Negative Energy Plane protection

[Asklepian]

So, we have a little problem in my party, and I'm hoping the Playground can show it's usual genius and make me feel foolish with a quick and easy answer.

We're looking at two separate issues with the Negative Energy Plane: one, we may need to spend a lot of time searching it ourselves to find one of the McGuffins we're supposed to be protecting. Two, we may need to transport a large number of people through the plane. As in, a couple thousand. I realize death ward stops the effects, but it doesn't seem to last long enough for the first, and would be difficult to mass produce for the second as far as I can tell.

So, enlighten me. How can this be done? We're largely limited to Core, occasionally able to sweet-talk the GM into letting us do cherrypicked things from other books. We do have a party member capable of casting Death Ward several times a day, and NPC contacts who could give us a few more if it helps.

[Lysander]

I don't suppose you could just teleport people across the plane to minimize time there?

This doesn't help with travel so much, but a Hallow spell can give an area a death ward effect for one year. Might be useful for making camps or bases in the negative energy plane.

There's always the grim option of becoming undead.

Here's a question. Is the negative energy plane coexistent with any other planes (ethereal or shadow)? If it is then maybe you could use Shadow Walk and not be subject to negative energy while traveling in the shadow plane.

[AmberVael]

Is the person capable of casting Death Ward a cleric or druid?

If so, the obvious non-Core solution would be the Attune Form, which basically negates all negative effects of the plane you're currently on for one subject per three levels, for a duration of 24 hours. It's a 3rd level spell for clerics and druids, and a 4th level for wizards/sorcerers (it's in the Spell Compendium).

If your DM wants you to be on the Negative Energy plane for extended periods of time, this is really the way to go. I mean, I don't think he can fault you for asking him to take this spell- it's really only good for this kind of purpose, and if he's the one making you go there...