The Ethereal Plane

  1. The Ethereal Plane is co-existent with the Real and Astral Planes.  The Real Plane can be seen from the Ethereal Plane as if the Ethereal overlays it as a Light Mist.
  2. The Ethereal Plane co-exists with the Real and Astral Planes in the Otherworlds (e.g. Dreams, Madness and Chaos), just as it does in the Overworld and Underworld.
  3. The Ethereal Plane counts as a Light Mist for the purposes of visibility (onto the Real Plane as well as on the Ethereal) and for Mist Spells or effects.  Its mist is of a pale grey colour.
  4. The Ethereal Plane is typically reached either by a Spell (e.g. Etherealness) or effect (e.g. that of an Oil of Etherealness), or by a Power (e.g. Planewalk) or ability (e.g. all Higher Powers of Demon level and above have separate Ethereal Forms).  Most such methods translate their Target and all possessions he is carrying as encumbrance to the equivalent point on the Ethereal Plane to that on the Plane he was on when the Spell, effect or Power resolved.  If a Being has a separate Ethereal Form, He shapechanges into that form, thus appearing on the Ethereal Plane with all possessions (which may include captured Beings) He is carrying as encumbrance at the equivalent point on the Ethereal Plane to that on the Plane He just left.
  5. Both bodies translated onto the Ethereal and Ethereal Forms are corporeal (assuming the body was in corporeal form anyway), and can take Damage and suffer other physical effects.  The main practical distinction between the two methods of reaching the Ethereal is that killing a separate Ethereal Form does not kill that Being's Real or Astral Forms (either of which He can then resume) whilst killing a body that has been translated onto the Ethereal results in that Being's death.  A dead Ethereal Form is recovered in a year and a day.
  6. Ethereal Forms need to eat and drink (and excrete).  They may sleep to recover SP or dream.
  7. Beings may move in three dimensions on the Ethereal Plane by using light concentration, at up to the maximum speed given by their Etherealness Spell, effect or Power or the maximum speed of which their Ethereal Form is capable. Weight carried in excess of Carrying Capacity reduces maximum speed in accordance with the Encumbrance system as it does speed of movement on the ground.
  8. Possessions may be acquired and dropped on the Ethereal Plane.  Possessions acquired translate with their acquirer on his leaving the Ethereal Plane.  Possessions dropped retain any Duration of the Spell or effect that brought them onto the Ethereal, and translate back on its termination to the equivalent point to their current locations.  However, if they are picked up by another Ethereal Being before their Duration expires they remain on the Ethereal Plane and/or leave it as possessions acquired by that Being.
  9. There is no Gravity on the Ethereal Plane.  However, Gravity Spells which do not rely on any base Gravity may still be Cast using the Magic of an Activated Gravity Elemental brought onto the Ethereal Plane: e.g. Reverse Gravity will have no effect, but Control Gravity will be effective.
  10. Encounters may be had on the Ethereal Plane in accordance with the Ethereal Encounter Tables.
  11. In the second after the last second of Duration of an Etherealness Spell or effect, the Target is translated with all possessions he is carrying as encumbrance from his current point on the Ethereal Plane to its equivalent point on the Plane he was on when the Spell was Cast.  In the case of Oils of Etherealness only the Duration may be terminated in respect of the Target or any of his possessions by applying wine (which washes off the Oil).
  12. Beings with separate Ethereal Forms may leave the Ethereal Plane by shapechanging to their Real or Astral Forms, appearing on the equivalent point on the appropriate Plane.  
  13. Physical obstacles do not block translation.  Translating to the same point as that occupied by another Being or a mobile object will normally displace that Being or object.  Translating into a solid immovable object (e.g. solid rock or a wall) can be fatal.  There are no natural physical obstacles on the Ethereal Plane, and there is nothing solid on the Astral.

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