[DF] Ideas for the Astral plane

[b-dog]

I like to have a lot of cross planar encounters and I am very interested in the astral plane because it is a plane where both psionics and magic can access it. I like psionic powers a lot and there are some cool ideas for the astral plane. Fantasy also has some cool ideas so I am sort of curious about how to merge these two concepts into one interesting astral plane.

I am taking the concept of the astral plane as a sort of intermediate plane that allows access to other planes so that a person from the material world could travel to Olympus or Asgard from the astral plane. But he or she could also access strange realms like the ones described in Psionic Powers as well. I am thinking that the astral plane is also a weak point in ordered reality where Elder Things have an easier time gaining entry into the ordered universe. Maybe because the astral plane is much less ordered than the others? I am thinking that the astral plane also contains dreams and dreamworlds as well as concepts of higher thought. It is a sort of jumble of consciousness and essences of reality that helps connect one world to the other. But I am hoping that some people on the forums might write down other ideas for the astral plane or even corrections for my concepts.

Please note that I know the DF series does not discuss this too much and leaves it entirely up to the GM to decide but I am just interested in ideas to make my gameworld more fun. So if you have any ideas please feel free to post. Thanks.

[Stone Dog]

You could do worse than to check out GURPS Cabal for the hermetic cosmology. It is mainly 3ed, but the rules aren't very hard to translate.

I am taking the concept of the astral plane as a sort of intermediate plane that allows access to other planes so that a person from the material world could travel to Olympus or Asgard from the astral plane

Check. The astral connects to basically everywhere and if you wander far enough you can find just about anything that you need to find, or want to avoid.

...Elder Things... Maybe because the astral plane is much less ordered than the others?

The Elder Things have a beachhead at the Shining Citadel of the Ythoghu.

It probably isn't that the astral is less ordered as we think about it. If the material plane is where all the threads come together to make a tapestry, the astral is where the loom is full of potential. It still has rules and the Things haven't warped the Citadel to their needs, but they have a genuine presence where they don't on the Material.

astral plane also contains dreams and dreamworlds as well as concepts of higher thought.

Check. All of these things!