Planeshifter confusion

[Heavenblade]

This neat prc from manual of the planes gains this ability at 9th level, and I cannot figure out what it actually does -


Planar Area Swap (Sp): At 9th level, a planeshifter gains the ability to move sections of the landscape from one plane to another. A spherical area of up to a 100-foot radius per planeshifter level, centered on the planeshifter, may be so moved. Any unwilling individuals within the sphere can make a Will saving throw (DC 20) to negate the swap completely.

As with the plane shift spell, fine control of the destination is impossible.

When the fragment is brought onto the new plane, the traits of the new plane apply themselves within 1d4 rounds. A part of the Elemental Plane of Fire brought onto the Material Plane burns briefly (1d4 rounds), for example, then dissipates.

Because it's a swap, an equal area of the destination plane appears in the plane of origination. The plane of origination applies its planar traits to the new area in 1d4 rounds.




So, lets say I stand in the elemental plane of water, and then swap the area around me with that in the elemental plane of fire.


Now we have two patches, one in the plane I stand in, the other in the other plane.


What happens to the patch that landed in the plane of fire? And what happens to the one that landed in the plane of water?


Thanks in advance

[Venger]

The patch of water puts out the fire in the plane of fire for a moment, boils, and disappears. The empty space is then filled with more fire like it was never there. The patch of fire is immediately extinguished by water and its space is filled by water like it was never there.

[Heavenblade]

Ok, Ill rephrase - fire and water might be bad ideas since polar opposites and all.

Lets just say I stand in the abyss and bring in a patch of limbo - what happens? If both of them shift into the plane they arrived into, doesnt it make the duration of a couple of days meaningless?

[daremetoidareyo]

Ok, Ill rephrase - fire and water might be bad ideas since polar opposites and all.

Lets just say I stand in the abyss and bring in a patch of limbo - what happens? If both of them shift into the plane they arrived into, doesnt it make the duration of a couple of days meaningless?

Let's use more prosaic examples.

Let's shift a section of eberron to limbo.

You get 1d4 rounds of a 900' radius sphere highly morphic terrain that settles down after your done using your will power to shape it into a giant flask of antigravity acid. After that, the eberron planar traits rule Supreme.

The area of sharn you sent to limbo settles down in 1d4 rounds, where it becomes limbo like and can be shaped as if it were limbo.

In 9 days, they switch back.

The question im left with is: does it take 1d4 rounds again to settle down? Or is it wholesale shifted back. Whatever changes occurred in the meantime are permenant.

[Heavenblade]

Hmmm....interesting, allright. thanks a lot!

[Bronk]

So, lets say I stand in the elemental plane of water, and then swap the area around me with that in the elemental plane of fire.
Now we have two patches, one in the plane I stand in, the other in the other plane.
What happens to the patch that landed in the plane of fire?


You find yourself suspended in freefall at ground level in a very large sphere of water. The water would hold itself up for 1d4 rounds, then the normal gravity of the Plane of Fire would reassert itself, and the top hemisphere would splash outwards, and everything - you, whatever creatures came with you, and even the water - would catch on fire. After a few weeks, a big bubble of air - possibly filled with the remains of dead fish and water elemental creatures along one edge - would return to the Plane of Water



And what happens to the one that landed in the plane of water?


A somewhat randomly chosen hemisphere of flaming land and another hemisphere of flaming air would would suddenly find itself surrounded by water. Unless you happened to use this ability in an area of increased water pressure or something like that, the bubble of fiery land and air would be on fire for 1d4 rounds, then the fire would go out. The land and air would stay where they were for a few weeks, during which time whatever fire creatures where there would be rather confused - then switch back and catch on fire again.


This neat prc from manual of the planes gains this ability at 9th level, and I cannot figure out what it actually does

It swaps an increasingly large spherical volume from one plane to another, but it's also a way to plane shift a much larger number of creatures than the normal 8 (and without those annoying tuning forks) , a mining tool (moving a lucrative chunk of the Plane of Earth to another plane), an excavation device (moving earth, buildings, or parts of buildings... away), a bulldozer (travel beneath something, and remove the earth from beneath), and a more direct weapon (sending enemies to a deadly plane they're not prepared for).

As a weapon it's rather scary, because although there's a will save to negate the entire effect, there's also no limit on the number of times it can be attempted.

[Segev]

Sounds like you could use this to bring a small army - along with the terrain they stand on, maybe even a castle - to another plane with you.

Do you like this gorgeous palace on Elysium? You can take the whole thing to the Prime. Whether you can pick which crystal sphere (e.g. placing it somewhere on Toril) is another matter. I am unsure just how inaccurate plane shift is in that regard.

[Heavenblade]

Thanks a lot to everyone!

Next question, kind of related but not really.
Ive been trying to think about ways for a gestalt character with this class on one side of a gestalt to pull off neat shenanigans with the other.

The main thing that jumped to mind is that there are a couple of templates/prcs that require you to routinely be in some place (sacred grove/tomb/whatever), or just some that function only in a single location (dungeon lord). Thus, a character with planeshifter class levels could just make a pocket dimension with said requisite place, and go visit there every once in a while.

But Im sure there are more interesting ideas than what I just proposed - andI'd love to hear the playground's thoughts on the subject (including feats, prcs, templates, and general cool combos to do with a personal pocket plane for free + unlimited at will plane mix-n-matching).