Planar Shift (740)

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Planar Shift (740)
Mnemonic [SHIFT]
Duration Instantaneous
Utility Magic  
Subtype Travel 
Components See left 
Availability Single or Group 
Sorcerer Base Spells
Blood Burst (701) Attack
Mana Disruption (702) Attack
Corrupt Essence (703) Attack
Phase (704) Utility
Disintegrate (705) Attack
Mind Jolt (706) Attack
Eye Spy (707) Utility
Limb Disruption (708) Attack
Grasp of the Grave (709) Attack
Energy Maelstrom (710) Attack
Pain (711) Attack
Cloak of Shadows (712) Defensive
Balefire (713) Attack
Scroll Infusion (714) Utility
Curse (715) Attack
Pestilence (716) Attack
Evil Eye (717) Attack
Torment (718) Attack
Dark Catalyst (719) Attack
Implosion (720) Attack
Minor Summoning (725) Utility
Animate Dead (730) Utility
Ensorcell (735) Utility
Planar Shift (740) Utility

Through sensing and then re-drawing unique patterns, sorcerers are able to Planar Shift themselves and possibly others, travelling instantaneously to almost any point in Elanthia. The focus of this magic is a basic valential summoning circle, which is then detailed with the particular runes corresponding to a unique flow pattern identifying a location within Elanith. The sorcerer then casts their magic upon the circle, causing a rift to open, which can then be traversed as a normal portal. With sufficient skill, a sorcerer trained in Demonology can travel locally, or, if highly skilled, then within the same teleportation zone, without creating a summoning circle, though the dangers of such transport are doubled.

Planar Shift has a base success rate of 90% and is dependent on Discipline, Aura, and Wisdom stats. Training in Sorcerous Lore, Demonology, the Sorcerer Base spell circle, and Spiritual and Elemental Mana Controls will further improve the success rate up to a maximum of 99% (or a maximum of 98% when not using a summoning circle).

If a cast is unsuccessful, the sorcerer will be struck with backlash energy causing damage and wounds. Injuries are typically mild, though extreme failures can cause death and even the possibility of accidentally summoning a demon into this plane, which can be hazardous in its own right.

Planar Shift is unique among teleportation abilities in that it is immune to Chronomage interception when traveling between realms.

Planar Shift cannot be used to transport into or out of rooms that prevent teleportation. If the runes on a summoning circle glow faintly with a soft yellow light and then peter out, try moving to a different location. For example, if in Ta'Vaalor, the caster must leave the city.

Teleportation zones were introduced in 2016 as part of the Teleportation Review. It is important to know the difference and connection between a realm and a zone to have a full understanding of Planar Shift. Reviewing the realm article (which covers both) is strongly recommended for new users of this spell. Incorrectly understanding teleportation realms and zones may have negative consequences ranging from wasting expensive chalk to summoning a demon which kills you.

Components

To record patterns into, and draw patterns from. Books have 10 pages of 20 possible entries each, and each book must be bonded to in order to record runes. A sorcerer may bond to only one rune book at a time. To bond to a rune book, go to any sorcerer guild summoning chamber and rub the latticed yellow crystal. Sorcerers may borrow another's rune book to draw patterns, but cannot record or erase patterns from any book but the one to which they are bonded.
Most rooms have a unique pattern of magical flows (rooms which cannot be teleported into will not). SENSE PATTERN records them into the book, and then they may then be drawn from it. The patterns are expressed as a colored series of runes within the book. The color represents the realm from which the pattern originates. It is recommended to keep rune book pages organized by realm (i.e. rooms of a locale having the same color pattern).
  • Chalk
Long (or rough) chalks are lesser quality and cost about 1,000 silver for 100 transports, and can be made via Alchemy. With enough skill, as explained below, a sorcerer can attempt teleportation within a teleportation zone using low quality chalk.
Crystalline chalks are high quality and cost about 30,000 silver for one transport, or made via Alchemy. Using crystalline chalk on teleportation within a realm will have no failure.
Chalks of the same type can be bundled using Phase.
WARNING: Do not mix and match chalks when drawing, results could be disastrous

Teleportation within a realm

Teleportation within a single realm can be done with low quality chalk. Using high quality chalk reduces the chance of failure. Once a rift has been opened this way, it remains for 60 seconds before closing upon itself. It can be dispelled with Elemental Dispel (417) or Spirit Dispel (119).

Should the caster fail, there is a backlash of mild to moderate intensity which can stun and in very rare cases, kill the caster. However, the summoning circle will not be erased, and an additional attempt can be made. In an even rarer scenario, failure may allow a lesser demon to find its way into our world. If this should happen in town, a sorcerer will be charged with demonic summoning and arrested.

  1. Hold the rune book in the right hand, and long chalk in the left.
  2. TURN/FLIP the book to the page with the desired pattern.
  3. DRAW SUMMONING CIRCLE. (RUB CIRCLE to erase.)
  4. DRAW PATTERN {#}.
  5. PREPARE 740|CAST CIRCLE.
  6. GO RIFT All passengers must be members of the casters group, the caster must be the leader of that group, and all passengers must enter the rift first (dragged corpses may be dragged through by anyone, including the caster). The rift will close once the caster has passed through.

Teleportation within a zone

Teleportation to another realm within the same teleportation zone works differently depending on your training in Sorcerous Lore, Demonology. With fewer than 75 ranks, it works identically to teleportation to another zone, below, including the high quality chalk requirement and the inability to transport a group. With 75 ranks or more, it works as teleportation within a realm, above, including allowing the use of low quality chalk and the ability to transport a group.

Using low quality chalk for teleportation within a zone adds an additional 33% failure chance, reduced by 1% per 3 ranks of Sorcerous Lore, Demonology beyond 75, to a minimum of 0% additional failure chance.

Teleportation to another zone

Teleportation to another teleportation zone always requires high quality chalk. Using low quality chalk will cause an automatic failure. The success rate is the same as transport within a realm. A sorcerer cannot bring companions with this version regardless of training, but demons and animated creatures will continue to follow as normal.

  1. Hold the rune book in the right hand, and crystalline chalk in the left.
  2. TURN/FLIP the book to the page with the desired pattern.
  3. DRAW SUMMONING CIRCLE. (RUB CIRCLE to erase.)
  4. DRAW PATTERN {#}.
  5. PREPARE 740|CAST CIRCLE automatically transports the caster.

INCANT Teleportation

At 40 ranks of Demonology Lore, a sorcerer may use the "gold ring" (component-less) function of the spell, eliminating the need for a summoning circle entirely. Using INCANT, the caster will transport themselves to the last same-realm location they shifted from, or room where they last used SENSE PATTERN without holding a runebook. At 75 or more demonology ranks, a sorcerer may use this ability to teleport between realms (within a zone). This ability is twice as difficult to use as when using a rune book and chalk. The maximum success rate for this version is 98%, and a level 75 Sorcerer who is 1x in Demonology can expect to see approximately this success rate, with minor variations to be expected due to skills and stats. This version also carries an increased risk of unleashing a demon upon failure.

Success Rate

Although the exact success formula is not public, it is known that Demonology Lore increases the success rate from a base of 90% to a maximum of at 99% at 120 ranks when transporting with a realm using low quality chalk, or when transporting between realms (within a zone) using using high quality chalk. It is also known that teleporting using low quality chalk imposes a penalty of 33 percentage points, which can be trained away at the rate of one percentage point for each three demonology ranks in excess of 75, until the penalty is completely eliminated at 174 demonology ranks. Even with 174 demonology ranks, it is still possible to have a demonic failure using low quality chalk.

The factors for success include: sorcerer spell ranks, discipline, aura, wisdom, elemental/spiritual mana control ranks, and demonology ranks. The exact formulas are not known, except for the rate at which demonology helps.

Mana Control Benefit

Training in Elemental and Spiritual Mana Controls improves the chances for success in an unknown way.

Lore Benefits

Training in Sorcerous Lore, Demonology provides three additional benefits beyond the reduction in the failure rate:

Group Transport

Every 20 ranks of Demonology Lore will allow for one additional group member to enter the rift safely (max 10 passengers at 200 ranks before enhancives). It is possible to DRAG characters through a rift as well, with each dragged character being treated the same as an additional group member. Group transport is available only when low quality chalk could have been used for the teleportation.

Sorcerous Lore, Demonology ranks 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
# of group members who can enter rift (excluding caster) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Teleport within Zone

Having 75 ranks of Demonology Lore unlocks the ability to teleport within a teleportation zone using low quality chalk and with a group, as detailed above. Additional ranks over 75 reduce the additional failure chance from using low quality chalk for such a teleportation.

INCANT Form

Having 40 ranks of Demonology Lore unlocks the INCANT form of Planar Shift, as detailed above.

Messaging

Success
>prep 740
You begin drawing a faint, twisting symbol while softly intoning the words for Planar Shift...
Your spell is ready.
>cast circle
You gesture at a summoning circle.
Your spell activates the dormant summoning circle.  Pure white flames of essence blaze around each rune and link them together in a complex circular web.  As the web completes itself, the runes transform from their translucent color to brilliant twilight grey.  Lines of twilight grey energy snake from the runes to activate the sigil at the center of the circle.  The central sigil vanishes, and, with a blinding flash of light, a shifting twilight grey rift opens.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

>look rift
A collage of images fills your mind as you peer into the depths of a shifting twilight grey rift.  You gaze unwaveringly, transfixed by the jumble of historic images racing across your consciousness.  Massive winged beasts, reptilian in nature, flit through a flame-ravaged sky, locked in battle with otherwordly creatures.  Soon enough, the scene changes to one of serenity and peace, various humanoids emerging en masse from caves.  That image, too, fades and is replaced by a great amalgamation of humanoids, all different races standing across a great decaying battlefield juxtaposed to zombies, banshees and other abominations.  But, after only a few seconds, that scene too disappears as quickly as it entered your now reeling mind.  Just as it seems the jumble of images will stop, they start again, in quick succession like a seamstress wielding her loom.  An eternity of tranquil images passes you by, only to be suddenly, and devastatingly replaced by a crude half-elf leading an army of humans towards a small town.  But alas, as the story gets interesting, all the images fade and you avert your gaze.
Minor Failure
>prep 740
You begin drawing a faint, twisting symbol while softly intoning the words for Planar Shift...
Your spell is ready.
>cast circle
You gesture at a summoning circle.
A small shadowy rift begins to take form before your eyes.  Suddenly, a small black void floats out of the rift and stops directly over you!
   ... 5 points of damage!
   Veins in arm stand out briefly!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

>cast circle
You gesture at a summoning circle.
A small shadowy rift begins to take form before your eyes.  Suddenly, a dark cloud emerges from the rift, and begins crushing you!
   ... 15 points of damage!
   Blow to your chest causes your heart to skip a beat.
   You are stunned for 1 round!
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
Demonic Failure

Most commonly, a lithe black abyran'ra is inadvertently summoned to Elanthia, making them rather grouchy:

You gesture at a summoning circle.
A small shadowy rift begins to take form before your eyes. Suddenly, a flurried black haze slices at you from within the rift.
... 30 points of damage!
Off-balance slash to your left arm shatters your elbow.
*CRUNCH*
You are stunned for 5 rounds!
!S>
The rift begins to waver lazily and suddenly implodes upon itself in a large plume of soot-filled black smoke. When the rift clears, a lithe black abyran'ra is standing around, surveying the surroundings.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
!S>
A lithe black abyran'ra tries to sink its curved fangs into you!
AS: +480 vs DS: +394 with AvD: +32 + d100 roll: +39 = +157
   ... and hits for 26 points of damage!
   Minor puncture to the left leg.
!S>
A lithe black abyran'ra swiftly raises its arms and slashes its talons at you!
CS: +410 - TD: +346 + CvA: +12 + d100: +24 - -5 == +105
   Warding failed!
   Your eyes suddenly cloud over. A moment later you realize you cannot see at all.
!S>
A lithe black abyran'ra whips its coils underneath itself swiftly, then suddenly tenses its muscles, leaping forth with astonishing speed toward you!  The black abyran'ra lashes out with its tail as it nears you, catching you around your waist as it spins in ever tighter circles! Within mere seconds, its coils wrap tightly around you, and its lidless eyes stare intently at you before it makes a sharp dive, moving fluidly to let its fangs find your neck!
   ... 10 points of damage!
   Well placed shot to the neck!
   You feel a fierce poison coursing through your veins!

The black abyran'ra loosens its coils and slithers to the ground.
Misfire
>cast runestaff
You gesture at a twisted orase runestaff capped with a smoky crystal orb.
As you prepare to cast, you realize your orase runestaff will not properly protect you from the ravages of planar travel.
Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Alchemy Recipes

A rough stick of white chalk
Eastern version Western version
  1. Add trinket oil
  2. Add 2 doses of powdered white marble
  3. Add s'ayanad crystal
  4. Boil
  1. Add trinket oil
  2. Add 2 doses of powdered white clamshell
  3. Add s'ayanad crystal
  4. Boil


A piece of crystalline chalk
  1. Add trinket oil
  2. Add essence of air
  3. Add 2 doses of quartz sand
  4. Simmer
  5. Add powdered uncut emerald
  6. Add powdered aster opal
  7. Infuse
  8. Refract Moonlight through a shadowglass lens
  9. Boil
  10. Chant Planar Shift (740)

Resources