Spells (35e)

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).