The Paraelemental Plane of Magma
“The Paraelemental Plane of Magma is a bubbling, churning mass of molten stone, volcanic rock, sulfurous fumes, and searing heat. It is not a place that most outsiders— or even other inner-planar natives—would ever want to visit, but it does have a few defenders. The magmen, for instance, happily call it home. While not a member of their race, I know a good deal about them. My name is Flaasam ki’Alifir, and I am of the fire spirits. (He’s a fire genasi.—the Editor) ”
-Flaasam ki’Alifir,
My heart lies within the Elemental Plane of Fire, but I have spent a good deal of time in our sister paraplane as well.
To understand what Magma is like, imagine a vast sea of boiling rock. Plumes of smoky fire rise from the glowing surface of the morass to create an atmosphere primarily composed of a thick fog of molten stone laced with deadly fumes. Here and there, islands of basalt or obsidian resist the naturally destructive nature of the realm, but most every- thing is con- sumed by the glorious heat and flames very quickly.
As one travels toward the Elemental Plane of Earth, the magma becomes thicker and flows more slowly. The rising plumes of fire become less frequent, although a haze of volcanic ash gradually begins to fill the air. The juncture of the two realms is an area of basalt cliffs and spires rising above rivers and lakes of molten lava. This region is known to most as the Scorched Wastes. Apart from the occasional fire elemental or hermetic salamander, practically nothing lives here.
Moving away from the center of Magma in the other direction eventually brings a traveler to the beautiful Elemental Plane of Fire. As his journey progresses, he sees the magma growing blissfully hotter and more fluid. The nearer he draws to the Blaz ing Sea, the more frequent the fiery eruptions that dot the paraplane. In the end, at the point where the two regions meet, the atmosphere is awash with a haze made wholly from searing droplets of molten stone. This deadly place is known as the Sear ing Mists, and it supports no more population than the Scorched Wastes.
A traveler heading in the direction of the Positive Energy Plane can move toward the quasiplanes of Mineral or Radiance. Both routes are marked by dangerous terrain. In the former case, the surface of the lava gradually cools until it forms a smooth plain of hard obsidian. Spires of volcanic glass and geodelike crystal soon rise out of the wasteland to form what the sages call the Obsidian Forest. The place is infested by evil stone creatures who, for one reason or another, have fled from their would be rules, the archomental known as Ogremoch. They enjoy privacy—quite so, in fact. It would be my recommendation to avoid these displaced fugitives.
If a traveler opts to change course just a bit, he eventually reaches the quasiplane of Radiance. Before he does, however, he passes through one of the deadliest places in all the Inner Planes: the Glowing Dunes. This is a region of rolling hills at first made up of volcanic ash. Nearer the quasiplane of Radiance, the dust becomes more metallic and gradually begins to radiate light and energy. Whatever the nature of these magical emanations, they present a deadly threat to every living thing. Those who travel through the area must make a saving throw vs. death magic each day. Any poor crea- ture who fails this roll becomes afflicted with a horrible disease or curse (no one knows which for sure). Before long, nausea sets in. This is followed by blistering skin, hair loss, bleeding gums, blindness, and countless other nasty symptoms before the victim dies in 3d20 painful days. All in all, a more unpleasant death would be difficult to imagine.No cure, not even a magical one, is known to help, though rumor has it that a loam found in the plane of Earth or a plant growing deep within the plane of Water may alleviate the condition before the victim dies.
In the other direction, toward the Negative Energy Plane, the structure of the magma gradually breaks up. Near the quasiplane of Dust, it slowly cools and forms a vast, desertlike expanse known as the Sands. Although this place is cooler than the rest of Magma, it wreaks havoc on metal items and mechan- ical devices. As one moves through the Sands toward Dust, the particles become more and more pow- dery. They creep into everything and tend to promote rust and other corrosion.
Traveling instead toward the quasiplane of Ash, a similar transformation occurs. At the point where Magma and Ash truly come together lies a vast collection of chalky islands with streams of magma run- ning between them. This is a difficult place to explore, however, for the islands are deadly stretches of frigid ash (for details on the conditions of such places, refer to the chapter on the Quasielemental Plane of Ash), while the rivers are hot, blistering channels of magma. This produces a checkerboard effect where regions of extreme heat abut those of numbing cold. A traveler will be hard-pressed to protect himself against both hazards.
The Powerful and Mighty
The paraplane of Magma is not heavily populated. The most common creatures here are, of course, paraelementals and mephits, but an unwary sod still can find trouble with any number of hot-blooded folk.
No known powers reside in the paraplane of Magma. How- ever, a traveler should be familiar with at least two very mighty beings, just in case he ever bumps into them.
CHILIMBA
Master of the lava mephits, Chilimba is as cruel and evil a tyrant as any that ever lived. Indeed, rumor has it that he studied the art of torture under the guidance of a particularly nasty pit fiend. By the end of his training, it is said, he was teaching that fiend new ways to inflict pain and suffering.
A great deal of confusion exists regarding Chilimba’s true nature. While he claims to be an archomental, there can be no doubt that he is of lava mephit stock. In all like- lihood, Chilimba is a crossbreed, rather like a paraelemen- tal genasi.
Chilimba makes his home in a fortress of basalt known as Caldera. Carved in the image of an immense red dragon, the structure is protected by all manner of conventional and magical defenses. This is as much a tribute to Chilimba’s paranoia as anything else.
KORLAND REDBLAZE.
Towering even above the rest of his kin, Korland Redblaze (Pl/d fire giant/HD 18/LE) is the bravest of the paraplane’s fire giants. Although aggressive and somewhat brutal, Redblaze is not unreasonable. It is said that he grants an audience to anyone who desires it, but those who waste his time will know the full extent of his considerable anger.
Redblaze is the commander of a large mercenary com- pany of fire giants known as the Flaming Axe. He has aug- mented the natural might and fury of his followers with extensive training and top-notch equipment. Although the price of their service is high, no one could ask for a better cadre of troops.
PARAELEMENFALS
The rulers of the paraplane are, without a doubt, the vicious magma mephits. While other races, including fire mephits, wage endless battles with them, their vast numbers seldom permit defeat. It is no wonder that their leader, Chilimba (who likes to be called the Searing Emperor, the First General of the Cauldron, or the Master of All Mephits), is the most powerful basher in the paraplane.
Magma paraelementals, along with their cousins from the planes of Earth and Fire, are not uncommon. In the interest of survival, though, they generally avoid the reigning mephits. When these races do come into con- tact with each other, battle almost always erupts.
ANIMALS
A large number of animentals can be found in the paraplane of Magma,but few flesh-and- blood animals can survive here. Some regions of the magma sea are reportedly inhabited by schools of deadly fish that have been magically altered to enable them to thrive in lava, but no one seems to know the truth of this. Gelterfish, on the other hand, pose a threat to no one, even as they swim powerfully through the dense molten rock. They're immune to the heat, and no one knows what, if anything, they eat.
Perhaps the reports of dangerous fish are actually thoq- qua sightings. These beasts aren’t really animals, but they do swim through the magma and they do sometimes attack others (natives and outsiders alike). It is said that the thoq- qua seek only to reach the Elemental Plane of Earth where they can burrow through stone, so the specimens sighted here may simply be migrating.
Biazons are small, animate, burning rocks. Efreet come to the paraplane to collect them as pets or watchdogs. Mephits and paraelementals domesticate them as well, though curiously, the blazons hate and fear magmen. Some have suggested that blazons are larval magmen, but this seems like a bit of a stretch.
MONSTERS
Most of the monsters found in the paraplane of Magma are those that also can survive in the wondrous plane of Fire. After all, even creatures like xorn and galeb duhr—powerful monsiers indeed, but, in my opinion, inferior to the beings of Fire—are not immune to the glorious heat. Still, the crea- tures of elemental Fire find it annoyingly difficult to cope with the density of the magma here.
OTHER RACES
Numerous nations of magmen spread out across the para- plane of Magma. These folk often strike bargains with ele- mentals, paraelementals, and similar creatures, but they have no love of mephits.
In addition to the magmen, a great many fire giants have settled in the paraplane over the years. Most of them dwell in a vast fortress-city known as Thermax, which sits at the nexus of a number of lava tubes, but a few scattered strongholds can be found in other places.
When the dao of the plane of Earth come here looking for slaves, they sail in obsidian ships atop the surface of the magma. They usually seek out magmen or mephits to take back with them. The efreet also make their way to the para- plane from time to time, and many stories tell of secret deal- ings held here between the two genie races.
Other rumors tell of a race of humanoids with blue- black skin that lives amid the steam that rises up from the magma. They speak not forward or backward, but sideways, so no one has ever been able to communicate with them, not even through magical means.
Hazards & Phenomena
Those who dislike heat find it difficult to survive in the para- plane of Magma. From the point of view of many, the envi- ronment combines the worst features of the Elemental Planes of Fire and Earth.
BREATHING AND VISION
As a substance, magma is no easier to breathe than earth. Without magic, a visitor who journeys below the surface of the paraplane survives only as long as he can hold his breath. Of course, some might try to travel atop the magma instead, in which case they discover an atmosphere quite toxic. Anyone who breathes it without some manner of filter or magical protection must make a saving throw vs. poison or die instantly.
When moving through the blazing regions above the magma, creatures not native to the paraplane find the range of their vision reduced to only 120 feet. In most cases, native creatures can see twice as far. Below the surface, vision is impossible without magical assistance—a ring of x-ray vision, for example. In either case, the heat of the paraplane makes infravision useless.
TEMPERATURE
The heat here is nearly as great as that of the beautiful plane of Fire. Any nonmagical or unprotected flammable sub- stances, such as wood, paper, or cloth, burst into flames within 1 round. When this happens, anyone wearing items made of such material suffers 1d10 points of damage unless shielded from injury by heat or flame. Magical items, like scrolls or cloaks, are allowed a saving throw vs. magical fire (at a penalty of -2) to escape destruction.
Unprotected water and other fluids instantly boil away into vapor. Anyone exposed to these boiling liquids or their clouds of superheated steam suffers 2d10 points of damage. Magical fluids (a category that does not include holy water) are allowed a saving throw vs. magical fire at a -1 penalty.
Nonvoleanic stone that is not magical or protected in some way melts into magma in 5 rounds. This causes 3d10 points of damage to any unprotected traveler wearing or in close contact with the stone. Living creatures made of stone, such as earth elementals or golems, suffer 1d6 points of damage from the heat each round. Volcanic stone, which includes basalt, obsidian, and pumice, is virtually immune to the heat of the paraplane. Magical stone can survive as well, with a successful saving throw vs. magical fire.
Unprotected or nonmagical metal items heat to the melting point in 4 rounds. This sudden increase in tempera- ture causes 4d4 points of damage to anyone in contact with the metal and also might disable their limbs {as per the heat metal spell). Magical metal items can escape this fate by making a saving throw vs. magical fire with a +2 bonus.
It goes without saying that creatures of flesh and blood suffer damage each round that they’re exposed to the heat of Magma. The severity of their injuries depends on their natural Armor Class, as indicated by the chart below.
| Natural AC | Damage per round |
| 10 to 12 | 6d8 |
| 13 to 15 | 5d8 |
| 16 to 18 | 4d8 |
| 19 to 21 | 3d8 |
| 22 to 24 | 2d8 |
| 25 to 27 | 1d8 |
| 28 | Nil |
Those above the surface of the lava suffer only half of the indicated damage, but they must be careful of bursting lava bubbles and erupting geysers (as described in “Other Dangers,” below). The best advice I can give to a nonnative is this: Bring as much magical protection as possible. Spells like protection from magma are best, though the more common protection from fire or items like a ring of fire pro- tection reduce the damage to 10 points per round.
OTHER DANGERS
Outsiders may think it odd to discuss the “special perils” of a realm where the air is acidic and poisonous, the surface is an endless sea of boiling lava, and the entire place is hotter than Vulcan’s forge. But for nonnatives, even more dangers exist. BLAZING CLOUDS. On most prime-material worlds, the sight of a cloud drifting lazily across the sky is a peaceful one. In the paraplane of Magma, however, such things are extremely dangerous. Here, clouds are often composed of burning, acidic vapors and raw, elemental Fire.
Anyone who enters a blazing cloud must make a saving throw vs. breath weapon or suffer 2d10 points of damage. Creatures immune to or protected from either fire or acid are allowed a +4 bonus to their rolls. (Those immune to both fire and acid are safe from the cloud and need not make a saving throw at all.) A successful saving throw cuts the damage sustained in half. Those who remain inside a blazing cloud must make a new saving throw every turn.
BUBBLES AND GEYSERS.
While on or above the surface of the araplane, a traveler must be mindful of the roiling, seething nature of the magma. Each turn, there is a 10% chance that a bubble of magma explodes near him, or that a geyser of magma blasts up in his vicinity. Even a person immune to the heat of the molten rock sprayed all over im must make a successful saving throw vs. petrification or be flung up to 3d10 feet away by the orce of the blast or pressure.
Mysterious Sites & Treasures
The naturally destructive essence of the paraplane of Magma makes short work of most structures. There are a few places, however, that deserve mention.
THE FIELDS OF NEVERMORE
In one area of the surface of the paraplane, a crust of stone has hardened atop the magma. The crust is thin in many places, so a man-sized creature standing on top of it has a 10% chance per turn of breaking through into the magma below. (Those larger than man-sized have a 20% chance, and those smaller than man-sized have only a 5% chance.) The place is known as the Fields of Nevermore. It’s roughly circular with a diameter of about 60 miles, and the crust at the edges sometimes extends further into the molten sea in arms of stone that can stretch for miles.
At the center of the Fields, travelers from the Prime Material Plane have constructed a city—Nevermore—around a device called the chillsword. The weapon is a cursed arti- fact of great power that emanates an aura of cold in a 500- foot radius. About forty years ago, the great hero Vhans of Lostcrag thrust the chillsword into the crust, creating a hab- itable spot in the paraplane. The natural heat of the magma and the sword’s chilling curse canceled each other out. (This sort of thing doesn’t always work, but in this case, the magic compromised.)
Of course, the air still contains harmful toxins and is dangerous to breathe without protection, but that wasn’t enough to stop the ambitious primes from building a small city within the cool, livable area. The buildings of Never- more are mostly towers, many of them as tall as the sphere of protective coolness allows. In addition, the city has a more stable foundation than the rest of the Fields, since the chillsword’s power reaches down into the magma and cools it until it hardens in a hemisphere with a radius of 200 feet.
The people of Nevermore charge exorbitant fees to those who wish to enter their city, and more money still for a breathing apparatus that lets a visitor inhale the toxic fumes of the paraplane—a device worn constantly by all the inhabitants. The population’s largest concern is one of defense, since they have experienced attacks from magmen and even raiding efreet. The folk of Nevetmore look for a way to establish a peaceful agreement with the magmen, but no one knows if such a thing is even possible.
The Monolith
If any single structure in the paraplane of Magma confounds the scholars of the multiverse, it is the Monolith. Although this gleaming black object is some 90 feet high and 30 feet across, it is only 10 feet thick. Many have remarked that it looks uncomfortably like a tombstone.
The Monolith is constructed of a black material that seems to be as much metal as it is stone, and as much glass as it is metal. In other words, no one quite understands what it’s made of. In addition, the Monolith seems to be completely impervious to harm. Rumors say that even the powers cannot destroy or damage it, though perhaps that’s because none of them have actually tried. Some suggest that the Monolith exists outside of time, which might explain why it never appears to change. Others think it could be a number of identical structures, all existing in the same place at the same time (or perhaps different times—or both).
The general consensus around the multiverse is that the monolith is a relic of the Sleeping Ones (as discussed in the chapter on the paraplane of Ice). The truth of the matter, however, is that no one has any clue as to the origin or pur- pose of the structure.
OOLAN’S LABORATORY
One of the most unusual beings in the Inner Planes is a fiendish creature named Oolan. Born centuries ago on the prime-material world of Oerth, Oolan is a Suel lich. Although most of his kind try to hide their true nature from the outside world, Oolan takes no such precautions.
His laboratory is small, but it is said that this undead creature knows more about magic than some lesser deities. Whether or not this statement contains truth, a wise man would probably not challenge him on the matter. After all, even the least-powerful Suel lich is still a mighty foe.
The exact nature of Oolan’s research is unknown. Apparently, he plans to keep it that way, for his laboratory is guarded by no fewer than a dozen burning men. These smoldering golems are relentless in their duty to keep out all intruders—by any means necessary.
TARGATH’S TOWER
The rogue Targath Reniume {P1/§ human/T12/Free League/N) commissioned a number of powerful wizards to construct a tower for him in the paraplane of Magma, paying them with the loot of a fabulous theft (some say it was the moaning diamond taken from the minotaur lord Guyn). The wizards made the entire tower out of permanent, invisible walls of force. The structure rises from the sea of molten rock, with a number of levels below the surface. The whole thing anchors upon a huge chunk of submerged basalt, and it connects to the lava tube network. The magical walls keep out the heat and the toxic gases so Targath can rest otherwise unpro- tected within his abode.
For a thief, Targath extends a great deal of generosity toward travelers seeking shelter—particularly to planars who share his faction-related views. (Thus, he’s not too friendly to the Harmonium. Also, the fact that the Free League has recently officially disbanded means little to him.—the Editor} For a bit of news, he provides a night’s rest away from the heat, and even a fine meal. However, since the fabulous food and furnishings of the tower must come from somewhere, most folks agree that Targath possesses a secret planar travel device. It could just be that the tower's built around a natu- ral portal or two, but more than likely, the thief has acquired a cubic gate or something similar.
One fact is for certain: The pleasant, relaxed atmos- phere within the tower presents a strange counterpoint to its bubbling, boiling surroundings, which are visible through the transparent walls.
Lay of the Land
Where the Elemental Plane of Earth nears its fiery counterpart, the stone heats, glows brightly, and then runs like water. This is the paraplane of Magma, a realm that’s just as deadly as the Crematorium itself.
Many dangerous bashers live in Magma, including lava paraelementals and magmen.
Cycle of Time
There is a 24 hour day cycle that uses both darkness and light.
Surviving
Brave explorers who come to the paraplane of Magma often do so to collect the glistening leaves of the tandersol, a mag- ical plant with a stem of pure fire. Its golden, metallic leaves hold a great deal of value to armorers, for they can be used to make scale armor enchanted with protective qualities (+3 bonus to Armor Class) and resistance to heat and flame {the wearer suffers half damage from fire or magma).
For those who need to pass through the magma below the surface of the paraplane, traveling through the system of lava tube tunnels is the best bet. Without a guide or an ele- mental compass, however, even a native can quickly become lost in the three-dimensional maze of virtually identical tubes.
SPELL KEYS AND OTHER NECESSITIES
Spell keys for the paraplane of Magma are physical objects that must be carved from basalt, obsidian, or some other volcanic rock. These needle-thin trinkets are contorted so as to resemble wisps of flame. Their craftsmanship is extraor- dinary and very delicate, so care must be taken in trans- porting them. No key can help either a priest or a mage conjure water in the plane, however, as the ambient heat alone forbids it.
Getting There
Reaching the paraplane of Magma is easier than entering most of the other paraelemental realms. Vortices leading here are fairly common {as such things go). However, few portals provide access to Magma. Whether this is because of some difficulty in breaching the boundaries of the paraplane or whether it reflects the fact that not many people want to come here is a question yet unanswered.
The only portal I can speak of with accuracy, in fact, is a basalt gate found in an isolated, untended area of the Outlands. Exactly who built the portal is a subject of some debate, for the opening is quite small. Man-sized creatures vy have to squeeze to pass through it, and a larger folk simply cannot make use of the thing at all. Halflings, dwarves, and other such races have no problem with the portal, and they generally find it amusing to watch their larger cousins try to contort their way through.
The portal key is a simple glass lens, but a traveler should think twice before opening the gate. It’s a one-way journey from the Outlands directly into the fortress of Chilimba, a powerful tyrant who’s the closest thing Magma has to a ruler. Chilimba is more than a little paranoid, too, and tends to have people killed as soon as they step through the gate. If a planewalker isn’t ready to present his case in a speedy and convincing manner, he might wish to find another way to the paraplane.
There are more vortices to Magma than to any other such realm. One exists at the heart of almost every active vol- cano. Of course, reaching such places may be a chore in itself, but if an outsider plans to survive in the paraplane of Magma, he really ought to have no trouble with a little volcano.
Traveling Around
The fact that gravity exists in the paraplane makes getting from one place to another rather difficult. Unless one has some means of flying through the deadly atmosphere, he must navigate the lava sea. In order to do this, he must secure some manner of ship that can withstand the heat.
In most cases, this requires a magical conveyance of some sort, but some artificers insist that technology can also fill the need. Indeed, the fact that more than. a few travelers claim to have sighted the Avenger (as described in the chapter on the Elemental Plane of Water) speeding through the liquid stone of the paraplane supports that assertion.
It is possible, too, to travel beneath the magma rather than above it, thanks to one of the great secrets of the para- plane. A network of hardened lava tubes extends throughout the bubbling, still-liquid magma. While the temperature inside the tubes is extraordinarily hot, a nonnative can usu- ally travel through the linked passageways more easily than through the magma itself. The tubes even contain air, though it’s just as toxic as the rest of the paraplane’s atmosphere.
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