D&D 5E Astral Projection

[Tanaka Chris]

And... that pretty much answered all my questions!
Thanks

 

[Gwarok]

However, this makes me wonder what astral projection is actually for. Plane shift is a cheaper way to travel to a different plane. I guess its a safe way to explore the astral plane specifically since your body is relatively safe during it.

Actually, as long as your bodies are hidden and/or well guarded, and you're not fighting the Githyanki on the Astral Plane, this spells seems are great way to explore dangerous areas of the outer planes with little to no risk. Wanna raid a Balor's stronghold and loot his treasure? Great, go for it. Check out the defenses and go big, if you die, wait a day and come back and do it right the 2nd time! Or 3rd, etc....

 

[miniaturehoarder]

Sounds like the Astra spell got "Fixed" by the PHB and the DMG details are now erroneous.

If you enter a new plane or return to the plane you were on when casting this spell, your body and possessions are transported along the silver cord, allowing you to re-enter your body as you enter the new plane."

Nothing about a freebie body in the spell anymore it sounds like.

Another monster that is a Silver Cord Cutter is the Astral Dreadnought.



Meant to be published in the Manual of the Planes with it's illo, it had it's stats published for the first time in Dragon Magazine. It should look familiar to those who played the first DOOM games as its face was used for the Cacodemons.

 

[IgnatiusJ.Reilly]

Oh my, I remember the days when we needed to use Nystul's Magic Aura to bring our non-magical stuff to the Astral because no one had a Light spell. Those were the days. I'd suggest newer DMs pick up the old Manual of the Planes illustrated above, it's a great book, I use it more than the 3rd edition manual for similar questions.

 

[Prism]

Bah, real characters use gate to move about the planes

 

[PnPgamer]

Not sure if I'm reading this correctly, but it reads....

"Your astral form can freely travel through the Astral Plane and can pass through portals there leading to any other plane. If you enter a new plane or return to the plane you were on when casting this spell, your body and possessions are transported along the silver cord, allowing you to re-enter your body as you enter the new plane."

Can Astral Projection be used as a teleport spell? Like a sneak entry?

And the other thing I wanted to ask, WHAT exactly has been known to cut the Silver Cord?

Thanks

Dont remember but githyanki or githzerai silver swords, or Gyenwhyvars teeth.

 

[aramis erak]

Not sure if I'm reading this correctly, but it reads....

"Your astral form can freely travel through the Astral Plane and can pass through portals there leading to any other plane. If you enter a new plane or return to the plane you were on when casting this spell, your body and possessions are transported along the silver cord, allowing you to re-enter your body as you enter the new plane."

Can Astral Projection be used as a teleport spell? Like a sneak entry?

And the other thing I wanted to ask, WHAT exactly has been known to cut the Silver Cord?

Thanks

The Astral isn't nearly as easily navigated to exit where you want as you appear to be hoping. Your choices are, per the quoth wording, to find an extant portal or to go back along the silver cord. Unlike prior editions, if you enter any portal, your body snaps to you.

Anything that cuts the cord essentially kills you. A few monsters were able to cut them in AD&D; "weather" event encounters, too.

You either return to your physical body on the spot where you left it, or you enter a portal to yet another plane where you then re-enter your body.

You appear to be misreading grounded upon prior edition knowledge. The 5E version differs significantly from older editions.
In AD&D (1 e or 2 e), you could reenter the plane you departed from... but wouldn't get your body nor generate a new one... you would be an astral projection into the second location.

The text is an accurate quote - and in it, the 5e version fairly explicitly allows use of portals back to one's starting place; if the only way back to your starting plane was back along your silver cord, your starting possessions could not be transported to you. But in 5e, if you reenter, whoomp - no more escape back to your body instead of death, because you've got it. But the spell also is worded such that it needs an existing portal (or the ability to make a portal on the go...)

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I think I've finally figured out how astral projection is supposed to work in 5e (assuming that the PHB and the DMG are in agreement, rather than contradicting each other).

1) If your astral form enters an Outer Plane (and only an Outer Plane) by means of a portal in the Astral Plane, you remain in your astral form, your physical body remains safely on the Material Plane, death sends your soul home safely, etc.
2) If, once your astral form has left the Astral Plane and entered an Outer Plane, it then travels to a second "new" plane (even if that plane is another Outer Plane), your physical body catches up to you, the spell ends, and you are physically on that new plane.
3) Or, if your astral form on the Astral Plane travels to any plane other than an Outer Plane, your physical body catches up to you, spell ends, etc.

I like that method. It makes the spell especially useful for Outer Planar travel, highlights the unique nature of the Outer Planes (which the DMG specifically mentions when talking about this), and prevents shenanigans of allowing you to just gallivant around anywhere (including back to the same plane that your body is on) with little fear of death.

Of course, the alternative is to assume that the DMG goofed and in fact the spell ends and you regain your body when you leave the Astral Plane for any plane, even an Outer Plane. If that is the case however, it is a virtually useless spell. You can accomplish the same thing faster, cheaper, and two spell slots lower with plane shift, or you can accomplish something better, and do it cheaper, with gate at the same level. The only possible use would be if you wanted to just stay on the Astral Plane and be immortal...oh, unless you run into the plane's most common inhabitant, the githyanki, who can cut your silver sword, making this spell actually more dangerous than a simple plane shift to the Astral Plane. So forget that. It truly is absolutely useless if you don't let the DMG improve it over the PHB only text.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

The text is an accurate quote - and in it, the 5e version fairly explicitly allows use of portals back to one's starting place; if the only way back to your starting plane was back along your silver cord, your starting possessions could not be transported to you. But in 5e, if you reenter, whoomp - no more escape back to your body instead of death, because you've got it. But the spell also is worded such that it needs an existing portal (or the ability to make a portal on the go...)

I suppose you could Plane Shift in astral form.

 

[aramis erak]

I think I've finally figured out how astral projection is supposed to work in 5e (assuming that the PHB and the DMG are in agreement, rather than contradicting each other).

1) If your astral form enters an Outer Plane (and only an Outer Plane) by means of a portal in the Astral Plane, you remain in your astral form, your physical body remains safely on the Material Plane, death sends your soul home safely, etc.
2) If, once your astral form has left the Astral Plane and entered an Outer Plane, it then travels to a second "new" plane (even if that plane is another Outer Plane), your physical body catches up to you, the spell ends, and you are physically on that new plane.
3) Or, if your astral form on the Astral Plane travels to any plane other than an Outer Plane, your physical body catches up to you, spell ends, etc.

I like that method. It makes the spell especially useful for Outer Planar travel, highlights the unique nature of the Outer Planes (which the DMG specifically mentions when talking about this), and prevents shenanigans of allowing you to just gallivant around anywhere (including back to the same plane that your body is on) with little fear of death.

Of course, the alternative is to assume that the DMG goofed and in fact the spell ends and you regain your body when you leave the Astral Plane for any plane, even an Outer Plane. If that is the case however, it is a virtually useless spell. You can accomplish the same thing faster, cheaper, and two spell slots lower with plane shift, or you can accomplish something better, and do it cheaper, with gate at the same level. The only possible use would be if you wanted to just stay on the Astral Plane and be immortal...oh, unless you run into the plane's most common inhabitant, the githyanki, who can cut your silver sword, making this spell actually more dangerous than a simple plane shift to the Astral Plane. So forget that. It truly is absolutely useless if you don't let the DMG improve it over the PHB only text.

1) Neither version you present is consistent with the wording of the spell.
2) you're overlooking the benefit of Astral Form - you cannot die on the astral nor, really, get lost. You can always follow your cord back. With plane shift, if you die on the astral, you're dead.

The spell pretty much requires you to use extant portals.
It's very safe - almost nothing but angry giff will be able to kill you. If you get lost, you end up back where you started.