Certain places in the cosmos resonate with unique forms of energy. The cosmological association of linked planes, demiplanes, and connective dimensional realms creates a vast network over which the energy of existence itself is channeled. Less-connected demiplanes and planes are the nodes of this network, while the most highly connected planes are the hubs, where their many linkages to other planes suffuse them with excess energy. Those able to form a linkage with a hub are rewarded with a heady charge of supernatural power. These hubs, usually places already resonant with mythic possibility, are known as planar touchstones.
The Planar Touchstone feat allows those who possess some association (in the form of an object native to the planar touchstone) with a given planar location to forge a link. A link forged with a planar touchstone provides a base ability that is always active. The link also provides characters with the possibility of supercharging their abilities by making a personal visit to a touchstone site. Such a visit allows the power inherent in the touchstone to discharge directly into the visitor, granting the character a higher-order ability that she can call upon a limited number of times before it is exhausted. Additional visits to that planar touchstone (or any other touchstone) can revitalize her charge, as needed. If she visits a touchstone other than the one she originally linked to when taking the feat, she swaps out the base ability of the old site for the new, and gains the higher-order ability of the new site (while losing any remaining higher-order uses of the old site). For those intimately familiar with planar touchstones, visiting one or more touchstones is known as “taking the touchstone tour.”
In addition to the benefits planar touchstone sites obviously provide to players, DMs are happy to discover that they make wonderful story elements to their campaigns. For instance, a “prophecy” can state that a particular scourge cannot be overcome, save by “one who looks upon the stars of Oxyrhynchus.” (Oxyrhynchus is a touchstone site described in this section.) On a less dramatic scale, planar touchstones also make great alternatives to treasure—when players overcome an encounter level-rated threat associated with a touchstone site, the higher-order ability gained makes a good reward.
Often, a touchstone site is special in some way that goes beyond its status as a touchstone, though sometimes the fact that a location is a touchstone is what makes it special. Relatively few touchstones exist on the Material Plane, but almost every Material Plane touchstone is significant for some other reason. For instance, the location may also have historical or geographic importance (such as the peak of the world’s tallest mountain).
Planar locations previously described in other game products might also be considered planar touchstones. Adventurers might have known about and even visited a site for years without ever realizing that it had the power to confer special abilities. Determining the base and higher-order abilities conferred by these sites is an exercise for the DM.
Sometimes characters with great power gain the ability to create small demiplanes. Such fledgling demiplanes can never be planar touchstones, though after several thousand years of growth, linkage, and expansion, such created planes could come to host planar touchstones.
If a character lacks the ability to visit a touchstone site, the higher-order ability inherent to that location cannot be accessed. Presumably, someone who takes the Planar Touchstone feat and forges a link to a particular planar location feels that he has a reliable method of reaching the site. Perhaps the character knows of a permanent portal that opens near the touchstone. Others may rely on spells such as plane shift, cast personally or by a friend. Whatever the method of transportation, the character must have access to a method that is at least somewhat reliable.
Of course, merely reaching the planar touchstone is the first step. Some planar touchstones are located in planes inimical to nonnative life. Elemental planes, especially, with energy-dominant traits, require some preparation. For instance, the planar touchstone location called the Burning Rift is located on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Without some protection, the visit to the touchstone may be short.
The following section provides numerous planar touchstone locations. Each planar touchstone site follows this format:
Name: The most common name or names of the planar touchstone.
Description: Each location has a description.Location: The planar location of the touchstone, if known. The major planes of existence are described starting in Plane Descriptions. The DM should refer to those descriptions for details, especially when a character must travel through some of the intervening location plane before arriving at the touchstone.
Initial Encounters: Information on the type of encounter players may face on first visiting the touchstone. This entry comes with an encounter table, if appropriate.
Subsequent Encounters: Information on the type of encounters players may face on subsequent visits to the touchstone.
Base Ability: The ability gained by someone taking the Planar Touchstone feat, regardless of whether that character has visited the site. This conferred ability is always available to the character (to the limits of any supernatural ability) and does not have a given number of uses.
Recharge Condition: Many planar touchstones require not only a visit, but also the fulfillment of some condition in order to recharge the higher-order ability provided. This condition can vary widely among planar touchstones. It need not be fulfilled to gain the planar touchstone’s base ability, but it must be fulfilled for each recharge of a higher-order ability.
Higher-Order Ability: The ability gained by someone who visits the touchstone and fulfills the recharge condition. This ability is limited to a number of uses per recharge, and thus can be used up, until such time as a future visit is made. All higher-order abilities are considered either supernatural or spell-like, as indicated in each ability’s description.
Higher-Order Uses: Each time the character recharges her higher-order ability, she gains a number of uses of that ability. The higher-order ability cannot be used more than once per day.
When creating new planar touchstones, follow these general rules for determining base abilities and higher-order abilities. A planar touchstone’s base ability should be comparable to a general feat, and should work the same way. The higher-order ability granted by a visitation should possess the rough power equivalent and total uses as follows: five uses of a 3rd-level spell equivalent, six uses of a 2nd-level spell equivalent, or seven uses of a 1st-level spell equivalent. You also might consider power equivalents as follows: four uses of a 4th-level spell equivalent, three uses of a 5th-level spell equivalent, or two uses of a 6th-level spell equivalent. These abilities should scale with character level for at least a few levels, so they may end up being slightly more powerful than spells in some instances. Save DCs for these abilities are based on the character’s Charisma score.
This cold, clear mountain lake overlooks the great City of Tempered Souls, with its healing fountains and curing waters. In fact, the city’s healing waters are drawn from the Mere. Those looking in the Mere see the truth about themselves—all their strengths, flaws, and weaknesses, it is said—and those who bathe in the water are healed of all curses and spiritual hurts.
Location: Mertion, the fifth layer of Celestia, near the City of Tempered Souls.
Initial Encounters: Roll on the Empyrea Mere encounter table when the characters visit the site for the first time, or for the first time in over a year. The creatures encountered are initially suspicious of those seeking the Mere, but diplomacy may turn their hostile attitudes to a less aggressive posture.
| d% | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–10 | 2 lantern archons |
| 11–50 | 1 hound archon |
| 51–75 | 2 hound archons |
| 76–97 | 1 celestial lion |
| 98–100 | 1 bralani eladrin |
Subsequent Encounters: Once the players negotiate a peace (or clear the location), on subsequent visits the chance of an encounter is only 10%. If the PCs fail to visit the location for more than a year, they must roll for encounters as if they had never visited the site.
Base Ability: You gain +3 hit points.
Recharge Condition: Drink of the Mere from a silver chalice.
Higher-Order Ability: Once per day, your touch upon the target creature can wipe away one of the following ailments or conditions: ability damage, blinded, confusion, dazed, dazzled, deafened, disease, exhaustion, fatigue, feeblemindedness, insanity, nausea, sickness, stun, poison (ongoing), or hit point damage (up to 90 points). Your touch has no effect on undead creatures.
Higher-Order Uses: 4.
A floating earthberg some 100 miles in rough diameter holds a windswept lake that constantly spills over the edges. Great freshwater pearl beds dot the shallow portion of the lake’s bottom some 90 feet below the surface (though the lake is far deeper). In addition to the encounters noted on the table below, fishermen from the surrounding earthbergs of Ysgard sometimes wait on the lake’s surface, casting great nets into its deepest portion, hoping to dredge up a great haul of fish or a trophy worthy of a heroic Ysgardian.
Location: The top layer of Ysgard (also called Ysgard).
Initial Encounters: Roll on the Mundellir Lake encounter table when the characters visit the site for the first time, or for the first time in over a year.
| d% | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 01–10 | 2 octopi |
| 11–50 | 2 crocodiles |
| 51–75 | 1 sea hag |
| 76–97 | 2 skum |
| 98–100 | 2 scrag trolls |
Subsequent Encounters: Once the characters clear out the lake, on subsequent visits the chance of an encounter is only 10%. If the PCs fail to visit the location for more than a year, they must roll for encounters as if they had never visited the site.
Base Ability: You gain a +2 bonus on Swim checks and add +10 to your swim speed.
Recharge Condition: Retrieve a pearl from the seabed (each has a value of 1d10 gp).
Higher-Order Ability: Once per day, you can breathe water freely for up to 1 hour per character level (and you can still breathe air, too). During this same period, you can also choose to stay above the water, treading upon it as if it were firm ground, though your feet actually hover an inch above the surface. This ability works in mud, oil, snow, quicksand, and ice in addition to water. Should you decide to begin treading on the substance while beneath its surface, you are borne toward the surface at 60 feet per round until you stand above it.
Higher-Order Uses: 5.
The Burning Rift is situated upon a solidified plain of free-floating magma on the Elemental Plane of Fire, some 200 feet above the infinite expanse of fire and ash below. The floating plain is bisected, forming a great rift from which wells up a great river of fire called the Rift River. The Rift River flows out along the rift and into empty space, creating a magnificent cascade of fire. The “headwaters” of the Rift River are a magnet to native creatures.
Location: The Elemental Plane of Fire.
Initial Encounters: Roll on the Burning Rift encounter table when the characters visit the location for the first time, or for the first time in over a year. The elementals are randomly drawn to the site, while the magmin and salamanders have attempted to make a home there.
Burning Rift Encounters d% Encounter 01–25 2 Medium fire elementals 26–50 1 Large fire elemental 51–75 1 magmin firehand (see below) 76–97 1 average salamander 98–100 1 noble salamander