Astral Spell

[Scott]

When you move into the Astral Plane, do you see a shadow of the Prime you just left? Can you see your physical body Connected to your astral self by the silver cord?
In the PH description it states: "It is also possible to travel astrally anywhere in the Prime Material Plane by means of the astral spell, but a second body cannot be formed on the Prime Material Plane. As a general rule, a person astrally projected can be seen only by creatures on the Astral Plane."
When you're traveling anywhere in the prime, do you see into it as you're traveling, or do you just gate out and in at the end points of the journey?

[Scott]

Looking up what references I can find, it seems to be implied that there is some overlap. A basilisk can see into the astral plane. A cokatrice can petrify somebody on the astral plane. Gorgons, intellect devourers, etc. all have awareness that extends into the astral plane. A powerword kill pronounced from an astral magic-user will kill a Demi-lich.

[Scott]

Also from the Tomb of Horrors: "Characters who become astral or ethereal in the Tomb will attract a type I-IV demon, with a check made each round." Which to me seems to mean normally a character could move around astrally to avoid the traps, walls, etc. but if you try that in the Tomb you will run into trouble.

[GRWelsh]

We've always played it like the Doctor Strange comic books -- his astral form leaves his physical body and moves around earth invisibly or intangibly, or travels to other planes of existence where it is visible and tangible as if a second physical body has been formed. I would say that yes, if you are looking at your own physical body on the Prime Material Plane you would be able to see the silver cord linking you to it.

The spell description in the PH says "Although astrally projected persons are able to function on the Astral Plane, their actions do not affect creatures not existing on the Astral Plane" (p. 52), and in Appendix IV is stated "it is possible to cast spells, melee, etc. on either the Ethereal or Astral Plane. These activities generally affect only others on the same plane, but can affect other creatures who exist partially or function on either or both planes. Magic spells can be cast from the Ethereal to the Prime Material Plane, but not from the Astral to the Prime Material, except as noted above" (p. 120). I suppose this explains the S1 reference about how a powerword kill pronounced from an astral magic-user will kill a Demi-lich.

[Scott]

Thanks, that confirms what I was thinking. I think the confusion was that, starting with the Manual of the Planes it started to change, and I've seen some newer references where it was not possible.

[geneweigel]

From DRAGON #67 The Astral Plane by Roger E. Moore which had editing and inserts by E. Gary Gygax mentions some of this although its only semi-official:

Prime Material creature — Some Prime
Material Plane creatures have a sensory
awareness of beings passing “close by”
in the Astral Plane, and have the power
to harm such beings as well. Common
examples of such creatures include the
basilisk, catoblepas, cockatrice, gorgon,
and medusa; enterprising DM’s could
undoubtedly create more monsters of
this sort. Creatures like these that can
project their influence into the Astral
Plane can likewise be attacked by beings
on the Astral Plane, though no other
Prime Material creatures or objects could
be affected by anything in astral space.
Only astral travelers who are “adjacent”
to another plane (a term to be explained
more fully later in this article) will have a
chance of meeting these creatures. All
other times, the encounter must be rerolled
for astral travelers if this particular
category is indicated.

And

ASTRAL TRAVELING

Astral space is strange and dreamlike.
Adventurers from other planes find that
they do not get tired, sleepy, or hungry,
and everyone is generally alert. There
are no day/night cycles astrally, so time’s
passage is difficult to measure. A char
acter or creature can feel a sense of
movement whenever he/she/it concentrates
on moving (travel through astral
space is a function of thought), but one
usually has little idea of how far one is
going. No one ages [except at the
1:365,000 rate, as noted] in astral space
for any reason, even by magical means.
The various means of astral travel are:

Astral projection (psionic)
or Astral Spell
Characters using either of these means
to go astral should find secure places on
the Prime Material Plane to house their
bodies and their possessions that will be
left behind when their spirits make the
voyage. The physical bodies on their
home plane will go into suspended animation
and require little care while the
spirits are gone. Travelers using Astral
Spell should hold hands in a circle with
their spellcaster, who then goes through
all the rituals and causes the group’s
members to enter astral space in spirit
form together. The bodies are all linked
through a single silvery cord to their
material bodies; the cord is capable of
stretching infinitely from the Prime Material
to an Outer Plane. Once in the Astral
Plane, the group members may pull
apart, move around, engage in combat,
and so forth as they please. However, no
one may enter another plane from the
Astral Plane unless he/she is touching
the spellcaster or touching someone
else touching the spell caster (the group
should join hands before entering another
plane). Anyone not so linked to the
spellcaster when he or she enters a new
plane will be stranded astrally; the stranded
character can return to the home
plane only if slain, in which case the
material body reawakens (see the section
on Movement and Combat). Astral
projection is similar to Astral Spell in all
respects, except that only one person at
a time may travel by means of this power.
When using either of these forms of
astral projection, characters will find
that all non-magical items on their persons
will be left behind on the home
plane; only magical items may be brought
along, and many of these will have altered
capabilities as described in the last
section of this article. Because this may
mean that spell components, armor, and
weapons, not to mention mundane things
like decent clothing, will not be had,
spellcasters may use or develop a simple
spell like Nystul’s Magic Aura, which
makes an item magical without giving it
any special powers. Such a dweomer will
allow items to pass through astral space
to an Outer Plane so long as the spell’s
duration is not exceeded [prior to going
to the plane]. Things that become nonmagical
in astral space or on an Outer
Plane, should this spell wear off, will not
be carried into another plane until the
spell is renewed.
The spellcaster will receive an instinctual
warning when he or she has arrived
at the point where astral space connects
with the Outer Plane or Prime Material
Plane desired. At this point, when all travelers
are joined together again, the
spellcaster can will the group to move
“adjacent” to the new plane; at this point
the group will still be in astral space, but
will now be able to view clearly the environment
of the new plane. If it is another
Prime Material Plane, this point is as far
as the group can go; they can look about,
but not enter the plane. If an Outer Plane
has been reached, the group may then
(while still linked together) cause their
spirits to form material bodies on the
new plane, and will bring all magical
items with them. Note that those items
which (for some reason, as detailed in a
later section) became fully non-magical
when entering the Astral Plane will not
go into an Outer Plane, but may be taken
back to the Prime Material. When a
group is “adjacent” to another plane,
their presence may only be detected by
highly intelligent or powerful creatures
(as per the DMG), or by the use of such
things as a Detect Invisibility spell or
Dust of Appearance. Few spells may be
cast across plane boundaries, either to
or from the Astral Plane or any other, and
only certain rare magical devices can affect
creatures on other planes. It is conceivable
that a deity may cause certain
sections of an Outer Plane to be “opaque”
so that no one may spy on that area from
the Astral Plane, and no one (except the
deity and minions) may enter that area
from astral space.
Astrally projecting characters will travel
for some 7-12 hours before reaching
another plane, either an Outer or a Prime
Material one. The spellcaster or psionic
character may purposely try to lengthen
the voyage before reaching the other
plane; each such attempt lengthens the
trip by 3-6 hours, and may result in
another encounter check being made
(see below). The return trip from another
plane will take another 7-12 hours.

Probability travel (psionic),
Plane Shift (spell), or device
These methods of travel are similar in
several ways. If a group of persons is
able to travel together using one of these
modes, they must join hands before the
power, spell, or device goes into effect.
Group members will be transferred at
once, along with all of their equipment
(magical or non-magical), to another
plane; if going to an Outer Plane, the
group will not pass through astral space.
However, these travel modes may simply
take a group to astral space if this is
desired. Once the desired plane has
been reached, the power, spell, or device
transporting the group ceases to work,
and the group may split up and move
about as desired. Leaving the plane is
done in the same manner used to arrive
at the plane.
It is obviously possible for someone to
strand characters on other planes using
any of these travel modes. Stranded
characters will not be able to leave the
plane they are left on unless given assistance,
or unless they possess spells,
powers, or devices to help them leave.
No silver cords are formed using any of
these travel modes; instead, the characters’
bodies have been brought along.

[grodog]

You may also want to check out Anthony Huso's Zjelwyin Fall @ www.lulu.com/spotlight/anthonyhuso which codifies a lot of Astral rules/mechanics, and is firmly grounded in the Dragon 67 article, among others. Some other references you may want to check out for reading are in my gates bibliography at grodog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-theory-and-use-of-gates-in-campaign-dungeons.html

Personally I try to differentiate the Astral vs. Ethereal planar experiences: I see the Astral as silver-space/sensory void vs. the Ethereal which is the shadowy Prime overlay (the Prime is ghostly while the ghost is physical while in the Ethereal). So while the Astral connects to the Prime, it doesn't have that geographical/orienteering overlay in my mind that the Ethereal does---you can travel point-to-point, but you don't get the experience of seeing the Prime as a reference (going up/down/through mountains, going through walls, etc.) that you do with the Ethereal. I see Astral awarenesses/effects from creatures as "highlights" that are "foregrounded" in the Astral, but they don't have Prime context, they're just there and you suddenly come across them, almost like landmines (re: speed of Astral travel from Moore/Gygax article Gene quoted).

YMMV, of course

Allan.

[Scott]

I found an article that Gary wrote is issue 73 about the inner planes, but there’s a short section in there about the astral plane and how it’s different from the ethereal.