Portal Pools

The gateways to the myriad alternate Prime Material planes and the first layers of the outer planes appear as two-dimensional pools of rippling colors. These range in size from 10-60 feet in diameter. They are visible from only one side, so that a traveler approaching from the "blind side" can pass through a color pool without realizing it.

Travelers who enter the Astral always find themselves near a pool of silvery color. In the case of those projecting into the Astral, their silver cords lead back into that pool. Silver pools that ripple like mercury in a pan always lead to the plane the traveler pra/ecfed from. The gateways to other planes can be identified by color.

Portals to one's own Prime Material plane are always silver, those to alternate Prime Material planes are other metallic colors, such as bronze, gunmetal, tarnished silver, or brass. The same is true for creatures of alternate Prime Material planes: their home portals appear silver and those of others are other metallic shades.

The portals to the Ethereal look like milky water flowing in a spiral pattern. What the astral traveler is seeing is the end point of an ether cyclone, where it disrupts the barrier between the Etherealand Astral planes. Individuals passing from the Ethereal to the Astral are treated as physical-form travelers (they lose their ethereal nature). Traveling from the Astral to the Ethereal in physical form endows the travelers with etherealness. Traveling from the Astral to the Ethereal in astral form results in the creation of an ethereal body in a similar fashion to creation of a body In the outer planes. The ethereal-astral form cannot reenter the Prime Material plane in which the original body resides. In either case, the traveler from the Astral to the Ethereal finds himself in the middle of the ether cyclone, with all resultant effects and penalties (including sudden and violent expulsion back into the Astral or other plane of existence).

A color pool can be used to view the plane before entrance is made. For those travelers using projecdon, only the caster of the spell can view through the color pool, while for those physically In the planes (or in cases of multiple casters of projecting abilities), the individual with the highest Intelligence controls the color pool's viewing. If two individuals of equal Intelligence are attempting to control a pool, it does not view into the regions beyond.

To see the plane beyond a pool, the viewer must apply mental concentration when within 30 feet of the pool. The force of this concentration causes the pool to become transparent, revealing a viewing area about 1d4 x 100 yards above the landscape of the plane being viewed.

The precise location of the viewing portal on the plane is set by the user of the color pool. A percentile roll is then made to determine how close he is.

D100 - Roll Result

1-50 On target— 100 yards above the surface of the area being viewed
51-75 Close— 1d4x 100 yards above the surface and within 1 mile of the area desired
76-95 Far— 1d4 x 100 yards above the surface and l0dI0 miles away from the desired area
96-100 Way Off — 1d4x100 yards above the surface in a completely different part of the plane

Once a color peel is used to view a specific scene, that pool is set to the area being viewed for one Prime Material day, regardless of whether the scene is the one desired or not. After that day has passed, another attempt can be made to bring the viewing point to the desired area. Alternatively, the traveler can set out again in the Astral plane and look for another color pool leading to the same plane. There are an infinite number of color pools leading to the planes adjacent to the Astral.

It is possible to form viewing portals Inside large structures with high ceilings (50 + feet high), though a thin film of lead can prevent the formation of a portal. Any viewlna of th® Ethereal p\am reveals the Inside of an ether cyclone, wtw no way of moving the viewpoint elsewhere (the cyclone moves with the viewer). There Is also a 10% per round cumulative chance of the concentrating traveler and all within 30 yards of the portal being sucked into the heart of the ether, cyclone with all the effects of the storm taking effect immedietly.

The concentrating traveller can move the portal about as if it is a disemobdied observer. It moves at the rate of 10 times the traveller's Intelligence in yards per round. An individual with an Intelligence of 17 can move the pool's viewpoint 170 yards per round.

This swift movement of the viewing point enables the traveler to view large areas, but there are limitations:

• The viewing portal cannot pass through solid objects in the plane being viewed. It must also have sufficient space to pass through an area of the same diameter as the pool. In other words, a 1 0-foot-diameter pool could not fit through a five foot by five foot window and enter a room. It can, however, remain outside the window and the traveler can see inside. The traveler can control the movement but not the size of the viewing portal.

• The viewing portal only moves forward. It can spin on its axis to a new orientation, but cannot move sideways or backward.

Areas of Intense magical activity, such as a magic-user's research area or an alchemist's lab, slow movement to a maximum of 10 yards per turn. A city that contains a high population of spell casters, a magic-user's college, a thriving clerical class, or a powerful extradimensional being also slows the portal to 10 yards per turn.

Certain creatures can use their attack forms through these pools to affect the viewer (see below).

Individuals of great power can become aware of the intrusion and shut off the portal. Those of the same Intelligence as the pool's controller can cause the pool to fog over for as long as they concentrate on it. Those of higher Intelligence can shut the pool down entirely, causing it to collapse at 10 feet per round until it completely disappears. The viewer is given the choice of entering the pool before it shuts or of finding another pool. Silver cords that reach through a pool that closes or fogs over are unaffected , though in the former case the traveler must find another such pool leading to that plane to rejoin his body.

These astral viewing points are invisible to those in the viewed plane, but they can be revealed by spells such as detect invisible and true seeing and magical items such as dust of appearance. Creatures that detect invisible as a natural ability or as a result of level can also detect the presence of astral viewing points.

The viewer in the Astral plane is generally immune to attacks from the other plane, The exceptions to this are those creatures such as the basilisks, gorgons, cockatrices, and similar beings whose attack forms affect beings In the Astral plane. Such creatures have the ability to perceive astral portals Into their planes and attack through them.

Of the astral-affecting creatures, those that make physical attacks do so against AC 0, while those with gaze or breath attacks need to have the viewing portal in the range of their breath or gaze weapons. Only the viewing point need be within range— those who are watching can be up to 30 feet from the point and still be affected. All those watching through a pool that is attacked must roll successful saving throws vs. petrification or be affected. Companions who are not viewing through the color pool are unaffected.

As an example, a cockatrice attacks a viewing point that leads to a silver-colored pool on the Astral plane. An attack Is made against AC 0 and a hit is scored. On the other side of the pool are three characters, two of whom are observing the pool. Those two observers must roll a successful saving throw vs. petrification or be turned to stone. A traveler with a physical form in the Astral plane is turned to stone in a normal fashion. Those in astral form are converted Into astral stone. They cannot be reunited with their original bodies until they are changed back Into astral flesh. If the caster of an astral spell with fellow travelers Is so affected, his traveling companions are unaffected, but they are prevented.

The 9 Hells - Swirling Ruby Red
Concordent Opposition - Leather Brown
Happy Hunting Grounds (Feywild) - Emerald Green
Olympus - Saphire
Limbo - Jet Black
The Abyss - Swirling Dark Purple
Tarterus - Olive
Hades - Rust
Acheron - Bright Orange-Red
Nirvana - Diamond (Faceted Blue)
Arcadia - Pale Yellow
Seven Heavens - Gold
Ethereal - Spriling White
Prime Material - Silver
Astral Plane - Gray
Elemental Fire - Opal
Ravenloft - Swirling Dark Blue
Shadow - Dark Gray (black)

Reference