Planar Shift (guide)
Planar Shifting is a sorcerous teleportation spell, allowing for instantaneous travel between two locations. By manipulating the fabric of space, the sorcerer opens a dimensional rift through which he or she can travel to any location in the world of Elanthia, with the exception of teleport restricted rooms (most of The Rift, Sanctuary, etc). Interrealm travel is travel between various in game realms, and intrarealm is within a realm.
The dimensional rift is filled with chaotic energies which are too dangerous to attempt to pass through normally. Therefore, the Sorcerer must create a runic summoning circle to defend him or herself from the chaotic energies, otherwise safely traversing the rift will be impossible. In addition, the circle must be scribed with a rune representing the desired location. These circles will be drawn in special magical chalks, which must be purchased.
With the right training, a sorcerer is able to bring others through the portal as well, but this only applies to the intrarealm portion.
Components
There are two primary components used with the Planar Shifting spell, chalks and rune books.
Chalks
The chalks involved in the use of this spell can be bought at local magic or alchemist shops. There are two chalks, interrealm and intrarealm.
A stubby translucent chalk is what interrealm chalk looks like. The interrealm chalks run 50,000 silvers for a single piece, subject to merchant discounts or price boosts based on standard store mechanics. The chalk is so high quality that it significantly reduces the risk of failure. These chalks are an absolute must for the interrealm portion of the spell, there is no way around it.
The intrarealm chalks are cheaper. They look like a long translucent chalk. These chalks are sold with 200 scribings, equating to 100 uses of the spell. The chalks are used to travel about within the realm, but they are far less well made; without the protective benefits of the interrealm version, success is far less likely.
Rune Book
The rune book is necessary for cataloguing of room runes. It is purchasable from standard alchemy and magic shops. First off, to record runes into them, they must be bonded to by a sorcerer. A sorcerer can only be bonded to one book at a time, and only one sorcerer can be bonded to a book at one time. A sorcerer can unbond with his or her book easily, but the book can never again be bonded to by any other Sorcerer. The book need not be present to be unbonded with. In this manner, a stolen book can be unbonded with, and a new one begun.
The bonding process is simple and easy. A sorcerer must merely enter the local Sorcerer Guild and find the summoning chamber inside. There will be a crystal present inside of the chamber, and while holding the book in the right hand, the sorcerer must RUB the crystal. This will bond the book. If the book is unable to be bonded, or already bonded, one will be notified and nothing will happen.
Bonding accomplishes one major function; it allows new room runes to be added into the book. Only when bonded can this be accomplished. An unbonded book will effectively be locked to further adding of runes. Of course, the runes in an unbonded book will be usable by any sorcerer. In this manner, a sorcerer can own many unbonded books if he or she desires. As said, once a sorcerer unbonds with a book, it can never be bonded to again, which seals its locked status forever.
Even if it is bonded to another, any Sorcerer can use the runes within the books. A sorcerer can lend his or her book to another for temporary or long term use. Of course, the other sorcerer cannot add runes to it, but it will still be usable. A sorcerer could even give or sell a book to another, but because the library of runes within it can no longer grow, it loses some of its use.
Rune books have ten pages of twenty runes each, making for 200 potential runes in one book. When learning a new rune, or making a circle, they must be held in the right hand. To turn pages, you either TURN book to go forward or FLIP book to go backward. TAP and POKE allows the user to select a rune, TAP moving the selected slot down one line, and poke moving the selected slot up one line. RUB allows them to erase a selected rune. Also, you can WHISPER BOOK SHOW PATTERN <#>, and you will recieve a glimpse of the location corresponding with the rune.
Spell Systems and Usage
Room Rune System
It has been previously stated that a Sorcerer is able to travel to any desired room in Elanthia, assuming the room is teleport accessible. The ability to pick which room to travel to is gained through the Room Rune System, which I will refer to as the RRS for short. A Sorcerer is be able to go to any room in the game and use the SENSE PATTERN verb to detect the rune and save it. This must be done while holding a bonded runebook, more details of which were discussed in the previous section. Sensing a rune is simple and easy, and it will permanently be available from that book henceforth. If the room is not teleport accessible, then an attempt to SENSE will result in messaging saying that the patterns are difficult to align to.
The runes have a number of descriptors indicating what realm they are from, where within the realm, and finally, the individual room. In addition, a minor note of the room itself is found at the end of each rune.
Here are two such examples of runes:
1. a set of circular gold-bordered crimson "ay-eda-zi-gy-ay" signs [Ta'Vaalor, Victory Court]
2. a set of circular gold-bordered crimson "ay-eda-zi-im-mer" glyphs [Ta'Vaalor, Amaranth Court]
Gold-bordered crimson represents the realm, and circular, signs or glyphs, and rune syllables represent various areas and rooms within the realm. While in this case, the realm is revealed through the room name (Ta'Vaalor is in the Vaalor realm), this is not always the case. In cases such as these, the color of the runes can be used to identify the realm.
The following realm colors were taken with permission from Hakwea's Demonologist Handbook.
| Realm | Rune Color |
|---|---|
| Abandonded Village (Trail to Vornavis) | Stone Grey |
| Cairnfang (Trail to Vornavis) | Ash Grey |
| Cysaegir | Verdant Green |
| Icemule Trace | Frosty White |
| Icemule Trail-Glacier | Ghostly White |
| Icemule Trail-Mountain Pass | Pearly White |
| Icemule Trail-Snowy Forest | Bone White |
| Illistim | Sapphire Blue |
| Northern Canvasary | Slate Grey |
| Old Ta'Faendryl | Scarlet |
| Pinefar | Icy Blue |
| River's Rest | Sky Blue |
| Shadow Valley | Shadowy Black |
| Solhaven | Aquamarine |
| Teras Isle | Molten Red |
| Vaalor | Gold-bordered Crimson |
| Wehnimer's Landing | Twilight Grey |
| Zul Logoth | Coppery Brown |
The individual syllables each correspond with an equivalent in the common tongue, and the combined runes can be translated and spoken aloud if so desired. A chart for the translation of these runes can be found here.
Spell Usage
The process of using this spell is involved, but not too complex. First off, the sorcerer must hold his or her chalk in the left hand, with the rune book in the right. The sorcerer must then DRAW SUMMONING CIRCLE. This will incur 3 RT. The sorcerer must then DRAW PATTERN <#>, where the # is the corresponding room rune from the book, which will also incur around 3 or 4 RT. After this, the sorcerer may put the chalk and book away, it is no longer necessary. The final step in preparing the spell is to PREPARE 740 and then CAST CIRCLE. If the spell succeeds, a rift will be created. In the interrealm version, the rift immediately transport you. In the intrarealm, the rift is created but remains until the caster moves through it. As soon as the rift is entered, the transportation is complete and instantaneous, closing the rift behind.
Additionally, a sorcerer can instruct his or her demon, animate, or eye to pass through an intrarealm rift beforehand, using standard movement verbs directed to GO RIFT.
Group Transport
The intrarealm portion of the spell has the potential for bringing a group. The ability to bring a group is based on Sorcerous Lore, Demonology. For every 20 ranks in Demonology lore, one additional person will be able to use the rift.
For those who do have Demonology lore, the process is simple. When the transport rift is created, those who are joined to the caster may simply GO RIFT and use it as the caster would. There are two important things that must be done to accomplish this. First off, the group MUST be joined to the caster. Any who attempt to enter the rift who are not joined to the caster will suffer a wound and damage. Secondly, these people must enter the rift BEFORE the caster. If the caster enters first, it will close the rift. If the caster has no demonology lore, the others will be unable to enter. Similarly, if the caster's limit is reached, additional group members will recieve messaging that the rift would become too chaotic, and will not pass. The original caster will still be able to enter after this though. It is also possible to drag passengers through the rift, allowing for rescuing dead bodies or incapacitated companions. This also requires 20 ranks of Demonology per dragged person.
Success and Failure
Interrealm Success
Interrealm success rates are quite simple. The spell starts with a base rate of 90% success. The only way to increase the chance to succeed even further is by training in Sorcerous Lore, Demonology. Every 12 ranks of Demonology lore increase the success rate by 1%, maxing out at 100% with 120 ranks.
Intrarealm Success
Intrarealm success rates are much more complicated, as well as more failure prone. There are five character based factors stated as contributing to success: Sorcerer Spell Ranks, Discipline, Aura, Wisdom, and ranks in Spiritual Mana Control and Elemental Mana Control. It has been specifically noted that encumbrance plays no role in the spell's success.
A number of things about this equation are known. First off, Sorcerer Spell Ranks are to be considered significantly more important in it than the Spiritual/Elemental Control ranks. Secondly, the success equation is identical to that of the Wizard's Familiar Gate (930) equation, with one difference. In the place of level, which contributes to the Wizard's Gate, there is are Control Ranks. Similarly to Familar Gate, the highest possible intrarealm success rate achievable is 95%.
The way in which the control ranks factor in is complex. Basically, its on a ranks per level scale, the standard being 1xed in both controls. What this will do is put the same thing into the equation as level would be applied in the Wizard's Familiar Gate. So, for example, say a level 50 Wizard casts Familiar Gate. Just making up numbers, but lets say it added 50 to the equation. Well, a Sorcerer casting 740 who was level 50 and 1xed in both controls would also have 50 added to the equation. So through the controls, level can contribute. The interesting thing is, this means the Sorcerer can further train for success. By training more in the controls, the Sorcerer can increase this factor for the spell. Certain combinations of ranks seem to be more important. For example, someone 2xed in one control, with 0x in the other WILL have a higher benefit than someone 1xed in both. But, aside from that particular type of training, more is basically always better.
Failures
Most of the failures with this spell are limited to a backlash of energy from the circle. There are varying types of these. The most basic is a simple intrarealm failure. It causes a backlash of energy which inflicts minor to moderate damage and a wound on the caster. These can do crush, slash, or vacuum damage. In addition, a similar failure is possible with interrealm transport. This can occur on its own, or can also occur if intrarealm chalks are used for interrealm travel. This backlash is much more dangerous, easily capable of killing the caster. There is also a chance, albeit slim, that upon failing an interrealm cast, a lesser demon will find its way into our world and be released. This demon can and will go on a killing rampage. If this occurs in town, the caster will be charged with Demonic summoning.