What happens to a priest travelling from one world to another in the Prime Material Plane?

Question

I'm working on a planeswalking campaign where the group will be travelling through several different worlds in the Prime Material Plane (i.e. from Toril to Krynn).

I'm using the AD&D Planescape material, although I'm adjusting it to D&D 3.X rules. This assumes that there is just one cosmology, what later would be called the Great Wheel, in which the Prime Material Plane contains all the different worlds -those of the official settings and any it might exist.

Players would travel from one world to another through any of the Transitive Planes (classically the Astral and the Ethereal Planes, although I'm considering using the Shadow Plane as defined in the D&D 3.X Manual of the Planes).

Spelljammer rules might apply, since Planescape considers them.

The question then relates to the influence of the gods to provide spells to priests that travel through different worlds in the Material Plane. So far, I've read the following statements:

• In Planescape Campaign Setting it is stated that limitations will exist when priests travel through the Inner, Transitive and Outer planes, suffering a level penalty to their spells and abilities for each plane between them and their god.
• It is also stated that the Powers (a.k.a gods) can provide their priests with spells in the Prime Material Plane without these limitations.
• In the 'On Hallowed Grounds' book it is stated that powers use to form Pantheons (as defined also in the AD&D Complete Priest Handbook and the D&D 3.X Gods and Demigods) in which each of them will rule over different aspects (their portfolio). In general, gods with the same portfolio will avoid direct conflict among gods from different pantheons.
• It is also stated there that there are Pantheons that are 'sphere-specific', and use to focus on a single World. There, they will be all-mighty, but they are less powerful in the Planes than their peers with a more general outlook.
• There is one final point noted in this book stating that sometimes priests might start a cult to their gods in different planes, eventually receiving the ability to cast spells. This suggests that they may have no spellcasting abilities when they reach a new World.

This final point has me confused. I'm sure I've read somewhere that powers who have no cults on a specific Material World have no influence there, but I cannot find the reference.

So, how does all of this work together? Can gods provide spells to their priests in different Prime Material Worlds? How much influence will they have over a world where said priest is their only follower? Can you point me to the book where this is described?

Also, how would this work on a World so self-absorbed and Pantheon-closed as Krynn?

Answer 1

As you have said you are willing to consider Spelljammer rules, I can pull a few quotes in for you that might help clear this up.

From Spelljammer Core Rules: Book 2, Concordance of Arcane Space, p. 17

Clerics in Space: A cleric may not regain spells above 2nd level while in the phlogiston. This is because he remains out of direct contact with his deity.

A cleric who enters a foreign crystal shell is similarly restricted. The only exceptions to this occur when a cleric's deity (or a similar power) is recognized in the foreign shell or the cleric casts a successful gate spell, affording his deity access to the foreign shell.

Any god or power is considered "recognized" within a sphere if he has worshipers and/or an organized church anywhere within that system. This does not mean that a PC cleric can move into a shell and automatically establish a base of worship for his god. For a deity to be a recognized power in any shell, he has to have an established base of worshipers somewhere in the system.

Additionally, the same rulebook adds the following spells on page 22

Contact Home Power (2nd level Conjuration)

The user of this spell establishes a tenuous link through the Astral Plane between his present location and that of the power he venerates. This link permits the priest to regain his spells as if the god is recognized and venerated within the sphere.

The duration of the spell is one week, as long as the cleric remains in the same crystal sphere in which he cast the spell. Passage into another plane (even the ethereal) will break the spell.

and

Detect Powers (2nd level Divination)

[This spell] allows a cleric to determine if there are friendly gods and/or other powers within a crystal sphere so that he may recharge his higher-level spells within its borders. It also reveals if the god(s) revered by the cleric are worshiped within that sphere.

In this case 'friendly' is defined as 'same basic attributes and portfolio' or possibly 'same god by a different name.' As two examples...

-Paladine and Bahamut are the same god, but known by different names and roles in two different spheres.

-Reorx and Moradin are two distinct gods (from Krynn and FR respectively), but they are sufficiently similar that a cleric of one could receive spells from the other.

So, if you take these pieces of information into account, it gives you the following answer:

When you are on a different world within the Prime Material Plane, you may only regain spells up to 2nd Level unless

1: Your god has an established base of worshipers on that world, or on another world within the same Sphere. This implies that the other gods in the system don't actually get a direct say in the matter...though they could certainly stamp out 'heretical religions' if necessary.

2: You use Detect Powers to locate a friendly deity (or your own) and refresh your spells via them.

3: You use Contact Home Power on a weekly basis to 'phone home' and keep that connection open so you may reload your spells.

4: You use Gate to connect directly to your deity's domain and refresh your spells from them directly.

Now, I do not have access to the Planescape books, so I am not 100% certain that this isn't contradicted somewhere in those books...but if you are willing to abide by Spelljammer rules, that's how it works.