The Astral Plane

From the wizard's perspective, the key features of the Astral plane include the following:

· Items or matter created by spells are affected by the plane's weightless environment. For instance, water forms into circular balls; when touched, these liquid balls flow over the victim in a light film. Liquids that inflict damage, such as acid, inflict twice their normal damage, and victims covered in liquid film cannot speak without letting the liquid into their lungs and drowning in 1-4 rounds. Victims covered in liquid cannot use spells with verbal components (unless they are affected by water breathing or a similar spell or device that allows them to breathe underwater). The liquid can be removed by extensive toweling, entering a plane where gravity exists, or spinning the victim fast enough so that the liquid is flung from his body.

· Fires burn in circular flames without consuming their fuel sources. Wall of stone and other wall spells, along with other spells that create surfaces, generate hollow spheres with radii of 10 feet plus 2 1/2 feet per level of the caster, regardless of the listed area of effect. Temperature is poorly conducted in the Astral plane, so spells generating heat and cold do not affect those outside the spell area.

· A wizard cannot move or dodge while casting spells; if already moving, he must continue moving with the same speed and in the same direction as the previous round in order to cast the spell.

· Spells that require access to the Ethereal or inner planes will not function.

The schools of magic are affected as follows:

Abjuration: These spells work normally, except that they cannot affect the fabric of the Astral plane itself; the plane cannot be dispelled or held back. Dispel magic affects astrally projected travelers by casting them back to their original bodies; it has no effect if cast against the plane or against silver cords.

Alteration: Alteration spells that contact the Ethereal and inner planes or make use of extradimensional space will not work, such as vanish and rope trick.

Objects animated by alteration spells have an Intelligence of 0 for movement purposes, but they can attack creatures adjacent to them. Spells that modify movement function only in situations where that movement is permitted in the Astral plane. For instance, fly only works in balls of air, jump only works if the subject can push against solid objects, and slow and haste affect only muscular movement (likewise affecting combat) but have no affect on mental concentration movement. Alteration spells that control or modify conditions operate only if the conditions already exist; wizards cannot call these conditions into existence.

Conjuration/Summoning: Conjuration/Summoning spells of 5th level or higher do not function unless linked with abjuration magic (for instance, a spell belongs to both the conjuration and abjuration schools). Summoning cantrips will not operate, but conjuration cantrips will. Spells that call for the direct intervention of an entity will not work unless the entity is a native of the Astral plane.

Enchantment/Charm: Spells cannot call into being creatures from other planes. Spells that manipulate or call into being extradimensional space in the Astral plane do not function, such as deeppockets.

Divination: Because of the inherent magic of the Astral plane, detect magic causes the entire plane to radiate magic; there is only a 5% chance for detecting a specific magic radiation against this background. Spells such as true seeing and devices such as the gem of seeing reveal the fully infinite nature of the Astral plane, an experience that can overwhelm the viewer. The chance of being overwhelmed is 100% minus 5% per level of the viewer. Those overwhelmed are immobilized for the duration of the spell or for 1-6 true turns if viewing through a device.

Illusion/Phantasm: Illusionary spells and phantasm spells with an illusionary component function normally, but phantasm spells without an illusionary component will not function. For instance, phantom steed will not work because the spell has no illusionary component, but phantasmal force can be cast, since it has an illusionary component.

Invocation/Evocation: These spells function normally, except as modified by the physical laws of the Astral plane (see the explanation of the effects of a weightless environment above). The spells created by the archmage Bigby function differently when cast against creatures that are moving by mental concentration (those moving physically-- such as by pushing off objects-- are affected normally).

· Interposing hand: Those of lesser Intelligence than the caster are stopped, others are slowed in movement by 50%.

· Forceful hand: If the caster has a higher Intelligence than the affected creature, the caster controls the speed and direction of the creature. Equal or greater Intelligences result in no movement.

· Grasping hand: This operates the same as the interposing hand if the caster's Intelligence is equal or less than that of the victim, but it repels the victim as a double strength forceful hand if the caster has higher Intelligence.

· Clenched fist and crushing hand function normally.

Necromancy: These spells function normally. However, a clone created on the Astral plane requires 1,000 years to grow for every day it would take to grow on the Prime Material plane. Therefore, if a clone needed two months to grow on the Prime Material plane, the same clone would require 60,000 years to grow on the Astral plane.

Magical Items: Weapons are reduced by one plus to their attack and damage rolls (a sword +2 effectively becomes a sword +1). Exceptions include those with pluses against astral creatures. Armor and protective devices are likewise reduced by one plus. Magical items that duplicate specific types of spells operate under the same restrictions as described above.

Normal potions in normal vials have the viscosity of syrup and tend to cling to the sides of the vials; such potions require 1-4 rounds to consume with a 5% chance that the drinker chokes (no damage, but the drinker loses the effects of the potion). Drinking potions from wineskins or soft flasks avoids this difficulty and allows normal consumption.

Magical items that tap into extradimensional space or the Ethereal or inner planes do not function in the Astral plane, nor do items that call upon powers from those planes.

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