Planar Traits

Planar Traits

In D&D, each plane of existence has its own properties that can be split into four categories – physical traits, elemental and energy traits, alignment traits, and magic traits. Let us try to represent these traits in GURPS. Many of the planes have more specific traits that deserve expanding upon in separate posts, but now right now.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Gravity

The direction of gravity’s pull may be unusual, and it might even change directions within the plane itself.

Normal Gravity: Most planes have gravity similar to that of the Material Plane. The usual rules for characteristics, carrying capacity, and encumbrance apply. Unless otherwise noted in a description, it is assumed every plane has the normal gravity trait.

Altered Gravity: The gravity on a plane with this trait can have a different intensity than on the Material Plane. Use the rules under Different Gravity (p. B350).

No Gravity: Individuals on a plane with this trait merely float in space, unless other resources are available to provide a direction for gravity’s pull. Use the rules for zero gravity under Different Gravity (p. B350). Unlike in space, bones usually do not degenerate on a plane with this trait. Free Fall skill is useful nonetheless. Some planes with this trait provide alternative ways of movement, like moving by thought.

Objective Directional Gravity: The strength of gravity on a plane with this trait is the same as on the Material Plane, but the direction is not the traditional “down” toward the ground. It may be down toward any solid object, at an angle to the surface of the plane itself, or even upward. In addition, objective directional gravity may change from place to place. The direction of “down” may vary.

Subjective Directional Gravity: The strength of gravity on a plane with this trait is the same as on the Material Plane, but each individual chooses the direction of gravity’s pull. Such a plane has no gravity for unattended objects and non-sentient creatures. This sort of environment can be very disorienting to the newcomer, but is common on “weightless” planes.

Characters on a plane with subjective directional gravity can move normally along a solid surface by imagining “down” near their feet. If suspended in midair, a character “flies” by merely choosing a “down” direction and “falling” that way. Movement is straight-line only. In order to stop, one has to slow one’s movement by changing the designated “down” direction.

It takes a successful Will, Free Fall, or Body Sense roll to set a new direction of gravity as a free action; this check can be made once per second. Any character who fails this roll in successive seconds receives a cumulative +1 bonus on subsequent checks until he or she succeeds.

Typically, it is not necessary to calculate speed and acceleration for a safe landing, so you can require a character to make an aforementioned roll at a -2 penalty to decelerate oneself and land safely. One a failure the character falls, taking 1d crushing damage to a random hit location (or 1d/2, if he fell on a soft surface). This can be improved via the following technique.

Safe Landing

Hard

Default: Will-2, Body Sense-2, or Free Fall-2.

This technique is used for safe landing on a plane with the subjective directional gravity trait.

Time

The rate of time’s passage can vary on different planes, though it remains constant within any particular plane. Time is always subjective for the viewer. The same subjectivity applies to various planes. Travelers may discover that they will pick up or lose time while moving among the planes, but from their point of view, time always passes naturally.

Within the D&D cosmology, time flows at a normal rate, and all planes have the normal time trait. Planes with the flowing time trait or the erratic time trait change the game too dramatically for most players' tastes. The only exception to this is the Astral Plane, which is a timeless plane for purposes of aging, hunger, thirst, and natural healing.

Normal Time: This trait describes the way time passes on the Material Plane. One hour on a plane with normal time equals one hour on the Material Plane. Unless otherwise noted in a description, every plane has the normal time trait.

Timeless: On planes with this trait, time still passes, but the effects of time are diminished. How the timeless trait can affect certain activities or conditions such as hunger, thirst, aging, the effects of poison, and healing varies from plane to plane.

The danger of a timeless plane is that once one leaves such a plane for one where time flows normally, conditions such as hunger and aging do occur retroactively.

Flowing Time: On some planes, time can flow faster or slower. One may travel to another plane, spend a year there, then return to the Material Plane to find that only six seconds have elapsed. Everything on the plane returned to is only a few seconds older. But for that traveler and the items, spells, and effects working on him, that year away was entirely real.

When designating how time works on planes with flowing time, put the Material Plane’s flow of time first, followed by the same flow in the other plane.

Erratic Time: Some planes have time that slows down and speeds up, so an individual may lose or gain time as he moves between the two planes. The following is provided as an example.

d6	Time on Material Plane	Time on Erratic Time Plane
1	1 day	1 minute
2-3	1 day	1 hour
4	1 day	1 day
5	1 hour	1 day
6	1 minute	1 day

To the denizens of such a plane, time flows naturally and the shift is unnoticed.

If a plane is timeless with respect to magic, any spell cast with a non-instantaneous duration is permanent until dispelled.

Morphic Traits

This trait measures how easily the basic nature of a plane can be changed. Some planes are responsive to sentient thought, while others can be manipulated only by extremely powerful creatures. And some planes respond to physical or magical efforts.

Alterable Morphic: On a plane with this trait, objects remain where they are (and what they are) unless affected by physical force or magic. You can change the immediate environment as a result of tangible effort.

Highly Morphic: On a plane with this trait, features of the plane change so frequently that it’s difficult to keep a particular area stable. Such planes may react dramatically to specific spells, sentient thought, or the force of will. Others change for no reason.

Magically Morphic: Specific spells can alter the basic material of a plane with this trait.

Divinely Morphic: Specific unique beings (deities or similar great powers) have the ability to alter objects, creatures, and the landscape on planes with this trait. Ordinary characters find these planes similar to alterable planes in that they may be affected by spells and physical effort. But the deities may cause these areas to change instantly and dramatically, creating great kingdoms for themselves.

Static: These planes are unchanging. Visitors cannot affect living residents of the plane, nor objects that the denizens possess. Any spells that would affect those on the plane have no effect unless the plane’s static trait is somehow removed or suppressed. Spells cast before entering a plane with the static trait remain in effect, however.

Even moving an unattended object within a static plane requires winning a Quick Contest of ST against ST 15. Particularly heavy objects may be impossible to move.

Sentient: These planes are ones that respond to a single thought - that of the plane itself. Travelers would find the plane’s landscape changing as a result of what the plane thought of the travelers, either becoming more or less hospitable depending on its reaction.

ELEMENTAL AND ENERGY TRAITS

Four basic elements and two types of energy together make up everything. The elements are earth, air, fire, and water. The types of energy are positive and negative.

The Material Plane reflects a balancing of those elements and energies; all are found there. Each of the Inner Planes is dominated by one element or type of energy. Other planes may show off various aspects of these elemental traits. Many planes have no elemental or energy traits; these traits are noted in a plane’s description only when they are present.

Air-Dominant: Mostly open space, planes with this trait have just a few bits of floating stone or other elements. They usually have a breathable atmosphere, though such a plane may include clouds of acidic or toxic gas. Creatures of the earth subtype are uncomfortable on air-dominant planes because they have little or no natural earth to connect with. They take no actual damage, however.

Cold-Dominant: Planes with this trait usually are composed mostly of snow and ice. Mean temperature on such planes is -40°F. See Cold (p. B430) for details.

Earth-Dominant: Planes with this trait are mostly solid. Travelers who arrive run the risk of suffocation if they don’t reach a cavern or other pocket within the earth. Worse yet, individuals without the ability to burrow are entombed in the earth and must dig their way out (1 foot per second). Creatures of the air subtype are uncomfortable on earth dominant planes because these planes are tight and claustrophobic to them. But they suffer no inconvenience beyond having difficulty moving.

Fire-Dominant: Planes with this trait are composed of flames that continually burn without consuming their fuel source. Fire-dominant planes are extremely hostile to Material Plane creatures, and those without resistance to fire are soon immolated.

Unprotected wood, paper, cloth, and other flammable materials catch fire almost immediately, and those wearing unprotected flammable clothing catch on fire. In addition, individuals take 1d-2 burning damage every second they are on a fire-dominant plane. Creatures of the water subtype are extremely uncomfortable on fire-dominant planes. Those that are made of water take 1d burning damage each second.

Water-Dominant: Planes with this trait are mostly liquid. Visitors who can’t breathe water or reach a pocket of air will likely drown. Creatures of the fire subtype are extremely uncomfortable on water-dominant planes.

Positive-Dominant: An abundance of life characterizes planes with this trait. The two kinds of positive-dominant traits are minor positive-dominant and major positive-dominant. A minor positive-dominant plane is a riotous explosion of life in all its forms. Colors are brighter, fires are hotter, noises are louder, and sensations are more intense as a result of the positive energy swirling through the plane. All individuals in a positive-dominant plane gain Regeneration (Regular).

Major positive-dominant planes go even further. A creature on a major positive-dominant plane must make an HT roll each second to avoid being blinded for 1 minute by the brilliance of the surroundings. Protected Vision protects against this effect fully. Simply being on the plane grants Regeneration (Fast). In addition, those at full hit points continue to regenerate, gaining DR 1 (Ablative, -80%) every minute. This DR fades away 1d minutes after the creature leaves the major positive-dominant plane. However, a creature must make a HT roll every minute that its DR (Ablative) exceed its normal hit point total. Failing the roll results in the creature exploding in a riot of energy, killing it.

Negative-Dominant: Planes with this trait are vast, empty reaches that suck the life out of travelers who cross them. They tend to be lonely, haunted planes, drained of color and filled with winds bearing the soft moans of those who died within them. As with positive-dominant planes, negative-dominant planes can be either minor or major. On minor negative-dominant planes, living creatures take 1d-3 toxic damage per second on a failed HT roll. At 0 hit points or lower, they crumble into ash.

Major negative-dominant planes are even more severe. They take 1d toxic damage on a failed HT roll. If they reach 0 HP or lower, they become a wraith. The Death Ward spell protects a traveler from the damage of a negative-dominant plane.

ALIGNMENT TRAITS

Some planes have a predisposition to a certain alignment. Most of the inhabitants of these planes also have the plane’s particular alignment, even powerful creatures such as deities. In addition, creatures of alignments contrary to the plane have a tougher time dealing with its natives and situations.

The alignment trait of a plane affects social interactions there. Characters who follow other alignments than most of the inhabitants do may find life more difficult.

Alignment traits have multiple components. First are the moral (good or evil) and ethical (lawful or chaotic) components; a plane can have either a moral component, an ethical component, or one of each. Second, the specific alignment trait indicates whether each moral or ethical component is mildly or strongly evident.

Good-Aligned/Evil-Aligned: These planes have chosen a side in the battle of good versus evil. No plane can be both good-aligned and evil-aligned.

Law-Aligned/Chaos-Aligned: Law versus chaos is the key struggle for these planes and their residents. No plane can be both law-aligned and chaos-aligned.

Each part of the moral/ethical alignment trait has a descriptor, either “mildly” or “strongly,” to show how powerful the influence of alignment is on the plane.

Mildly Aligned: Creatures who powers granted by a divine entity of an alignment opposite that of a mildly aligned plane take a -2 penalty to Reaction rolls.

Strongly Aligned: On planes that are strongly aligned, in addition to -2 penalty to Reaction rolls, such creatures gain a -1 penalty to IQ.

The penalties for the moral and ethical components of the alignment trait do stack.

Neutral-Aligned: A mildly neutral-aligned plane does not apply a circumstance penalty to anyone.

The Material Plane is considered mildly neutral-aligned, though it may contain high concentrations of evil or good, law or chaos in places.

A strongly neutral-aligned plane would stand in opposition to all other moral and ethical principles: good, evil, law, and chaos. Such a plane may be more concerned with the balance of the alignments than with accommodating and accepting alternate points of view. In the same fashion as for other strongly aligned planes, strongly neutral-aligned planes apply the penalties to characters with powers granted by non-neutral divine entities. The penalty is applied twice (once for law/chaos, and once for good/evil), so neutral good, neutral evil, lawful neutral, and chaotic neutral creatures take a -2 penalty and lawful good, chaotic good, chaotic evil, and lawful evil creatures take a -4 penalty.

MAGIC TRAITS

A plane’s magic trait describes how magic works on the plane compared to how it works on the Material Plane. Particular locations on a plane (such as those under the direct control of deities) may be pockets where a different magic trait applies.

Normal Magic: This magic trait means that all spells and supernatural abilities function as written. Unless otherwise noted in a description, every plane has the normal magic trait.

Wild Magic: On a plane with the wild magic trait spells and spell-like abilities function in radically different and sometimes dangerous ways. Any spell or spell-like ability used on a wild magic plane has a chance to go awry. Treat the plane as having continuous wild mana (GURPS Thaumatology, p. 59).

Impeded Magic: Particular spells and spell-like abilities are more difficult to cast on planes with this trait, often because the nature of the plane interferes with the spell. Treat this as a low mana zone, usually aspected.

Enhanced Magic: Particular spells and spell-like abilities are easier to use or more powerful in effect on planes with this trait than they are on the Material Plane. Natives of a plane with the enhanced magic trait are aware of which spells and spell-like abilities are enhanced, but planar travelers may have to discover this on their own. Treat this as a high mana zone, usually aspected.

Limited Magic: Planes with this trait permit only the use of spells and spell-like abilities that meet particular qualifications. Magic can be limited to effects from certain colleges, to effects with certain properties, or any combination of these qualities. Spells and spell-like abilities that don’t meet the qualifications simply don’t work.

Dead Magic: These planes have no magic at all. Treat this as a zero mana zone. The only exception to the “no magic” rule is permanent planar portals, which still function normally.

SPECIFIC PLANES AND THEIR PROPERTIES

Specific planes not only have a combination of the described traits, but can also have unique features. For their traits see Manual of the Planes or the planes section of the D&D 3.5 SRD. Some of the unique traits work differently in GURPS.

Ethereal Plane

-          No gravity.

-          Alterable morphic.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

-          Normal magic.

The Ethereal Plane is a misty, fog-bound dimension that is coexistent with the Material Plane and often other planes as well. Travelers within the Ethereal Plane describe the plane as a collection of swirling mists and colorful fogs. The Material Plane itself is visible from the Ethereal Plane, but it appears muted and indistinct, its colors blurring into each other and its edges turning fuzzy. Ethereal denizens watch the Material Plane as though viewing it through distorted and frosted glass (treat this as a straightforward -4 to spot objects at any range, and -8 to resolve fine details). This is a feature of the plane itself; there is no need to purchase it as an ability. While it is possible to see into the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, the Ethereal Plane is usually invisible to those on the Material Plane. Normally, creatures on the Ethereal Plane cannot attack creatures on the Material Plane, and vice versa. A traveler on the Ethereal Plane is invisible, incorporeal, and utterly silent to someone on the Material Plane.

An ethereal creature that can materialize temporarily to manipulate objects on the Material Plane, like a ghost, must possess the following ability package:

Etherealness [177]: Insubstantiality (Accessibility, Not on the Ethereal Plane, -10%; Always On, -50%; Can Carry Objects, Heavy Encumbrance, +100%) [112] + Jumper (Planar; Accessibility, Only on the Ethereal Plane and planes that border it, -5%; Limited Access, Ethereal, -20%; Magical, -10%) [65].

If the creature has any abilities that have the Affects Substantial, +40% enhancement, then apply the Affects Substantial, +100% enhancement to Insubstantiality, increasing the advantage’s cost to 192 points and the whole package’s cost to 257 points. Note that Insubstantiality is not a magical ability - it will work in a no-mana zone, it cannot be dispelled, etc. Jumper, on the other hand, is a magical ability and disabling it can prevent the creature from materializing or returning to the Ethereal Plane.

A creature with Jumper (p. B64) can plane shift to the Ethereal Plane.

See Invisible (p. B83) gets a new specialty – Ethereal. A character with See Invisible (Ethereal) can see ethereal creatures regardless of the power source that grants the etherealness.

The Ethereal Plane is divided into two sections: the Border Ethereal, which overlaps the material world; and the inner Deep Ethereal, which is a distinct place, with abstract geography and unique denizens. To enter the Deep Ethereal from the Border Ethereal or return to the Border Ethereal from the Deep Ethereal, a character must use a new technique – Ethereal Crossing. You cannot plane shift directly to the Deep Ethereal, even if you do it from the Border Ethereal.

Ethereal Crossing

Hard

Default: Meditation-6; cannot exceed Meditation skill.

A roll vs. Ethereal Crossing allows you to enter the Deep Ethereal from the Border Ethereal. If you concentrate for one minute (the shortest possible time), your Ethereal Crossing roll is at -5; taking extra time (p. B346) gives bonuses that can compensate for this. You have an additional penalty equal to twice your encumbrance level (e.g., Heavy encumbrance gives -6). Successful or not, the attempt costs 1 FP.

Plane of Shadow

-          Magically morphic. Certain spells modify the base material of the Plane of Shadow. The utility and power of these spells within the Plane of Shadow make them particularly useful for explorers and natives alike.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for darkness and shadow spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for light spells.

The Plane of Shadow has a ubiquitous illumination level of -5. The world is black and white on the plane.

Astral Plane

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Timeless. Age, hunger, thirst, poison, and natural healing don’t function in the Astral Plane, though they resume functioning when the traveler leaves the Astral Plane.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

Region of Dreams

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Flowing time. For every 10 minutes in Dream, only 1 minute passes on the Material Plane. But the nature of the plane makes time spent on the plane less real. No matter what visitors experience, only memories remain when they leave Dream. Spells cannot truly be cast or learned, nor items won or lost.

-          Highly morphic. Dreaming skill is used to morph the plane.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

-          Normal Magic: Spells can be cast normally, but travelers who leave Dream discover that any spells they used on the plane weren't really cast (they still have them as prepared spells or available spell slots). Similarly, any spells still in effect when a traveler leaves Dream are gone as if they were never cast.

Plane of Mirrors

-          Static.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

Elemental Plane of Air

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Air-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for air spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for earth spells.

Elemental Plane of Earth

-          Earth-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for earth spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for air spells.

Elemental Plane of Fire

-          Fire-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for fire spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for ater spells.

Elemental Plane of Water

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Water-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for water spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for fire spells.

Negative Energy Plane

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Major negative-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for necromantic spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for healing spells.

Positive Energy Plane

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Major positive-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for healing spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for necromantic spells.

Paraelemental Plane of Ice

-          Cold-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for cold and ice spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for fire spells.

Paraelemental Plane of Magma

-          Fire-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for fire and earth spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for cold and ice spells.

Paraelemental Plane of Ooze

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Water-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for water and earth spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for fire and air spells.

Paraelemental Plane of Smoke

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Fire-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for fire and air spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for earth and water spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Lightning

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Fire-dominant. Damage dealt has surge modifier and treats metallic DR as DR 1.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for lightning spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for earth spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Mineral

-          Earth-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for earth spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for air spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Radiance

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Fire-dominant.

-          Minor positive-dominant. Blinds as if it was major positive-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for light spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for earth and cold spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Steam

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Fire-dominant. Deals non-incendiary damage.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for fire spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for cold spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Ash

-          Cold-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for cold spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for fire spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Dust

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Air-dominant.

-          Enhanced magic. The plane is treated as having high mana for earth spells.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for air spells.

Quasielemental Plane of Salt

-          Each visitor must roll HT every minute or lose 1 FP to dehydration.

Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Minor negative-dominant.

-          Impeded magic. The plane is treated as having low mana for air spells.

-          Vacuum.

Ysgard

-          Divinely morphic.

-          No Elemental Traits. No one element dominates on Ysgard; all are in balance as on the Material Plane. However, pans of the second layer, Muspelheim, are treated as if they possessed the fire-dominant trait.

-          Minor positive-dominant. Additionally, those slain in the never-ending conflicts on Ysgard's fields of battle rise each morning as if Resurrection were cast on them, fully healed and ready to fight anew. Even petitioners, who as outsiders cannot be raised, awaken fully healed. Only those who suffer mortal wounds on Ysgard's battlefields get the true resurrection effect; dead characters brought to Ysgard don't spontaneously revive.

-          Mildly chaos-aligned.

Limbo

-          Subjective directional gravity.

-          Highly morphic. All inhabitants are treated as having Control Limbo Terrain 1.

-          Sporadic element-dominant. No one element constantly dominated Limbo. Each element is dominant from time to time, so any given area is a chaotic, dangerous boil. The elemental dominance can change without warning.

-          Strongly chaos-aligned.

-          Wild magic.

Pandemonium

-          Objective directional gravity. In the cavernous tunnels of Pandemonium, gravity is oriented toward whatever wall a creature is nearest. Thus, there is no normal concept of floor, wall and ceiling - any surface is a floor if you're near enough to it. Rare narrow tunnels exactly cancel out gravity, allowing a traveler to shoot through them at incredible speed. The layer of Phlegethon is an exception—there the normal gravity trait applies.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly chaos-aligned.

Abyss

-          Normal Gravity. The top layer of the Abyss, the Plain of Infinite Portals, and many other layers have the normal gravity trait, but other layers of the Abyss can contain wildly different gravity traits that run the gamut of possibilities.

-          Normal Time. Time flows at the same rate in the Abyss as on the Material Plane. However, rumors persist of a layer where time flows backward with regard to aging. The reverse flow is erratic, however, and a visitor could be reverse-aged to childhood or out of existence altogether.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mixed Elemental and Energy Traits. This trait varies widely from layer to layer. In the Abyss as a whole, no one element or energy constantly dominates, though certain layers have a dominant element or energy, or a mixture of two or more.

-          Mildly chaos-aligned.

-          Mildly evil-aligned.

Carceri

-          Normal Gravity: On the orbs, gravity is exactly like the Material Plane. Between orbs, there is no gravity, which eases travel for those who can fly beyond the clutches of each orb's gravity.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly evil-aligned.

Hades

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Strongly evil-aligned.

-          Entrapping: This is a special trait unique to Hades, although Elysium has a similar entrapping trait. A non-outsider in Hades experiences increasing apathy and despair while there. Colors become grayer and less vivid, sounds duller, and even the demeanor of companions seems to be more hateful. At the conclusion of every week spent in Hades, any non-outsider must make a Will roll with a cumulative -1 for every week he spent in Hades. Failure indicates that the individual has fallen entirely under the control of the plane, becoming a petitioner of Hades. Travelers entrapped by the inherent evil of Hades cannot leave the plane of their own volition and have no desire to do so. Memories of any previous life fade into nothingness.

Gehenna

-          Normal Gravity. Gravity is similar to the Material Plane, but naturally occurring volcanic mountains seem to float free in an infinitely larger void. Gravity is normal on the steep slopes of a mountain, and a fall tumbles victims many miles until a chance ledge catches them, or continued rolling abrasions of the fall completely shred the victim.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly evil-aligned.

Baator

-          Divinely morphic.

-          No Elemental or Energy Traits. Elemental and energy influences are balanced, except on the layer of Phlegethos (which has the fire-dominant trait). On the layer of Cania, cold is king, and a special “cold-dominant” trait applies there.

-          Mildly law-aligned.

-          Mildly evil-aligned.

Acheron

-          Objective directional gravity. The strength of gravity is the same as on the Material Plane, but which way is down depends on which face of the cube you're on. Walking across edges between faces can be dizzying for the inexperienced.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly law-aligned.

Mechanus

-          Objective directional gravity. The strength of gravity is the same as on the Material Plane but the direction is oriented to the face of each rotating cog. Walking between cogs can be dizzying for newcomers—and dangerous if a traveler falls between the cogs.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Strongly law-aligned.

Arcadia

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly law-aligned.

Celestia

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly law-aligned.

-          Mildly good-aligned.

Bytopia

-          Objective directional gravity. “Down” exists in two opposite directions on the planes two facing layers. Gravity is normal until one crosses the invisible border between the two layers; then it reverses. Those who break through the border find themselves falling toward the other plane.

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly good-aligned.

Elyisum

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Minor positive-dominant.

-          Strongly good-aligned.

-          Entrapping: This is a special trait unique to Elysium, although Hades has a similar entrapping trait. A non-outsider in Elysium experiences increasing joy and satisfaction while there. Colors become brighter and more vivid, sounds more melodious and soft, and even the nature of others seems more pleasant and understanding. At the conclusion of every week spent in Elysium, any non-outsider must make a Will roll with a cumulative -1 for every week he spent in Elysium. Failure indicates that the individual has fallen entirely under the control of the plane, becoming a petitioner of Elysium. Travelers entrapped by the inherent tranquility and good of Elysium cannot leave the plane of their own volition and have no desire to do so. Memories of any previous life fade into nothingness.

Beastlands

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly good-aligned.

Arborea

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly chaos-aligned.

-          Mildly good-aligned.

Outlands

-          Divinely morphic.

-          Mildly neutral-aligned.

-          Normal Magic, Impeded Magic, and Limited Magic. The Outlands has the normal magic trait far from its central spire, but as one approaches the hub of the plane, spells, spell-like abilities, and other supernatural powers are further and further restricted. Where the surface of the plinth is near vertical, almost no abilities (and few deity-level powers) function.

Far from the spire, magic functions normally. Moving closer to the base of the spire, spells of lower levels are impeded in this manner, according to the table below.

Distance from Spire	Effects
1,000 mi.	Low mana
900 mi.	All creatures gain immunity to poison
800 mi.	Psionic abilities don’t function
700 mi.	Positive and negative energy cannot be channeled
600 mi.	No mana
500 mi.	Access to the Astral Plane prohibited
400 mi.	Divine powers of demi-deity rank or lower annulled
300 mi.	Divine powers of lesser rank and lower annulled
200 mi.	Divine powers of intermediate rank and lower annulled
100 mi.	All divine powers annulled

Far Realm

-          No gravity.

-          Flowing time.

-          Highly morphic.

-          Sporadic elemental and energy traits.

-          Wild magic.

-          Maddening. Moving through the Far Realm is to see, hear, and think in a way that mortal brains are not designed for. Travelers might sprout eyes on their palms, relive a hundred childhoods simultaneously wherein their parents were secretly Far Realm wights, or backward speaking begin. Visitors to the Far Realm must make a Fright Check every hour with a cumulative -1 penalty per hour spent in the Far Realm. Use the Confusion variant table from GURPS Powers.