicile of some rich philanthropist. Only the small genie takes little to no interest in the affairs of the Marketplace,
bronze plaque by the oak doors—”The Trespasser’s Club”—gives a preferring to spend his time in his studies. However, once each
hint to its true nature. This building is the headquarters of a social club month, he offers a lottery with the prize being one free wish granted.
for daredevil explorers, thieves, swashbucklers, and adventurers. The It is said that those who win are not always happy with the results.
interior is filled with mementos of successes, failures, and everything
in between. The broken staff of an archmage, a deva’s hairbrush, half Plot Hooks:
a bottle of Odin’s personal mead: a thousand souvenirs, each with its Rumors abound that the Trespasser’s Club is looking for a few
own story of high adventure. brave souls to become members, assuming they pass the entrance
They challenge themselves and each other to gain access to challenge.
places where they are not suppose to be. Whether it is stealing into

Crucible Ward Lesser Groups:
Strange smells and visible odors drift among the buildings of this The Mummers: A guild of jesters, comics, mimes, and clowns trying
ward. All of this is thanks to the famous Alchemical Fountain. to organize and control entertainment venues in the Marketplace.
Flanked by no less than three different guilds devoted to alchemy,
the fountain is an artifact of multi-tiered pools that daily produces Notable NPCs:
various alchemical reagents that trickle and flow in a never-ending Sasalin: A sad example of the dangers of addiction, the nymph
dance of combination and reaction. Images of fountains abound on Sasalin was once a beautiful fey running a successful Baths. But too
signs, storefronts, and flags. much exposure to the Alchemical Fountain has reduced her to a
hopeless addict who only wants to swim in the fountain’s chaotic
Controlling Organization: pools. If you can catch her in one of her lucid moments, Sasalin can
The recreationally medicated Association of Alchemists, Artificers, be a surprising source of local information.
and Arcanists more or less runs this ward when they can be pried
away from their labs and workrooms. Devoted to exploration, Plot Hooks:
experimentation and distribution, the association charters caravans, Someone has been robbing the high-end shops on Sanctum
funds far-ranging expeditions, and seeks to sell its wares wherever Boulevard, and the only evidence has been a strange orange liquid
it can. They have alliances with both the Goldstamp Cartel and left at each crime scene. Now, there’s a reward if the perpetrator can
the Divine Intermediaries Union. However, the growing animosity caught and the merchandise returned.
between these two organizations may force the association to choose
sides. Meanwhile, the Char’x’dal Banking Consortium has been Openhand Ward
eyeing the Crucible with hungry avarice. Inhabitants of this ward live in the shadow of the massive Statue of the
Hand. Built just after the founding of the Marketplace, it is said that
Notable Locations: this sculpture of an upraised arm and open palmed hand is merely
The Brothers Bendrazzi: The three major alchemist guilds in the the top of a statue of a man long buried beneath the accumulated
ward were all founded by one of three triplet halfling brothers. layers of the city. Decorations and flags on the buildings feature the
Unfortunately, a falling out over alchemical formulae has led to sign of a hand.
not only the estrangement between the siblings but also three
competitive guilds in place of one. Controlling Organization:
The rakshasa controlled Char’x’dal Banking Consortium holds a
Alchemist Guild of the Sphere: Located at Fountain Square, controlling interest in this ward. The members are all rakshasa, and
3
Crucible Ward. This tall stone building has an elegant sign in front their uniformed guards patrol the streets in force. While this might
marked only with the letter “A” in flowing silver script. Run by seem oppressive, most business owners take comfort in the peace
Togford Bendrazzi (CG halfling alchemist 12), it was the first of the that is brutally enforced in the Openhand Ward. The consortium
Other Locations
alchemist guilds founded in the Marketplace. It specializes in healing would like nothing more than to take control of the other Wards,
and curing potions, salves, and ointments. but their schemes are long-reaching and convoluted, just like the
rakshasa.
Guild of Marketplace Alchemists: Located at Fountain Square,
Crucible Ward. This tall stone building has a massive golden letter Notable Locations:
“A” affixed to the front of it. Run by Bogdale Bendrazzi (LN halfling
Klamber’s Clockwork Curiosities: Set into a small clock tower, this
alchemist 10), it was the second of the alchemist guilds to be created.
shop specializes in all manner of clockwork and machinery. Zoldolpus
It specializes in utility potions like invisibility, levitation, and the like.
Klamber (NG wizard 20), the owner and proprietor, appears to be an
old human with wild white hair and beard who delights in creating
Marketplace Alchemist’s Guild: Located at Fountain Square,
constructs, hands out clockwork toys to children, and never has a
Crucible Ward. This tall stone building is actually shaped like a giant
mean thing to say about anyone. Unbeknownst to virtually everyone
letter “A.” Run by Kogzul Bendrazzi (LE halfling alchemist 11), it is
in the Marketplace, the real Zoldolpus died centuries ago. The being
the most recent alchemist guild and specializes in harmful potions
who calls himself by that name was the old wizard’s greatest creation:
and poisons.
a living construct so cunningly crafted as to be indistinguishable
from a normal human. The current Zoldolpus is, secretly, one of the
Law and Order

The Auditors harshly stamp down anything that disrupts Coinage and Barter
the flow of trade, but they ignore everything else. To fill the
gap, each ward fields its own guards. These are little more Most merchants in the Marketplace offer their goods for
than hired thugs: primarily interested in the needs of their the standard amounts, though most will price things out by
employers and in lining their own pockets. Besides these weight as coins from across the planes vary. However, there
groups, there are also smaller forces such as mercenary are other types of payments that are perfectly legal. Bartering
bands, hired by concerned merchants, which see to the is one example. There are merchants who will not take coin,
protection of one or two city blocks. There is even a roaming but will exchange their goods for items that catch their eye. In
band of paladin vigilantes (see the Arm of the Blind, below), addition, certain other monetary units from other planes are
taking the law into their own hands. legal in the Marketplace such as the tokens from the Casino.

most powerful wizards in the city but steadfastly refuses to use his ray (CL 15) twice before losing the power. However, behind the glitz
powers for anything but the fabrication of his clockwork creations. and fakery, Tenkar does have a few actual artifacts that he is seeking
to sell.
The Casino: At the edge of one of the Grand Plazas, this building
looks like a towering marble structure with 10-foot-high glowing Lesser Groups:
letters, reading “The Casino.” However, the building is no more than The Society Arcana: A guild of mages who is attempting to wrest
a thin façade for a portal leading to the gambling plane of the same control of the ward away from the union.
name (see p.36). Up a short flight of stairs, is a golden door that
always stands open. Two figures guard this door: one is the beautiful Notable NPCs:
half-serpent Vissilia (CG lillend) and the other is the terrifying devil
The Feathered Seer: (LN awakened owl oracle 20) The being known
Huzor (LE bearded devil). When they are not cajoling passersby to
as the Feathered Seer is one of the most respected, misunderstood
enter, they flirt outrageously with each other.
and powerful inhabitants of the Marketplace. When she can be
persuaded to speak, she reveals not the answer you want but the
Lesser Groups: answer you need.
Healing Hands: Located in Openhand is the headquarters of the Plot Hooks:

Healing Hands, a network of healers, physicians, and clerics who
A robed figure has been seen wandering the streets of the ward
bring their gifts of healing not only to the Marketplace but also to
claiming to be a new god. Anyone who approaches the being
troubled areas across the planes. Their members are distinctive in
vanishes. Local businesses are offering a reward for anyone who can
their white habits and beak-like masks.
persuade the disruptive figure to leave.
Notable NPCs:
Four-fingered Johan: (CG aasimar rogue 2/alchemist 5) Beloved MINOR LOCATIONS
by children across the Marketplace, this merchant is instantly The Marketplace is mostly made up of stores, so a complete listing
recognizable by his cart full of fireworks that he pulls behind him. would require its own sourcebook. However, the sheer number of
Johan makes his trade by selling small fireworks to children and establishments allows ultimate flexibility for the GM since anything
businesses, but it is rumored that he knows how to make much, can be found there.
much larger explosives. Below is a list of stores and shops that can be dropped into any
ward.
Plot Hooks:
Other Locations
Folks are whispering that Bron Larot, a local peddler, is secretly a Bevi’s Potion Trough: The manic fetchling alchemist, Bevi Vernah
Mammon cultist who has stolen one of the consortium’s most closely (CN alchemist 8) offers discount potions and experimental elixirs.
guarded secrets. Can the PCs get to him before the Rakshasa do? Results not guaranteed.
Wentletrap Ward Corpses for Components: This unique business is run by Jep Vosk
(NE redcap ranger 5). Bring in a monster corpse, and Jep will render
This ward is named for the portion of the Infinite Staircase that rises
it into spell components suitable for most metamagic applications,
up above the buildings. There does not appear to be any method of
each in its own monogrammed pouch.
accessing the stair from the Marketplace, but that does not stop the
occasional attempt. Many of the ward’s buildings fly flags featuring
Cuckoo’s Bounty: This quaint little shop buys and sells time. The
stylized images of spirals.
proprietor, a rogue bythos aeon who goes by the name of Tock, will
buy moments of your life from move actions up to hours. These, he
Controlling Organization:
sells as stones that, when broken, grant extra time.
The Divine Intermediaries Union, a spiritually minded guild, keeps
the peace in this ward thanks to their faith and a judicious use of Forgiveness and Indulgencies: Opened by a disgruntled cleric, this
3
divination. Members include not only clerics and oracles but also shop quickly grew to be despised by every church in the city. For a
people of faith, no matter who the deity. For the last 10 years, the sharp fee, ex-father Mathis Skeen (NE cleric of the Void 10) will cast
union has attempted to move their control into the Ascendant Ward. atonement or any other spell to set you right with your god. After he
Thus far, their plans have been blocked by the Goldstamp Cartel. lost his faith, Skeen came to worship the idea that since the gods can
die, they are false gods. The only true deity is the void itself because
Notable Locations: eventually everything returns to it.
Honest Tenkar’s Relics and Artifacts: Located at Platinum Avenue,
Wentletrap Ward. With advertisements seen across the Marketplace, Green Hand: A unique shop—even for the Marketplace—this
most have heard of Honest Tenkar’s. The establishment itself is a establishment is actually a massive oak tree whose branches reach
gaudy shop with overblown décor. The signs in the window claim up to shade nearly the entire street. Run by T’sak Murelle (CN dryad
that within can be found authentic and powerful holy relics and druid 8), the store specializes in collecting, growing, and selling rare
artifacts. and often dangerous flora.
The proud owner is Tenkar Ruphus Ardlo (CN rogue 5/wizard
8), a cunning little half-fiend gnome, who offers no guarantees and Madam Nova’s Aspectorium: The famed beauty herself, Madam
no refunds. The truth is that most are minor magic items with flashy Nova Deverandu (LE aristocrat 3/wizard 10) will change your
one- or two-use abilities, such as a +1 longsword that can cast polar physical features for a modest sum. The more she alters your form

the more expensive her fee. As an added bonus, Madam Nove also owner. It moves around quite a bit, but these changes appear to be at
grafts on new parts if you provide the raw materials. Mother’s will. It’s said that if you want to find Mother, you will, but if
you don’t want to find her, you most certainly will.
Quadle’s Quaffs: Potions and alchemical concoctions made by Mother provides a steady trade in cursed items. However, she
Quadle (CG alchemist 5), a near-sighted pseudodragon. is up front about her stock. She deals in items that still have some
value even though they are cursed. Sometimes this is because the
Temple of the Fallen: Over the millennia, gods and other beings of “curse” is more of a defect or malfunction, such as a class or racial
power have risen and fallen. This strange little church pays homage requirement or a necessary environmental condition. For the prices
to these lost gods by allowing their followers a place to worship their she offers, some of these items could actually be useful. Also for sale
memory. What the owner, Father Stefan (N cleric 15), gets out it, are more standard cursed items to inflict upon your foes or to poison
none can say. a treasure against thieves. Mother can also “cure” you of a cursed
item but only if she gets to keep it, and she’ll exact as much additional
Thogar’s Meats: Rare meats and victuals from across the planes fee as she can squeeze out of a desperate customer.
prepared by Thogar (CN barbarian 3), an over-enthusiastic half-ogre Some examples of her stock are everburning torches that only
butcher work in daylight, magical weapons that cannot be sheathed or
dropped until they have tasted blood, healing potions that only work
on specific combinations of races and genders, one-use-per-day
INHABITANTS magic items that must be recharged with a spell of a lesser level, and
“My dear fellow, I may be a mimic, but whatever gave you the hungry bags of holding that have a 10% chance of eating an item
impression that was all I was? Now, have at you!” when it is placed inside.
—Vissool Gaggaarth, mimic gentleman spy
Phoebus the Scrivener
The inhabitants and guilds of the Marketplace are as diverse and Male CN tiefling rogue 8
fascinating as the planes themselves. The following characters are Scrounger, information broker, thief, and professional ne’er-do-
just a few samples of the types of NPCs found there. well, Phoebus the Scrivener is all that and more. While officially his
stock and trade is scribing, the reality is that he is one of the most
Darvin Ghest and the Arm of the Blind connected individuals in the city. If ever you needed someone with
Male LG human paladin 12 a finger on the pulse of the Marketplace, Phoebus is your tiefling.
Once a paladin of great renown, Darvin Ghest is now a cautionary His reputation is such that he has carefully balanced those who love
tale told to young initiates upon entering a religious order. As the him against those who hate him. For a modest fee, he will share his
3
story goes, Ghest was a powerful and charismatic leader who arrived information or actively seek out some bit of gossip or secret for you.
in the Marketplace hunting a fugitive. When he arrived, he saw such
sin, corruption, and (to his mind) evil that he vowed then and there Vissool Gaggaarth
Other Locations
to root out the darkness. But he found that the powers-that-be did LN mimic rogue 8
not see the world in black and white as did the paladin. Ghest tried Inquisitor, thief-catcher, bounty hunter, and freelance spy. Possessing
to convince the guilds and factions that since justice is blind, it ought a genius-level intellect, impeccable fashion sense, a way with
to apply to everyone. He was rebuffed. Some say that it was then that the ladies, and the ability to bite through bone, the suave mimic
the mighty paladin cracked. is respected and feared by his friends and foes alike. As a mimic,
Darvin Ghest left the Marketplace for a time, and when he Vissool will often use his shape-changing ability to become some
returned, it was at the head of a band of paladins, gathered up from innocent looking piece of furniture in order to spy upon his targets
many different orders, calling themselves the Arm of the Blind. before confronting them.
Unlike most paladins, these warriors shed the plate mail and horses
for disguises and ambushes. For the Arm of the Blind became paladin
vigilantes, meting out their own brand of justice on the harsh streets
of the Marketplace. USING THE PLANE
Members of the Arm of the Blind are hidden among the general Adventure Seeds
population. They stay hidden, despite extensive efforts by one guild
or another to stamp them out, by acting in small cells, using their
• Too Many Portals: Portals have begun appearing all over
own secret sign language to pass messages, and never confronting
the Marketplace disgorging monsters, beasts, and surprised
the evils directly. Instead, they do their best to disrupt criminal
sentient creatures. This uncontrolled influx is causing havoc
organizations, working their way up the chains until they can take
and disrupting trade. The Auditors appear occupied closing the
out the leaders.
portals when they open, so the great merchant groups have put
out a rare joint call for adventurers to discover the origin of this
“Mother” portal plague and stop it.
Female CE night hag sorcerer 6
• War: The Cult of Mammon is gearing up for another attempt
The night hag called “Mother” by most is as much of a mystery as to seize control of the Marketplace. Using agents infiltrated into
she is a legend. Some say she has gone by many names—Crone of the various merchant organizations, they hope to create enough
the Wastes, Old Nan, Rotten Nannananna, Baba Yaga—and that conflict and tension between these groups for the Marketplace to
whole kingdoms have risen and fallen by her doing. Mother runs a erupt into outright warfare.
shop of out a little building that seems held together out of fear of its

THE PLANE OF SPEARS
By John Pope
“Blood and iron. Nothing characterizes the so-called Plane of Spears as well
as those two words. It is said by some that this plane is a punishment for those
who reveled in killing when they lived. Others say that it is a holy reward for
the most valorous, and still others that it is the echo of every war ever fought.
Perhaps all of them are right, for certainly, the clamor of battle never fades.”
—Janeth Brightblade, human paladin of Valor
ost people think of the Plane of Spears as a place of eternal GEOGRAPHY

M battle, a place where wars and echoes of those wars are
fought over and over with no winner ever being decided and “Above the battlefields float the castles of the Lords of Battle, who many
nothing ever really changing. This perception has some truth, but count gods, such as Marvos and Baal. It is to these castles that the
it takes far too simple a view of what war, and more importantly, enterprising seek to journey and from these lairs of powers both fair
conflict mean. On this plane, anger and swords solve disputes rather and foul that those who need something from the plane below venture
than words; here, the armies of gods test their mettle against their forth and retreat back to for safety. Not that the castles are always safe,
foes, and rag-tag bands of refugees battle the elements to survive in for the plane is littered with the ruins of castles. Ruins that become the
the wake of war. The most important thing, though, is that the plane sites of sieges and the lairs of fell beasts able to keep the press of battle
does change: wars are won and lost, and the nature of the plane itself away.”
changes slowly but surely over time. —Denard, dwarf engineer
Other Locations
The Plane of Spears appears to be the size of a large continent

PLANAR TRAITS surrounded by a vast ocean, all on a single, flat expanse. In addition
• Self-Contained Shape: The Plane of Spears has a land area to the land and ocean, the plane has a sun and a moon that behave
equivalent to a large continent and is surrounded by a vast much like their companions on the Prime Material Plane.
ocean. Sailing to the edge of the ocean returns the vessel to the The landmass is what people usually refer to as the Plane of
ocean across the plane. Spears, though the surrounding ocean is just as much a part of the
plane as the land. On the land, all the usual features of a world on
• Gravity: Normal. the Prime Material Plane can be found: mountains, rivers, plains,
• Alterable Morphic and deserts among them. However, every feature that offers some
sort of tactical significance is ground where battles regularly take
• Heart of Battle: All creatures find violence to their liking here place. Unlike on the Prime Material where years may pass without
and gain a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls. conflict, here, it is unusual for such tactically significant features to
• Enhanced Magic: Spells and affects used in mass battles are remain uncontested for more than a month, and often, they are in a
enhanced, but other uses of magic are unaffected. state of constant conflict. This fills the land with fortifications and
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• Changed Magic: Characters who die in battle on the Plane of

Spears are automatically raised the next dawn, teleporting to
home or their allies and unit. A New Dawn
At the start of each of new day in the Plane of Spears, those
The plane is a perilous place for mortals. Dying can lead to an eternity who were slain in battle are returned to life and health with the
here, and it is rare not to come to blows in a journey across the plane. allies of the prior day. However, those who die in the plane find
Yet there is much to draw someone from the Prime Material Plane it very difficult to ever leave the plane. Many adventurers have
here: you can access certain gods more easily (since they hold court discovered that temporary glory in battle can become eternal
and plan strategy in keeps above the plane), you can find the spirits glory in battle.
of great generals and petition them for advice, you can recruit heroes It is said that spells that return the dead to life can free
for some war that threatens all of existence, or you can find great someone from the plane’s grip, but there are few who can swear
weapons that have struck down angels and demons alike. Here, all to the truth of that. However, few are willing to allow such
those tasks are achieved only through conflict, some battle, which magics to be used on them, thus causing them to fail, for the
must be overcome. Here you triumph or die trying.
Plane of Spears is greedy and clings to those who have died in
battle.

ruins, giving places that offer some semblance of shelter to those who magic and trickery, seized control of this keep. It had stood firmly on
control them. the ground, but soon after they seized it, the twins used their powers
While those who are unable to live under water give little thought to raise it into the sky, like all the other great powers of the plane. It
to the ocean, it is also a place of conflict. Battles rage underwater as is said that was the last thing they agreed on.
fiercely as they rage on the land, especially in places where the plane Since then, the castle has experienced a great many renovations,
connects to another plane. In addition to these underwater battles, both minor and significant. Now, the keep no longer looks as it did
many armies on the land have navies, and battles between them are when the twins first seized it; now, it is a pair of towers surrounded
common. The presence of sailing vessels and flying creatures and by a city under constant renovation. Ideas of style do battle for
items has led many to try to explore beyond the horizon. Yet what supremacy of the land, and the losers are cast from on high by the
lies beyond the ocean remains unclear, some report traveling to other twins to shatter on the land below.
planes while others report simply sailing back to the Plane of Spears Centuries of this fickleness have birthed the sprawling squatter
on the far side of the plane from whence they set out. city of Broken in the plain below, thick with mismatched haute
The final major features of the plane are the floating domains: wreckage. In some areas, neighborhoods of surprisingly habitable
the great keeps and towers that float above the world, domains of dwellings have been hacked together while, in others, dark creatures
gods and other powers that have an interest in the constant battle that hide from the daylight in the rubble, venturing out at night to prey
seethes below. Some say, it is the presence of these powers, be they on their more docile neighbors. In Broken, the battles are for the
celestial or infernal, that fuels the never-ending battles, for here both scraps of the twins.
celestial and infernal powers can fight their battles without the trials
of reaching the domains of the other. Others, however, say that it is Forest of Valor
the plane itself that draws these beings here, the love for conflict in “Valor does not need witnesses.”
these beings is part of the plane’s nature. —Angel of Valor saying
MAJOR LOCATIONS The Forest of Valor climbs the side of the volcano Laok, a place
where the Plane of Spears is infused with elemental fire. From a
“Everywhere you go on the Front, the broken swords and spears of distance, it seems that Laok is clothed in lightning and fire, but as
the dead lay so thick that they are the only ground to be found. So you approach, the individual trees become clear, and you realize
many have died that the only rivers left flow with blood, and the rain is perhaps your perceptions were not so wrong. The Valor Trees are
always tinged red. On the ground lies the triumph and tragedy of war, akin to tawny arcs of lightning: their leaves are flames and their sap
a never-ending glory where the soldiers who die today will rise again to is as hot as molten lava, a substance treasured by planar alchemists
re-join their battle again tomorrow.” at the Market.
—Estaniel, elf warlord The fire haired, golden winged angels of valor are drawn here
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from the celestial heavens and the courts of the Lords of Battle high
There are many places that would be of interest to an adventurous above. They are dedicated to engendering courage in the hearts of
soul in the Plane of Spears, from dwarven citadels engaged in battles
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mortals, pushing them to glory in battle. It is said that they disguise
with armies of orcs and giants, to the last palaces of drow cities themselves and travel the Prime Material, mixing in with soldiers
fighting with fury and spell against the thralls of aboleths. But these preparing for battle or slaves planning uprisings. Sometimes they
things, it seems, can be found on the prime material easily enough bear the maple-like seeds of one of the Valor Trees with them and
at different times; it is the places that can only be found here that are plant them in other lands, where they flourish and bring warmth and
most interesting to adventurers. courage for a time, inspiring those who look upon them to take heart
in the face of their struggles.
Castle of Eternal Renewal It is strange to realize that the forest is one of the safest places on
My dear sister, that was so last week, this is the new fashion. the Plane of Spears. In the past, armies have tried to take the forest.
—Lord Misterial Some have even tried to destroy it. However, every army that has
ever tried finds that it is soon outflanked by one or two other armies
Not all those who come to the plane are eternal spirits who lust for and, often, junior officers rise up and rebel from within the army
battle with sword and spell. Some are more fey beings for whom the against the act of desecrating the forest, all the while confronting an
idea of battle is more ephemeral, and it is such beings that rule over army of angels to the fore. So it is that wise generals have learnt to
the Castle of Eternal Renewal. The Castle of Eternal Renewal is home leave the forest be, but every few centuries, some fiend tries to usurp
to Lord and Lady Misterial, fey twins who arrived and, through the angels’ command of the forest.
Front
Planar Connections “The battle never ends, isn’t it glorious!”
—Istrakat, carnage demon in a lucid moment
The Plane of Spears is strongly tied to realms where battle is (translated from the Infernal)
held in highest regard, such as Valhalla or the domains war
gods. It also has strong connections to places where great The front is 300 miles of battlefields on which various armies clash
battles were fought by powerful beings, such as gods and their for eternity, driven on by officers Infernal and Holy. Miles of twisting
enemies. Aside from these connections, the plane of spears trenches and hasty barricades zigzag the churned earth, housing
sometimes connects to places where battles are currently eternal warriors locked in an eternal struggle. As an army thunders
underway, be they on the material plane, the depths of the on, the landscape subtly changes to mirror the army’s ideals: the
Hells, or some remote conceptual plane. defenses might show the elegant focus of elves, the ferocity of the orc

tribes, or the careful hand of dwarves. All of these forces and more each night at the Last Rest, the mead and ale are found in plenty, and
have shaped this tangle of war and death. all are welcome in the hall.
This is the place many find themselves in when they first reach
the Plane of Spears, and it is a fearsome place indeed, for here is Mavros’ Maelstrom
where the stories of the Plane of Spears having a ground of blood and “This trinket? It came from the depths beneath Mavros’ Maelstrom. Let
iron arise. So many have died here in the endless conflicts over the me tell you the story of how I got it, and then, we can discuss what it
millennia that little else is left of the ground. is worth…”
Occasionally, piles of surplus war supplies can be found —Destrag, selkie adventurer
among the remains of the battlefields with bizarre and ancient
siege weaponry melding into towering mountains of rust. Small Not all places of interest are on the land or in the sky above—some lie
“towns” made up of trapped travelers and rogue soldiers are often in the oceans that surround the land of the plane. One such place is
found nearby. Most who dwell here attempt to find passage out, but called Mavros’ Maelstrom, a great whirlpool that churns the oceans
escaping the conflicts of the Front is no easy task. of the plane and chains an infernal entity in the oceans depths.
Once, long ago, the demon Aestrikath gathered an army of
Lake of Bloody Tears demons and elementals and invaded the Plane of Spears hoping
“The lake towns trade in blood gold, as red a coin as the bloody lake to seize the plane for itself. Being a creature of water, Aestrikath
itself.” launched its invasion from the sea. At first, it was very successful,
—Freskariel, tiefling merchant laying waste to many of the underwater kingdoms, and others were
swallowed up in their eagerness to join the slaughter. As the great
It is said that, once, the goddess Lada—embodying love and mercy— horde neared the land, they began a siege of the city of Ssuserath, a
came to the Plane of Spears and witnessed the battles first hand. place dedicated to the worship of Mavros. For long days, the city held
She was so saddened by what she saw that she wept tears from the Aestrikath’s army at bay, and as the siege continued, other armies
Heavens above, and they fell to the ground washing it clean. Yet even began to attack the demon’s forces. Yet the demon had not revealed its
the tears of a merciful god could not remove the stain of blood on the true power, and frustrated with the progress of the siege, it laid waste
land, and those tears gathered into a great lake that exists to this day, to the city, an act that stirred Mavros into action. So it was that the
stained still with the blood of the fallen. Lord of War and Storms joined the fray and battled Aestrikath above
Lada’s lake, as it is sometimes called, is over 100 miles across at the ocean. For a year and a day, they battled until at last Aestrikath
its widest and nearly as broad, and it provides a large natural barrier was thrown down into the waves. As the demons body sunk, Mavros
to the usual conflicts that spread over the plane. Around its shores, a stirred the waters and formed the great maelstrom, forever binding
few small communities exist, along with a number of ruins. Yet the the demon at its base.
trade brings those who would not work so honestly for their fare, so Along with the demon were also trapped the ruins of his armies
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piracy and the need to defend against it see more blood spilt into the and, in the long years since, the bodies of those who ventured
lake every year. there in search of treasure from that long dead army. Even with the
promise of death, either at the hands of the demon’s servants or those
Last Rest Inn who work to ensure the fiend does not escape, people venture into
They have worked their will on John Barleycorn the maelstrom, and every now and then someone escapes with an
But he lived to tell the tale, ancient treasure—the tales of which lure others to their watery fate
For they pour him out of an old brown jug beneath the maelstrom.
And they call him home-brewed ale.
—traditional Nexus of Battle
Many places on the plane are quite mundane, others are wondrous
Not everyone in the Plane of Spears is obsessed with fighting battles. and unique, and a few, like the Nexus of Battle, are mysterious and as
Some are more interested in the other aspects of the plane, and it is much a legend on the plane as they are to travelers who might come
at the Last Rest that many of them gather. That is not to say that the to the plane just to seek it out. The legend of the Nexus of Battle tells
inn is free of trouble; in fact, many battles have been held around it, that in the earliest days, the gods sought a way to gain an advantage
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and it has been destroyed on occasion as a result. However, the Last over other beings that might make war on the gods and to do this
Rest is always rebuilt and is always returned to being a place of rest they created the Nexus. Some people say that the very presence of
and celebration. this nexus was what brought the whole Plane of Spears into existence.
Currently, the Last Rest appears to be a small, sturdy, Regardless of the truth of its origins and connection to the
whitewashed stone building with wooden shutters and a tile roof Plane, the truth is that it is a great circular temple found in the sky
run by a satyr called Komos Five Feasts. The interior of the inn is above the Plane of Spears and grants those who reach it the ability
noticeably larger than the exterior would suggest, and it is dominated to witness and even go to any battle current or past through its pools
by a great hall that holds easily 100 warriors. This apparent defiance and windows. Reaching the Nexus is not easy, especially without the
of the laws of the Plane of Spears is a feature the inn developed when ability to fly, but there is a portal from Storm Keep for those holding
Komos had the inn rebuilt, and through this mysterious expansion, the right keys.
he has turned the inn into something of a place to celebrate victories Through the Nexus of Battle, one can watch a battle between
and wash away the taste of defeat. Combined with the fact he doesn’t dragon armadas on some far away world... or perhaps watch a
frown on brawling and getting his chairs and tables broken, he has historical battle from the past of your own world. One might dive into
kept the eyes of greedy generals from the inn, at least so far. a lake and witness the sacking of merfolk cities by water elementals.
The presence of warriors from many forces on the plane also One might enter a cave and watch dwarves putting goblins to rout.
draws other people, from merchants to thieves—and even just the Some come here to witness the glory of war or the spilling of blood
foolishly curious. A few things are certain: a great celebration is sure onto the dirt. Others are generals and commanders who arrive

hoping to learn something of the war gods’
art. And then there are the gamblers, the
ones who left the Casino to bet on other
types of “games.”
Sanguine Monastery
“I thought monks were holy men, the only
thing these hold sacred is spilling blood. How
do I join?”
—Vorask, orc raider
From out the doors of this profane place

proceeds a line of monks wearing crimson
habits and hoods. Their garments drip
blood, leaving gory trails behind them. They
chant mysterious incantations of no known
language to powers or deities unknown. As
they pass, those who have heard of them
drop to their knees praying along. Those
who do not pray begin bleeding from their
eyes and ears and start drowning on their
own blood. Before long, the monks gather
those who have survived and lead them
back to their monastery to join their blood
soaked ranks.
Not everyone found on the Plane of
Spears is a spirit caught in the eternal wars of
the plane; some are mortals who make their
life here, such as it is, trapped by the greedy
plane. These people learn to eke out an
existence in the cracks, desperately scraping
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together a life between the battlefields. They
must deal with the hardships faced by all of
Other Locations
those who live near war: their crops seized
or burnt, their houses plundered, their
strong forced into armies. Yet none of those
hardships are feared as much as the Sanguine
Brotherhood.
The Sanguine Monastery is built in
the middle of the Front. It appears from
a distance as a normal temple except for
its unusual silver and red color. However
approaching its profane doors brings out
the truth of the structure, it is made from
the swords, spears, shields, and hauberks
of thousands of warriors, and it is stained
forever in blood. From inside come the screams and whispers of the Storm Keep
monk’s profane chanting that scratches at the back of the mind luring “Charge!”
people to enter and join. —Commander Warek, human paladin of Mavros
The Monastery seems to provide an oasis of calm in the
unending conflict of the Front, but that is only because all those who Above the Front, a storm rages. Thunder echoes through the night,
battle endlessly here have learnt that to approach the monastery is and rain lashes the ground, yet lightning rarely falls from the clouds.
to lose men to its song. While mortals might join the monks or die For those who can reach those clouds, the reason is revealed in the
on the towers spire, the immortal soldiers of the Front have far more glory of Storm Keep. The keep is a home of Mavros, the God of War
gruesome fates within. and Thunder, Lord of Strife and Rebirth. Storm Keep gains its name
The monks are generally held to be vampires, but if they are, they not simply from its location in the perpetual storm clouds that it
do not follow the usual expectations of such creatures. It is rumored rests upon but from the lightning that forms its walls.
that they are the agents of foul creatures from beyond the stars and Mavros is a god of action, and his home is a staging ground and
between the veils of the cosmos, and it is in the language of such fortress for his armies—a fortress whose very walls attack those who
things that they chant and from those entities that they draw their would try to take it by force. No part of the keep lacks some sort of
maddening power. strategic value: the corridors are hard to navigate, the stairs are steep

and spiral clockwise to hinder attackers, and the walls can shed bolts and blood, the eternal warriors are in fact spirits made native to the
of lightning at the defender’s command. Yet for all its practicality, the plane, so they are only harmed by weapons wielded by other such
keep is also a temple dedicated to Mavros and a shrine to the greatest warriors (though scholars believe that they are vulnerable to magic
warriors, some of whom now reside in the palace itself. as well). They are fearsome foes for those not bound to the plane in
The keep is most notable for being one of the few places that the same way.
Mavros can be approached directly, though he rarely entertains such
audiences and only with those who can triumph in tests of arms. Sanguine Brotherhood
Still, every once in a while, someone gains an audience with the Lord With their blood soaked robes and their chant that drives mortals
of Battle and returns enlightened about their task. to insanity or death, the Sanguine Brotherhood is greatly feared—
and not just by the living that populate the Plane of Spears. There
INHABITANTS are many stories and myths about the brotherhood: that they are
vampires, that they are creatures from the Far Beyond, that they are
“What, you thought everyone was a raving berserker here?” demons or devils in the service of one power or another. The truth is
—Captain Hawke only the brotherhood knows for certain.
For those outside the brotherhood, they are a fearsome enemy
The Plane of Spears is such a place that few that venture here leave and are avoided by most, for the greatest danger is not to fall
without conflict, but not all that live on the plane are driven entirely before them in glorious battle but to be taken by them back to
by the desire to battle. There are unfortunates of every race on the their monastery for their profane purposes. When forced to fight,
plane who seek to make a normal life for themselves among the the brotherhood are renowned for taking prisoners rather than
hardships of the plane. Among these people walk agents of the delivering a clean death. They are well aware of the nature of the
Heavens and Hells and powers of all sorts between them. Then there plane and do not allow those foolish enough to confront them the
are the people that are bound to the plane eternally. ability to escape with the coming of the new dawn.
Still, it is only in their grand monastery in the middle of the Front
Eternal Warriors that they are found in numbers. From time to time, however, they
Most of those that reside on the plane hunger for conflict: souls that found new monasteries away from the Front, tearing down towns
died in battle and believed in its glory, that were dedicated to faiths as they spread their madness and build. In these isolated places, the
that believed in an afterlife of eternal battle, or that loved to spill forces of good—and sometimes evil—are known to gather and crush
blood above all else. Eternal warriors are those souls made flesh the monastery, but these places become ruins that few will enter.
again by the plane and so they resemble members of the races they Some sages speculate there is a plan to the monks’ activity, but none
were in life. have devised its true purpose.
Eternal warriors make up the vast majority of those that fight the
Other Locations
never-ending battles of the plane, and they that celebrate the most
fiercely afterward. However, despite their appearance of normal flesh
ENCOUNTERS
In the Plane of Spears, most encounters are with armed soldiers of
some sort, and often, they will be fighting something else, preparing
to fight something, or fleeing from something. This makes the plane
Avoiding Combat Grind a dangerous place full of potential combat encounters.
The Plane of Spears is obviously a place where you can have a
lot of combat. Here, combat is always an option. Yet combat Typical Encounter
in your game is best when it serves a purpose in your story, so Human Army Patrol: This encounter consists of 3 human soldiers, 2
unless your players really enjoy combat for its own sake, you human scouts, and 1 human cleric of the same level as the PCs. These
need to be careful when dealing with the plane that you use soldiers are patrolling the flank of their advancing army and are more
combat appropriately. interested in determining the PCs motives and either getting the PCs
The Typical Encounters section provides a number to leave or escorting them to the army for recruiting. If the PCs start
of examples of situations that can be used to run combat a fight, the soldiers and cleric stand and fight while the scouts flee to
3
encounters, but it also provides reasons that each combat report the attack.
might be best avoided for a party of adventurers. On top
of these specific reasons, it is wise to consider why you USING THE PLANE
have brought your players to a place where “fight first, ask
questions later” is the normal response. “So why do people come to the Plane of Spears? Some come for the glory
In considering this, one simple way to encourage players of the battles, some come to seek treasures lost on the field or in the
ruins, others come seeking the soul of some hero or villain, and others
to avoid fighting is to use a number of easy fights to use up
come to petition the Lords of Battle for something. Yet few find what
their resources and to constantly interrupt their ability to
they seek. Most only ever find blood and iron.”
rest. Interrupted resting in particular forces characters to
—Lornath, half-elf sage
find solutions to the problems of the plane beyond sword
and spell. Another simple strategy is to put a tight clock on The Plane of Spears functions much like the Prime Material Plane
what they have to achieve on the plane. If they are always in most respects. The one great exception is the start of each day: at
being held up by combat encounters, they are not getting the start of each day, those who died during the prior day’s battles
closer to their objective, so again, alternatives are going to be are returned to life among their allies, and those wounds of the prior
necessary for the party to achieve their goal. day are healed. It is speculated by scholars that this furthers the

plane’s nature of a place of eternal battle and that this is why magic is REVISITING
unchanged on the plane. The constancy of magic ensures that mages
and priests do not become dominant in the conflict; rather, skill at Some things are constant on the plane, and when the PCs return,
arms, the mass of steel in battles, and the cunning of generals are revealing those things makes its repetitive nature clear. However,
what determine outcomes. changes do occur, and perhaps, the PCs can see how their actions
last time they were here shifted a battle and changed a war in one
The only other variation is that, from time to time, either law or side’s favor over another.
chaos become dominant, and during these times, outsiders of the Because many that fight here are doing so for their love of war
opposing alignment often become far more common on the plane. and the triumph it brings, the PCs might find themselves helping
the opposite side of a conflict from which they helped before. So
one time, they may aid humans, and the next, the orcs that seek to
ADVENTURE SEEDS conquer the human keep, for instance.
• Divine Recruitment: The PCs need to recruit the aid of a
legendary warrior for another deity, requiring that they temper
her love of battle or stoke it—depending on the deity who they
serve. This allows the deity to claim her soul from the plane.
• Draw into Conflict: The PCs are involved in a war, and as the
battle grows to its peak, they are drawn into the Plane of Spears
when it overlaps their world. They must then race through the
plane and find a way to return to their world, or else, the war they
were fighting may be lost without them to be the champions of
their army.
• Godly Court: The PCs come to the plane to seek an audience with
one of the Lords of Battle. Such gods are not impressed by mere
words, however, and they demand action and a demonstration of
the PCs’ prowess before they will grant audience.
• Outside Influence: The forces of order are beginning to change
the plane. The battles are decreasing, and a particular army is
growing to be the dominant force. One ancient hero decides that
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something outside of the plane is behind this, and as he cannot
leave the plane, he has agents seek out the PCs and recruit them
to help restore the balance so that the great battle does not end.
Other Locations
• Stop the Blood: A Sanguine Monastery appears on the PCs’
world, and to stop the spread of the monk’s madness, they must
journey to the Plane of Spears and rally allies in order to destroy
a similar monastery on this plane that conceals a portal to the
PCs’ world.
PCs might be sent here to speak to a famous war leader to learn how
the “invasion of X” was stopped because it’s happening again in
the mortal plane. But the leader’s very busy with a position that’s
being overrun, so PCs only get assistance if they pass a message
to the men on the southern flank.
• Vital Rescue: The PCs must rescue a general who has been taken
captive by an enemy force. If they cannot rescue him by skill,
they are to kill him. The best course is skill because then the
general’s experience can be used now and not held until the next
day when it may be too late.

RUSTY GEARS
By Jarrod Camiré
“The tale of Rusty Gears is the tale of Charun and Ariadne, of clacking looms
and grinding cogs, of things cast aside and broken, and of how they’re born
anew from junk. It’s a place of masks, and they’re never safe.”
—Arachne
A MECHANICAL WORLD: THE PLANE magic used to create or affect mechanical things, such as repair
OF GEARS construct or gear barrage, are extended and maximized, here.
This is the domain of the goddess Rava, commonly known also as • Changed magic: In areas where decay and entropy are strong,
Ariadne. Traveling crossways, the Plane of Gears is to some extent rusting grasp and similar magic is maximized.
like strolling through the mind of the goddess. Her domain might
very well look like the heart of a clock when seen from above, but
those who’ve explored this faraway location in depth know that A COMPREHENSIVE WAY, OR
this is but one way to conceive it. As you go deeper, you discover RAVA’S TIMEPIECE
wheels made not from metal but from primordial wood, and your The alien structure and complexity of many planes is especially hard to
very perspective changes. You no longer look at the interior of some grasp for the humanoid mind and the Plane of Gears is no exception.
mechanical timepiece but instead confront a new vision: one that The very foundations of Rava’s domain can fluctuate, representing, in
evokes the original spinning wheel of Ariadne or the mechanism of turn, the masks she currently wears, once wore, or shall display. Rare
some weaving loom. As you continue down an alley wide enough are the mortals who can follow her superiorly visionary mind, and as
to accommodate a titan, you suddenly enter a forge vast enough for such, they must adapt. The mortal mind must select a single concept
a god to stand fully erect, and chances are good that Volund once that it understands, enabling it to visualize and come to terms with
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stood there to rival Rava herself. As you emerge, sweating profusely, what cannot be truly fathomed. Thus, visitors establish in their mind
you spot a tower in the distance, surrounded by shops. Carts filled but a single way to perceive the Plane of Gears. Most of the time, this
with alchemical components converge on this place, emptying vast representation takes on the form of Rava’s Timepiece. In this form,
basins of reagents to be pumped further afield in tremendous pipes the Plane of Gears evokes the interior of a vast chronographic pocket
to gods only know where. What befell the spinning wheels? Burnt in watch whose proportions are comparable to those of a small planet.
some furnace to feed the fires of the industry? Poor mortals! How Each gigantic gear that composes Rava’s Timepiece represents a
can you hope to seize or understand those superimposed realities in specific area of the plane: some of the most important being Rava’s
just a few days? Stronghold, the Spinning Wheels Quarters, the Alchemical District,
the Aeolipile (or Steam District), the Walking Towers Province,
PLANAR TRAITS Mainspring Quarter, and Axle Heart. Almost every piece isn’t just an
essential item that controls Destiny’s movement but also a territory
The smell of grease and the clank and grind of gears is constant that supports whole cities and their residents.
background noise, granting a +2 bonus to Stealth checks. The Rusty
Gears also have the following traits:
TO THROW A SPANNER IN THE WORK
3
• Normal Gravity
Regardless of how one perceives the Plane of Gears, one aspect
• Erratic Time: Sometimes, the turning gears move time at a remains constant: that everything eternally turns and moves in an
snail’s pace; sometimes, they speed the passage of days. orderly manner. Here, Law and Fate’s inevitability are all that matters.
• Finite Size The plane’s hard-working citizenry faithfully follow Rava’s edicts as
everyone tries to excel in his or her respective domain of activity.
• Divinely Morphic: Rava alone can reorder her gears at will but
The inhabitants are certainly among the most industrious across
rarely intervenes directly. the Great Beyond, but this dedication isn’t enough to keep in good
• Strongly Lawful-Aligned: Rava’s domain embodies the working order the mechanical marvels great and small that compose
inexorable grind of machinery in their proper sequence and this overly vast empire. Sooner or later, time gets the better of most
order. of the great gears and cogs that make this world turn—the edentate
wheels, broken-down engines, and other mechanical devices must
• Negative Traits: Some areas, such as the Desert of Rust, have a
eventually be replaced. Hence a side industry has arisen to answer
greater degree of entropy, so they possess the minor negative-
this need, bringing in its lot of energetic swashbucklers whom many
dominant trait and cause vim flares (see p.28).
gifted artisans look scornfully at. Barely tolerated, these workers are
• Enhanced Magic: Spells that deal with time, such as haste, are often considered second-hand individuals, and while the majority
enhanced. Spells of the Gears or Artifice domains and similar thrives to honestly carve a niche, some inevitably seek different kinds

of opportunities, which results in pockets of misfits that trouble the patterns adorning the sides of the artificial plateau into powerful
established order from time to time. The Dismantlers—the group glyphs to forever keep the rebellious behemoths in check. The steel
that owns and controls the area known as the Junkyard of Broken extracted from the Damascened Table was to become the gears and
Cogs—is probably the best example. cogs of Rava’s ever-growing domain in the following millennia, but
Furthermore, the major events and tragedies of the past have even the destiny of a goddess can be a fickle thing.
also brought their share of troubles, and yesterday’s solutions—like As the years passed, more and more of the former alloy that
the conversion of some districts into purgatories or prisons—might once composed the monument has returned to its original place,
prove quite detrimental in the near future. The carefully maintained albeit not under the same form, an irony that isn’t lost on the long-
and well-oiled gears show traces of rust all the same as a grim suffering prisoners whose new role is to transport and dispose of
reminder: nothing in this universe is truly eternal. Chaos is never far the broken wheels and other gigantic pieces of scrap thus dumped
from Law, and it can even profit from its excesses. their way. The titans’ gaolers, however, didn’t want to see such items
transformed into tools or, even worse, into weapons. To avoid such
possibility, renegade dwarves have also been imprisoned there and
A RUSTY DEPOSIT, OR TO TAKE forced to double the pit’s interior with a thick layer of stone while
THE EDGE OFF LAW rust drakes and rust monsters were introduced to feed on the
Explorers and opportunists soon realize that Law is a malleable metallic components.
concept that must sometimes adapt to circumstances… and some Today, only the peripheral areas of the Damascened Table
just trample over the very notion of Law. What is legal is often remain as a sad reminder of the titans’ former glory, its center
offensive to some, seen by others as a necessary evil, or wholly enclosed by a high wall of stone that holds back an ocean of brownish
ignored. Likewise, some infamous locales of the Plane of Gears are flakes known as the Desert of Rust, which covers about a tenth of the
like the Scales of Justice, oscillating between guilt and innocence as Plane of Gears. This land is assuredly one of the most inhospitable
those who’ve been there can testify. parts of this plane as an ever-growing wasteland of oxidized metal
mostly devoid of water and the jail of barbarous dwarves left to fend
for themselves beside titans that dream about revenge since the
MAJOR LOCATIONS beginning of time.
The Desert of Rust High above all this rust stands the greatest crane of the universe.
Originally, this place was a gigantic plateau fashioned by the titans and Ironically called the Needle this device is used to remove the plane’s
overlooked the entire plane—a beautiful structure of dark, oxidized defective components, dropping them down into the Desert of Rust
steel inlaid with sacred patterns rendered in gold and silver, some without warning and sending shockwaves all over this wasteland.
arabesques and designs on its surface as vast as whole countries linked
together. The artificial tableland was the titans’ pride and probably the ADVENTURE SEEDS
3
most breathtaking site that can be admired throughout Rava’s domain.
Sadly, almost nothing remains of this masterpiece nowadays. When • Bid for Freedom: A group of sympathizers wants to free a titan
leader from the Desert of Rust. To this end, they have taken
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the titans revolted against the gods and were subsequently defeated,
Rava decreed that this land was to be converted into a prison for the control of the Needle, the prodigious crane whose boom reaches
thanatotic titans not already banished into the Abyss (see Pathfinder the middle of this desolate expanse.
Roleplaying Game Bestiary II). • The Right Gear: A unique magical gear has mistakenly been
The vanquished colossuses were put in chains and sentenced removed or stolen from a vital ensemble and dumped at the
to hollow out the entire table while the goddess transformed the edge of the Desert of Rust. The device must be retrieved quickly
before the desert inhabitants use its
power—if the rust monsters don’t eat
it first.
• Titanic Undertaking: The PCs
must go through half the Desert of
Rust to reach a titan who’s been granted
a formal pardon by Rava herself.
The Hall of Inevitable’s

Fate
While squat, this wheel is assuredly
the most imposing edifice of Rava’s
domain, more grandiose than her
own stronghold. This slowly rotating
cylinder is Rava’s holiest site, a multi-
functional temple crowned by a dome
composed of titanic copper plates that
perpetually shine day and night. Each
enameled plate supports a different
depiction of the divinity, showing the
Gear Goddess, the Clockwork Oracle,

the Mother of Industry, the Spinner of Fate, the Merchant Goddess, confronted by junkyard clockwork dogs and half-golem horrors as
and more greater-than-life visages—the whole ensemble driven by they travel deeper within the yard. The Dismantlers always warn
a central shaft of pure adamantine. The hall serves many purposes, everyone that not a soul walks on their turf without a guide.
welcoming errant angels, faithful souls, and priests of the faith from
every universe. The temple interior is apportioned according to the
portrayals of the goddess with the underlying sections honoring
ADVENTURE SEEDS
a given mask. Each partition counts as its own place of worship, • Contraband: A group of smugglers apparently uses The Junkyard
containing living quarters, libraries, large refectories, and so on. The of Broken Cogs to hide contraband and the Dismantlers prefer to
major players here are the inevitables, which devoutly serve Rava. recruit an external party to deal with this situation, knowing that
This is not only their base of operation but also the emplacement of if such information became common knowledge, their already
their courts of justice and underground prisons filled with all kinds bad reputation would suffer even more.
of transgressors.
• Finders Keepers: An inventor who wants to acquire the lower
body of a lhaksharut inevitable to adapt it to a construct he
ADVENTURE SEEDS created has overheard that one of the Dismantlers possesses such
a complex orb in working order. Owning such merchandise is
• End of the Inevitable: The arbiter inevitables are systematically
highly illegal, however.
targeted by an unknown nemesis. Their numbers have dwindled
so much that they must recruit lawful characters to carry on • High Flyer: A buyer who often deals with the Dismantlers
their duties across Rava’s Domain and identify the mastermind pretends that they hide a mechanical flying ship in working order
behind this seemingly planned elimination. that can be made up to look like another sky-vessel entirely.
• Prison of Angels: An angel having sophisticated mechanical
wings has escaped from a prison located under the Hall of The Spinning Wheels Quarter
Inevitable’s Fate where more of his brethren are unjustly The Spinning Wheels Quarter is beyond doubt the oldest sector of
detained. If the outsider’s tale is true, all those angels only want the Plane of Gears, predating the arrival of Rava herself. This whole
to be fairly judged, a right that the inevitables denied them. The region surrounds her seat in the form of a wooden spinning wheel
half-mechanical deva wants to force the issue with a jailbreak. To hanging underneath Rava’s Stronghold. Popular and common beliefs
do so, he needs capable allies. are that Rava spent years here as a mortal weaver before ascending
• Renegade: A zelekhut inevitable no longer obeys its superiors, to godhood and that she still mingles with the Spinning Hags living
letting notorious criminals go free instead of delivering their here. It is said that these hags can weave anything given time and
sentences. This renegade must be discretely brought back within transform any metal into delicate wire. Many faint-hearted avoid
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the fold or else destroyed. this sector out of fear, however, because the weavers keep all kind of
spiders as pets. Many alleys behind the hags’ shops and homes turn
out to be webbed lairs, and the arachnids aren’t always welcoming.
The Junkyard of Broken Cogs The spinning hags don’t seem to mind the occasional victims, saying
This overly vast scrap yard is an enclosed terrain under the jurisdiction in such cases that fateful events must happen. The fact that these
of the Dismantlers, a group of experts that can take almost any women also trade in souls—the threads of fate being a highly sought
mechanical device apart in no time and isolate its most valuable commodity for many a purpose, magical or otherwise—is a strong
components with the same efficiency. Many regard the Dismantlers deterrent as well. In truth, these witch-like entities utilize but a small
with suspicion because many rogues number their ranks, individuals quantity of thread coming from a soul. Additionally, such pieces of
for whom Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) skills are string must always be given freely to be of any use. The hags not
way above the norm. Regardless, most of the Dismantlers are honest only transform materials but also sell the high quality products that
folks who must unfortunately strive exceedingly hard to convince they’ve painstakingly made. The rugs, tapestries, and vestments they
clientele of their good will. Many of these scrap metal merchants are create are exported far and wide.
considered swashbucklers at worst and cranks at best.
A tour of the Junkyard of Broken Cogs is a month-long voyage
ADVENTURE SEEDS
3
across an orderly succession of mountains built from all kind of

materials and items ranging from the smallest to the biggest. Nails, • Art of Spinning: A tradeswoman who wants to learn the art of
springs, chains, various models of cogs and wheels, iron plates, the Spinning Hags asks the PCs to come along as escort.
and of copper wire are but a few possibilities that await buyers.
• Fateful End: Many Spinning Hags are found dead, their bodies
The Dismantlers deal with everyone in good faith, which attracts
cocooned and displayed in defiance near important sites of the
unsavory characters and explains, in part, their dubious reputation.
Spinning Wheels Quarter.
One who looks carefully amid the mounds of scrap might unearth
the rarest wonders, like rune-inlaid anvils, discarded tools of all • Tangled Fates: A woman willing to offer a piece of her own fate
kinds, salvageable golem limbs, mechanical wings, or immovable to learn the whereabouts of her missing lover learned that, in
rods, all lost in the accumulation of 1,000 years. “Memories” for order to succeed, she must find heroes willing to join her, thus
gearforged are also available. the adventurers’ fate and her own become bound until her
Many shady characters have tried to double cross the paramour is saved.
Dismantlers down the years, thinking to come back at night to get
away with but one treasure—a grave mistake. The wrought-iron
fence that surrounds the enclosure is a mechanical marvel endowed
The Time Theater
with animated parts that actually bite. Then, would-be thieves are This circular, open-air theatre is a gigantic structure of immaculate
marble and can hold millions of spectators. Amazingly, everyone

perfectly sees and hears the performance as
if in the amphitheatre’s best seat. Two major
presentations are held each day, during
the afternoon and at nightfall. Within the
Time Theater’s premises, however, temporal
conventions such as night and day have no
meaning, for the sky above follows the needs
of the play to be presented, which includes
rain and snow if required. The central stage
is an annular platform that slowly turns
counter-clockwise as the whole structure
does the same clockwise. Historical events
and famous plays from myriad realities are
presented by a cast of talented doppelganger
actors that can assume an unlimited number
of roles. Spectators who remain within the
theater between presentations soon discover
that completely different productions take
place nonstop, performances that can very
well concern them: past events of their lives
are laid bare, current dilemmas convincingly
explored, and possible outcomes revealed
by the doppelgangers in a straightforward
manner.
ADVENTURE SEEDS
• Acting Double: A doppelganger that
can no longer assume different shapes
cannot appear in any of the productions.
To regain its powers, the creature must
3
travel down to the Time Theater’s
basement, and the destitute actor asks
the PCs to accompany it.
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• The Play’s the Thing: A spectator who
has become obsessed with his possible
futures—which are getting worse each
time—sees a means of escape when
the characters happen to be an integral
part of a production about his life that
doesn’t end in a tragedy.
The Veil of Chains

This black, square tower stands under the
respective shadows of Faith’s Edge, the defensive wall that surrounds paying handsomely for information and confessions.
the entire plane, and Destiny’s Lighthouse, whose light signals the Ironically enough, the mistresses occasionally heal fugitives that
presence of Faith’s Thread to the navigators of the Infinite Ocean. have nowhere else to go, but they require services in exchange.
This is one of the very rare edifices of the Plane of Gears that doesn’t
rotate nor have some moving parts and whose function isn’t related
to the production of some device or Fate’s continuity. Sinister in
ADVENTURE SEEDS
appearance, full plate armor dangles from the heights in irregular • Daisy Chain: There is only one way to chain forever the erinyes
intervals in a lattice of chains that radiate an eerie blue glow. known as Lady Liliam, the Black Avenger of Dis, and only a
The Veil is in fact a brothel that attracts a quite peculiar clientele. pleasure girl of the Veil of Chains can teach this secret art to the
The place is owned by the Shackled Milady, a kyton whose “pleasure characters.
girls” are collectively called the Manacles’ Mistresses. Don’t bother • Delusions of Grandeur: A strange being with delusions of
to imagine new ways to bind and torture when you enter because godhood asks to be chained up and tortured “like his brother
everything has been done a thousand times over or more already Nethus” by the Manacles’ Mistresses. This insane action has
within these walls. The entry hall is both cozy and luxurious. The unforeseen repercussions when followers of Nethus hiding on
nicest bedchambers are destined for what is commonly called “silk an island of the Infinite Ocean learn about this, believing that
bondage.” The rest is a succession of somber torture chambers where the creature is a genuine avatar of the King of the Sea.
the kytons “entertain.” They receive “guests” brought by individuals

• Missing Link: A kyton nicknamed Lonesome Link, who’ s gone Tic-Tac-o-the-Clock: A jolly fellow (male gnome wizard 6) who
to answer a “house call,” hasn’t returned in due time, and the always loiters near the Time Theatre, he sells small timepieces to
characters must find out what happened to her. gullible outsiders. His trademark belt seems to be but a string of
hourglasses, and his worn leather apron is an endless reserve of
mechanical pocket watches. Unfortunately for the buyers, these
NOTABLE NPCS timepieces are all cursed somehow, manifesting some strange side
effect all too soon. While many just become quite noisy, several emit
Even though she appears as a regal human woman in her mid-forties,
a spell-like effect at the worst possible moment, like slow, temporal
Berthia of Swabia (spinning hag sorceress 17) is maybe the most
stasis, or time stop. Such a timepiece once transformed a fireball into
ancient spinning hag alive today. Some pretend that she taught her
a delayed blast fireball, having “selected” the delay.
art to Rava herself. She still welcomes and tutors aspirant spinners.
When confronted, Tic-Tac blames the doppelgangers of the
Theatre, an imaginary purveyor, or Rava herself, offering to fix the
Berthia of Swabia and Her Pupils: Known collectively as The
problem free, which isn’t very effective most of the time.
Manacles’ Mistresses, the sadomasochistic pleasures girls of The Veil
of Chains are capable of satisfying customers’ vilest fantasies. Their
Penniless Penny: One of the Dismantlers (human female, rogue 7),
exact number remains a close guarded secret, though the clients’
this svelte woman—some would say emaciated—is a hard bargainer
favorites don’t need any introduction. Names such as Beautiful
that knows all too well the genuine value of what passes under her
Blade (kyton rogue 2), Bloody Length (kyton sorceress 5), Coppery
nose. Negotiating with Penny is like a day spent fighting, an exercise
Aftertaste (kyton cleric 5), Goldbeater (kyton expert 4), Razor’s Edge
that leaves any customer physically and mentally exhausted. Oddly,
(kyton cleric 6), Silver Strand (kyton bard 6), and Unchain Sherry
Penniless often gets away with her price.
(kyton fighter 1) are enough to send shivers down the spines of any
of the regulars and newcomers alike. The mistresses’ reputation and
Teeth-of-the-Gale: This soigné dwarf (male dwarf expert 4/fighter
expertise in torture, carnal pleasures, and healing are legendary all.
5) is assuredly one of the most dangerous of the Dismantlers: a short
and ill-tempered brute without a single ounce of subtlety. He loves
The Shackled Milady: The mysterious madam who owns and runs
to take everything to pieces with a sledgehammer or warhammer,
the Veil of Chains (kyton cleric 8), she is the ultimate mistress and
and he is often relegated to the yard as guard—even the junkyard
initiated all the “girls” working for her.
clockwork dogs avoid him. Customers who spot him nearby a gate
of the Junkyard of Broken Cogs generally turn tail to seek another
entrance.
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Your father beats you. You look to your mother and she returning soldiers against faithful wives and seen mere
looks away. midwives burned at the stake as witches.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” You turn to your It takes years for those flashes of violence; I must
father’s scream, his blue eyes bulging, yellowed teeth in a patiently guide you from the lies of the angels into my
feral grimace. What scares you most is the stranger in his pogroms and inquisitions. Self-doubt, self-hate, resentment
eyes, the faraway gaze locked so intensely upon you. curdling humanity over generations. These are the tinder to
He remembers his own beatings, his own fear, and his the white-hot rage.
disgust of his own father. He sees the black eye the bully gave How much slaughter arises from those who desperately
you, and he quails in terror at the inheritance of weakness he have something to prove?
thinks has been passed down to you. He doesn’t want to do Your father’s judgment, it is still a foreign thing, his
this, and deep inside him is the man who carved the toys you broken heart at your weakness something apart from the
still secretly play with by candlelight. face you see in the mirror... but soon, it will sink into your
3
It is the echo of your grandfather, an ailing man left in the skin, pass through your muscle, and take root in the marrow
shadows of an asylum by your father. It is the memory of a of your bones.
man that makes your father’s arm rise, and you oh so clever Shame. Most of all, I deal in shame.
boy, now he thinks that when it falls it will somehow make If I appeared before the men of your bloodline, they
you stronger even as it makes you hate him. would think me a stranger. Never realizing it was I who
You. Will. Hate. Him. spoke thoughts they believed to be their own, who wove
That forgiveness he sees in your eyes, that kindness their masculinity from heirlooms of cruelty and inherited
that seems like wisdom that will give him pause, make him disgrace.
reconsider. I’ve been with your people a long, long time. Ever since
But I will remind him of his own father, his own weakness. the diaspora, when the slave ships came en mass. You’ll be
I may not know where it comes from, your capacity for like the others, thinking of me as a dream. So far, you’ve
compassion, but I know how to kill it. Come morning, your resisted; you’ve held on to this... celestial... thing inside you.
father will be my creature once more. Where did it come from I wonder?
Come adulthood, you too will stand where he stands You’ll fall child. You will. And if not? Well, there is always
now; your own downward strike the echo of his own. need for meat on the tables of Mora...
I have planted the seeds of genocide. I have turned —Ilsean, Devil of a Thousand Whispers

THE WELLSPRINGS OF LIFE AND
THE PLANE OF RADIANCE
By Chad Middleton
“Radiance, eh? Ah, a place of pure thought and blindin’ light, where
darkness is cast out and secrets are revealed fer good or ill. Beware the
light o’ revelation lest it drive yer mad, and beware the things that dwell in
eternal light, fer they’re unforgiving of those less pure than themselves. True,
on the plane o’ radiance you can be reborn anew, an’ find enlightenment.
But ye might also be consumed by a star dragon of Keter and wiped from
existence altogether.
“Nuthin comes free in the planes, boy. What made you think that light was
any different?”
—Phoebos the Scrivener
lowing over the face of the Prime Material is an ocean of light. • Changed Magic: Any primarily light-producing magic
F It is the glorious will of life that is released when mortal beings automatically has its area of effect enlarged, as per the metamagic
3
die. This energy, separate from the souls that created it, flows feat.
in mighty lines across and through the flesh of worlds, gathering in
• Impeded Magic: Spells with the shadow descriptor or that
locations of significance and exploding upward into the very planes
Other Locations
use or generate darkness or cold are impeded on the Plane of
of existence. Like a geyser, this power spreads in a fine mist at the
Radiance. Even if successfully cast, they are swiftly eaten away
top of its arc and filters back down through the layers, spheres, and
by the plane, halving their duration.
hollows of creation.
Follow the three paths of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah as they • Mildly Neutral-Aligned
surge up to the celestial realms. Meet with the souls, freed from
their underworlds, as they fly to their ultimate reward. Or treat with The Plane of Radiance is both coexistent and conterminous with all
the beings of pure alignment that swim salmon-like back down the other planes of existence. It can only be entered from a leyline axis
paths on obscure and weighty missions. Eleven worlds, the sefirot, point on the Prime Material or through the Ethereal, but it can be
lie along the paths and form the underpinnings for the very vitality exited to any location on any plane dependent upon which sefirot a
of creation. Each sefirot houses a kingdom of protectors, from the traveler has last visited. The planar traits of the various sefirot and
golden trolls of Malkuth to the star filled trees of Daat, overlaps the wellsprings are the same as the Plane of Radiance except where
various Heavens, and is maintained by the bureaucracies of the gods. noted in their descriptions.
PLANAR TRAITS OVERVIEW

• Subjective Directional Gravity Enrobing and inundating all other planes of existence, the Plane of
• Normal Time Radiance is the source of all illumination from physical, mental, to
spiritual. It is where fire gets its glow and from where muses grant
• Infinite Size
artists inspiration. Even the darkest reaches of creation receive a
• Divinely Morphic miniscule trickle of its influence, for without that touch, those places
would lie static and might as well not exist at all.
• Positive-Dominant: The majority of the plane is major positive-
dominant, but the wellsprings and sefirot are minor positive-
dominant. GEOGRAPHY
• Enhanced Magic: Spells with the light descriptor are enhanced Like a creature that has known only darkness might be pinned by
on the Plane of Radiance. Furthermore, spells that create light or a bright light, so it is with most travelers to the Plane of Radiance.
heat, deal electrical damage, or belong to the divination school The majority of the plane is a precise reflection of the worlds it
of magic are cast at a +1 CL.

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illuminates. The contents of even the darkest shadows are laid bare • Objective Directional Gravity: Down always leads toward the
with near blinding vibrancy. next sefirot.
However, what world one sees is dependent upon the spiritual
and mental mindset of the individual. All of the Wellsprings from • Erratic Time: Each time Nefesh is entered, from outside or
the prime material lead to their originating prime worlds’ radiant between sefirot, reroll on the erratic time chart to see how much
planes. In order to travel to other prime worlds or other planes of time passes on the outside while traveling in this wellspring.
existence, travel along the paths of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah
is necessary. Each sefirot that they pass through opens the minds of
d% Time on Time on Erratic
travelers, awakens their essences to the complexities of the universe,
Material Plane Time Plane
and allows them to perceive the other worlds that have been there
the entire time but that they were unprepared to accept shared the 01–10 1 year 1 round
same space as their own worlds. 11–40 1 month 1 hour
The three paths are much like currents in an ocean. Once a creature 41–60 1 day 1 day
3
has entered a path, its flow of energy is obvious. Petitioners, the 61–90 1 hour 1 month
souls of the dead, are the primary travelers along these paths and use
91–100 1 round 1 year
them to arrive at their final destinations. Angels, demons, and other
outsiders occasionally can be found here as well. Travel time between
sefirot varies but at least one period of rest is always required to pass
between two. Neshamah: Wellspring of Essence
Pure power flows along Neshamah. Divine and arcane energies that
were not expended from casters’ minds before their deaths return to
THE WELLSPRINGS OF LIFE the cosmos within this wellspring. When a magic item is destroyed,
Nefesh: Wellspring of Potential this is where its unused power goes.
Nefesh is the wellspring of what would have been. The drive to • Mildly Neutral-Aligned
continue living that all life has, even as it ends, and the last thoughts
and dying passions that create ghosts and wraiths if left to stew • Gravity: No Gravity. Individuals merely float in space, unless
on the prime material. This is the raw physical energy that spasms other resources are available to provide locomotion.
muscles, even after a body’s soul has fled. • Wild Magic: The incredible and violent energies flowing along
• Mildly Law-Aligned this path wreak havoc with spells. Creatures using spell-like

abilities and magic items must also roll on the wild magic table
each time their abilities are activated.
Entering the Wellsprings and
Travel Within
Ruach: Wellspring of Mind Creatures on the Ethereal Plane and a few powerful outsiders
Ruach is the primary pathway for souls seeking their eternal reward/ can enter the Plane of Radiance with a simple Will save (DC 10
punishment in the hereafter. It is comprised of the freed mental + their HD), provided they are within a few hundred feet of a
energies of all sentient and formerly living beings. Random thoughts
leyline. All others must use a spell, such as planeshift, or ritual
and information shoot through the minds of those that travel this
at a leyline nexus or gain entry to the sefirot Malkuth from
path, and it is often odd what a creature picks up from long exposure
one of its gateways within the Ethereal. No other permanent
here.
entryways are known to exist although rumor has it that a
• Mildly Chaos-Aligned small gateway is formed every time a creature has an epiphany
• Sentient Morphic: Barely aware, Ruach is a collective or a unique burst of creativity, when someone is brought back
consciousness of all the thoughts that have moved through it in from death, and when a location’s bathed in intense light for
the past, present, and future. Travelers that block the flow, disrupt long periods of time.
other creatures in the wellspring, or actively reap knowledge A creature leaves the flow simply by willing it so, exiting
from the wellspring quickly learn to regret their actions. Ruach into the Plane of Radiance as appropriate to the sefirot it has
may change any of its planar traits that are not listed here to overcome, and may return to the flow in any place it has been
hinder creatures that annoy it, including changing the severity of to up until it left. A creature may drag another out of the flow
its alignment. with a successful grapple check.
d% Effect
01–19 The spell rebounds on its caster with its normal effect. If the spell cannot affect the caster, it simply fails.
20–23 The spell rebounds on its caster with its normal effect. If the spell cannot affect the caster it simply fails. Additionally, surging
energies deal 2 damage/spell level to the caster.
3
24–27 The spell fails, but the target or targets of the spell are pelted with a rain of protoplasm, which disappears upon striking. The
barrage continues for 1 round. During this time, the targets are blinded, and they must make concentration checks (DC 15 +
Other Locations
spell level) to cast spells.
28–33 The spell affects a random target or area. Randomly choose a different target from among those in range of the spell or center
the spell at a random place within range of the spell. To generate direction randomly, roll 1d8 and count clockwise around the
compass, starting with south. To generate range randomly, roll 3d6. Multiply the result by 5 ft. for close-range spells, 20 ft. for
medium-range spells, or 80 ft. for long-range spells.
34–36 The spell functions normally, but any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from the caster’s mind
(the spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). Similarly, an item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count against
an item’s or spell-like ability’s use limit.
37–39 The spell does not function. Instead, everyone (friend or foe) within 30 ft. of the caster receives the effect of a heal spell.
40–43 The spell does not function. Instead, a deeper darkness effect and a silence effect cover a 30-ft. radius from the caster for 2d4
rounds.
44–47 The spell does not function. Instead, a reverse gravity effect covers a 30-ft. radius from the caster for 1 round.
48–51 The spell functions, but shimmering colors swirl around the caster for 1d4 rounds. Treat this as a glitterdust effect (DC 10 + spell
level).
52–59 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are used up. The spell or spell slot is used up; an item
loses charges, and the effect counts against an item’s or spell-like ability’s use limit.
60–71 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from
the caster’s mind (a spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). An item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count
against an item’s or spell-like ability’s use limit.
72–98 The spell functions normally.
99–100 The spell functions strongly. Saving throws against the spell incur a −2 penalty. The spell has an enhanced effect, as if it were cast
with the enlarge, maximize, widen, or extend spell feats (25% chance of each). If the spell is already enhanced with the same feat,
there is no further effect.

THE SEPHIRAH Planar Access: Those that advance beyond Malkuth may access any
Prime Material world known to them.
Viewed from within a wellspring, a sefirot appears to be a huge, dark
sphere haloed in metallic-hued fire. Each represents an awakening
of the mind, a facet of creation, and a roadmap to enlightenment. Yesod: The Sefirot of Foundation
All together, in the framework of the wellsprings, they are called the
• Heavy Gravity
Sephirah, and they act as filters and distributers of the light from
the Plane of Radiance and the life of the positive energy plane to • Finite Size: Yesod is a planet-sized ball of stone.
all of creation. When a creature enters a sefirot, the portions of the • Earth-Dominant
multiverse it provides for become accessible in the surrounding Plane
of Radiance. A creature on the Plane of Radiance sees the various • Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the earth
layers of existence overlapping one another where appropriate, like descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create earth or stone
the inner planes exerting their influences over the Prime Material or (including those of the Earth domain and the elemental (earth)
what’s happening on both sides of a gate connecting a location on bloodline) are enhanced.
the Prime Material and a lower plane. How this appears has endless • Alterable Morphic
variations from one individual to another: ghost-like images for
some, static scenes as if inside a picture box for others. Yesod challenges the very foundation of its visitors’ beings, their
physical forms. From without, Yesod appears to be a planet-sized
sphere of precious metals: gold, silver, and platinum predominantly.
THE TEN SEFIROT Within, it is a ball of stone, riddled with cracks and fissures that
regularly shift and close. Those that wish to pass through this
Ranging in size from that of planets to small rooms, the ten sefirot
sefirot must constantly squeeze and dig to find an exit. An exit only
are demiplanes suspended throughout the Plane of Radiance.
accessible once they have given up their need for physical form and
Connected to each other by the wellsprings, they resemble from a
its limitations. Creatures may travel by Nefesh to reach Hod, by
distance a massive tree or esoteric ladder, and regardless of where
Neshamah to Tiferet, or by Ruach to Netzach from Yesod.
someone is on the Plane of Radiance, the Sephirah are always visible.
Each sefirot has planar traits and guardians related to a theme, and
Guardians: Every single kind of ooze can be found slithering
once that theme is realized and accepted by travelers, they may move
through this place.
on to the next sefirot. When they pass beyond a sefirot, they gain
both a exaltation (a limited use or 24 hour bonus) and possibly access
Exaltation: You may use the compression ability from the universal
to more of the multiverse while traversing the Plane of Radiance. A
monster rules for 1 round a number of times per day equal to your
creature may only have one exaltation at any one time.
Other Locations
Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
Planar Access: The elemental inner planes (air, earth, fire, water) are
Malkuth: The Sefirot of Rulership
now accessible from the Plane of Radiance.
• Normal Gravity
• Finite size: Malkuth is the size of a metropolis.
• Alterable Morphic
Hod: The Sefirot of Glory
• No Gravity
Rulership of one’s self and one’s dominion and respect to another’s
authority are the themes and lessons within Malkuth. The sefirot • Major Positive-Dominant
appears as a city-sized, greenish-black circle of jungle on the • Mildly Law-Aligned
Ethereal Plane. Three massive black tombs break the top of the
canopy: a pyramid, a ziggurat, and a burial mound topped with
menhir. Within the boundaries of the sefirot, beacons of light burn
at the top of each and provide illumination to the jungle below. The
3
golden trolls rule here, three tribes based out of each tomb, and Exiting the Plane of Radiance
constantly war with each other. Proud and powerful, the trolls all
vie for personal power and enlist any and all to serve them in their Being co-existent with all other planes of existence, the Plane
endeavors for domination. Submitting to serve, teaching others to of Radiance grants those who travel through it a unique
do so, or forcing others to submit are all ways that this sefirot might benefit: a precise exit. In the Plane of Shadow, travel times
be passed through. Neshamah leads to Yesod from Malkuth. might be shortened, but exiting the plane where travelers
want can be chancy at best. The Plane of Radiance has the
Guardians: The golden trolls are black-skinned, golden-eyed same dimensions of the worlds it illuminates, so travel time
creatures of claw and fang. Treat as normal trolls but with slightly remains the same, but travelers exit exactly where they wish
more civilized manners. Claw and bite attacks ignore any DR/special to be. However, such exits are not subtle and are always
material and weapon damage type (that is, adamantine, slashing, accompanied by an explosion of sound and a flash of light
and so on). that reduces the Perception DC to notice a being’s appearance
from the plane by −15. Additionally, everyone adjacent to
Exaltation: You gain a +2 insight bonus to Will saves and morale the exiting creature, including that creature, is subject to a
checks for 24 hours. glitterdust spell.

Hod is the sefirot of both glory and serenity. It is an endless sea Also known as the Sefirot of Grace, Tiferet requires creatures to
of shimmering lights, auroras, and curtains of color scattered accept their own inner beauty and to share it as it should be. It is a
with an asteroid-like field of stone and crystal clumps. There is an lush and manicured garden of incredible beauty that seems slightly
overwhelming sense of wellbeing that inundates this sefirot, and each out of step with visitors. Water can be walked across—so resistant
minute that a creature spends within it, a DC 16 Will save is required, is it to non-native influence—and all areas of plant life are difficult
or it is subject to calm emotions as the spell for a number of rounds terrain. A flower from this sefirot never fades and its scent never
equal to its Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). diminishes.
Guardians: The aurora birds hunt the fields of Hod. They are
colorfully plumed yrthaks whose sonic attacks sound like angelic Guardians: At the center of the gardens, everyone meets the same
song. They take no penalty to Stealth checks when moving full speed twins. One is always facing toward visitors and the other away.
through the shifting lights of Hod. These are a nymph (Janus) and a medusa (Sunaj) that appear to be
Exaltation: A number of times per day equal to your Charisma completely normal young women of the same race as their visitor.
modifier, you may confuse a creature with a successful touch attack Janus is always cruel and Sunaj is always sweet. They also always
for 1 round (no save). pose the same question, which one of them is prettier and why? As is
often the case with questions of this nature there is no correct answer
Planar Access: All of the elemental inner planes, including the more and any reasoning why just digs the hole deeper.
esoteric quasi-elemental planes (such as magma, acid, wood, metal,
and so on) are accessible from the Plane of Radiance. Exaltation: You gain an inner glow that grants you a +2 insight
bonus to Charisma for 24 hours.
Netzach: The Sefirot of Eternity Planar Access: All of creation’s planar roads are available to you. An
• Heavy Gravity overwhelming roadmap of doorways and paths crisscross the prime
material worlds illuminated by the Plane of Radiance.
• Timeless
• Alterable Morphic
• Mildly Chaos-Aligned Gevurah: The Sefirot of Severity
• Heavy Gravity
Netzach is the long walk of time. It appears as an infinite sea of pure
cool water about an inch deep. Its surface is so placid that it reflects • Self-Contained Shape: Gevurah is a single cavernous room
the deep-hued empty sky almost like a mirror, making the horizon with eight exits that each lead to the door opposite.
disappear and giving travelers the impression of walking through • Strongly Law-Aligned
3
the sky. Nothing changes here, and the passage of time seems
meaningless. Anything that rests in one place for too long sinks into Gevurah is discipline, the intent of law. It appears from outside as a
the sand beneath the lake’s surface, leaving nothing behind. For each giant courthouse lined with statues of every known lawful race and
Other Locations
day travelers spend here, they must make a DC 12 Will save or age deity. Within its single octagonal chamber there stands a straight-
1d12 years: the DC for this effect increases by 2 for each additional backed wooden chair facing an impressive podium. Travelers must
day. justify their actions, lives, faith, and dreams to their judge. They
must provide proof that their cause is just and that they are true to
Guardians: Sandmen ripple through the dust of ages beneath the themselves. All creatures within Gevurah are subject to a zone of
water’s surface. Using their sand form abilities to appear as figures truth (no save).
in the distance that disappear when approached, to grab at travelers’
feet and wear them down, and to put to sleep anyone foolish enough Guardians: Aeons are the Judges of Gevurah. One of an appropriate
to stop for any significant length of time. CR to the party is always present, presiding over events.
Exaltation: You may use the aging touch oracle revelation a number Exaltation: For 24 hours, all creatures that begin their turn adjacent
of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier. to you are affected by a zone of truth (no save).
Aging Touch (Su)—Your touch ages living creatures and objects. Planar Access: All of the well-known lower planes are available to
As a melee touch attack, you can deal 1 point of Strength damage you (such as Hell, the Abyss, and so on).
for every 2 levels you possess to living creatures. Against objects
or constructs, you can deal 1d6 damage/level. If used against
an object in another creature’s possession, treat this attack as a Chesed: The Sefirot of Kindness
sunder combat maneuver. • Light Gravity
• Flowing Time: 1 hour on the prime material equals 1 day in
Planar Access: All of the elemental inner planes, including the more Chesed.
esoteric quasi-elemental planes (such as magma, acid, wood, metal,
and so on) are accessible from the Plane of Radiance. • Finite Size: Chesed is the size of a small kingdom.
• Highly Morphic: The mountains of Chesed are constantly
shifting around one another like dancers on an overfilled
Tiferet: The Sefirot of Beauty ballroom floor. Avalanches of rock scree are common. Creatures
• Normal Gravity with the earth type or subtype generate an aura of stable ground
• Static: The Gardens of Tiferet sway in their own winds. equal to 10 ft./level (or HD).

• Major Positive-Dominant Guardians: Lurkers in light call Binah home. They often focus their
attacks on one or two members of any group to the exclusion of all
• Strongly Chaos-Aligned
others. Revelations as to why these poor souls are so targeted is key
A free-floating mountain range, Chesed is a place where cruelty is a to escaping this sefirot.
matter of survival, where kindness is as rare as platinum and carries
punishment of death. This sefirot is unpredictable with avalanches, Exaltation: When you spend 1 round in an area of bright light, you
earthquakes, and cliffs that weren’t there scant minutes ago. It is gain a +2 insight bonus to AC for a total number of rounds equal to
bitterly cold, the wind is always severe, and there is a 50% chance/ 1/2 your ranks in Perception.
hour that the mountain you are on will rise or lower to the next step
of altitude. The positive energy that inundates Chesed requires spells Planar Access: The upper planes are revealed upon the Plane of
to protect travelers or forces them to inflict wounds upon themselves Radiance.
to survive.
Guardians: Kytons maintain a kingdom here, and it is filled with Chokhmah: The Sefirot of Epiphany
screams. • Objective Directional Gravity: Down is always towards the
Exaltation: For 24 hours, you gain DR as a barbarian of your level planetoid.
(minimum 1), if you already have DR from another source, increase
its value by 1. • Self-Contained Shape: Chokhmah is a colossal planetoid.
• Mildly Chaos-Aligned
Planar Access: All of the lower planes are available to you.
A glossy white planet shot through with smooth tunnels, Chokhmah
looks very much like a round sponge made of wax. Sounds echo
Daat: The Sefirot of Knowledge through its tunnels, the cries of creatures from all of creation that
have experienced unique revelation. Discovering this wisdom is the
• No Gravity doorway to beyond.
An infinite sea of books, scrolls, blueprints, and more obscure Guardians: Shining children wander the tunnels of Chokhmah,
means to record information—all of it free-floating and completely hoarding what they hear and tormenting visitors with flame to
unorganized. Travelers looking for information here have a chance encourage horror-filled epiphanies from them as well.
of finding something relevant equal to their collective Intelligence
modifiers × 1%. Exaltation: You gain a +2 insight bonus to your Wisdom ability
score for 24 hours.
Other Locations
Guardians: The star trees of Daat have bark that resembles pages and
scrolls, leaves that glow with a bright blue light, and a maw hidden Planar Access: The upper planes are revealed upon the Plane of
amongst its twisted roots that drones. Despite their appearance, use Radiance.
the stats for a neh-thalguu if someone interrupts one’s lecture.
Exaltation: You gain a +2 insight bonus to your Intelligence bonus Keter: The Sefirot of Creation
for the next 24 hours. • Normal Gravity
Planar Access: Demiplanes, pocket dimensions, and esoteric planes • Finite Size: Keter is a metropolis whose edge is the Plane of
are revealed to you (such as the Plane of Dreams, the Far Realms, Radiance.
and so on). Keter is the top of the Sephirah. The wellsprings explode outward
from a column of light in the city’s center to spread their energies
across the Plane of Radiance and the Positive Energy Plane. This
Binah: The Sefirot of Understanding is the bustling home of the Planar Devas and is a major hub for
• Limited Magic: Only spells with the cold, fire, light, or shadow commerce across the planes.
3
descriptors work within the maze of Binah.

Guardians: While the planar devas are the primary inhabitants of
• Mildly Law-Aligned Keter, it is the star dragons that are best known. Use any dragon and
add the radiant creature template.
Binah is a giant ball of white, black, and grey spheres floating within
a halo of golden light when viewed from outside. Inside, the spheres Exaltation: You gain the radiant creature template for 24 hours.
prove to be globes of the spells darkness, deeper darkness, and light.
It is a maze designed by the guardians of this sefirot to disorient
travelers.

4 Heroes of the Planes
“I remember the first time I realized I truly loved the planes: I was in the Mask and
Maelstrom tavern, looking for work. Some likely fellows and I were being hired for a job I
still have to be a little discreet about—the War, you understand, I’m sure.
“I looked around, and there we were: me, a fallen angel, and among them the dead soul
of an ancient elven hero, an azata bard no taller than my knee, some dwarf priest who’d
never set foot outside his god’s domain, and a mechanical man fresh off the mortal plane.
They were all throwing back lethe ales and already discussing how they’d spend their loot.
Hired by an embodiment of Honesty to steal back some souls mis-sold to Heaven, to pay
for gambling debts racked up on a crooked riverboat plying the Styx.
“Only out here do you see things like that.”
73
o matter how much they may superficially resemble their faces, or elemental affinities, deva are as adaptable as they are varied.
N counterparts in the mortal world, planar PCs live in a
fundamentally different world and take different things for
Often mistaken by mortals for gods or demons, those that travel with
them in the chaos of the planes soon find their bravery proves them
granted. They are closer to the planes and more easily touched by so much more.
its various powers but, at the same time, more bound by them too.
Physical Description: Deva tend to be taller than humans, though
Many envy the free will and ignorance of those born on the mortal
more defined and extreme in build. Muscular deva are profoundly
plane.
so; a thin one might be mistaken for a sylph; and an obese deva
Being creatures that walk in Heaven and Hell, the realms of gods
defines the term. Their skin is uniformly vibrant and comes in one
and the Sea of Possibilities, most planar natives are divided into
of six colors: red, magenta, blue, cyan, green, and yellow—but their
two kinds. The pious, who live in the light and glory of their patron
eyes and hair can be of any color and shade. A deva’s facial features
power. And the cynical and worldly, men and women who see the
are as varied as any other race’s but, when at rest, are often set into a
highest good and deepest evil as merely two sides in a big game.
mask of distinct emotion, from the bulging eyes and gaping mouth
of horror to the squinted eyes and rosy cheeks of humor. Clothing
worn by deva usually either perfectly complements their features or
garishly clashes with them.
NEW RACES Society: Generated at random, deva lack much of a society. Often,
they watch the ways of those that spawned them and copy what they
DEVA see.
When a creature leaves the Plane of Radiance, it takes a bit of that Relations: Deva live much of their lives watching the movements
infinite light with it—and sometimes, it leaves a bit of itself behind and habits of other worlds from the safety of the Plane of Radiance,
as well. Deva are born fully formed and appropriately geared, in a so they are somewhat naïve when it comes to other peoples’
flash of light, bursting from the ground or emerging within glittering motivations. They approach most others with a helpful and friendly
mists that appear from nowhere. With animalistic features, multiple attitude unless given reason not to.
Heroes of the Planes
4

Alignment and Religion: Any alignment is possible for a deva. vision is not impeded. Secondary: You gain an additional
However, with their lack of experience with the multiverse at large, head or face. This grants you an additional +2 bonus to your
Neutral is often at least one facet of their alignment. Religion intrigues initiative and Perception checks and an additional +1 bonus
deva since fulfilling the directives of a god leads its followers to an to your Reflex saves. With a third selection of this ability,
ultimate reward, one which many deva have seen for themselves you also gain the all-around vision ability from the universal
firsthand. Few see a downside to serving a deity. monster rules (see Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2).
Adventurers: Deva seek skills that allow them to become more Bestial Essence: You gain physical characteristics of one
adaptable and avoid classes that might hold them accountable for kind of beast. You may change as little as gaining feathers
other responsibilities. Alchemists, barbarians, bards, fighters, rogues, or a pattern of spots or as much as your head resembling
summoners, and wizards are the most common. any kind of beast, magical or non-magical, such as a unicorn
or an elephant. You remain humanoid. You gain one form
of natural attack from the universal monster rules (see
RACIAL TRAITS Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary) that reflects the
• +2 to One Ability Score: Deva get a +2 bonus to one ability score abilities of your chosen animal, a +2 racial bonus to saves
of their choice at creation to represent their adaptability. against transmutation (transformation) spells, and low-
• Medium: Deva are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or light vision. Secondary: You gain an additional natural
penalties due to their size. attack. If the same attack is chosen, its damage die increases
by one step instead. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to
• Normal Speed: Deva have a base speed of 30 ft. Perception checks in conditions of dim light, and you gain
• Darkvision: Deva can see in the dark up to 60 ft. the scent ability to a range of 30 ft.
• Universal Native: Born from the essence of creation, deva are Elemental Essence: You have a special affinity with one of
considered native to whatever plane they are on, and spells and the elemental energies of the planes. Choose fire, cold, acid,
effects that target extraplanar creatures do not affect them. electricity or sonic. Once this choice is made, it becomes
permanent, and you gain resist 5 against your chosen
• Immortal: A deva is immortal and does not age. It is immune to element. Any weapon you wield also deals 2 additional
spells and effects that would cause it to age or mimic the effects elemental damage of your affinity’s type for every 3 character
of it doing so. levels beyond first. This damage is not multiplied on a critical
• Born Ready: Born fully formed from the stuff of creation but in hit, but it does stack with other elemental damage of its type.
4
any location, all deva begin play trained in one level of a class (as Secondary: You may increase your affinity or gain another.
chosen by their player). Fully geared with armor, weapons, and If you choose to increase, you gain an additional 10 to your
equipment appropriate to their class (also chosen by their player, resistance. If this increases it to 20 you gain immunity to

up to the starting gold value as determined by the GM). that energy instead. If you select another affinity, you gain
Resist 10 against it as well. You may change the energy type
• Planar Form: All deva are born with one of the following special
of your bonus damage as a free action between your selected
abilities. At 10th level and again at 18th level, an additional ability
energies, and regardless of your active affinity, your extra
may be selected. If the same ability is selected, only the secondary
damage increases by 2 for each additional selection of this
effect is gained each additional time.
ability.
Wings: You gain wings. With each 5 ft. of downward
movement, you may glide at a speed equal to your base • Weapon Familiarity: Deva are proficient with all simple
movement with poor maneuverability. Fly is now a class skill. weapons, starknives, and two-bladed swords. They treat any
Secondary: You can fly. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to weapon with “deva” in its name as a martial weapon.
your Fly skill. Your maneuverability improves by one step, or
• Languages: Deva begin play speaking Common and Devanic.
you can add 10 ft. to your fly speed.
Deva with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the
Arms: You gain an extra pair of arms. These grant you an following bonus languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran,
additional 1 move action/round that does not allow you Celestial, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan, and Terran. Devanic
to move or cast a spell. You may take the Multi-Weapon is an amalgamation of all the other planar languages, and any
Fighting feat. Additional arms are weaker than your original creature that speaks at least three of the above languages can
pair, and they may only wield light weapons and only apply convey basic ideas with speakers of Devanic.
half of your Strength modifier to damage. Secondary: You
gain yet another pair of arms. You may now use aid another
action on yourself during Strength and Dexterity based skill
checks for each additional set of secondary arms as a free
action. You may also take 10 to use the aid another action
for multiple creatures, one per set of arms, provided they are
adjacent to you.
Faceted Essence: Your essence is multifaceted. You gain
another head or face somewhere on your body. You may eat,
breathe, speak, and sense normally out of both. You gain an
additional +2 circumstance bonus to initiative checks, a +2
to Perception checks, and a +1 to Reflex saves so long as your

MAXIM • Spell-Like Ability: Maxims can use either cure light wounds or
make whole 1/day as a spell-like ability (CL equals the maxim’s
Maxims are born naturally on planes under the influence of powerful class level).
law and are sometimes the result of experiments by lawful outsiders
(typically algoriths). • Languages: Maxims begin play speaking Common and
Axiomite. Maxims with high Intelligence scores can choose any
Physical Description: Maxims resemble perfectly formed humanoids of the following bonus languages: Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven,
with very similar sharp, angular features and expressionless faces that and Infernal.
usually lack any sign of aging or emotion. They generally appear to
have a mixture of elven and human features. They are often bearded
and have hair, skin, and eyes of solid, unblemished colors, lacking
freckles or variegation. They are often difficult to tell apart, being of
similar heights, weights, and builds, regardless of gender.
Society: Maxims are typically born among other races, but where
they exist in sufficient numbers, they strive to control their
settlements, placing them in a state of perfect order: when mixed
with good or evil they achieve utopia or tyranny, but maxims value
order above all. Their communities are rigidly divided by caste and
profession.
Relations: Maxims naturally get on well with any lawful race.
Disorder and disorganization irritate them like nails on a chalkboard.
Many are more concerned with their own affairs, and other races are
treated indifferently, unless they are impeding or helping the maxim
achieve its goals.
Alignment and Religion: Maxims are usually, but not always, lawful
in alignment. They worship many gods but prefer organized worship
and large organizations to fringe cults and individualistic worship. If
they had a unifying religion, it would be the desire to impose perfect
order onto the world.

Adventurers: Maxims fiercely dedicate themselves to their
endeavors, so they excel at just about anything they put their mind
to. Many are mercenaries who operate strictly to the letter of their
contracts; some become wizards studying the laws of the universe;
others study order as monks or champion goodness on the path of
the paladin. When a maxim chooses a class, they rarely change their
mind unless 1–2 levels of something else would make them more
efficient.
MAXIM CHARACTERS
Maxims are defined by class levels—they do not possess racial HD.
They have the following racial traits.
• +2 Constitution: Maxims are sturdily built.
• Medium: Maxims are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or
penalties due to their size.
4
• Normal Speed: Maxims have a base speed of 30 ft.

• Darkvision: Maxims can see in the dark up to 60 ft.
• Axiomite Resistances: Maxims have acid resistance 5, electricity
resistance 5, and fire resistance 5.
• Coordinated Action: Maxims gain Order’s Unity as a bonus
feat, even if they would not normally qualify for it.
• Skilled: Maxims have an innate knack for complex processes
and gain a +2 racial bonus to Craft, Heal, and Linguistics checks.
• Resistant to Entropy: Maxims gain a +2 racial bonus to saving
throws against disease and mind-affecting effects.

• Ride the Wave: Warplings roll twice whenever subjected to a
WARPLINGS confusion or warpwave effect and can choose from either result.
Warplings are descended from parents tainted by exposure to highly
• Skilled: Warplings gain a +2 racial bonus to Bluff, Disable
chaotic planes, infected by wild magic or proteanic disease. No two
Device, and Escape Artist checks.
are alike.
• Spell-like Ability: Warplings can use shatter 1/day as a spell-like
Physical Description: Warplings resemble their parent species but,
ability (CL equals the warpling’s class level).
often, have oddly distorted features, such as eyes of different sizes,
hair that moves of its own volition, abnormal numbers of fingers or • Languages: Warplings begin play speaking Common and
toes, or multiple skin tones with extravagant swirls. Their physical Protean. Warplings with high Intelligence scores can choose
characteristics change over time, with skin, hair, and eye color any of the following bonus languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Elvish,
changing over days or weeks to become similar to the colors around Gnomish, Goblinoid, Orcish and Sylvan.
them.
Society: Warplings are usually born to other races, but they
sometimes form colonies on chaotic planes. Warpling colonies
may be complete anarchies or merely individualistic (see PLANAR
SETTLEMENTS) but embracing chaos doesn’t always mean their
homes are disorganized or untrustworthy. Many live as nomads,
preferring to keep moving rather than settle down.
Relations: Excessive order stifles warplings like a hot and airless
room, so they rarely get on with very lawful creatures. They tend to
treat other creatures on a case-by-case basis. Warplings are nothing
if not adaptable.
Alignment and Religion: Warplings are not always chaotic, but it
is a natural tendency for them and they are rarely lawful.
Adventurers: Warplings’ powers and natural inclinations
make them natural rogues, but they’re not limited to any
class, though they rarely have the resolve to be paladins or
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monks. They favor sorcerer over wizard, and they often
have a level or two in several classes.

WARPLING CHARACTERS
Warplings are defined by class levels—they do not
possess racial HD. Warplings have the following racial
traits.
• +2 to One Attribute: Every day, a warpling
can choose to add a +2 racial bonus to a single
attribute. Once this choice is made, it cannot be
changed until the warpling has rested for 8 hours
and chosen to re-allocate this bonus. This choice
cannot be changed more than once in a single 24-
hour period.
• Small or Medium: A warpling can come from Small
stock (usually gnome or goblin) or Medium stock
(usually elf, human, or orc). This choice is made when
the character is created.
• Slow or Normal Speed: Warplings have a base speed of 20
ft. if Small or 30 ft. if Medium.
• Darkvision: Warplings can see in the dark up to 60 ft.
• Proteanic Resistances: Warplings have acid resistance 5,
electricity resistance 5, and sonic resistance 5.
• Reactive Adaptation: If a warpling is subject to a
polymorph effect or an effect that would impede their
movement (such as hold person, solid fog, slow, or web)
and fails the save against it, the warpling receives another
saving throw at the start of the next turn.

NEW FEATS TREADER IN DUST
You can survive on planes infused with entropy.
The following new feats are available to planar natives and characters Benefit: You are immune to the minor negative dominant trait and
that regularly travel in the planes. can downgrade the effects of the major negative trait on yourself to
minor. You gain a +2 racial bonus to saves to recover from energy
COMBAT FEATS drain effects.
ORDER’S UNITY
You’ve been trained by maxims or algoriths and are highly effective MAGIC FEATS
when working with others.
MORAL CASTER
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment.
Benefit: You confer an additional +1 insight bonus when taking the Your strong moral beliefs give spells that match it extra punch.
aid another action and receive an additional +1 insight bonus when Prerequisites: Ability to cast a spell with an alignment descriptor
they are the recipient of aid other. that matches your own.
Benefit: Whenever you cast a spell with an alignment descriptor that
matches your alignment, you increase the DC by 2.
PIOUS STRIKE
You call upon the gods to guide your smiting hand
PLANAR SECRET
Prerequisite: Ability to cast divine spells.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can sacrifice a divine spell or spell slot You understand the fundamental realities of the planes.
in order to grant yourself a sacred (or profane, as appropriate) bonus Prerequisites: You can only take this feat if you possess levels in a
equal to the spell’s level to your next attack roll. class whose spellcasting relies on a limited list of known spells (such
as bard, oracle, or sorcerer).
Benefit: Choose one domain. You add the spells from that domain to
GENERAL FEATS your list of spells known.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time it applies
ALETHEIAN
to a different domain.
You possess alethia (or “unforgetfulness”), a quality that protects you
from memory-erasing effects.
SLY CASTER
Prerequisites: Wis 15.
Benefit: You are immune to spells and effects that modify or You’re skilled in getting around planar traits that hamper your magic.
remove your memories, including the river Styx. If reincarnated, Prerequisites: Ability to cast arcane spells.
you remember all of your previous life and automatically retain any Benefit: You gain a +2 insight bonus to concentration checks to
prepared spells but still suffer negative levels or Constitution drain. cast impeded magic in the planes and always know if a spell will be
changed or limited by a plane before you start to cast it (but not what
the exact effect will be).
PLANAR CONFORMIST
You know how to walk the walk and talk the talk on hostile planes.
Benefit: Choose one alignment other than your own. You ignore the MONSTER FEATS
penalties inflicted by mild and strong alignment traits of that type.
FRIGHTFUL FORM
You assume a terrifying visage.
PLANAR INFILTRATOR
Prerequisite: Outsider, Cha 13.
You are expert in masquerading as a native of other planes Benefit: The creature manifests a terrifying burst of divine majesty
Prerequisite: You must be able to speak the plane’s native language 1/day. It gains frightful presence, affecting enemies of its faith and
in order gain the benefit below. those it would deem sinful within 60 ft. The DC to resist this effect is
Benefit: You gain a +2 insight bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, 10 + 1/2 the creature’s racial HD + its Cha modifier.
and Linguistics checks when trying to convince someone that you’re
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native to a particular plane.
PLANAR OUTRIDER The Claws and Fangs of Heaven

You’ve lost count of the strange and bizarre beasts you’ve strapped If you read classical descriptions of angels and demons, you’ll
a saddle to. see that many of them look pretty weird to modern eyes:
Prerequisite: Ride as a class skill. clusters of a thousand wings, rolling wheels of fire, revolving
Benefit: Your Ride skill is not reduced when riding a non-standard
heads sprouting goat-legs. At your discretion, characters
mount.
from Heaven and other benevolent places might be allowed
some of the “monstrous” patronage feats. Feel free to tailor
RELUCTANT PAWN the description to the patron who provides it: perhaps a
You are resistant to the magical wiles of both sides in the character can transform his hands into celestial blades rather
Psychomachia. than growing fiendish claws, or the eldritch horrors provide
Benefit: You gain a +2 insight bonus to saves against spells cast by a tentacle rather than a tail.
good or evil outsiders.

PUPPETMASTER peaceful contact with an outsider of the appropriate hierarchy and
You can possess the bodies of mortal worshippers. persuade it to bestow the gift on them (various services or payments
Prerequisites: Outsider. may be demanded, of course). If a character falls from the favor
Benefit: The creature may possess a mortal within 100 ft. who shares of their patron, the benefit is revoked, and the feat vanishes. The
its faith (either belief in a god or dedication to a particular alignment character may choose to either work to regain their patron’s favor,
or concept) for up to 1 hour per HD you possess. This can be used 1/ seek another patron, or assign a different feat using the normal
day and functions like magic jar, except that no gem is required and process.
the outsider’s body disappears for the duration. Below are some sample patronage feats:
SOUL EATER ADAMANTINE SANITY

This monster devours not just meat but souls as well. The powers of Order grant you mental wards as strong as adamantine.
Prerequisites: Bite attack. Patronage: Law.
Benefit: The creature can consume the soul from a recently slain Benefit: You are immune to spells or effects that cause madness or
corpse of a mortal (killed no more than 1 round/HD ago) using a confusion, such as confusion, hideous laughter, and feeblemind.
coup de grace attack. A successful hit draws the soul out of the body You gain a +4 sacred bonus to saves against fear and effects that deal
and into the creature’s stomach. The creature gains temporary hp Wisdom damage.
equal to the HD of a swallowed soul, but consuming more than one
soul is not cumulative (use the highest HD value). Treat the soul as AEON TRAINED
being swallowed whole, except that the soul has no chance to escape, You have been trained by the enigmatic aeons to access their timeless
and the creature can consume any number of souls of any size. Souls knowledge.
do not take damage from being swallowed. Patronage: Aeon.
Creatures cannot be raised or resurrected if their soul has been Benefit: With a minute’s quiet meditation, you can gain a +1 racial
consumed but can be restored by miracle or wish. These effects bonus to Knowledge checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4
return the creature to life, but it remains “soulless” (they gain the levels you possess. You may also communicate like aeons, 1/day,
soulless trait). placing an image in the mind of targets within 60 ft. as if using an
aeon’s extension of all ability. Occasionally, your aeon patrons also
RACIAL FEATS transmit strange images to you, but their purpose is unclear.
4
BORN BLESSED BALANCER
You were born well off. Your belief in neutrality can hold off creatures of extreme alignment.

Prerequisite: Born ready racial trait. Patronage: Aeon, true neutral deity.
Benefit: One weapon, armor, or piece of equipment that you gained Benefit: You can cast either protection from or magic circle against
from your born ready racial trait is of masterwork quality but only as chaos, evil, good, or law, 1/day/4 levels or HD you possess.
long as it is in your possession. It reverts to a normal item of its type
when held by anyone else and returns to its masterwork form when
again in your possession. CAMBIUM DISTILLATION
Your metabolism has been altered to accept potions more readily.
COMPLEX FORM Patronage: Cambium.
Benefit: Choose one type of spell effect (such as Strength enhancing,
Fate has blessed you with an advanced form. healing, and so on). Whenever you take a potion of this kind, the
Prerequisite: Deva, 5th level. effects are maximized, as per the metamagic feat.
Benefit: You may choose an additional planar form, or you may
select an existing one and gain its secondary benefit. This feat may
be taken multiple times. CHANNELLING HEAVEN
Angels back your channel energy, blasting enemies with holy light
FACETED PERFORMANCE when you call upon your pact.
Patronage: Heaven.
You are a choir of one. Prerequisites: Ability to channel energy.
Prerequisite: Faceted essence planar form, Cha 13. Benefit: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to have your
Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to any Perform skill check that channel energy ability harm all evil-aligned outsiders or heal all
involves your voice, and your spells with a vocal component are cast good-aligned outsiders.
at a +1 DC.
CHANNELLING HELL
PATRONAGE FEATS Devils and demons back your channel energy, blasting enemies with
Many factions in the planes court the service and devotion of hellfire when you call upon your pact.
mortals, and some even share a portion of their power in order to Patronage: Hell.
bring prospective assets more firmly into their camp. Patronage feats Prerequisites: Ability to channel energy.
represent these pacts, deals, bargains, and blessings. Benefit: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to have your
Patronage feats work similarly to achievement feats, but rather channel energy ability heal all evil-aligned outsiders or harm all
than a specific test or task to be completed, the character must make good-aligned outsiders.

CHAOS THEORY FOREKNOWLEDGE
Your faith in blind luck and randomness pays off… sometimes. The Fates of the Loom are prepared to reveal the future to you.
Patronage: Chaos. Patronage: Loom.
Benefit: As an immediate action, 1/day, you may choose to add or Benefit: Auguries and divinations are always clear when you cast
subtract 1d3 from a check that you or someone else in your presence them. As an immediate action, 1/day, you may petition the Fates to
makes. Dumb luck modifies the result. tell you how your thread plays out. Roll 1d20: on an even number,
Fate is kind and you gain a +1 morale bonus to all rolls today; if
DEVILISH EYES the number is odd, Fate is against you and you suffer a −1 penalty.
If you roll a 1 or 20, then the normal results apply but you are also
You have the terrible eyes of a true devil. subjected to a geas/quest (no save) to complete a fateful task decided
Patronage: Hell. by the GM.
Benefits: You gain a devil’s see in darkness ability and a +2 racial
bonus to Intimidate targets that can see the Hell-born evil in your
HEAVEN’S LIGHT
gaze.
Heaven’s purity radiates from you
DIVINE AID Patronage: Heaven.
Benefit: You may exchange a prepared divine spell or spell slot of
Your patron sends you aid when you strike down its enemies the appropriate level in order to spontaneously cast one of the
Patronage: Any. following—light (1st level); daylight or searing light (3rd level).
Benefit: Whenever you confirm a critical hit against an enemy of
your faith (opposing alignment or diametrically opposed beliefs), as
I’LL BE BACK
an immediate action, you may invoke either a doom spell upon the
target or a blessing centered upon yourself. Your return has been foretold by the Fates of the Loom or a deity
with a vested interest in your continuing existence
DIVINE CHAMPION Patronage: Any.
Benefit: Your patron promises to raise you if you are slain at the
Your faith manifests as a magical gift nearest opportunity after you die (usually just after the danger that
Patronage: Deity or conceptual plane. killed you has passed and always within 1 day). If your body is
Benefit: Choose one domain of your patron god or a domain destroyed, you are instead reincarnated.
appropriate to the conceptual plane you champion. You may cast Special: Once this feat is used, it disappears. If you wish, you may
the 1st level domain spell 1/day for every four character levels you immediately select it again, or substitute another appropriate feat.
possess, using your character level as the CL.
LORD’S PROTECTION
FANGS
A powerful lord of a plane (usually your home plane or one you are
Your teeth become iron-hard fangs. strongly tied to) extends to you their personal protection.
Patronage: Mordiggian. Patronage: Any.
Benefit: You can make a bite attack, doing normal damage for your Benefits: A mortal creature with this ability is considered to be under
size plus your Strength modifier. You’re considered proficient in this the effects of a planar adaptation spell while on their patron’s home
attack and can apply feats or effects appropriate for natural attacks plane. Other effects, even on similar planes, affect them normally.
to it. If used as part of a full attack action, the bite is considered
a secondary attack and is made at your full base attack bonus −5,
NUMINOUS FORM
adding 1/2 your Strength modifier to damage.
Special: Disguising your fangs counts as concealing a minor feature. Your physical form radiates the presence of your god.
Patronage: Any deity.
FIDELE STYLE Benefit: You can radiate the power of your patron deity 1/day with a
radius of 50 ft. For 1 minute/level or HD, all allies of the same faith
Blessed by the fideles, your mutual bond lets you fight as one. You are (or part of the same hierarchy) gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls
probably destined to join the ranks of the fideles when you both die. and on saving throws against fear effects. You also gain a +5 sacred
Prerequisites: Both you and your partner must select this feat.
4
bonus to Cha-based checks with members of your faith.

Patronage: Fideles. Special: Whenever you invoke this feat, a visible sign of your god’s
Benefit: Choose one other willing creature (soul mate, best friend, power emanates from you, such as a halo, burst of hellfire, chaotic
husband, or wife) to be your partner. You may aid another as a swift flashes, or floating mathematical formulae.
action when adjacent to your partner. You receive a +4 circumstance
bonus on attacks of opportunity against creatures threatened by
OUTSIDER SKIN
both you and your partner, and enemies that provoke attacks of
opportunity from your partner also provoke attacks of opportunity Your patron shares some of its invulnerability with you.
from you (if you threaten them), within the normal limits. Patronage: Any.
Benefit: You gain resistance to one kind of energy, which your patron
FORCE INITIATE must also have, or you gain DR. The exact amount varies depending
on your level
The algoriths infuse you with their talent for force manipulation.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The effects do not
Patronage: Algorith.
stack. Each time you select Outsider Skin you must select a different
Benefits: You may use mage armor 1/day and mage hand 3/day as
type of resistance.
spell-like abilities.

Level Resistance DR Patronage: Hell.
1–4 5 5/silver or iron Benefit: You may use suggestion or undetectable lie as a cleric of the
5–10 10 5/magic same level 1/day.
11+ 15 10/magic
VOICE OF ORDER
PLAY THE ODDS When Ultimate Order speaks through you, few can resist its power.
You can manipulate the laws of the multiverse to ensure success now Patronage: Law.
at the expense of certain failure later. Benefit: You may use command as a cleric of the same level 1/day for
Patronage: Law. every 4 levels you possess, plus 1.
Benefit: When you roll a critical hit, 1/day, you do not need to
confirm it. However, the next time you need to make a confirmation
check, you automatically fail. NEW TRAITS
PREHENSILE TAIL CAMPAIGN TRAITS
You sprout a tail that’s almost as useful as a third hand.
These campaign traits draw on the themes discussed in chapter one.
Patronage: Hell.
Benefit: You possess a prehensile tail that’s almost as useful as a hand,
Anything’s Possible
which grants you a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks. You can
You gain a +1 trait bonus to research new spells or craft mundane or
manipulate objects with it, or use it for Sleight of Hand attempts, but
magical items, but only the first time.
there is a −5 penalty to any rolls involved.
Fractal Dancer
SAVANT CRAFTING Prerequisite: Neutral, chaotic neutral, or lawful neutral alignment.
You have a deep intuition on crafting. You find it easy to keep contradictory ideas in your head. You gain a
Patronage: Hundun. +1 trait bonus to Diplomacy, Bluff, and Sense Motive against neutral
Benefit: You may use Wisdom instead of Intelligence as a modifier outsiders.
for all Craft skills. You craft items in half the normal time.
Idealist
4
You believe in an idea or conceptual plane with the same reverence
SCORN OF MORALS
that others reserve for gods. You always know when you’re standing
You have the knowhow to force the angels and demons of on that plane. When subject to a spell that would be impeded on

Psychomachia to take their fight elsewhere. that conceptual plane (see Chapter 2), you get a +1 trait bonus to any
Patronage: Law or Chaos. saving throw required.
Prerequisite: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: When you channel energy, you can choose to make it harm Lucky Number
both good- and evil-aligned outsiders. Alternatively, you can have it Roll 1d20. This is your lucky number. Whenever you roll this
heal outsiders of either the lawful or chaos subtypes, instead of its number when making a skill check or attack roll, you gain a +1 trait
normal effects (choose each time you channel energy). bonus to the total.
TRUESPEECH Planeborn
You grew up among outsiders and learned the hard way that mortals
Your words can be understood by any creature.
often need to be discreet in the planes. You gain a +1 trait bonus to
Patronage: Heaven.
Bluff and Stealth checks made against outsiders.
Benefit: You can speak with any creature that has a language, as
though using a tongues spell.
Skilled Pawn
You’re an experienced agent in the Psychomachia and know that
VOICE OF FREEDOM even celestials can’t always be trusted. You gain a +1 trait bonus to
No bonds hold you for long. attempts to Sense Motive on good or evil outsiders, and a +1 trait
Patronage: Chaos. bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks.
Benefit: You may use knock or freedom of movement on yourself, 1/
day as a spell-like ability. Use your character level as the CL. Soulless
You are empty. You may be a cosmic accident, born without a soul
or may have been brought back to life by powerful magic (such as
VOICE OF HEAVEN
miracle or wish) after you died and your soul was claimed by some
Your soul is bright with the goodness of Heaven. power. You are immune to spells such as soul bind or trap the soul,
Patronage: Heaven. but also to raise dead and reincarnate. You are worthless to the
Benefit: You may use light, bless, or bless water as a cleric of the same Psychomachia.
level 1/day for every 4 levels you possess, plus 1.
Warrior of Heaven
VOICE OF HELL They trained you to fight the forces of Hell. You gain a +1 trait bonus
to damage rolls against evil outsiders.
Your voice has the seductive lure of a devil.

Warrior of Hell Chaos Survivalist
They trained you to fight the forces of Heaven. You gain a +1 trait You have lived in the Far Beyond, surviving shifting planes and
bonus to damage rolls against good outsiders. strange and unfathomable dangers. You get a +1 trait bonus to Reflex
saves and to saves against madness affects—although you’re probably
more than a little odd to begin with.
MAGIC TRAITS
Hidden Fate Child of the Ever River
The Fates have chosen to conceal the thread of your destiny from You were raised on the Ever River. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Swim
prying eyes. Attempts to divine your future always produce checks and to saves against any of the Ever River’s hazards.
inconclusive results, and you gain a +4 trait bonus to saves against
scrying. Escaped From Hell
You’re a former slave of Hell. You never intend to go back. They
I Just Don’t Get It intend that you do. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Stealth rolls to evade
You don’t believe all this rubbish about belief, conceptual planes, and evil outsiders.
other planar nonsense. Ignorance, it turns out, is a defense: you get a
+1 trait bonus to saves against any spell cast as a domain spell. Evermaw Belly
You require only half the normal amount of food and water to survive,
Inherited Gift take 1 less damage from the effects of starvation and thirst… and you
Prerequisite: Aasimar, tiefling, or other race with outsider heritage. can stomach eating some pretty rancid and disgusting things.
One of your near ancestors was an outsider with spell-like abilities.
Whenever you cast a spell that’s part of their special or spell-like Heart of Entropy
abilities, you cast it at +1 CL. You gain a +1 trait bonus to damage when trying to sunder an item
or when attacking constructs or objects and a +1 trait bonus to saves
Radiant Mind to recover from negative levels.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Will saves in bright light and your light
spells gain +1 CL against spells with the shadow descriptor. Heaven’s Favored
Prerequisite: Good alignment.
Celestials watch over your favored soul. You gain a +1 bonus to
RACIAL TRAITS Diplomacy checks with celestials and saves against spells with the
Hidden Soul evil descriptor.

Prerequisite: Maxim, tiefling, warpling.
You look mostly like a human rather than your own race. There are Hellhound on My Trail
always a few traces, but it takes a thorough examination to reveal The forces of evil are on your trail. You get a +1 trait bonus to
your true race. Perception checks to spot evil outsiders, whether they’re using
Stealth, Disguise, or some other method.
Miscarnated
Sometimes, a soul destined for a particularly race goes astray. Deep Indweller
in your soul, you know you were born the wrong race. Choose You grew up on one of the planes of the Elemental Indwelling and
another humanoid race. You count as both your actual race and that learned the hard way to avoid the local dangers. Choose one element
race for any effects related to type (this includes traits, feats, how or energy type: you gain resist 2 to that energy type, which stacks
spells and magic items affect you, and so on). with any resistance you may have from your race.
Marketplacer
REGION TRAITS You gain a +1 trait bonus to Appraise and Diplomacy checks when
These traits are drawn from the planes and locations detailed in haggling. Appraise is always a class skill for you, and you start with
Chapters 2 and 3. +20% starting cash.
4
Born at a God’s Feet Moribund

You have long served in the heaven of a particular deity. You gain The grey pallor of the Underworld afflicts your skin. Your flesh is
a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks and Knowledge cool to the touch, and you gain a +1 trait bonus to saves against all
(local) checks about the god’s realm. negative energy effects.
Born on the Wrong Plane Radiant Eyes

Your alignment clashes with your plane of origin. Choose a plane You are immune to dazzle effects and gain a +1 trait bonus to any
whose alignment traits are different from your own. You halve their saving throws against effects that might blind you.
penalties when on this plane.
Rustmonger
Casino Training You have a gift for finding useable parts in junk. You gain a +1 trait
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks to bonus to Disable Device and Craft checks made to repair objects.
detect cheating when gambling. Profession (gambler) is a class skill
for you. Shadowy Upbringing
You were born in the Shadow Realm, and every shadow honors your

ancestry. Whenever you are in dim lighting conditions, you increase
the miss chance by 10% (so in dim light attackers would have a 30% NEW INCANTATIONS
chance to miss you, not 20%).
Dead Man’s Bridge
Stolen by the Elflands School necromancy; Effective Level 7th
Growing up, you were always around magical effects to the extent Skill Checks Knowledge (religion), one success DC 25; Perform
that you realized much of it was mere smoke and mirrors. You gain a (any), one success DC 25; Knowledge (planes), one success DC 25
+1 trait bonus on all saving throws against illusions. Components M (dying creature, 5,000 gp “gift”), S, V
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Story Hunter Backlash negative level
You were born among the nomadic story hunters and possess their Range close (30 ft.)
gift for playing a role. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Perform and Duration instantaneous
Diplomacy checks with fey, and Perform (storytelling) is a class skill Saving Throw no; Spell Resistance no
for you.
You stand upon a bridge while a living humanoid dies and ride its
Strength of Spears passage into the Underworld. You call to the dying creature’s god
The mark of a true warrior is how he or she handles pain and injury. and sing or play of the soul’s worthiness, making an offering worth at
You’ve had to handle it a lot. You gain a +1 trait bonus to stabilization least 5,000 gp to the ankou (see p.99) to permit your passage.
checks, and the maximum negative hp you can go down to before If successful, you find yourself standing in the Underworld,
dying is increased by 1. upon the banks of the River Styx. All participants in the ritual gain
the Trader in Dust feat until they leave the Underworld but also find
Styxborn that a portion of their life energy has been left behind, causing them
Whoever you once were has been wiped away by the Styx. Attempts all 1 temporary negative level.
to charm or compel sometimes fail because you’re not quite a whole Dead Man’s Bridge provides no means to exit the Underworld.
person: you gain a +1 trait bonus against charm and compulsion
effects. Walk the Shadow Road
School conjuration; Effective Level 4th
Survivor of the Tables
Skill Checks* in order—Knowledge (history), one success DC 28;
You somehow survived being abducted by bogeymen and taken to
4
Knowledge (arcana), one success DC 28; Knowledge (planes), one
the Children’s Table. Although nightmares may leave you trembling,
success DC 28.
little else does: you receive a +1 trait bonus to saves against fear.
Components M (500 gp), S, V

Casting Time 30 minutes
Unified Field Theory
Range close (30 ft.)
You were trained in magic by both lawful and chaotic outsiders.
Duration 3d3 rounds
Use Magic Device is a class skill for you, and you get a +5 bonus
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
to Use Magic Device checks made to emulate any lawful or chaotic
(harmless)
alignment.
You open an existing passage through the Shadow Realm, allowing
Wellspring Soul travel from Midgard to the Elflands (or vice versa). The doorway
Whenever you receive a cure spell, you heal +1 point of damage. in the mortal realm is always a site of a murder, suicide, or other
significant tragedy.
You must burn incense or make offerings to the shadow fey worth
RELIGION TRAITS 500 gp and then must spin a lantern and lift it in and out of a bag of
Infidel sackcloth, creating alternating light and shadow. At the same time,
You have abandoned your former god and left his or her realm you and any travelers must move from an area of dim illumination to
in search of a new life. You gain a +1 trait bonus to saves against an area of darkness. Any number of creatures of any size can use an
spells and abilities by clerics of that faith and spell-like abilities from open road; the only limitation is the number that can reach the portal
outsiders of its divine hierarchy. before it disappears. Anyone standing in the vicinity of either end of
the portal sees a foggy road through a dark forest, but there are no
Pious Soul hints of its destination. Environmental effects at one end of the road
Prerequisite: Born in a god’s realm. don’t affect the other.
You are a walking phylactery of faithfulness, automatically aware of The destination of a given road is usually set; it can be changed
any action that would harm your standing with your patron deity. only with effort. Those with fey blood can try to change the destination
of a shadow road, imposing a −5 penalty to the Knowledge (planes)
Prophet check. The fey creature must have visited the new destination before,
A god or goddess, or lord of Heaven or Hell, sends you dreams. not merely heard of it—although a bottled memory is sufficient.
They provide a benefit equal to the divination spell, 1/week. If your * Elves and creatures with fey blood (including sorcerers with a
percentile roll fails, the dream is unhelpfully vague or ambiguous. fey bloodline) gain a +5 bonus to skill checks to open a shadow road.
A confession of lost love, betrayal, or similar adds a +2 circumstance
bonus to any one check (multiple confessions may be made, but all
must be different). If someone moving with the travelers but not
accompanying them provides this confession, the bonus becomes +4.

NEW SPELLS Saving Throw none (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
You gain an innate understanding of the angles required to make
Angel Eyes perfect trick shots. Your next shot with a physical missile weapon can
You see as the archangels of Heaven do. have one of the following effects:
School divination; Level cleric/oracle 5, inquisitor 5 • It can make any number of changes of direction while traveling
Casting Time 1 standard action up to half its normal maximum range as long as there are surfaces
Components M (holy water), S, V from which it can ricochet.
Range caster
Duration 1 min./level • If the attack is with a thrown weapon, it returns to you as if it was
Saving Throw no; Spell Resistance no a returning weapon.
Your eyes fill with a pure white glow, equal to a candle. During this • You may strike a second target within 15 ft. of your primary
time, mundane objects, creatures neither good nor evil, or those target, making a separate attack roll with all the previous bonuses
not powerful enough to have a good or evil aura (see detect evil and penalties but doing half damage.
for details) become shadowy and translucent: such things are only
vaguely discernible and have concealment (20% miss chance) from Confutation
you. Things good and evil however, stand out unmistakably.
You reinforce a target’s beliefs, regardless of whether they are correct.
Any creature that would be detected by detect good/detect
School illusion (phantasm); Level bard 2, cleric/oracle 2
evil is clearly visible, wreathed in either a golden halo or flickering
Components S, V
hellfire, as if you were detecting them with detect evil/detect good.
Casting Time 10 minutes
You always perceive good and evil creatures in their true form.
Target one creature
Angel eyes defeats invisibility and detects creatures even if they are
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
ethereal.
Duration 1 day
Saving Throw Will negates (see text); Spell Resistance no
Chaos Ball
You reinforce the target’s certainty in a belief, delusion, or magical
You unleash a ball of barely controllable chaos energy, which moves
illusion, preventing them from being dissuaded or from seeing
mostly at your command and shifts its form each round.
things as they truly are. Their belief need not be true, but the target
School evocation; Level sorcerer/wizard 3, summoner 3
must believe that it is at the time of casting—appropriate beliefs
Components S, V
might be faith-based or fear of something, an event they have

Casting Time 1 standard action
witnessed, an illusion they think is real, or a belief you know they
Range medium (100 ft. + 1 ft./level)
hold (for example, “cats are secretly intelligent”). You must specify
Area 5-ft.-diameter sphere
what is affected and if the target does not actually believe it to be true,
Duration 1 round/level.
then the spell fails.
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
If cast upon belief in an illusion, the victim suffers a −4 penalty
A chaos ball moves fills a 5 ft. square as a Medium creature and to attempts to disbelieve it for the spell’s duration and gains no
moves by flight up to 2d3 × 10 ft./round. If it enters a space with a bonus for being informed by others that it is an illusion. If a belief,
creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 damage to that philosophy, fact, or opinion, then Charisma-based attempts to
creature. A successful Reflex save negates this damage. change the target’s mind suffer a −4 penalty, and if magical means
The amount of damage the chaos ball does remains constant, but are used, the target gains a +4 bonus to any saving throw.
it changes type at the start of your turn each round. Roll randomly
on the table below: Coterminous Vision
1. Acid You peer into a nearby plane.
2. Cold School divination (scrying); Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
3. Electricity
4. Fire Casting Time 10 minutes
5. Force Components M, S, V
6. Sonic Range caster and one target touched per 3 levels
4
Effect magical sensor

To control a chaos ball, you must make a concentration check (DC Duration 1 minute/level (D)
18) each round to steer the ball. If this check fails, the chaos ball Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
moves in a random direction, rebounding from solid surfaces but
passing over small obstructions (less than 4 ft. high). Directing or You shift your vision to see into a plane coexistent with your current
regaining control of a free chaos ball is a standard action. location or into a coterminous plane if you’re at an appropriate
crossover point. You physically remain on your plane of origin but
Combat Geometry can see as if stood in the same place on the adjacent plane. While
doing so, you are effectively blind to your own plane. You can switch
You grant the target an innate gift for exploiting arcs and ricochets.
your vision to look beyond your plane as an immediate action, but
School divination [law]; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
switching back is a free action. If you are at a point where multiple
planes intersect, you must choose which one to view when casting
Components M, S, V
the spell.
Range touch
You can touch one target per 3 levels when casting this spell,
Target one creature
granting them these benefits as well (which each target controls).
Duration 1 round/level

You are vulnerable to gaze attacks and similar effects on the plane become an entirely different person, with a different name and
you are currently viewing. background.
6 Not So Much of a Hero: You gain 1 negative level. You are allowed
De-Randomize one Will save (DC 20) every 24 hours. If two consecutive saves
You ward a creature or object against the effects of chaos. are failed the effect becomes permanent.
School transmutation [law]; Level inquisitor 4, sorcerer/wizard 5,
7 I See Things Differently Now: Your alignment changes (your
summoner 4
choice). If you are a paladin, you may remain Lawful Good
(player’s choice) but “fell” some time ago. (You may seek
Components M/DF, S, V
atonement.)
Range touch
Target one object or creature 8 Ability Change: Reduce one ability score by 2 and increase
Duration 1 round/level another random ability score by 2.
Saving Throw Fortitude (negates); Spell Resistance yes 9 I never learned To Do That: Lose one random feat (which cannot
Lawful energies fill the target, armoring it against the vagaries of be a prerequisite for other feats you have); you may relearn it
chance. When making a skill or ability check, attack roll, or saving later or choose another now. If there’s no appropriate feat, lose
throw during the spell’s duration, the living target rolls 2d20 and 2 ranks from a random trained skill and gain two ranks in a
averages the result—use this number to calculate the result of the random untrained one.
check. Chaotic creatures who fail their save also become sickened for 10 New Character: You become a completely different character
its duration and must make a concentration check in order to use any with new ability scores and a different class, or you become a
spell-like abilities granted by their race. The DC of this check is the classless monster with a CR equal to your former level.
DC of the de-randomize spell, plus the level of the spell-like ability
being used.
De-randomize can also be cast on objects, but the effects must be Detect Psychomachia
adjudicated by the GM (for example, averaging attempts to sunder You detect the presence of outsiders in the great war between
the item, averaging the damage dealt of a wand, or negating the Heaven and Hell.
anarchic quality of a magical weapon). School divination; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, summoner 1,
witch 2
Defensive Paradox
This spell functions like detect evil, except that it detects outsiders of
4
You tap the possibilities of a parallel universe to escape damage. both good and evil alignments. The amount of information revealed
School conjuration [chaos]; Level sorcerer/wizard 4, summoner 4 depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.

Components V You are vulnerable to an overwhelming good or evil aura if it is
Casting Time 1 immediate action of an alignment opposite to your own.
Target one creature or object
Range touch • 1st Round: Presence or absence of good or evil outsiders.
Duration instantaneous • 2nd Round: Number of auras in the area and the power and
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes alignment of the most potent aura. If you are of either good
(harmless) or evil alignment, and the strongest aura is of the opposite
You reach into nearby alternate universes, searching the various alignment and overwhelming, and the HD or level of the aura’s
possible outcomes for the one where you suffered the least damage source is at least twice your character level, you are stunned for
or where you passed your saving throw. You must cast this spell 1 round and the spell ends.
immediately upon being hit by a damaging attack or one that requires • 3rd Round: The power and location of each aura, and whether
a saving throw, before knowing the result. You instantly make any each aura is a good or evil outsider. If an aura is outside your line
saving throw required, and if damage still results, take minimum of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.
damage (as if the attacker had rolled 1 on all damage dice). Other
affects occur normally.
Free the Soul
This spell is risky. There is a 5% chance every time you cast it that
the version of you that results is not exactly the same as the one that You unshackle a soul from any and all magical bindings.
was attacked: School conjuration (summoning); Level cleric 8
ROLL EFFECT
Components DF, S, V
1 Minor Cosmetic Difference: Clothing or equipment changes style;
Range touch
minor aspects of physical appearance change, such as beard or
Target one creature
hair or a new or vanished scar.
Duration instantaneous
2 Boy Meets Girl: You switch gender. Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
(harmless)
3 Age: You become one age category younger or older (50% chance
of either) with all attendant bonuses and penalties. You free a soul from all physical and magical constraints. It
negates spells like soul bind and trap the soul, and may it be used
4 That’s Not How I Remember It: Significant events in your history
to counterspell those spells. If cast upon intelligent undead or a
are different. 1d2 of your traits change (chosen by the player).
construct or other object containing a spirit (such as a golem or
5 Who Are You People? You retain all existing abilities but gearforged), a willing spirit instantly departs for the afterlife or its

home plane, leaving the body a harmless shell. Memory Net
The spell cannot prevent a soul from being claimed by Hell if a
You scoop a loose memory up and put it in your head or that of
bargain has been struck, but if cast upon a misplaced animus (see
another creature.
BESTIARY), it frees them from damnation (or grace) by granting
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 4,
them atonement. The soul instantly plane shifts to a more appropriate
sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
plane.
Components S, V
Ghostlock
Range personal
You prevent ghosts and other phasing creatures from shifting Target close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
between planes. Duration concentration or 1 round/level
School necromancy; Level cleric/oracle 2, inquisitor 2, sorcerer/ Saving Throw Will negates (see text); Spell Resistance yes
wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action When you cast this spell, you magically scoop a loose memory or
Components DF, S, V memories (typically from the Shadow Realm or River Lethe) and
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) place it in your head or that of another creature. With concentration,
Target one creature or object you can hold the memory without depositing it for up to 1 round/
Duration 1 round/level level. After this time, you must place the memory either in your own
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes mind or in someone else’s, or it is lost. Unwilling targets receive a
Will save.
You prevent a creature from crossing the boundary between the The spell has a 100% chance to recover a lost or stolen memory
Ethereal Plane and an adjacent plane (usually the Material World) if cast within 1 round of the memories being lost. For every round
by means of phasing or manifestation. The creature remains “stuck” of time that passes, reduce the chance of success by 10%. If placed in
in its current plane and cannot leave by means of special abilities, a different mind than its original host, a memory does not provide
like ethereal jaunt, although it may still plane shift or use teleport feats, skills, spells, or similar benefits, but it can contain specific
without error. information or experiences. You can target a specific set of memories
if you know its location (such as a potion of memory or some being
Glimpse of the Impossible swept away by the Lethe or certain shadow creatures). Otherwise,
You force another to see what mortals were never meant to see. you receive a random memory. You can take your own memory (or
School necromancy [chaos, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 6 selected parts of it), but you lose any notion of what you transferred
Casting Time 1 standard action as soon as it’s gone.

Components M, S, V This spell can reverse the effects of exposure the Lethe, returning
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) all the target’s memories. If cast on a character whose history has
Target one creature been removed, the character recalls the majority of their former
Duration instant life—including any class abilities, feats, or skill ranks formerly
Saving Throw Will half; Spell Resistance yes possessed—but gains 1 permanent negative level and loses an
appropriate portion of minor memories.
The target briefly perceives mind-breaking sights from the strangest
reaches of the far beyond: alternate universes, alien dimensions, and Patron’s Visage
non-Euclidean angles. The target takes 3d6 Wisdom damage and is
confused for 1 round if the target fails the saving through. A Will Your god reveals power through your appearance and words.
save halves this damage and prevents the confusion. If the target’s School evocation; Level cleric/oracle 4, inquisitor 4, paladin 2
Wisdom is reduced to 0, then treat excess damage as ability drain. Casting Time 1 standard action
Components DF, S, V
Last Breath Range personal
Target you
You release your last breath early, so it can save you later.
Duration 1 minute/level
School necromancy; Level bard 2, druid 2, paladin 2, witch 2
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
Components V
4
Casting Time 1 standard action You must be in the good graces of your patron in order to cast this
Target personal spell.
Duration 1 hour/level Your appearance changes to resemble your patron god: for
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes example, a cleric of Wotan would look ancient and imperious with
(harmless) a missing eye and a spear wreathed in lightning. This functions
similarly to disguise self but only provides a +5 bonus on the Disguise
You exhale your fated last breath, which orbits invisibly around you.
check since you’re still somewhat similar in appearance. Your patron’s
If at any point you are disabled or dying during the spell’s duration,
appearance is never subtle or unassuming, and it clearly resonates
your last breath re-enters you at the start of your next turn and
divine power for all who see it.
restores a number of hp equal to your level.
You gain a +5 sacred bonus to all Charisma-based checks made
You may only have one last breath active at any time. If this is
with followers of your faith. Creatures of enemy or rival faiths within
dispelled, you may not cast it again for 24 hours.
60 ft. who see you must make a Will save, or they become shaken
while in your presence for the duration of the spell.

Possible Weapon You arrive at a random point 4d10 ×10 ft. from the original
You strike not just an actual blow, but a dozen possible attacks. teleporter’s point of arrival. If you arrive in a place that is already
School conjuration [chaos]; Level sorcerer/wizard 3 occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you
Casting Time 1 standard action takes 1d6 damage and are shunted to a random open space on a
Components S, V suitable surface within 100 ft. of the intended location.
Range touch If there is no free space within 100 ft., you and each creature
Target one object traveling with you take an additional 2d6 damage and are shunted
Duration 1 round/level to a free space within 1,000 ft. If there is no free space within 1,000
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no ft., you and each creature traveling with you take an additional 4d6
damage, and the spell simply fails.
Your weapon shimmers with ghostly afterimages of possible moves
and strikes, fading off into infinity. When using this weapon, make Winds of Time
2 attack rolls and choose which result to apply. Because neither
outcomes is truly real, however, you do only half normal damage. The target disappears into the winds of time, reappearing later
School conjuration (teleportation); Level sorcerer/wizard 5
Quantum Uncertainty Casting Time 1 standard action
Components DF, S, V
You make a target both exist and not-exist at the same time. Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
School abjuration [law]; Level sorcerer/wizard 3 Target one creature or object of up to 50 lb./level and 3 cu. ft./level
Casting Time 1 standard action Duration 1 minute to 1 year/level
Components M (small box you do not know the contents of), S, V Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
Range touch
Target one willing creature or object touched You create a vortex that snatches a creature or object into the winds
Duration 1 round/level (D) of time, removing it from the universe until a certain amount of time
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes has passed. You may specify any amount of time from 1 minute to a
maximum of 1 year/CL, but time winds are unpredictable and there
You place an object or person in a state of flux: it both may and may is always a chance of mishap, depending on what kind of plane you
not exist at any given moment. A Will save prevents an unwilling are on:
target or an attended or magical object from being affected. There is
no save against the spell’s effects.
4
All divination spells have a flat 50% chance to not detect the Lawful Average Chaotic Result
target, and the target has a 50% chance of being both invisible and Plane Plane Plane
insubstantial to any given observer or effect each round. If the target 01–83 01–67 01–50 Arrives exactly as specified

interacts with a viewer (such as attacking or engaging in conversation
with them), then they are automatically detected by the viewer for 84–86 68–83 51–65 Arrives 1d6 rounds later than
the remainder of the spell. expected
87–94 84–90 66–80 Arrives 50% earlier or later than
Slipstream the specified time
You follow a teleporting enemy 95–98 91–96 81–90 As above, but target aged by one
School conjuration (teleportation); Level magus 4, sorcerer/wizard category (objects become broken)
4, summoner 5, witch 4 99 97–98 91–95 Arrives on time but crumbles to
Casting Time 1 standard action dust
Components V
Range touch 00 99–00 96–00 Target exiled eons into past or
Target caster and one Medium creature per 3 levels future or to a parallel timeline.
Duration instantaneous Wish or miracle is required to
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes recover.
You tag along with another creature’s teleportation magic, arriving

somewhere near their destination. You must touch the area where Objects reappear exactly where they vanished from when the
the original effect was cast. A recent teleport can be utilized for as duration expires. If they arrive in a place that is already occupied by
long as its aura lingers, as per detect magic (1d6 minutes for teleport). a solid body, they take damaged and are shunted to the nearest clear
You transport yourself and may bring one additional willing square, as per dimension door.
Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its
maximum load) or its equivalent per 3 caster levels. A Large creature
counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as four
Medium creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must
be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures
must be in contact with you.

5 Gamemastering Infinity
T he infinite, unbounded nature of the planes can be intimidating

when it comes to designing adventures. The planes are so big,
so massive and convoluted and strange, where exactly do you start to
them in there for players to spot, but also, make them useful to
characters who recognize them for what they are. If like calls to like
or a lucky number actually seems to have an effect on the world,
explore infinity? then PCs (and players) are more likely to believe in it and try to use
Start small—life’s little victories and defeats exist out there just it themselves.
as they do on the Material Plane. There are also any number of ideas
from the mortal world that can be made fresh with a planar spin, That said, never let the planes become predictable—it’s never just
such as outsider NPCs, an exotic location, and an undercurrent of the Material Plane with a few changed magic rules and different
philosophy. Even a simple “caravan guard” job becomes exotic when monsters. Shift the ground under their feet, rock the foundations
a fallen angel is your employer and the goods are lost souls or you’re of their world with revelations that there’s a whole other layer
driving fiendish bulls across the Plane of Spears to feed the hungry or secret to the universe. Something that they might never have
dead of Valhalla. Planar adventures are a chance to add those extra noticed until now but that might have been there all along. And
ingredients, the exotic spices and weirdness you might normally hold don’t be afraid to make them BIG things.
back from, to a campaign.
The themes of the planes discussed in Chapters 1 and 2
are another stepping-stone to making the planes relatable and
understandable. They’re recognizable hooks to hang your adventures
PLANAR TRAVEL
on, no matter their strange subject matter or locale. Spotting them Many planes are infinite in size, self-contained loops, or exist as
is like seeing an “easter egg” or in-joke in a film or TV show. Put layers of coexistent reality. Some, by their very nature, are difficult

to get to and others well guarded and distinctly hostile to characters Hringhorni, and the rickety raft of St. Charon to name but three.
that just “drop in” by plane shift and similar means. Most travelers Shortcutting travelers, pilgrims, explorers, traders, smugglers, and
prefer to journey by planar road, well-worn shortcuts through the even vacationers are common. Many creatures spend their whole
planes. lives traveling the river, learning its meandering paths and panning
Some sample planar roads are listed below: its shallows for secrets.
All kinds of hoodoo and hedge magic can be found along the
banks. Apothecaries pluck magical reeds and floating lichen from
EVER RIVER the shallows. Riverside bars are filled with alchemists, transmuters,
Sanctified by Heaven, it glitters with spiritual light and purifies by and snake oil salesmen. Magical tricksters are as common on the
touch. Fouled by evil and the Underworld, it embodies hate, doom, Ever River’s docks and quays as lost and stranded souls, pick-pockets
and Hellfire. This is the river whose waters divide life from death. and con artists, and down and out devils looking for that one sweet
Flowing from itself to itself through every plane, no one—man or deal.
god—has ever traversed its full length.
Mortals and outsiders alike swear and conjure by its many names: DANGERS
Charon’s Road, Marenna’s Girdle, the Gjoll, the Lethe, Phlegathon,
Styx, and more. It has countless titles. It is the great and endless Ever The river’s flow sweeps away a little of the power of every plane it
River. passes through. Most stretches have a magical quality or two, baleful
or benign. As it skirts Valhalla, it crashes with 1,000 tumbling
swords, as it pools in the swampy ground of Hell, it burns with soul-
FINDING THE EVER RIVER blackening fire. A Knowledge (planes) check is required to spot
Whether a trickle or a raging torrent, the Ever River touches each and local conditions or the telltale signs of a new plane down a fork or
every plane, and there’s usually no trick to finding it beyond time and tributary.
effort and local knowledge. The endless river commonly marks the See PLANAR HAZARDS AND AFFLICTIONS for more details.
border between planes, kingdoms, divine realms, and countless other
great divisions. If it has a purpose other than its own endless flow, it
is to mark boundaries. Perhaps, its ultimate source or destination is
FEY ROADS
Between (see p.29) or some vast lake of the Elemental Indwelling. Long ago, elf arcanists drove mystic passages through the dark
The river’s most famous stretches ring the Underworld and woods and forbidding tunnels of the Shadow Realm, forever
various afterlives, but stay on it long enough and sooner or later, you connecting Midgard with the Bright Lands by a myriad of extra-
can get anywhere. That’s not to say the river will be safe or unguarded, dimensional trails. They drove back shade hounds and other beasts,
though, and it’s slow going. The river moves at its own pace. laid down walls and river passages, and forged mithral bridges
across bottomless chasms. At the height of their empire, they passed
through Shadow at will, as readily as a human crosses a drawbridge.
PLANAR TRAITS But always, there were things in the moat that is Shadow, waiting.
The Ever River has the following standard traits although individual The patience of the things in shadow was rewarded when the elf
sections may have different or additional qualities. empire in Midgard disappeared. For reasons unknown—though
• Normal Gravity everyone speculates—the elves pulled back from the mortal world.
The fey roads fell into disrepair and mortals walked their path only
• Erratic Time: Roll randomly for each new section of river, or at their own peril.
apply the time traits of the plane(s) it’s bordering. The fey roads are also called shadow roads, and they are nothing
• Infinite Shape: The river varies from a trickle to miles wide. less than passages bored through the transitive plane of Shadow,
Whatever the width, however, it is usually infinitely deep. linking Midgard with the Fair Place on the far side of the world.
The Fair Place is the original home of the elves, gnomes, and other
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned fey. These passages have a discreet, permanent connection to specific
• Water-Dominant places on each side. In the Shadow Realm, however, the roads cross
and re-cross. One may move from place to place within the plane
• Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that have the
and between the planes, if one knows the correct passages.
water descriptor or that use or create water (including those
of the Water domain or the elemental [water] bloodline) are
enhanced. PLANAR TRAITS
• Impeded Magic: Spells function normally on the Ever River Each shadow road is a separate demiplane, following the same
itself, but it embodies division. No matter how narrow the general rules as the Shadow Plane, except as noted below:
crossing, treat its banks and islands as on a different plane for the
• Timeless
purposes of magical effects.
• Mildly Evil- or Neutral-Aligned: Shadow roads are often
tainted by the dark acts that anchor them.
USING THE EVER RIVER • Self-Contained Shape: Creatures striking off from the road
Traveling the river is easy, at least in theory. Find a dock, a quay, a port find themselves looped back to it after 1d100+300 ft. In some
city, or riverside shanty, and hail some passing watercraft. Countless cases, however, one shadow road may intersect with another or
vessels ply its mystical waters, from devilish pleasure barges to the connect to the natural terrain of the Shadow plane.
ships of gods: Hel’s longship of traitors, Baldur’s great golden galleon

• Sometimes bright as starlight, sometimes almost pitch black, the hollows, and delves. They may wander at will, but once they intend
environment of a shadow road is never brighter than dim light. to go home, it will take them 1d3 days to return. Many have never
returned, for those who step off the paths sacrifice any protection
To travel a fey road between locations, one must know the path. For offered by the roads guardian powers.
most, this means one needs a guide to make the journey between In game terms, the Shadow Realm is filled with dangerous
gates safely, but once one has made the journey, that person may encounters, often CR 10 or more. More powerful adventurers attract
follow that road later, by themselves or leading others. Certain fey more powerful creatures. Fey and undead are common, as well as
magics allow movement among the gates or even permit shifting the shade hounds, dust beasts, shades, nightshadows, umbral banyans,
entryways and exits of a road (such as the shadow road incantation tenebrous worms, and gloomwings. An incorrect incantation can
or a magical item such as a key of veles). In addition, some doors open a road but leave its destination to the whim of its fey landlord,
require specific spells to operate, or they are bound by magical who can shunt the exit away or even seal it off, turning the road
conditions, such as only functioning on a full moon. Generally, it back onto itself in an endless Mobius loop. Shadows and darkness-
takes 1d3 days to move between gates under normal conditions. But loving creatures of all kinds can be found lurking although most are
these are not normal times. wise enough to avoid fey travelers. The shadow fey themselves are
The Fey Roads still operate brightly and cleanly between the Fair perhaps the greatest threat one can encounter: some set as guards,
Land and Midgard locations strong in the Good Folks’ magic, such other opportunistic hunters or sadists riding four in search of mortal
as the Arbonesse. The members of the Courts of the River King use sport. Travelers using these arcane highways do so at their own risk.
the roads to bring subjects to and from the Fallen World of Midgard,
and these roads function normally. However, much of the network HOUSE OF INFINITE DOORS
has been taken over by shadow fey, who have made dark deals with
sinister powers and call Shadow their home. They will prey on the “There’s this two-story house on a foreboding hill, you see. Which hill,
unwary and make the transit more dangerous than normal. The you ask? Any hill it desires. It exists on all worlds, and it bleeds into
roads near Zobeck, for example, are notoriously shadowed and all planes. Getting inside the house is easy: just open the house’s front
cannot be made to lead to the Fair Land at all. Dornig, meanwhile, door—the only outside door—and you are immediately transported to
makes extensive use of the local fey roads, though not in the way one of the house’s many interior levels. You won’t know which level.
they were originally intended. And you’ll look around, and all you will see are lit, endless hallways
The result is that most of the fey roads have been shut down lined with doors—so many, many damned doors. Doors within doors,
and abandoned. Specific ones, such as the rivers and roads that lead even. It’s a house of madness! And sometimes the doors will open, and
to the Court of the River King, are still patrolled by elves and, as out steps a creature, the likes of which you cannot imagine. Sometimes
such, are safe (at least for these peoples). For the rest of the world, the doors open and try to entice you through to whatever lies beyond
such roads are few and far between. Their portals are abandoned, them.
broken, and where they do function, they are often are the birthplace “Oh, you can resist all you like, but at some point, you’ll realize
of horrors that leak out into the world. you have no exit back to your world. You are trapped. If you don’t
move forward, you’ll go crazy at some point. If you starve there, you’ll
become a house wraith. Or, if you stand still too long, you become a
USING A FEY ROAD door in the wall. I’ve seen it happen.
The Grand Duchy of Dornig uses the old fey roads to hold their “How did I get out? I was always moving, and I watched when
empire together. The roads do not reach the Fair Place but, rather, doors opened, seeing where they went, what walked out. I saw an
bypass the rest of the world, allowing the empire to communicate angel! I saw an angel, and I thrust myself into its celestial realm before
and move small groups easily. Such connections are more it closed the door.
commonly called ley lines since they do not reach the Bright Land. “Now, I’m a scribe in Mammon’s hell. The angel, it seems, was
The imperitrix has arranged with the shadow fey, for they do not merely escaping one Hell for another. I hope she chose a better door
bother small groups along the paths (never more than 20 people). than I.”
The exception is the Great Procession, where the imperitrix herself, —Galeford, infernal scribe of Mammon
holding the Phial of Khor in her hand, leads the Moveable Feast from
city to city in Dornig. She keeps the shadow creations and evil fey at The House of Infinite Doors is a portal to anywhere. It can also be
bay through sheer force of will, and allows her court safe passage. an insidious trap, one much worse than any maze or tesseract. The
Those who make the trip can return to their previous locations house lives: an intelligent manifestation of Chaos that trickles into all
through Shadow at will. worlds, though we try to ignore it or deny its presence.
It takes 1d3 days to pass from Arbonesse to the Courts of the
River King, and 1d3 days to pass between the cities of Dornig (or
from Dornig to Arbonesse or to the courts). Add 1d6 days if one PLANAR TRAITS
is traveling from further away (to another domain of Midgard— The house superficially resembles a gothic manor, both inside and
Dornig to Zobeck, for example), but known and functioning gates out.
are few and far between. Add an addition 1d12 days of travel time
• Transitive Plane: The house connects to many planes and may,
if one is traveling to the Great Wastes or similar lands, where Mage
in fact, be a manifestation of the Sea of Possibilities (p.15).
Wars or other disasters have warped the realm of Shadow.
• Self-Contained Shape: Although it’s finite on the outside, within
the House is an infinite maze, feeding back into itself.
DANGERS
• Sentient Morphic: The house has its own capricious will and
If one intends to travel through Shadow merely for adventure, they
alien mentality. It never lets visitors take advantage of spells or
will find it an overgrown chaos of hedge mazes, twisting passages,
mundane efforts to map or track their progress.

• Strongly Chaos-Aligned • Static Plane: The stairways are unchanging and extremely
difficult to damage.
• Changed Magic: The house changes its layout to foil divination
magic that would guide visitors to specific doors or out again. • Strongly Aligned: Each stairway is strongly aligned to a
particular alignment, which matches one of the traditional
USING THE HOUSE OF INFINITE DOORS nine alignments. The stairways span all Creation and touch
The house is more a trap than a recognized planar road, but it has planes and mortal worlds wherever their alignment is strongly
its uses. It has an uncanny knack of appearing when someone needs represented.
a quick escape from trouble, and it definitely provides a way off just • Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the
about any plane if you’re desperate enough. Getting anywhere else is appropriate alignment descriptor of each road are enhanced.
the problem.
• Limited Magic: Spells that traverse planar boundaries only
Once in the House of Infinite Doors, you’re trapped. You’ll never
function at the junction of two or more stairways. Other spells
find the front door again but you might find a door to a random
of the conjuration school do not function at all since there’s
location on a different plane. These are scattered throughout the
insufficient connection to the wider multiverse.
house, in corridors and chambers. Furnishings and decorations
often provide a clue to the destination of nearby doors, but the house • Impeded Magic: Spells that divine a character’s whereabouts
is capricious and sometimes deliberately surrounds a door with are impeded. This is in effect anywhere but the Nine Stairways.
misleading items. The doors themselves often give the game away, While on a stairway, divinations work normally.
for they are all doors on other planes. Travelers should always inspect The stairways themselves are made of 9-ft. blocks of granite-like
a door for clues. stone. Each step is 9-ft. thick and 45 ft. wide and strongly radiates its
Each doorway is a one way gate between two planes, connecting alignment. The path of chaotic evil is surrounded by flickering fire
the house to a door somewhere in the planes or mortal realm. No and the faint echo of screams while the pure white stone of the lawful
force compels a character to use an open door, but once left, visitors good stairway sparkles with golden light. Scattered bits of terrain
will never find exactly the same door again. and other items sometimes slip through and allow users to deduce
which stairway they travel.
DANGERS
Many go in the house, but few come out again. There are exiles in USING THE NINE STAIRWAYS
hiding, lost adventurers, gangs of inbred scavengers, and religious
Extra-dimensional pathways running somehow “behind” the
cults who believe they can find the perfect afterlife somewhere normal fabric of the planes, the Nine Stairways look like the collision
within. Maddened travelers and wandering monsters who have of nine different Escher drawings, each a stony path or stairs that
staked a claim to some level or series of chambers are the most twists and turns at sharp angles. Each staircase radiates one of the
common dangers. nine alignments. Whenever two staircases meet, it corresponds
to a place on some plane where both alignment traits apply. The
junctions also serve as entrances and exits to the Stairways although
NINE STAIRWAYS access is possible only via plane shift and similar magic, permanent
Mortal architecture frequently contains almost invisible servant’s gates, and obscure incantations.
corridors weaving between the halls and chambers of nobility. Castle Accessing the Nine Stairways requires a site strongly aligned
walls and dungeon rooms are riddled with secret doors and discreet to one or more of the nine alignments. Not every such site is a
boltholes. Here, the servants that keep a palace running move and connection to the stairways, but casting plane shift or the ritual call
transport goods without disturbing the eyes of the castle’s inhabitants. of the nine or similar plane-breaching magic at that point allows the
The Nine Stairways appear to exist for the same reason but on a caster to travel the stairways. Once on a stairway, you can travel as far
cosmic scale. How or what its builders were, and if they still use the as your stamina and provisions allow. To leave, you must merely find
stairways, is unknown. a junction and cast the spell or ritual once more. The trick is finding
a junction that connects to the place you want to go before you die of
PLANAR TRAITS old age. Most junctions contain a few bits of terrain or other features
from the place they lead to, but knowing whether a crossroads truly
• The Nine Stairways run from and to each other in a shifting maze leads where you want to go is still as much guesswork as observation.
like an infinite Escher drawing. The void they’re in also loops
back on itself, eventually dropping fallers back onto their road at
terminal velocity. DANGERS
• Coterminous Points: Whenever two stairways meet, they are The Nine Stairways are relatively empty, but there’s always a chance
coterminous with a point on another plane that has a strong aura of encountering other travelers on the same or a nearby stairway.
of both those alignments. Many creatures use these timeless stairways as refuge, hidey-holes,
storerooms, and secret passages. Most are exiles or criminals on the
• Objective Directional Gravity: Down is always towards the run and don’t welcome visitors.
road’s surface. Stairways twist in all directions, and it’s perfectly The main dangers are falling from a stairway—falling characters
possible to traverse either side. typically take 1d20 × 10 ft. before impacting on another stairway—
• Timeless: Time passes normally for creatures using the Nine or starving or dehydrating during the journey. Another danger is
Stairways, but when they emerge, they find that no time has blindly leaving via a junction without knowing where it leads.
passed outside.

closed by a specific (usually quick) ritual or material component.
ROAD OF GATES Many gates are created when planes come into conjunction, either
Every gate in the Road of Gates connects two different planar naturally or by a powerful spellcaster.
points via the mortal world. One gate leads to Midgard and, nearby, The gate itself manifests as an opening 5–20 ft. in diameter,
another leads from Midgard to the destination plane. Departure and usually bounded by a door, window, or other opening but not always:
destination are linked thematically with the location they share: want one infamous example appears in the sewers of Zobeck as a whirlpool
to travel from the Palace Eternal to Jezebel’s realm of the succubae? leading down to the Filth Lord’s realm in Hell. Anyone or anything
The Road of Doors will take you via the lavish harem of a Sikkim that moves through the gate is shunted instantly to the other side.
pascha. Need to get from Hell to the Plane of Spears? The gates will Once opened, gates typically remain open for 1d4+16 rounds and
take you to long-contested battlefield where the devil-aided armies work in either direction.
of Niemheim clash with Wotan’s Northmen. Deities and other beings who rule a planar realm can prevent
From a Midgarder’s perspective, of course, only a single gate is a gate from opening in their presence or personal demesne if they
needed to access the planes. so desire, so most gates in the Road of Doors lead to nooks and
crannies, secret rooms and back alleys, or either the hinterlands or
formal entrance to a plane: for example, the Gates of Hell.
Sample Gates DANGERS

From: The Elflands, Changeling House; Key—A charmed The main danger of using gates is their very usefulness. Most are
child. well-known among the appropriate planar circles (Knowledge (local)
To: Mora, the Children’s Table; Key—A terrified child. DC 20), and the locations they connect to on Midgard frequently
Connection Point: Under the bed of a terrified child. have a reputation for supernatural events. It’s not uncommon to find
creatures hanging around at one end or another or at the connection
From: Hell, Evermaw; Key—Hungry creature.
point.
To: The Shadow Realm; Key—Memory of a fine banquet.
Connection Point: The Black Prince’s embassy in Darakhan,
White City of the Ghoul Imperium. PLANAR SETTLEMENTS
From: Heaven, realm of Ariel, Archangel of Hope; Key—A Made from dreams, desire, and belief, the planes are well known for
crust of bread given by a poor man who can ill afford it. fantastic locations that fly in the face of mortal design constraints.
To: Plane of Spears, realm of Mars Mithras; Key—A paladin’s Use the following to complement the settlement rules detailed in the
sword. Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide.
Connection Point: House of a poor knight’s squire in the city
of Triolo, in the shadow of its cathedral. NEW GOVERNMENT TYPES
From: Hell, realm of Asmodeus; Key—A valid contract for • Hierocracy: A hierarchy of outsiders rules (devotees of a
devilish services. particular god, concept, or alignment). Lore +2; Economy and
To: Hell, realm of Arishkagel; Key—Corpse of a murder Society −2; increase spellcasting by 2 levels.
victim. • Factions: Two or more rival factions are forced to share power.
Connection Point: Sewers of Zobeck, a cistern used by the Each attempts to undermine the other while trying to solidify
Cloven Nine to dump bodies. their own rule. Individuals may or may not shift sides regularly.
Corruption +1; Crime +1; Law −2. Members of rival factions
From: Elemental Plane of Earth; Key—A ball of adamantium.
must pay 150% of the normal price for goods and services and
To: Plane of Air; Key—Jumping.
may face mockery, insult, or even violence.
Connection Point: Summit of the Cloudwall Mountains.
• Individualists: Various individuals and groups organize society,
but there’s a complete absence of formal government. People
may actively embrace a philosophy of random chaos or value
individuality and freedom above all other virtues. If this stops
PLANAR TRAITS working, use the anarchy disadvantage instead. Crime +1; Law
The road of doors does not have planar traits, as such, but each end −4; Lore +2; Society +1; Danger +5.
of a portal road obeys the normal rules for its plane, and between the
two is Midgard.
• Alterable Morphic: Powerful magic can create, control, or
NEW SETTLEMENT QUALITIES
dispel a portal if conditions are right. Afterlife: The settlement is primarily inhabited by dead souls and is
more concerned with the spiritual state of its populace than material
• Aligned: A portal radiates the alignment traits of the plane it
things. Many inhabitants may just be “going through the motions.”
leads to.
Outsiders are common. Mortal visitors often find such places deathly
boring.
USING THE ROAD OF DOORS Corruption −4; Economy −2; Law +2; Lore +2; Society −2
The Road of Doors is made up of permanent gates, each opened and Visitors whose beliefs significantly differ from the community’s are at
best unwelcome and at worst outlawed. Obvious believers in other

faiths or conflicting alignments must pay 150% of the normal price for Porticular: The settlement is built on or near multiple means of
goods and services and may face mockery, insult, or even violence. shifting between the planes: numerous portals or shadow roads, on
the boundary of coterminous planes, and so on. Regularly exposed
Empowered: A magical or planar effect can be invoked by everyone to planar travelers, the people are open-minded but vigilant.
within the settlement. Learning to use the power requires 1 day/spell Law +1; Lore +1; Society +1
level and a successful DC 15 Wisdom check.
Lore +1 Roaming: This settlement moves. Either the location shifts (such
as a flying island, planar nexus, and so on) or the inhabitants—
All inhabitants gain access to either a constant effect or a 1/day spell- periodically or constantly—physically move via boat, wagon, beast,
like ability while within the settlement and its environs. Examples or magical means. Its people are naturally open to new ideas, but by
include bull’s strength, create food and water, disguise self, featherfall, necessity, the place is largely self-reliant.
fly, and reduce person. Economy −3; Lore +1; Society +2
Fractal: Two opposite powers (such as Law and Chaos or gods of Sanctuary: The settlement enjoys magical protection or a fortuitous
Night and Day) make their home here and somehow manage to location or a powerful NPC protector that largely wards inhabitants
cooperate. from the inherent dangers of its home plane.
Lore +2; Society +2 Law +1; Lore +1; Danger −10
Natives receive a +2 bonus to Sense Motive checks. Increase spellcasting by 1 level.
The settlement ignores or amends a local planar trait.
Heavenly: Basking in the glorious purity of Heaven, this settlement
is undeniably beautiful and usually exists in harmony. The people are Shifting: The settlement is a sprawl, random and unplanned. Strange
rather trusting and non-materialistic. Celestials may be a common events and wild magic ensure that nothing stays the same for long,
sight. thanks to it being located on a shifting chaotic plane or regular visits
from chaotic outsiders or mischievous fey.
Corruption −3; Crime −2; Lore +2 Society +3
Increase spellcasting by 2 levels Law −2; Lore +1; Society +1
Reduce base value by 20%; reduce purchase limit by 20% Roll 1d3 each month: 1—treat purchase limits and magic item
availability as if a settlement of one size category smaller; 2—
Hellish: Baking in the eternal flicker of Hellfire, this is a cruel locale treat as normal; 3—treat as one size category larger.
designed to spurn and mock the tenets of goodness. Daemons,
demons, or devils likely comprise the higher echelons of society and NEW SETTLEMENT DISADVANTAGES
ruthlessly enforce their dominion over those below.
Lost: Difficult to find, even for those who know it’s location. The
Corruption +3; Crime +3; Lore −3; Society −3; Danger +10
whole settlement is effectively covered by obscure objects. Illusions
Increase spellcasting by 2 levels
or terrain make the settlement effectively invisible to those outside.
Kafkaesque: The rules are as uncompromising as they are inscrutably Economy −4, Society −2
bizarre, marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing Reduce base value by 50%; decrease purchase limit by 50%
complexity… at least to foreigners.
Mazed: The streets confuse and disorientate. It’s a labyrinth of
Corruption +2; Law +4; Lore −3; Society −3
twisting mazes and possible non-Euclidean geometry.
Characters must make a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check each day or
A Knowledge (local) check (DC 10 + 1d10) is required to avoid
unknowingly break one of the settlements prohibitions.
becoming lost while traversing the settlement.
Moribund: The dead are everywhere, and undead do much of the
Paranoid: Because of vicious infighting, civil war, witch-hunts,
manual labor (basic tasks and crafting can be done 24/7, but fine
heresy, or just the paranoid nature of the inhabitants, everyone
work is beyond them). High levels of undead population make the
suspects everyone else of being up to no good.
city highly insular—they have few needs and concerns.
NPC reactions start one level more hostile than normal.
Crime +1; Economy −3; Lore +2; Society -4; Danger +10
Increase base value by 20%; decrease purchase limit by 20%
Accommodation and other necessities for the living cost 200% SAMPLE PLANAR SETTLEMENTS
of normal.
BERUTHEA, KINGDOM OF CATS: Everyone knows that cats
have nine lives, but whose are they and where do they get them?
Ordered: Every aspect of the settlement is meticulously planned and
Everyone knows that cats seem to see things that others can’t, but
rigidly ordered. “A place for everything and everything in its place” is
what are they looking at? Everyone knows that cats disappear and
their motto. Thieves and lawlessness aren’t tolerated, and what crime
reappear, but where do they go? The answer to all these riddles is
survives is very well organized indeed.
Beruthea, Realm of Mice and Milk, Kingdom of Cats. Inhabited both
Crime −1; Law +2; Danger −5 by the souls of dead cats, planar immigrants, and dreaming felines
Increase base value by 20%; increase purchase limit by 20% of all races, Beruthea is shaped like a human city but is entirely
(although many goods will be illegal) occupied (conquered?) by feline races. Mongrel housecats form the
+2 circumstance bonus to Knowledge (local) checks due to the general population while celestial lions rule from its palaces. Setting
efficient organization. out from Beruthea, cats slink into Heaven and Hell to steal souls.

Planar cats can be invaluable guides, but a cat’s loyalty should always Here’s a couple sample planar settlements in detail:
be suspect, and those who come to Beruthea do so at their own risk.
CASTLE PERPETUAL: A forest of fanciful towers and crenellated THE CITY OF FLIGHT AND FOLDING
walls as far as the eye can see, this is a boggling maze of courtyards, N metropolis
keeps, causeways, and gates. The Castle Perpetual is seat of a Corruption +4; Crime +4; Economy +5; Law +4; Lore +12 (see
thousand kings and queens, house of uncounted intrigue and vellum homunculi below); Society +8
scandal, both palace and realm in one seemingly endless structure. Qualities Academic, Magically Attuned, Portals, Prosperous, Rumor
Here, innumerable royalty hold their innumerable courts: some in Mongering Citizens, Sanctuary (immunity to river effects)
remote corners where they remain ignorant of their thousands of Danger +0
contemporaries, some situated in adjacent throne rooms, constantly DEMOGRAPHICS
feuding for the right of rule and launching military campaigns Government Council
to capture a library, larder, or forge. There is no planning in this Population 50,000 (50% human, 15% tengu, 15% kitsune, 20%
architectural layout and certainly no wilderness save walled gardens. cosmopolitan sample of other races)
CITY OF CHITIN WALLS: This planar metropolis is built out of NOTABLE NPCS
the left-behind exoskeletons of plane-shifting cicadas the size of See rulers
mastiffs. The hot and airy land which surrounds it buzzes with the
drone of a million insects, both miniscule and dire while its fertile MARKETPLACE
earth is home to cicada nymphs that arise and fly in plane-spanning Base Value 24,000 gp; Purchase Limit 150,000 gp; Spellcasting 9th
swarms every 17 years. The city’s artificers specialize in charms that Minor Items *; Medium Items 3d4; Major Items 4d4
protect against hostile environments.
If you sail the planar rivers long enough, you’ll find the city with junks
CITY OF SILENT IRON: Silent Iron is a walled town and fortress of in its docks, great tori marking its portals, and artificers delighting in
strange architecture and design. The city is populated by gearforged origami. Children laugh as they ride origami horses past parchment
beings of metal and crystal, which stand motionless as if the entire dragons branded with brush strokes of sacrosanct ink. Currency
city had suddenly stopped dead. The obvious wealth and opulence from vaults, orders for food delivery, and even scholarly drafts take
of the city draws in the occasional planar explorer, but despite its flight in the shapes of birds and dragonflies and gliders. Much gossip
inanimate inhabitants, none who has entered has ever emerged centers around the foodstuffs often enclosed within such constructs,
again. for a gift can connote blessing or threat depending on the morsel
received.
CITY SACRED & PROFANE: This city contains a shrine, grove, To the artificers, the word-tattooed page is prized more highly
temple, or cathedral to every god that’s ever existed. Houses of the than gold. Vellum homunculi made from scholarly treatises serve
great powers soar to impossible heights while the shabby alcoves of as consultants and tutors while songbirds folded from sheet music
forgotten demigods huddle in the nooks and crannies of its alleys. give impromptu concerts from the branches of cherry blossom trees.
Buildings grow or shrink in majesty as the fortunes of their patron Boats crafted from travelogues are tied to the junks, leading them to
wax and wane. Faith is mandatory within its walls, but a different the places penned upon their forms. Animals born from the pages
church law applies within each god’s shadow. of a wizard’s spellbook can counter or sometimes even cast the spell
scribed across their bodies.
EMBRACER OF CITIES: This banyan grows in a dark, airy void, If you gamble on the kite battles or back alley construct
stretching out in all dimensions. Nocturnal animals of all kinds tournaments, you’ll come to hear about the more clandestine
and sizes inhabit the humid plane, ranging from bats to squirrels to offerings of the City. Sheets of seemingly innocuous paper are spread
serpents. In the thickest tangles of the great tree’s twisting roots and throughout the planes, only to fold themselves and return with
branches lie hollow spheres of translucent quartz in which cities have stolen secrets now written all over their skin. Paper creatures marked
been built upon the inner circumference. Each city has a central star by someone’s handwriting can be tracked across the multiverse. And,
that shines a heatless light, and from the outside the spheres seem of course, mysteriously set fires and poisoned paper cuts are the
like cradled moons. They are the plane’s only illumination. specialty of the city’s saboteurs and assassins.
NOVA PULCHRIUM, THE CITY IMPERISHABLE: In ancient RESOURCES

days beneath the great mountain of the gods, Nova Pulchrium • Origami versions of figurines of wondrous power.
was the most beautiful city in all of Midgard. Its inhabitants were
so proud, so powerful, and so perfect (in their own eyes) that they • Massive libraries that hold an incredible amount of information.
sought to preserve their glorious apex forever. They struck a deal (The spymasters continually track events across the planes in the
with the powers of beyond, so their achievements would never name of protecting the city.)
diminish—but they got more than they bargained for, as usual. Both • Banking system with vaults for storage of goods.
city and its inhabitants are frozen in time, beautiful, certainly, but
incorporeal, unmoving, and unchanging. • Junks that provide transport to multiple locations across the
planes as long as there is an origami boat folded from the pages
of a book detailing the destination.
RULERS
An elected council of seven members is voted into office every 5
years. The current council members are:

Aki Sato (LN tengu adept 20)—This merchant has made extensive Music gather here, as do planars trading in intricate music boxes,
gains for the city via her junks serving as transport ships and her sheet music, concerts, and instruments. Their settlement (they hate
assassins serving as contract killers. Aki is seen as an at times cruel to call it a mere town—it’s always city or conclave or commune)
but effective business woman who has the city’s best interests at heart. is also filled with musically inclined fey and outsiders, including
NarikoTakahashi (NG human aristocrat 16)—Nariko has pushed muses, lhiannan sidhe, lyrieen, lillends, trumpet archons, and
for the city to take greater strides in aiding the celestials, but her first hundun. Most of the time, these varied factions cooperate for the
concern is protecting the downtrodden of the city. greater good. Most of the time.
Rinji Kobayashi (TN human druid 12)—Rinji is a kind, middle-aged
THE CITY OF SINGING THROAT
man who takes care of the various orchards and parks of the city.
CG large town
Corruption −2; Crime +0; Economy +1; Law +; Lore +3;
Sachio Watanabe (LN human samurai 17)—Veteran and venerated
Society −2
member of the city, Sachio has sat on the council for 30 years.
Qualities Academic, Syzyrgical, Tourist Attraction
Teiji Saito (CG human summoner 4, M)—Teiji has won his way to a Danger +5
council seat by courting the youth vote. Good looking and naturally
charismatic, the young man is often seen riding his eidolon around DEMOGRAPHICS
the city in an effort to unify the young of different races and classes. Government Magical (The Shriveled Instruments)
Population 3,000 (2,000 mortals of various races, 850 Outsiders, 100
Getting there Fey, 50 Undead)
The City is found on planar rivers, as well as conjunction points
between these trans-dimensional waterways. NOTABLE NPCS
• Ambriel the Clarion, Champion of Singing Throat (LG trumpet
archon)
The City of Singing Throat • “Freeman Drumming,” wandering agent of Chaos (CG hundun)
Welcome to the Throat—a cylindrical planar geode, a pink-hued
• Ouna the Aetherine, diminutive operatic prima donna (CG
gullet of crystallized muscle and tissue. A shaft that pierces a maze
lyrieen bard 10)
of resonant caverns connected to conceptual planes of sound, song-
craft, and musical arcana. • Simon the Cowled, judge and arch-critic (NE lich wizard 18)
All the great music of the planes can be heard here: the echoes
of creation songs, the Voice of Sedara whose lieder terrified all fiends MARKETPLACE
for reasons unrevealed, screams arranged and amplified in the hyper- Double the base value and purchase limit for items relating to sound
mazes of insane tesseract realms, the womb songs of the Anatan that and music.
lead souls to prophesied stillborns. All of these and more reverberate Base Value 2,400 gp; Purchase Limit 10,000 gp; Spellcasting 7th
in ever-varying volumes through darkness and mist-moistened rock. Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; Major Items 1d4
PLANAR TRAITS Built on the Throat’s vertical shaft of lustrous rose and fuchsia hued
• Light Gravity crystal, the City of Singing Throat has many levels. Edifices such
as the Woodwind Tree, the Echo Distilleries, and the Onyx Tower
• Self-Contained Shape: The Throat itself is finite, but travel
of Silence rise through multiple ledges and resonant caverns. The
outward through its caverns eventually leads back to the central
Throat’s light gravity permits extravagantly delicate and outstandingly
shaft.
beautiful filigreed architecture impossible on the mortal plane. With
• Coterminous Plane: Several caves have coterminous flight heavily regulated, even winged races normally use balloons or
connections with different conceptual planes: Sound, Music, magical transport to traverse the levels. For the wealthy, the current
Fugue, Inspiration, and so on. fashion (and Singing Throat is always a fashionable town) is for
• Positive-Dominant. There may not be much native plant and undead spiders with hollowed out abdomens to serve as transport.
animal life, but creative energies thrum in this crystalline realm. Their luminous silver webbing thrums with the echoes in the air,
adding to the city’s melodious cacophony.
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned: The fractal dance of Order and Chaos Singing Throat was built to cater to the needs of musicians and
is courtly and cooperative here. Chaos provides the inspiration, songsmiths of a hundred different races, giving it an eclectic and
Order arranges the symphonies. bohemian style. Beauty is everywhere, however, designed by creative
• Enhanced Magic: Magic that primarily creates sound is geniuses and enforced by vicious artistic coteries and judgmental
enhanced. Unique acoustics also ensure that all such spells are critics. With so many talented performers, standards are high, but
extended and widened (as per the metamagic feats but without the truly great need never fear destitution. Here, rewards from a
increasing spell level). simple drink to a sparkling diamond, or even a soul or a second
chance at destiny, can be garnered as payment for a song.
• Impeded Magic: Silence and similar magic is impeded here.
The Throat grants all vocal and musical performance a +2
circumstance bonus, but the DC of any Perform check to earn
Many agents of Order and Chaos identify closely with music, and money from the populace is raised by 5. Locals respect only the
both sides consider this a sacred place. In the Throat’s reverberating very best talent.
chambers can be heard echoes of the multiverse’s greatest songs,
mingling and breeding, reproducing new sounds and harmonies. In charge of the city are the Shriveled Instruments, undead aboriginal
Celestials and fiends seeking dominance over the ideals of Song or bards, whose music long ago replaced the blood in their veins. They

are the authority behind the limited government that handles day Mortality
to day management of the Throat. This skeletal bureaucracy does
You are no longer among the living… or the dead, or undead, or
little to curb the clash of rival music schools, cabals of sonancers (the
anything else.
city’s specialist sound mages), and Singing Throat’s notorious “song
Price: 10,000 gp
thieves,” who can snatch music from a breath, a reed, or the strings
Effects: Not what most victims think. An old, old devilish trap, you
of a harp.
can still die of old age when your time is up or perish from violence,
but you are not considered a living mortal—or indeed, a member
of your original species—for the purpose of spells or powers that
PLANAR ECONOMICS sense or target that creature type. Also, some creatures treat you
differently: celestials do not prioritize your welfare as they do most
Tarnished with verdigris, clipped around the edges, designs faded mortals (nor do devils and demons desire to taint your soul), and
almost to smoothness, most coins found in the planes have passed undead do not automatically consider you a living target. You do
through many hands. Legend says that all of them were once offerings not gain any other immunities or resistances (for instance, you are
to the dead, taken by Saint Charon and his fellow psychopomps. certainly not a construct). For game purposes, your creature type
Other grave goods are certainly used as currency—from panoptic might be considered “null.”
jars of bronze and ivory to the golden death masks of long forgotten
kings. Name
In the economies of Heaven, Hell, and the points between, coins Whatever is was, it is gone now.
and other mundane valuables are relatively worthless. Characters can Price: 30,000 gp
certainly purchase equipment, luxuries, necessities, and even minor Effect: You may call yourself whatever you like, but most people
magical items with regular treasure, but most powerful outsiders quickly forget it, as well as most details about you. You can never
prefer to deal in other commodities: hopes and dreams, the essences develop a reputation, attract familiars or followers, or obtain a
of conceptual planes, and especially souls recommendation or sponsorship for prestige classes that require
PCs can also buy or sell these commodities. Although sharp one. For the duration of their ownership, a creature that possesses
traders may not mention it, characters cannot magically negate your name can choose to count themselves as you for purposes of
or reverse the effects listed here unless they buy back their own or divination spells and other magical effects, similar to misdirection.
someone else’s commodity. Wish or miracle are necessary to undo Any citizenship, society memberships or noble titles you had
their effects, but this merely voids the contract—effectively stealing are considered occupied by the owner of your name, and you can
back the sold quality, which may have all manner of repercussions. never obtain another unless they are available to “bearer” or similar
entities. Arrest warrants, if you earn any, are usually for “the unnamed
Body person responsible.” Certain spells—at the GM’s discretion, but at
Many creatures relish the experience of even just a few hours in another least including arcane mark, refuge, planar ally series, or anything
body. Devils love to include this “bonus” in the small print of contracts. that requires you be known by name—no longer function for you or
Price: 7,000 gp when applicable, upon you.
Effects: You loan your body out to an outsider as if you voluntarily
submitted to a magic jar spell lasting 24 hours. Privacy
Magical voyeurism is a surprisingly common pastime in the planes.
Destiny Price: 3,000 gp
You trade away a moment of triumph you were supposed to have. Effect: You are a walking, talking amulet of inescapable location. You
When the moment comes, your hitherto assured success is replaced never know who is watching you.
with abject failure. Demons and angels, saints and dark apostles, all like to observe
Price: 200 gp mortals—sometimes to learn about them, often just to pick choice
Effect: The next time you roll a 20 (taking 20 is not included) in targets for their schemes or gain some leverage. Most devilish
a stressful situation or other important moment (GM’s discretion), contracts include this for “free” as a way of keeping track of their
treat it as if you had rolled a 1. You can only have one moment of victims, but characters can also offer up their lives to observation by
destiny sold at any given time. outsiders of all kinds, from imps to demigods.
Memory Service
It might be your first kiss or the first smile you recognized on your Of course we’ll loan you money. In exchange all we ask is that one day
mother’s face. It might be your first kill or betrayal or this very meeting. you help us, if we ask…
It all depends on what the client is looking for. Price: Varies.
Price: 10–5,000 gp Effect: You are affected with a geas/quest (no save) to serve the
Effects: You no longer remember either an event or person. This does purchaser for up to 1 day/level you or they possess, whichever
not affect your skills and intelligence, but you’d walk past your best is greater. The geas/quest remains dormant until invoked.
friend or lover or worst enemy without a blink. Also, if you regularly Unfortunately, a service can be sold on by the purchaser, in which
buy memories, you might become unsure whether what you recall is case the new owner gets to decide the geas/quest. A wise seller
actually yours or someone else’s. specifies exactly what they will and will not do during their time of
service.

Souls persuade one to cook for you (equivalent to persuading a celestial
Souls are among the most ubiquitous of planar currencies, prized by to murder) because, once prepared, the flesh of a fate-eater allows
Heaven and Hell alike. whoever consumes it to escape their destiny.
Price: Typical mortal soul (500 gp); exceptional soul (5,000 gp, and The flesh must be consumed to have an effect. One fate-eater
potentially a lot more) corpse generally produces enough meat to provide flesh for 4
Effect: Selling your soul puts it almost unassailably in the grasp of characters—but finding someone to prepare it correctly is another
its new owner should you die. Its owner gains a +4 item bonus to matter. Fortunately, it does not rot under normal conditions.
attempts to sense motive or scry you, and the DC of any spells they It takes 10 minutes to complete the repast, which tastes
cast on you is raised by 4. disgusting and provokes images of lost fates and broken destinies
in the mind’s eye. Every scrap must be eaten, which requires a DC
Voice 19 Fortitude save, or the target becomes nauseous for 1 hour. If
successful, the eater gains the following benefits:
Devil lords and archangels in search of a perfect choir buy voices, as
do a number of otherwise disgusting fiends that delight in acquiring • For a number of days equal to the fate eater’s HD (usually 12),
beautiful voices. the eater is effectively invisible to all divinations—such effects
Price: 24,000 gp automatically fail when enquiries are made about the character
Effect: You cannot speak, sing, cast spells with verbal components or and even commune or contact outer plane fail to provide
use similar abilities. answers.
• They radiate no alignment and cannot be detected by detect
Youth spells.
To hungry proto-liches, elderly wizards, ageing lords, and other
• Once during the duration, the eater can “undo misfortune” or
venerable powers, a few stolen years are as delectable as the sweetest
attempt another effect in the same manner as a wish, avoiding
candy.
a situation or forcing fate to conspire to grant them access
Price: 1,000 gp
to some place or event that would otherwise not have been
Effects: Your physical age advances by 10 years or to the next highest
available to them. These effects are never blatantly magical,
age category, whichever is greater. You suffer any physical penalties
however, manifesting only as “twists of fate” and incidents of
as normal but gain no bonuses from the age increase.
extraordinary coincidence. Calling on fate this way is a swift
action.
Destruction: Successfully eating a meal of fate-eater’s flesh destroys
MAGIC ITEMS it. It also instantly withers if an outsider serving fate touches it.
ARTIFACTS Remnant Pearl

Archetypical Sword Aura strong (all schools); CL 18th
Slot none; Weight —
Aura none; CL 20th
Slot none; Weight 5 lb. A remnant pearl is all that’s left of a plane or demiplane that’s starved
of souls and belief, like a pearl wrapped around a piece of grit in
Legend says that the Archetypical Sword was the work of some mad an oyster. All that remains of this shrunken plane is an iridescent
mage, some protean or misguided algorith, who managed to claw its stone—a hard shell sealing it tight. Despite the withered state of the
way into the Plane of Archetypes (see p.15) and return with it. Not plane, remnant pearls are invulnerable to damage.
just a sword, it’s the very idea of a sword. Every remnant pearl has its own unique traits, just like a normal
The Archetypical Sword is a longsword of apparently average plane. With concentration, the wielder can call forth some of the
quality, looking much the same as thousands of similar blades that plane’s remaining power, “overwriting” the rules of the current plane
grace the walls of forges and second-hand weapon shops. It radiates with the traits of the pearl in a 30-ft. radius. (The effects last as long
no magic of any kind, and any kind of divination from legend lore to as the wielder concentrates, and traits cannot be selected piecemeal,
commune only ever brings back one answer: “it’s a sword.” all traits come into affect.) With the means, the wielder may also
The Archetypical Sword is indestructible and cannot be changed plane shift into and out of the pearl as normal, but the pearl itself
from its current form in any way. It provides no bonus to attack rolls remains on the original plane.
and does 1d8 damage, just like a normal sword. However it will Each pearl is unique, possessing 1d6 powers, from the meager
damage anyone—bypassing any and all creatures’ invulnerabilities to the potent, duplicating the effects of arcane or divine spells. The
and DR. exact spells vary, depending on the nature of the pearl. The wielder
Destruction: Its theorized that the Archetypical Sword might be can invoke a maximum of 18 spell levels/week as the plane’s energies
destroyed (or at least become vulnerable to damage) if every other need to regularly recharge.
longsword in the multiverse were to be destroyed. Destruction: A remnant pearl becomes vulnerable to normal
damage if it’s anointed with the blood of its last true believer.
Fate-Eater’s Flesh
Aura strong (all schools); CL 18th
Slot none; Weight —
The secret of cooking fate-eater flesh is known almost exclusively
by Fates, Norns, and spinning hags. It takes incredible pressure to

6 Bestiary
NEW TEMPLATES
ANIMUS (CR +0)

An animus is the soul of a deceased mortal that has been judged Animus Traits
and sent to the afterlife. Depending on their new home plane, An animus does not need to eat, breathe, or sleep, but it may
animuses appear as either idealized or degraded versions of their enjoy all of these depending on the plane they are part of: for
former selves. They are one of the building blocks of the planes and example, animuses in Hell often experience hunger, sickness, and
of new outsiders. Their transcended energies empower their home exhaustion. Outsiders from all planes have the means to transform
plane, divine miracles, and servants although outsiders are generally animuses into shapes more useful or to their liking. In Heaven, this
assembled from a variety of sources rather than a single soul, it does is a pleasant, natural experience; in Hell, quite the reverse.
happen. An animus does not have a dual nature—its soul is its body.
A new animus has some memories of its past life, especially of Spells that restore souls to bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate,
events that feature strongly in its alignment, either for or against it, and resurrection, don’t work on an animus, just as with other
and faith, if they’ve ended up in a god’s realm. Otherwise, animuses outsiders (although they function normally on the creature’s
remember about 50% of who they were. Most aren’t bothered at all mortal remains). It takes different magical effects such as limited
by this, knowing that they are dead and somewhat purified. wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life.
As time goes on, their memories become increasingly vague, and
they begin to embody their alignment and beliefs in an instinctual, Special Qualities
almost mindless way. Their level or HD begins to degrade—a
An animus gains special qualities depending upon its home
process that is very different for each plane and god. Heaven’s souls
plane. Animuses not of the same alignment as their plane may or
harmonize with their plane, transforming into golden light while
may not possess these traits:
Hell’s condemned have every scrap of energy whipped, beaten, and
tortured from them. Others might just fade away, transform into an Farthest Shore: Animuses from the Far Beyond are constantly
element or living equation, or a hundred other possibilities. shifting but often take on freakish shapes. Most can fly at
Nothing prevents an animus from leaving its home plane, but average maneuverability, and all of them can use alter self or
this is a rare occurrence. Those in the afterlife of their god or chosen beast shape once every 1d6 hours. Chaotic animuses often
alignment rightly view it as a reward while those condemned to Hell develop unique traits or powers.
or other inhospitable planes rarely have the chance to escape. Rusty Gears: Animuses on Rusty Gears gain increasingly
mechanical forms (gaining DR 10) or become abstract
Creating an Animus living formulae (becoming insubstantial). Both varieties are
“Animus” is an acquired template that can be added to any creature immune to petrification and polymorph effects although the
whose soul has passed into an outer plane upon death. An animus’ plane has many means to physically redesign its animuses
quick and rebuild rules are the same. when necessary.
As an animus comes more in tune with a plane, it begins to lose
Hell: Hell delights in transforming animuses into horrific
its memories, powers, and experience until it dissolves into the plane
shapes and subjecting them to ironic punishments designed
(treat as the onset of permanent negative levels). When their level
to harvest sinful soul energy. Their grotesqueries are legion,
reaches 0, the animus fades away—either stripped of its essence by
and they typically bear the marks of torture. Most quickly
local outsiders or made one with the plane.
develop Endurance as a bonus feat and may have immunity
Rebuild Rules: Type outsider; Senses gains darkvision 60 ft.; to damage of an energy type appropriate to their realm in
Defensive Abilities gains immunity to mind-affecting effects; if Hell—but not to the pain and disfigurement by it.
reduced to 0 hp on home plane, animus reforms next day, but if
Heaven: An animus in Heaven basks in their just reward but
reduced to 0 hp elsewhere, animus is destroyed (if animus has strong
also works hard to help the war effort. They can emit light
connection to plane’s ethos (GM’s discretion), it may change home
at will (as the spell), treat the plane as if it had low gravity,
plane); SQ based on home plane (see below).
and gain the benefits of featherfall and jump. Exceptional
souls may possess wings, allowing them to fly at average
maneuverability.

Loom: An animus of the Loom gains Profession (weaver) at Creating a Fallen or Risen Outsider
maximum rank +3, augury at will, and the benefits of foresight. “Fallen” or “risen” is an acquired template that can be added to any
Plane of Spears: Reckless, quick-tempered, and completely outsider except native outsiders. A fallen/risen outsider’s quick and
without fear, these animuses gain Diehard as a bonus feat and rebuild rules are the same.
true strike 3/day. Rebuild Rules: Alignment variable (see below); Type variable (see
Underworld: All animuses spend a small amount of time in the below); Special Attacks/Spell-Like Abilities attacks and abilities
Underworld. Here they wait, becoming grey and glum while based on alignment change to match new alignment; Feats gains
contemplating their life and being judged. During this time, patronage feat matching alignment (other feats may be changed to
they gain immunity to cold, and undead do not attack them account for new alignment).
unless provoked. Alignment: A fallen or risen outsider’s alignment always differs from
the normal alignment of their origin. One or both components may
ANKOU (CR +1) be different. Tainted by its former existence, the creature detects as
both its current alignment and any alignment subtype it may have.
The proper collection and assignment of souls is essential to the
smooth running of the planes. The newly dead must be guided to the Type: The creature loses the subtype of its former race (demon,
Underworld, corralled and contained, protected from thieves and angel, etc) and any abilities that rely on it but retains any alignment
predators. They must be judged and transported to their assigned subtype and the general appearance of their former race.
afterlife. Souls in purgatory must be collected when their allotted If the creature’s actions have strongly served another plane or
time is up, and the wiles of devil lawyers and celestial crusaders must alignment, it may acquire a new appropriate subtype: for example, a
be thwarted. Death, the vital machinery of the multiverse, must be fallen archon may become a devil. This is usually because a member
served and preserved. of the new race was instrumental in the creature’s fall. An unaligned
Ankou serve all these functions. They dwell in the Underworld exile may also petition to serve in a new hierarchy that fits its
and serve death—both the concept and its attendant gods. They alignment, similar to the process for acquiring a patronage feat. In
come in many shapes and forms, defined by the differing beliefs either case, it loses the subtype of its previous alignment and gains a
of races and cultures. They can be summoned using spells such as new one and the racial subtype of its new race.
summon monster and planar ally.
FALLEN/RISEN TRAITS
Creating an Ankou
A fallen or risen creature is indelibly marked by its change of
An ankou’s quick and rebuild rules are the same. allegiance. Falling celestials lose the luster of nobility, developing
Rebuild Rules: Senses gains darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities hideous horns or claws while wings shed their feathers, becoming
gains immunity to death effects, disease, and poison; gains DR and bat-like. A rising demon or devil may find those very traits wither
resistances as noted below; SR gains SR equal to new CR +5; Special
Attacks smite living 3/day as a swift action (add Cha bonus to attack
6
rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against living foes; persists until
target is dead or the ankou rests); Spell-Like Abilities Constant—
deathwatch, At Will—coterminous vision, ethereal jaunt. The template for fallen celestials and risen fiends is pretty
Bestiary
broad and simple because every such creature is unique.
What causes one demon to rise or angel to fall may not trouble
Hit Resist Cold, Positive, and DR their neighbors at all. Certainly, no one knows for sure how
Dice Negative energy to make a celestial fall or a demon rise—and Heaven and Hell
1–4 5 — and various gods have been trying for centuries.
5–10 10 5/magic The primary decision you must make is “what caused the
creature to fall.” Was it pride or cruelty, mercy or honor that
11+ 15 10/magic
made it outcast? Once you know what happened, you can
build around the new theme. Outsider racial subtypes and
cleric domains are both good guides to what powers might
be lost or what new one’s might be gained.
FALLEN/RISEN CREATURE (CR VARIES) Use the rules here and the base creature’s statistics as
When an outsider—a soul made flesh—experiences moral turmoil a jumping off point. Take a look at its special attacks and
or breakdown of its faith, the result scars them physically. Given spell-like abilities, removing and changing them for more
sufficient “infections” of guilt, pride, or a thousand other alien ideas, thematically appropriate powers, and reselect feats to better
their very race can change. It’s a painful process, transforming into a represent the creature’s new form. Select new abilities of
different creature—a unique outsider or an existing race more suited roughly equivalent level to the old ones to preserve the
to their new ideals. Either way, exile is the best they can hope for. original CR.
Both Heaven and Hell hunt down betrayers and failures zealously. Also remember that falling and rising isn’t just about
Celestials and fiends have even been known to combine their efforts good or evil. Beings can embrace order or chaos and the
to purge the infection and impurity from their ranks. fractal border between them as well.
See Circerone the Upfallen’s statistics for a sample fallen
angel.

in themselves as they become more beautiful or discover an breathe, eat, and sleep. Most neverborn look like particularly well
embarrassing halo or noble visage. Symptoms vary. preserved undead versions of their normal counterparts: unnaturally
pale or bruise-colored skin, chill flesh, and the faint scent of rot
Celestials: If the outsider is lucky, there will be a more experienced
instead of normal body odor.
celestial on-hand to guide a potentially falling creature back into the
fold. Some celestials, however, mostly archons but not always, are
much more judgmental. Azata in particular are known to take it upon
Creating a Neverborn
themselves to destroy celestials that fall from goodness, regardless A neverborn’s quick and rebuild rules are the same.
of what anyone says. Celestials that retain their good alignment but Rebuild Rules: Senses gains darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities
“fall” to a different outlook on law or chaos are treated somewhat gains cold resistance as noted on the table, gains immunity to energy
more tolerantly… but never completely trusted by comrades old or drain and bleed effects; Spell-Like Abilities 3/day—deathwatch; SQ
new. They’ve proved themselves corruptible, after all. cure and inflict spells function at half normal effectiveness against
Lawful and Chaotic Outsiders: Races like the algoriths, hundun, neverborn; requires 1/10 normal amount of food and water and
or proteans may dance too close to their counterparts, developing a breathing is almost imperceptible (can hold their breath for 10 ×
form halfway between lawful and chaotic, ever shifting, riddled with normal limit); undead creatures regard neverborn as undead.
cancers and cysts. If they manage to embrace their contradictory
components, they become aeons; otherwise, the result is madness Hit Dice Resist Cold
and leprous flesh. Alternatively, such creatures may come to 1—4 5
associate law or chaos with a morality, becoming a celestial or fiend.
Their former race finds this strange and pitiable, an obsession they 5—10 10
cannot understand—but they are often welcomed by other members 11+ 15
of their new alignment.
Risen Devils, Demons, and Daemons: Fiends are cruel to each
other at the best of times, but those who dare stray into the heresy RADIANT CREATURE (CR +1)
of good are subject to new depths of torture. A risen creature casts
suspicion on all its colleagues and is a major embarrassment to the Natives of the Wellsprings of Radiance (especially Keter, the Sefirot
local lord of Hell. A fiend’s natural paranoia and plotting nature of Creation), radiant creatures are literally aglow with the fire of
means that a few manage to conceal their taint long enough to flee. life—both physically and mentally.
There are cadres of devils in Hell’s inquisition, charged with
rooting out potential risers and seeing them dragged into the Creating a Radiant Creature
deepest purgatories where they are stripped of their essence piece A radiant creature’s quick and rebuild rules are the same.
by agonizing piece. The one comfort condemned souls have is that
no matter how much they suffer, the fate of a captured risen fiend is Rebuild Rules: Ability Scores +4 bonus to Int, Wis, or Cha (choose
worse. one); AC gains +2 deflection bonus; Skills −10 Stealth; SQ ambient
Bestiary
brightness within 30 ft. increased by 1 step
NEVERBORN (CR +0)

Neither quite alive nor just dead, neverborn resemble living creatures
from the Material Plane but are native to the Underworld. They have
a close connection with negative energy but are still alive and must
6

NEW MONSTERS
ALGORITH
A genderless, metallic humanoid with crystalline eyes and a glowing
silver nimbus. Intricate mathematical equations pattern its skin.
Sometimes known as folding angels, algoriths are lawful beings made
from sheer force, pure math, and universal physics. They are the
border guards of the Conceptual Realms, warding subjective beings
from the Realms of the Absolute. They are the sentries of the Ivory
Towers of Logic, the watchmen of the Plains of Coherence, and the
guardians of the Wells of Knowledge. They are eternal, remorseless,
and unceasingly vigilant. Legend says they guard against unnamed
monstrosities that lurk in the multiverse’s more obscure dimensions,
far from the habitable angles of mortals. They fight with conjured
blades of force and can summon universal energies that deconstruct
randomness, weakening enemies or reducing them to finely ordered
crystalline dust.
Sometimes an algorith’s experiences lead his personal equation
to become good or evil, but they always remain highly lawful. They
always move as one and are almost identical in appearance (only
tiny variations in their formulae identify one from another). Five is
a number of extreme importance to all algoriths, but few are able (or
willing) to adequately explain why.
Algoriths may have castes, ranks, or commanders, but no mortal
has yet figured out how to decode the meanings of the mathematical
blazons adorning their flesh.
ALGORITH, CR 10
XP 17,200
LN Medium outsider (algorith, extraplanar, law)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deathwatch; Perception +12
6
DEFENSE
AC 26, touch 21, flat-footed 24 (+4 armor, +5 deflection, +2
Bestiary
Dex, +5 natural)
hp 84 (8d10+40)
Fort +17, Ref +11, Will +15 Skills Diplomacy +6, Fly +4, Heal +17, Intimidate +12,
Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10 Knowledge (planes) +18, Perception +12, Spellcraft +14;
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
OFFENSE
ECOLOGY
Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee logic razor +12 (2d6+2; ignores invulnerability) Environment any (outer planes)
Special Attacks cone of negation (ranged touch, 5d6 DC 18), Organization solitary (1), quintet (5), squared quintet (25), or
reality bomb (6d6, DC 18) cubic quintet (125)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +13) Treasure none
Constant—deathwatch, mage armor SPECIAL ABILITIES
At Will—aid, blink, blur (self only), detect magic, dimension Cone of Negation (Sp) An algorith can project a devastating 60-
door, hold person (DC 16) ft. cone of negating energy 5/day, causing 5d6 damage (Reflex
5/day—combat geometry, de-randomize, dispel magic, DC 18 halves but evasion and improved evasion are bypassed).
slipstream Those failing must make a Will save (DC 18) or have any ongoing
enchantments or transmutations dispelled. (Affected creatures
1/day—commune (5 questions), dimensional anchor, order’s
can choose to give up their save and be affected automatically.)
wrath, wall of force
The algorith can choose to use this ability without causing damage
STATISTICS as a free action.
Str 21, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 18 Reality Bomb (Sp) The algorith can summon forth a tiny version
Base Atk +14; CMB +12; CMD 19 of an aleph 5/day (see Shadow Planes & Pocket Worlds PDF) and
Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, throw it as a weapon. It does 6d6 damage to any creature within
Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Throw Anything, 30 ft. of the square where it lands (Reflex DC 18 halves but evasion
Toughness and improved evasion are bypassed). Those who fail are stunned
(Fort DC 18) for 1 round.

ANGEL, FIDELE
What appears to be a mated pair Base Atk +9; CMB +14; CMD 28
of animals changes shape into two Feats Flyby Attack, Coordinated
celestials. Their humanoid forms Defense; and
still bear some marks of their (Improved Two-
animal selves. They move in perfect Weapon Fighting,
harmony, as devoted to each other Two-Weapon
as to the cause at hand. Defense, Two-
Fideles form from the souls of Weapon Fighting)
mortals so devoted to each other or (Point Blank Shot,
that their love transcends death. Precise Shot, Rapid
This usually means they were good Shot)
people of lawful disposition. They Skills Craft
are a bright point of emotion in the
(any one) +11,
stern ranks of the lawful gods.
Diplomacy +13,
Fideles are charged with
Fly +13, Knowledge
exhorting mortals to respect the
bonds of partnership and enjoy (history) +11,
it to the fullest when it is found. Knowledge (planes)
Their feelings are deep, joyful, and +11, Perception
often on unabashed display. They +12, Sense Motive
assist lovers that face obstacles and +12, Survival +12,
punish adulterers, rapists, and other Languages Abyssal,
offenders of love. Against fiends, they Celestial, Common, Infernal;
have a particular distate for succubi. truespeech
Where there is a conflict between two cultures’
ECOLOGY
laws in love, they prefer the result that lets the beloved be
together. They are willing to speak against unethical traditions Environment Heaven
but rarely buck the will of a mortal community: they would rather Organization always mated pair
change mortal minds than impose divine intervention. Between Treasure standard (mithral chain shirt, +1 composite longbow,
their mortal forms and their skills, a pair of fideles can be an +1 short sword, 500 gp of goods, including a marriage token
undercover part of a community for many years. if culturally appropriate)
ANGEL, FIDELE, CR 7 SPECIAL ABILITIES
Bestiary
XP 3,200 Alternate Form (Su) At will, a fidele may change between its mortal
LG Medium outsider (angel, extraplanar, good, lawful) form and that of an eagle. Eagle forms of mated fideles are always
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception the same species, though the humanoid forms are often not.
+12 (+20 in eagle form) Ever Touching (Su) Fideles are constantly aware of their mate’s
Aura protective aura state as per the status spell. They experience a constant magnified
version of shield other—splitting any damage and sharing other
DEFENSE
effects as well. Neither fidele is disabled until both are. Any other
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +5 natural
6
baneful effect, such as negative levels, Constitution damage, or

[+4 deflection against evil, +1 size in eagle form]) death effects must first overcome any relevant spell resistance,
hp 64 (9d10+14) magical defenses, or saves from both fideles, but if it does, it
Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +9; +4 against poison, +4 resistance affects both equally. Any unusual effects should be adjudicated
against evil with an eye toward maintaining the shared status of the fideles.
DR 10/evil; Immune acid, cold, petrification; Resist electricity It’s theoretically possible to kill one fidele and not the other, but
10, fire 10; SR 18 the task would be extremely tricky. It is just the sort of twisted
experiment fiends enjoy trying, but to date, no such project is
OFFENSE
known to have met with success.
Speed 40 ft., fly (eagle form) 80 ft. (average) Memory (Ex) Fideles fully remember their time as mortals unless
Melee +1 short sword +13/+8 (1d6+6/19–20) or 2 talons later effects damage their memories. They also pick up historical
(eagle form) +14 (1d4+5) and bite (eagle form) +14 (1d4+5) knowledge from cultures they experience in the course of their
Ranged +1 composite longbow +12/+7 (1d8+6/×3) duties, especially regarding marriage laws and moral traditions.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +6) Older fideles gain a +4 bonus to Knowledge (history) checks and
At Will—guidance, light, purify food and drink, stabilize may personally recall some ancient times.
1/day—bless, consecrate, cure moderate wounds, detect evil, To My Lover’s Side (Sp) If separated from its mate, a fidele can use
eagle’s splendor, protection from evil both plane shift and greater teleport 1/day to reach the other.
STATISTICS
Unshakeable Fidelity (Su) No magic, charm, or other effect
whatsoever can cause a fidele to act against the interests of its
Str 20, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18
mate, as it would rationally understand them.

CAMBIUM
Unfolding impossibly from beneath voluminous robes, the skin is Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal
pockmarked with punctures and spindly arms end in clusters of narrow ECOLOGY
spikes, like fistfuls of needles.
Environment any (outer planes)
Hidden beneath the folds of overlarge cloaks and the shadows of Organization solitary, pair, or assembly (3–5)
wide-brimmed hats, the cambium slinks circumspectly through Treasure standard (2–5 serums, other potions, treasure)
mortal society, hunched and contorted, belying its 9-ft. height. Its
many folded arms curl around its emaciated form. Long, hollow,
SPECIAL ABILITIES
syringe-like fingers twitching in anticipation.
Its harvests lie in every mortal body: the four humors, which Ability Damage (Ex) When the cambium strikes successfully in
it drains in precise amounts, sometimes to fix its own imbalances, combat with its needle fingers, it can attempt to do 1d4 damage to
sometimes to concoct serums meant for sale and injection on planar the ability score of its choice (For DC 21 negates).
markets. The victims are usually left in desperate states, the perfect Imbalance Humors (Ex) When the cambium strikes successfully in
minions eager for a corrective fix and willing to obey the cambium’s combat, it can choose to cause one of the following conditions
every whim. After sufficient crop has been harvested, the cambium instead of ability score damage (Fort DC 21 negates).
abandons these addicts to die slow, violent withdrawals, and • Sanguine Flux—The target cannot be healed—naturally or
allows the local population to “lay fallow” for a decade or so before magically—for 3d6 minutes or until the beginning of the next
returning. extended rest, whichever comes first. Every 5 minutes, the target
can make a new Fortitude save to shrug off the flux before the
CAMBIUM, CR 14 duration ends, with a +3 DC increase each time.
XP 19,700 • Choleric Flux—The target gains the confused condition for 3d6
NE Large outsider (cambium, evil, extraplanar) rounds. Every 3rd round, the target can make a DC 21 Will save
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., deathwatch; to shrug off the flux before the duration ends.
Perception +16 • Melancholic Flux—The target is dazed for 1d4 rounds and
slowed for 3d6 rounds. Every 3rd round, the target
DEFENSE
can make a DC 21 Reflex save to shrug off the
AC 28, touch 16, flat-footed 22 (+6 flux before the duration ends.
deflection, +6 Dex, +6 natural) • Phlegmatic Flux—The target gains
hp 182 (14d10+105) the exhausted condition for 3d6
Fort +22, Ref +16, Will +19 rounds. A DC 21 Fortitude save
Resist cold 15, fire 15 DR 10/good reduces the condition to fatigued
for the duration of the effect.
OFFENSE
6
Inflict Disease (Ex): When the
Speed 40 ft.
Cambium strikes successfully in
Melee needle fingers +21 (3d6+6 plus combat, it can attempt to inflict
Bestiary
ability damage) the disease dyscrasia on the
Special Attacks ability damage, target (Fort DC 21 negates).
imbalance humors, inflict disease
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14;
concentration +18)
Constant—air walk, deathwatch
At will—alter self, detect thoughts,
hold person, plane shift (self only,
evil planes only)
3/day—cure critical wounds,
enervation, inflict critical wounds,
neutralize poison, remove disease
1/day—heal, slay living
STATISTICS
Base Atk +21; CMB +19; CMD 23
Feats Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Great Fortitude, Improved
Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness
Skills Bluff +17, Craft (alchemy) +28, Diplomacy +16,
Disguise +12, Escape Artist +11, Heal +17,
Intimidate +19, Perception +16; Racial
Modifiers +8 Craft (alchemy), +8
Disguise, +8 Escape Artist

FATE EATER
Bathed in sickly violet radiance, the translucent flesh of this giant Organization solitary
centipede-like creature glistens as it’s crystalline jaws gape wide. Treasure none
These translucent, man sized parasites resemble ghostly centipedes SPECIAL ABILITIES
surrounded in erratic violet radiance. They infest scattered areas of Spectral Bite (Su) When a fate eater scores a critical hit against a
the Loom, where they consume the very threads of fate itself. The target, it damages not only the creature but also the threads of
Norns view them as vermin and sometimes will engage particularly its fate. Each successful critical changes the character’s past or
canny planewalkers either to hunt them or to help repair the damage future (Will save DC 20). The Roll 1d6 on the chart below for each
they have done. This can be a deadly job as the fate eaters consider critical hit:
the destiny of a mortal to be the tastiest of delicacies, rich in savory 1. Seeing the Alternates—Gains the confused condition for 1d4
possibilities. rounds.
Fate eaters always start combat by dimensionally anchoring
2. Shifting Memories—Loses 2 ranks from a single random skill,
opponents, so they may then feed upon the victim’s destiny.
and gains 2 ranks in a random untrained skill.
Consuming the threads of the Loom for so many millennia has made
them hard to catch unaware. Information can be traded from them, 3. Untied from the Loom—Character’s speed is randomized for
but one must have something rich in destiny to trade or become 1d4 rounds.
the meal oneself. Some say they are an intrusion from beyond our 4. Not So Fast—Unable to use one random feat.
reality while others avow that they have existed, like the Loom, since 5. Lost Potential—Suffers 1 ability damage (random ability).
before time itself began. It is also rumored that eating the flesh of a
6. Took the Lesser Path—Gains 1 negative level.
fate eater can allow one insights into the fate of another, or even the
ability to partake in that fate. The Norns frown on such wild tales. Another Will save may be made every 24 hours to dispel these
effects. Each day the DC increases by 1 as the character becomes
FATE EATERS, CR 9 more entrenched in this new destiny.
XP 6,400 GM Option: If the initial save is made by 5 or more, the target can
N Medium outsider (extraplanar) attempt to direct the change: replacing age, race, alignment, skill
Init +5; Senses lifesense 60 ft.; Perception +16 ranks, or feats with other legal choices. For instance, some GMs
might allow an avoided drained level to be replaced with a level in
DEFENSE
a completely different class.
AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 20 (+ 1 Dex, +5 deflection, +5
natural)
hp 90 (12d10+24)
Fort + 8, Ref + 5, Will + 10
Immune charm, sleep
Bestiary
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee spectral bite +9 (4d6/19–20 plus special)
Special Attacks
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +13)
Constant—true seeing
At Will—quickened dimensional anchor
6
STATISTICS
Base Atk +9 ; CMB +9; CMD 20
Feats Alertness, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative,
Iron Will, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dimensional anchor),
Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Bluff +16, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge
(arcana) + 20, Knowledge (history)
+20, Knowledge (planes) +30,
Knowledge (religion) +20,
Perception +16, Sense Motive +20,
Stealth +14
Languages telepathy 100 ft.
SQ sound mimicry (voices)
ECOLOGY
Environment the Loom

HUNDUN
A toothless mouth adorns the otherwise headless shoulders of an 3/day—dimension door, fabricate, gallant inspiration, make
oversized, four-armed baby. Colors and half-formed phantasmal whole, masterwork transformation, minor creation
shapes writhe in and out of existence around it, to the creature’s 1/day—awaken, breath of life, chaos hammer, major creation,
obvious delight. plant growth, secure shelter, stone shape
Wise yet child-like creatures of chaos, hundun are four-armed STATISTICS
headless humanoids that embody spontaneous creation Str 20, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 4, Wis 20, Cha 18
and the confusion that precedes enlightenment. Taking
Base Atk +19; CMB +25; CMD 38
an instinctive delight in creation of all kinds, they
Feats Ability Focus (enlightening befuddlement),
bring change to what’s staid and stagnant, spin
revelation from confusion, and inspire moments of Dazing Assault, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved
great creation—from paintings and masterwork Initiative, Improved Sunder, Mobility,
blades to new nations and faiths and even the Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability
formation of whole planets and planes. (confusion), Spell Penetration
Although not mindless, hundun Skills Acrobatics +15, Craft (all) +22,
rarely seem to act out of conscious Fly +30, Perception +18, Use Magical
thought, yet their actions are Device +25
uncannily wise and usually Languages Azata, Protean; cannot
benevolent. They communicate speak
only in nonsense words and
ECOLOGY
baby talk, but have no trouble
communicating among Environment any (chaotic plane)
themselves or acting in Organization solitary or dance
individualistic yet uncannily (2d4)
coordinated fashion with Treasure incidental
their fellow hundun.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Hundun blood is a
powerful catalyst, its spittle a Brainless (Ex) Hundun are
potent drug. Each hundun’s heart immune to all mind-affecting
is an Egg of Worlds—an artifact that can give effects (charms, compulsions,
birth to new concepts, powers, or even worlds. morale effects, patterns, and
phantasms). Attempts to contact or
read a hundun’s mind results in the caster
HUNDUN, CR 14
6
becoming confused for 1 round.
XP 38,400
Dance of Creation (Sp) Hundun can perform
CG Large outsider (chaotic, extraplanar)
an act of magical creation almost unlimited in
Bestiary
Init +5; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +18
scope every 1d8 days (equivalent to a wish),
DEFENSE but the effect must be to create something.
AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 23 (+4 deflection, Enlightening Befuddlement (Su) whenever
+1 Dex, +10 natural, −1 size) a hundun makes a target confused, it may
Hp 143 (19d10+38) elect to use the table below rather than the
Fort +17, Ref +11, Will +20 standard one:
Defensive Abilities brainless, cloak of chaos
(included in statistic block), entropic shield,
freedom of movement
Immune acid, mind-affecting effects; Resistance
electricity 10, sonic 10 SR 25 1d100
OFFENSE 01–10 Inspired: +2 circumstance bonus to skill checks, saving throws,
and attack rolls.
Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect) 11– 20 Distracted: −2 penalty to skill checks, saving throws, and attack
Melee 4 slams +24 (1d6+5) rolls.
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 21–50 Incoherent: Target does nothing but babble or scribble incoherent
Special Attacks dazing assault notes on new idea.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 19th; concentration +24) 51–75 Obsessed: Target is target of geas/quest to create a masterwork
Constant—cloak of chaos (DC 22), detect thoughts, entropic quality object.
76–100 Suggestible: Subject receives a suggestion from the hundun.
shield
At will—quickened confusion (DC 20), create water, Maker’s Gift (Ex) Hundun have an innate gift for creation. They
dancing lights, distracting cacophony, guidance, mending, use Wis instead of Int as a modifier for all Craft skills, and are
prestidigitation considered to have maximum ranks for their Hit Dice in any Craft
skill they attempt.

JUNKYARD CLOCKWORK DOG OBSERVER
This junkyard dog is in fact a crude construct apparently built with Set into the ceiling overhead is a draconic eyeball, as large as a dinner
pieces taken straight from the surrounding scrap. plate. It rotates freely in its setting, turning a golden iris toward all who
pass beneath. As it finds something of interest, the pupil narrows to a
JUNKYARD CLOCKWORK DOG, CR 3 slit and other eyes set along the ceiling turn in the same direction.
XP 800 Observers are typically found in the Casino (see p.36 ), often set into
N Medium construct (outsider, extraplanar) the ceiling above gambling tables and tellers. They coordinate with
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft; low-light vision, Perception Casino security to provide a constant review of activity in the area. If
+4 trouble or cheaters are detected, the observer will immediately notify
DEFENSE security as well as other observers in the area.
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 natural)
OBSERVER, CR 6
hp 36 (3d10+20)
XP 2,400
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
TN Small aberration
Defensive Abilities hardness 10 Immune construct traits
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense
OFFENSE
200 ft; Perception +16
Speed 40 ft.
DEFENSE
Melee bite +6 (1d8+3)
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+4 armor, +8 natural, +1 size)
STATISTICS
Hp 36 (9d8)
Str 16, Dex 10, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1 Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +9
Base Atk +3; CMB +6 CMD 16 (20 vs. trip) Defense Abilities blink
ECOLOGY OFFENSE
Environment Rusty Gears, Material Plane Speed 0 ft.
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–12) Special Attacks gaze attack (charm monster)
Treasure none Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +10)
SPECIAL ABILITIES Constant—mage armor
Dirty Fighter (Ex) The wounds caused by a junkyard clockwork dog At will—detect thoughts (DC 16), hypnotize (DC 15), see
don’t heal unless magic is used. invisibility
Scrap Yard Runner (Ex) A junkyard clockwork dog isn’t hampered STATISTICS
by difficult terrain as long as it stands within the walls of a scrap
yard.
Bestiary
Base Atk +6; CMB +4; CMD 14 (cannot be tripped)

Yard’s Guardian (Ex) The senses of a junkyard clockwork dog are
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will
more acute when the construct is within a scrap yard, providing a
Skills Concentration +11, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (local)
+4 bonus to its Perception checks.
+11, Perception +16, Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +11,
A junkyard clockwork dog is an ugly and crude construct fashioned
Stealth +10
from pieces of scrap metal and second-hand gears that nonetheless
possesses a powerful jaw equipped with rusty serrated teeth whose Languages Common, Draconic; telepathy 100 ft.
bite is quite nasty. This faithful and efficient guardian relentlessly ECOLOGY
6
pursues any trespassers unless they leave the scrap yard it safeguards. Environment the Casino
Organization network (5–10)
CONSTRUCTION Treasure none
The original junkyard clockwork dogs were built by the Dismantlers SPECIAL ABILITIES
from the gears and scrap metal amassed within the Junkyard of Blink (Ex) While an observer is not able to flee its location, it is
Broken Cogs, a district of Rusty Gears. These misshapen dogs are capable of protecting itself by “blinking.” The lids of the eyes close,
basic but efficient guardians fully adapted to their environment. protecting it from harm with improved cover. While closed, the
Assembling one requires crude material worth 100 gp and three DC observer cannot make gaze attacks, but it gains a +8 armor bonus
15 Craft (clockwork) checks. to AC, a +4 circumstance bonus on Fortitude and Reflex saves,
CL 3th, Craft Construct, animate construct II, inflict light and improved evasion. In addition, the observer gains a +10 racial
wounds. bonus to Stealth checks.
Gaze Attack (Su) Observers have a charm monster gaze attack with
a range of 150 ft. (DC 16; CL 6th). Charm monster is common to
most observers, but some advanced observers in higher security
areas of the Casino have additional powers.

RUST DRAKE
Aside from fangs and claws like iron spikes, this dragon-like creature ECOLOGY
seems to be nothing more than a collection of rust. Each beating of its
Environment Plane of Gears, Material Plane
wings brings a shower of flakes.
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (2–8)
RUST DRAKE, CR 8 Treasure standard (no metal treasure)
XP 4,800 SPECIAL ABILITIES
CE Medium dragon (extraplanar, material) Breath Weapon (Su) A rust drake can vomit a cone of rust. These
Init +6; Senses darkvision, low-light vision; Perception +14 oxidized pieces of metal deal 7d6 slashing damage. In addition,
creatures taking damage from the breath weapon might be
DEFENSE
infected by the disease rust drake tetanus.
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8 natural)
Disease (Su) Rust Drake Tetanus: Bite, breath, claw, wing—injury;
hp 96 (9d12+36)
save Fortitude DC 19; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; effect
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +5 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage and the target is paralyzed cure 3
Immune disease, dragon traits, paralysis consecutive saves.
Weaknesses vulnerable to acid and rusting grasp
OFFENSE Many sages pretend that rust dragons are a perversion of nature’s
Speed 30 ft.; burrow 5 ft.; fly 100 ft. (poor) order obtained either by the corruption of a metallic dragon’s egg
Melee bite +14 (1d6+5 plus disease), 2 claws +12 (1d4+5 plus or the transformation of such a dragon by way of a ritual. Others
disease), 2 wings +10 (1d4+5 plus disease) disagree and propose another theory about a malady that affects the
skin of young metallic dragons and ferrous drakes alike. So far, no
Special Attacks breath weapon (30-ft. cone. 7d6 damage plus
one has discovered the truth about their origins but observations
disease, Ref DC 19 half, usable every 1d4 rounds)
demonstrate that these foul creatures feed on rust and are disease
STATISTICS carriers. Ironically, the spell rusting grasp accelerates the oxidation
Str 20, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 8 and aging process of the creature’s body, and acid eats away their
Base Atk +9; CMB +14 CMD 26 (30 vs. trip) ferrous skin.
Feats Critical Focus, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Initiative,
Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Appraise +13, Climb +17, Fly +14, Intimidate +11,
Perception +14, Stealth +14, Survival +11
Languages Common, Draconic
6
Bestiary

SPINNING HAG
A group of barefoot women of all ages and clad as common weavers Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +16)
adroitly manipulate distaffs, spindles, and spinning wheels to create Constant—spider climb
endless streams of thread. The eyes of all those ladies radiate ancient At Will—aid, animate rope, arcane mark, bleed (DC 16),
wisdom. comprehend languages, deathwatch, detect magic, make
whole, read magic, summon swarm (spiders only)
SPINNING HAG, CR 10 3/day—arcane sight, augury, death knell (LE only) (DC 18),
XP 9,600 rope trick, shillelagh (DC 17), snare, unseen servant, web
Neutral (any) Medium outsider (native) (DC 16)
Init +5; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +19 1/day—bestow curse (DC 19), break enchantment, deep
DEFENSE slumber (DC 17), divination, fabricate, freedom of movement
AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 10 (+5 Dex) (DC 20)
hp 65 (10d10) 1/week—commune, contact other plane, dream
Fort +3, Ref +12 Will +11 STATISTICS
SR 20; never surprised Str 10, Dex 21, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 23, Cha 15
OFFENSE Base Atk +10; CMB +10 (+14 trip); CMD 25
Speed 30 ft. Feats Combat Expertise, Craft Wondrous Item, Improve
Melee scissors +10 (1d4/19–20) or quarterstaff (distaff) +10 Feint, Master Craftsman (Profession (spinner)), Skill Focus
(1d6/1d6) (Profession (spinner))
Ranged scissors +15 (1d4/19–20) Skills Bluff +15, Craft (cloth) +25, Craft (clothing) +25, Escape
Artist +18 (+26), Knowledge (history) +14, Knowledge
(planes) +17, Perception +19, Profession (spinner) +33, Sense
Motive +19, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers +8 Craft (cloth),
+8 Craft (clothing), +8 Profession (spinner)
Languages Celestial, Common
ECOLOGY
Environment Rusty Gears, Material Plane
Organization solitary, pair, or coven (3–12)
Treasure masterwork artisan’s tools, masterwork quarterstaff
(distaff), linen, silk, silver and gold threads
Bestiary
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Fateful Face (Ex) A spinning hag can halt and resume her physical
aging process whenever she wants and doesn’t suffer ability
damage from age. Moreover, she cannot be magically aged.
Know My Destiny (Ex) A spinning hag is never surprised.
Spider Symbiosis (Ex) A spinning hag usually has a spider or
spider-like construct for an animal companion. They possess wild
6
empathy with arachnids, as druids of a level equal to their HD.

Through the Eye of a Needle (Ex) Spinning hags can escape many
types of bonds with a disarming facility. They gain a +8 racial
bonus to Escape Artist checks to escape being tied up by ropes
or webbing.

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly
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Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. Game Content.
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The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain Smith, Brian Suskind, Dan Voyce
all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

The
OuterPlanes
Beckon
T here are more lands beyond the world than
anyone can dream: Worlds of perfect clockwork
order, and worlds of roiling chaos. Planes that
embody love, war, solitude, and second chances—
where memories cluster in bleak, dark eddies and
stories have the power of gods.
These are the planes beyond, a sea of dreams and
possibilities, and for those brave or desperate
enough, they are a source of infinite adventures.
Visit the bright realms of Elfland and the dark
courts of the shadow fey. Barter for lost souls
in Mammon’s Golden Court. Question the
clockwork oracles of the Gear Plane - but
step lively to avoid being ground between
its cogs! Scrounge forbidden lore in the
tesseract realm of the derro Mother of
Madness.
• 14 new planes including the Loom, the
Eleven Hells, and the City of Vultures
Beyond
• 6 new planar monsters including the fate-eater,
rust drake and spinning hag
• 3 new player character races: the Deva, Maxim,
and Warplings
• Dozens of bizarre and deadly planar hazards
• Infinite possibilities! $19.99
TM
TM

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DarkRoads

& G olden Hells

©2012 Open Design LLC. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 1: LORE OF THE PLANES 3 THE CONCEPTUAL PLANES 12

2 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

—Cicerone the Upfallen

LAND OF THE DEAD

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Lore of the Planes

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6 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

PLAYERS IN A LONG GAME

Lore of the Planes

Dark Roads and Golden Hells 7

8 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

—Cicerone the Upfallen

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD GODS

Call them jotuns, titans, or primordials, once upon a time there

Midgard and in the planes, from dwarves, mortal champions of

10 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

THE THREE THAT ARE

Dark Roads and Golden Hells 11

OTHER PLAYERS IN THE WAR

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leaves basking in the golden light of Heaven.

14 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

THE SEA OF POSSIBILITIES

Dark Roads and Golden Hells 15

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and quartz. The arrangement is nonsensical to all but the earth

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Dark Roads and Golden Hells 19

and strands rise up like distant mountains, there’s a lake—an actual

FATEFUL ADVENTURES A legend even in this realm of condensed destiny, many

20 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

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Dark Roads and Golden Hells 23

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Dark Roads and Golden Hells 25

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Dark Roads and Golden Hells 27

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W sometimes goes astray. Failures often have no

many created before the calamitous transfer but some excavated by

30 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

Dark Roads and Golden Hells 31

and ominous bulges can hold remains

as an instinctive reaction of Between will

32 Dark Roads and Golden Hells

HAZARDS IN BETWEEN SLEEPING IN BETWEEN: It is unhealthy to rest unless one is in a

Dark Roads and Golden Hells 33

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Dark Roads and Golden Hells 35

Few passages exist through the mountains, and travelers are

INSIDE THE CASINO

and gardens centered in a deep valley. It is divided almost exactly

36 Dark Roads and Golden Hells