Post/Author/DateTime	Post
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-20-04, 06:45 PM	First, I'd like to make a few things clear: 1. Please don't make a post consisting entirely of random keyboard typings and gibberish. It's not funny, it's not original, it is spam, annoying, and a violation of the Code of Conduct. 2. Please don't post semicoherent things either like say "thers a far realm layer with all the stuf rom cat itn teh hatt, and there is a lot of jellos tooo". My grevances with it are the same as with number one. 3. Give all the specs. Tell the layer's special elemental, energy, and gravity traits (if it has any), the creatures found in it, features, how they act, etc. 4. If your name is or was "The Ethereal Wickerman", I will be expecting your contribution. 5. List what level of far realm intensity your layer is (mild, moderate, high, or true) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143503).
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-20-04, 07:33 PM	Farmhouse Mild Far Realms Normal Gravity Minor positive energy dominant trait The farm is about 7 square acres large. There are fields where dead bodies grow, some of familiar beasts (worg, cow, lizard etc.) some are clearly humanoid (elf, orc, human, minotaur), and some of their pseudonatural counterparts. In wide pastures of moist soil herds of plants are raised for various purposes. Large, slow-moving bovine creatures are milked for nectar, plump porcine vegetation is raised and killed for its sweet and juicy flesh, wooden horses are breed for speed, strange tofu-chickens produce egg-plants, and sheepish shrubs yield a cotton wool. The farm is manned by a group of greater pseudonatural animated farm tools (special ability spacial distortion). The meat fields are harvested by bizarre 4-armed skeletons with scimitars where their upper left hands should be, while the livestock are tended by a lawful neutral choker. The farmhouse has a family consisting of a chaotic good succubus dressed in sexy farm attire named April with a southern accent, (replace all evil spell-like abilities with good equivalent, creatures killed by energy drain ability rise as celestial skeletons), a true neutral #-; , a strange ultra-violet shiny fluidic mass in the shape of a muscular male humanoid (pseudonatural 5th-level astral construct) named Toy, and a half-fiend, half-far realm, 4th level astral construct called Xakerith, or Xak for short. The family is very hospitable and answers what questions they can, and while they can go into detail about the creatures of the farm and themselves (April does most of the talking, with an occasional comment from Xak or the #-;) , they don’t know about any location farther than the few neighboring layers. They give the PC’s plenty of food before they leave, and ask them to visit again soon. #-; (pronounced: number hyphen semicolon) Medium Outsider (extraplanar) HD: 5d8+10 (32hp) Initiative: +3 (dex) Speed: swim 20ft, burrow10ft, climb10ft, fly 10ft (perfect) AC:16 (+3dex, +2 insight, +1 natural) Attacks: Tentacle+11 melee (1d6+1) Full Attack: 5 tentacles+11 melee Face/Reach: 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Melt ground, confusion Special Qualities: Horrific appearance, Reality warp, all-around vision, immunities, fire resistance 20, DR5/wood, incomprehensible, outsider traits, insight Saves: Fort+7, Ref+8, Will+8 Abilities: Str13,Dex16,Con15,Int18,Wis10,Cha15 Skills: Spot+10, Listen+5, Search+14, Knowledge(the planes)+13, knowledge(arcana)+11, alchemy+9, escape artist+12, intimidate+10, Gire+4, Gimble+4 Feats: Iron Will, Weapon focus (tentacles), Lemon Curry __________________ Climate/Terrain: Any Organization: Any Challenge Rating: 7 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Any Advancement: 6-8hd (medium) The #-; are a race of grotesque and bizzare creatures from the far realm. #-; is the closest approximation of what these entities refer to themselves as, although they are more commonly known as world warpers, metaverators, xenopi (xenopus singular), or simply "AAAIIIEEE!!!". World warpers are a twisted swirl of rubbery skin a unique sickly green color that is never found in nature covered in eyeballs and eyestalks, with 5 eye-laden tentacles extending from it. The area surrounding a #-; appears rippled and distorted as if by a very intense heat shimmer, except that the color is also distorted. Melt Ground(su): Once per day a #-; can cause the surrounding surfaces within 10ft to ripple and sink with the consistency of mud. All other creatures in the area become mired (treat as proned). This effect lasts for 3 rounds. Confusion(sp): Five times per day, as cast by a 5th level sorcerer. All-around vision(natural ability): A #-;'s many eyes grant it a +5 bonus to search and spot checks, and it cannot be flanked. Horrific Appearance(natural ability): The bizzare and terrifying appearance of a #-; causes creatures to suffer a -1 morale penalty to attack rolls against it. Reality Warp (su): The surreal influence of a #-; twist space, time, and chance in its favor. It receives a +1 luck bonus to all skills, checks, and saving throws (already calculated in the above statistics) while all other creatures within 30ft suffer a -1 luck penalty to skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. The terrain and area also shifts and transforms slightly to its advantage, giving it a +1 circumstantial bonus to attack rolls (already calculated into the above statistics) and its opponents within 30ft suffer a -1 circumstantial penalty to attack rolls. Insight(ex): Short-term precognitive senses give a #-; a +2 insight bonus to AC and attack rolls. Incomprehensible(ex): A #-;'s speech is distorted and babbling. Creatures not native to the far-realm must make a sense motive check (dc:15) whenever it says something to discern its meaning. Creatures with far-realm heritage get a +2 racial bonus to this check. Immunities(ex): A #-; is immune to acid, electricity, confusion, insanity, and insanity or confusion effects. Toy Large Aberration HD:7d8(31) Initiative:+2 Speed: 50ft AC:22(-1size,+2dex,+6 natural,+1insight,+4deflection) Attacks:Slam+14 melee Damage: Slam 1d8+13 Special Attacks: Energy Wave, Improved grab Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60ft, acid and electricity resistance 10, DR10/magic, SR14, PR14 Saves:Fort+2,Ref+4,Will+7 Abilities:Str29,Dex15,Con-,Int-,Wis15,Cha6 ____________________ CR:6 Alignment: Neutral Treasure: None Energy Wave(su): Once per day, Toy can release a burst of free energy in a 30ft radius dealing 2d6 fire and 1d8 electric damage. Xakerith Large Outsider HD:5d8 (22hp) Initiative:+2 Speed:50ft, Swim50ft, burrow25ft, climb25ft, Fly 50ft(average) AC:19(-1size,+2dex,+6natural,+2insight) Attacks: Slam+15 melee, bite+10 melee, 2 claws+10 melee, 3 tentacle rakes+10 melee Damage: Slam 1d8+10, Bite 1d8+3, claw 1d6+3, tentacle rake 1d6+3 Face/Reach:5ft/10ft Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, Improved Grab Special Qualities: DR5/+1, construct traits, blindsight 60ft, cold, fire, electricity, and acid resistance 20 Saves:Fort+4,Ref+4,Will+4 Abilities:Str31,Dex23,Con-,Int10,Wis15,Cha10 CR: 6 Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Treasure: Standard Xakerith is a tall shining apparently white slick mass (he is in fact multicolored as a spot check dc:16 will reveal) with three opalescent tentacles, long raking claws on his hands, a wide toothy mouth on his faceless head, a glowing blue eye that orbits his cranium, dark streaks of purple, black, and red, and pair of wide, black, red-streaked bat-like wings. Spell-like abilities(sp): 3 per day: Darkness, poison; Once per day: Desecrate, unholy blight, lesser confusion, true strike, and summon monster I (except that the creature summoned has the psuedonatural template instead of the fiendish or celestial template), blur, confusion, dimension door, shield, caster level 5 To get the chickens, sheep, pigs, and cows, apply the following template to the appropriate animal: Phytoid Template The phytoid template can be applied to any beast, magical beast, animal, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid. The creature’s type is changed to plant. Use the base creature’s statistics (with modifications appropriate for the new type) except where specifically noted. Hit Dice: change to d10 Speed: Reduce by 10 (minimum of 10) AC: Plants have thick cell walls and tough bodies. Increase natural armor by 1 Special Qualities: The creature gains the plant traits, low-light vision, and sunlight affinity Sunlight affinity(ex): When in a radius of bright light, a phytoid gets a +1 morale bonus to fortitude saves and attack rolls. Saves: +3 racial bonus to saving throws against disease Abilities:Str-2,Dex-2,Con+2,Int-2 (all abilities to a minimum of 1) CR: As base creature Sample Phytoid Tofu Chicken HD:1/4d10+1(2hp) Initiative:+1 Speed: 10ft, Fly 5ft(clumsy) AC:14(+2size,+1dex,+1natural) Attack: Claw+3 melee(1d2-4) Full Attack: Claw+3 melee(1d2-4) Face/Reach:2 1/2ft/0ft Special Qualities: Sunlight affinity, plant traits, low-light vision Saves:Fort+3,Ref+1,Will+2 Abilities:Str2,Dex13,Con12,Int1,Wis14,Ch a6 Skills: None Feats: Weapon finesse(claw) Climate/Terrain: Farm Organization: Solitary, cluster (2-5), or coop (6-14) CR:1/6 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral
Cantankerous One 04-20-04, 10:15 PM	Some thoughts on your, well, bizarre work on the Far Realms. First thing (intended only as constructive criticism): would it kill you to punctuate correctly? Putting a space after a comma or before a "+" or "-"? But my main comment is that this is totally and completely random. I could take a random word generator (or just flip around in a dictionary), take five words, and use those as the basic description for a Far Realm place. Let me try: -Garden -Primate -Head -Cold -Pygmy A garden that grows monkey heads. The place is very cold, and there are bunch of pygmy people that serve as the inhabitants. The result is something completely weird, if not absurd, that it would probably confuse and befuddle the heck out of players. I appreciate imagination and creativity as much as the next guy, but complete randomness and insanity doesn't make it fun. If I were to describe a portion of the Abyss, I could do it fairly easily to bunch of high-level PCs: You stand atop an island in a sea of fire. The sky is soot black, with fast-moving clouds, but wait! These clouds actually appear to be vast swarms of insects. The island you're on is about 40 by 40 feet, and that swarm of insects (they look like locusts), is heading toward you. If I were to send those PCs to the Far Realms (or just random world), then it would be different. This is... uh, a place. It's really weird. I can't describe it to you because it's so weird. It's got a whole bunch of dimensions and colors that I've never seen them, let alone describe. But I'm going to throw monsters at you anyways. Hey, Mialee, a strange-looking monster is heading towards you? What? No, I can't describe it; didn't you hear what I just said? Oh, and what's your flat-footed AC again?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-21-04, 06:25 AM	*smites the cantankerous one* Splat! Randomly generated words are a bad way to do the far realms. The far realms of insanity can and will be a usable world for the PCs to interact. Bunches of gibberish cannot describe it, and it does make sense, just often in a way to complex to immediately comprehend. PS: you don't need propper comma spacing when your doing stat blocs.
Remnant 04-21-04, 12:42 PM	The Feasting Appendages Moderate Far Realms Subjective Gravity (Towards "islands") Light Gravity Impeded Magic "Here in the dark-light, hand-mouths soul grasp-eating. Stay in the air?" -Tik the Numb-mind Upon entering this layer, a traveler notices great dark shapes floating in a roiling midnight blue void. With no "ground" in the traditional sense of the word, travelers without the ability to control their movement are pulled slowly towards the closest of these dark masses. Upon closer examination, these masses are actually great globs of arms, legs, tentacles, claws, and other appendages, reaching and squirming, and flailing without any discernable rhyme or reason. Anyone unfortuanate to come within reach of these masses is grabbed at and attacked by the appendages. Creatures grappled by the mass find that a round, toothy mouth is, in some way or another, incoperated into the end of the appendage. These mouths do their best to devour the hapless victim. The layers on either side of Feasting Appendages are usually visible- one seems to be a cityscape of some sort, though ruined and twisted. The other either is, or is continously inhabited by, a great, black, twisting mass of shadow and teeth- if this mass is sentient, it never seems to leave its layer. Creatures: Allip Psuedonatural Beholder Psuedonatural Cloaker Chaos Beast Psuedonatural Avolakia Psuedonatural Great Fihyr Psuedonatural Grell Psuedonatural Mooncalf Kaorti Ocularon Skybleeder Neh-thalggu Gibbering Orb These creatures either float in the void, or move across the surface of the appendage masses unharrased. They spend their time killing each other, but prefer unfamiliar prey. The Kaorti are an exception to this- they seem to arrive from the nearby city layer riding their skybleeder mounts. In addition, one of the larger masses has a pair of hecatoncheires grafted or growing out of it. They are both warped from an eternity on this layer, and spend every instant engaged in melee combat with each other. This is not exclusive- they will attack anything they can reach, but will not, or cannot, disengage from one another or the mass they are attached to.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-21-04, 06:03 PM	Remant, neat layer, a few things though. 1. The layer has objective directional gravity (subjective is where you choose your own personal "down", objective is where there's a set direction(s) in which gravity pulls although they might not be the normal up and down) 2. Impeded magic generally affects certain spells. If you want all magic impeded you should probably specificy so. 3. What are the grapple bonuses of the appendages? How much damage do they deal? How close do you have to get? How much damage to cut one off? Destroy an entire cluster? In general what are the statistics of these clusters of appendages? 4. Is a creature attacked by a pseudonatural chaos beast's tranformation ability changed into a chaos beast or a pseudonatural creature?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-01-04, 09:03 PM	:bump:
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-01-04, 10:23 PM	The Bursting Growth Major Positive Energy Dominant Trait No Gravity Fluxating Death: If a living creature is killed by damage and the body is not destroyed, each round it has a 5% cumulative chance per round of being restored to life as if by raise dead, except that it suffers no level loss or constitution loss. High Far Realms Throughout the bursting growth, clusters of organic matter can be seen writhing, surging, swelling in size and power before disintegarting in a flash of light. The creatures consume the bits and specks as they grow in an endless cycle of absorbtion and dispersal. The specks are treated as fine-sized living objects with hardness of zero and 2hp. Upon exploding the speck will split into two 1hp specks with a max hp of 2. Most of these entities are harmless filter feeders. A few however are rabid, predatory monstrousities. They start out with the following stats: HP:3 Init:+4 Size: Diminutive Type: beast, animal, plant, magical beast, or aberration Speed:Fly5ft(perfect) AC:18(+4size,+4dex) Attack: Bite-1 melee(1d2-5), claw-1 melee(1d1-5), sting-1 melee(1d1-5), slam-1(1d3-5), tentacle-1 melee(1d1-5), gore-1 melee(1d2-5) Special Attacks: Swallow whole, Improved grab Saves:Fort+1,Ref+4,Will-4, Abilities:Str1,Dex18,Con10,Int1,Wis2,Cha- Swallow whole(ex): Can swallow any creature one size category smaller. Swallowed creatures must make a fortitude save each round or be absorbed into the mass, dying instantly, their souls being ejected as petitioners on an adjacent layer. Each speck they swallow increases their maximum hp by 2, and their strength by 1. Upon consuming 3 specks they go up a size class and all their damage dice increase accordingly and their saves and attack bonuses, their speed doubles, and natural AC go up by one. Each two size classes they gain another natural attack (they suffer no penalties for multiple attacks). Sometimes one of these masses stumbles out of the layer, where it slowly gains qualities such as hit dice, alignment, and a charisma score and congeals into a clearly defined creature.
Adrez Nesnsid 05-01-04, 11:57 PM	Chichimecgray mild Far Realms Light gravity Alterable Morphic Wild Magic (level check DC = 6+spell level) This layer is relatively "close" (as such a word can be defined in the far realms) to the regular multiverse and sort of brushes up against the place where the plane of shadow touches the material plane city of Greyhawk. The contents of the layer are eerily similar to the city of greyhawk, except that all of the colors have been inverted (think photographic negatives), and then either darkened if the color was already dark (after inversion), or brightened so that they seem flourescent if they were already bright (again, after inversion). The inhabitants vaguely resemble the inhabitants of Greyhawk, but they dress strangely, talk in disjointed sentences, and swap words for antonyms of the words that they mean, most notably the exchange of the words "No" and "Yes". Some of the inhabitants have the ability to teleport others to other parts of the layer. And normally inanimate objects have a habit of coming to life and behaving randomly, babbling incoherently, attacking passers by, or some combination of the three. Insanely jabbering, sometimes homocidial, abstract art is a common sight wandering the streets. How's that? (a cookie if you can guess what videogame this is based on a level from or how I came up with the layer's name (Which are two different matters which are only vaguely related))
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 01:40 AM	Interesting, but I haven't got a clue as to what the source is.
Ashrem 05-02-04, 02:15 AM	Trying to describe the layers of teh Far realms? Not trying to be rude or anything but, as I recall the Far realms are beyond the imagination of mortals,a place where normal laws such as gravity, and preservation of mass do not exist. Also as I recall that is has infinite layers, and you are on effectivley all of them at once. The place should be undiscribable, and thus such a thread as this is pointless. It is beyond mortal comprihension. I would reccommend if the players ever appear here, to go through a scenario as follows. (note I uise sanity points for this) DM: The portal takes you to... make a will save. Player: Ummm.. Ok... I rolled a twenty, with my plus fifteen bonus thats a thirty five. What do I see. DM: Sorry you failed. Now make a sanity check. Player: Grr... Ok I rolled above my sanity score, thats a succes. DM: Ok congratulations... I regret to inform you both of those checks were pointless, your sanity is reduced to -10, and you are permanetly insane. You do however gain infinite ranks in forbidden knowledge! Player: Could you at least tell me where I turned up! DM: Out side of the multi vers m'kay? Now I reccomend you roll up a new charachter, and keep in mind where you found that portal so you don go back through it. However I personally think only a cruel DM would send their players their. The Far realms are to provide freakish things that make no sense, such a psudo-natural creatures, Alienists, and Rossie O'Donnel (sorry couldnt resist). Wellt ahts my two copper, sorry if I ofended anyone.
Eco-Mono 05-02-04, 02:45 AM	Originally posted by Ashrem Trying to describe the layers of teh Far realms? Not trying to be rude or anything but, as I recall the Far realms are beyond the imagination of mortals,a place where normal laws such as gravity, and preservation of mass do not exist. Also as I recall that is has infinite layers, and you are on effectivley all of them at once. The place should be undiscribable, and thus such a thread as this is pointless. It is beyond mortal comprihension. I would reccommend if the players ever appear here, to go through a scenario as follows. (note I uise sanity points for this) This is against what the MotP says. While it is true that the Far Realms are pretty darn alien, the mortal mind can still adjust to comprehending it. Your character, by the rules on p.212, would have made the save against insanity by 15 (it's DC 20). He'd have to roll again every hour, of course.... but it's a BIT more hospitable than you seem to think.
Adrez Nesnsid 05-02-04, 09:04 AM	Originally posted by Ashrem Trying to describe the layers of teh Far realms? Not trying to be rude or anything but, as I recall the Far realms are beyond the imagination of mortals,a place where normal laws such as gravity, and preservation of mass do not exist...The place should be undiscribable, and thus such a thread as this is pointless. It is beyond mortal comprihension. I would reccommend if the players ever appear here, to go through a scenario as follows. (note I uise sanity points for this) My interpretation is that the "farther" (to the degree that distance can be said to exist in the far realms) you "move" from the regular multiverse, the more incomprehensible the Far Realms become, until, eventually, at some critical point, the laws of physics and magic break down entirely and you are left in an uninhabitable area of randomly fluctuating physical laws until you begin to "approach" another multiverse, universe, or other pocket of stability. However, i do agree that layers as orderly, sane, and stable as the ones mentioned here should be very very rare. Originally posted by Ashrem Also as I recall that is has infinite layers, and you are on effectivley all of them at once. While it does make mention infinite layers, the "Manual of the Planes", to the best of my recollection, makes no mention of being on all of them at once.
Ashrem 05-02-04, 01:13 PM	Originally posted by Adrez Nesnsid However, i do agree that layers as orderly, sane, and stable as the ones mentioned here should be very very rare. While it does make mention infinite layers, the "Manual of the Planes", to the best of my recollection, makes no mention of being on all of them at once. Actually I think i found that in the fiend folio but I may be wrong...
Eco-Mono 05-02-04, 02:02 PM	Originally posted by Ashrem Actually I think i found that in the fiend folio but I may be wrong... In which case the Fiend Folio and MotP disagree. The say in Manual of the Planes is that you can sorta see adjacent layers, and move between them at will. However you're only on one at once.
Kain Darkwind 05-02-04, 05:35 PM	RMGCLF, in the bursting growth, you mention a 5% cumulative chance of being restored if ones body is not destroyed. Is this chance cumulative per hour, per day, per round, or per death?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 07:37 PM	Originally posted by Ashrem Actually I think i found that in the fiend folio but I may be wrong... Some of the more powerful beings exist in multiple layers, but non-natives (IE: PC's) only exist in one layer at a time. Oh, and I fixed bursting growth.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 08:22 PM	The far realms as I see them are a place of limitless possibility/impossibility/probability/improbability. Like Adrez, I believe in a kind of outward shift towards true far realms, the strangness and insanity becoming more intense the farther you venture from a stabilized multiverse (usually the great wheel). While most layers will define explanation, percentages, fractions, and other relative quantitative measurements are meaningless amongst infinite layers. Hence if there are infinite layers, and only 1/3903242520935th of those layers are comprehensible or stattable, then you still have an infinite amount of layers the PC's can interact with. Infinity divided by a finite number is infinity. With no offense intended, if you do not believe any of the layers of the far realms can ever be compacted into a comprehensible and usable form, leave this thread. I created this thread to post, collect, and critique usable layers of the far realms.
Deekin 05-02-04, 08:46 PM	(a cookie if you can guess what videogame this is based on a level from or how I came up with the layer's name (Which are two different matters which are only vaguely related)) Earthbound Fourside becomes moonside I want my cookie
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 09:06 PM	Originally posted by Deekin Earthbound Fourside becomes moonside I want my cookie Here, have a pseudonatural cookie: http://www.geocities.com/sarlis4fr/pseudonatural-cookie.txt
Adrez Nesnsid 05-02-04, 09:39 PM	Originally posted by Deekin Earthbound Fourside becomes moonside I want my cookie Yep, that's absolutely correct :cookie:. However, the second question, as to the precise way in which I corrupted the name of the city of Greyhawk to get the name Chichimecgray still remains unanswered, so there's still another cookie up in the air.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-02-04, 10:00 PM	Chichime is the word for "hawk" in some foreign language?
Ashrem 05-02-04, 11:55 PM	Originally posted by Adrez Nesnsid My interpretation is that the "farther" (to the degree that distance can be said to exist in the far realms) you "move" from the regular multiverse, the more incomprehensible the Far Realms become, until, eventually, at some critical point, the laws of physics and magic break down entirely and you are left in an uninhabitable area of randomly fluctuating physical laws until you begin to "approach" another multiverse, universe, or other pocket of stability. However, i do agree that layers as orderly, sane, and stable as the ones mentioned here should be very very rare. Well this idea intrigues me, it has merit and seems logical. I am a big enough man to admit, that I may ahve been wrong... I shall look more into the Far-Realms and try and understand it better. However I must say that I will probably go along with your Idea Adrez.
Adrez Nesnsid 05-03-04, 06:52 AM	Originally posted by R.M.G.C.L.F. Chichime is the word for "hawk" in some foreign language? Sorry. Nope, I replaced the "Hawk" part with a much more bizarre flying creature, more suitable to appear in the name of a layer of the far realms (despite not actually being pseudonatural). Now it's up to you folks to figure out which D&D rulebook the creature is from.
Adrez Nesnsid 05-03-04, 06:59 AM	The umbrella Moderate far realms Fluctuating air: The composition of the air here constantly changes, roll 1d20 each round; on a 19-20 the air is breathable, on a 2-18 it's not and on a 1, its poisonous (initial and secondary damage 1d3 points of a random ability or one of the damages may be replaced w/ unconsciousness, at the DM's decision) Normal Gravity This later is very small. It consists almost entirely of a beach umbrella stuck in a large mound of wax. The beach umbrella angrily swears at and compliments passers by as fine creatures rain down from the sky
Szatany 05-03-04, 10:26 AM	Sorry. Nope, I replaced the "Hawk" part with a much more bizarre flying creature, more suitable to appear in the name of a layer of the far realms (despite not actually being pseudonatural). Now it's up to you folks to figure out which D&D rulebook the creature is from. Chichimec is in epic level handbook of course :>
Adrez Nesnsid 05-03-04, 03:58 PM	Correct. :cookie:
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-03-04, 04:09 PM	The umbrella has too much wacky and not enough alien.
RiotGearEpsilon 05-03-04, 08:14 PM	Falling Mild Far Realms Variable Gravity Impeded Magic (See Below) The far-realms equivalent of a transitive plane, Falling is accessed via one of many dimensional cysts that populate borderplanes, most of them nestled deep in the lightless bedrock of Pandemonium. This twisting maze of polished, vaguely organic, frictionless corridors twists gravity to meet it so that no matter how many times you change direction, you always fall down. The curves are generally gentle, allowing the fall to continue uninterrupted by a splattering death against the iron-hard walls, but on occasion a bad turn can lead you to a dead end of compressed, festering corpses blossoming with fungi and other kingdoms of life and unlife too foul to contemplate here. What lies beyond these corpses is unknown, and perhaps that's for the best. Other times, one might encounter a growth of organic crystals from the walls, silently feeding off the fumes pouring from vents higher up, only to be shattered in to ignomious death by falling life forms who similarly perish upon impact. The local life forms are, in fact, largely benign except for the fact that they're generally painful to land on. Additionally, much to the dismay of visitors, the plane is hostile towards magical effects that prevent gravity from taking hold, such as levitate, fly, and their derivatives - They can be cast easily enough, but they last only 1d4 rounds before expiring. Magical items function similarly. However, spells such as spider climb function normally. Depending on what path one takes through Falling, one can either be caught in an infinite loop of descent, meet a velocitous end, or fall out in to one of many surreal Far Realm layers, some more hospitable than others. A few even have soft objects to land on. Rarer still are those where this soft object does not immediately digest arrivals.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-03-04, 08:30 PM	Very nice indeed! http://www.geocities.com/sarlis4fr/Sarlis_thumbs_up.txt This is a very neat idea, and it works well. I especially like the use of planar geometric connections.
Adrez Nesnsid 05-04-04, 06:55 AM	Originally posted by R.M.G.C.L.F. The umbrella has too much wacky and not enough alien. What if I changed it so that, in addition to the other stuff, the wax constantly burned with flames that were made of acid instead of fire? Also, I don't think that all of the layers of the far realms necessarily Have to be alien; I imagine that there would be at least a couple which were merely bizarrely unusual.
Szatany 05-04-04, 09:23 AM	Ok, this is my first try at designing a plane, so be forgiving. The Strobe Mild Far Realms Normal gravity No alignment or energy traits The strobe is a very small planet. So small in fact, that you only need one hour (with average speed of 30 feet per round) of walking straight forward to arrive to the point of origin. All is covered with mild hills with gentle slopes. Despite the diminutive size of the planet, gravity is normal, because of speed of planetary spin. There are no native inhabitants, and only plant life is spongeburst plant (see below). It takes 2 rounds for planet to rotate 360 degrees, so night and day only last one round (actually a little less, because of dawn and dusk, but count it as one for the purpose of game effects). Time is actually unaffected, so things like spell durations are unaffected. It takes 72 minutes (720 rounds) for the planet to travel around small blue sun, so each season lasts 18 minutes. There is no weather on the Strobe, except for severe winds (DMG, page 95) that blow all the time. The only native life form is a sort of plant or fungus (nobody know for sure). The spongeburst looks like explosion of artillery fire halted in time. Spongeburst may vary in size, from tiny to large, and can be any kind of blue or orange in coloration. The plant cumulates heat during the day (which causes it to grow rapidly, by 2 sizes up) and releases it in night, which causes it to shrink to normal size. Because it takes spongeburst only 2 rounds to complete its cycle, the whole areas of land covered with those plants look like they were shifting sizes all the time. Plant is soft to touch (like a sponge) and can even be eaten, but since it will grow and shrink for a few days (rounds) after it was digested, it will cause serious stomach pains to the recipient. Its not poisonous, but not nutritious either. Conditions of the Strobe (shifting day and night, and spongebursts changing sizes relentlessly) cause all living creatures that rely on sight to suffer from pain to the eyes and headaches 1 minute after they come to Strobe. This results in –2 penalty to Concentration, Spot and Search checks as long as subject is on the Strobe. There is only one river on the Strobe, located on equator, and it connects to itself, having no beginning or end. River is filled with orange water-like liquid, has strong current and is 3 foot deep in deepest place. Craft (alchemy) check of DC 20 reveals, that the liquid is acutally some sort of mercury mingled with water. In order to get to the strobe, one has to crawl through a tunnel on any other layer of the far realms, and sometimes the tunnel will lead to the surface of the Strobe (usually such exit appears when particularly big spongeburst dies and falls, revealing hole in ground). To leave Strobe, one has to find such hole (which does not have to lead to the same place as before). The Strobe is sometimes visited by Slaadi, who collect orange water for unknown purposes.
RiotGearEpsilon 05-04-04, 05:10 PM	Gamauamag Moderate Far Realms Unbreathable Air Objective Gravity Impeded Magic The defining physical oddity of Gamauamag is the behavior of light - It changes direction almost at random, making vision almost impossible. Objects more than 20 feet away appear blurred as the spell, objects more than 40 feet away are completely displaced (as the spell) in addition to being blurry, and past 60 feet everything distorts in to a roiling chromatic storm. On top of that, spells that use light to attack (such as searing light or sunbeam) do half damage to creatures and objects more than 20 feet away, one quarter damage to creatures and objects more than 40 feet away, and have no effect past 60 feet. Of course, the locals don't notice, being entirely blind. Pseudonatural creatures with resemblances to destrachan and ythrak populate the plane, navigating entirely by echolocation. The alien atmosphere is an excellent medium for propogation of sound - As a result, the loudest shrieks here carry for miles. Sadly for non-natives, spells that allow perception of the environment via sound only have a 50% chance of functioning in any given round. The net effect of these two phenomena is that being in Gamauamag is an experience not far removed from watching the world dissolve screaming around you, vibrating as though on the verge of exploding out of existence. This unsettling effect usually reduces most creatures not native to this layer, even other far realms creatures, in to fits of screaming and panic - i.e., upon entering this plane, seeing creatures who are not native to this layer must immediately make a Will save DC 15 or be Shaken. Every hour they remain in the plane they must make a Will save DC 20 or snap under the merciless sensual overload and be Panicked for 2d6 minutes, after which they must attempt the save again, and so on until they succeed, at which point they have another hour of sanity. Geographically, the layer is a plane of craggy, spongy calcium deposits, inhabited by a large degree of wild "animals" who aggressively protect their territory in order to preserve access to Lightblossoms, large planar wrinkles that collect light particles in to large, juicy fruit. Though they are not the only source of sustenance, they are the most prized, especially to outsiders - they have a 90% chance of affecting the person eating it as a Heroes Feast, and a 10% chance of affecting the person eating it as a Sunburst going off inside their stomach, which is, in fact, highly beneficial to the native life forms. Possible exits include destroying a Lightblossom and slipping to a new layer through the planar wound that is created, falling upward in to the sky through the perfect blue in to the Cerulean, or being swallowed by a dreamgizzard beast.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-04-04, 05:17 PM	Originally posted by Adrez Nesnsid What if I changed it so that, in addition to the other stuff, the wax constantly burned with flames that were made of acid instead of fire? Also, I don't think that all of the layers of the far realms necessarily Have to be alien; I imagine that there would be at least a couple which were merely bizarrely unusual. Okay then. I guess I just see the layers a little differently.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-04-04, 05:40 PM	The Strobe: Nice, although it would seem like a mild far realms layer due ot the heavy consistancy with material plane physical laws. Also there is the issue of how great wheel inhabitants would make routine visits to a specific layer of the far realms. Gamauamag: Seems good to me, especially for explaining the how the far realms can have a maddening nature without actually having any physical effect on you. A few constructive criticisms: 1. There is no plain "objective" gravity. Do you mean normal gravity, or objective directional gravity? If the latter you should specify exactly how it functions (I saw some mention of falling up, but that might be only for one part). 2. The will fear and insanity effects for non-natives are unnecisary. The maddening trait should cover that well enough.
RiotGearEpsilon 05-04-04, 06:20 PM	Sorry - Gravity is oriented downwards, towards the surface of the layer. Falling up through the sky in to the perfect blue is not something elaborated upon in the arcane text I copied this from. It sounds dangerous, though.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-04-04, 06:25 PM	In that case it's normal gravity.
Szatany 05-04-04, 07:02 PM	The Strobe: Nice, although it would seem like a mild far realms layer due ot the heavy consistancy with material plane physical laws. MIld it is. Also there is the issue of how great wheel inhabitants would make routine visits to a specific layer of the far realms. They visit river "sometimes".
ripvanwormer 05-08-04, 05:13 PM	The UrVeel Bazaar Objective Directional Gravity Flowing Time Sporadic elemental traits No alignment traits Self-Contained Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 10) This layer is a marketplace of seemingly infinite expanse, although travelers will find themselves encountering what appear to be the same locations over and over again, each time subtly changed or altered. During one visit a shop may sell footwear; during the next it may sell hats. The visitor should not be surprised if the locals use these objects in ways dissonant with their intended purpose, however (eating the hats, smoking the footwear, sleeping on piles of burning coals). Most commonly the goods in the shops will be of indeterminite use; sometimes nothing more than bits of slime and rust. The Bazaar itself is non-Euclidean nightmare of twisted angles and overlapping forms, difficult or impossible for non-Far Realmers to comprehend. The boundaries of the constructions bend and twist around one another in ways that defy perspective; objects often grow as they recede into the distance; streets cut through solid walls. Sometimes the interiors of buildings will be on their outsides, with networks of streets and crowds of passerby somehow visible within. It is less common for directions to change, with streets and kiosks wrapping around one another or hovering inverted over the rest of the city, but this happens as well. Surprisingly, no purchases go on here, at least not as natives of the Material Plane would understand them. Any attempts to offer money in exchange for goods will be angrily rebuffed. Instead, shoppers are expected to remove some organ from their bodies and leave them with the shopkeeper. Doing so will earn a pleased look and perhaps a friendly nod, and nothing else. There is no clear way to actually get an item, but occasionally one will be offered, apparently for free, along with a conspiratorial glance or a sinister growl. The primary inhabitants of the UrVeel Bazaar are the UrVeel, violet-skinned humanoids with horns, hooves, pointed tails and ingratiating grins. Any other Far Realm entity of reasonable size (fine to large, generally) can also be found looking at wares in the various shops and kiosks. UrVeel Medium Monstrous Humanoid (extraplanar) HD: 10 (41 hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 30 ft. AC: 15 (+1 natural, +4 Dex) Attacks: Bite +5, Tail +9, or Trident +5 Damage: Bite 1d6+9, Tail 1d4+9, trident 1d8+9 Face/Reach: 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: poison, cartwheel Special Qualities: immune to wild magic trait Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +9 Abilities: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 8 Skills: Alchemy +13, Appraise +13, Balance +14, Knowledge (Far Realm trade) +13, Scry +13, Spellcraft +13, Tumble +14 Feats: Weapon finesse (tail), Weapon finesse (trident), Heighten Spell, Combat Casting, Heighten Spell, Quicken Spell Climate/Terrain: Any Organization: Anarchy Challenge Rating: 10 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Usually Chaotic Good Advancement: by class (wizard) The UrVeel live on many layers of the Far Realm, but are most common in their great Bazaar. They are generally freedom loving, obsessed with the right to "trade" without restrictions for the benefit of all, but some of them are unexpectedly Machiavellian and sinister, manipulating the market at others' expense. Those on the Material Plane will usually wear suits of armor to protect themselves from what they see as the nighmarish insanity of that plane. Some have learned to trade in the Material Plane way, and have proven very successful at it. Poison On a successful strike from the point of the UrVeel's tail. Injury DC 12. Paralysis. cartwheel: As a full-round action the UrVeel can cartwheel, doubling its movement and attacking with both its tail and its trident at once. immune to wild magic: The UrVeel are unaffected by the wild magic trait of the layer, able to cast spells normally unless they choose to activate a wild surge on purpose. arcane spells: 4/5/5/4/3/2. UrVeel Characters: UrVeel progress as wizards. They gain certain rogue skills as class skills to explain inconsistencies in the above stats. Or not. Whatever. Based on the Diabolus from the Mystara Monstrous Compendium and the Devourer from 2nd edition Legends & Lore, and the Deveel from Robert Asprin's MYTH books
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-08-04, 07:30 PM	What level of far realms would the Bazaar be?
Xixt412 05-08-04, 11:01 PM	Well, I don't go with the entire degrees of Far Realmerness thing, but here is a layer for your enjoyment: The City of Memories Planar Traits Same as Material Plane Except: Flowing Time (p. 211 MotP) Wild Magic Maddening (p. 212 MotP) The City of Memories is a seemingly infinite expanse of city. Although the layout is always the same, the actual appearance of the buildings depends on the memories of the visitor, some buildings blending the styles of different buildings the visitor has seen during his life, and some matching particular styles in no particular pattern, so that an Inn may be build in the architectural style of a dwarf city the visitor once saw, while the building next to it resembles something he saw on a trip to Regalus. The inhabitants are the same, tending to to based on memories of one person rather than several. These people are incomplete, based purely on the memories of the visitor. There are also small differances. The innkeepers daughter may always wear the color green instead of red, for example, or the pubs ale will have a slightly different flavour. However, if there is a group of visitors things get more confusing. Buildings blend styles from several people's memories, sometimes combining similiar memories and sometimes not. If one person thought that the Fairy Wing Inn had its sign on the left of the door and another person remembers it on the right, they may encounter a Fairy Wing Inn with one sign on each side of the door. It is even worse with people, blended persons become the norm. Incompatible elements become blended, making these people impossible to predict or interact with in a reasonable fashion. This effect diminishes the further the visitors are from each other, becoming eliminated entirely at 500 ft. In addition, other real people, including insane and violent individuals alongg with aleinists can be found here, their effects on the surrounding becoming noticable long before the party actually sees them.
ripvanwormer 05-08-04, 11:05 PM	Originally posted by R.M.G.C.L.F. What level of far realms would the Bazaar be? Classifying the layers Outside according to level is your department. Feel free to do so. Myself, I don't see the necessity. I defined the intensity of the Maddening trait and the Wild Magic trait, which puts the UrVeel Bazaar in the context of other layers. Despite those differences, the Bazaar is as much the Far Realm as any other part. And the DCs of its traits - as well as the traits themselves - may well change over time as new gods and intelligences influence it and other layers and planes come in and out of conjunction with it. Edit: All the layers I create will be True Far Realms or High Far Realms. If it has the normal time trait, it exists within time and is therefore part of the Near Realm of the Great Wheel or its equivalent. I'm only dealing here with realms outside time. With that in mind, they're not all going to have the same combination of traits your True or High Far Realms have. Like I said earlier, you're free to decide which fits best. I'm defining my layers the way I see them, which may not fit exactly into your catagories. For example, the Maddening trait of the Storm of Ideals below manifests itself as the victim joining with the greater intelligences of the layer, which isn't what either the True or High Far Realms traits do. I think your other Far Realm levels would be useful to describe alien Far Realmish type layers of the Abyss which tend to keep reoccuring in the Abyss thread, or Far Realmish demiplanes or parts of Pandemonium or whatever.
ripvanwormer 05-09-04, 12:00 AM	The Storm of Ideals (The Alignment Thing} It is called the Alignment Thing, and the Storm of Ideals. It is called Mother and Father. None of these phrases truly encapsulate what it is. It is at once a creature, a planar layer, and a disturbance within the multi-dimensional matrix of Outside. It is a storm. It is an infection, bleeding astral pus. It is a parasite. It is another level of being. It is a community, a tribe, a memetic ecology, a muultiverse in itself. It is bodiless mind. It is an endless sea of bodies. It is a war. It is love. It is sex. It is hunger. It is fear. It is the accumulation of alien philosophies in the Realm Outside. It is Law, Chaos, Good, Evil, and Balance collected and reinterpreted, digested and recreated in the other, alien reality beyond space and time. Somehow, these forces have gained an altogether new sentience, neither unified nor seperate, a great spiralling current around an unseen attractor. It is alive. Like most living things, it seeks to grow and propagate itself. Therefore it seeks portals into the Great Wheel from which its original substance comes so that it may gather more of these thoughts so foreign to its dimension and so familiar to our own. For this reason the Storm of Ideals is often the first layer encountered by those foolish enough to cross the veil of Eternity and explore the unfathomable Beyond. A staggering variety of creatures inhabit and make up the substance of the Storm, each becoming stranger and more complex with every movement. The beings who make up the Thing continually exchange parts of their bodies and essence, never remaining the same for long. This is the current that fuels the Storm. The Storm of Ideals has the following planar traits: Objective Directional Gravity Everything within the layer orbits the Thing in slow spirals, but there is no solid ground as such and travel within the orbits by thought is possible. Flowing Time The Alignment Thing exists before the beginning and after the end of the multiverse as it is known to non-alienists. It has nothing directly to do with more earthly time, and those who enter it and return to the era between Time's beginning and end may find themselves stranded in a part of history unthinkably far from their own, or seperated from their point of departure by mere months or years. Alignment Subtype Implantation Any who touch the substance of the Alignment Thing assumes an alignment subtype - either Good, Evil, Lawful, Chaotic, or none. Sometimes more than one subtype is gained. This subtype is permanent, probably the only permanant thing an inhabitant of the Storm of Ideals will ever know again as everything from bones and sinew to spell-like or psi-like abilities are exchanged with those up and downstream. The posessor of this subtype need not live up to it in their deeds and actions, since the alien nature of that which bequeathed it understands these notions very poorly. However, most will be influenced by their subtype to some extent. Intercourse of Essence As mentioned above, all within the current of the Storm randomly exchange special qualities, attacks, ability scores, and body parts with their neighbors. Every round choose something to be swapped. This is mostly DM descretion. Finite As vast as the Storm is - and it is vast as the dome of the sky, and ever-growing - it is not endless. In this place outside of time it is meaningless to say how long it takes to reach its edge, but it is possible to reach it. And, of course, as all known layers of the Unknown Reaches, it is possible to travel to those layers which intersect the Alignment Thing by force of will. However, those who have become part of the Thing usually will not wish to leave unless directed to do so by the greater intelligences they have joined with. Sentient In a sense, the Storm of Ideals is a single mind, and all reality conforms to that mind's whims. In another sense, it is many minds with dramatically different perspectives. A traveler will see landscapes made of 2-dimensional cubes representing an alien interpretation of Law, seas of slime representing an equally alien conception of Chaos, scenes of depravity and torment that show a clinical, confused view of Evil, and insane visions of giving and sacrifice that might technically fit some definitions of Good. These stormscapes change rapidly as new philosophies sweep the layer. The greater sentience of the layer often directs its component beings to travel the Far Realm and the Realm Inside on some mission of another, and just as often these directives conflict and force the various components to war against one another. Sporadic Elemental Traits As new philosophies congeal and blow away the old, regions of the Storm may temporarily take on the Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Positive, and Negative dominant traits, or some combination of many of them at once. At the same time, these traits may pass into the Storm of Ideals from other layers Outside Time and mingle at the edges of the thought-hurricane creating new possibilities. Sporadic Alignment Traits As mentioned above, different parts of the Storm may take on the Good, Evil, Lawful, and Chaotic traits even as their appearance and pseudo-elemental natures also transform. An organic abyss of hairy toothed sphincters may suddenly become a machinic distopia of broken iron jaws and wriggling ceramic legs, and a forest of blissfully crucified martyrs may suddenly become a barren plain made of the screaming bones of infants. Wild Magic The nature of magic performed in the Storm of Ideals is as confused as the Storm itself. If the spellcaster does not make a successful check with a DC of 20+spell level, a wild surge results from the magic becoming twisted by the conflicting influences of the layer. A fireball spell may become a melted lump of waxlike flesh, while a passwall spell may result in an uncontrollable surge of positive energy. Maddening Needless to say, a sudden infusion of ideals both alien and mundane is not good for sane minds, and neither is an abrupt exchange of body and soul with some indescribable nearby creature. Visitors from Inside Time must make a Will save every round with a DC of 30 or lose their grip on the integrity of their personality and ego, becoming one with the insanity of the Thing.
ripvanwormer 05-09-04, 02:43 AM	The Infinity Brain The Infinity Brain is an expanse of ganglia the size of a solar system. The nerves run in long cords and thick clumps, forming abstract shapes in the absence of gravity. Many of the neural clumps sprout tentacles that stretch for thousands of miles and into adjoining layers. The primary inhabitants are pseudonatural brain golems, creatures similar to flesh golems with the psionic ability of mind flayers. They move in and out of the layer, accompanied by brains they have extracted from ot her layers of the Far Realm (and, when the stars are right, the planes of the Wheel). These are budded from the neural clumps, and are reabsorbed by them between tasks. The secondary inhabitants are creatures indistinguishable forom illithid tadpoles. They grow in spheres of mucous excreted by the ganglia hovering in the void. They are tended to by the brain golems until they reach a certain size. Then they are brought to other layers to infect and transform other Far Realm creatures, transforming them into beings with the half-illithid template (see Fiend Folio). Their brains are harvested while they're still weak from their ceremorphosis and brought back to the infinity brain to be grafted on to the existing neural mass. Por Exemplar: You're walking through the by-now archetypal woodland scene. You hear birds chirping in the trees. After a while you note that they aren't birds after all, but mauve leechlike creatures dripping with mucous. They have tiny tentacles ringing their sphincterlike mouths, and anyone who has seen illithid tadpoles will recognize them. The moment you discern them for what they are, they attack, groping for your brain like mind flayer tentacles. Those that manage to enter a victims' brain begin the process of ceremorphosis. After this encounter, the wood thins, revealing a quaint village, seemingly newly built. Of course, the sensible thing to do is run away, and the PCs probably do. If they don't, they'll find the village is populated by humanoids (perhaps dressed in quaint peasant costumes) made entirely of gray cranial matter (these are brain golems; essentially psionic flesh golems). They're entirely uninterested in humanoid life, and leave the PCs unmolested if they still qualify; they're waiting for the flying tadpoles to infect someone, transforming their bodies into illithidae. If this hasn't begun to happen to the PCs, they will eventually note that it's beginning to happen to the trees. Eventually the trees will all be covered in mauve, slimy flesh instead of bark and have tentacles instead of limbs and branches - esssentially they'll be ordinary trees with the half-illithid template from the Fiend Folio. When the transformation is complete, the brain golems will begin taking axes to the half-trees to find the dense brain matter within, which they will begin incorporating into their own bodies. What's happening here is that there's a "layer" of the Far Realm which is nothing but an infinite illithid elder brain. It sends extensions of itself - the brain golems - to other "layers" in order to find places where flying tadpoles are converting other life into illithidae, which will then be suitable for brain extraction and incorporation into the greater infinity. Sometimes a half-illithid escapes the flesh golems' culling. These creatures rarely grow to much power in the Far Realm because they must avoid the brain golems that continually hunt them. Only in the planes of the Wheel are they free to conquer - and there they must contend with the githyanki, githzerai, dwarves, drow, neogi, and many others. Still, there are rumors among the UrVeel of layers where half-illithids have created elder brains of their own, powerful enough to conceal them from the Infinity Brain's innumerable third eyes. The traits of the Infinity Brain include No Gravity The Brain twists and spirals through the void with no gravitational pressures to distort it. The neural strands are tough enough to use as handholds, allowing travelers to move through it by pushing or pulling themselves against them. Flowing Time The Infinity Brain exists far beyond Time's beginning and end. Unlike the Astral Plane, which exists outside Time but still within Eternity, time spent in the Far Realm does not correlate with the history of the Great Wheel at all, and does not catch up upon a visitor's return. Finite Its vainglorious name nonwithstanding, the Infinity Brain has a limited size. Sentient The Infinity Brain is a single mind and a single will. The environment of the layer is completely within its control. No Alignment The Infinity Brain has no concern for good or evil. It seeks only to collect more illithidae brains to add to its cosmic intellect. It could be considered lawful evil in that respect, but it does not impose this on the layer it controls. Dead Magic The Infinity Brain respects only psionics, and brooks no competition from magic. Even in campaigns where psionics and magic are not fundamentally different, psionics work in the Infinity Brain and magic does not. Maddening The constant psionic hum wears away at the sanity of those not native to it. Visitors to the Infinity Brain must make a DC save with a DC of 11 or develop paranoia, madness, or a host of other psychological aberrations.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-21-04, 05:33 PM	Most layers or ideas for the far realms tend to involve hostile places or entities that try to eat your or absorb your soul or change you into something horrible or whatnot. Now while their's nothing wrong with this, and the far realms of insanity are naturally going to have lots of places where it is not safe for a sentient living entity to be, I thought I'd post a benevolent one for a change. The Ardareal Joyscape Moderate far realms Air Dominant Trait: The ardareal joyscape is a vast expanse of twisting sky No gravity trait Soothing: Most layers of the far realms tear and twist and gnaw at mortal minds. The Ardareal joyscape however has the reverse effect, the entire realm filled with a permiating blissful, invigorating joy beyond description, while at the same time a relaxed, cool happiness that relieves the sores of a troubled mind like healing ointment. It consequently lacks the maddening trait common to most layers. Each round spent in the joyscape inactive (not moving significantly, casting spells, fighting, or other strenous activity) they heal 1 point of intelligence, wisdom, and charisma damage, and is subjected to a calm emotions spell. Impeded magic, psionics, and emotions: Any spell with the fear descriptor, or spells that cause unpleasant or violent emotins such as anger, hatred, or despair take a spellcraft check DC:10+spell level to cast. Even things causing these emotions that are non-magical or not spells (such as fear aura, frightful presence, a psionic modify emotions power, or a barbarian's rage)require require a charisma check dc:15. Hightened magic, psionics, and emotions: Any spell, psionic power, or ability that causes pleasant emotions such as joy, hope, courage, (like a bardic inspire courage ability or the spell emotion(hope).) are automatically empowered and extended. (Note: When in doubt, most things that give moral bonuses are happy emotions and morale penalties are unhappy emotions). Some patches are filled with fluctuating storms of pure happyness. Such storms usually last for 1d4 minutes and cover an area of 215 cubic feet. Wild Emotions: Various forms of happyness and elation permiate the vaporous substance of the Joyscape. Every other round, roll d% and consult the table for the effect applied until the next round (if they attempt they get a will save dc20 to resist): 1-5 Bless 6-12 Inspire courage (as per bard) 13-25 Remove fear 26-31 Emotion(friendship) (3.5 replace with charm monster, altering attitude towards nearest non-friendly creature) 32-43 Emotion(hope) (3.5 replace with remove fear) 44-50 Cheerful mood, gains +1 morale bonus to all skill checks 51-75 Surging pleasure, unable to take actions, loses dexterity bonus to armor class 76-84 Mild euphoria gives a -2 morale penalty to intelligence and wisdom, -3 to skill checks and will saves, -1 to AC 85-91 relaxed happyness reduces to one action per round but grants a +5 moral bonus to AC 92-99 Just plain happy. No game effect. 00 Surge of joy grants the effects of remove fear, emotion(friendship and hope), and +4 morale bonus to skill checks, AC, and saves, in addition fires off random bursts of happyness that grant the effects of cheerful mood and give a +1 to will saves against unhappyness effects, lasting for 3 rounds. Flight: All non-mindless creatures within the layer get the benefits of a constant fly spell. In addition, this flight has with it the invigorating sense of joy and freedom that one feels when they dream of flying, granting an extra move or move equivalent action each round, and a +2 morale bonus to reflex saves and AC. Benevolent Content: The gentle and wonderful nature of the Joyscape makes it almost impossible to even think of hurting someone or something else. Any actively hostile action (such as attacking or casting an offensive spell) requires a will save dc:25. The Ardereal Joyscape is an expanse of seemingly endless night sky filled with billowing clouds of all colors and nature and stars and moons you can reach out to touch. Many herculean and massive entities play about the currents of wind and starlight. Even normally hostile terrors seem content to soar about and enjoy the wonder and alien beauty. Inhabitants: Many strange creatures people the Ardereal Joyscape, tending to be incorporeal or gaseous in nature. Some are quasi-real or made of shadowstuff. The layer has amongst it some of the assorted flora and fauna of the far realms, although they tend to be more relaxed and mostly drift and observe and commune instead of attacking or eating or soul-sucking. Even mindless and soulless creatures drift about contentedly with physical pleasure. A number of xigrayells (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206789&highlight=dream) populate it, cited by some as evidence that it originated in the plane of dreams. The ardereal joyscape is one of the most friendly layers and is a favorite of travelers from normal multiverses whenever they have the good fortune to come upon it. There is much speculation about the Joyscape. Some think it is an ancient layer of one of the upper planes that eventually broke off and was set adrift in the far realms. Others think it a rogue section of the plane of dreams that entered the far realms through the true dreamheart. Whatever it is they're happy it's there. Many creatures loving of beauty or art seek this layer above all else. It has inspired the work of some legendary anarchs, and it's beauty is unheard of.
The Ethereal Wickerman 05-28-04, 03:22 PM	Sorry R.M.G.C.L.F., my computer has been really f*cked up lately, now i'll get started...:smirk: PUPPETEER CELIAS CITY Mild Far Realms Normal Gravity No Energy traits Minor Law alignment Trait An endless city of freakishly tall and close-knit buildings, skyscrapers whose architecture resemble a bastard hybrid of art nouvea craftmanship, manufactured cave complexes and an endless morass of twicthing and throbbing transparent bags. This place echoes with tribal drums and the chanting of some machine-like demonic angels, heard but never seen. Their voices sounding more like an unnatural music than speech. Small child-like shadows populate the claustrophobic streets, their green eyes blinking as they giggle, which sounds muted and reversed. They run about, not harming any visitors who go here. They constantly play hide and sekk, and if not they are enviously stealing their fly-headed china dolls from one another. However these are not the only things that populate this infinate urban landscape. In more open areas, black and white ghosts of men and women dressed in mafia suits float like corpses in water in one direction forever, never stopping except to occasionally rear their heads and scream "Kakalkavarta!!, the puppeteer loves my face, loves my face!", and then hang limp midair as the same unfelt force pushes them along. More dangerous things reside in this place however, they are the servants of Celia Kakalkavarta, but you will learn of her later. Her beasts hunt for visitors who would not conform to the simple rules of her shadow children or her ethereal employees. There are the beings that always attack in pairs, unnaturally tall and emaciated. Where their hands should be are massive and heavy scythes, so weighted that the they can barely lift their mass. They slide across the floor as though they were being lifted some huge, unseen hand. Their oddly friendly alsatian heads pant excitedly, when they've spotted prey however they hoot frightening calls and their once pleasant canine visages flicker out of existence to be replaced by a half-rotted maggot-ridden copy. Then their are the rebels, giant heads of dead pigs galloping on 4 ogre-sized pale arms. Following closely is a even worse being, its own body. Lying on their bellies and crawling with awesome speed and rapacity are the giant, headless female manikins that cry out in ectasy and agony in a masochistic manner and hiss in a sibilant, almost serpentine way. Blood pours from the white manikins huge vorpal stump, and upon sensing prey a huge black cat erupts half-way out from it to grasp prey. Then their is Celia Kakalkavarta herself. A collector of portraits, she uses this realm to pursue her deific hobby of taking peoples faces and personality and turning it into a portrait to put in her underground gallery, whilst turning the once sentient beings into puppets. She is gigantic a simian-like. Her hairless body is dressed in a tatty black tailed shirt and rough, cotton trousers. Her left hand is as almost as big as the rest of her body, with the little finger missing. She attempts a pathetic aplliance of whorish makeup to her vaguely arachnoid face. She moves like a puppet would, she even seems inanimate until she screams out "I love your face, the puppeteer must paint it!" or her massive left claw flexs and rips a chunk out of your flesh. Her hair is blonde and matted, with hundreds of split ends and grey areas. Her arms are horribly long and lanky, and her legs have to bend in such a way that her kness reach the height of her relatively low-slung head. Despite her power, it seems she might be a puppet herself. Those who dare look long enough upon her will see bloody wire twicth in and out of existence, connected to her hands and knee's. Perhaps Celia is infact nought but a toy to some uncomprehensible power herself. I hope you like it. I know it's not as technical as yours R.M.G.C.L.F., but I have the ideas. Your Ardareal Joyscape is genius, a layer that is actually nice to be on!. I know my layers aren't the icomprehensible lovecraftian gravityless oceans like most, but I am a surrealist!. I shall post more soon!...:88E:
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-29-04, 01:52 PM	Yay! Now, what would be the stats for these? *makes humming noises and emits blue smoke*
R.M.G.C.L.F. 08-31-04, 02:02 PM	BUMP BUMP BUMP
Flame_Drake 08-31-04, 03:31 PM	R.M.G.C.L.F., have you taken a look at Ebberon? there is a plane there that is very much like the Far Relems but has some very "interesting" inhabitance.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 08-31-04, 05:48 PM	No, I haven't yet. I'll make a note of it.
Flame_Drake 08-31-04, 08:16 PM	Very, very interesting stuff in the realm of madness... but I digress The realm of the eye mild Far Realms normal gravity Wild Magic minor evil traits minor law traits This land is the home of Beholders living in the Far Realms. All creatures native to this part of the Realms have eye stocks growing out of them. In addition the plane is covered with eyes that watch all beings. This is discomerting to any non-native to the plane. Players must make Will checks hourly or become shaken for one day. DCs are: small eyes (human eye): DC10 medium eyes (tennis ball): DC14 large eyes (B-ball): DC18 giant eyes: DC26 saves are made for each eye, If a save is failed, no more saves need to be made for the next two hours, the effects of fear stack. eyes can also have other effects at the DMs discreation. In these cases the eye has a different colour. The eyes can transfer knowledge to any beholder in the realm of the eye. The eyes work as spies and manipulate the working of the realm quietly. It is rumored that the creators of the beholders also can communicate with the eyes directly. :smirk:
The_other 08-31-04, 09:21 PM	I hear there is a place where infinite power lives, immortality.----------Zed Gnome Sage Land of Alluring Peace High Far Realms Normal Gravity Strong Chaos Traits Strong Evil Traits Strong Good Traits Strong Law traits While here you do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. While here you never age and never die. This realm of insanity is nothing but a grey flat ground stretched out for eternity with normal blue skies that reach everlasting heights and supply infinite air. This realm is a prison, for all who enter it cannot leave, not even by diefic powers. Billions of Demons, Devils, Yugoloths, Slaads, Inevitables, Archons, Guardinals, Eladrins, and other outsiders, including lost dieties are trapped, all gone mad from never being able to leave and never beable to die. This realm also produces a effect of Calm Emotions Spell on everything in the plane. Nothing can resist this effect. Anything can be found there Nothing is known of this realm except that the power of immortality exists there.....
The_other 09-02-04, 06:39 PM	:bump:
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-23-05, 06:04 PM	It is hope and joy, glory and awe, majesty and tragedy. It is a song from beyond the world that has no beginning or no ending, a song made of light and sound. Anthem of Wonder Planar Traits: Sporadic Gravity: The tunnels are more or less devoid of gravity and allow residents to fly freely through them at great speed, but the caverns usually have normal gravity although some allow occupants to slowly fly or have floating objects. Joyous Song: All bardic music abilities intermingle with the song, gaining a 25% chance that they will warp into some other random music effect but getting a +10 bonus to dc and doubling all bonuses or penalties they convey when effective. Harmonious Rapture: All sentient creatures within the layer are under a constant Emotion:hope and emotion: joy effect. The frozen caverns seem like distilled time, images that pass in their sides. The impression one gets is of curving tunnels through some massive ice structure, although they are also more open, cavernous areas with crystalline statues and stories of image and hearing that replay always upon the wall. The frosty blue walls shine with a rainbow of colors and sounds. Strains of music, peaceful and powerful, thundering and joyous, softly roaring with some alien emotion and wonder, all merging and intertwining with the scintillating patterns of light to form a continuous, beautiful song. Once a sentient being enters the anthem, it never leaves them. They radiate an upward cone of red, blue, and ultraviolet light that increases in intensity rather than decreasing as it gets farther from the source until 30ft out it apruptly stops. They gain a permanent increase of 1d4 charisma, a +10 insight bonus to all perform checks, a +1 morale bonus to all throws, checks, and rolls, and a +3 deflection bonus to AC. They can discharge a blast of this song with a ranged touch attack, dealing 1d12 sonic damage, 1d8 light damage, 1d6 cold damage, and 1d4 fire damage and granting the creature the awareness feat (provided that it is sentient and capable of sleep) which lasts until it's next rest. Doing this is a free action, but it can only be used as long as their deflection bonus from the song is at least +1, and each time it is used it reduces the deflection bonus by one point for that round. They can also use it all up in a single blast, making one perform (singing) check at a +20 insight bonus, and dealing 2d20+1 force damage to all within a backwards 30ft cone and stunning them for one round (a successful will save negates the damage and the stunning). Anthem Locations: Most of the anthem is a continuous flow of ice tunnels. A few vast caverns exist with glittering ceilings, glowing gems, and statues in the ice. One particular location, the hall of glory, consists of a group of statues each with a quotation on the pedastal beneath them. Amongst them is a clumsy beaked thing with an untransalatable text beneath, a strange humanoid shape with fish-like hints, bulbous eyes, large functionless flaps/scales, and a cluster of oblong objects sticking out of its mouth with aquan gibberish. A huge insectoid shape with a massive external brain has in the beholder language "They're like your insects. Larger of course, and more intelligent." There is a cringing creature resembling a mole-human-rat-insect hybrid with the undercommon words "the fire of Ishtar", and a bland-looking human with the english words "I feel partially responsible." On the walls play repeating tales featuring these beings, with shadowy figures commenting upon them. Anthem Inhabitants: Many entities pass through or reside to hear and join in the song, although it is never crowded. Another feature of it is scintillating patterns of color that are mobile, visible sound, and some combination of them. Below are some limited statted forms of them. Color Flare Small Outsider(Incorporeal) HD:6d8(27hp) Speed: fly 40ft AC:13(+1deflection,+2dex) Attack: prismatic blades+8 touch (1 cold, 1 fire, 1 acid, 1 sonic, 1 electricity, 1 force, 1d12 light) Full Attack: prismatic blades+8 touch (1 cold, 1 fire, 1 acid, 1 sonic, 1 electricity, 1 force, 1d12 light) Special Qualities: Incorporeal, alien mind Saves:Fort+5,Ref+7,Will+9 Abilities:Str-,Dex15,Con-,Int3,Wis19,Cha13 Skills: Perform(singing)+30, listen+12 Feats:None ____________ CR:5 Alignment: None Color Spray: a creature that passes within 10ft of a color flare must make a will save dc:19 or be affected as if by a color spray spell. Alien Mind: Not subject to mind-affecting effects, insanity, or confusion Sound Raker Hazard/Trap: These ripples in the air pull moving objects and creatures towards them with vibration undercurrents. Finding them takes a spot check dc:28 or a listen check dc:21. Unless they make a reflex save dc:18 within 20ft of them, they will be pulled into it taking 1d100 sonic damage and being violently ejected as if by a strong wind in a random direction. These traps have some limited semblance of biotic nature, as they periodically move, grow, and sometimes divide, and have been known to occasionally utter prophetic shouts or compelling commands. They have CR:7, and can be disabled via the disable device skill only with the aid of some soft muffling substance or porous sponge and a check dc:29, although a silence spell also works.
The Ethereal Wickerman 02-24-05, 05:00 AM	Interesting plane RMGCLF, another fine piece of planar layer from the master of the Far Realms!... :D
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-24-05, 06:45 AM	Thank you. ^_^
Psychicsoup 02-24-05, 09:01 AM	Layer of Sonic Vibration Non-living matter cannot enter this plane. Upon entering this layer every being becomes a series intersecting lines that are nothing more than harmonious musical chords playing a song over a straight line. These lines, which are innumerous, form complicated geometric figures representing the being in question. The outer part of the shape plays a harmonious tune representing the beings surface thoughts which can be heard and understood by all who concentrate on that single being. Not concentrating on one produces a horrible dissonance that if not tuned out by harmony will cause the entire being to start to imitate the dissonance of a thousand songs and be trapped in that state forever. The way out is a huge triangle that basically communicates the equivalent of an exit sign through a series of single notes. When reaching the portal out it emulates your deepest emotions, fears, tragic memories and various other things you keep hidden deep within. These things block your way until you alter your surface thoughts in complete harmony with them and accept them into your being. On rare occasions the portal will produce a memory or emotion that possesses dissonance with it's orginator. This dissonance spreads causing an uncomfortable vibration in all things on the plane. The portal then tries to destroy it with crushing silence but it fights back as if it attained self awareness and is fighting for it's own existence. Sometimes they escape and merge with the originator of the thought. The being returns with something alien inside of them and it wants control.
Aquarius Alodar 02-24-05, 12:31 PM	OMG! And it was just getting to the good parts.....I mean, why has this thread gone and died on us? *Casts true thread resurrection*
RiotGearEpsilon 02-24-05, 01:04 PM	It is straight lines and cubic circles. It is unwary geometry without apology. It is inertia made manifest and malevolent - Hard Angle - Moderate Far Realms Heavy Gravity In hard angle, inertia comes in two components: absolute, and angular. It is far easier to change one's absolute speed than one's direction of movement. This affects the geometry of the plane. As a result, all creatures are limited in mobility as though they were flying with a maneuverability of Clumsy. The terrain is composed of great blocks of slick basalt. Rushing rivers of mercurial silver churn along square-bottomed riverbeds, slowly banking in to great, graceful curves. Following these rivers to their springs reveals planar gaps to other planes. The sky of this plane extends in to an infinity, but beyond a thousand feet becomes hard vacuum. It is pitch black. The illumination of this plane comes from swarms of flitting bioluminescent gelatins that fly about the plane hundreds of feet above the ground in steady rhythms of day and night. They function as aerial swarms of pseudonatural bloadbloater oozes if somehow fought. Most local life forms resemble the terrain. Pseudonatural earth-subtype elementals prevail, swimming through the earth like water, lunging about in graceful curves as though dogfighting in the sky. You can exit Hard Angle by travelling upstream a mercury river to a gateway to The Gleaming Undularum, downstream to a gateway to The Ardereal Joyscape, or by casting a Wall of Force to forcibly deflect the motion of a fast moving object, thus straining and breaking the physics of this place and opening a gateway to The Causal Shunt.
Aquarius Alodar 02-24-05, 01:45 PM	Just my thoughts on the major entities of a certain Mythos, at least in this context: The King in Yellow, the All-in-One, even the Crawling Chaos...all of them are in fact sane. Sane enough to ph3r.........."Ph3r what?" I hear you ask. In the "soiling of one's undergarments" sense of the word, I submit that they have good reason to truly ph3r the beat down that is.......these guys: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58386 Do I hear 'aye' or 'nay' ?
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-24-05, 03:09 PM	Just my thoughts on the major entities of a certain Mythos, at least in this context: The King in Yellow, the All-in-One, even the Crawling Chaos...all of them are in fact sane. Sane enough to ph3r.........."Ph3r what?" I hear you ask. In the "soiling of one's undergarments" sense of the word, I submit that they have good reason to truly ph3r the beat down that is.......these guys: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58386 Do I hear 'aye' or 'nay' ? Well, they are sane, however they are themselves god-like entities beyond mortal intelligence. They are of power and intellect sufficient to comprehend and defeat them with ease. Besides, that even assuming they would come into conflict. Also some of the entities mentioned lack a definate location or set corporeal form, while those far realms creatures, while alien, have a fixed body and shape.
Lord_Anthrax 02-24-05, 03:32 PM	I love the Far Realms, and the idea of recognizable yet maddening layers of it is great. With that in mind, here's my contribution to the Outside! The Whisper Pandemonium? Stop rattlin' yer bone-box, berk. You ain't heard nuthin' 'til you heard The Whisper. -Garrick Darkchant, Tiefling Explorer Some say that in the deepest reaches of Agathion, there's a place where the incessant howling dies, a place of darkness and cool, musty air that seems to close in about you, a place that seems to go on forever and yet nowhere, where hidden things lurk and in the seeming quiet, on the edge of comprehension, a sound emanates from everywhere and nowhere at once...those who survived it with their minds intact know it only as The Whisper. Planar Traits -Normal Gravity. -Timeless: Hunger, thirst and sleep are not affected by the passage of time within The Whisper, and resume normally upon exiting. -Self-Contained: While actually quite small in size, The Whisper folds back in upon itself, giving it the illusion of infinite size. -Alterable Morphic. -No Elemental Traits. -No Alignment Traits. -Limited Magic: Spells with the Sonic descriptor, or which impede sound(such as Silence) do not work within The Whisper. Spells which produce light or have the Light descriptor also do not function. -Enhanced Magic: Spells of the Divination school of magic are treated as if Extended and Quickened when cast within The Whisper, as appropriate. Planar Links The Whisper has links to the deepest layer of Pandemonium, Agathion, as well as to other layers of the Far Realms. Planar Inhabitants Very few beings remain within The Whisper for any great amount of time, though it is possible to encounter other travellers who have come to listen, though seldom are they sane beings. Kaorti, some Alienists and other beings connected to the Far Realms are most likely to be encountered here, though a few rare beings who manage to Listen to The Whisper(see below) and survive with their sanity intact may be encountered(DM's discretion). Movement and Combat Due to The Quiet(see below), communicating with others while within The Whisper is difficult, and spells with verbal components are more difficult to cast. Otherwise, movement and combat are as normal. Planar Features The Whisper is a near realm of the Far Realms, a place where hidden words and thoughts abound and can be heard by those within it. All around, at the edge of understanding, flow secrets that echo from all across the Planes. Whenever an unspoken thought crosses a sentient's mind, whenever one confides in another some bit of information to be kept from others, it echoes within The Whisper. This is the source of the constant low murmuring that fills the air of the plane, and for those who dare to listen, many interesting bits of knowledge can be gleaned...at a price. Appearance: The Whisper seems to be a vast dark chamber, not unlike an underground cave. Light sources do not work within The Whisper, and Darkvision has its range reduced to one-half, with a maximum range of 30 feet. No real obstacles lie within the path of those who travel within The Whisper, nor does it seem to have any real landmarks. The Quiet: By the nature of the plane as a place of barely heard things, it is impossible to make excessive amounts of noise within The Whisper. Even the loudest cry comes forth as only a quiet murmur. All spoken communication has a maximum range of 10 feet. Beyond that, it is as incomprehensible as the rest of the sounds all around. Even Telepathy is impeded, and only functions at one-fifth its normal range, to a maximum range of 20 feet. Spells with verbal components have a 10% spell failure chance. Any form of sight which relies upon sound or vibration has a maximum range of 5 feet within The Whisper. The Secrets: The constant influx of echoes from across the Planes is as insurmountable as it is vast. Spells and abilities that block sound will not protect travellers from The Whisper, nor will protection or immunity to Mind-affecting effects. Only those who are truly mindless(Vermin, Constructs, Undead and similar beings)are unaffected. Prolonged exposure to this is treated much like being exposed to a disease. Each hour a creature with an Intelligence score capable of comprehending a language is within The Whisper, they must make a DC 25 Wisdom check or contract what some call The Voices. The Voices: While similar to a disease in its mechanics, The Voices is not truly a disease and therefore is not subject to immunity to disease, nor is it affected by spells such as Cure Disease and similar effects. Those who contract The Voices must make a Wisdom check against the original DC each day or take 1 point of Wisdom drain. While within The Whisper, this Wisdom loss cannot be cured by any means, and can only be cured outside The Whisper if the afflicted being makes three successful consecutive saves against it. If a being is reduced to 0 Wisdom while within The Whisper by The Voices, they attempt to move away from any other being in their vicinity and out of their sight. If they succeed, they are absorbed by The Secrets and are for all intents and purposes dead. Only a True Resurrection, Wish or Miracle spell can restore someone taken by The Voices while within The Whisper. At the DM's discretion, those who fall to The Voices may also inherit the Pseudonatural template and become NPC's to plague their former companions. Listening: If a being spends time concentrating on The Secrets to try and comprehend them, make a Wisdom check against DC 10. Success means they begin to hear The Secrets and understand them. This also means they have become infected with The Voices(no check allowed). This takes approximately one minute. From this point, a being can attempt to Listen for more specific information, with increasingly high DC to the Wisdom check. Those who possess the Alertness and/or Skill Focus(Listen) feat(s) gain these bonuses to their Wisdom check, but also increase their check DC against The Voices by the same amount. Sample DC checks follow: A secret known by someone present in The Whisper: DC 5 A secret known by someone in The Far Realms: DC 10 A secret known by someone upon a Transitive Plane: DC 15 A secret known by someone upon the Material Plane: DC 20 A secret known by someone upon an Inner Plane: DC 25 A secret known by someone upon an Outer Plane: DC 30 A secret known by a huge group of beings(10,000+ members): -5 DC A secret known by a large group of beings(5,000-9,999 members): no modifier. A secret known by a medium group of beings(1000-4,999 members): +5 DC. A secret known by a small group of beings(500-999 members): +10 DC. A secret known by a tiny group of beings(100-499 members): +15 DC. A secret known by only a few beings(less than 100): +20 DC. A secret known by only one being: +25 DC. Each check for a secret takes one whole day of Listening. Doing so prevents the Listener from making a check against The Voices to prevent the Wisdom drain. If the check fails, the Listener must immediately make a check against the secret DC or suffer from Obsession(see below). A Listener can spend longer trying to increase their chance of success, gaining a +2 for every additional day spent. Doing so prevents them from making a check against The Voices, and the maximum bonus gained can be no higher than their Wisdom score at the time of beginning to Listen. Obsession: Those who try to Listen for secrets and fail may become obessesed with discovering the secret they seek. If they fail to hear what they wish, they must make a second check against the secret DC or become consumed with a need to know. They will attempt to discover the secret they seek again. If they fail a second time, they must check once more or continue their obsession. Forcibly removing someone from The Whisper who has become Obsessed causes them to make a DC 25 Will save or be affected as though by an Insanity spell. Special: Those of the Far Realms are resistant or immune to the corrosive effects of The Whisper. Any creature with the Pseudonatural template is considered immune to The Voices and Obsession and gains a +10 bonus on checks to discover secrets, and can take 20 on this check. They are also able to communicate normally with other Pseudonatural beings, Kaorti, or those who have levels in the Alienist Prestige Class. Kaorti are not immune to Obsession, but are partially resistant to The Voices and gain a +10 bonus on checks to discover secrets and resist the effects of The Voices and Obsession, and may take 10 on their checks. They may communicate normally as Pseudonatural creatures do. Beings with levels in the Alienist Prestige Class gain bonuses on their checks equal to their Alienist class level, to a maximum of +10, and may also communicate normally as Pseudonatural creatures do. An Alienist of 10th level may also take 10 on these checks. At the DM's discretion, Listening to The Secrets may count for the peaceful contact requirement of becoming an Alienist.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-24-05, 04:17 PM	Nice layer. For the DCs, I'd make it easier to hear outer planes than inner or material, easier to hear transitive than outer. The far realms however, that might be a problem because of infinite span and distortion of the layers. The far realms seems to be more vast and diverse than the entire great wheel, and some things in it could be more distant from the whisper than the material plane is from the far realms.
Aquarius Alodar 02-24-05, 04:51 PM	OK...at about the time the thread died, I thought of getting it stickyed- as part of a larger 'compendium' of Far Realms information. The layers so far sound fairly good...hmm, perhaps there's a 'backdoor' to Brian Lumley's "Elysia" somewhere. Volume One of his Mythos Omnibus is required reading for further information (to these whom do not understand whereof I speak)
Aquarius Alodar 02-24-05, 05:26 PM	I love the Far Realms, and the idea of recognizable yet maddening layers of it is great. With that in mind, here's my contribution to the Outside! The Whisper Pandemonium? Stop rattlin' yer bone-box, berk. You ain't heard nuthin' 'til you heard The Whisper. -Garrick Darkchant, Tiefling Explorer Some say that in the deepest reaches of Agathion, there's a place where the incessant howling dies, a place of darkness and cool, musty air that seems to close in about you, a place that seems to go on forever and yet nowhere, where hidden things lurk and in the seeming quiet, on the edge of comprehension, a sound emanates from everywhere and nowhere at once...those who survived it with their minds intact know it only as The Whisper. Planar Traits -Normal Gravity. -Timeless: Hunger, thirst and sleep are not affected by the passage of time within The Whisper, and resume normally upon exiting. -Self-Contained: While actually quite small in size, The Whisper folds back in upon itself, giving it the illusion of infinite size. -Alterable Morphic. -No Elemental Traits. -No Alignment Traits. -Limited Magic: Spells with the Sonic descriptor, or which impede sound(such as Silence) do not work within The Whisper. Spells which produce light or have the Light descriptor also do not function. -Enhanced Magic: Spells of the Divination school of magic are treated as if Extended and Quickened when cast within The Whisper, as appropriate. Planar Links The Whisper has links to the deepest layer of Pandemonium, Agathion, as well as to other layers of the Far Realms. Planar Inhabitants Very few beings remain within The Whisper for any great amount of time, though it is possible to encounter other travellers who have come to listen, though seldom are they sane beings. Kaorti, some Alienists and other beings connected to the Far Realms are most likely to be encountered here, though a few rare beings who manage to Listen to The Whisper(see below) and survive with their sanity intact may be encountered(DM's discretion). Movement and Combat Due to The Quiet(see below), communicating with others while within The Whisper is difficult, and spells with verbal components are more difficult to cast. Otherwise, movement and combat are as normal. Planar Features The Whisper is a near realm of the Far Realms, a place where hidden words and thoughts abound and can be heard by those within it. All around, at the edge of understanding, flow secrets that echo from all across the Planes. Whenever an unspoken thought crosses a sentient's mind, whenever one confides in another some bit of information to be kept from others, it echoes within The Whisper. This is the source of the constant low murmuring that fills the air of the plane, and for those who dare to listen, many interesting bits of knowledge can be gleaned...at a price. Appearance: The Whisper seems to be a vast dark chamber, not unlike an underground cave. Light sources do not work within The Whisper, and Darkvision has its range reduced to one-half, with a maximum range of 30 feet. No real obstacles lie within the path of those who travel within The Whisper, nor does it seem to have any real landmarks. The Quiet: By the nature of the plane as a place of barely heard things, it is impossible to make excessive amounts of noise within The Whisper. Even the loudest cry comes forth as only a quiet murmur. All spoken communication has a maximum range of 10 feet. Beyond that, it is as incomprehensible as the rest of the sounds all around. Even Telepathy is impeded, and only functions at one-fifth its normal range, to a maximum range of 20 feet. Spells with verbal components have a 10% spell failure chance. Any form of sight which relies upon sound or vibration has a maximum range of 5 feet within The Whisper. The Secrets: The constant influx of echoes from across the Planes is as insurmountable as it is vast. Spells and abilities that block sound will not protect travellers from The Whisper, nor will protection or immunity to Mind-affecting effects. Only those who are truly mindless(Vermin, Constructs, Undead and similar beings)are unaffected. Prolonged exposure to this is treated much like being exposed to a disease. Each hour a creature with an Intelligence score capable of comprehending a language is within The Whisper, they must make a DC 25 Wisdom check or contract what some call The Voices. The Voices: While similar to a disease in its mechanics, The Voices is not truly a disease and therefore is not subject to immunity to disease, nor is it affected by spells such as Cure Disease and similar effects. Those who contract The Voices must make a Wisdom check against the original DC each day or take 1 point of Wisdom drain. While within The Whisper, this Wisdom loss cannot be cured by any means, and can only be cured outside The Whisper if the afflicted being makes three successful consecutive saves against it. If a being is reduced to 0 Wisdom while within The Whisper by The Voices, they attempt to move away from any other being in their vicinity and out of their sight. If they succeed, they are absorbed by The Secrets and are for all intents and purposes dead. Only a True Resurrection, Wish or Miracle spell can restore someone taken by The Voices while within The Whisper. At the DM's discretion, those who fall to The Voices may also inherit the Pseudonatural template and become NPC's to plague their former companions. Listening: If a being spends time concentrating on The Secrets to try and comprehend them, make a Wisdom check against DC 10. Success means they begin to hear The Secrets and understand them. This also means they have become infected with The Voices(no check allowed). This takes approximately one minute. From this point, a being can attempt to Listen for more specific information, with increasingly high DC to the Wisdom check. Those who possess the Alertness and/or Skill Focus(Listen) feat(s) gain these bonuses to their Wisdom check, but also increase their check DC against The Voices by the same amount. Sample DC checks follow: A secret known by someone present in The Whisper: DC 5 A secret known by someone in The Far Realms: DC 10 A secret known by someone upon a Transitive Plane: DC 15 A secret known by someone upon the Material Plane: DC 20 A secret known by someone upon an Inner Plane: DC 25 A secret known by someone upon an Outer Plane: DC 30 A secret known by a huge group of beings(10,000+ members): -5 DC A secret known by a large group of beings(5,000-9,999 members): no modifier. A secret known by a medium group of beings(1000-4,999 members): +5 DC. A secret known by a small group of beings(500-999 members): +10 DC. A secret known by a tiny group of beings(100-499 members): +15 DC. A secret known by only a few beings(less than 100): +20 DC. A secret known by only one being: +25 DC. Each check for a secret takes one whole day of Listening. Doing so prevents the Listener from making a check against The Voices to prevent the Wisdom drain. If the check fails, the Listener must immediately make a check against the secret DC or suffer from Obsession(see below). A Listener can spend longer trying to increase their chance of success, gaining a +2 for every additional day spent. Doing so prevents them from making a check against The Voices, and the maximum bonus gained can be no higher than their Wisdom score at the time of beginning to Listen. Obsession: Those who try to Listen for secrets and fail may become obessesed with discovering the secret they seek. If they fail to hear what they wish, they must make a second check against the secret DC or become consumed with a need to know. They will attempt to discover the secret they seek again. If they fail a second time, they must check once more or continue their obsession. Forcibly removing someone from The Whisper who has become Obsessed causes them to make a DC 25 Will save or be affected as though by an Insanity spell. Special: Those of the Far Realms are resistant or immune to the corrosive effects of The Whisper. Any creature with the Pseudonatural template is considered immune to The Voices and Obsession and gains a +10 bonus on checks to discover secrets, and can take 20 on this check. They are also able to communicate normally with other Pseudonatural beings, Kaorti, or those who have levels in the Alienist Prestige Class. Kaorti are not immune to Obsession, but are partially resistant to The Voices and gain a +10 bonus on checks to discover secrets and resist the effects of The Voices and Obsession, and may take 10 on their checks. They may communicate normally as Pseudonatural creatures do. Beings with levels in the Alienist Prestige Class gain bonuses on their checks equal to their Alienist class level, to a maximum of +10, and may also communicate normally as Pseudonatural creatures do. An Alienist of 10th level may also take 10 on these checks. At the DM's discretion, Listening to The Secrets may count for the peaceful contact requirement of becoming an Alienist. Ok...........oh, crap. Undead are unaffected you say? That means only mindless undead right?(zombies etc.) Or am I misinterpreting something here?
Lord_Anthrax 02-24-05, 07:31 PM	Yes, such as Zombies and Skeletons. Those who lack an Intelligence score. Animals are also unaffected, as none of them comprehend a language. As for the Listen DC's, the reason the Far Realms is DC 10 is because The Whisper is a layer of that Plane, therefore it's one "step" from being in The Whisper. The Transitives come next because they're the roads to everywhere. Then the Material Plane given its importance as the focal point of the Planes, the Inner Planes given their closer relation to the Material Plane, and finally the Outer Planes given their sheer diversity(and as representatives of Alignment, more difficult for the Far Realms to reach).
Keenath 02-24-05, 07:43 PM	Stairs Somewhere in the infinity of infinities of the Far Realms, there is a place where space folds in on itself: A world of steps and landings that twists forever around no known center, a plane that is known only as Stairs. Planar Traits - Mild Far Realms: Stairs is not particularly madness-inducing on its own. - Objective Directional Gravity: Each staircase in Stairs has its own gravitational direction. - Normal Time - Self Contained - Static: no mortal force can harm any native object in Stairs, though doors and gates may be moved normally without difficulty. - No elemental or alignment traits - Limited Magic: Spells that affect movement or adjustment to the direction of gravity do not function in Stairs. Thus, there is no effect from casting Fly, Featherfall, Levitate, Passwall, Teleport, Dimension Door, Reverse Gravity, and so on. - Impeded Magic: Divination spells are difficult to cast in Stairs. A caster must make a Spellcraft check equal to (15+spell level) to cast any divination. If the check fails, however, the spell does not fail; rather, it gives incorrect information for its duration. (Psionic powers are affected the same way as magic -- information-gathering powers are impeded -- use a psicraft check to manifest them -- and movement powers do not work.) Appearance: Stairs seems, from any vantage point within, to be an infinite, twisting multitude of impossible stairways. They point in every direction, linking, twisting, connected by doorways and landings. Though the layer is actually relatively small, space is twisted in on itself in a labyrinthine manner, which makes it nearly impossible to find a way out and gives the inside the appearance of infinity. Planar Links The layer of Stairs can be accessed from the Far Planes by stepping through any of several doorways that float in the plane. It may also be accessed from the Material Plane, because Stairs connects with a door far up the Infinite Staircase -- in fact, some say Stairs is, in fact, the top of the staircase, and the Staircase itself merely an extention of the Far Planes. Planar Features Stairs has many landmarks, but it is never certain whether you've been on this landing before, or simply a landing that looked exactly like it. The plane is relatively safe, with one significant exception Twisted Gravity: A staircase always has a gravitational direction perpendicular to its stairs. Some staircases, however, may have two gravitational directions at ninety degrees from each other, each using the 'front' of the other's stairs as its own stairs. A person walking on such a staircase cannot change the direction of gravity himself, but may only shift to the other perspective by travelling through the plane to the point where the staircase may be entered with gravity running a different direction. If two creatures with different gravitational perspectives come within 10 feet of each other for more than one round, they must make opposed Charisma checks. The creature with the lower check immediately changes perspectives to match that of the creature with the higher check. This applies to creatures on different staircases as well as those sharing a staircase. If a creature encounters an unattended object laying on the stairs, the object will immediately fall under that creature's gravitational prespective. Labyrinth: Because the plane of Stairs is mazelike and twisted, finding the way out is very nearly impossible. It is easy to become lost in the depths of the maze, and in some way, the plane seems to change shapes when nobody is looking. A trail of objects left behind to mark a trail will later be discovered to end abruptly, with no sign of the rest. A string trailed far enough may later be found laying on the ground as if cut, and the rest of its length completely missing. For similar reasons, magic that allows a user to find his way out will not function properly, often leading the caster in circles through the staircases until he dies of hunger or age. Falling: The greatest danger to adventurers in Stairs is falling. Falling down the stairs themselves is not so great a problem, because there will be a landing eventually, but many of the stairs have no railings or walls. Dropping off the edge of a staircase leads to a long fall until the creatures strikes another staircase, with possibly deadly results. When a creature falls off a staircase, he falls 1d20x10 feet before striking another stair, taking falling damage as normal. Because of the Static effects of the plane, a staircase cannot be damaged or broken by the impact -- or, indeed, any known force, including a Sphere of Annihilation. Planar Inhabitants There are few inhabitants of Stairs. A few creatures wander its interior, lost, at all times. There are also a small number of faceless, featureless white humanoid forms, possibly constructs, that endlessly walk up and down the stairs, purposelessly striding forever. The only inhabitant that may pose a danger to adventurers is a being only known as Our Lady of the Stairs. Our Lady was once an adventurer who became lost in the depths of Stairs. As a Tiefling and a powerful Psion and Wizard, she was able to keep herself alive with the sustainence power and her magic. However, unable to escape, the woman eventually lost her mind and became, in some unknown fashion, one with the essence of the plane. She became a part of the plane itself -- a demigod within its boundaries, and its prisoner. Now she wanders the plane, never speaking, always searching for something -- perhaps a way out. Adventurers who cross the path of Our Lady may halt her quest for a moment, being analyzed by her grim, silent gaze. However, when she chooses to leave, no mortal should risk blocking her path, for she does not shy from using all the powers at her disposal to remove the impediment. Our Lady of the Stairs http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rod_gallery/86313.jpg Divine Rank 1 Outsider Wizard 15 / Psion 5 / Alienist 10 Alien Transcendence: Our Lady's right arm is twisted and shrunken as a result of her involvement with Far Plane forces. She wears an armored gauntlet over it most of the time, but cannot hide its size. Portfolio: Magic, Travel, Madness Our Lady has full knowledge of any intrusion into her plane. She is aware of the location of every creature in Stairs, but generally chooses to ignore them unless she happens to meet them on the Stairs. Salient Divine Abilities: Arcane Mastery: Our Lady can prepare any spell she knows without a spellbook. Footsore: Our Lady can sap one creature's energy per day. Subjects must make a Fortitude save DC 18 or become fatigued and have their speed halved for one day. Gravity Control: Within the confines of Stairs, Our Lady's gravitational perspective is always correct. Any creature who comes within 100 feet of Our Lady and has a line of effect to her has its perspective instantly changed to match hers. Our Lady can change her gravitational perspective at will as a free action, always moving to stay upright as she does. She cannot fall from the stairs, always remaining on the surface of the stairs, and with her personal gravity keeping her upright wherever she goes. Grant Spells: Our Lady has no worshipers except her familiar, and grants no spells. Familiar: Our Lady has a familiar named Escher, which used to be a cat. As a result of the Far Planes influence, it now resembles no known animal, its head slightly bear-like, but its body feline. It can speak any known language, and a few that are not known. Whenever Our Lady meets a group of adventurers, Escher immediately begins preaching to them about the nobility and grace of his mistress, whom he always refers to as Our Lady of the Stairs (or simply "Our Lady"). While the Lady never speaks, Escher is never silent until his mistress moves on, and he is forced to follow her. Edit: I forgot to specify a Far Realms level as requested. Error fixed now. While I'm at it, I'll fix the Lady's portfolio as pointed out by RMGCLF.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-24-05, 09:24 PM	You provide no stairs domain. You might want to substitute it or magic for the madness domain. Nice plane, and well inspired.
Keenath 02-25-05, 12:38 AM	You provide no stairs domain. You might want to substitute it or magic for the madness domain. Nice plane, and well inspired. The Stairs domain just represents her command over the plane of Stairs -- knowledge of everyone entering it, and control over gravity. She doesn't grant spells, so I saw no need to really stat out the whole thing.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-25-05, 06:28 AM	Well, gods still get their domains as at-will spell-like abilities, so you would want to.
Keenath 02-25-05, 12:18 PM	Oh, right. Well... meh. I didn't fully stat out Our Lady anyway. If anyone uses her in a game, feel free to make something up. ^^ Or remove the Stairs domain. Whatever.
RiotGearEpsilon 02-25-05, 01:30 PM	That was the most brutal critique of WoTC art I've ever seen. :D
Keenath 02-25-05, 03:17 PM	Go have a look at the "General D&D Board", where there's a thread about "The worse illustrations ever" or something like that. This was one of the candidates. It's just bizarre, between the baby arm (I think it's SUPPOSED to have her elbow behind the cloak), the pained expression, and the what-species-am-I familiar, not to mention the fact that the familiar and Our Lady seem to be using different directions for gravity, neither of which is perpendicular to the stairs... It's just a strange, strange drawing. Somebody over there coined the nickname "The Lady of Stairs", and when I saw this thread, I just thought of that and the MC Escher drawings, and.. well.. it's obvious from that point on... "Lady of Stairs" became "Our Lady" in my head, just because of the Catholic habit of naming organizations "Our Lady of the X" (which, of course, refers to Mary).
Aquarius Alodar 02-28-05, 07:11 AM	Ack..... *casts Power Word Bump and Antislippage Field in rapid succession*
Aquarius Alodar 02-28-05, 09:15 AM	Just some thread-pimping: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=341055 I'm trying to get Outside (and more specifically, the Maaegio RaKK) implemented as the (potential) source of the plot in a CS:a weird anomaly called the Vanishing, and the two events before it, called the Opening and the Infection respectively, which have apparently been caused by their tinkering with the mechanics of the Plane of Shadow. The guy making the thing has (likely mis)interpreted them as being interested in humanity in the 'Herbert West' sense, though....thoughts?
Sigurd van Norhusen 02-28-05, 01:15 PM	The Frame Planar Traits - Timeless and Normal time: see description - Objective Directional Gravity: Whoever enters the plane is pulled "down" without ever truely moving (they are forever fixed floating above the ground, though - it is impossible for visitors to stand or sit). It is however possible to "fall" upwards or sideways. - Self Contained - Static: It is impossible as a visitor to change any object or native being (if they can be called such). However, the "natives" rip away the layer's substance, so they are kind of excepted from that rule. - Elemental and alignment traits change with the "picture framed moment" that the plane currently displays - Limited Magic: Spells that affect movement do not function. However, teleportation and planeshifting works. Divinations do not work at all. Appearance: The Frame is a plane which is not truely a plane, or anything similar. Every 2.34512 days, a giant, loud heartbeat can be heard, which temporarily blinds and stuns whoever currently exists. When the blindness is overcome, the reality of the plane has changed into a random location (from the Great Wheel or some other, unknown multiverse) - a Material, Outer or Inner Plane, a Transitive one, or a place that does not exist anymore or does not exist yet. However, it is utterly devoid of life and color, like a picture in a frame. Closer inspecion of the place would show that it is made of gray marble. Shortly after the plane has taken the appearance of the other place, giant, featureless, twodimensional mouthes (more like black holes with teeth) open in the sky and bottom, and begin devouring everything that they can find. Lucky are those that do not originate from the Far Realm: if they are devoured by one of the mouthes (which are as impervious to attack as the rest of the plane itself), they have a very large chance (90%) of being tossed into a random other plane (both Far Realms and into other multiverses), as if the mouthes act like a Gate spell - although there is a very large chance that being devoured by a giant mouth from the sky will leave the character a bit more insane than they were before. Should one of the mouthes devour a Far Realm creature, or a very unlucky non-native character, those are totally and utterly destroyed by the sharp teeth or the void which lies beyond. Creatures that die this way can only be brought back by a Wish or a Miracle spell and are utterly insane (which can be cured as normal for non-natives and is normal for Far Realm creatures anyway). --- I hope that was okay.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-28-05, 01:39 PM	It seems fitting, but it presents a somewhat problematic question. If thngs eaten by the mouths wind up in the prime multiverse that would mean we'd have a random insurgence of entities from the far realms of insanity.
Sigurd van Norhusen 02-28-05, 02:41 PM	True. My bad, I have rewritten that. Thanks for pointing it out, although it could be a convenient plot device, too. ;)
Barloch 02-28-05, 09:20 PM	Wow this thread is really cool let me take a crack at this "how insane can I be when comming up with a plane" idea then get back to reading the rest of this thread. Heta Planar traits -Unmorphic-Almost nothing can change the way this plane functions not even the most powerful of the gods. The only thing that changes this dream is the nightmares of children, the terrible creatures of a childs nightmares and the heroic figures that fight them dwell on this plane, some of which are beyond description and it would kill you merely to look upon them. But on this plane the nightmares always win hehehehe :devil: -Magic eating-Spells cast on Heta have a 45% chance of being "eaten" as soon as they are cast, if the spell has a target the target takes the exact opposite effect of the spell upon its consumption, if it has no target it just has the exact opposite desired effect, so for example a fireball spell would implode in all but a 20 ft radius of the plane deal cold damage and heal all that it hit. Because I mean everything is opposite about the spell. Spells that alter time and space such as time stop or the psionic power genesis result in a massive plane wide explosion that kills all life on the plane, how new life is introduced is still unknown. -Randomness- The plane has no definate graviational pull or time fluxuation, in fact it has no time when on this plane if you should ever leave the multiverse was exactly as you left it and you never recall any events that happened on the plane exept through very powerful divination spells or wish or miracle. For the gravity roll a d10 on a 5 the gravity is "normal" every 1 point it goes down everything is 1/2 the weight every point it goes up everything is double the weight, roll diffrently for each PC on the plane, also roll d% in that many round reroll the weight shifts. -All dominant- Though some horrible catastrophy all elemenats vie for power on Heta including negative and posative energy, every 1d10 rounds roll 6d6 for every number that comes up more then once that many elements have collided and caused terrible explosions/implosions the DM decides the elements and thus the damage for every element that collided roll 5d4 damage for all player present on the plane. So for example say you roll and you get the following 2,3,1,2,3,5 you rolled 2 sets of 2 of the same number which means that 2 sets of two diffrent elements collided dealing the formentioned damage. -Terrible presensce- Every round the players experiance a shift in the plane (that is to say any of the former things mentioned happens exept for gravity shift) They must make a dc save of 10+1 for each previous shift of the plane, a failure means that the character has lost his sentience, he is not insane however he is no longer capable of rational thought, reduce his intelligence to two and shift his alignement to true nuetral and he acts as an animal would from now on, which means he does no understand how to use weapons/armor but will not remove anything already equiped because he cannot know how. Strongly chaotic aligned Appearance: Heta is terrible to look upon the first thing you notice upon entering this plane is the shifting colors and elements, you can see every audible color swirling in a chaotic symphony and occasional two colors of opposite spectrums collide and terrible explosion occure. There is some amount of land but it usually turns to rubble before you can even touch it you can fall on this plane but which way your falling you aren't sure for there doesn't seem to be any up or down there is only color and the base elements constantly coming into contact and causing catastrohic explosions. If one were so inclined he might see the shape of some terrible creature floating through the mist and if he looks far enough, he can see himself not looking back but the back of his very head, however how this is accomplished is unkown to all but the proto-dieties. Some say this was the home of the proto-dieties before exestince was defined the gathered up all thier imagination and spewed it onto this plane where they would shape all things that are to come, regardless it is now little more then a space of pure chaos. If one were to venture far into the plane though (which is a difficult thing to acomplish for not even the native creatures or the plane itself knows which way leads farther into it) you might find the decaying ruins of some proto-dieties fortress and perhaps if you were lucky that diety, however these are only unsubstaniated rumors at best, or perhaps its merely the ramblings of your mind as you look into this bleak chaos. Abominations of all sorts and other disgarded creatures that dieties decided never to release into the world live in this plane however its difficult to see how as they float meaninglessly in the void, but they seem to communicate with one an other fancifully and try to converse with you when they get the chance, however not even the tongues spell could reveal what they are trying to commune. Your mind races with fear and intrigue on this plane things that shouldn't exist and certainly couldn't exist in the multiverse live here creatures without, well thats a difficult thing to say without anything and with everything all at once really. Occasionally a land mass or a pool of water or a raging fire pops into existance without any warning or prompting by the part of anyone. And every so often, you hear a terrible sound one indescribeably suffice it to say that the sound tears at your insides and makes you sick to your stomach and notice the native creatures feebly trying to take cover behind anything or blend into the surroundings of the plane in a grip of terror, and you think it wise to take thier advice. For you quickly see the source of the howl a terrible being of sheer blackness you can see quite plainly in this plain of swirling colors the creature is massive and its eyes shine with malcontent and any creature hapless enough to be cought by it is consumed in some way or another for it seems to dissappear and the monster get larger and more gruesom. It is entirely possible to see everything on this plane at once one just must concentrate to do it, and have a mind thats willing to accept the things that exist here some aren't able to cope and simply seem to de-evolve and quickly but not in appearance just in mannerisms. But the native creatures quickly come to sweep away these people and begin thier communication which the subject insantly recognizes and learns upon hearing. Keep in mind that the native creatures are not the nightmares that are brought here. Entering this particular part of the far plane isn't as difficult as many of the others, if one was so inclinded one could travel to the plane of dreams and seek out a nightmare. Upon finding this nightmare one should judge how terrilbe it is for those that are truely gruesom are taken to this plane and simply grab the nightmare and wait for whoever is dreaming to wake up then they are insantly whisked away with that nightmare to this plane. Why they are taken here is unkown to all even the nightmares but upon entering this plane they immeadiatly seek out the terrible black beast and bind thier beings to it. Once in a while you see a bright flash of white light and then nothing, no color no blackness no nothing. Then you feel reborn and see the plane empty exept for the native creatures in a more infantile looking state but still behaving in the same way as before. Some might say the plane itself is a being and the nightmares are like some kind of parasite and every so often the plane just rids itself of them to feel good again. Creature: all elementals, all creatures native to the negative and posative energy planes, all abominations, all psuedonatural forms of any humanoid or monsterous humanoid, exept they are frought with swirlling colors and don't have writhing masses of tentacles. All demons devils yugloths and just any evil outsider.All slaadi and psuedonatural slaadi, similar to the humanoids. Unspeakable terror *special* Unspeakable Terror, aka HIM aka The beast aka dream devourerer Collossol Outsider (evil, chaotic, psuedonatural) No HD hit points or attacks only 1 special quality Consume (SU): Any creature that comes into contact with the Unspeakable terror is forever and irreversably made a part of it. Not even a wish or miracle spell can bring that person back.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 02-28-05, 10:34 PM	I'm sorry, but heta comes off as poorly written and misconcepted. The far realms are not ultimate evil, nor are they bad random. Anything should still have some basic stats. Everything that comes into contact becomes a part of it, so, that would be a touch attack, what's its speed, etc. A lot of the grammar is clumsy and very difficult to understand.
Barloch 03-01-05, 04:31 PM	The plane isn't inherantly evil, like I said the natives try to converse with you and don't just lash out and try to kill you but the unspeakable terror is an alien creature to the plane that is purely evil. And like I said for that no ones sure why it comes there and draws nightmares to it it just does, perhaps the proto-dities might know. And make the speed like 20 fly (perfect) because most things just float about in the plane unless they come into contact with some other elemental manifestation. But you can go ahead and give it stats if you want, I wasn't trying to make a creature just the special quality because thats all it does it doesn't try to fight things because it doesn't need to and if you want give it a will save to resist the effect.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-01-05, 05:13 PM	I dunno, something about it just offends my tastes and feels sloppy. It also clashes with the remote sense of the far realms, since layers are generally moderately indistinct portions of the fray and this has a clear and set link to the prime multiverse.
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 09:18 PM	Sempreverde The void is a bright emerald green. Within it are floating orbs covered with blue waving substance that reminds those of the Wheel of grass. There is no wind. The natives, known as Edenic mouthers, are colossal humanoid giants with four faces on their heads, their bodies covered with eyes and mouths. When they speak, it sounds like the roaring of a crowd, each mouth speaking different sounds in its own voice. Somehow they understand one another. Edenic mouthers are the ancestors (though in a realm outside time, the word is meaningless) of the gibbering mouthers known within the Great Wheel and elsewhere in the Far Realms. They have similar statistics (modified for size), but lack any ability to engulf others; they are self-contained beings, peaceful in their way. It is only contact with the layer known as the Forest of Gibbering Eyes that changes them. Planar Traits No Gravity Flowing Time No alignment traits Finite Alterable Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 15) Air dominant: Other elemental traits may invade from time to time. Dimensional distortion: From the perspective of Sempreverde, those in adjacent layers appear as statuelike continuities shown in all of their possible lifepaths overlapping at once. The edenic mouthers reach into these other layers as it pleases them to feed or pet the still inhabitants, or perhaps keep them indefinitely. Sometimes they are ensnared by the stalks of the Gibbering Forest, but they keep reaching out anyway. They are childlike, and mean little harm. Travelers from elsewhere who enter Sempreverde (generally against their will) remain in the same strange state, eternally overlapping all other versions of themselves until freed, but are once again able to move. Typically, this requires a lot of negotiating. The alternate lifepaths seem to disappear from the point of view of a traveler who escapes the edenic mouthers and enters another layer, though from the point of view of someone remaining in Sempreverde they remain. From the perspective of the alternate lifepaths, each becomes the only version of itself once again.
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 09:20 PM	The Forest of Gibbering Eyes extends across several thousand layers, though it is only one that we are concerned with here. Eons ago, a people that the book of Azad called "elder elves" created a massive rift in the fabric of Eternity, opening a passage to the Far Realm and destroying their primordial civilization. The scholar Bigby claims these "elder elves" were in fact leshay, or a race intermediate between that species and elvenkind. Though the rift ultimately closed, it left in the fabric of Eternity a flaw that has been exploited by foolish conjurors ever since. The presence of this flaw has left this layer in particular an extremely common destination for portals opened between the lands within the wheel of Eternity and those Outside it. The Forest has nothing that can properly be called plants, though they may resemble them to human perception. It has living stalks that curve up and down and through the various layers adjacent to it without a true up or down or any limit. Reddish ooze drips from these stalks in every direction, forming droplets hovering in the void like still red tears. Orbs like eyes of every species sprout from these stalks, as do openings like toothy maws that mutter and moan. Ambiguous things covered with hair float through the branching stalks. These are Far Realm creatures of various kinds infected with a parasite called the gibberslug. Intertwined through the eyestalks are growths called bloodsippers. Bloodsippers coo and gurgle as they drain the ichor from those they ensnare. Bulbous pods filled with blue fluid in which wystes incubate. The neh-thalggu use the Gibbering Forest as their major path to the exotic, intriguing brains of the Great Wheel. The stalks have an incorporeal disruption ability that transforms those edenic mouthers who reach into this layer into gibbering mouthers of colossal size. These are thought to be the ancestors of the gibbering mouthers that have escaped to plague the Material Plane. Existing partially within the Gibbering Forest and possibly within the trans-spatial Webs of Anach-Atlan are the marble halls of the 'yloilath, which are not marble but the petrified alien faceless forms of the 'yloilath themselves (pseudonatural chokers). Unlike most sites in the Far Realm, the halls of the 'yloilath experience normal time due to a parasitic entity known as the Time Creature, which eats away at the substance of the Far Realm's boundaries and excretes the stuff of Time itself as its waste. It is possible that the planes of the Great Wheel are the result of some relation of the Time Creature manifesting the beginning of the time we experience. The 'yloiath shepherd creatures similar to the neolithids of the Material Plane in the service of their masters, the proto-aboleths, who desire to feed on the neolithids once they reach a sufficiently gargantuan size. Planar Traits Planar Traits No Gravity Flowing Time Sporadic elemental traits No alignment traits Infinite Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 15)
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 09:25 PM	The University of the Prison of Nalthagg'tur A great outer god called Nalthagg'tur was imprisoned by a coalition of lesser entities whose only function in existence is to imprison things. There was no malice or desperation in this act. Nalthagg'tur was no threat to the Far Realm as a whole, although many were the layers it transformed, enslaved, created or destroyed. Nalthagg'tur had its function, and its jailers had theirs. They have since imprisoned many entities of lesser note, and it is said that ultimately, when confronted with something they could not ensnare, they imprisoned themselves. It is impossible to say this took place long ago, for the Far Realm is that which exists Outside of Time and Eternity itself. It took place right now, in a far-off layer that is accessible only through millions of acts of will and periods of hybernation. The prison of Nalthagg'tur is an irregular cluster of crystalline growths reinforced with the same spatial substance that makes up the boundaries of the Far Realms' infinite layers. Within it, Nalthagg'tur dreams, and in its dreams new layers are created and absorbed. It is possible that within the proper intersection of events and planar boundaries, when the entity born as a living key comes to it at last, Nalhagg'tur will become free once more, erupting in a great explosion as all its imprisoned dreams become reality, and the Far Realm is rewritten for millions of layers around. In the meantime, the strange mental energies reverberating within the prison of Nalthagg'tur have attracted other creatures of the Far Realm. In particular, the neh'thaggu, who have built their school on it. The school of the neh'thalggu, thought to be the only one of its kind, is a place for the study of dreams and mental energies of all kinds. Here the neh'thalggu bring the brains they capture and study the way the proximity of the Outer God changes them. Like the prison itself, the university is an irregular growth of crystal, except it is filled with octagonal chambers the neh'thalggu inhabit. Perhaps the neh'thalggu are attempting to find the proper configuration of brains to release the Outer God from its incarceration, or perhaps they are not really aware of it at all. Planar Traits No Gravity Flowing Time Sporadic elemental traits No alignment traits Self-Contained Divinely Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 10)
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 09:53 PM	Tentacled Lore Silently, they drift through the layers. They are jaws and tendrils and mind, pitiless even to themselves. They are the infinite angles in a spiral - a memory sink - that grows to encompass all the quasispatial endlessness of the Far Realm. This layer is an expanse of mucous inhabited by creatures with tentacles and multiple mouths - the progenitors of the aboleths known to the Material Plane. Like aboleths, they gain all the knowledge of those they devour, and inherit all the knowledge of their ancestors. Unlike aboleths, these creatures have no concept of individuality; they devour one another casually, with neither recriminations nor remorse, in order to share the knowledge they gain exploring the other layers Outside. These proto-aboleths lack the aquatic adaptations of their Material Plane kin. Without fins, flukes, or gills, they rely on the lack of gravity in most of the Far Realm to travel, pushing against objects with their tentacles, using psionics to levitate or fly, or merely moving from layer to layer by force of will. Somewhere on this layer is a proto-aboleth of planetary size. It devours its smaller kin by the millions, laying billiions of eggs at the same time. Because each proto-aboleth is born with all the knowledge of its parent, the accumulated knowledge of the race continues to grow. Planar Traits No Gravity Flowing Time Water-dominant No alignment traits Finite Divinely Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 15)
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 10:02 PM	The Macrocosm It is the other side of fire and earth, water and ooze, of steam and void. It is the alien face of the Inner Planes. It is outside the planes we know, yet connected to them at their very foundation in a way even those of the Far Realm cannot understand. This is the origin of the extracosmological creatures known to the Inner Planes as chososions (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=4800988&postcount=128), ghostly fishlike things only halfway in the Great Wheel, and only in the Inner Planes where the boundaries between this multiverse and the Macrocosm beyond are thin. From within the Macrocosm, which is in truth a layer or layers of the multitudinous Far Realm, the Inner Planes are visible as ghostly afterimages, things that can be glimpsed but not touched except by the chososions with their otherworldy limbs. Pseudonatural equivalents of elementals also lurk here, floating curiously around the images of elements but unable to contact them in their preternatural void. The Macrocosm does not seem to touch other layers of what is called the Far Realm, but perhaps it is only that they are not, at this time, in alignment. And wouldn't the inhabitants of the Inner Planes have reason to fear if this preternatural conjunction were ever to occur? Planar Traits Subjective directional Gravity Flowing Time Elemental traits appropriate to the bordering Inner Plane No alignment traits Infinite Alterable Morphic Normal Magic
RiotGearEpsilon 03-01-05, 10:07 PM	RipVanWormer, these are awesome :D
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 10:12 PM	Playground of Shadows Dancing Planar Traits No Gravity Flowing Time No elemental traits No alignment traits Finite Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 15+spell level) Maddening (Will save 15) Here the million layers compress into a dark pit filled with dancing shadows. The shadows suggest vast, tentacled forms, but from wence are the shadows projected, and with what strange light? Some who have gazed at the shapes have reported the uneasy feeling that it is they who are the shadows, the roiling darkness the only true reality. Others scorn them, considering them to be helpless, albeit titanic, marrionettes with no will of their own, what fearsomeness they might have locked safely away far across the manifold layers of the Far Realm. Upon the back of one such umbral cluster is perched a fortress made of shadow. Within the fortress dwells the self-proclaimed High Master of Illusions, Jherek Virayana. His fortress itself is made of preternatural shade, but within is a luxurious palace bedecked with gold and ivory and silk. Lord Virayana uses his illusion powers to bedevil his prisoners, toying with their minds in convoluted scenarios until they go mad. or at least until he tires of them. He is served by hundreds of minor Far Realm entities who serve him as his eyes and ears. They appear as shadowy versions of normal creatures, but they have nothing in common with the natives of the Plane of Shadow. They have little substance at all, except for their weirdly glowing eyes. Often many of them move as one, as if they are puppets pulled by the same strings, or different aspects of the same unseen entity. When they are in the company of the High Master of Illusions, they glare at the mage, a human intruder polluting their home, with undisguised hatred. They do nothing, for now, but silently obey his every command... Those of the Far Realm interested in the gaining of knowledge for its own sake often come to the Playground to stare at the shadows, which are cast from every other of the Far Realm's infinite shrouds. Beings made of eyes, beings made of light, beings made of pure kinetic energy all covort with the shadows. Because in the Outside of Time causality is what you can get away with, the shadows create their origins as well as reflect them. The n+1 dimensional monolith Here, simultaneously at the center and outer edge of the Playground of Shadows Dancing, the layers collapse toward a single point: a stone monolith carved with runes and hideous glyphs, all of it an infinity in height - or is it simply that infinity becomes nothing as it approaches the monument? There are some misguided travelers who compare this to the Spire at the alleged center of the Great Wheel, or to the singularity formed by a collapsed sun. Others insist it must be a created thing, for how could such blasphemous sigils be formed by any natural process? How can there even be natural processes in a universe outside Time? Three days journey from the Monolith all magic becomes dead. Two days from journey from the Monolith constellations of what look like the internal organs of humanoids drift around nuclei of spiral horns. One day or less from the Monolith, the pressure of space intersecting all other spaces becomes intense enough to kill non-natives, converting them into pure information. The experience is like seeing all the multiverse rush by at once.
Patrick Draken-Korin 03-01-05, 10:43 PM	here's an idea i had a while ago and never had a chance to use. (i don't have the planar handbook... yet, so i've got to use my MotP). the small void no gravity, normal time, finite size (see below), static, no energy traits, no alignment traits, wild magic the small void is a immense (so large that light can't cross the gap. ever) area of space with nothing inside- no air, no land, no creatures other than visitors (or exiles), but the small void is also only about a mile across. from the outside of the small void it appears to be a huge are covered by a darkness spell (it can't be dispelled/countered since this is entirely non-magical). any creature that enters finds itself floating in a world without air (upon crossing the threshold an unprepared creature must make a DC 20 will save or lose it's breath and imediately start to suffocate. a prepared creature can either choose to hold it's breath or start to suffocate) or any natural ability to travel (only supernatural/magical/psionic abilities to fly allow a creature to travel at all). any creature that has just entered this layer is 2d3 miles from the boundary. a creature can see normally if it has available light (the edge of the layer is fully lighted for 1,000 miles, and then shadowy illumination for 2,000 miles), but remeber not source of light requiring a fire will funtion (no air). from the inside of this layer it's size is evident- the other edge isn't even vissible as a point of light. any creature that can suvive the small void indefinetly (undead/deathless/constructs/elementals only, except for dieities and specific creatures) can try to travel through it (usually to get to the edge and leave, none have crossed it not even the deity of travel "dranel, the explorer" who tried some 12,000 years ago and hasn't been heard from since then). when inside the small void a creature that casts any spell that allows interplanar travel is instantly transported to the plane of shadow, even spells that have nothing to do with that plane (sorry i can't tell you why, the interplanar cartographic society wants to keep thier monoploy on this "gate". oops, i'm in for it now). there is no evidience that any type of creature is native to this area (although darkness psuedo-elementals can be found inside, in areas of shadoy darkness or full darkness). PS: i can't find any data on mild/medium/high/true far realm calssification in the manual of the planes, is that limited to the planar handbook or am i blind?
ripvanwormer 03-01-05, 11:18 PM	PS: i can't find any data on mild/medium/high/true far realm calssification in the manual of the planes, is that limited to the planar handbook or am i blind? There is nothing in the Planar Handbook on creating your own planes. The Manual of the Planes and the 3.5 DMG contain all the information there is. The mild/medium/high/true Far Realm classification was something R.M.G.C.L.F. made up and posted to this forum in the elder days before the first dawn.
Patrick Draken-Korin 03-02-05, 12:14 AM	oh. good, at least i'm not blind (though if i was blind how would i have read your post? dang it i may have gone nuts again while i wasn't paying attention). so could someone post a general set of guidelines (more than this bits-and-pieces mentioned) for the far realm layer designation system? it might not be important, but it could be usesful.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-02-05, 06:36 AM	There is a link to them in the opening post. -_-
Aquarius Alodar 03-04-05, 11:55 AM	I call upon the power of the Endless to create the event known as a 'bump' !
Cthulhu1138 03-04-05, 01:25 PM	The Herd of Mother Ms'salymry"s Planar Traits Moderate Far Realms Low Gravity Flowing Time No elemental traits Mild Chaotic traits Finite (Mobile) Alterable Morphic Wild Magic (DC 6+spell level) Maddening (Will save 10) This plane, if it can be called that, appears similar to one of the myriad masses of far realm planes, except that this one has broken its moorings and moves randomly through the far realms, temporarily overwriting the traits of the area it moves through. The realm is about a mile radius at any given time, filled with an acrid teal haze, and is centered on a strange being some call Mother Ms'salymry"s. Around the creature, filling about 3/4 of the area of the plane are randomly flopping and flying and burrowing creatures covered in feathery appendages. The massive creature in the center of this mass is easily several hundred feet around and vaguely cone shaped with many feathery appendages tipped with glowing orbs of. . . well, something. One end of the creature has a single eleven pupiled eye that rolls constantly in search of new "children." Any creature without the pseudonatural template that comes within about fifty feet of the creature is snatched by several of the grasping arms and shoved beneath the surface of Mother Ms'salymry"s. An indeterminite amount of time later, the creature is spit back out as a pseudonatural version, usually covered in feathery appendages like their "mother." These creatures lose all memory of their past lives and none have yet been returned to their former state. The smaller creatures around the mother are not normally hostile, but any attack on one creature brings every living thing in the plane to the attack. These creatures are occasionally left behind when the plane moves on, but they either die quickly at the hands of native inhabitants, or spend the rest of their near infinite lives pursuing their. . . Mother. (I won't stat the mother here, because I'm no good at that sort of thing, but it can be assumed to be an insane rank 0 demigod with the pseudonatural template)
Aubri 03-04-05, 05:37 PM	...these creatures have no concept of individuality; they devour one another casually, with neither recriminations nor remorse, in order to share the knowledge they gain exploring the other layers Outside. Heh... that's just cool. :) OK then... The Home of Mister Mxylptlk ...no wait, that would just be silly. Trying again... Lumengrid This layer resembles a boundless jungle gym of luminous blue-green bars. The grid forms perfect cubes of glowing energy, which themselves form parts of larger cubes. Some cubes are filled with ever tinier grids, forming "solid" surfaces as intricate as a snowflake, while others leave gaping voids bigger than a mountain. Sometimes the voids host other mathematical constructs--perfectly inscribed circles leading into precise shell-like spirals, crossbars forming their own grids of triangles, and spheres interlaced with the grid itself. The danger of the layer, however, isn't in its utterly lawful structure. Moderate Far Realms Subjective Light Gravity Major Lawful-Dominant Alignment Impeded Magic Alterable Morphic Lumengrid is a layer of absolute order, untainted by the chaos of life. It has no natives, but the "usual" Far Planes creatures wander freely through it. Gravity pulls creatures in whatever direction they wish, but less quickly than a falling creature on Prime. Impeded Magic: Spells with the Chaos descriptor are impeded. The caster must succeed on a Spellcraft check DC 10+spell level in order to cast such a spell; on a failure the magic is sapped by nearby grid segments, which glow brightly and slowly fade. If the check succeeds, the spell functions as normal, but provokes a violent reaction. An immense fractal explosion of blue-green tendrils blossoms out from the point of origin, dealing 1d6 lawful damage per spell level to every creature within 5 feet per caster level, including the caster and the target if applicable. This damage is of the same type as an Order's Wrath spell. Alterable Morphic: The grid can be broken. The energy threads have 10 hardness and 20 hp per inch of thickness, but are frequently no more than a half inch thick. Conduits the size of a tree trunk are not uncommon, however; the bigger the thread, the bigger the cube it forms an edge of. In places where many smaller cubes line up in a miles-long block, a thread a hundred paces across might form. Breaking a thread results in a harmless shower of geometric sparks that float through the layer until they adhere to another thread and grow, gracefully forming a new cube. Mental Fusion: In a plane more lawful than Mechanus, the barriers between minds break down. Every creature gains the Linked Minds special quality, and can telepathically hear the thoughs of ever other creature in the plane. While this would ordinarily be useful, the infinite scope of the plane means at any time there are thousands if not millions of Far Planes residents also on the plane. Directly contacting the minds of so many insane creatures is highly corrosive and will rapidly crush an unprepared psyche; the plane's Maddening trait acts as if it were True Far Realms.
feartheinvinceblehamster 03-04-05, 05:45 PM	last land subjective gravity no elemental or energy traits mildly neutral major far realms insanity. this is the shadow of a former plane, due to a catayclasm that involved a huge amount of divine and arcane armies clashing. in a final attempt to save his world, the mystic theurge K'waker combined the greatest arcane and divine energy and smashed it together in front of the armies, though it proved that arcane and divine could exist together, it warped every creature and object into a horrid shadow of it's former self. this not only explains the creation of this layer. but it is also the creation story of the far realm. the last land was the base of all other layers of the far realms. inhabitants: filled with psuedonatural versions of anything you would fine in the material plane. along with the dreaded one. the dreaded one's name is lost to most creatures, but it knows it's name: "K'waker" effect: the sight of what is basicly a perfectly twisted version of the current material plane, and they may even see psuedonatual versions of friends or even themselves. this is incredible unnerving and for every MINUTE that a creature from the material plane stays on the last land it must make a will save DC 30 to avoid taking 1d8 points of wisdom damage, if this reduces it to 0, the plane converts it to permanent damage at a rate of 1d4 wisdom an hour.
Thanatos02 03-04-05, 06:54 PM	Ok, so, I've got kind of a question... These layers are literally layers, isn't that so? So you can move from one to another by moving up or down (or sideways). Is this movement literal in itself, or metaphorical? (I suppose it could be both, neither, or both and neither at the same time.) I say (ask) this simply as a way of having people keep this question in mind when coming up with a layer. I've got a layer (section of layers) in mind. Parts arn't so bad. Some is (conceptually) horrific. Most is mostly comprehensible. What qualifies something for the Far Relm? What, instead, qualifies it for an Outer Plane? What, the Dream Plane/Relm - and can it connect to the Material/Astral/Etherial/Shadow? Is anyone an expert? It's the Far Relm. I think anything might go (but things might not). Isn't this right? Bump.
Khaibit_Ema_Neteru 03-04-05, 06:57 PM	They're metaphorical layers. Kindof like alternate planes, except it's all technically one plane, the "Far Realm". That, and you can move between them at will.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-04-05, 07:55 PM	They are both physical and metaphorical. They are overlapping but distinct, a sea of roughly finite planar layers. The Far Realm of Insanity is described in MotP to a shoddy extent. In the diagram showing teh great wheel, the blank space outside the image is labeled "Far Realms of Insanity". The far realms are not evil, good, lawful, or chaotic, and not necisarily insane either. They are beyond all we know. They are remote and powerful, with god like mindless beings and incomprehensible incoherent horrors. They are more varied and unpredictable than the roiling chaos of limbo, more insubstantial than the hazy ethereal, and more remote than the deepest layer of the abyss.
ripvanwormer 03-04-05, 08:27 PM	What qualifies something for the Far Relm? What, instead, qualifies it for an Outer Plane? What, the Dream Plane/Relm - and can it connect to the Material/Astral/Etherial/Shadow? Is anyone an expert? To me, the key is the Flowing Time trait. Without that trait, it's a strange part of the Great Wheel - a particularly alien layer of the Abyss, a strange demiplane or cavern in Pandemonium, a hidden layer of Elysium or a far-off world on the Material Plane. With it, it's a place somewhere other, outside the Cycle of Time both before the beginning of all things and after its end - and outside either - able to intrude upon the worlds of causality only in the rarest of circumstances. There is no correlation between time experienced there and time experienced in the planes we know, and over there there is no cause and effect. Things happen for no reason at all, because they always happened. Generally, you can see thousands of other layers from the one you're on. Generally, they all overlap the layer you're at but are slightly offset, so you see many images of the same terrain, transluscent like infinitely doubled vision; maybe there are other versions of you, but different; giggling, mad, calm, serene, being absorbed into a great fleshy heart, or with far too many dimensions. There are other things - the Far Gods - who may seem more solid than anything else, existing on hundreds of layers simultaneously. Travel between the layers is usually only a matter of will. Some things drift through the layers with no will of their own that can be detected: masses of feelers, burning forests, complex matrices of crystal. The layers continually evaporate, divide, spawn, and breathe. They may last only an instant. The laws of magic and nature don't work the way they do in the Great Wheel; things may not be made of atoms; gravity may do strange things where it exists at all. The Far Realm isn't necesssarily chaotic, and it's certainly not more chaotic than Limbo. It's just alien, a set of infinite realities that have not been and never will be completed. They are what the multiverse would have been if time had not begun, a first draft, the final draft that will ultimately pop the flimsy soap bubble that are the familiar planes. They aren't good or evil: morality can't even begin to apply to such environments. The Far Realm is not meant for mortals to explore. It's not correct to say the Far Realm is beyond the Great Wheel. The Great Wheel is infinite - you can travel in any direction forever and never reach the end of any plane. It's not deeper than the Abyss or higher than the tallest peak of Mount Celestia - those are different forms of transcendence that still follow the rules of the rest of reality; they are logical conclusions of those rules. The Far Realm is beyond time. Yet sometimes things spill through.
Aubri 03-04-05, 08:30 PM	The movement between layers is metaphysical in that you will yourself through them in addition to being able to move in all directions on the layer you're on. The Far Planes aren't so much insane in and of themselves as they drive mortals insane. Since the normal laws don't apply, a mortal mind can't process it properly. As a whole and seperately, the layers of the Far Planes do have a logic, it's just not our logic. That's why it's silly to have a layer made entirely of, say, cheese fondue. It's just goofy. Several of the suggestions on this board are really good, though. Edit: Er.. yeah, you said it better, Rip. :eek:
Aubri 03-04-05, 08:35 PM	To me, the key is the Flowing Time trait. Yeah, I was considering a layer where moving one direction--say north and south--makes time run back and forth. :)
kliate 03-08-05, 03:41 PM	The Moebius Layer High intensity Everything within this layer takes on the properties of a Moebius strip - inside and outside are one. Upon witnessing such "unnatural" forms, most mortals not native to the far realms experience mild episodes of insanity. (For a clearer concept, run a search on "Moebius Strip") All inhabitants of this layer have no "inside", but rather take on convoluted "one-sided" forms. These inhabitants always have the pseudonatural template applied, but are as diverse as the inhabitants of the material plane. The layer otherwise shares traits with the material plane - normal gravity, time, elements in balance, etc.
kliate 03-08-05, 04:02 PM	Hey..just had another idea! Infinity Mild Intensity What happens when an unstoppable force strikes an immovable object? Infinity. All creatures in the layer of infinity have their most prominent feature exaggerated to an infinite degree, and their less prominent features become useless; for instance, a long-haired maiden's braid would extend forever. A strong barbarian would generate irresistable forces, and a mighty dwarven defender would become an immovable object. Rogues would move with absolute silence, and a loud hornblower would shake the foundations of the plane. Due to the hazardous nature of the plane, most residents are "tough" creatures with infinity^pi hit points, although their attack abilities are negligible due to the fundamental nature of the plane. As such, they are non-hostile but virtually indestructable as well (although an evoker whose most prominent ability is "destroying" things may be able to kill a few inhabitants).
ripvanwormer 03-08-05, 11:38 PM	Streams of blue-white liquid stream from the eyeless pores of the enormous humanoid figure like great weightless rivers in the void, like shocking white noise in cold silence. In the rivers swim hollow pouches of skin and scale that might seem to be fish except for their utter lack of internal organs. Humanoid the figure seems, uncannily so: a pale, fleshy replica of the many breeds of sapiens in the known planes, precise in every particular with just a hint of the exotic in the length of the fingers and toes. It's enormous, we said: continental in scale, though scale is a difficult thing to gauge in the Far Realm, and indeed those in neighboring layers may seem far bigger until they reach the "here" and "now" and seem as tiny specks. In addition, it moves: it shifts a bit, and groans, and clenches and unclenches its long, exotic fingers as if in pain, or pleasure. Its great glowing heart is exposed: within its chambers is a city. The city is the capital of those humanoid lords of the Far Realm, the daelkyr. Each of them is as pale as the giant they keep as their home, and each of them has had the surgery to expose their glowing hearts. The daelkyr each live in this city as kings, every need taken care of by pseudonatural hobgoblins and the symbiotic pseudonatural imps who are the hobgoblins' own detatchable heads unfurled to their full extent. Great treasures - blue gelatinous orbs that are also giant ticks, sodden masses of tissue that are also small humanoid fish, moaning amoebas, golden spines capable of racing one another, brains from the neh-thalggu, carnivorous and sentient tattoos, murky pools of blue-green light, sparks of sound that might be the beginnings or endings of souls - are brought to them in tribute by Far Realm entities from many millions of layers away. Even the great uvuudaum have been known to prostrate themselves before the daelkyr and exchange forelimbs with them in lengthy and highly ceremonial surgical procedures before returning to their own hive-kingdom-coven-herd-collections-selves. Why the daelkyr should attract so much attention is, as so many things about the Far Realm, unclear. No Gravity Flowing Time Sporadic elemental traits Finite Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 6+spell level) Maddening (Will save 10) Slightly acidic - the streams of fluid cause 1 point of damage for every round of exposure to non-acid resistant creatures (reflex save 11 for no damage). The "fish" are not immune. On another layer similar behemoths can be found in every shape and size, most of them not remotely humanoid, all of them with exposed hearts and many smaller but identical figures living within. All of these giants, and all of the inhabitants in every heart are, however, quite dead, or possibly never alive at all. No cause for this can be found. No Gravity Flowing Time Sporadic elemental traits Infinite Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 6+spell level) Maddening (Will save 10)
Aubri 03-08-05, 11:43 PM	Didn't R.M.G.C.L.F. ask us not to post gibberish? This is supposed to be useful descriptions, not H. P. Lovecraft's thesaurus.
Aquarius Alodar 03-10-05, 03:59 PM	Didn't R.M.G.C.L.F. ask us not to post gibberish? This is supposed to be useful descriptions, not H. P. Lovecraft's thesaurus. Eh, there seems to be a bit more discussion of that over here, cause it doesn't look like gibberish to me: http://greyhawkonline.com/pitsofevil/viewtopic.php?t=818 Bottom of the fourth page if I remember correctly. Oh, and bump! :)
Aquarius Alodar 03-18-05, 04:10 PM	Oh,no.....B-U-M-P!
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-27-05, 05:29 PM	The Eternal Song True Far Realms The eternal song is a massive, continual, symphony of light and sound. Distance in it is meaningless, for it is existant throughout with no single source, resonating through the entire layer. Matter is insignificant, for it vibrates with ease through all mediums. Time is immaterial, for its movements and notes are themselves an eon and an instant, defying any kind of temporal measurement. The light and sound of the song combine in ways defying description, somehow portions of the same rhythmical and sensory input. Beings float about without fear of collision through the spaceless undulation. The chart below represents only a small fraction of the effects differents notes and movements have as they manifest themselves. Emotional effects continue until replaced by another one, lasting for their normal duration after the subject leaves the eternal song. The eternal song is less fluid and interchangable than the other layers of the far realms, and it takes a charisma check dc:16 to enter or exit it. Retries can be made each movement. For each "movement" of the song, roll an effect on each of the tables below. Light 1-14 Bright White Light of intensity equal to daylight 15-19 Treat as searing light spell (reflex save dc:18) 20-22 Intense light blinds on a failed fort save (dc:21) or dazzles (-1 on attack rolls) on a success, lasts for 1d6 movements 23-25 Waves of infared light 26-31 Red Light 32-45 orange neon light 46-49 sickly yellow light 50-61 Unearthly Green Light 62-67 low blue light 68-75 deep purple light 76-82 Searing Ultraviolet light (1d4 temporary con damage unless for save dc:20) 83-87 infared and ultraviolet swirls 88-93 Roll Twice 94-99 Apparent Darkness 00 Prismatic Rays (save dc:25 where applicable) Sounds 1-16 to low to hear 17-24 Low rumbling 25-29 Horrible piping 30-33 Deep moaning 34-41 soothing undulations 42-49 Energetic Tunes 50-56 Bizzare electronic music 57-59 Bird Cries 60-62 Whale Song 63-64 incomprehensible singing 65-69 wind-like whistling 70-74 treat as shatter spell (save dc:21) 75-81 Treat as shout spell (caster level 10, save dc:24) 82-89 All must make a foritude save dc:22 or be deafened for 1d4 movements 90-95 reflex save dc:22 or take 1d12 sonic damage and be deafened for 2 movements 94-00 To high too hear Emotion, save dc:24 and caster level 11 unless otherwise mentioned 1-9 Confusion 10-13 Emotion(anger) (3.5 Barbarian Rage effect) 14-25 Daze 26-28 Cause Fear 29-34 Emotion(despair) (3.5 Crushing Despair) 35-47 Emotion(fear) (3.5 Scare) 48-50 will save or be nauseated for 1 minute 50-75 Emotion(hope) (3.5 Remove Fear) 76-82 Emotion(joy) (3.5 +3 morale bonus to attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws) 83-91 Emotion (sorrow) (3.5 dazed with -2 morale penalty to AC) 92-99 Doom 00 Insanity
tender branson 03-27-05, 08:15 PM	alright, this one doesn't have a discernible theme. but it's what i think an 'alien' plane would be like. Graveyard of the Gods: Subdued Magic. No Time. High Gravity. True. The Graveyard of the Gods is a vast, ashen field of red rust. It expands for half of an infinity in every direction, and two infinities in every other direction. The ground, if it can be found under the rust, has the consistency of dried marble and chalk, colored a deep black. The sky ranges from a foreboding red in the horizon, to purple farther upwards, and to black overhead. There are no stars visible, and the only light that graces the plane's surface emenates from the reflections of vast, dead Gods floating in the ether. The Graveyard is covered in a layer of thick mist. Walking across the Graveyard brings Things from the mist. Encounters (Walking the Graveyard): 1: The party confronts a duplicate party, perceptibly the same in every way. The duplicates do not speak, nor do they move when looked at. If they are attacked, they crumble into sand. If they are not, they attack. 2: One party member, decided at random, loses his companions. Each step he takes darkens the sky until there is no light around him. He must make a Will save at DC = his own Constitution + the number of letters in his first name. If he fails, he goes insane. If he makes the check, he is brought back to his companions, who have no memory of having lost him. 3: The party confronts a pillar of red stone. Behind the pillar is a Sphere of Annihilation. As the party passes the pillar, the Sphere moves around it to avoid their line of sight. A Spot check (DC 25) will reveal it, and it will not move unless willed, at which point it will become clear that it is a true Sphere. If the check is failed, the Sphere will follow them until it is seen. When it is, it will be revealed that it is simply a Will O' The Whisp if it is attacked. 4: The party comes across a wall of wax. It is 400 feet high and two miles thick. If the party decides to dig through the wax, they will find nothing but their own dead bodies. If the wax is traversed in some way, beyond it is a vast field of crashed spaceship hulls. This field stretches forward for 5 miles, until it is stopped by an invisible wall. Beyond the wall is nothing but space. The wall cannot be breached. 5: The party comes across a black desert. Approaching the desert produces omens of varying degree. A crow, a white snake, a page torn from an Unspeakable tome. Each step towards the desert is hindered in some way. A fall backwards, a force pushing the party back. If the party reaches the desert, they will see a skeleton in the sands, transmuted to sand itself. If the sand is touched, the person touching it will turn into sand. If the sand is somehow collected and taken from the desert, it will cease to function in this way. A character turned to sand may only be brought back by a Wish, or if the sand they have turned into is collected, seperated from the random sand particles of the desert itself, poured into a glass container, mixed with mercury, and thrown onto a three-inch plate of adamantine. The character will appear again, carrying and wearing anything they were when changed. 6: The party comes upon a hovel inhabited by insectile creatures with no discernible mouths, nor any concept of normality. If a character attempts to speak with them through a spell or an ability that grants the user the ability to speak with any creature that has a language, the creatures speak only in vague metaphor. "We speak the way", "we are the sands", "we carry the weight". If studied, it becomes apparant that the creatures are attempting to tie a rope around an oddly-shaped pillar, with the rope touching the pillar on every side with no gaps due to the odd shape. A number of other ropes are tied to the pillar, and somehow they were tied successfully, and to the creatures' satisfaction. If the structure is tampered with, the pillar will fall to the ground. The creatures will then appear to thank the party and hand them a bag filled with frozen fire. If the fire melts, it consumes itself. Notable Places: The Wax Wall and the Technological Sanctum and the Dying Sands and the Pillar Constructors, all mentioned above.
Aubri 03-27-05, 09:49 PM	Branson, while your layer IS strange, it doesn't really have any point, theme, or cohesion. I'd never run a layer like this in my game; it's just random, and is more likely to annoy the players than anything. Remember, anybody can stick the PCs in a Dali painting. I would, though, like to encourage you to post another--just remember that a layer should be sensical, even if not sane.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-27-05, 10:13 PM	Ditto.
ripvanwormer 03-27-05, 10:17 PM	Branson, while your layer IS strange, it doesn't really have any point, theme, or cohesion. It doesn't need any. Not all of the Far Realm is neatly divided up into theme parks; not in a plane where any of the creatures can cross layers by a mere act of will, where many or most of them exist on more than one layer simultaneously anyway, where the various environments themselves drift between layers. I might go so far as to say that the vast majority of the layers in this thread (mine included) are far too themed, pointed, and cohesive to be reasonable encounters in the plane they're intended for. I like tender branson's ideas quite a lot, actually. They're dramatic and flavorful.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-27-05, 11:04 PM	Some of them are okay, but there's a good few that are just silly or that seperate PCs from players. I think mainly the "save dc: his or her own con modifier plus the number of letters in his or her name" that really miffs me.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-27-05, 11:05 PM	Upon further review, I've discovered that I don't have a spine and I have very little mental grasp on my own opinon. :/
tender branson 03-27-05, 11:16 PM	donkey shane, ripvanwormer. as per the critiques, i'm well aware it doesn't have a theme. that's why i put the catch-all disclaimer at the beginning of the post. i started out with the graveyard of the gods idea, decided it was too boring, and just starting making random ideas up that didn't particularly make sense. i thought maybe that was kind of the idea. i tend to think that everything having a theme above all else is demeaning to the idea of a world that is left to your imagination. especially an alien world. but they're valid points, of course. think of it as more of a failure of a theme, and that the esoteric collection of ideas can be individually removed and implanted into a different, more suitable theme, if you like. anyways, yeah, i think i've covered all the bases. i like the last song one. encountering darkness, whale song and doom would be especially frightening. edit: i knew i should have worked harder on that DC. ;)
ripvanwormer 03-27-05, 11:52 PM	Upon further review, I've discovered that I don't have a spine and I have very little mental grasp on my own opinon. :/ You don't need one! A single glowing, clawlike digit suffices.
Thanatos02 03-28-05, 03:37 AM	You know, the Far Realm is wacked out anyhow. I liked that enough to give it a thumbs up, though a little better an execution would have been nice. Still, nice, interesting.
Aubri 03-28-05, 12:21 PM	as per the critiques, i'm well aware it doesn't have a theme. that's why i put the catch-all disclaimer at the beginning of the post. i started out with the graveyard of the gods idea, decided it was too boring, and just starting making random ideas up that didn't particularly make sense. i thought maybe that was kind of the idea. i tend to think that everything having a theme above all else is demeaning to the idea of a world that is left to your imagination. especially an alien world. Yeah, I know, and it's fine to put in random ideas, but when there's something as specific as, say, a graveyard of spaceships, you have to ask why. Perhaps they're temporal detritus that's landed there because of some specific feature; perhaps you can see other spaceships flying around on the other side of the wall. I like the dead bodies in the wax, though. The hide-behind sphere of annilhilation is... weird. It's... a sphere, but it's a will'o'the wisp, but it's not...? (On a side note, I place Spheres of Annihilation on the same list as Great Wyrm dragons and The Tarrasque. They're things that are in the game to challenge the highest tier of players, but things that I'd rarely-if-ever use because as such they've become cliche.) The phrase "If they fail, they go insane" should never be used. Ever.* Environmental effects should never induce this sort of save-or-die; now, if you're looking at Great Cthulhu, then yeah, save or go insane, but being a True Far Planes layer will already drive people insane; you don't need to help. *Entirely my own opinion, of course.
Sigurd van Norhusen 04-01-05, 02:11 AM	Finally, after years of study and destroyed golems, I have visited the Outside personally! The protective wards were in place, so me, my guardian golem, and my two apprentices opened a Gate into the unknown. After the golem and my apprentices went through and did not run back, screaming terror (or sliver, as happened with the golems and poor Thedrick before), I entered (or exited?) myself. I found myself in a small, dark cavern with no apparent exit, lit up by the light spells of my two apprentices. Bad luck had already befallen us, as my golem had sunken through the bottom of the cave. I carefully looked at the hole he made, to see how this had happened. To my surprise, the cavern floor (and walls) consisted of some kind of hard, crusted snow. Jalyce (the older of my apprentices) showed me some movement on the wall: the snow was in part melting or turning gray, just as if it had been laying on the ground over night and was now melting and mixing with the dirt of the ground on a cold and humid winter's day. Jalyce made a joke about this cave being covered in the "snow of yesterday", which was cut short by a loud groan, that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Both of my foolish apprentices were shaken, begging for our leave. But I refused, of course! An explorer's job is never done that way! Immediatly, I took a sample of this "snow of yesterday". It may seem like an unwise idea now, but I simply grabbed a handfull of snow from one of the walls. To my shock and amazement, the wall started to bleed a red substance! As I stepped back to watch this phenomenon, I heard Jacob scream. Looks like the fool had wandered off, examining the hole my golem created. It was already too late to do anything, as a part of the cavern floor had formed into tentacles or pseudopods, and was devouring and transforming him. When only his upper body was visible (the rest stuck in the floor), he had already completely turned into snow, and crumbled into a small pile. It might be that this is how this layer sustains itself, absorbing whoever is brave enough to travel here. I think Jalyce broke down at that point. I, too, was glad that I did not have to look at his panicked expression anymore, and decided to return home. All in all, this journey was a success. Sadly, as I wanted to examine the snow I took with me when I was back, I found out that it had turned into earth. Not quite normal earth, as it terribly burned my left hand when I tried to take it out of my pouch. Best is to leave it there for now. Note: Jalyce is still in shock. Get a new apprentice and change her memory once more, so she can function again, just like after the Thedrick incident. -- From the journal of Rackam the Mad THE PSEUDOELEMENTAL LAYER OF THE SNOW OF YESTERDAY This layer bears some resemblance to an Elemental Plane of Earth. However, it consists of gray, cold, crusty snow which has in some parts begun to melt, giving the layer its name. Should any of the raw material of this layer leave the Far Realms, it is unable to exist in stable realities and changes into something which is somehow "in flux" between two different elements (like burning earth or a floating watery bubble). The Pseudoelemental Layer of the Snow of Yesterday has the following traits: -> Normal Gravity. However, very heavy characters will find themselves endlessly falling through layers and layers of snow. -> Timeless. Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing don’t function in the Pseudoelemental Layer of the Snow of Yesterday, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves. This does not fully apply to creatures native to the Far Realms (who exist in the same timeless fashion as the layer, and thus "age" and heal normally). -> Sentinent. As all known pseudoelemental layers, it possesses some kind of alien intellect. -> Snow of Yesterday-dominant. Most of the layer consists of compressed snow, with only a few caverns and tunnels between. Travelers who arrive run the risk of suffocation if they don’t reach a cavern or other pocket. Those without the ability to burrow are entombed in the earth and must dig their way out (10 feet per turn). Creatures of a normal elemental subtype (fire, earth, etc.) are almost instantly absorbed and irrevocably destroyed. -> Mildly neutral-aligned. -> Normal magic. -> Inhabitants: Pseudonatural Dire Maggots and Snow of Yesterday pseudoelementals. -> Entrapping: Every visitor that does not exist on at least two different layers at the same time, or is close to at least one other person from a stable reality, has to do a DC 15 fortitude save, or becomes absorbed by the plane. This roll has to be repeated every time the visitor is alone, or affects the plane in a way that it notices (at DM's discretion).
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-01-05, 04:45 PM	1. What are the states for the snow of yesterday pseudoelementals? 2. Shouldn't the normal-elemental absorption allow for at least some kind of save?
Aubri 04-01-05, 04:55 PM	Pretty good, though I'm not sure what "snow of yesterday-dominant" means. I'd suspect the place would have no elemental traits, but enhance cold spells like the example Plane of Cold in the MotP.
RiotGearEpsilon 04-01-05, 07:38 PM	The Filth We are the ick. We are the goo. We are the soil that feeds the trees. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN US? Every ecosystem has its detritus. So too in the Far Realms. This is a place where corpses go to rot, where worms go to ****, and where roots go to feed. This place is not unique in that respect. What is important from the perspective of a prime-material visitor is that this region of the Far Realms are so foul, so slick with grime and coated with ooze, so redolent of mind-killingly horrid scents, that it is known only as The Filth. Planar Traits Moderate far realms except: No gravity Ooze-dominant (any given space contains not air but a morass of filth) No ambient light Moving through the plane is similar to swimming through syrup, though the texture of the mass of this place seems as disgusting as is possible for a living being to cope with. Despite this, it's no more toxic than normal soil (though pockets of true corruption do occur, and these can be more redolent of plague than a corpse-cart. Features of this plane can be divided in to Roots, Worms, and Groundwater. Roots Roots are things that feed on the contents of this plane like tree-roots feed off of soil. Where are the trees proper? Not here - far away. Roots range from the harmless to the deadly, but all of them tend to be built in a fashion to wind through the morass of this space. Some appear to be ringed with mouths, drawing in the filth and biting at anyone unlucky enough to be pulled in with it. Others are more like intestines, simply absorbing the muck, safe to grasp and use as guides. A few are like drawn out spheres of annihilation. Worms The creatures that inhabit this *****pace tend to be swimmers. Apply the pseudonatural template to any swimming or burrowing creature to create an inhabitant of this plane. Groundwater In places, the oozy content of The Filth gives way to a more liquid detritus. These pockets of 'water' invariably contain hordes of aggressive microbes, which can be simulated using pseudonatural bloodbloater oozes.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-01-05, 09:54 PM	I would consider actually designing some new creatures rather than grabbing a vaguely similar creature and slapping the pseudonatural template.
Aubri 04-02-05, 04:27 PM	I'm also now wondering what "ooze dominant" means. Ooze isn't an elemental trait, unless you mean water-dominant and earth-dominant. Note that the MotP specifies what particular elemental traits do--for example, fire dominant means you take 3d10 fire damage per round. If you're going to use an unusual elemental trait, it'd be nice to know what it does. :)
Rathik 04-06-05, 05:34 PM	I'm not Lovecraft-savvy, but someone might want to make a layer similar to R'lyeh, complete with a Cthulhu-like deity for snacking on stupid PCs. :coolcthul: Yum yum!
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-06-05, 05:56 PM	I'm not Lovecraft-savvy, but someone might want to make a layer similar to R'lyeh, complete with a Cthulhu-like deity for snacking on stupid PCs. :coolcthul: Yum yum! One thing that bugs me is that, despite everybody making frequent references, in all the lovecraft works I've read there is no mention of Cthulhu actually devouring humans. It also seems somewhat odd, since as a very powerful great old one Cthulhu needs no "food" as we know of it and due to the size discrepency Cthulhu eating humans would be a bit like humans eating individual grains of rice.
theOne333 04-06-05, 11:32 PM	The Room True Far Realms If the place could be seen by its residents, it would appear as nothing more or less than a cubic gray room. Its dimensions are pi by pi by pi, though pi what is a matter open to debate. It is utterly gray, perfectly medium. Each line and angle seems to flow into the next, guiding the eye ever inwards until it reaches the center of the room...and continues. As the mind's attention continues to flow inward, it begins to twist and fold back upon itself...forcing it to see itself, seeing itself, seeing itself, each fold of the mind perceiving all the thoughts and memories of the reflection of itself that it sees, endlessly multiplying the increasingly mad thoughts, speeding up until the mind reaches an infinitely mentally dense core where an insant becomes an aeon and vice-versa, where the mind is infinitely reflected and, having been driven utterly insane, is an endless reflection of madness. Millions of entities have stumbled upon the Room, a wrinkle in the dubious reality of the Far Realms, creating a singularity of reflected and concentrated madness that bends the Far Realm around it for billions of layers around on all n sides. Time, space, and thought are all bent inwards and endlessly folded back upon themselves by the metaphysical gravity of the Room. Infinite Gravity: All things that enter the Room are drawn irresistibly to its "core". A DC 40 Will save allows the being to force itself into a vegetative state in which it can't perceive, and thus can't be sucked into, the singularity of insanity. If removed from the Room, such an entity can be revived by a wish or miracle spell. Extratemporal: When an entity enters the Room, it leaves Time. If it by some miraculous chance manages to return to the multiverse, it may show up in any epoch, from time's beginning to its end. Dead Magic
Ancient Wyrm 04-07-05, 04:47 AM	The Exercise High Far Realms No gravity. No elemental or alignment traits. It is said that given infinite time, an infinite number of monkeys typing at an infinite number of typewriters could reproduce the works of Shakespeare. It is also said that in an infinitely variable space, everything can and will occur. Both of these things are true; however, as it turns out, Shakespeare is not the point of the Exercise. The Exercise was discovered by a mad alienist (is there any other kind?) who devoted his life to proving the aforementioned monkey truism literally true. Though he had the great fortune to stumble upon this layer, he has not yet gotten around to reporting his findings - he spends his time forever reading, reading... The Exercise is an infinite, gravity-less space filled entirely with paper and the creatures that write on it. These creatures are pseudonatural primates of all kinds - monkeys, baboons, apes, dire apes, and even legendary apes. Each has an appropriately-sized typewriter at which it pounds away endlessly, turning out more gibberish-covered paper to fill the layer. Though there is no clean paper to be found anywhere, the monkeys are at no risk of running out - any sane creature attempting to examine a typewriter to determine where the paper comes from gets a splitting headache (no save), and no insane creature is going to bother trying. The monkeys are utterly obsessed with their "task," and ignore all distractions, including hostile action, major injury, and death, to continue at their work - a slain monkey just reappears in 1d4 rounds. The destruction of a typewriter, however, causes its corresponding monkey to wink out of existence. The space between the monkeys is filled with endless belts of paper, filled on both sides with random characters from every language that ever existed or will exist. A character who starts reading (or trying to read) is quickly entranced by the writing, despite the fact that it's gibberish, and must make a Will save in order to stop. He can repeat this save every ten minutes for the first hour; every hour for the first day; and every day for the first week. After that, he saves once per week and is also subject to an entrapment rule like that of Hades or Elysium. The paper is everywhere, granting concealment to creatures within 10 feet and total concealment to creatures beyond. However, it is easy enough to brush through, and does not hamper movement - in fact, due to the lack of gravity, visitors to the Exercise generally find it easiest to move around by tugging on the paper wherever they may want to go, in effect gaining a perfect fly speed equal to their land speed as long as they have one hand free. One other feature of the Exercise is worth mentioning: the Editor(s). Occasionally, a visitor will see a length of paper, chosen apparently at random, cut out from the rest and whisked away at great speed. A see invisibility spell does not reveal the culprit, but true seeing does: a pseudonatural ragewind (see the Monster Manual II) composed entirely of scissors, pen-knives, razors, and the like. It is unknown whether there is one or many of these Editors; indeed, both may be true. Once the editor has the desired length of paper, it moves in a straight, random direction at maximum speed, and, like the monkeys, does not stop for anything. If destroyed, it reappears within 1d4 rounds; if the paper is destroyed, it winks out of existence. The Editor has no apparent destination; it continues until its pursuers are unable or unwilling to follow, then quickly disappears from sight. Some have surmised that the Editor(s) are compiling some sort of treatise - but a treatise on what, and where the compiling is taking place, has never been determined.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-07-05, 06:51 AM	@AncientWyrm: Your a very silly person and I'm not going to talk to you any more. The following is a group of layers based on the lyrics to the well-known beetles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". This group of somewhat isolated could possibly be called a more open multiverse in and of itself. It consists of a chain of layers with a sort of order (to reach the second layer you have to go through the first layer or come up from the third layer, etc.) however this chain exists within a larger Sky layer. Passing from one of the layers to another involves spending a breif (1d4 rounds) intermediate time falling (rising?) through the Sky layer. Also, by a strange twist the final layer is the Sky as falling out from the penultimate layer exits into it. Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies... The first layer is very peaceful by any standards, especially the lax ones of the far realm. It also has a general consistant normalcy as residents of the material cosmology would know it. Upon entering the layer travellers will land in a small boat drifting down a colorful river. This boat is in fact a projection of their own mobile will, with a move speed equal to the sum of their charisma bonuses, times 5, plus 10. They can attempt to double the speed for 1d4 rounds with a successful intellegence check dc:14. If they leave the boat, it slowly begins to fade and vanishes after 1d6+1 rounds, but a new one will appear before them when they head back to the river shore. The river itself is a gentle multi-colored shimmering stream, populated by iridescent fish-like creatures (2hp, AC14, no attacks and no save bonuses if the PCs try to attack them) that provide the same illumination as a candle. These creatures cannot survive in normal water, but can be sustained in a large container of the river water for extended periods of time. If brought to the material plane they will slowly lose many of their anatomical bizzareness but require 1 strong exposure to multicolored light each day or the begin to starve. The tangerine trees that line he sides of the area do indeed grow such fruit, although the trees themselves are of the same general color. Interspersed among them are small purple bushes bearing light blue shimmering berries about which space seems to ripple. Any creature within the same square or an adjacent 5ft square to the berries receives the benefits of a blur effect. These berries are similar to goodberries, but they bring about a soothing cognative dissoance (-1 morale penalty to int and wisdom based checks) for 1d6 rounds. If properly juiced and mixed with a few other agents they can form an alchemical and illusionary elixer called dellusion juice. Delusion juice, if drunk, evenvelopes the drinker's mind in a merciful fog of delusion. This heals up to 1d4 points of wisdom damage taken from the far realms, removes one minor insanity, and gives a second saving throw with a +5 alchemical bonus against one other insanity (drinker's choice). It gives a +3 alchemical bonus to further saving throws against the insanity effects of the far realms until the subject comes to rest. This level of delusion also slightly impairs the subject's mental facilities just as very dark sunglasses sheild eyes from bright light but make it harder to see in general. The drinker suffers a -2 alchemical penalty to wisdom and intelligence until they next rest and the drink's effects wear off. Making the drink consists of the use of 1 pound of the illusion-bush goodberries with a pint of citrus juice and a cup of either water from the river, expensive vegetable oils costing 20 gold, or a sample of red tide water that normally causes blinding fever (see Planar Handbook). The sky above shimmers and ripples, shining with a spectrum of swirled orangy sunsets. This is because the "sky" in fact consists of a gelatinous sweet-smelling substance that forms a barrier between this primary layer and the rest of the far realms. In order for a creature to enter, they must make a charisma check dc:15, failure results in them exiting on the opposite layer. In addition corporeal creatures must make a strength check dc:14 to enter, and an equal check to drag in an unattended object. In general the more hostile residents of the realm entering are either paccified by the euphoric nature of the plane or poorly recieved by the natives. Although strange and colorful shapes periodically flicker about betwixt the trees, most of these things seem to have little relevance or effect on anything and are probably hallucinatory creations of the bushes or the plane's gentle but trippy nature. The most noteworthy inhabitants are the sunset elementals. Sunset Elemental, Small Small Elemental (Air, Light, Extraplanar) HD:2d8(9hp) Init:+3 Speed: Fly 40ft(perfect) AC:16(+1size,+3dex,+2natural) BAB/Grapple:+1/-3 Attacks Slam+5 melee (1d4 plus sunset flare) Full Attack: Slam+5 melee (1d4 plus sunset flare) Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Sunset Blaze Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, Sunset Glow, Elemental Traits, Magnifiscent Presence Saves:Fort+0,Ref+6,Will+0 Abiltiies:Str10,Dex17,Con10,Int4,Wis11,C ha12 Skills: Listen+2, Spot+2, diplomacy+2 Feats: weapon finesse Sunset Elemental, Medium Medium Elemental (Air, Light, Extraplanar) HD:4d8+8(26hp) Init:+10 Speed: Fly 40ft(perfect) AC:18(+6dex,+2natural) BAB/Grapple:+3/+4 Attack: Slam (1d6+1 plus sunset flare) Full Attack: Slam (1d6+1 plus sunset flare) Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Sunset Blaze, sunset flare Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, Sunset Glow, Elemental Traits, Magnifiscent Presence Saves:Fort+3,Ref+9,Will+2 Abiltiies:Str12,Dex22,Con15,Int4,Wis13,C ha12 Skills: Listen+4, Spot+4, diplomacy+2 Feats: weapon finesse, improved initiative Sunset Elemental, Large Large Elemental (Air, Light, Extraplanar) HD:8d8+24(60hp) Init:+7 Speed: Fly 40ft(perfect) AC:21(-1size,+8dex,+4natural) Attack: Slam+13 melee (2d6+2 plus sunset flare) Full Attack: Slam+13 melee (2d6+2 plus sunset flare) Face/Reach:5ft by 5ft/5ft Special Attacks: Sunset Blaze, Sunset Flare Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, Sunset Glow, Elemental Traits, Magnifiscent Presence Saves:Fort+5,Ref+13,Will+3 Abiltiies:Str14,Dex26,Con16,Int7,Wis13,C ha15 Skills: Listen+2, Spot+2, diplomacy+2 Feats: weapon finesse, improved initiative, ability focus(sunset blaze) _________________________________ Environment: Elemental plane of air or Marmalade Sky Organization: Solitary or Cluster (2-5) CR: Small 1, Medium 3, Large 5 Treasure: None Alignment: Often Neutral Good (Usually Neutral when encountered on plane of air) Advancement: None Sunset elementals appear as a swarth of low-end colors like a sunset, shimmering and swirled into a beautiful and vaguely humanoid form. combat: Sunset Blaze(su): Once every ten minutes (once per encounter in the timeless far realms) a sunset elemental can expand itself into a hemisphere of glorious sunset colors. Creatures within this area must make a will save or be stunned with awe (treat as dazed and lose dex bonus to AC) for 1 round per HD of the elemental. Being attacked grants another will save to break the effect. It can remain in this form for up to one round per hit die, and while in this state it is incorporeal. Sunset Flare(ex): A creature strike by a medium or large sunset elemental's slam attack must make a fortitude save or become blinded for one round and dazzled(-1 to attack rolls) for 1 minute. Sunset Glow(ex): A sunset elemental radiates shadowy illumination in a hemisphere around itself constantly. Small sunset elementals have a 10ft illumination for sunset glow and form hemispheres 15ft in radius, with a save dc of 12 for sunset blaze. Medium sunset elementals have a 20ft illumination and form hemispheres 25ft in radius, with a save dc of 13 for their sunset blaze and 13 (strength based) for sunset flare. Lage sunset elementals have 30ft illumination, form hemispheres 40ft in radius, have a save dc of 18 for sunset blaze and 16 for their sunset flare. The next layer can be reached by simply following the river. A flickering image of a beautiful woman with dazzling color of the cosmos will appear right before the river empties through the Sky into the next layer.
Ancient Wyrm 04-07-05, 02:43 PM	@AncientWyrm: Your a very silly person and I'm not going to talk to you any more. :bigeyes:
theOne333 04-07-05, 04:00 PM	@AncientWyrm: Your a very silly person and I'm not going to talk to you any more. I'm not even worth mentioning... :raincloud
blackknightatbay 04-07-05, 04:02 PM	Very interesting, R.M.G.C.L.F. But what of the rocking horse people who eat marshmallow pie?
theOne333 04-07-05, 04:19 PM	The Pit of the Shoggoths High Far Realms My brain! My brain! God, Dan - it's tugging - from beyond - knocking - clawing - that she-devil - even now - Ephraim - Kamog! Kamog! - The pit of the shoggoths - Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The Goat with a Thousand Young! - The Thing on the Doorstep, H.P. Lovecraft Still came that eldritch, mocking cry - Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li! - At the Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft ...them devils and what they brung - an' when they git ready....I say, when they git ready...Ever heard tell of a shoggoth?....Hey, d'ye hear me? I tell ye I know what them things be - I seen 'em one night when...EH - AHHHH - AH! E'YAAHHHH... - The Shadow Over Innsmouth, H.P. Lovecraft In the hearts of ancient forests twisted by dark magic, deep beneath the ruined citadels of terrible extinct races, there are portals to a hideous twilight abyss filled by an amoebic sea with neither surface nor floor. From above, if there is such a place on this layer, it may appear to be merely an ocean of writhing, flowing, polypous ooze, but from within, the uncounted millions of amorphous, endlessly mutable entities are clearly visible as they slip, slide, and melt over, under, around, and even through each other. The Shoggoths Near the Rim, (the "upper" boundary of the Pit where all portals and visitors appear) the shoggoths, as these oozing monstrosities are called, are smaller, older, more numerous, and more intelligent from aeons of division and evolution as they resist the pull back "inwards" to be devoured and reconstituted by their Mother, Shub-Niggurath, The Goat With A Thousand Young. "Deeper" into the Pit, they are much larger and less intelligent, younger shoggoths more recently "born" from the billion orifices of the Goat. Eventually, near the Heart of the Pit where Shub-Niggurath exists, there are only the most recently formed shoggoths, Colossal+ sized and utterly mindless. Shub-Niggurath, The Goat With A Thousand Young and Mother Of All. Shub-Niggurath has no type, no alignment, no species or sex or agenda. She merely Is. She is a condensate of the concepts of Life and Death, a formless, mindless Elder Goddess of Birth, Death, and Renewal. In terms of her appearance, those lucky (or not) enough to have survived, escaped, and remained sane enough to communicate describe her in their ravings as a fusing of every limb, organ, and feature of every form of organic life ever to exist, shapeless and eternally half-melting, covered in constantly opening and closing orifices, infused with an infinitely fertile yet unnaturally warped force of life. She vomits forth organisms of every possible shape and nature, though most of these are consumed by her primary and most numerous Children, the shoggoths, before ever reaching the Rim and exiting the layer to populate the multiverse or Far Realms. Planar Links Dark cults of long history and ill repute often dig deep pits in locations where the barrier between sanity and horror is unusually thin, and perform terrible rites that open portals at their bottoms into the Pit, allowing the shoggoths to come forth to be worshipped or used, and the bravest or most insane cultists to enter the Pit itself to perform obeisances before the cancerous, unholy blot of mutated life that is Shub-Niggurath. No Gravity Extratemporal: 1 second=oo [a poor rendition of infinity]/0. Undefined. Wild Magic Enhanced Magic: Transmutation spells are cast as if the caster had +4 caster level bonus and applied the Maximize and Quicken Spell feats. There's no increase in casting time or slot level. Stats for shoggoths come soon; I'll take them from the Call of Cthulu d20 game, and maybe modify them a little; I'll tell you if they are mod'd. Shub-Nigguraths god-traits (NOT full monster stats) will also be here un momento. Is this worth responding to? :( EDIT: On 2nd thought, no shoggoth stats. They're out there if you need them, get peer-to-peer, I'll probably be in violation of copyright if I give the full stats anyway, maybe more if I alter them. S-N god-stats still on ther way though. Just gotta hunt up my copy of Deities and Demigods to find the format...
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-07-05, 04:45 PM	Very interesting, R.M.G.C.L.F. But what of the rocking horse people who eat marshmallow pie? One layer for each verse.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-07-05, 07:15 PM	Shub-Nigguroth is more of a life aspect, while Azathoth serves as the personification of death and destruction, at least as much as my understanding of the Mythos is.
Aubri 04-07-05, 11:53 PM	Shub-Nigguroth is more of a life aspect, while Azathoth serves as the personification of death and destruction, at least as much as my understanding of the Mythos is. That's correct.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-08-05, 05:49 AM	Also, the flowing time trait means that time spent in the far realms is meaningless anywhere else, not convertable at a fixed ratio.
Keenath 04-08-05, 09:47 AM	Yeah, I think 'erratic time' is the phrase you were looking for. By the way, as I recall, the shuggoths aren't really related to Shub-N -- they're creations of the Elder Ones. Shub N's primary children are those goat-footed tentacley things. They're in the CoC sourcebook. "Spawn of Shub Niggurath", I think.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-08-05, 03:10 PM	The shoggoths were created as servants of some elder being or beings (I don't recall which or what). The creations of shub-nigguroth are the Dark Young of Shub-Nigguroth.
ripvanwormer 04-08-05, 03:45 PM	Lovecraft (or his imitators) wasn't always consistent with his mythos. Sometimes they were just scary names thrown around. I wouldn't sweat it too much.
Aubri 04-08-05, 05:03 PM	Shuggoths were created as servitors for the Old Ones (http://blog.urbanomic.com/undercurrent/archives/lovecraft_antarctic.jpg), but they gained intelligence and broke free.
theOne333 04-09-05, 05:50 PM	Thanks, R.M.G.C.L.F. and Aubri, but I did know all that about the specific roles of Azathoth, Shub-Niggurath, the Old Ones, the shoggoths, etc. My aim wasn't really to replicate the connections and relationships of the Mythos; just to flesh out a place and monster commonly referred to in Lovecraft's stories while fitting it into the Far Realms. Lovecraft's Mythos wasn't nearly as self-consistent as the d20 book made it seem anyway. I always saw Azathoth as entropy, rather than death, though. They may seem like the same thing, but one doesn't necessarily always have to imply the other. Also, by the MotP's definition, "flowing time" is a defined difference in timeflow rate, i.e. slower or faster, that results in a difference between the time spent in one plane and the time passing in the other (usually the Material). "Erratic time" is when the difference in timeflow rate changes, that is, one "minute" (though, when talking about time as variable, the idea of a "minute" becomes rather meaningless, doesn't it?) 1 minute=1 hour (faerie realms), the next, 1 week=1 second (Chronicles of Narnia). I used faerie-like flowing time because, in The Thing on the Doorstep, Edward and his cultist wife spend weeks or even months going to a single rite, not very far away, that involves "the pit of the shoggoths" and "Shub-Niggurath, the Goat with a Thousand Young". (according to his ravings, parts of which I recorded at the top of my Pit of the Shoggoths post) [According to the Mythos, not my layer's descrip]: The shoggoths were created as minions by the Old or Elder Ones (so called in "The Mountains of Madness") or Elder Things (so called in the Necronomicon and CoC book) when they descended to Earth roughly 1 billion years ago. The waste materials from this effort were the components of the first indigenous life on Earth. They didn't gain real intelligence until long after they had overthrown their masters; the Shoggoth Lords (i.e. Mr. Shiny) being among the first examples of that. Shub-Niggurath is a pseudo-intelligent condensate of the concepts of creation, life, and birth taken to their hideous overconclusion. Azathoth, as I mentioned before, represents in a similarly mindless way entropy and by extension chaos and death, but those are secondary subsets of entropy. The third point of the triangle is Yog-Sothoth, who represents timespace, the eternal and infinite "blank canvas" across which the black and multicolored paints of Az. and S-N "clash". (cue pun) BTW, what did you think overall of the layer[s]? Again BTW, Aubri, your linked picture isn't quite right. The Old Ones had an indeterminate number of seven-foot-long wings set between their mid-body radial tentacles/appendages.
theOne333 04-09-05, 06:21 PM	I have a question: why do our signatures randomly not show up on certain posts? I just noticed it on this thread. It's a little off topic, but you can respond to this somewhere in your response to my much larger previous post. :)
ripvanwormer 04-09-05, 07:24 PM	I have a question: why do our signatures randomly not show up on certain posts? I just noticed it on this thread. It's a little off topic, but you can respond to this somewhere in your response to my much larger previous post. :) It's not random. They only show up on the first post you make in each thread, unless you change your preferences. I liked the One's shoggoth pit, but I'll note that the way flowing time works in most planes isn't the way it works in the Far Realm - the Far Realm's description notes the distinctive way it works in that plane, and it doesn't correspond with the time of the Wheel in any ratio. You're allowed to do that - change the meaning of a planar trait within the description of a plane - as long as you make note of it.
theOne333 04-09-05, 09:49 PM	It's not random. They only show up on the first post you make in each thread, unless you change your preferences. I liked the One's shoggoth pit, but I'll note that the way flowing time works in most planes isn't the way it works in the Far Realm - the Far Realm's description notes the distinctive way it works in that plane, and it doesn't correspond with the time of the Wheel in any ratio. You're allowed to do that - change the meaning of a planar trait within the description of a plane - as long as you make note of it. OIC twice over. What is it, 1 second=eternity, or 1 second=0 seconds? Nvm. I'll go look it up. Hello, this is Mr. Hamilton's secretary, please hold until he returns. [elevator music] ..... Ah, 1/0. Undefined. Very appropriate. There should be a separate name for that...I like "Extratemporal" from my The Room layer. I think I'll use that. I guess if it's a trait of the total Far Realms I gotta use it. (though universal traits in the pseudo-plane of utter insanity are sort of doomed to failure)
Aubri 04-10-05, 12:38 AM	BTW, Aubri, your linked picture isn't quite right. The Old Ones had an indeterminate number of seven-foot-long wings set between their mid-body radial tentacles/appendages. This is true, however, the wings were thin and membranous, and to my knowledge retracted flush with the body. Anyway, it's a bas relief, not a biological diagram. The guy who draws really good images of mythos monsters is, unfortunately, down for repairs at the moment. Whenever the site comes back, the image will be here (http://www.tjframe.com/Gallery/Recent/Lovecraft/Old%20Ones.jpg)--at least according to Google. I believe there's an excellent picture in the CoC book, too, though I don't have a copy.
theOne333 04-10-05, 10:40 AM	This is true, however, the wings were thin and membranous, and to my knowledge retracted flush with the body. Anyway, it's a bas relief, not a biological diagram. The guy who draws really good images of mythos monsters is, unfortunately, down for repairs at the moment. Whenever the site comes back, the image will be here (http://www.tjframe.com/Gallery/Recent/Lovecraft/Old%20Ones.jpg)--at least according to Google. I believe there's an excellent picture in the CoC book, too, though I don't have a copy. I like your picture better than the one in the CoC book, except for the wing-thing. LOL no rhyme intended. The one in the book really emphasizes the barrel-shape and ends up looking blocky and contrived, not like a naturally evolved biological organism at all. Does the guy have any other pictures uploaded online?
Aubri 04-10-05, 06:03 PM	Uhh.. I really have no idea how you're viewing that picture, since from my end it's still broken. Yes, the guy has a bunch of other pics, on the same website. Edit: Oh, you meant the carving up there. n/m.
theOne333 04-17-05, 06:15 PM	:bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: :bump: There was just an earthquake in Beijing.
Nenharma77 04-21-05, 04:41 PM	Recenly, upon reading the Dragon issue concerning the far realms i decided i wanted draw up a campaign designed around "Closing the Rift" from the far realm. I dont really have much information on planar travel and i was wondering if there was anything in the planar handbook or if any of you had an idea as to how a group would move between the dimensions of the far realms. The longer i work on the campaign the more indepth it gets as always and i was thinking of making them somehow move into the far realm in order to close the rift but i am unsure as to how they would go about moving from layer to layer or getting back for that matter. I dont need anything indepth just scrambled ideas Any help (Besides telling me its in the planar handbook which i dont own) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
R.M.G.C.L.F. 04-21-05, 04:50 PM	There is no specific known way to get to and from the far realms, which is part of the point. Any method of reaching the far realms should be extremely difficult and obscure. In one campaign, there's a way to get there through a special portal on a homebrew plane that serves as the "edge" of the known multiverse. In order to activate the portal, they need to collect planar "crests", special homebrew magic items with some unusual but seemingly minor function, from each plane that is a concievable jumping point/weak point in the planar cosmology. For example, there's a black pearl from the plane of shadow that can create and send the user a temporary (maybe 5 rounds of existance total) ethereal-like shadowy demiplane twice per day as the crest of shadow, and other locations will probably include the abyss, some forgotten demiplanes, astral, temporal energy plane, and more. Any mission to travel to the far realms should involve lengthy research and preparation, and some very out-of-the-way points of access.
Jastra of the clawed hand 04-21-05, 04:51 PM	Normally, people can just wish themselves to move. The layers are translucent and not really substantial. Problem....how will they survive without a) going insane, b) getting absorbed into the mad realities beyond or c) getting eaten by some...thing?
theOne333 04-21-05, 08:04 PM	In my campaign, the gods built the Tarterian Depths of Carceri around the Riftgate created by the leShay (a.k.a. elder elves) aeons in the past. Well, the leShay really never built it, since they changed time, but because the Far Realms are beyond such petty considerations as the 4th dimension and leShay superspells, the Riftgate (and the prison plane centered on it) survived the leShay's last, timeline-altering ubermagical effort. As did the illithids (or at least the underdeveloped ones [who will fully develop in the 'future'] known in the 'present') This chain of events also explains the illithids' whole 'future empire' deal, the origin and fate of the aboleths, and the basic facts about the leShay and their empire. If you want it, just post and ask me (PMing me works too). I'll be happy to lay out my bizarre historical brainchild to you. :)
Nenharma77 04-21-05, 08:07 PM	Thanks guys
Meshakhad 04-21-05, 09:00 PM	Mild Realm of High Arcana In the Realm of High Arcana, new and powerful forms of magic exist. It is said that this is the birthplace of all magic. This place is not insane, but few beings find it comprehensible, and leave soon. There are a few mortals here - powerful archmages who found this place. Indeed, archmages are said to tap the Realm of High Arcana for their unusual powers. Survival here requires Knowledge: Arcana or Spellcraft checks, not Survival checks. Food is found by pocket spells of create food and water and sustenance. Pocket Spell: A pocket spell is the seed for a spell. It is actually corporeal, so you can touch it and activate it at will. Pocket spells are cast using the user's character level as a caster level, but metamagic feats cannot be used by them. Pocket spells, sadly, cannot leave the Realm of High Arcana. Enhanced magic: As this place is loaded with magic, all spells recieve any and all metamagic feats their caster desires. Subjective Gravity
theOne333 04-24-05, 10:59 PM	This chain of events also explains the illithids' whole 'future empire' deal, the origin and fate of the aboleths, and the basic facts about the leShay and their empire. If you want it, just post and ask me (PMing me works too). I'll be happy to lay out my bizarre historical brainchild to you. :) I've decided to post the timeline without anybody asking 'cuz this thread is slipping. (Also, I'M QUOTING MYSELF! Always wanted to do that) OK, here we go: -The archmagi of the leShay ('elder elf') Empire become ever more obsessed with planar mechanics and magical travel through and manipulation of the planes, eventually culminating in the creation of the Riftgate, a massive portal into the Far Realms. -As the flow of insane unreality begins to undermine the multiverse's foundations, the deities step in and create the prison plane of Carceri around the Riftgate, sealing its influence away from the outer world. BUT... -The damage is already done. Even with the Riftgate contained, the leShay Empire all but destroys itself in the process of clearing away the taint of the FR, and even then a small but significant amount of amorphous, elusive, madness-stained organic matter drifts through the planes. With most of the leShay dead, the remaining are split into two groups: those who are trying to rebuild the world (and their Empire) and those so tainted by the Riftgate's influence that they begin to change into something more, less, and definitely different than that which is sane and normal... TIMELINE 1 -Over the course of aeons, the drifting taint becomes the precursors of the illithids, who grow to become a race of pumped-up Ulitharids. Voila, the future enslavers and empire-builders of the multiverse. They eventually accumulate enough power to defy the gods and unseal the Riftgate. The Great Wheel is lost to the twisted infinities of the Far Realms... BACK IN THE PAST... -The first group of leShay (from now on, the Rebuilders) scry into the future to see the consequences of their empire's actions so they can prepare for and possibly change the future. To their ultimate horror, they see TIMELINE 1, and realize the true extent of their folly and the fate they have doomed the multiverse to... -They gather and prepare to cast a spell just as mighty as the opening of the Riftgate...a timeline split. They are going to change time so that their empire never existed or opened the Riftgate. BACK IN TIMELINE 1... -The Uber-Ulitharids see the disturbances in their time caused by the causal ripples emanating from the leShay's preparations. They scry back, and see what the Rebuilders are trying to accomplish. They send a few of their young and some human-descended slaves (the gith) back in time, using the second group of leShay (the 'Wackos') as the end recipients. Unfortunately, since the young were sent through the Far Realms to effect their temporal motion, they carry some of that place's taint to the Wackos, causing that group's mutation to become faster and stranger... BACK TO THE PAST AGAIN... -BOOM! Everything changes. The leShay Empire never existed. But, the Riftgate and Carceri still do, because the Far Realms and anything connected to them transcend time. Also, those Rebuilders who were actually involved in the spellcasting, and a few others, continue to exist. The Wackos are saved by their involvement in the illithid time-traveling magic, and both they and their charges continue to grow and change... TIMELINE 2 -The Wackos become the Aboleth, and worship the Far Realms. They raise the uber-ulitharid young reluctantly because of their future status as multiverse rulers, but not so reluctantly as they might, for the Ulitharids miscalculated in one way... -The uber-ulitharid young sent back in time have no access to the processes that change an illithid young into a ulitharid, much less an uber-ulitharid. So, the young grow into illithids only. -The illithids break off from the Aboleth, taking the gith slaves with them. They build their civilizations, lose the gith, etc., all the stuff already detailed in recent, official, WotC-sanctioned history. So, the occasional creation of an ulitharid isn't just a freak accident or strange, fruitful experiment...it is a horrifying warning sign that the dark times may be coming soon. Since the new uber-ulitharids will be unlikely to tolerate rivals in the form of the Aboleth, the Deep Masters may try to exterminate any Ulitharid they know of, or even wage war on the illithids as a whole. And, in the heart of Carceri, the Riftgate waits, the entities beyond it dreaming of horror...
theOne333 04-24-05, 11:08 PM	So, some things this timeline explains inexplicitly... -Beyond the hatred for former slavemasters, the gith-descended races hunt the illithids because they have passed down tales about the horrors of a future they will do anything to prevent coming to pass... I'll add some more as I think of them.
scout989 04-27-05, 06:00 AM	I'm sorry I don't have time to read this whole thread right now, so I won't comment on the matter at hand. But, you know, when first I saw the thread title, I thought it said "Lawyers of the Far Realms of Insanity" and I almost peed my pants laughing :D
theOne333 04-27-05, 08:23 PM	I'm sorry I don't have time to read this whole thread right now, so I won't comment on the matter at hand. But, you know, when first I saw the thread title, I thought it said "Lawyers of the Far Realms of Insanity" and I almost peed my pants laughing :D :rofl: [wipes eyes] That's hilarious.
The Vorpal Tribble 04-30-05, 05:18 PM	Its odd how many entries here resemble places from my campaign that takes place in the realm of inner most dreams. This is the artist and the works that inspired the campaign, take a look: http://www.imagenetion.org/cabernet/jyerka1.htm --- Thats kind of an odd thought... maybe dreams and the far realm overlap in places, bringing forth the nightmares that haunt us all. These nightmares is what drives most humanoids to fear the exact kind of thing that runs rampant in the far realm, and therefore driving us to protect ourselves... *startes getting a brainstorm*
myriadchaos 05-08-05, 07:09 PM	Whoa. Those are some seriously cool images. :eek:
theOne333 05-08-05, 09:21 PM	http://www.jamesryman.com/fantasy/fantasy%20ff1.htm This is some awesome artwork of Cthulhu and various Mythos monsters. It looks great, really realistic yet very creepy and true to Lovecraft.
Gwenfloor 05-10-05, 08:44 PM	Evhregof, the Harbor of the Wronged Moderate Far Realms Minor Positive-Dominant Evhregof ( pronounced ee-fre-gawf) is one of the unimaginally vast shapes seen at the edge of sight through the layers. He resembles a giant eel with no eyes, mouth, or other bodily feature. It is basically a giant mound of fish-like flesh the size of a small country. Millennia ago, Evhregof visited our reality for reasons unknown, and great pain was brought to it because of the Material Plane's alien nature. He alsowas horrified at what it found out about it's inhabitants: Prejudice, sexism, rascism, and hatred for others because of who or what they are and countless other injustices. Being a Far Realm creature, it did not understand this logic. It felt these creatures pain and anguish, and realized it was not unlike the pain it experienced when visiting the Material Plane. Evhregof offered these creatures a deal; they could come back to the Far Realms with it, an alternate reality that did not have such injustices. When these creatures arrived, they joined with Evhregof as one being. These creatures saw the Far Realm not as a dangerous environment, but as a harbor to leave the follies of reality behind. For every creature that joins Evhregof, Evhregof grows slightly larger. Eventually, Creatures foreign to the Far Realm considered this vast eel a harbor of Good, and Evhregof doesn't understand morals, it's willingness to help others infused him, and it considers the very thought as the ultimate compliment. Visitors to Evhregof who use Detect Good sense an overwhelming aura of Good. The giant mass of life also infuses the layer with Positive Energy.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-10-05, 10:33 PM	Eh, I think the positive energy trait isn't really needed, since most far realm things are alive anyway, and it may confuse positive energy with good alignment. Can the creatures seperate? How does being part of this eel-creature alter their being? What is it like? Do they still exist as seperate minds, or what?
Gwenfloor 05-11-05, 09:45 AM	Actually, they can separate. Evhregof employs this technique to talk with visitors thru the Material Plane creature, asking them if they are unsatisfied with reality and wish to leave their follies behind. Visitors usually see a Material Plane Creature jump out of the flesh of Evhregof. In general, Material Plane creatures go insane when they enter the Far Realm, so Evhregof protects them by applying his own essence to them without changing who they are completely. In game statistics, nothing is changed, and they don't have to make Will Saves to avoid going insane. Creatures bonded to Evhregof still keep their memories and mindsets, but physically, they manifest as separate lumps of flesh on Evhregof. Being separated from the Material Plane allows them to contemplate many philosophical questions, usually dealing with why people are prejudiced towards others and whether they can be "cured" of this mindset. Many Far Realm Natives visit Evhregof to ask about this strange alternate reality called the Material Plane. The creatures bonded to Evhregof have their own separate minds.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 05-11-05, 03:23 PM	There are still some questions that pop up. For example, what if Evhregov is attacked, or fatally damaged? If the being is unknownly infected by some toxin or contaigion, will the bonded ones suffer? How much of Evhregov is independent? etc.
Gwenfloor 05-11-05, 07:53 PM	In short, the bonded ones are like conjoined twins. They share physical pain, but Evhregov is an independent individual in mind. If Evhregov is fatally damaged, the bonded ones die with it. If travelers try to hurt Evhregov, Evhregov tries to reason with them, saying that violence caused the bonded ones to suffer, and that the travelers will relive their nightmares. If they attack it anyway, Evhregov slams the offenders between two folds of flesh, causing 20d6 damage per round. They will need a DC 30 Strength check to break free. Evhregov's bonded ones also fight in defense by manifesting physical form out of the lumps of flesh. They can be of all races and genders. Evhregov is the size of a kingdom, so it has near limitless hit points. It can fight back with spells it has learned from the bonded ones. Assume it knows all spells in the PHB, and Epic Spells with a DC of 50 or lower, that it can use all these abilities at will. It has a +50 on all Knowledge checks, and +40 to all other Int, Wis, and Cha based skills.
Great Cthulhu 05-11-05, 08:08 PM	Not a layer of the Far Realm exactly, but rather a section of the Far Realm where reality is warped into a sense of optical illusions similar to the physics in an M.C. Escher drawing or those in the link to artwork that someone earlier in this thread had posted. (And yes, the title is based on the song, Vertigo.)
Keenath 05-26-05, 12:25 AM	This is too good a thread to die! Bump! And because I believe in content, I'll be adding a few layers once I get some time to actually write them up.
Rathik 06-21-05, 09:49 PM	:bump: This thread pwns.
Return of the Flumph 06-25-05, 04:41 AM	I'm sorry, but making up "layers" of the far realms sort of defies the point. The far realms are beyond "layers," "descriptors," "gravity conditions," and "alignment." They-or rather, it-is utterly beyond our ability to describe, classify, comprehend, or even see. Every concept we can even remotely relate to is a frail and fragile joke before the Realms Beyond, and if any being from any place besides the far realms ever sees it, he she or it will instantly go completely catatonic without a will save without hopes of any possible sort of recovery. It is not a place of chaos-rather, it is beyond such primitive notions as "order" or "chaos." It is that which Isn't, that which Shouldn't, and that which Can't. It is older than the cosmos, and will go on forever after everything we know and understand is gone. Anyway, all that is just a fancy way of saying this thread is pointless. Vote succubus paladin, everyone.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 06-25-05, 12:39 PM	I understand that the far realms, as a whole, are incomprehensible, but I have a theory on them. Their is no real far realms or normal multiverse, everything is part of the far realms, and our multiverse is just an unusually standardized and coherent clump that managed to generate a membrane to seperate it. Because of this, layers adjacent to a certain multiverse will bear greater resemblance to that multiverse, and comply closer to its physical and magical nature. As a result, the closer you get to the known multiverse the more understandable to beings from it the layers seem, and the farther away you get the more incomprehensible and alien they become. Thus certain layers, while no doubt strange and alien, will be within the stattable range. In any case, its nothing near the desensitizing, mundane-making, watered down tripe that WotC vomits forth on the "Far Realms", and considering they are now the legitimate source on it, I feel that these layer creations can sometimes stay true to the spirit of it all.
Cam S. 07-30-05, 12:17 AM	The Idar Flamme Mild Far Realms, Entrapping (as Gray Wastes of Hades) Normal Gravity, Slowed time (forget the term; time proceeds at 1/3 normal rate), All Magic is Impeded The Idar Flamme is not so much a "layer" of the Far Realms as a construct within it. It is build of quasi-living metal suffused with the energies of the Far Realms, and inhabitted by strange beasts. It is thought by some that the Idar Flamme was once a Modron probe into the Far Realms, others thought that it was an Abyssal machine, powered by the souls of the damned. The truth is simple, however--the Idar Flamme has existed forever, and it prowls the liquidly flowing Far Realms like a shark. It devours whatever resources it contacts, and changes all things within it into its "children". The Idar Flamme is almost infinite in size, and its architecture is something like a gothic cathedral with a definite "trilobite" or "centipede" motif. It appears to be composed almost completely of a sort of black metal that moves like muscle. The structure seems to breathe in the toxins that its "children" produce, exhaling a breathable, if uncomfortable, atmosphere. The Children of the Idar Flamme are the Far Realms creatures that are caught within it and altered by it into machine-like pseudo-creatures. The creatures appear to feed off of electricity (contained in blue orbs set throughout the Idar Flamme) and petroleums of all types (oils, coal, etc.) Encounters: Pseudonatural golems (all types) Pseudonatural Warforged Pseudonatural Shield Guardians Pseudonatural Homunculi (all types) Pseudonatural Nimblewrights Pseudonatural Runic Guardians Half-Iron Golem Illithids Half-Iron Golem Kaorti Half-Iron Golem Daelkyr Half-Iron Golem Tsochar Half-Iron Golem Amphibious Aboleths The Idar Flamme does have a nucleus, resembling a sort of throne room. The "Captain" of the Idar Flamme normally appears to be a simple human spellcaster (and indeed, occasionally poses as a low-level sorceror that was sucked into the Idar Flamme through some strange means.) The Captain, in his true form is a unique creature (stat out as a Axiomatic Half-Iron Golem Pseudonatural Balor, to simulate the effects).
Eco-Mono 07-30-05, 12:39 AM	I understand that the far realms, as a whole, are incomprehensible, but I have a theory on them. Their is no real far realms or normal multiverse, everything is part of the far realms, and our multiverse is just an unusually standardized and coherent clump that managed to generate a membrane to seperate it. Because of this, layers adjacent to a certain multiverse will bear greater resemblance to that multiverse, and comply closer to its physical and magical nature. As a result, the closer you get to the known multiverse the more understandable to beings from it the layers seem, and the farther away you get the more incomprehensible and alien they become. Thus certain layers, while no doubt strange and alien, will be within the stattable range. In any case, its nothing near the desensitizing, mundane-making, watered down tripe that WotC vomits forth on the "Far Realms", and considering they are now the legitimate source on it, I feel that these layer creations can sometimes stay true to the spirit of it all. Read "The Chronicles of Amber". That's all I have to say.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 07-30-05, 05:34 PM	...huh? It is my guess, perhaps unjustly so, that these "Chronicles of Amber" are some moderately weird scifi or fantasy series which you think is sooo far out that OMFGZ! It muzt be teh far realmz! If I am incorrect, I apologize for the intense cynicism and bitterness, it has been earned by many mundane-minded morons assaulting me.
Aquarius Alodar 07-30-05, 05:53 PM	...huh? It is my guess, perhaps unjustly so, that these "Chronicles of Amber" are some moderately weird scifi or fantasy series which you think is sooo far out that OMFGZ! It muzt be teh far realmz! If I am incorrect, I apologize for the intense cynicism and bitterness, it has been earned by many mundane-minded morons assaulting me. I found something that might help- seems your scifi/fantasy angle is correct to a degree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicles_of_Amber
ripvanwormer 12-02-05, 01:35 AM	bump
trolloc 03-07-06, 01:49 AM	I'm sorry, but making up "layers" of the far realms sort of defies the point. The far realms are beyond "layers," "descriptors," "gravity conditions," and "alignment." They-or rather, it-is utterly beyond our ability to describe, classify, comprehend, or even see. Every concept we can even remotely relate to is a frail and fragile joke before the Realms Beyond, and if any being from any place besides the far realms ever sees it, he she or it will instantly go completely catatonic without a will save without hopes of any possible sort of recovery. It is not a place of chaos-rather, it is beyond such primitive notions as "order" or "chaos." It is that which Isn't, that which Shouldn't, and that which Can't. It is older than the cosmos, and will go on forever after everything we know and understand is gone. Anyway, all that is just a fancy way of saying this thread is pointless. Vote succubus paladin, everyone. I have to agreed with the quoted statement. How can you have layers to The Far Realm which doesn't have/respect Euclidean geometry. You can't get closer or father from the multiverse in the Far Realm because it is everywhere and nowhere.
ManTimeForgot 03-07-06, 07:52 AM	Existenceless Far Realm Intensity: True What is Gravity? Anything and Nothing Aligned You are faced with a place. Though to call this a place is perhaps a stretch as it sometimes doesn't even exist. It is a "place" where all things exist and cease to exist simultaneously but at the same "time" spread out over time. Sensation has long since ceased being of any real value to you this deep into Far Realm. Your mind has long since shut out whatever input it has been receiving (thus the description is merely for our, the readers, edification). The "place" shifts, warps, contorts, moves, splits into multiple areas, exists as one area, sometimes doesn't even have an area. Movement by bodies is predicated on the existence of a body. Life and death have ceased being static states becoming more fluid, along side all other states, conditions, and qualities of existence. This deep into far realm you cannot be certain that you are in fact alive anymore, let alone possessed of color, shape, size, texture, length, width, depth, or even temporal placement. This deep into far realm there is no turning back, as what is there really to turn "back" to? The "world" here is a vastness of uncertainty and possibility. All things seem possible in this nearly endless abyss of inhuman "nothingness." To attempt to describe this place becomes an exercise in futility as nothing remains certain. To attempt to describe anything simply results in you simultaneously being wrong and right as all manner of faculty of logic, creativity, and sanity fails you utterly. To say you are lost in every sense of the word would not do justice to seriousness and utter lack of salvation being this far into Far Realm carries. MTF
ripvanwormer 03-07-06, 12:25 PM	I have to agreed with the quoted statement. How can you have layers to The Far Realm which doesn't have/respect Euclidean geometry. You can't get closer or father from the multiverse in the Far Realm because it is everywhere and nowhere. It's not everywhere; it's nowhere within conventional space and time. While Euclidean geometry doesn't work there, that's not to say its own alien geometries are dimensionless. I don't see why you can't get "futher" or "closer" to our time-bound reality. We know the Far Realm has layers because the Manual of the Planes says it does. They could all be the same, all voids filled with random elemental traits, or we can make the plane more interesting.
malignor 03-07-06, 04:13 PM	Ohtirfice Far Realm Intensity: Mild Gravity: special; see text Time: Erratic Shape/Size: Self-contained; 200 mile diameter sphere (300 miles including underground) Morphism: High/unstable Alignment: Mild Law Magic: Impeded - The plane is one big city covering the inside surface of the sphere. Thus anyone with True Sight or X-ray vision can see the opposite side of the realm straight above them, 200 miles up. All structures of the city are exact replica of existing structures from human-dominant cities on other planes. - The contour of the sphere and gravity make it seem that no matter what direction visitors are going, they are walking slightly uphill. Running distance is halved for all characters because they get tired quicer from running uphill. - The gravity of the sphere is also inversely proportional to the distance from the center of the sphere. Thus there is near infinite gravitational force directed outward from the very center of the sphere, and seemingly normal gravity on the outside surface of the sphere. Each 100 feet of altitude that a flying creature has from the surface, the gravity is doubled. So flying 5' when in the 100-200' zone is as difficult as flying 10' in normal gravity, flying 5' when in the 200-300' zone is as difficult as flying 20' in normal gravity and so on. Anyone who reaches the center of the sphere (such as by teleportation) is transported instantly to a random air-dominant plane. - The ground itself, 50 miles deep, gets more dense with depth the same way the gravity increases with hight. Burrowing 5' when 100-200' deep is as difficult as burrowing 10' in normal earth/stone, burrowing 5' when 200-300' deep is as difficult as burrowing 20' in normal earth/stone and so on. Anyone who reaches 50 mile depth (such as by etherealness) is transported instantly to a random earth-dominant plane. Note that the density has resulted in many creatures dying or starvation or suffocation deep underground, as they cannot generate enough burrowing speed to travel 5'. - Perpetually night time. The plane has sufficient streetlights (lanterns on poles) to keep 75% of the plane dimly lit. - Always raining on 10% of the plane, foggy on 50% of the plane. Thus the cobblestone streets are always damp. - Only inhabitants are pseudonatural dopplegangers, called "Admirers". They aspire to replace any visitor and thus have their own identity, but lack certain perceptions. They never mastered real faces, so when using Alter Self to impersonate, their face is replaced with some random mutation. Often the mutations are blank (no features), or have parts missing, or non-facial parts (a hand growing out where a face should be), or terrifying facial images conjured up by the imagination of those they used Detect Thoughts on. Admirers are unaffected by the gravity abnormality and are always treated as if they have higher ground in melee combat (+1 hit) while in this plane. Admirers have a random alignment, so if a visitor is replaced with an evil admirer, the imposter will try to lead them to harm or attack. No Admirer will, even if charmed, explain how the behaviour of the plane or Admirers. Admirers attempt to stalk any visitors while remaining undetected so they can learn about and impersonate them. - The plane randomly interposes similar appearing objects and creatures as if by 2 simultaneous teleportation spells. Thus if an Admirer takes the (mutated) shape of a visitor, the plane switches them seamlessly from time to time. It takes a DC 25 spot check to notice an interposition. Admirers can will the plane to interpose them with a visitor they are impersonating as a free action every 1d4 rounds. - Anyone (including an Admirer) who experieces an interposition must make a DC 20 will save to resist the incomprehensable urge to evade detection to the best of their ability, for the next 2d100 minutes (as a mind affecting ability). - Admirers and structures that are not being percieved by any visitors are unstable. 4d6 rounds after being last perceived, there is a 10% chance that any given structure or Admirer will interpose with another Admirer or structure elsewhere in the place. Structures and Admirers can be interposed with each other. Interposing bbjects of different sizes is the norm, though a street's width must remain constant between each intersection (for example a street 10' wide remains 10' wide from one end/intersection to the other). Streets can be cut off, such as by replacing an Admirer standing in the middle of the road with a building from elsewhere. If a visitor is in a building (while unconscious or otherwise deprived of senses) and it transposes, they are instantly transported to the structure (in another plane) which this structure is fashioned after. Meanwhile, where the building in the plane transposes to, the visitor is replaced with a "newborn" Admirer.
Aubri 03-07-06, 06:31 PM	To say you are lost in every sense of the word would not do justice to seriousness and utter lack of salvation being this far into Far Realm carries. ...Lose 5 sanity. :coolcthul
malignor 03-08-06, 12:35 PM	I have to agreed with the quoted statement. How can you have layers to The Far Realm which doesn't have/respect Euclidean geometry. You can't get closer or father from the multiverse in the Far Realm because it is everywhere and nowhere.Even the D&D cosmos as-is doesn't have proper physics or geometry. There are many infinite planes, meaning the concept of "layers" is simply a label for abstract associations between varitions on a common theme of dimensional existence. That label exists to help the reader/listener of the descriptions comprehend some inaccurate model which holds some semblance to that association. It's not like if you dig deep enough you fall from the 1st layer of the Abyss into the sky of the second layer (which, going directly by the model presented, that's the logical conclusion since the 1st is on top of the 2nd). The planes don't fit that model... it's for our convenience in labelling and understanding. The same would apply to the Far Realms. There's no roadsign saying "Caution: You are walking too far in an outer plane - Far Realms next exit" because the statement of planes being "farther" or "closer" is in a sense of dimensional association, not distance. We would just put little concentric rings around the little pictures of the little infinite universes called planes and say that each ring is "farther from that plane"... not because you can fly to these planes if you go high enough or far enough, but because the planes have a cosmic similarity to them which gets smaller and smaller. It's all conceptual. You can get farther and farther into the Far Realms the same way your dreams can get wierder and wierder... just by how much they have in common with anything we can call "reality". There's no measure of time or distance, just difference. With that in mind, it's quite feasible that there are Far Realms which are indistinguishable from reality on known planes, but have the slightest hint of difference and alienness. These would be the ones "closest" to the static planes, just by description. Others would have nothing in commoon with sense, reality, thought, time, life, death etc.. These would be the ones "farthest" from the static planes, again by virtue of their nature alone (not their "location", which is never relevant in planar travel). Ths thread is justified.
ManTimeForgot 03-10-06, 02:45 AM	Well depending on how you define the existence of Far Realm it actually makes quite a bit of "sense" (in as much as a place of pure insanity can make sense) for it to have layers. An infinity is NOT a number. But an infinity is also NOT a single discrete unit. An infinity encompasses all values surpassing null increasing (or decreasing as the case may be) in value without limit or end. Of course it doesn't make sense to describe an infinite realm of insanity in anyway which allows for it to be stable or consistent over the expanse of its existence otherwise how is it "insane?" It makes sense to describe a place of pure insanity in terms of gradations, varying from mildly maddening to completely non-sensical transcending all thought, reason, and comprehension exactly because to do otherwise is to place a description upon Far Realm from which one might be able to make some sense of it. Thus Far Realm has infinite "layers" in the sense that there is infinite gradation amongst the insanity of Far Realm. I find it rather easy to explain Far Realm's existence as a function of it being a border realm on Supreme Reality, in which case Far Realm slowly takes on the qualities of Supreme Reality. But if this question is still hounding you then I suggest that you go over to the "how would you describe far realm" thread as that might also help with understanding why (it is perhap more a matter of exigency than reason that dictates why things are the way they are in Far Realm, but that is a matter of philosophy and therefore probably not conducive to further discussion at the moment) Far Realm is the way it is. MTF
Alder_Fiter_Galaz 03-10-06, 12:00 PM	Surreal Far Realm Intensity: Heavy Gravity: location based Time: Erratic Shape/Size: infinite Morphism: High/unstable Alignment: Heavy Chaos Magic: Heightened The plane looks itself as a eternal series of surreal paintings one after another, the diference is that you can travel freely inside it. There is normal monster encounters but the visual form of everything inside the plane change to match the mood of the plane. There is a 5% chance that a creature can become permanent a part of the plane per 24 normal human hours inside it and lose his/her sanity forever. The evil-incarnated Barney realm Far Realm Intensity: TRUE!!!!! Gravity: normal Time: only at the hour of the TV program Shape/Size: plump purple dinosaur Morphism: High/unstable Alignment: Heavy Chaos but with stupidity Magic: Heightened In this plane Barney, in his true form, the one that most mortals even the most powerful declines to talk about thrives with this army of brainwashed children and his unlimited stupity aura, so for your sanity this plane isnt described any longer. PEACH please, but do not bite the fruit first. Sorry if i offended anyone.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-10-06, 03:42 PM	1. Please don't make a post consisting entirely of random keyboard typings and gibberish. It's not funny, it's not original, it is spam, annoying, and a violation of the Code of Conduct. 2. Please don't post semicoherent things either like say "thers a far realm layer with all the stuf rom cat itn teh hatt, and there is a lot of jellos tooo". My greivances with it are the same as with number one. 3. Give all the specs. Tell the layer's special elemental, energy, and gravity traits (if it has any), the creatures found in it, features, how they act, etc. I don't know what "biting the fruit" is, nor how to avoid it, but I must bring up these rules. The first and second rule seem to apply here, especially to the latter, which is not really anything other than an elaborate way of saying "Barney is stupid." (Yes, of course it is. It's marketed at five-year olds.) Number three seems partially violated, as your statements possess massive rules gaps and inadequacies (For example, "stupid" is not an alignment, and it's "Strongly chaotic", heavy applies to gravity). Heightened requires a description of the heightening it entails, not just "heightened". You fail to detail the stats or game effects of almost everything mentioned.
Th_Ar_Al 03-11-06, 11:25 AM	Hey, I had two complete crazy ideas for demiplanes, can they be layers of the Far realm? Ksmax = a place that is a ocean of gold and gift box, with gigantic trees rising from it, the trees have big cristal balls and little shining cristals. the maze market = a maze made of supermarket corridors always filled with fresh food. I am not spaming, if you don't like it I am ok, =)
R.M.G.C.L.F. 03-11-06, 04:17 PM	The first one sounds workable, if you fully fleshed it out and statted it right. The second one sounds more like a demiplane connected to the positive energy plane or created by a wizard for personal use.
Adrez Nesnsid 06-28-06, 09:01 PM	:88E: BUMP :bump:
Kresalak 07-04-06, 04:26 AM	Before I write anything else, I should make a note that I have a different take of the Far Realms than most people. Not my vision of what they are in Eberron, but rather one way how the Lords of Madness, the Daelkyr, could fit in standard D&D. The Court of the Mad Mild Far Realms Divinely Morphic (Daelkyr only) Mildly Evil Aligned The Court of the Mad is the place where the Lords of Madness, the Daelkyr, reside. It is the place from which they watch, and wait. A Little Backstory The oldest beings of the Far Realms (so far as such time related terms as age can apply to such a place) hate the Multiverse. Its very presence causes them physical pain; its laws, its subtle wrongness cannot be abided by such beings. The tiny bubble of reality that mortals and immortals alike call home seems to these entities a twisted, horrible thing, something that should not be. But they can do nothing about it; they float in the void, unable to leave, for if they did the laws of the Multiverse would force themselves upon them, killing them or worse, twisting them into something that fits in that horrible place. From their pain was birthed the Daelkyr, the Lords of Madness. The Lords are all filled with a shadow of the suffering of their creators, and all of their hatred of the Multiverse. The Daelkyr want to destroy the Multiverse itself, so that they and their creators, the mindless, endless entities that float in the depths of the Far Realms, may have their peace. Though born after the beginning of the Multiverse, they have always existed, as even Time itself is a law that means nothing in the depths of the Far Realms from which they sprang. They made their servants, the Illithid, so that they may hasten the Material Plane's demise. They sent their generals, themselves, to erode the Outer Planes into nothingness. They wait for the death of all else, so that the Inner Planes may return to their rightful place in the Far Realms. They watch from the layer on which they make their home, the Court of the Mad, all the things that they have planned. The Layer Itself The Court of the Mad is a finite place, seemingly an immensely long hallway of a sort. At the beginning, it is a simply a 5 mile wide wasteland of broken, grey rock, surrounded on both sides by an empty void. Flying above will eventually have you return to the ground, as if it floated upside-down in the sky. Forward, the wasteland continues as far as the eye can see. It is impossible to turn around at this point; attempting to do so merely brings you back to facing forward. The wasteland is filled with statues. They appear to the viewer as himself, although he appears to be in some state of horrible fear. Anyone who looks at the statues must make a DC 20 Will save or be shakened for 1 hour. The wasteland continues on for an undetermined amount; no matter how fast or slow you travel, it will always take exactly one week to get beyond it. At this point, it is possible to turn around; you will be faced with the wasteland of grey rock, although you cannot return to it. Beyond the wasteland is a block of some strange, viscous slime. The slime is breathable, although traveling through it is difficult, and all creatures move with a speed of 5 feet through it. Various oozes can be encountered here, all with the psudeonatural template. The oozes can blend in with the liquid that covers the area, which gives them total concealment. It takes another week to get through the ooze, regardless of the pace at which you travel. Beyond the block of ooze is a much smaller area, seemingly a bridge one hundred feet wide, covered in eyes of all sizes. Unlike the other parts of the plane, it is possible to enter the nothingness that surrounds the eye-bridge; falling off it causes you to fall for an undetermined amount of time, at the end of which you land in another layer of the Far Realms. Depending on the gravity of the layer, you may not survive your fall. While traveling through this area, you can occasionally see the words "traitor" or "thief" out of the corner of your eyes. The words are written in a language unknown to all denizens of the Multiverse, although it can be understood by all. The uneasiness of this provides a -1 penalty to all d20 rolls. Each of the eyes on the bridge corresponds to those of a creature within the Multiverse itself; looking through the eyes will allow you to see what they see. The eyes of creatures that have ceased to exist, such as by having their soul destroyed, appear closed. The eyes of creatures that have left the Multiverse entirely, such as those in the Far Realms, appear to be completely white, almost empty. Beyond the bridge of eyes is what seems to be an ancient, forgotten courtyard, filled with statues of what appear to be perfectly formed, angelic human males. Each of the statues is marred in some way, often by missing pieces or by parts of them seeming to have never been completed. The Daelkyr themselves gather in the center of the courtyard, which can only be reached by those who the Daelkyr wish to reach it. It is in this place that they gather, plotting the eventual destruction of the Multiverse. See if you can spot the references to other things in here.
Platonix 08-18-06, 08:17 PM	Two-O'Clock High Far Realms Some humanoid wizards will do anything for power. There are already some examples in WotC-published fare of wizards who relocate to the Far Realms with some clever design in mind and end up Losing The Game in a major way as the insanity of the Far Realms inevitably claims them. One fascinating variety of relocating wizard is the kind that attempts to use his mastery of arcane power to reshape a layer of the Far Realms in some way to suit him. One such wizard, Sergey Haguban, a self-proclaimed master of Time Magic, apparently decided it would be a suitable challenge to attempt to impart the passage of time to a place where time did not exist. The Layer of Two-O'Clock is the result of his doomed—and rather silly anyway—attempt. Like any decent wizard, Haguban jealously guarded his secrets, so the mystery of how exactly he managed this will likely never be solved, but Haguban successfully created Time in this layer. The wild magic of the High Far Realms contorted the effect, however; instead of forming as an aspect of reality, Time formed as a creature type. The native inhabitants of Two-O'Clock are moments in time; example inhabitants include 11:39, 6:12 PM and 0600 Hours, with beings such as Thursday and The Harvest Season holding high positions in what passes for society. What's more, Haguban's spell settled into the fabric of this layer, and attempts to alter all creatures within the plane into moments in time. Beings native to the Far Realms might become pseudonatural moments in time such as Decembruary, Negative 5:72 or "It's been seven hours and fifteen days / since you took your love away." Any creature visiting Two-O'Clock who is not already a moment in time must make a Will save every ten rounds to avoid being transformed into one. The save's DC starts at 1, and increases by 1 each time, but if the character manages to succeed sixty times (the last save being DC 60), the DCs reset. Since there are no currently known transmutation spells with a target of "one incarnate moment in time", this condition can only be reversed by somehow coaxing the affected creature to exit the layer; it will not do so of its own volition. Upon leaving Two-O'Clock any creatures transformed into moments in time resume the forms they possessed immediately prior to the transformation. As if that weren't enough of a threat, the chronological inhabitants of this layer seem to take offense at non-chronological visitors and attack on sight. They make attacks with a bonus of +10 that ignore natural armor but against which any other type of AC is effective; if they hit, they deal no damage but alter the victim's age at random. Consult the following table to see what kind of inhabitant you encounter and how it can affect your age: d% roll|Type |Age Change -------+-------------------+---------- 01-50 |Minor |d10-5 years 51-75 |Intermediate |d20-10 years 76-90 |Major |d%-50 years 91-97 |Pseudonatural |Roll d8: 1: Infant | | 2-4: Age of Adulthood | | 5-7: Middle Age | | 8: Old 98-100|Pseudonatural Major|Roll d%. | |If human or half-orc, divide by 2. | |If dwarf or gnome, multiply by 2. | |If elf, multiply by 4. | |The result is your new age. A creature who winds up in another age category is affected by the relevant stat modifiers unless somehow immune to the effects of aging, but character level and any other abilities are not affected. A creature who is reduced to a negative age or increased in age to the point of death can only be brought back by a wish or miracle (this is an exception to the usual rule that even these spells cannot ressurect a character who dies of old age.) A character brought back in this fashion winds up at its race's Age of Adulthood unless the wish or miracle is worded otherwise. Note: The name of this layer, gleaned from what transformed visitors could remember of their conversations with the locals while transformed, is the cause of occasional debate among scholars. Some theorize that when Sergey Haguban himself succumbed to the power he had wrought and became a moment in time, he became Two-O'Clock; the original inhabitants forged from the spell, somehow recognizing him as their creator, named the layer after him in his honor. This may explain why they seem to get very upset if you mispronounce the layer's name as "2:00". Others, doubtful that Haguban would have been honored thusly, claim that there is a prophecy connected to the layer that will be fulfilled when a visitor is transformed into exactly Two-O'Clock.
Adrez Nesnsid 11-16-06, 08:44 PM	Bump!!!!!!!!!! :bump:
Aubri 11-16-06, 11:44 PM	That's not a bump, that's freakin' necromancy!
Slightly_Unscrewed 11-17-06, 08:15 PM	My Turn! The Library Mild Timeless No alignment or energy traits Infinite Selectively static Before your eyes lays a huge collection on books. Rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves, extending into infinity... The Library, like its name suggests is a huge collection of books on every topic imaginable, and many on topics unimaginable. Books of every size, color, and language exist here, and there is no limit to its shelves. Every secret can be found here, you just have to look. The shelves are a brown color that resembles wood, but on closer inspection, has no grain. The floor is smoothly tiled, with various dark browns, tans, grays, and the sometimes blues. No matter the color, they are all subdued. An occasional reading chair or a small table is found in The Library. The Library unnaturally quiet, the only footsteps being those that walk its halls, and they are few and far between. The Library is lighted by a soft white light that while bright enough to allow reading easily, does not illuminate the whole library. The ceiling is hidden is semidarkness. A casual observer can easily see that it's there, flat and horizontal, but those who try to look at it closer can not make out the slightest detail about it. Even more disturbingly, any attempt to light the ceiling fails, the light fading before illuminating the ceiling. Shadows in the corners of bookshelves also exhibit this phenomenon. Selectively Static No ware and tear ever effects the floor, books, or shelves. Thanks to the static property of the plane, they cannot be damaged. The book shelves, Chairs, tables, and anything that is not a book is extremely hard to move, requiring a DC 21 Strength check. Books on the other hand, can be moved normally. However, if the book is put down for more than ten minutes (relative time), the book vanishes and reappears in the space where it was removed from. No book may be removed from the plane. It simply vanishes from the carrier’s possession when he leaves Books: About half of the books are "normal", meaning they posses no magical properties outside what the Selectively Static trait gives them. The other half, however, are not so harmless. When a character picks a book at random, roll a d100. On a roll of 1-50, roll again and consult the table below 1-5: The book is a Tome of Understanding +1 6-10: The book is a Minor tome of the Far Realm. Character must immediately make a Minor Maddening save as if the character had spent an hour in a Mild Far Realm plane, and if they fail, suffer the appropriate consequences. 11-15: The Book is a moderate tome of the Far Realm. Same as above, except as if the hour were spent on a Moderately maddening plane. 16-20: The Book is a powerful tome of the Far Realm. Same as above, except as if the hour was spent on a high Far Realm plane 21-25:The Book is a true tome of the Far Realm. Same as above, except as if the hour was spent on a True Far Realm Plane. 26-30: The Book is a perfect biography of the Character who reads it. If read, Make a DC 10 will save or be shaken by the eerily accurate story. 31-35: The Book is Fire Trapped as per the spell, and is blank. 36-40: The Book is a spellbook. 41-45: The Book is strangely compelling to read. DC 15 Will save or be Fascinated for 2d12 minutes 46-50: The Book is nothing but random letters in various languages. Any attempt to find a meaning reveals nothing, but the reader can't shake the feeling something is hidden within the ramblings. 51-55: The Book is a cryptic prophecy about the reader's near future. Reading the book gives the character an Augury effect for their planned course of action. 56-60: The Book is a highly entertaining novel. If read, the reader gains a +1 luck bonus to all rolls for 24 hours (relative) 61-65: The Book is on Philosophy and Religion. If read, the reader gains a Owl's wisdom effect for 24 hours. (Relative) 66-70: The Book is interesting poetry. If read the reader gains a Eagle's Splendor effect for 24 hours (relative) 71-75: The Book is calming and soothing. If read, the reader gains the effect of a Cure light wounds spell 76-80: The Book depicts methods for building willpower. If read, the reader gains a +1 bonus on will saves for 24 hours (Relative) 81-85: The book is written in explosive runes as cast by a 5 level wizard. 86-90: The Book is a guide to understanding feelings. If read, the reader gains one time use of a supernatural ability that allows the user to feel the emotions of another being (such as the empathic communication used by familiars) for one minute. If not used, the ability fades in 24 hours (relative) 91-95: The book is a despairing horror novel. Will save DC 20 or -1 morale penalty to will saves for 24 hours (relative) 96-100: The Book seems normal, but when read, a part brings up a horrible scene in the reader's head that won't go away. Reader is nauseated for an hour (Relative) Among the "normal" books mentioned earlier, virtually any information can be found. Inhabitants: Psuedonatural humanoids and Monstrous Humanoids wander the halls, reading. They will not attack unless attacked. If spoken to, they will point the characters to a certain section, though a said section may be miles away. Legends: Somewhere in The Library are three books on three pedestals. Myths say that these books were created by the beings that created the multiverse, and that the very laws that govern the multiverse are written inside these tomes. Guarding the books is a paragon psuedonatural Ithillid, and any of the planes inhabitants viciously attack characters who try and take the books, or express their intent to take them. The true contents of the books is up to the DM
Slightly_Unscrewed 11-20-06, 09:55 PM	kung fu :bump:
tryco 11-24-06, 04:54 PM	cool, a library guarded by cthulhu himself:D haven't read all of them, but i intend to, i love the far-realm.
Iddig Ap Nil 11-24-06, 05:45 PM	This is... uh, a place. It's really weird. I can't describe it to you because it's so weird. It's got a whole bunch of dimensions and colors that I've never seen them, let alone describe. But I'm going to throw monsters at you anyways. Hey, Mialee, a strange-looking monster is heading towards you? What? No, I can't describe it; didn't you hear what I just said? Oh, and what's your flat-footed AC again?You could describe it differently to the different characters as their minds try to make sense of the madness that spreads before them, perhaps that's why people tend to go mad over time? ;-)
Slightly_Unscrewed 11-24-06, 09:29 PM	cool, a library guarded by cthulhu himself:D You know, that never even occured to me. I just wanted a powerful monster, and ithillid was the only far realm one I knew, and could spell.
Slightly_Unscrewed 12-01-06, 08:58 PM	Don't let this die!
tryco 12-03-06, 10:24 AM	Don't let this die! second that:D
Chimera245 12-04-06, 03:34 AM	Pseudonatural Elemental Planes All Traits are the norm for the Far Realm in general, except that each one has the corresponding dominant elemental trait. Fire Pseudoelemental Layer: Fire burns everywhere, but the flames do not follow the rules of physics written for the Material Plane. Flames might hang down from their fuel source, they may flicker more slowly or quickly, if they move at all. Odd, unusual materials might burn, such as metal, glass, or even water, since the opposing nature of fire and water is a law of nature written for the multiverse that the PC's come from. Even intangible things and concepts are combustible here. A person who could find a way to percieve it would notice that Time, Happiness, Sleep, and Intelligence can catch fire here. Fire Pseudoelementals exist here (Apply Pseudonatural template to a Fire Elemental, but Avoid using the Fire Element Creature template, because the elementals here are too far removed from anything resembling creatures from the normal Multiverse.) Creatures with fire resistance only apply half their resistance value to the flames from this layer, because fire from the Far Realm works in ways that Material Plane fire is incapable of, and thus can bypass the protection not ready for it. (I'm sure the creator of the Resist Energy spell wasn't expecting that it's target's Alignment might catch fire.) Creatures with Immunity to Fire are treated as having Fire Resistance 30.
Chimera245 12-04-06, 03:51 AM	Water Pseudoelemental Layer: Water is everywhere, but like its fiery counterpart, follows none of the laws the PC's are familiar with. Its flow can change direction 90 degrees in an instant, It can turn into Ice at 200 degrees, or boil below freezing. It can flow between your thoughts. Drinking the water might make your eyes burst, might change your alignment, or might simply quench your thirst. The Elementals and Cold resistance and Immunity follow the same rules as for the layer of fire.
Chimera245 12-04-06, 04:09 AM	Air Pseudoelemental Layer: A vast empty place, it doesn't resemble a sky as much as the Elemental Plane of Air does. Wind blows in directions the mortal mind can't follow. Air can flow straight through solid matter. Lightning can strike from thousands of feet off into the distance. Air might be concentrated enough to disallow passage, as if it were solid matter, (possibly causing falling damage) or it might be thin enough that characters can't breathe. Gases of strange colors float through the void. Breathing them in might result in anything from a Cure light wounds effect to Cloudkill. Same rules for Air elementals and Electricity Resistance
Chimera245 12-04-06, 04:19 AM	Earth Pseudoelemental Layer: Solid stone and dirt in all directions. A character might show up encased in rock, unable to move, or he might show up in a cave, physically able to move, but needing to dig his consciousness free. PC's might find rocks in the shape of perfect cubes, boulders that weigh almost nothing, and sand that's too heavy for a character with 18 Strength to lift even a handful of. Unidentifiable gems and metals are scattered thoughout. Same rules for elementals and Acid resistance.
Chimera245 12-04-06, 05:17 AM	Pseudoelemental layer of ??? Elemental traits: ??? Dominant: see text. This is a layer composed entirely of an element that was never used in composing our Multiverse. It is a substance completely Alien to Existence as we know it. Everything on this layer is very shiny, and has a crystal-clear mirror-like surface. however, any reflection has its colors inverted. Holding two items next to each other could allow you to see your normal-colored reflection by looking at the inverted reflection of your inverted reflection. Touching the substance deals 1d6 damage per round of contact. The damage is an energy type that does not exist in the Multiverse. Fire can leave burns, cold can leave frostbite, and this unknown damage also leaves physical scars until healed. The part of the body that came into contact with the substance will have no curves. Everything becomes more angular and straight, and colors become more pronounced. If a person damaged his arm on this substance, his arm would take on a straight and pointy crystalline texture. his fingertips would be points, a perfect, sharp angle would form where he bends his wrist, the top, bottom, and sides of his arm would be flat surfaces. If he was light-skinned, and had freckles, he would have near-white skin, with pitch black spots that were all tiny squares and triangles where the damage occurred. Once he was healed of the damage, his arm would return to its normal appearance. The substance is deceptive in size. A six-inch fragment of the substance, when held, might feel like a foot-wide object. It also does not follownormal rules of physics and mathematics. If you threw a chunk of it forward at the ground, it would bounce left or right or possibly straight back at you, but never continue forward. It is slightly spongy to the touch (which still deals its incomprehensible damage) but doesn't give very much. It feels much like a thin layer of foam wrapped around a rock. Consuming the substance deals 1d10 damage for 1d6 rounds. It also damages ability scores, but no creature from our multiverse actually has any of the ability scores that are damaged. The Elementals on this layer can show up as anything from complex geometric shapes to unrecognizable, asymmetrical creatures. I haven't written up complete stats yet, but Elementals would have the Powerful Build special quality, Immunity to ??? damage, an ability to redirect their movement when bull rushed, ??? Mastery (+1 attack and damage rolls when it and its opponent are in contact with this mysterious element.) Non-elemental native creatures typically have ??? resistance 30.
Amon_WinterfallIV 12-04-06, 06:33 PM	AW joins the Fun! Fivespace -Extreme Far Realm- Light Gravity Madness effect Magic effects are unaffected, but distances are generally 50% greater than they appear. Time moves at half rate. Fivespace is a far realm where the conventional three spatial Dimesions have been left far behind, to be replaced with five spatial dimesions. The act of moving in this realm is not physically difficult, but its possible to go through objects (actually acting in a different 4th or 5th coordinate) and shift around in wierd ways. It takes a wisdom check DC 25 to figure out how to get somewhere on the plane, otherwise, it will take 1d6 extra hours to get there. Combat in fivespace is incredible, with over 100 different angles to target the same adjectent target. However, due to the angling of this plane, creatures lose one size category in terms of reach--this means that some long weapons now only threaten neighboring squares and so forth.
Aubri 12-04-06, 11:07 PM	Fivespace Don't you mean "Spacetime Six"? :)
Amon_WinterfallIV 12-04-06, 11:29 PM	Spacetime six would be inappropriate, as time likely has two or more dimensions here. So long as no temporal shifts are created, no change in time results. Mess with time though, and you'll never return to reality. Notes: In fivespace, the effectiveness of most AC types (Not including Dex, Dodge, Luck or Insight) is halved; the armor simply provides less protection where it can be bypassed. It's litterally striking where someone is completely naked, and with five dimensions, most living things are going to be much more exposed than on the material plane. In fivespace, you can litterally throw something directly behind you and it will J curve out from behind you. That said though, range incriminants are all halved.
R.M.G.C.L.F. 12-05-06, 07:52 AM	For fivespace, instead of talking about size categories, why not say that all reach is reduced by 5ft?
nix4 12-14-06, 12:12 PM	Here are some notes I have collected in my readings, some are my own ideas and others are concepts drawn from these boards. The Aura of Maddness The most difficult aspect of the Far Realms to conquer for the untrained mind is the aura of madness effect. Every living creature in the Far Realms radiates primal emotions and thoughts. As mentioned above the air is like water and when natives move within it, their “ripples” are actually waves of emotion and thought so alien that most mines reject it immediately and can easily result in madness as most outsiders cannot tune out the projected thoughts and feelings. This is one of the most dreadful aspects of the realm. The other aspect is the Amorphic Effect. The Amorphic Effect Many studies of the Far Realms will detail the strange and bizarre effects that occur when traveling there. If it was a place of instant death or if life by our terms couldn’t exist, then there wouldn’t left so many accounts of failed attempts. The fact is, further study is necessary to understand this alien realm. The realm will, seemingly without reason, cause random mutation. These mutations do not have any physical pain or irritability associated with them, they just occur and usually spontaneously. Some mutations can be quite harmful, such as the popular tale of ones brain turning into spiders. Other mutations are just odd, such as having eyes sprout from your hands. There is little information as to why this happens, and it doesn’t seem to happen to natives like it does outsiders. It is most likely the primal realm rejecting our own and your very existence there is a hostile threat. Some of the effects are detailed below: • speech is backwards • bodily organ turns into vermin • extra limbs • extra organs • color changes to skin or body parts • re-arrangement of body parts • re-arrangement of body functions Some of these are harmless, some are deadly. Despite what may occur even physically drastic changes may allow for normal functioning (you don’t die). However, others can result in immediate death (such as organs turning into vermin). There is no known record of how to combat this effect. If it occurs (and it does so randomly there is no rhyme or reason as to when and why it happens), leaving the realm should be top priority. Upon leaving the realm any changes occurred are corrected and the travelers state returns to “normal”. Perception of in the Far Realms When traveling to the Far Realm ones ability to navigate and function immediately become difficult. This is a realm of pure primordial energies and is older than any other known existence. It also has rules which are quite different from what we are used to experiencing. Therefore, it is important to have a good understanding of what to expect and how things will look. Layers The first thing that is noticeable when entering the Far Realm is its immediate visual disctinction. At times there is no simple substitution for ground and sky. Often the case is both are either missing or are mixed up before you in some chaotic mess. To natives of the Far Realms these layers are similar to clouds floating above our heads. They float like thin wispy streams between and around objects. If an object can be seen moving amongst several streams at different heights then that entity exists in many layers. To those who are not natives of the Far Realms it is only possible to perceive one layer at a time. And each layer seems to be relatively similar in dimension. Meaning, you could be in a layer and see a giant wall. That wall could actually be a very large creature that is moving through several layers at once, but to non-native outsiders they can only perceive the layer they are in. This can create some very interesting situations. Environments to which a traveler passes through will shift greatly. Since they can only perceive one layer at a time, they may not be able to easily tell what is apart of a greater existence and what is not. And since the actual sizes of the layers to native inhabitance vary so greatly, perception in a very small layer may be hugely affected by movement of an exceptionally large native. What does this mean you will see? Objects of nearly infinite size could be moving through your landscape. This could be manifested to the viewer as approaching storms or shifting environments. This can be very deadly to those who go idle and are unaware of their changing environment. It is also possible that things that pass through layers change in shape and size relative to the perception of those who view it in each individual layer. In that case what you see might be completely different than what is actually there. All that being said, layers are highly morphic and can to a mere inch tall to miles in height. Phenomenon existing in one layer may or may not exist in other layers and may or may not be related to each other. Storms of strange kinds are common and permanent physical features are rare. Light is also difficult to come by. Layers tend to be very dark and gloomy or just the opposite. A very dream-like quality exists throughout the Far Realm, with a strong insane nightmarish quality to it. It is common to see things and hear things that do not actually exist. This does not affect natives to the realm however, outsiders are not as well adjusted and their minds can become flooded with the maddening thoughts of the entities that live within it. Because of the lack of physical ground and sky in the Far Realm the very material that surrounds you is thick. The experience is similar to swimming in air. This thick air is often called the Amoebic Sea, due to its thick and jelly like nature. Thinking outside the box There are theories that suggest that an outsider’s limitation to a single layer is a manifestation of their mental abilities. That an aboleth visiting the Far Realms would be fully capable of traversing multiple layers, while a human cannot. This mind-expanding quality might be the result of more brain matter that allows for greater understanding and greater intellect or perhaps its mearly the way the creatures are physically constructed. There are no known means to bridge this gap for humanoids. No gravity or time Upon entering a layer of the Far Realms one will quickly notice that the unnatural laws which pertain to this realm will carry with them certain easily noticeable effects. The immediate effect is the lack of gravity. Nothing “falls” in the far realms, everything floats in place. It’s common for an entire landscape to only be held aloft by a few feet of earth. In fact, traditional landscapes are quite a rarity. Water often floats about in large bubbles and strange plants might cling to rocks. Especially large rock formations may have a surface that’s more familiar to non-native outsiders. Because the element of time does not exist here, nothing decays or ages. Laws of reality hold no meaning (or opposite meanings) There is no direction, there is no gravity there is no time. There are many layers, each layer could be inches to miles in height but to outsiders they are relatively the same. Air is like water, but you can breathe it. Light doesn’t cast a shadow, and darkness casts light. Stones look solid but are actually rubbery and sticky. Distance is visually deceiving. It may not be possible to go down a corridor, you could be walking forever, however you could take the door on the left and re-appear at the end. Sometimes walking backwards will actually draw you nearer to your destination. When traveling your senses are your enemy, what you see and hear and touch will often lead you in the wrong direction. The environment of the Far Realm is a hostile one, most living things are hostile, especially to non-natives. Some creatures will attempt communication and the very sound is complete gibberish and is maddening. Even cohesive speech is often backwards or jumbled at best. Because of the lack of gravity the shape of life in the far realms can vary greatly. Natives of the Far Realms seem to move about by an unknown means, unlike outsiders who must treat the air like water in order to move. Despite the many alien qualities of the Far Realm, there are a disturbing number of familiar things about it as well. There are scenes or places that could be recognized by a traveler but warped and melted in shape. These are believed to be shadowscapes of another plane of existence. The primordial energies are actually reverse-cysts. A cyst is when the Far Realm touches another plane and corrupts that plane with its taint. The reverse is possible to depending on planar bias at any given time. The result is a shadowscape. This too seems to affect life in the realms as they are affected by other planes as well. So despite the Far Realms distance, it does have the ability to contact other planes. Its widely believed this occurs due to magical means and manipulation of magic to cause the planes to touch. The Vast Gate that was constructed by the elves long ago, resulted in massive destruction and is the reason the Far Realms is still able to haunt us today. Is the Far Realm suitable for adventure? No, certainly not. It should never be used as a location for an adventure. However, it could be used as a place to visit in a dream or a place a wizard may explore. Any long term stay in the Far Realms will either result in death or insanity due to the fact that most adventurers would not be native to that realm. However, entities from the Far Realm attempt communication with other beings. Its not know why they do this, their motivations are often as alien as the realm they call home. Sometimes, they will become coherent and take on ambitions to spread the realm into another plane. This is a very dangerous thing for far realm entities tend to be very powerful and their very existence in another plane could destroy it. Therefore, any attempt by the realm to intervene on another plane should be stopped at all costs. The aftermath is always lingering madness, hideous creatures and chaos that cannot be expunged. Over the eons the tears to the realm that have been mended have always let a little bit of the realm loose and that bit cannot be destroyed it can only be spread and weakened. This could very well be the way things always were, and by the far realm corrupting other planes it will eventually bring them into its own, making them more and more like the far realm. Eventually all existence will be destroyed and all that will remain is the true primordial again. Until the balance is restored yet again.
GuesssWho 12-18-06, 11:22 PM	The Great Amoebic Sea Medium Strange Subjective Directional Gravity Normal Time Infinite Size Normally Morphic Enhanced Magic (water) Impeded Magic (earth) Similar to the Elemental Plane of Water-but way, way nastier. :evillaugh A sea of Jell-o, spit, snot, slug slime, mold, etc., etc., etc. Creatures living there: Aboleths, oozes, templated snails and slugs, pseudonatural creatures, templated fish
tryco 12-19-06, 12:35 PM	this thread is keeping getting better. :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh :bigeyes: :blush: i think i just got an evilgasm.
Slightly_Unscrewed 12-26-06, 10:34 PM	Bup, no...burp? No...Bmp? no....Ah! :bump:
Slightly_Unscrewed 01-01-07, 09:22 PM	Anyone have any ideas? I'm fresh out.
Adrez Nesnsid 06-24-07, 02:14 PM	BUMP!!!! :bump:
Slightly_Unscrewed 06-26-07, 04:56 PM	Once more it lives, Once more I fight. Once more I dream of the Far Realms night! The Darkened Twilight Moderate Far Realms Heavy Gravity Enhanced magic: See text Impeded magic: [Light], Divinations Impeded magic: See text The Darkened Twilight is appears as a great, twisted city, Towers and buildings rising into the sky, twisted in impossible angles. As befitting it's name, the entire Realm is bathed in the darkest sort of twilight, like the last fleeting traces of the light of day eternally preserved. There is nowhere in the plane that is brighter than shadowy illumination. In addition, the shadowy illumination somehow is darker here than anywhere else, imposing an additional -3 penalty to all spot checks. The nature of the plane makes any illumination, no matter how bright, unable to illuminate it's surroundings brighter than shadowy illumination. The light still helps banish the darkness a little, and characters do not take the normal -3 penalty to spot checks if the target is within the 'bright illumination' range of whatever light source they are using. The Realm is thick and heavy with the emotions of fear and anxiety, and gravity reflects this, giving the Realm the Heavy Gravity trait. However, the darkness is not what makes this Realm so frightening: It's what the darkness hides. Paranoia and fear of the unknown is the true nature of the Realm. Pusedonatural wolves, winter wolves, Wendigo's, Large snakes and other stalking animals hide in the darkness, just at the edge of the vision, then slipping back into the dark when they are noticed. They will keep this up for hours, days, weeks at a time, ratcheting up the suspicion, the horror, until the traveler they stalk is nothing but a shell of terror, anxiety, and frightful anticipation. All divinations are negated here, as are light spells. Any spell cast with the intention of causing fear or suspicion are Empowered and Extended. However, any spell cast with the intention of removing deceit, mystery, or suspicion (Deserved or not) is requires of spellcraft check (DC=16+spell level). The nature of the Realm enhances mundane paranoia as well, and all those who take wisdom damage or drain because of the Realms Maddening trait take a -1 penalty on all d20 rolls because they are always paying attention to their companions or the shadows, waiting for the (in the minds of the victims) inevitable betrayal or attack. All those who die on the Realm of Darkened Twilight become part of it's mystery. Their bodies decompose into dust and blow into the night on some nonexistent wind. Their souls are removed and become one of the pusedonatural stalking creatures that live in the layer, and no mortal magic can restore the dead creature to life. Those who fall in the Realm of Darkened Twilight often stalk their former companions, driving them to insanity with paranoia.
Lobsopdoy 06-26-07, 08:19 PM	I think that Room 1408 from...1408 would make a GREAT layer
Silver_Bulette 06-29-07, 12:10 PM	Katieland Mild Far Realm Gravity: Specific Subjunctive Time: none Terrain: Normally Morphic Throughout human/ orcish/ elven history, many philosophers tried to explain gravity. Some say it is centrifigal force, others thank the gods, but the effect is the same. On this layer, things are a little different; on the barren, 5- mile radius satilite that is Katieland, the earth truely revolves around a single person. The psuedonatural humanoids (human, elf, half elf, etc.) of the layer all worship the Great Katie, the mysterious Macguffin in the center of the earth that holds their feet to the ground. Temples of Katie are congregated at and Katie festivals are held on a near constant basis, yet no one has ever seen her, nay, is allowed to see her, for fear of what would happen with her destruction. If some intrepid adventurers chose to sneak/ slaughter their way into the center of the rock through mining tunnels, they would know that Katie is actually a Psuedonatrual kobold with a weight of 10^800400 kg., not to mention that gravity would fling them at her in an akward manner. If she dies, the plane not only loses its center of gravity, but undergoes a meltdown in 2d4 rounds. Anyone and anything caught in this meltdown winks out of existence as if touched by a sphere of anihlliation.
Secrets Untold 06-29-07, 09:06 PM	River of Regrets Moderate Realms Specific Subjective Gravity Airless (See Text) Timeless The twisted nature of the Far Realms results in many strange beings, from sinister Wellington boots to carnival attractions with a mind of their own. However, it is very rare (and yet an infnite number of them exist) that a single raindrop becomes a sentient being. This particular raindrop exists in its own layer of the Realms, and has had an eternity or two to contemplate life. The raindrop realized that life...is a terrible thing, and those that enjoy it must be destroyed. Over the non-existant timespan that the raindrop has existed, it has learned to twist the broken fabric of reality to its will. And thusly, the River of Regrets was born. The River itself is just the hypothetical extension of the spirit-raindrop that first existed in this void. Creatures that wander into the River's domain face a breathing problem, as only water and the void exist, but the River does not impede water-breathing. The River, being the raindrop and hating all life, is populated by creatures that the River has stolen from the real worlds, killed, and imagined horrible, twisted copies of. None of the native Riverdwellers needs to breath, and some examples are Teeth (great winged pirranahs -sp?- that glide through the void), Hands (Gravity stolen from other planes and given a cruel life), and the occassional Fang (Sinister, vampiric Wellington boots). The river flows to the direction of gravity, forming bowls around Hands, but gravity otherwise is at the discretion of the River. No-one is quite sure why the River's honorific is "Of Regrets," but some sages suspect that only the writer of Secrets Untold, the book that contains every secret, knows. Others belive that creatures regret entering, or that the River regrets existing. I personally think it was just for added effect and dramatic titling.
Nilbog 07-02-07, 06:03 PM	RODENTSHOLE (Mild Far Realms) • Normal gravity. • Normal time. • Finite size - roughly 750,000 miles of tunnels, composing about 100 square miles of area. • Alterable morphic: Rodentshole can be manipulated as if it were the Material Plane. • Minor positive dominance: All creatures in Rodentshole gain fast healing 2. • Mildly neutral-aligned • Enhanced magic: All Summon Nature's Ally spells are treated as quickened in Rodentshole. The spell level and casting time are not increased. It is composed of twisting, twining burrows of various types of rodents and their natural predators. These range from the tiny burrows of mundane mice through the tunnels of dire rats up to those dug by dire badgers, big enough for Medium creatures. Occasionally, larger creatures such as delvers and bulettes appear in Rodentshole; these leave their own tunnels as well. A creature entering Rodentshole will always appear in a tunnel of sufficient size to hold it comfortably. This, in addition to the healing nature of the layer, is why Rodentshole is considered one of the safer layers of the Far Realms. It is by no means without danger, however. Swarms of rats and various burrowing dire animals will attempt to eat the unwary traveler. Common creatures: Rat Rat Swarm Dire Rat Dire Badger Uncommon creatures: Dire Weasel Wererat Rare creatures: Bulette Delver Purple Worm
Silver_Bulette 07-10-07, 11:41 AM	River of Regrets is a well- thought out one. Seriously, evil, posessed gravity? Definitely Far- Realmsy. But seriously, where is everybody?
GuesssWho 07-23-07, 10:21 PM	I think that Room 1408 from...1408 would make a GREAT layer I agree. 1408 • Medium Strange • Normal gravity. • Normal time. • Finite size-the size of a small hotel room, in fact. • Normally Morphic 1408 is unusual, in that it is a direct connection to the Material Plane. It is also quite normal to the untrained eye. However, only one person has ever survived staying a 'bad night' there, and he is now a paranoid recluse. The layer/room is small, and the door is crooked. However, it is never crooked in quite the same way-sometimes it leans left, sometimes right, some times not at all. Anyone entering the room soon begins to feel drugged-their very thoughts are not their own. The things they say are demented and confused. The room has yellow wallpaper, pictures on the wall, a menu, a phone and all the usual hotel stuff. But the wallpaper's shade reminds one of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, the pictures change, the menu is written in ten different languages at once and then becomes a rather nasty woodcut of a werewolf, and when you pick up the phone evil gods shout numbers at you. There is no reason for this. No one expects one, either. The maids dust in the room, but they do it in teams and get hazard pay, and the mutating power of the Far Realms often gives them cancer. So far there have been 12 suicides and 30 'natural' deaths in room 1408, and no one stays there for even a minute unless they have to. No one knows when the room will decide to have a 'bad day', but there is no denying that there is an intelligence in it. The room is sentient, will ye or nil ye, and it is cruel. So be careful if you check into the Dolphin Hotel, or you'll be dropped onto the shoulder of the Connecticut Turnpike and the wolves will get you.
Silver_Bulette 08-02-07, 10:40 AM	OOh, nice one. But... why oh why is this thread always on the verge of death?
schpeelah 08-03-07, 04:57 AM	Because it is soo hard to make interesting Far Realm layers
Asra 08-03-07, 01:00 PM	I might make one for this thread, I wait until I get inspired!
nix4 08-24-07, 11:49 AM	bump
elondir 08-24-07, 01:07 PM	Dimension 42-B High Far realms Highly morphic variable gravity (changes direction and intensity every ten seconds or so) timeless variable size (infinite x infinite x 0.25 inches) highly strange (can move freely in 42-dimensions at once instead of the normal three plus time) This layer is a psychedelic nightmare gone awry. You see sound, hear smells, taste touch, feel light, and smell tastes. Once you get past that, the nature of the layer can be discerned. The sky and ground seep together as they shift in color through an endless random palette. Size changes randomly, and all objects (including visitors) smear and warp constantly. Major mutations happen every round. All magic is wild on this layer, and all visitors are placed under the effects of 1d10 random spells every round. The wind randomly heals you one moment, then the next it will poison you or drown you. The ground waves like the ocean. Rain comes up from the ground, and is usually acidic. Man-sized orbs of purest silver crash into the ground, shattering into molten lava that screams as it quickly freezes into amorphous, tentacled golems that attack all they come across. It is inhabited by several creatures: Mile-sized tentacled planarian-like worms that constantly feed on the essence of the layer itself, which is constantly regenerated by... colossal wasp-things with a stinger on each of their 35 legs, three fly wings, one feathered wing, one bat wing, one butterfly wing, and eyes covering their scaly carapaces. These wasps do so by vomiting a mix of demon blood, feathers, and body parts of every variety (mostly internal organs). There are vast fields of huge flowers with human heads that migrate on hoofed roots when all of the heat has been absorbed from the ground. There are twenty-three sentient suns of various colors bathing the landscape in freezing darkness. A planet-sized awakened pseudonatural entropic paragon fiendish half-dragon tarrasque of legend possessed by an advanced daelkyr or three (no one really knows how many). I hope that doesn't violate the first rule of this thread. To me the Far Realm should be pretty much how I described it here - deadly, surreal, bizarre, druggy, and completely beyond any kind of sense or form. I picture it like the environment Ren & Stimpy found themselves in in "Marooned," "Space Madness," and the one where they found all the lost gym socks. Its very description should defy all common sense. It should not be merely disturbing, nor should it be a shadow of the real world. It should be completely, utterly alien, totally insane, and forbiddingly unrelenting in its madness and horror. The general idea is that every time the PCs encounter something, it should be much worse and more bizarre than the previous thing.
nix4 11-04-07, 06:57 PM	bump
GuesssWho 11-09-07, 11:04 PM	Sawng: Mild Strange Normal Gravity No Time Finite Size Normally Morphic This whole layer is nothing but a small room that plays really weird music over and over until you go totally nuts. The exact music changes for each person, but favorite music includes techo, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock. ---- G'jhoobh: Medium Strange Normal Gravity Normal Time Finite Size Highly Morphic A lake of egg yolk, filled with walruses. Anyone from the 'normal' multiverse who enters switches bodies with a companion, or-if he or she came alone-one of the walruses. In the middle of the lake is a garden, held above the waves of egg by four grinning statues. Cookies to anyone who gets this.
goldomark 11-10-07, 12:22 AM	Maybe this as been said before, but the Far Realms aren't really about insanity. What makes them seem insane is that it's logic/mindset/laws are totally alien to our own. But I don't hink that the Far Realms are about insanity per say.
GuesssWho 11-10-07, 01:02 AM	No, but the end effect is the same. ;) The Far Realms would actually make a lot of sense if it could be seen as the natives see it, through their minds. It's just that normal creatures weren't build for it.
Japan_the_cougar 12-02-07, 11:29 PM	ka-bump! Pit of Dorukun mild far realm light gravity timeless infinite size divinely morphic Nature. Gods. Insane wizards. The thing these three have in common is that they all make monsters. Some, like kobolds, giants, and even the human race continue to live for the generations. But whether it be by extinction, genocide, or just being forgotten by the rest of the mulitverse, other races simply disappear, like the gargantua, piercer, and the spider-demons. The fleeting memories of those creatures gather here, outside of space and time, and become what they were in life. The layer itself is a great block with an infinite number of holes, each one leading to the cave of a single forgotten species. Because of the lack of time, the creatures have neither to eat or sleep, but they also cannot reproduce, leading most to fall into a state of dementia and storm another monster's hole, leading in the death of one or the other. However, memories are also eternal, and creatures killed simply return to life after an indeterminate amount of time (at least to the poor bashers who visit; it seems instantaneous to the creature). It is unknown who Dorukun is, if he discovered the layer, or if he somehow created it. However, since a new hole is made whenever a species is wiped clean, some think he IS the layer. These few are written off as raving lunatics, but are still listened to, for nothing is impossible in the Far Realm.
CryoSilver 12-03-07, 01:55 AM	Hawking's Nightmare Moderate Far Realm Erratic Time (50% chance that time is accelerated or decelerated by a factor of 10; check when leaving the layer) Infinite size Normally morphic Physics has forsaken this layer, filled as it is with random bits of matter ranging in size from tiny grains of sand to giant continent-sized islands that seem to form and explode at random. Gravity, light and nuclear forces do not function properly on this layer. Each minute for any given creature or object, there is a 40% chance gravity is subjective, a 30% chance it is implosive, and a 30% chance it is explosive. Implosive gravity causes the creature's/object's own mass to generate a strong pull on itself. The creature/object takes 5d6 bludgeoning damage each round (Fortitude save DC 20 for half). Explosive gravity causes the creature's/object's mass to genereate strong repulsive fields. The creature/object explodes into individual atoms unless it succeeds at a DC 20 Fortitude save every round. Light sources work only 20% of the time; other 80% of the time, light shifts into a spectrum invisible to normal vision. Once per hour, the forces that hold atoms together may vomit up some new monstrosity. A creature/object has a 50% chance per hour of simply ceasing to exist, for all intents and purposes, as its subatomic particles rearrange themselves more or less at random. Fortitude DC 25 negates this effect. Screaming Light, Blinding Sound Moderate Farm Realm Normal Time Objective directional gravity Infinite size Highly morphic This layer is chaos. Flashing lights and wailing, discordant sound constantly assault any creature on the layer. The creature has the strangest feeling that the sound can be seen, and the light can be heard. On this layer, blind characters can see, and deaf characters can hear. All creatures must succeed at two Fortitude saves each minute. Failing one results in the creature being either blinded or deafened permanently. If a creature is both blinded and deafened by the layer, it is absorbed and becomes either a Screaming Light or Blinding Sound. The only "land" on this plane is on tangible sheets of sound. These come in many shapes and sizes: flat planes, dics, waveforms, ranging in size from a few inches to several miles in area. Gravity is toward the nearest sheet that is larger than the creature. Screaming Light Large Aberration (incorporeal) HD: 6d8 (27 hp) Initiative: +8 Speed: Infinite (speed of light) AC: 17 (-1 size, +8 Dex) BAB/Grapple: +4/+4 Attack: Wailing flash +12 melee touch (1d8 sonic) Full Attack: Waling flash +12 melee touch (1d8 sonic) Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft Special Attacks: Nova Note Special Qualities: Incorporeal, Relativistic movement Saves: Fort +2, Ref +10, Will +6 Abilities: Str -, Dex 26, Con -, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 1 Skills: Spot +10 Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack Environment: Far Realms CR: 4 Alignment: Neutral Advancement: 7-? HD Screaming Lights are glowing motes of light, like miniature suns. They move at the speed of light, but can slow down to investigate intruders. When they strike, the victim hears a high pitched screech in his mind. Combat It's nearly impossible to fight an enemy thatmoves so fast, but if the Screaming Light slows down to use Nova Note, the PCs may be able to defeat it. Nova Note (ex): As a full round action, a Screaming Light can cause a huge flare of light that strikes all creatures within 30 feet like a million discordant orchestras. This attack deals 3d6 sonic damage and 2d6 fire damage (Reflex DC 13 for half). Relativistic movement: For most intents and purposes, a Screaming Light has infinite speed unless it wants to move slower.
SargBjornson 12-03-07, 02:48 PM	I love this thread. Been following it since February this year, and I'm glad to see some new layers added lately! So here is my own layer, let's see if I can format it correctly :) As a side note, it would be cool if all these layers were compiled in some sort of PDF net compendium. Is that even legal / possible under the rules of these forums? Git It is the death of existence It is where spacetime leads way to nothingness It is the end of Reality, outside Reality itself Far Realm Intensity: True. Erratic Gravity: The Layer's gravity changes erratically between 'No Gravity' and 'Objective Directional Gravity' towards specific spatial singularities. Erratic Time: The passing of time flows erratically, affected by the ripples in space No elemental traits Infinite Size Highly Morphic Wild Magic (DC 30+spell level) Maddening (Will save 30) The Far Realm is considered by sages and scholars to be "outside" the standard planar geometry. A space so far removed from the familiar rules of physics and magic that these very rules are replaced by strange, alien versions of them. However, there are layers in the Far Realm that lie even farther from the Great Wheel's cosmology, where the distortion of Time and Space are not even replaced by different rules, but destroyed altogether. These layers, which share a number of similar characteristics, are often collectively referred to by planewalkers as "Git", from the Cant term meaning "Leave". This is a reference to the main threat presented by these layers: a visitor to these extreme parts of the Far Realm risks his very own existence, effectively leaving the Multiverse both in body and soul. Most of the information regarding Git layers has been compiled by scrying methods, or from taking advantage of the peculiar traits of the Far Realm and observing a Git layer from a more stable (if that adjective can be applied to the Far Realm at all) adjacent layer. Actual trips to a Git layer are necessarily brief, and more than often end abruptly for the unwary or thoughtless visitor. An explorer visiting one of these Git layers finds himself in an empty, featureless void with no apparent gravity. If a light source is provided, either natural or magical -though the intense wild magic trait of these layers tends to make magical light difficult to get-, the maddening, constant destruction of space itself will be made visible for a short duration. Regions of space itself become constantly distorted, twisting into weird non-Euclidian geometries that defy all logic. Straight lines, such as light rays projected by a light source, separate and circle around each other; distances vary and fluctuate erratically; angles flutter in a random way; and all concept of measure or reference quickly becomes useless and moot. Although confusing, this distortion doesn't harm material creatures entering the layer, since their structure is still coherent in whatever twisted geometry the region they occupy adopts. The real threat comes from singularities, regions in which spacetime curvature in a region, which constantly changes in these layers, becomes infinite. Singularities of varying size form constantly, further disrupting space, and thus gravity, around them. The destiny of matter colliding with these singularities is unknown, since no living -or unliving- creature, has ever survived and returned to describe the experience. From the outside, the creature or object simply seems to vanish. No magical spell known in the Multiverse can be used to return the creature to life, since apparently it has stopped existing inside it at all. Contrary to other layers of the Far Realm, the effects of the Git layers affect pseudonatural creatures normally. Thus, these layers are completely uninhabited, at least up to the knowledge of those who have investigated them.
SargBjornson 12-03-07, 04:38 PM	And here is a second one The Timeless Temple It is a remnant of a lost civilization It is an intruder in the insane order of the Far Realm It is the consequence of playing with forbidden powers Far Realm Intensity: Mild. No Gravity Frozen Time (layer-specific trait, read below) No elemental traits Finite Size (500 meter diameter) Static Thousands of years in the past, a guild of powerful human wizards and divine casters in a Prime Material Plane world whose name has been forgotten in the mists of time decided to embark upon an ambitious project. Using forbidden high magic and alienist knowledge, the wizards intended to build a magical artifact that would enable them to control the flow of time The goals of these wizards are unclear, and have been the target of wild speculation over the centuries. Even though the cynics are quick to point out that the thirst for absolute power is more than enough of a drive for most humans, some nearly-forgotten legends suggest that the guild started the project to save their world from some sort of terrible holocaust, driving the whole planet back in time to avoid disaster. In any case, it is unknown whether the artifact managed to achieve its intended goal, since the erratic, insane powers of the Far Realm perverted the whole project and twisted it into a mockery of its purpose: instead of altering the flow of time, the artifact acted as a temporal anchor, creating around it a growing area of temporal stasis inside which time stayed completely frozen. The growing sphere of frozen time threatened to eventually swallow the entire Material Plane in a hell of timelessness. Other legends tell of an ancient group of heroes and their hopeless quests to banish the terrible artifact out of the Material Plane. Although these legends are probably mostly fiction, it is indeed evident that the artifact was banished from the Material Plane, since it now rests amid other layers in the Far Realm. The artifact, and the temporal stasis area around it, forms its own Far Realm layer, being accessible from the adjacent layers as usual. The timeless area doesn't grow in the Far Realm, though its effects can still be felt, and are extremely dangerous to non-pseudonatural creatures. From other layers, or visible through magical means, the Timeless Temple appears as a huge, ornamented, red stoned building, built in a Greek cross plan, topped by an impressing crystal dome. The timelessness area around the artifact, which is situated at the center of the main hall, extends 250 meters outwards, covering the whole building and part of the courtyard. In all respects, the Timeless Temple has the same appearance as it had thousands of years ago when it existed on the Material Plane. Due to the influence of the artifact, the layer is not safe to enter for visitors, and thus no explorer or archeologist who is aware of the history of the site would ever try to explore the structure. The incorrupt, frozen in time bodies of those who tried serve as enough of a deterrent in any case. Anyone entering the layer falls under the area of effect of the artifact, and becomes instantly frozen in time. From the point of view of the victim, time seems to slow down to a halt, while the other layers around accelerate increasingly. Since the Far Realm exists outside time, they become trapped in an eternity of extreme sensorial overload, forced to watch the whirring images and sounds of the surrounding layers. This experience quickly strips their minds of any trace of sanity. If any of these victims is somehow teleported out of the layer, its body dissolves into dust as if he had been dead for eons, no matter how much relative time has passed outside the layer. Pseudonatural creatures are immune to the timelessness area that causes the Frozen Time trait, though due to the Static trait of the layer they cannot interact with anything inside it. Even though the temple can't be explored by conventional means, divination magic allows experienced -and mad- wizards to take a peek at the interior of the massive structure. Those who have done so report blood-chilling pictures of the horrified wizards who built the artifact, realizing their error in the last moment, just before being swallowed by the growing effect of timelessness. The influence of the Far Realm magic used in the construction of the artifact is obvious in the twisted images revealed by this magical methods: some of the wizards seem to be engaged in random violent acts against each other, while others were trapped in the act of running in terror out of the hall. A figure dressed in the regal clothes of an unknown deity kneels in front of the artifact, his bloody hands frozen in a desperate pose as he tried to rip his eyes off to ward the terrible visions of madness that entered from the Far Realm. Even though the Timeless Temple is not a widely known location of the Far Realm, it is considered by sages as one of the prime examples of those forces in the Multiverse that shouldn't ever be fooled with.
Warweaver 01-24-08, 08:11 PM	*Casts Resurrection on thread* The Ebon Mirror * Far Realm Intensity: Mild. * No Gravity * No elemental traits * Finite Size (3 meter diameter) * Static The Ebon Mirror is a cross between its own Far Realms layer and a minor artifact. Said to be the selfsame mirror Iphegor used when scribing the Codex Anathema, it is surprisingly unassuming. Seemingly crafted from a single solid piece of obsidian, the mirror has a perfectly-smooth front and back, with razor-sharp, unfinished edges around its oval sides. The only strange attribute is its ability to float a foot above the ground, rotating slowly in an off-kilter position. The mirror can be moved (and sometimes drifts over the ground of its own volition), but if prevented from moving it will disappear at the first unobserved moment with a Dimension Door-like effect, continuing its journey to some site of mysterious importance. During the day it reflects as a regular mirror, though reflections of sentient beings seem...distorted somehow. At night, it reflects the stars in its lustrous depths no matter what cloud cover there might be (even inside a building). A close observer may notice the stars reflected do not resemble those above, and seem clearer, sharper. Some of them move. Those who study the mirror for too long start to see and hear things in its reflection - and start to hate their own. Whispers in some unknown tongue feel like a slithering in their ears, or sudden loud noises made by something alien that no one else hears. The person may view themselves with snakes for eyes, dribbling worms when they talk, or cutting odd runes into their own skin. A grin of razor-sharp teeth, an arm or tentacle reaching for their neck from behind, even their features being slightly too far or close together...these images and sounds unnerve the observer, and a successful Will save (DC 20) is required for each minute of observation or they freak, receiving 1d4 Wis damage and attacking the mirror in a fearful frenzy. Though the mirror is immune to damage, its victims are not - the jagged edges of obsidian on the sides will cause 1d6 slashing per round with lacerations, and the wounds continue to bleed for 1 hp per round until a DC 15 Heal check or curative magic is applied. The victim will not stop attacking the mirror until they die, fall unconscious, or their eyes leave its surface for a full round. Some who fail the Will save scratch and gouge at their own eyes. Only true outsiders, aberrations, and creatures without eyes are immune to this effect - an Ebon Mirror in a wilderness area often has a few animal corpses around it, covered with small cuts. Though the ground may be dark brown with vital fluids, the mirror itself is never stained - blood smeared on it seeps into the black glass. If a sentient being stares into the mirror for three minutes without failing a save, they start to see scattered glimpses of the Far Realms, and now count as having contacted an outsider for purposes like the Alienist prestige class. The Ebon Mirror's planar energies alter the land around it over a very long period of time. If it remains in the same area for years or decades, the natural ecosystem suffers. Flora and fauna will mutate into various aberrations, most dying but some able to propagate. Proximity to the mirror in the short-term is also harmful. Some might feel a strange buzzing at the base of their skull, or exhibit subtle but disturbing personality changes. These effects end when the subject is away from the mirror for a while. In truth, the "mirror" is anything but - it is the shriveled, cast-off "skin" of a small Far Realm layer, drifting to Material Planes through temporary cysts. Whether it arrives through the agency of some Outside entity or pure chance is unknown, but there is never more than one Ebon Mirror on a plane. It is drawn to places where important events happened or will happen, and weaknesses in the barriers between worlds. Unstable and curious spellcasters, especially wizards, are drawn to the mirror and its secrets. The planar energies of its parent layer are concentrated in the mirror like a dehydrated fruit, and the greatest can sometimes use this to coax things from beyond through. These creatures are not always friendly, and many casters have met their end by listening to what the whispers want from them, or becoming so obsessed they step through themselves. Rumor persists that entire realities have met their end due to the truly ambitious...and the mirror. Additional Rules If a creature with at least one level of Alienist, an aberration, or a Far Realms outsider peers into the mirror, it can be used as the focus for Scrying and similar spells, and ignored inter-planar penalties when focused on the Far Realms. If a transcended Alienist (10th level), aberration, or Far Realms outsider uses a summoning or calling ability or spell near the mirror and chooses for the summoned thing to emerge from the mirror, the duration of the spell is doubled (as if by Extend spell) and the arriving monstrosities arrive with Spell Immunity: Dismissal. This ability requires a caster level or HD check vs DC 20 - the material plane instinctively resists Far Realm entities entering our world.
Terronus 05-18-08, 03:42 PM	The Bowels of Madness; Realm of the Wanderer Moderate Note: This is a slightly more mature oriented realm, depending on how much you like to creep out your players, you can vary the severity of it. I realize that not all far realms need be dark and twisted, but also keep in mind the Wanderer (more on it below) has created this realm out of love for its “herds”. In my own adventures, the realm itself (most notably the malformed Experiments) were more X-Rated, and when the adventures actually encountered the Wanderer, I described it as speaking to them like an owner to his dog. (This reinforced both the alien idea of his love for humanoids and the difference in the intelligence level of a human and an extraplanar cosmic being… how else could beings of our intelligence be made to understand such an entity??). The Wanderer, a titanic, paragon Uvuuduam, ELH with a cosmic rank of 3, spent many years traveling intermittently between the Far Realms and the fringes of the Outer Planes. When one hapless scholar from the Prime, many aeons ago, encountered it, the Wanderer was so taken by the biology of the man it subjected him to thousands of years of every form of mutilation, examination and inspection… until no capillary, neuron, or nerve could hold a secret from it. The Wanderer’s fascination is still voracious, and he sends beasts known as The Harvests (Pseudonatural Great Fihyrs, MM2) throughout the Great Wheel to “harvest” more bodies for his alien studies. Occasionally, a Harvest has appeared on the Prime. Most notably, the Wanderer continues to seek out mortals for its “herds” since nearly no mind can survive such a journey through the Far Realms. In perhaps its greatest display of love, the Wanderer fashioned its realm in the likeness of mankind (or any humanoid-type creature, for which he shares an equal curiosity and love for). The Bowels of Madness are just that: enormous intestines, infected, pussing, oozing, and pulsating as though they breathe. Patches of cilia, vaguely humanoid (perhaps past experiments or lost wanderers?) reach out with voracious hunger, begging that you let them placate the pain and agony of their unnending hunger and madness. Normally, such patches can be circumvented, but a particularly thick patch should be treated as 1d4+2 chokers advanced to 20-29 HD each. Note that the bowels never intersect, like a giant plate of spaghetti, but can be traveled between in the same manner of escaping a creature’s stomach (see MM). The Bowels have AC 3, and 52 hit points, but the ooze they secrete deals 6d6 acid damage for 3 rounds after passing through such a wound. The bowels themselves are ripe with bacteria and bodily fluids, subjecting the adventurers to a DC 27 slimy doom, DMG disease. This disease must be overcome every day within the Bowels, although any spell or ability that provides immunity to disease will prevent it. Any creature that dies from the disease becomes a patch of cilia. Most disturbing, however, are the semi-successful experiments to improve the creatures that the Wanderer loves so dearly... humanoids that have been intentionally deformed, twisted, and surgically altered without reason. Experiments vary, but they are incredibly twisted and horrifying to look upon. A typical Experiment will have its its arm and leg joints physically broken or surgically altered into reverse, and moves in a fashion similar to crab-walking. The hands and feet might have been sewn into each others’ respective positions, and the optical nerves might have been removed to create two gruesome eyestalks from an opening in the back of its skull… and the head itself might have been repositioned to the flayed skin of the back or stomach of such a beast. Experiments are statted as Sirrush or three-headed Sirrush, and they can speak a garbled derivative (DC 25 Int check to understand one) of their original languages. Rarely, however, do they speak of things informative. Experiments are the second most common residents of the Bowels (after the cilia) and are often fixated on flesh, madness, or the "sweet pain" or "agonizing pleasure" of their perceived celestial or demonic form. The only useful information they might speak of is, with a DC 45 Gather Information: 1-60%: there are, in fact, ways to escape this realm. 61-78%: the whereabouts of the nearest Harvest. 79-91%: the general direction of the Wanderer. 92-100%: the general direction of the nearest escape. It is at the DM's discretion whether or not a specific Experiment will attack outright or talk with the adventurers. Travelers are more likely to find a way out by stalking or communicating with one of the Harvest, or confronting the Wanderer, or discovering some other denizen of the realm. Both the Harvests and the Wanderer would be willing to speak with adventurers, but neither would ever willingly let them leave (considering they have arrived sane and would make excellent Experiments). Planar Traits: Normal Gravity Timeless Finite- no one, save the Wanderer itself, has truly explored the far reaches of this realm, and beasts far worse than the Harvest or Experiments might lurk within its depths... Divine Morphic- only the Wanderer has power to change this realm. The sole exception is that travelers can cut their way from one bowel to another, although, like the stomach of any beast, muscles close the wound and the realm returns to normal. No Elemental or Alignment Traits Enhanced Magic- necromantic and transmutation effects are enhanced within the Bowels of Madness. Final Note: This Realm is obviously intended for Epic play. You can tune down the CR of the encounters if wanting to incorporate it at an earlier level. The hostile nature of this realm should merit high rewards, and hopefully a short stay. The creatures listed may certainly not be the only ones found in The Realm of the Wanderer... who knows on what manner of beasts it experimented before it discovered its love of humanoids?
Warweaver 05-18-08, 06:40 PM	The Bowels of Madness; Realm of the Wanderer I like it, nice work! (And I'm glad this thread is being resurrected.) :P
Terronus 05-19-08, 03:54 AM	I like it, nice work! (And I'm glad this thread is being resurrected.) :P Thank you sir... the fact that you posted in 2008 was an inspiration alone! Also, this thread itself has led to many adventure hooks for me as a DM, even while my players were still within the Prime; Ebon Mirror included :P . I like Lovecraft-type artifacts/places/encounters that, used occasionally, inspire (sometimes simply player) insecurity or fear for those that normally sit on a seat of power as an adventurer.
Warweaver 05-19-08, 04:21 AM	this thread itself has led to many adventure hooks for me as a DM, even while my players were still within the Prime. Agreed! Hopefully the bumping will get more involved. :P