Astral Projection

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN

The thing about Astral Projection that is limiting above all else is that the PC's body is at it's most vulnerable. Unless the character has body guards standing by, anyone can walk up and kill them. While in the Astral plane, the PC has none of its physical advantages such as magic items, armor, weapons, etc. He has his staff and some of his spells. His astral body is very vulnerable too. So, with this fact established, unless someone can convince me otherwise, I would say that you option 1 above is fine. A GM can find ways to limit use by increasing the risk a character that is in the astral plane.

Yes, you could hobble Astral Projection by making the plane more dangerous, but seems to me that this would make all of the spell's usages onerous, and not just prevent the most disruptive uses.

It is also my humble opinion that if you throw a really dangerous Astral denizen or two after the Astral tourist, just to keep the spell from being too good, your players might feel you're being arbitrary and vindictive and that you should've just told them that it's useless in your games.

So, I'm not opposed to an occasional encounter in the Astral Plane, but I don't think that's the way to go in order to prevent the spell from being game-spoiling in certain uses.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by phiwum

Your option (2) is the most complicated, I think, but both (2) and (3) do have some oddities that are hard to explain. While I'm puzzled how physical objects affect movement into unseen areas and not into seen areas, I suppose the same puzzle applies to (3), more or less. What stops one from setting foot into a previously unseen area when there is no visible barrier, physical or otherwise?
[1] After, of course, first appearing in a previously seen area.

Rumor has it that an ancient text found in the archives of Tsangdaou University suggests that the Mnoren figured it had to do with quantum entanglement with a quantifiable space.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Rumor has it that an ancient text found in the archives of Tsangdaou University suggests that the Mnoren figured it had to do with quantum entanglement with a quantifiable space.

I like it better when you string together nonsense words about art. Matter of taste, I guess.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by phiwum

Yes, you could hobble Astral Projection by making the plane more dangerous, but seems to me that this would make all of the spell's usages onerous, and not just prevent the most disruptive uses.

It is also my humble opinion that if you throw a really dangerous Astral denizen or two after the Astral tourist, just to keep the spell from being too good, your players might feel you're being arbitrary and vindictive and that you should've just told them that it's useless in your games.

So, I'm not opposed to an occasional encounter in the Astral Plane, but I don't think that's the way to go in order to prevent the spell from being game-spoiling in certain uses.

I concur. As a GM, I wouldn't go out of my way to make the Astral Plane dangerous every time that it's used. But, the body of the character that is in the astral plane is truly vulnerable. That alone makes it dangerous. Everything has advantages and disavantages. Few things allow use with impunity.

So, as I said, I would choose your first option and let fate (or encounter die rolls) do its thing.

[hcobb]

I let dragons dream their way into the Astral realm.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

I let dragons dream their way into the Astral realm.

It's a cute idea, but it would be a massacre. The Astral traveler has already spent 10 ST getting there (possibly with some Aid spells). He's likely on his own and it's a rare wizard who could singlehandedly take on a dragon. I guess he could quickly return to his body or something.