The Negative Energy Plane is a barren, empty place, a void without end, and a place of empty, endless night. Worse, it is a needy, greedy plane, sucking the life out of anything that is vulnerable. Heat, fire, and life itself are all drawn into the maw of this plane, which hungers for more.
The Negative Energy Plane is the most hostile of the Inner Planes, and the most uncaring and intolerant of life. Only creatures invulnerable to its life-draining energies may survive there, and even they have problems as the negative energy tugs at them imploringly.
Traits
- Subjective Directional Gravity: Similar to the Elemental Plane of Air, on this plane each inhabitant decides his own “down.”
- Normal Time.
- Infinite Size.
- Alterable Morphic.
- Major Negative-Dominant: Areas within the plane have only the minor negative-dominant trait, and these islands tend to be inhabited.
- Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use negative energy are maximized (as if the Maximize Spell feat had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already maximized are unaffected by this benefit. Class abilities that use negative energy, such as rebuking and controlling undead, gain a +10 bonus on the roll to determine Hit Dice affected.
- Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use positive energy, including cure spells, are impeded. These spells and spell-like abilities can still be used, but a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of the spell) must be made to do so. Characters suffer a –10 penalty on Fortitude saving throws made to regain negative levels bestowed through energy drain while on this plane, though they may leave the Negative Energy Plane and make their Fortitude saves somewhere else.
Inhabitants
Like its positive energy twin, the Negative Energy Plane is relatively empty. It contains no true elemental forms or versions of Material Plane creatures, and its outsiders are few and far between. Unlike on the Positive Energy Plane, undead thrive in this dark place.
The Negative Energy Plane is a hospitable home for the undead, especially undead that drain life energies from their opponents. Wraiths, spectres, and wights are all common, and some powerful vampires and liches make their homes on the Negative Energy Plane as well. The only thing that limits such creatures is the availability of prey, so the undead may be on their way elsewhere when encountered.
Features
- The greatest immediate danger on the Negative Energy Plane is the plane itself—its brooding malevolence and soul-sucking nature are a threat to all who cross it.
- As with its positive twin, there is no air on the Negative Energy Plane. While the environment is not a true vacuum, suffocation is a great peril, and the lack of breathable air tends to keep living creatures away. Similarly, food and drink do not exist naturally on the Negative Energy Plane, so a traveler must bring supplies as well.
- The Negative Energy Plane preys on more than just light. It greedily sucks the energy out of anything that it can. Torches and lanterns last half the normal time. The durations of spells are unaffected, because the nature of the spell itself counteracts the entropic power of negative energy.
- The Negative Energy Plane is completely and totally black. Even if travelers bring their own light source, the inherent power of the plane drains the color from everything, leaving only gray tones lit by flickering light.
- Vision (including darkvision) is limited to 5 feet. Light sources beyond that range appear as indistinct bits of radiance glimmering faintly against the deepest night. Distance is impossible to gauge within this oppressive environment.
Voidstones
In some locations on the Negative Energy Plane, the collapsing intensity of the plane is so great that the negative energy folds in on itself, stabilizing into solid chunks of utterly black matter. Anything that comes into contact with a voidstone is instantly destroyed. A character touching a piece of voidstone gets a Fortitude saving throw (DC 25) each round he stays in contact with it. Even natives of the Negative Energy Plane are vulnerable to voidstones. Voidstones may be of any size, ranging from inches across to dozens of feet.
Doldrums
Certain regions on the Negative Energy Plane are less deadly than others, reducing the negative-dominant trait from major to minor or even removing it entirely. These areas, called the doldrums, are relatively static on the plane, so towers, cities, and other structures can be built at their locations.