The Shadow Magic trilogy is a fantasy series written by Joshua Khan. It consists of three books: Shadow Magic, Dream Magic, and Burning Magic. The series follows the adventures of a young boy named Thorn, as he discovers his extraordinary abilities and battles against powerful enemies. In the first book, Shadow Magic, we are introduced to the kingdom of Gehenna, where magic and darkness reign. Thorn is just an ordinary boy, living in the slums of the city, until he stumbles upon a plot to overthrow the kingdom's rulers. Thorn must learn to harness his unique shadow magic and join forces with a group of outcasts to save Gehenna.

Amulet of the Planes

While wearing this amulet, you can use an action to name a location that you are familiar with on another plane of existence. Then make a DC 15 Intelligence check. On a successful check, you cast the plane shift spell. On a failure, you and each creature and object within 15 feet of you travel to a random destination. Roll d100. On a 1-60, you travel to a random location on the plane you named. On a 61-100, you travel to a pane of existence randomly determined by the DM from the options below. You travel to a random location on that plane, even if you are already on the plane.

Amulet of the Planes (Magic Amulet)

Amulet of the Planes: This device enables the individual possessing it to transport himself instantly to or from any one of the closest levels of the Outer Planes. This travel is absolutely safe, if not absolutely sure, but until the individual learns the device, transport will be random. Roll 1d6. On a 4-6, add 12 to the result of a 1d12 roll (for a result between 1 and 24). On a 1-3, do not add 12 to a 1d12 roll. Figure the total and consult the following table to determine where the holder of the amulet ends up:

In a Dragonlance Campaign: The amulet of the planes does not exist on Ansalon.

In Ravenloft: The amulet of the planes does not function in the Demiplane of Ravenloft.

Amulet of the Planes - Random Plane Selection

I've got a player who's picked up an amulet of the planes as part of his starting equipment for his character.

Given he can only succeed on the DC 15 Intelligence check less than 50% on the time, I need to prep a table of random planes in the event of a failed roll.

So far, here's what I've prepped:

1% to 10% - Astral Plane
11% to 20% - Ethereal Plane
21% to 30% - Shadow Plane
31% to 40% - First World
41% to 50% - Elemental Plane of Air
51% to 60% - Elemental Plane of Water
61% to 70% - Elemental Plane of Earth
71% to 80% - Elemenetal Plane of Fire
81% - Axis
82% - The Boneyard
83% - The Maelstrom
84% - Abaddon
85% - The Abyss
86% - Hell
87% - Elysium
88% - Heaven
89% - Nirvana
90% - Reroll Outer Planes
91% to 100% - Demiplane (GM's Choice)

Anyone have any advice how to best deal with prepping encounters or other surprises for the group when they're dimension hopping around the multiverse?

I mean, besides the "fun" if Id have a character like that in my party, even my 6 INT Wizard would refuse to party with such character.
Imprevisibility is something an adventurer can expected, now, forced imprevisibility, no, I outright refuse it.

If you really want it, you could have 2-3 encounters prepped for each scenario and shuffle between them, or/and just add random NPC reprensentative of those planes that always have a way to go back

Starting equipment? As in first level starting equipment? Oooh, this could be very, very lethal.

Random location in a random plane? So, no elemental protections.
Plane of Earth? Unless you've got earthglide, you're dead.
Plane of Fire? Unless you've got immunity to fire, you're dead.
Plane of Air? Better master your falling right quick or you'll smack into something hard at terminal velocity (20d6).
Plane of Water? Unless you've got gills or water breathing, you're drowning, you're dead.
That's a 40% chance of TPK for just the Inner Planes.

Shadow Plane, infused with negative energy. That sounds deadly.
The Boneyard? I play in a homebrew world, so I don't know anything about this plane, but it doesn't sound good.
The Maelstrom? That sounds at least as bad as the Boneyard.
This is what I found out about Abbadon, "In its blistered and blackened reaches, both mortal souls and outsiders find themselves preyed upon by the fiendish residents, either slain outright or offered up bound and bleeding to the plane’s rulers as specimens upon which to feast or experiment." Okay, that sound like a wipe-out.
The Abyss? Hell? Well, they speak for themselves.

Overall, you're looking at a 55% chance of obliterating the group.
Even Elysium is entrapping, so they'll enjoy their gilded cage.

The Amulet functions as plane shift, meaning everyone has to be holding hands (and willing) to be shifted. Casting time is only a standard action and the Amulet doesn't specify how often it can be used. That's up to you, I guess. Does it have to recharge between uses?

I highly recommend that because if not, don't prep any encounters. They'll just keep randomly popping around the planes every standard action until they get where they want.

They're 15th level so far, so the item's within the Wealth by Level guidelines, and as far as I can see, it functions at will to cast Plane Shift as a standard action command word.

As for encounters, fleeing to a different plane would depend on their initiative roll for the start of combat. Typically they'd be able to survive one round of environmental hazards on most planes, even the ones hostile to humanoids such as the Plane of Fire (3d10 fire damage per round isn't gonna kill a 15th level character fast enough to matter, though they might be more upset that their flammable gear such as cloaks are gonna take fire damage and likely be destroyed).

So far I've got the following:

Astral Plane: Astradaemon (CR 16)
Ethereal Plane: 4 Advanced 14 HD Xill (CR 16)
Shadow Plane: Nightwalker (CR 16), Advanced Dark Creature Lesser Bandersnatch (CR 15)
First World: Advanced Ankou (CR 15), 3 Advanced Fey Hounds of Tindalos and Wild Hunt Scout (CR 16), Phantom Ring (CR 9)
Elemental Plane of Air: Tornado (CR 10)
Elemental Plane of Water: Flowing Water, Whirlpool (no CR, but failed Swim checks separate party members)
Elemental Plane of Earth: Cave-In (CR 8)
Elemental Plane of Fire: Fire-Dominant Trait Damage, Lava Immersion (CR 14)

They're 15th level so far, so the item's within the Wealth by Level guidelines, and as far as I can see, it functions at will to cast Plane Shift as a standard action command word.

As for encounters, fleeing to a different plane would depend on their initiative roll for the start of combat. Typically they'd be able to survive one round of environmental hazards on most planes, even the ones hostile to humanoids such as the Plane of Fire (3d10 fire damage per round isn't gonna kill a 15th level character fast enough to matter, though they might be more upset that their flammable gear such as cloaks are gonna take fire damage and likely be destroyed).

So far I've got the following:

Astral Plane: Astradaemon (CR 16)
Ethereal Plane: 4 Advanced 14 HD Xill (CR 16)
Shadow Plane: Nightwalker (CR 16), Advanced Dark Creature Lesser Bandersnatch (CR 15)
First World: Advanced Ankou (CR 15), 3 Advanced Fey Hounds of Tindalos and Wild Hunt Scout (CR 16), Phantom Ring (CR 9)
Elemental Plane of Air: Tornado (CR 10)
Elemental Plane of Water: Flowing Water, Whirlpool (no CR, but failed Swim checks separate party members)
Elemental Plane of Earth: Cave-In (CR 8)
Elemental Plane of Fire: Fire-Dominant Trait Damage, Lava Immersion (CR 14)

I wouldnt mess with pc items unless it was previously agreed. Messing with pc items could be wrongbadfun for many. I do not take pleasure in having my +5 Saves cape destroyed because I got teleported.

Also, why would the party take the risk of using this amulet? Is there a reason for this?

On the other hand do not rely solely on combat. Plane of Fire could be easily resisted with Resist Energy which last a lot of time, so it's not really a huge problem. If part knows they will be forcefully teleported, they will just get an item/spell to breathe anywhere and solve most of their problems.

Im having a hard time with a party accepting this, unless theres some plot forced down the characters throat.

Thorn must learn to harness his unique shadow magic and join forces with a group of outcasts to save Gehenna. The second book, Dream Magic, sees Thorn and his friends leaving their homeland to travel to the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, where they hope to find allies against the dark forces that threaten Gehenna. Along the way, they must navigate treacherous landscapes, face dangerous creatures, and confront their own inner demons.

In the final book, Burning Magic, Thorn and his friends return to Gehenna to confront the true source of evil and bring an end to the darkness that has plagued their world. As they battle ancient and powerful sorcerers, Thorn must embrace his destiny as a wielder of shadow magic and make a choice that will impact the fate of Gehenna. Throughout the trilogy, Joshua Khan creates a vivid and immersive world, filled with unique creatures, powerful magic, and complex characters. The story explores themes of friendship, bravery, and the struggle between light and dark. The Shadow Magic trilogy is a thrilling and enchanting series that will captivate readers of all ages. With its rich world-building, fast-paced plot, and compelling characters, it is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure..

Reviews for "The Role of Magic in The Shadow Magic Trilogy"

1. Susan - 2 stars - I found "The Shadow Magic Trilogy" to be quite disappointing. The plot was slow-moving and lacked depth, and the characters were underdeveloped. I also couldn't connect with the writing style, as it felt too simplistic and juvenile for my taste. Overall, I was expecting more complexity and intrigue from a fantasy trilogy, and unfortunately, this series fell short.

2. Mark - 3 stars - While "The Shadow Magic Trilogy" had an interesting premise, I felt that it failed to deliver on its full potential. The world-building was minimal, and I struggled to visualize the magical realm the story was set in. Additionally, the pacing was uneven, with moments of excitement followed by long periods of stagnation. I also found certain plot twists to be predictable, which took away from the overall enjoyment. While the trilogy had its moments, it ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied.

3. Emily - 2.5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Shadow Magic Trilogy," but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The main protagonist lacked depth and often made questionable decisions that didn't make sense to me. The romantic subplot felt forced and added little to the overall story. Furthermore, the magic system wasn't well explained, leaving me confused about its limitations and rules. Overall, I found the trilogy to be lackluster and wouldn't recommend it to fantasy enthusiasts looking for a captivating and well-developed series.

4. Michael - 2 stars - As an avid fantasy reader, I was sorely disappointed by "The Shadow Magic Trilogy." The writing seemed amateurish and lacked polish, with inconsistent world-building and dialogue that felt stilted. The characters felt one-dimensional, and their motivations were often unclear or nonsensical. The pacing was also off, with long stretches of dull exposition followed by rushed and unsatisfying conclusions. Overall, this trilogy failed to engage me, and I wouldn't recommend it to fellow fantasy readers seeking a more immersive and well-crafted story.

The Power of Shadow Magic: Unleashing its Potential in the Trilogy