Planar Geography: This skill gives the character a general knowledge of the Prime, inner, outer, Astral, and Ethereal Planes as described elsewhere in this book. This skill includes knowledge of techniques of travel among the planes and common inhabitants of known planes.
🌀 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gnomish | Geometric Harmonics | Gnomes view the planes as a series of overlapping mathematical dimensions. They focus on the “physics” of travel, identifying exactly how gravity or time flows differently on a specific plane. |
| Dwarven | Deep-Rooted Earth | Dwarves focus on the Inner Planes (Elemental). They can identify the specific “purity” of elemental stone or air, and are experts at finding stable “pockets” of habitable terrain within the Elemental Chaos. |
🌌 Regional Variants #
- The Silver-Void Sailor (Astral/Ethereal)
Trained in the “spaces between,” where thought becomes movement.
- Specialty: Psychic Drift. They understand how to navigate the Astral Plane using mental willpower. They gain a +2 bonus to any check made to avoid becoming “lost” in the formless voids or to identify the shifting mists of the Ethereal.
- The Great-Library Planologist (Metropolitan/Urban)
Trained in the arcane universities where the planes are studied through scrolls and telescopes.
- Specialty: Sigil & Gate Logic. They are experts at identifying the “keys” required to open specific portals. A successful roll tells them not just where a gate leads, but what specific object or ritual is needed to activate it.
- The Rift-Warden (Wilderness/Borderlands)
Hailing from areas where the “veil” is thin and monsters bleed through.
- Specialty: Breach Identification. They can tell the difference between a natural planar “thin spot” and an artificial rift opened by magic. They gain a +4 bonus to detect the tracks or “residue” left by extraplanar inhabitants on the Prime Plane.
- The Abyssal Cartographer (Lower Planes/Cursed Ruins)
Trained in the geography of the “Dark Planes,” where the terrain is actively hostile.
- Specialty: Corruption Mapping. They know how to identify “safe zones” in hellish landscapes. They can spot the difference between a pool of ordinary water and a pool of liquid despair or soul-ash before the party interacts with it.
🚪 Travel & Inhabitants #
As per the rules, this skill includes knowledge of travel techniques and residents.
- The “Protocol” Check: If the party encounters a powerful Planar Being (like a Genie or an Angel), a successful Planar Geography roll allows the character to know the Formal Etiquette required to avoid offending the entity.
- Identifying Inhabitants: A successful roll identifies a creature’s planar origin and its Environmental Weakness (e.g., “Slaadi are chaotic; they cannot stand the orderly vibrations of Lawful bells”).
🗺️ Synergy with Other Skills #
- Planar Geography + Navigation: The character can use the stars of the Prime Plane to calculate their “relative distance” from a planar rift.
- Planar Geography + Mapping: The character can “sketch” a 4-dimensional map that makes sense to non-experts, preventing the party from suffering the “Confusion” effect common in the Outer Planes.
