Tony Pulis saw his City side pick up what could be a valuable point on his return to Home Park.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's 41st minute penalty gave the hosts the lead but Darel Russell fired in a deserved equaliser for the Potters mid way through the second half.
Pulis made two changes to his starting line up with John Eustace and Gabriel Zakuani starting in place of Jonathan Fortune, who returned to Charlton and Dominic Matteo who has been struggling with a groin strain.
City started slowly and it was Plymouth asking questions in the opening 15 minutes, but long range efforts from Kevin Gallen and Scott Sinclair were thwarted by Steve Simonsen.
However, it was the Potters who should have taken the lead on 20 minutes.
Lee Hendrie teased his way down the left flank before whipping in a dangerous cross, and Mamady Sidibe rose unchallenged from 3-yards but his header drifted just past the left hand post.
Simonsen had to be alert just minutes later, and he produced a tremendous one handed save to parry Peter Halmosi's close range strike over the bar.
Five minutes before the break the Hungarian again burst into the Potters' 18-yard box, and Carl Hoefkens was adjudged to have brought him down with the referee awarding the hosts a penalty.
Former Manchester United youngster Sylvan Ebanks-Blake stepped up and made no mistake in firing the penalty into the back of the net.
Sidibe almost instantly responded for Tony Pulis' side but after rounding the keeper, his angled shot was blocked on the line by Marcel Seip.
The visitors came out of the half time interval all guns blazing and both Lee Hendrie and Liam Lawrence went close to levelling the scoreline.
The Potters continued to press forward and boss Pulis introduced Lee Martin, and he instantly proved a masterstroke.
An exceptional piece of skill on the left wing by the on loan Manchester United winger eventually saw Darel Russell smash home exquisitely from 8-yards.
City were dominant and captain Danny Higginbotham almost gave the Potters the lead, however, his 25-yard free kick flew inches past McCormack's post.
Both sides pressed for a winner in the final minutes with substitute Martin Paterson going closest after heading just over after the impressive Martin curled in an inviting centre.
PLYMOUTH (4-4-2): McCormick; Connolly, Seip, Timar, Sawyer; Summerfield (Gosling 81), Hodges (c), Halmosi, Sinclair; Ebanks-Blake (Fallon 81), Gallen. Subs not used: Doumbe, Capaldi, Djordic.
CITY (4-4-1-1): Simonsen; Hoefkens (Dickinson 46), Zakuani, Higginbotham (c), Griffin; Lawrence (Paterson 86), Diao, Eustace, Hendrie (Martin 50); Russell; Sidibe. Subs not used: Hoult (GK), Rooney.
