Sextant of the Planes

A sextant of the planes analyzes the environment to give the user a planar bearing. In essence, it determines what planar traits the plane exhibits.

When not in use, the sextant appears to be a brass sphere about 4 inches across, nestled into a round brass box about 8 inches in diameter, with designs inscribed over every surface. When the brass sphere is pulled upward, the device “unfolds” to reveal the inner workings, including a series of crystal lenses and a myriad of control knobs and levers. This unfolding process takes 1 full round; restoring the sextant to its portable form takes the same amount of time.

Using a sextant of the planes takes 1 minute and reveals the following information (see Planar Traits for more information).

• Whether the gravity is normal, heavy, light, objective (“down” is always a specific direction), subjective (“down” is defined by each individual), or nonexistent.
• Whether time passes at the normal rate, faster, slower, or erratically (randomly speeding up or slowing down), or whether time has any noticeable effect on the plane at all.
• Whether the plane is infinite, finite, or self-contained (the edges of the plane wrap around).
• Whether the plane’s basic nature is alterable morphic (you can make changes by physical effort), static (the plane never changes), highly morphic (changing as a reaction to various stimuli), magically morphic (you can make changes by casting spells), divinely morphic (deities can change the plane), or sentient (the plane effects its own changes).
• Whether the element of air, earth, fire, or water is dominant on the plane, or whether the plane is dominated by positive or negative energy.
• Whether the plane is aligned with good or evil, law or chaos, or neutrality, and whether the alignment is mild or strong.
• Whether magic works normally on the plane, or is dead (nonexistent), wild (unpredictable in effect), impeded (spells are more difficult to cast), enhanced (cast as though with metamagic effects), or limited (only spells of certain schools, subschools, descriptors, or levels work).
• The location of any portals within 60 feet of the sextant.

A sextant does not reveal the name of the plane it is on, though its user can attempt a DC 18 Knowledge (the planes) check to determine which plane or planes this information corresponds to.

When used within 30 feet of a portal, a sextant of the planes can be instructed to provide the same information about the plane on the far side of the portal, as well as whether the portal is one-way or two-way.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, analyze portal.

Cost to Create: 27,000 gp, 2,160 XP, 54 days.

Source: Planar Handbook, page 84.