World Serpent Inn access?

[schreier]

I really like the idea of the World Serpent Inn ( https://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/World_Serpent.pdf ) and am tempted to use it as a base of operations for a party.

It seems like plane shift should allow you to access the Inn (as it is a plane location), but would have some risk? Would that be the easiest way (maybe an Amulet of planes, or a limited amulet that just goes to the common room)? I was between that or some kind of key that opens a door into the kitchen ... would the first option (planeshift) work? Is there anything wrong with the second (permanent key)?

Thanks
schreier

[Flickerdart]

Plane shift has the problem of being inaccurate. The World Serpent Inn is infinite, which would cause a lot of problems. You might show up in someone's room, leading to either violence or worse, amorous adventures with mind flayers. You might appear in one of the sealed-off sections. The rumoured vampires could grab you.

I suppose you could follow the plane shift up with a teleport, since the common room is unique on the plane and there's nothing that says you can't teleport inside.

[Evolved Shrimp]

Technically, you're probably right that plane shift should work, but fluff-wise it feels wrong to me.

I'd restrict access to the inn to the portals. If you want reliable access for the party, maybe you can give them an Amulet of Calling a World Serpent Inn Portal.

[Vizzerdrix]

Give the party a key (loot, quest, etc.) THat when used on a door (any door) once per day, will take them there.

[Cruiser1]

It seems like plane shift should allow you to access the Inn (as it is a plane location)
Plane Shift has a focus requirement of a unique forked metal rod associated with the destination plane, which people often forget. Unless your characters find such a forked rod, or learn the composition of the rod for the World Serpent Inn plane so they can make one themselves, they can't Plane Shift to it.

Cast the 3rd level spell Safety (SC) immediately before casting Plane Shift, and that should ensure you appear in a safe location, which for the World Serpent Inn should mean not in one of the sealed off sections.

The inaccuracy of Plane Shift is not a problem in the World Serpent Inn. Even if you appear 500 miles away from the Common Room, the unique changing properties of the plane allow you to get to a familiar place near the Common Room with 10% accuracy by taking any door, assuming it's your intent to get there.

[Flickerdart]

The inaccuracy of Plane Shift is not a problem in the World Serpent Inn. Even if you appear 500 miles away from the Common Room, the unique changing properties of the plane allow you to get to a familiar place near the Common Room with 10% accuracy by taking any door, assuming it's your intent to get there.
You have to open 7 doors to have an even chance of finding the Common Room (0.97=48% chance you have not opened the right door by that point). That plus the room you appear in is 8 potential encounters, AKA two days' worth of combat back to back.

Not a problem? Hardly.

[Cruiser1]

You have to open 7 doors to have an even chance of finding the Common Room (0.97=48% chance you have not opened the right door by that point). That plus the room you appear in is 8 potential encounters, AKA two days' worth of combat back to back.

Encounters are indeed an important consideration, however let's look at the math more closely:

1–10 Stairs (always empty)
11–30 Additional corridor (always empty)
31–60 Door to bedroom/living quarters (50% chance of encounter)
61–70 Door to library/study (25% change of encounter)
71–80 Door to storage room (always empty)
90-100 Portal (doesn't actually take up space, so only 1-80 valid)

A plane shift will randomly place you in 1-80 above. 50% of the time you appear in empty stairs, corridor, or storage room. 37.5% of the time you appear in a room with 50% chance of encounter. 12.5% of the time you appear in a library with 25% encounter. All together the initial room has a 22% chance of an encounter.

Opening a door will expose you to 31-80 above. 60% of the time you open to a room with 50% chance of encounter, 20% of the time you open to a library with 25% encounter, and 20% of the time you open to a storage with 0% encounter. All together each door has a 35% chance of an encounter. Opening 7 doors will result in only 2.45 encounters on average, which shouldn't be difficult. Note there's no need to have all encounters back to back. If you have too many, just stop opening doors until you rest.

An encounter doesn't necessarily mean combat takes place. It just means you meet some creature. If you encounter celestials, they of course won't attack first. Similarly, neutral creatures are unlikely to force combat. Even evil creatures might not attack, if you close the door right away after you see them (unless they come out to chase you, in which case run back to the room with the celestials if you've encountered any ;) or let them know that you're a powerful adventurer and attacking you is likely to be fatal for them. Also, it's possible to avoid combat altogether, such as cast Augury to check whether opening a door will be bad, or Clairvoyance to peek behind a door before opening it.

[Flickerdart]

If you have too many, just stop opening doors until you rest.
Resting in the middle of a hallway of a place that has wandering monsters is a terrible idea.

[Bronk]

You should ask over on Afroakuma's thread...

[Flickerdart]

You should ask over on Afroakuma's thread...
That seems unnecessary, given that all that's known about the aforementioned Inn is linked directly in the OP.

[Bronk]

That seems unnecessary, given that all that's known about the aforementioned Inn is linked directly in the OP.

I wouldn't say that... It has a write-up in Dragon 351, and I think it might have originated in Planescape.

[Cruiser1]

Resting in the middle of a hallway of a place that has wandering monsters is a terrible idea.

Who says you have to rest in the middle of a hallway? Just find an empty room, or clear one room to make it empty, and lock its doors for the night while you rest. Actually, the most unusual thing about the World Serpent Inn is that when a group does explore, every encounter you do have when entering a room will be of a CR equal to your party level. That means the best feature of the Inn isn't the portals, but rather a guaranteed XP farm no matter how high your level is. If your level 200 character can't find anything to fight anymore, just visit the Inn for an infinite supply of appropriately leveled encounters! :smallcool:

[Bullet06320]

Forgotten Realms Adventures pp. 74–75 is the first mention of it that I can find

[schreier]

Thanks everyone! I think, if they came across the Inn - they could get something like a portable hole "gate" - or "portable door" - put it against a wall, it becomes a door that goes to their room ... basically they have a dedicated guest room.