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Upon reading about the Harmonium Peacekeeper Prestige Class (Dragon #315, p47) whose 3rd level Planar Steed ability includes the ability to plane shift once per day from Arcadia to the first level of any nonevil plane, I decided to try to increase that plane-shift's accuracy.

My research has shown me precious little that does so: Accurate Jaunt lets a character roll twice for teleportation effects, and cynosure (Dragon #338, p77), a 4th level Sorcerer/Wizard spell, reduces the distance from the target area by 75% (rounding fractional miles down).

Is there something easier or cheaper resource-wise than a 4th level spell or a feat of dubious utility that increases the accuracy of plane shift? My preference would be for the character to have as many Paladin levels as possible; try to leave out Full-casting classes like Cleric or Sorcerer/Wizard, if possible.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The goal is, I assume, to make plane shift more accurate in general, so, for example, making a Use Magic Device skill check to activate a scroll of greater plane shift [conj] (Spell Compendium 159) isn't an option? And, by extension, that employing methods other than plane shift for planar travel aren't acceptable workarounds either, correct? \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Apr 5, 2017 at 16:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yeah, the goal is to make the ability work at better than avg 250mi inaccuracy. AJ improves things by 73mi each time it's used, on avg, and improves the average by 36.5mi. Obv the spell improves stuff by 75%, so by about 189mi to 63mi on avg. The spell is expensive, and the feat overpriced, IMO... And correct; PS is the goal, to utilize the ability to best effect. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chemus
    Apr 5, 2017 at 17:06
  • \$\begingroup\$ That'd be great, but would only increase accuracy when the check succeeded; maximizing that would cost more resources (Stats or items) than just the lesser amulet. That it would be 100% accurate 30% of the time (for 10-11 Int) is great. Too bad PS doesn't work that way already. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chemus
    Apr 5, 2017 at 18:04

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So far as I'm aware, there's no better officialish spell than the 4th-level Sor/Wiz spell cynosure [div] (Dragon #308 77) for improving the accuracy of a plane shift effect, and there's no better officialish readily available feat than the spelltouched feat Accurate Jaunt (Unearthed Arcana 92) for improving the accuracy of a plane shift effect. I've a document that I think compiles all the Wizards of the Coast spells from the Dungeons and Dragons, Third Edition corpus that's inclusive and another that similarly compiles all the feats. Those spells and feats are largely it for doing what you want to do.

There are likely other magic items than those below that may be helpful in improving a plane shift effect's accuracy, and I'll add those to this answer when I locate them, but I'm not immediately aware of any, and the research I have done has yielded no better results than those below. (I mean, seriously, I'm assuming planar ring gates (Planar Handbook 83) (200,000 gp; 20 lbs. ea.) and the rope of crossing (PlH 83-4) (90,000 gp; 10 lbs.), while interesting, just are not what you're looking for, nor is using an effect like the 8th-level Sor/Wiz spell greater plane shift [conj] (Spell Compendium 159), no matter if such an effect is created through an attuned gem, rune, scroll, staff, skull talisman, or spellworm.) The same goes for classes: I know of no class that improves a plane shift effect's accuracy. (But if I find one, I'll add it!)

Outliers and also-rans

  • There's the poorly-named epic feat Dark Transient (Epic Insights Web column “Epic Warlock Feats”) that allows an epic warlock to

    use plane shift with perfect accuracy (self and personal equipment only). You can also transport other creatures, but you then suffer the inaccuracies normally incurred when using this spell. Activating this ability requires a standard action.

    Obviously, taking the feat requires that the creature be an epic level warlock or that the DM approves a very generous reading of the slightly controversial term bonus feat (and most DM's don't).

  • A creature that takes the feat Touchstone (Sandstorm 53) et al. can establish a link with the Great Orrery (Planar Handbook 178-9) on Mechanus. When the creature gains the touchstone site's higher-order ability, he can 3/recharge use an effect like the spell plane shift except that he's only off by 2d10+5 miles instead of 5d% miles.

  • Although expensive, an amulet of the planes (DMG 247) (120,000 gp; 0 lbs.) is 100% accurate with a successful Intelligence check (DC 15). Far less expensive is the lesser amulet of the planes (Dungeon #107 69) (24,000 gp; 0 lbs.), which is identical to the original except it functions but 1/day. Note that only the DM stops an not-distracted, not-threatened creature from taking 10 on ability checks.

  • As an aside, creatures employing plane shift effects to reach the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia "always find themselves in the surf of an ocean surrounding Mount Celestia" on the plane's first layer, Lunia (Manual of the Planes 133-4). So at least where a traveler shows up on that plane is somewhat predictable. Other planes apparently aren't nearly so accommodating.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What's that cynosure spell do? \$\endgroup\$
    – GMJoe
    Apr 6, 2017 at 10:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ @GMJoe Much like the asker says, cast before a spell with a possibility of arriving off-target, cynosure reduces the off-target distance of the next spell by 75%. For example, if the caster would normally be 100 mi. off target, cynosure's caster's 25 mi. off-target. Interestingly, cynosure's usually cast on another creature (its range is touch and its target is one creature) as the spell's duration is only 1 round. (I guess modifying the spell with the feat Extend Spell is a possibility for a higher-level caster if the caster must use the spell on himself, though.) \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Apr 6, 2017 at 13:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ Safety (SpC, 179) cast prior to Plane Shift "sends the subject of safety to a place of relative safety on that plane". So far that's all else I've found... I guess, 'you can't' is and answer too. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chemus
    Apr 7, 2017 at 16:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Chemus Yeah, I thought about mentioning the spell safety, but didn't because, while it ensures… um… safety when using plane shift, the safety spell makes it sound like the caster no longer picks the plane shift spell's destination and, instead, only picks the plane. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hey I Can Chan
    Apr 7, 2017 at 17:08

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