Description: | Freeing the character's spirit from the character's physical
body, this spell allows the character to project an astral body
into another plane altogether. The character can bring the astral
forms of other creatures with the character, provided the
creatures are linked in a circle with the character at the time
of the casting. These fellow travelers are dependent upon the
character and must accompany the character at all times. If
something happens to the character during the journey, the
companions are stranded wherever the character left them.
The character projects the character's astral self into the
Astral Plane, leaving the character's physical body behind on the
Material Plane in a state of suspended animation. The spell
projects an astral copy of the character and all the character
wears or carries onto the Astral Plane. Since the Astral Plane
touches upon other planes, the character can travel astrally to
any of these other planes as the character wishes. The character
then leaves the Astral Plane, forming a new physical body (and
equipment) on the plane of existence the character has chosen to
enter.
When on the Astral Plane or another plane, the character's
astral body is connected at all times to the character's material
body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, the character is
killed, astrally and materially. 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 the character's body where
it rests on the Material Plane, 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.
The character and the character's companions may travel
through the Astral Plane indefinitely. The character's bodies
simply wait behind in a state of suspended animation until the
character chooses to return to the physical body. The spell lasts
until the character desires to end it, or until it is terminated
by some outside means, such as dispel magic cast upon either the
physical body or the astral form, or the destruction of the
character's body back on the Material Plane (which kills the
character).
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