DM Note: Magic Items on the Planes

The magic effects produced by magic items sometimes have unexpected behavior when used on a plane other than the Material Plane. Here are some noteworthy examples.

Magic Items that use Spell Completion activation (such as scrolls): Behave according to the magic properties of the plane on which it is used.

Magic Items that use Spell Trigger, Command Word, or Use-Activated activation: Behave according to the magic properties of the plane on which the magic item was created. (The default plane of creation for magic items is the Material Plane, unless it is an item that you acquired elsewhere.)

This information does differ from the way I explained things previously. Your potions and healing belts and magic weapons and armor that you brought with you to the Abyss from the Material Plane should behave as they always have, since they were made on the Material Plane. I think the only magic items you have to watch out for is scrolls (which use Spell Completion).

Magic items that you acquire while in the Abyss will not require the Unlock-Payments (if any) but otherwise behave according to the magic properties of the Abyss, even if you take them outside of the Abyss. The only exception to this rule is if you acquire a magic item while you are in the Abyss that actually come from some place outside of the Abyss. Its all about the native plane of the magic item, where it was created.

Example, say you found a potion of cure light wounds that was created in Mount Celestia. When you take it back home to the Material Plane and use it, the healing the drinker receives is intensified (maximized and doubled) just as healing effects are on Mount Celestia.

This should clarify some things for you guys and make things a little bit easier for the next session.