Arcanescape: The Cataclysm Maelstrom

Few places are as hazardous as the Cataclysm Maelstrom, where evocation magic is drawn from. Here, what's more dangerous than the forms of energy themselves is the conflict between them all, and the constant shifting a types. Though a wizard may proof himself against fire, he may find himself dropped into freezing cold or even into spikes of force or waves of sound.

Thankfully, the outer circle isn't quite as hazardous. It can still be deadly, but in a generally mundane fashion. Here, the landscape is blasted to raw, sharp stone landscapes by the various energies which rip across it. Rifts and calderas open up periodically, exhaling ash, smoke, and flames. Almost as important is the sound they make when first appearing, a high-pitched grinding that can harm the ears. Across the skies, cold winds blow, and occasionally snow, sleet or hail will fall, cooling the vents as lightning strikes the ground, weakening it once more.

Few things live in the outer circle, though. With plants being blasted off the landscape, only elemental and energy lifeforms find a proper existence here... if a harsh one. A small number of spellcasters forge towers here, but they must often fortify and repair their homes. The constant sounds of violent energies can be maddening to some, making it difficult for many sentient beings to find sleep or rest while here.

The outer circle has the following traits:

• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not evocation or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is only made at (DC 10 + the level of the spell).
• Enhanced Magic: All evocation spells are heightened by one level (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an evocation spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one (such as for extend spell, silent spell, or still spell).
• Constant Noise: Though not always nearby, the sound of thunderclaps, earthquakes, and eruptions echoes throughout the plane. Anybody attempting to sleep in this plane must succeed at a DC 15 Concentration check to do so for every 2 hours of sleep. If the check is failed, the character must wait (1d6 x 10) minutes before attempting sleep again. This DC may be increased if the disturbances are particularly close, of course.

In the first inner circle, the ground breaks up into floating stones that float randomly throughout its expanse. Here, the energies become more polarized. While there is still some crossover, for the large part they drift into several types of regions. Where the magma flows drift out from the outer circle, they become free-floating specks of heat, superheating the air about them. The clouds discharge their electricity into the more conductive rocks, which results in areas where lightning arcs from stone to stone constantly, and towards any other body which should happen to verge too close. The clouds themselves shift into motes of pure cold, the polar opposite of the superheated areas. And from it all flows waves of sound, which result in areas where the stones constantly vibrate and resound with power, dispersing other energies.

Elemental and energy creatures find a better life here, forming an ecology much richer than that of the outer circle. The creatures here are often aggressive and hardy, as the struggle for existence is still quite difficult here. There are rumors that a rare few explorers and hermits carve out homes inside the stones, though few confirmations. Such folk that do actually life here are probably part-elemental as it is, through long-term use of elemental magic or an unusual heritage.

The first inner circle has the following traits:

• Objective Directional Gravity: The stones exert gravity, but only for a very short distance - only six to fifteen feet, depending on the size of the stone. Otherwise, there is no gravity.
• Energy-Dominant: Characters take 3d10 points of energy damage per round under most circumstances, with the type varying by the region they are in (fire, sound, cold, or electricity). In some of the "border regions", the damage is half of one type and half of another.
• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not evocation or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is only made at (DC 15 + the level of the spell), however.
• Enhanced Magic: All evocation spells are heightened by two levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an evocation spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one or two (such as for extend spell or empower spell).

In the second inner circle of the Maelstrom, things become even too hazardous for many forms of elemental life. Here the essential forms of energy manifest, capable of bypassing even advanced magical defenses. There is no stones or land here - only a dangerous, shifting sea of pure energy. Though some elementals do exist here, they tend to be rare, enormous, and voracious in the extreme.

Here, some types of energy can be "harvested" by particularly skilled spellcasters to enhance their evocation spells. Some of the greatest evocation spells require these elements as spell components or for their source, and so this region is a area of great research interest, though few remain for long.

The second inner circle has the following traits:

• No Gravity.
• Energy-Dominant: Characters take 3d10 points of energy damage per round under most circumstances, with the type varying by the region they are in (fire, sound, cold, or electricity). Energy resistance does not protect against this damage, but energy immunity halves it. Creatures with an elemental subtype still ignore the damage. Creatures that take an extra +50% damage from a type of element instead take double damage from said element in this area. In some of the "border regions", the damage is half of one type and half of another.
• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not evocation or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is made at (DC 20 + the level of the spell).
• Enhanced Magic: All evocation spells are heightened by three levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an evocation spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one to three (such as for extend spell, empower spell, or maximize spell).

The third inner circle of the Maelstrom is something of a mystery even to archmagi and loremasters, however. An enormous globe of force surrounds the circle, making so purely magical means are required to find one's way inside. Due to the overwhelming presence of evocation magic, generally force effects are used to pierce the skin of the third inner circle or exit - without such, entry is difficult and exit is nearly impossible. Within is a maze of abstract patterns of force, lit by the elements outside the globe. Constantly shifting, the greatest danger is that of simply being crushed; few things can withstand the indomitable pressure of interlocking force effects.

Some say force is created here by the pressure created by the elements and energy surrounding it. Others claim that force is the purest expression of evocation magic, and thus it forms the core of all without. Others say it is the "anchor" for the plane that keeps it all from mixing and falling prey to entropy. Some say that if the shifting patterns could be puzzled out, great magics could be worked with the knowledge, but so far such musings are merely theoretical.

The third inner circle has the following traits:

• No Gravity
• Energy Dominant: Interlocking force effects generally give a Reflex save DC 15 save to avoid, but this may be higher for larger fields and shapes. Anybody caught in such an effect takes 1d10 points of damage for every increment of 5 the DC exceeds 10 (so DC 15 = 1d10, DC 20 = 2d10, and so on). To escape from the effect, the character must take a standard action and a Strength check against a DC equal to the original Reflex save. If the roll is failed, the damage increases by 1d10 and the Strength check DC to escape the effect increases by 5. So if the character has a Reflex save DC 15 to avoid the effect, the damage is 1d10 and the Strength check to escape is DC 15, and if he fails to escape, the damage increases to 2d20 and the Strength check DC increases to 20, and so on.
• Limited Magic: All spells that are not evocation or universal spells do not function.
• Enhanced Magic: All evocation spells are heightened by four levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an evocation spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one to four (such as for empower spell, maximize spell, or quicken spell).