Movement and Combat on the Astral Plane

[Icelander]

In my long-running Forgotten Realms campaign, the player characters are headed to the Astral Plane to help some wizards steal one end of a planar pathway through there in order to change the terminus point of a magical portal that their enemies are constructing. I would like to use the Planescape version of the Astral Plane to make adventuring there truly unique and need to work out some rules for astral travellers.

The Silver Void or the theosophic/crackpot/occult concept of the Astral Plane appears in the AD&D/Planescape cosmology as the metaphorical 'back-stage' to the rest of existence. Within the Astral Plane, there is no time in the literal sense and the physical laws of existence operate more through convention and expectation than because physics holds any sway there.

Bodily strength, well-honed muscles and incredible physical coordination are more or less worthless on the Astral Plane. And that is not air you are breathing. Speed, power and grace are determined by purely mental factors, i.e. how well the character can visualise motion, how quickly can can react mentally and how much brainpower he can apply to a problem. Brains are not merely more important than brawn in the Astral Plane, brains literally are brawn.

There is no gravity on the Astral Plane and motion is usually achieved through mental exertion, not physical. Thought can propel characters through the Silver Void, at speeds comparable to walking or running, but with far more ease. Someone with even average human intelligence can move around even while fighting or casting spells at the same speed as an avereage person can hustle without having to concentrate on maintaining that motion. With full mental concentration on movement, people of average intelligence can soar through the astral about 50% faster than the top running speed of an average man.

Objects and beings on astral plane appear solid and keep many of the characteristics that mortals associate with them. Hard objects still feel hard, heavy objects still seem heavy and bitter objects still taste bitter. This is, however, merely an illusionary representation through the medium human senses of what actually happens.

While perceptions and thought appear to equate to reality on the Astral Plane, that doesn't mean that wishes become reality for all astral travellers. In most cases, the will of a solitary person has no power to change the existing status quo, which is presumably formed from a sort of cumulative expectation of perception by every intelligent being who can perceive the astral.*

Psionicists and wizards, however, find that astral plane offers excellent scope for their talents and with the right esoteric knowledge, such people can learn to alter reality in the astral plane with but a thought. Local creatures and even transplants with a long history on the plane, like the dreaded githyanki, tend to be able to move much faster than any visitor and may also have various strange powers related to better control over the arcane rules of the astral.

In AD&D game terms, astral travellers ignore their normal Str and Dex scores, replacing them with Int and Wis. Constitution and HP remained the same, but the justification for them was totally different. Movement is replaced by their Int score and instead of being an action, is free in addition to any other action. Spending an action on movement, i.e. concentrating on it, grants a Movement score of Int x 3.**

Converting the spirit of these rules to GURPS, I get IQ replacing ST and Per replacing DX. Will becomes HP, but HT stays HT (as GURPS HT also includes an element of willpower and mental grit). Basic Speed is figured from ((2xIQ)+(2xPer)+Will)/8.

All characters get a free action per turn that can only be used for movement. Their Move is figured from their new Basic Speed. This replaces any Steps (and any action that requires a Step, such as Retreat, uses one hex of that free movement). For characters who take an action which allows movement greater than Step, figure that full Move equals Basic Speed + (2x IQ-based Astral Movement). Thus, a Move maneuver would allow a character to move up to their Basic Speed + (2x IQ-based Astral Movement) in hexes and All-Out Attack would allow half that.

There are a few things I'm wondering, though.

a) What, if any, should be the effect of having raised Basic Speed or Move above the values derived from the normal Attributes of the character? I'm inclined to think that Basic Speed enhancements still function, but raised Move represents training in running and so doesn't work.

b) If someone has magical flight powers, do they function?

c) What skill would one roll against for rapid changes in direction and various acrobatic maneuvers? I could see arguments for Acrobatics, Aerobatics, Free Fall or a new version of Acrobatics called Astrobatics which defaults to Aerobatics.

d) Should Free Fall cap DX-based skills? I'm inclined to say yes.

d1) If yes, could other skills be used for this purpose? For instance, Aerobatics?

*In addition to those who travel there, there are also wizards, gods and strange creatures who might be able to view events there without being present.
**Running in AD&D was Movement x 2 and also had negative effects on AC, I think. So it's better than running.

[khorboth]

a) I agree, speed is a whole-character thing while move is purely physical. Speed works, move doesn't.

b) The concept of flight is invalid in the astral plane. Without "land" and "air" and "gravity" flight makes no sense. I wouldn't say flight does anything.

c) I like your Astrobatics idea. The Gihyanki would have it at a high level while your PCs would be starting from scratch. I would probably let it default from Will, but not DX in order to create a bigger advantage to the skill.

d) I don't think free-fall is a valid idea, either. It's not hard to "plant your feet" in the formless aether to get a good swing, using your skills as normal. I'd probably apply a -2 penalty such as you see for bad footing. this could be bought off with a perk. Another way that experienced travelers have a major advantage over newbies.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by khorboth

a) I agree, speed is a whole-character thing while move is purely physical. Speed works, move doesn't.

The tally is 2 votes for and 1 against Basic Speed being retained and 3 votes against Move working.

Originally Posted by khorboth

b) The concept of flight is invalid in the astral plane. Without "land" and "air" and "gravity" flight makes no sense. I wouldn't say flight does anything.

It is possible to move in the Silver Void without mental effort. Kicking off floating islands or even throwing something heavy forward produces the expected equal and opposite reaction. The only difference from free fall in vaccuum is that 'mental drag' eventually stops the progress of most objects that are not propelled by concentration, usually after a few hundred yards.

That argues that any Flight power that would function in space should function on the astral plane.

Originally Posted by khorboth

c) I like your Astrobatics idea. The Gihyanki would have it at a high level while your PCs would be starting from scratch. I would probably let it default from Will, but not DX in order to create a bigger advantage to the skill.

Anything that would be DX-based under normal physics becomes Per-based on the astral plane. IQ becomes ST, as well as governing fast movement. I think I'll retain HT for knockdown, consciousness and death checks, but let Will take the place of HT for skill purposes on the astral.

Originally Posted by khorboth

d) I don't think free-fall is a valid idea, either. It's not hard to "plant your feet" in the formless aether to get a good swing, using your skills as normal. I'd probably apply a -2 penalty such as you see for bad footing. this could be bought off with a perk. Another way that experienced travelers have a major advantage over newbies.

A penalty for bad footing, bought off with a Perk as normal, is a valid way to do it. That argues, however, that githyanki would not learn anything living on the gravity-free astral plane that is translatable to free fall conditions.

The astral plane is basically like space, but space where mental effort can provide thrust and with training and experience, thought alone translates into graceful soaring movement in any direction.

[T.K.]

Your interpretation of the Astral Plane takes all the physicality of it out of the equation and directly emphasize mental prowess and potence, along with pure energy of the universe (which should be the thing that boosts/allows Magic/psy in the first place), so with those in mind:

a)

Gurps have the "source" modifiers of +10%, normally, for stuff coming from different sources of power and I believe here should be no exception.

If the Extra Move or Speed was bought "plain" then it should be physical (physical body training and such) and thus have the benefit of not being affected, for example, for a No Mana area that shuts down magical abilities and effects. It just so happens that it has the drawback that, in such a case where physicality is disregarded, it won't have an effect. (Such as in this case of your Astral Plane journey).

Don't know if you previously allowed your players to have the choice of buying such traits with thos Modifiers, but they should. (I use in my games and it works really good...like a mage fighter who magically boosts his movement through magic or a psi-bolic that speeds his body cells, gaining psi enhanced Extra Speed, for example).

b)

Magic shortcircuits physics. Even if the Astral Plane is not composed of Space, Dimensions or physicality, Magic will give the relevant interpretation of Flight to the Plane.

Flight spell allows movement in a new dimension against a all-around force (gravity) in the mundane, physical world. What's the representation of that in your Astral Plane?

The Collective Mind (or Accepted Reality, if you prefer) imposes some laws into the Plane possibilities, as you said, being what limit anyone from wishing something and it becoming true, for example.

That means that if the majority of beings or the most influencing beings that know or believe in the existence of the Astral Plane believ that their representation should normally be 2D, than the Plane will work in 2D for them (with Beings That Should Not Be disregarding that, since it's a non-existant concept for them) and thus a Flight spell would allow 3D movement, because that's what the Collective expects it to do.

c)
Body Sense. Or a new Aetherbatics skill, but I'd base it from Per or IQ.

d)
Nah. I don't believe Free Fall suits at all.

d1) Plane doesn't have a physical part by what you said and thus I don't see a purpose of even allowing physical skills to be used.



If you have access to it, you should look at Psionic Powers book. It has Astral Projection descriptions, rules and powers that describe how movement in the place work and how to model it, directions in there, divisions of the plane...

[GodBeastX]

I like Shadowrun's Astral Plane better =)

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

I like Shadowrun's Astral Plane better =)

I never did play Shadowrun.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I never did play Shadowrun.

I'm so shocked that my monocle just fell out. ;)
For some reason, I have a hard time imagining you playing Shadowrun.

Most of the game's Astral Plane was "just" a way to travel rapidly, invisibliy, and through un-living objects. Only later added Outer Planes dealt with what most of us think of when thinking of Astral Planes.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I'm so shocked that my monocle just fell out. ;)
For some reason, I have a hard time imagining you playing Shadowrun.

Most of the game's Astral Plane was "just" a way to travel rapidly, invisibliy, and through un-living objects. Only later added Outer Planes dealt with what most of us think of when thinking of Astral Planes.

I've played cyberpunk with GURPS, just not Shadowrun. Wasn't that the one with dwarves and elves and orcs and trolls and dragons in a cyberpunk setting?

[Icelander]

Damn Apple and their iPads with the fury of a thousand suns! They've retroactively et my post!

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by T.K.

Your interpretation of the Astral Plane takes all the physicality of it out of the equation and directly emphasize mental prowess and potence, along with pure energy of the universe (which should be the thing that boosts/allows Magic/psy in the first place), so with those in mind:

The Astral Plane may be a purely mental space, but the mortal perception of it is as a physical, albeit pretty empty, space. Travellers appear with their equipment and they can swing their swords, shoot their bows and even throw each other around.

There are physics, of a sort, on the astral plane. Objects and characters that are not propelled with thought still move if there is a force working on them. There is some force that stops them eventually, it is true, known as 'mental drag', which means that arrows don't just fly through the aether endlessly (unless powered by a mind which continually imparts thrust).

Originally Posted by T.K.

a) Gurps have the "source" modifiers of +10%, normally, for stuff coming from different sources of power and I believe here should be no exception.

If the Extra Move or Speed was bought "plain" then it should be physical (physical body training and such) and thus have the benefit of not being affected, for example, for a No Mana area that shuts down magical abilities and effects. It just so happens that it has the drawback that, in such a case where physicality is disregarded, it won't have an effect. (Such as in this case of your Astral Plane journey).

Basic Speed governs turn order with spellcasting and psionics as well as physical actions, so clearly it is at least partially mental reaction speed.

Originally Posted by T.K.

b) Magic shortcircuits physics. Even if the Astral Plane is not composed of Space, Dimensions or physicality, Magic will give the relevant interpretation of Flight to the Plane.

Flight spell allows movement in a new dimension against a all-around force (gravity) in the mundane, physical world. What's the representation of that in your Astral Plane?

I guess any kind of Flight that would work in space works on the astral plane.

Originally Posted by T.K.

The Collective Mind (or Accepted Reality, if you prefer) imposes some laws into the Plane possibilities, as you said, being what limit anyone from wishing something and it becoming true, for example.

That means that if the majority of beings or the most influencing beings that know or believe in the existence of the Astral Plane believ that their representation should normally be 2D, than the Plane will work in 2D for them (with Beings That Should Not Be disregarding that, since it's a non-existant concept for them) and thus a Flight spell would allow 3D movement, because that's what the Collective expects it to do.

The astral plane always appears 3D.

Originally Posted by T.K.

c)
Body Sense. Or a new Aetherbatics skill, but I'd base it from Per or IQ.

Granted. See last part of post.

Body Sense is an interesting idea.

Originally Posted by T.K.

d)
Nah. I don't believe Free Fall suits at all.

An astronaut from our world would find that the conditions were exactly like in free fall, except that he could move around with but a thought. That feels, to me, like you should be able to use Free Fall with a bonus for IQ granting a movement based superpower.

Flight grants +4 to Acrobatics in GURPS Powers, so it would be simple to declare that the movement gained from IQ is equivalent to Flight and it grants +4 as well. On the other hand, it would be even more interesting and accurate if higher IQ characters gained more benefit from mental movement. So... +1 per 3 points of IQ?

Originally Posted by T.K.

d1) Plane doesn't have a physical part by what you said and thus I don't see a purpose of even allowing physical skills to be used.

Because the plane appears physical to astral travellers. IQ becomes ST and allows feats of strength performed through Basic Lift figured from IQ and damage to be done as normal.

Originally Posted by T.K.

If you have access to it, you should look at Psionic Powers book. It has Astral Projection descriptions, rules and powers that describe how movement in the place work and how to model it, directions in there, divisions of the plane...

I have the Psionic Powers book. I found Astral Movement (DX/H) there and it is but the work of a moment to declare that this skill is a version of Acrobatics and defaults to Acrobatics and Aerobatics at -4. Because Per replaces DX on the astral plane, that effectively means it's Per/H and that it defaults to Per-based Acrobatics and Aerobatics -4.

I will allow a bonus to it of +1 per 3 points of IQ, however, as IQ governs the power of mental movement on the astral and having more Acc ought to help with acrobatic movement. Astral Movement also ought to be easier than any movement on the prime material plane for an intelligent character.