Thoughts about the Bag of Holding
by RobinThe Dragon Magazine article(Dragon #271 (pages 82-87) on the Bag of devouring explained that the creature exists in an other Plane using multiple mouths as planar conduits, where the lips mimmick a bag (the better detaileed the more realistic and thus more food).
The Bag of Devouring was the base the Bag of Holding was created upon.
As such one can surmise the space of the bag, which is limited variously between 5000 en 40.000cn as per canon, is a limited Tiny free roaming Outer Plane. The Day of Dread (and any other Antimagic effect, including Beholder Central Eyes) will just disconnect the tiny Plane's portal. All objecxts, like those in the Bag of Devoring will still be there....however ...no longer accesible.
The Combination of a Locate Object fixated on a single known object within the bag and an Open Gate spell(7th level I believe) will be able to reopen the bag.
The other solution is to harkon the Astral Pirates. There is a AD&D2 adventure/book/or article (which I can't remember anymore) which describes these as being hunting these Tiny Planar Planes (which like Bags of Devouring seem to have a sort of conscience in the Astral Plane) and are hunted and opened (aka killed)for their contents. In the Astral Plane these tiny sentient Planes are like small whales (I would use the same statistics and adjust by the contents size), and feed on energy fields within the AstralmPlane. As these 'Whale Planes are translucent, and shed light when fed, they are detectable and it can be discerned what is within them...this is the way these Astral Pirates use. They can be hired, yet often demand a great surface of half the bag's content.
Just an Idea to ponder upon...Locate Object+Open Gate on the nonfunctioning bag to reopen, or Travel to the Astral Plane and hire Astral Pirates to seek and hunt your bag...what is more lucrative or fun (aka experience gained). At least an adventure looms on the Astral Border
One note which most DM's seem to ignore on the items within a Bag of Holding;
1 They lay in chaos inside, yet are unable to hurt them
1a--retrieving an item is thus a gambling game...what will I draw out of it....
1b--this is the reason important items (like magic items used, spellbooks, potions, etc) are rarely placed in a Bag of Holding
1c--The only way (as also suggested in Harry Potter) is an Summon object or Locate objct spell cast within, which will draw the item out the bag or close to grasp.
2 as the Bag is an Extra-Planar Plane roaming in the Astral Plane temperature inside the bag are low to say the least.
2a--This is the reason no living crtratures are normally placed inside. They will mostly be dead on retrieval, as there is no air, water, food there and time acts differently in the bag (Chaos).
2b--Food and prisheables will not perish, unless the Planar opening is closed, or kwpt open. A Day/Week of Dread or other antimagic could thus spoil the perisheable contents. As the reaction is chaos based, a 1d100 must be rolled with each item retrieved to detect spoilage (Unaffected on a roll;Standard rations 50+, Iron Rations 30+.water based Liquids 60+, Oily/alcohol based liquids 40%. Metallic items susceptable to rust 40+, Other organic perisheables (including books, scrolls) 25+, Othr inorganic perisheables 15+, Non-perisheables 5%.)
3 Astral Piracy and invading organisms
3a- Bags are hunted, there is a 1% chance each time the bag is opened that its contents are robbed the next time . The opening klights the Astral Whale, making it a potential target for nearby predators/pirates. If this has happened, the Bag end on the Prime Plane is now a one way tiny planar gate, where iteems will be lost in the infinite astral Plane. These bags are used in Glantri, Alphatia, and even by Nitjians and Ancient Alphatia as well as the Carnivex as garbage dosposals (with a 1% chance of invading astral entities)
3b-Astral creatures (and pests) can invade a bag, and there is a 15% chance each 40 openings it will have some invading agent within; -0-25% some watery mucuos harmless slime, 26-50% some content harmful slime, 51-70% some harmful slime, buglike creatures which do not leave the bag, but may attack (nimick insect attacks with a 10% chance of poison), 71-90 ome harmful slime, buglike creatures which may leave the bag and attack the locals before returning or dying (some say this is how Slimes and such invaded the Prime Plane, especially the gray ooze is suspected to be a Astral invader--use either slimeor insect swarm statistics), 91-99 a larger than normal creature tries to invade through the back, and has a 2@ chance per HD to rupture the Bag; These may include Neh-Thalghu, Deepspawn , Any full shapeshifter (non that have a human-sized form/base form), Composite elemental, Eyewing,Grell,Slaad Intellect devourer, (bold see AD&D2 Monster Manual)
These notes I used on the euro gencon 1995. I believe it was from a meeting there with some of the D&D writers of those age. maybe Bruce Heard knows, I met him there, so he might remember more
Keep in mind an extra dimensional place can't be placed in an other extra dimensional place or the connection will be violently destroyed planar sucking gate (I would say 20d8 damage at minimal) in a 20' diameter
I found this site which holds lots of interesting information ideas