Physical Conditions - Ash (TIP)

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It takes a right cunning cutter to survive in any of the negative quasiplanes. Each one's as dangerous as a baatezu in church and twice as sneaky. A body can get himself killed any number of ways before he stumbles upon a means of survival, unless he's got a knowledgeable guide like me
==Getting Here==
Not too many folks'll actually go out of their way to reach the quasiplane of Ash (or any of the quasiplanes, for that matter). A body's more likely to find himself transported here accidentally or through the actions of a vengeful enemy.
With the obvious exception of the City of Doors, only a few gates provide access to this realm. For example, there's a strange little gate in the plane of Limbo that links that realm with the quasiplane of Ash. It's fairly easy to use, being large enough for three or four folks to pass through at once. The key's simply the smothering of a flame against the side of the portal's stone frame.
The trick to using this gate, however, is reaching it. Known as the Wandering Way, it never seems to stay in the same place for more than a day or two. Beyond that, there's no apparent pattern to its movements. One day, it might be in the city of Shra'kt'lor, and the next it might be clear on the other side of the plane. There's probably a way to anchor the gate so that it won't wander about like that; problem is, no one seems to have any idea how to do it.
Hidden away in a secluded corner of the Prime Material Plane's a little world named Athas that circles a bloated red star. The priests of this world. worship the elements them- selves, hoping to one day become embodiments of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Most of them're barmier than a Bleaker but right tough nonetheless.
Some time ago, a lesser sect of Athasian priests dedicated to the Quasielemental Plane of Ash emerged. Although their faith earned them few followers and they've now vanished without trace, these holy men left behind one relic: the Obsidian Gate of Tor Gaylen. Supposedly this thing's named for the head of their order, but no one can say for sure.
In order to activate this portal, it must be heated until the stone it's cut from glows red-hot. When the temperature's high enough, a dim grayness becomes apparent at the center of the gate and a body can walk through into the quasiplane of Ash. Just be careful not to touch the side of the gate on your way through, friend.
Although not common, vortices to the quasiplane of Ash do exist. For the most part, these're found in only two places: in the heart of a dormant or extinct volcano, or where a raging fire has razed every- thing. This might be the result of a natural conflagration like a forest fire, or the direct outcome of some supernatural force like the flaming breath of a red dragon.
==Hazards==
'Course, there's many a danger waiting to confront planewalkers as they explore the Inner Planes. In this particular quasiplane, the greatest problem's the way the plane siphons heat from living things.
===Temperature===
The neighboring plane of Fire has long since consumed the heat of this place. As if trying to regain the warmth that's been lost, the plane of Ash absorbs heat from everything within it, living or inanimate.
If a body ain't magically protected from the cold, he suffers 2d6 points of damage per turn. All living things, even those that're normally immune to cold, are affected. Creatures from the Elemental Plane of Fire, the paraplanes of Smoke and Magma, or otherwise accustomed to extreme heat suffer I HD of damage each round from this effect. Normal heat sources, even magical ones, won't do much to counter this effect.
===Breathing And Vision===
For the most part, the Quasielemental Plane of Ash's a solid mass of gray-white flakes. Even in places where the ash loosens up and the place becomes a thick, powdery cloud, it ain't fit for anything but choking on and there's no light at all to see by. Breathing and seeing just aren't possible here without magical help.
And it's got to be magic-natural open flames won't ignite. They can't survive without air any more than a living thing can. Magical light's still hampered by the thick clouds of ash, limiting visibility to about 10 yards at best. Infravision don't work here, either. Even if away from the solid parts of the quasiplane, residual heat's gobbled up almost instantly.
===Other Dangers===
As if the heat-draining weren't enough, Ash holds a couple of unique problems for a planewalker.
MAGE POWDER. Certain regions of the quasiplane of Ash're sensitive to the use of magic. When a spellcaster (either a wizard or a priest) starts tossing around spells in such places, the ash absorbs the magical energy just as it does body heat. Fortunately, this doesn't affect magical items or spells that were in effect prior to entering the mage powder.
Not only does the mage powder prevent any newly cast spell from taking effect, it can also absorb energies directly from the caster, making it impossible for him to use other spells for a time. Whenever a spell's cast in a region of mage powder the caster must make a saving throw vs. spell. If this roll's suc~~ssful, there's no ill effect (other than the predestined fail(Ire of the spell, that is).
If the roll fails, however, the caster's unable to work magic for at least an hour. This effect lasts I hour per point by which the saving throw was missed. Thus, if a 14 is needed and the wizard's die roll came up a 10, the difference of 4 points would indicate a loss of magical ability for 4 full hours. Watch out, spellslingers!
To determine the size of such a place, use the table presented for elemental pockets.
NEGATIVE POCKETS. Very rarely, a traveler in the quasiplane of Ash encounters a pocket of negative energy. These're as deadly as they are rare, for anyone who enters such a place loses one experience level or Hit Die each round. About the only thing that can protect a body from such a fate's a spell like negative plane protection.
SLUDGE. Once in a great while, some leatherhead'll bring a large quantity of water into this otherwise bone-dry realm. When that happens, the water mixes with the ash to form a mass of real vicious, er... viscous slime. For the most part, this goop just sits there and looks revolting. When a wann-blooded creature wanders into the stuff, however, a deadly trap's sprung.
The liquefied ash still absorbs heat from the area around it, but instead of just sucking the life out of a body, it instantly hardens into stone. A sod becomes entombed just as if he'd been dipped into quick-drying plaster.
The best way to escape such a prison's with the help of friends, if a body's got some. A few picks or other tools free a trapped sod from the dried sludge fairly easily. Trying to break out yourself is much harder, however, requiring a bend bars/lift gates roll. Fail, and you can kiss your plane-hoppin' rear goodbye, berk.
To determine the size of a sludge deposit, use the table provided for elemental pockets. The dimensions indicated on that table should be cut by 50%.
==Moving About==
Getting from place to place in the quasiplane of Ash ain't quite as difficult as traveling in the plane of Earth, but it's real close. As such, the guidelines for travel in Earth can be used here. Because ash isn't as thick as stone, however, travelers're always able to move as if they were surrounded by nothing denser than packed soil. The ash's also twice as likely to collapse in around a cutter's head since it isn't as tightly packed as earth.
There's gravity in this plane, so a body's got to do his own walking around as well. If a blood finds an open area where the ash forms clouds instead of solid matter, he can't fall from place to place like he might in the more open planes.