What happens when you cast Astral Projection and then go through a portal to one of the Outer Planes?
Traveling through the Astral Plane by means of the astral projection spell involves projecting one’s consciousness there, usually in search of a gateway to an Outer Plane to visit. Since the Outer Planes are as much spiritual states of being as they are physical places, this allows a character to manifest in an Outer Plane as if he or she had physically traveled there, but as in a dream. A character’s death — either in the Astral Plane or on the destination plane — causes no actual harm.
Seems pretty straight forward! When you use astral projection your physical body stays where it is until you return to it or your silver cord is severed. So why make this post?
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.
I suspect that might be text from previous DMG editions that was never revised. The DMG's description of the Border Ethereal is also inconsistent; it says your visibility is limited to 30 feet, but blink and etherealness say 60 feet.
In my opinion, the rules for the spell (or any other game feature) should be the final authority on what happens when you cast it. The descriptions for any exceptional game elements (class features, spells, monster abilities) are intended to stand alone.
I agree with you there. The DMG is really disappointing when it comes to consistency vs other sources, and even within itself. It says Psychic Winds are able to sever the silver cord, but the psychic winds table doesn't have any entries that do so. Older editions have Psychic Winds tables that damage the cord. Really annoying.
I do still wonder about the spell though. The full text of the section I quoted above follow:
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. Your astral form is a separate incarnation. Any damage or other effects that apply to it have no effect on your physical body, nor do they persist when you return to it.
The structure of this section is strange. It talks about your astral form, mentions re-entering your body, then talks more about your astral form. I guess the "re-enter your body" section is probably what they edited from an older version of the spell and they didn't check it for internal consistency. BUT you could also make an argument that they're saying your body on the new plane is your astral form. I guess. It'd be a stretch.
If the 5e version just transports your body to the new plane it really limits the usefulness of the Astral Projection spell. If you have any other means of planar travel you should use it instead.
If the 5e version just transports your body to the new plane it really limits the usefulness of the Astral Projection spell. If you have any other means of planar travel you should use it instead.
Agreed, but you might not have another form of planar travel. Warlocks only learn Astral Projection and Sorcerers only learn Gate. Plane Shift works well but only if you have the right tuning fork. Then there's high-level monks, who can choose to astral project for free but can't take anyone with them.
Astral Projection can also be more useful if your destination is the Astral Plane itself. Since Psychic Winds don't seem to cut the silver cord any more, you can only be killed by critical hits from a githyanki knight's silver sword. Alternatively, you might just want to use the Astral Plane as a place to carry out some long-lasting task without worrying about your body's needs or aging. If you're a human wizard that just wants to research magic for centuries on end, why bother becoming a lich when you can just do your research in the Astral Plane?
Excellent points. I think I wouldn't be bothered by (or even aware of) these changes if they'd just gotten it right in the DMG. WotC not exactly known for thoroughly editing their products though, so what should I expect?
There's also a new contender for cord cutting out there, coming in MToF, the Astral Dreadnought! Rawr!
I am also confused. Will the characters death on the destination plane result in "real death" or is it the same way it works with death on the astral plane?
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Murder Hobo Help(a great place for new dm's to get help with murderhobos and a great place to share how you've delt with murderhobos)
As IC mentions, the same spell in earlier editions is a bit more clear that your astral form only exists in the Astral plane, but that a local physical body is produced from the raw materials of any plane you enter through a color pool (complete with a silver cord). Here is the text of the 3.5e spell via the 3.5e SRD.
You project your astral self onto the Astral Plane, leaving your physical body behind on the Material Plane in a state of suspended animation. The spell projects an astral copy of you and all you wear or carry onto the Astral Plane. Since the Astral Plane touches upon other planes, you can travel astrally to any of these other planes as you will. To enter one, you leave the Astral Plane, forming a new physical body (and equipment) on the plane of existence you have chosen to enter.
While you are on the Astral Plane, your astral body is connected at all times to your physical body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, you are killed, astrally and physically. Luckily, very few things can destroy a silver cord. When a second body is formed on a different plane, the incorporeal silvery cord remains invisibly attached to the new body. If the second body or the astral form is slain, the cord simply returns to your body where it rests on the Material Plane, thereby reviving it from its state of suspended animation. Although astral projections are able to function on the Astral Plane, their actions affect only creatures existing on the Astral Plane; a physical body must be materialized on other planes.
Emphasis mine. This wording that your new physical form acts as your physical body, although if destroyed you'll still return to your actual body so long as your silver cord is in tact. As a DM, I may even go so far as to say that since your new body is formed from local matter, it may have a limited resistance to local hazards, ie. resistance to the ambient heat of the plane of elemental fire (but not fire damage), etc.
What happens when you cast Astral Projection and then go through a portal to one of the Outer Planes?
DMG Chapter 2: Creating a Multiverse. The Planes: Astral Plane
Seems pretty straight forward! When you use astral projection your physical body stays where it is until you return to it or your silver cord is severed. So why make this post?
Spells: Astral Projection
Wait. So your body moves to the new plane and you enter your body there? Your real body? So which is it?
Do you have an astral body on the new plane, or are you in your regular, vulnerable body?
I suspect that might be text from previous DMG editions that was never revised. The DMG's description of the Border Ethereal is also inconsistent; it says your visibility is limited to 30 feet, but blink and etherealness say 60 feet.
In my opinion, the rules for the spell (or any other game feature) should be the final authority on what happens when you cast it. The descriptions for any exceptional game elements (class features, spells, monster abilities) are intended to stand alone.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
I agree with you there. The DMG is really disappointing when it comes to consistency vs other sources, and even within itself. It says Psychic Winds are able to sever the silver cord, but the psychic winds table doesn't have any entries that do so. Older editions have Psychic Winds tables that damage the cord. Really annoying.
I do still wonder about the spell though. The full text of the section I quoted above follow:
The structure of this section is strange. It talks about your astral form, mentions re-entering your body, then talks more about your astral form. I guess the "re-enter your body" section is probably what they edited from an older version of the spell and they didn't check it for internal consistency. BUT you could also make an argument that they're saying your body on the new plane is your astral form. I guess. It'd be a stretch.
If the 5e version just transports your body to the new plane it really limits the usefulness of the Astral Projection spell. If you have any other means of planar travel you should use it instead.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Excellent points. I think I wouldn't be bothered by (or even aware of) these changes if they'd just gotten it right in the DMG. WotC not exactly known for thoroughly editing their products though, so what should I expect?
There's also a new contender for cord cutting out there, coming in MToF, the Astral Dreadnought! Rawr!
I am also confused. Will the characters death on the destination plane result in "real death" or is it the same way it works with death on the astral plane?
Murder Hobo Help (a great place for new dm's to get help with murderhobos and a great place to share how you've delt with murderhobos)
As IC mentions, the same spell in earlier editions is a bit more clear that your astral form only exists in the Astral plane, but that a local physical body is produced from the raw materials of any plane you enter through a color pool (complete with a silver cord). Here is the text of the 3.5e spell via the 3.5e SRD.
Emphasis mine. This wording that your new physical form acts as your physical body, although if destroyed you'll still return to your actual body so long as your silver cord is in tact. As a DM, I may even go so far as to say that since your new body is formed from local matter, it may have a limited resistance to local hazards, ie. resistance to the ambient heat of the plane of elemental fire (but not fire damage), etc.
This is the meaning I would use in 5e as well.