Astral Plane

A realm of thought and dream, the Astral Plane -- also known as "Otherworld" -- is an endless gray landscape of twinkling starlight that grants everything an unearthly glow. Throughout this great, silvery sea there are swirling wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of light that resemble distant stars. Erratic whirlpools of color flicker in midair like spinning coins, leading to other planes of existence. Between some of these spinning coins, dark and foreboding paths undulate through the relative brightness of the plane like the black arms of some eldritch abomination. These are conduits, some of the few dangers endemic to the plane.

Most visitors to this plane travel as disembodied souls whose bodies have been left behind in suspended animation. These Astral Forms can be identified by the silver cord that emits from their head or solar plexus and disappears into the material of the plane after a few feet. Such forms are relatively immune to the dangerous portions of this place (with the exception of the Void, see below). Others, however, travel to this realm in their corporeal form; some by choice, and others by accident. To them this plane has some unique dangers.

Otherworld is timeless. Corporeal beings here do not age, grow hungry or thirsty, or heal naturally. Poisons and diseases they are affected by do not progress or resolve here. As such, it is impossible for corporeal beings to take short or long rests here. This does not last once a corporeal being leaves the Astral Plane, however, leaving some to die of hunger, thirst, or old age upon finally making their way out of the Astral Plane. Denizens that have taken permanent residency have found ways to circumvent these issues using demi-planes, special ships, or effects that allow for time to flow normally.

Conduits

Conduits are null space that connect two different color pools and allow for instantaneous travel between them. Teleportation and similar effects that allow instantaneous travel across vast distances create fleetingly brief conduits, but these conduits do not last long enough to pose a danger to those within the Astral Plane. It is the more permanent conduits that are dangerous. The Astral Plane seems to rankle against such shunts and actively tries to reclaim the space displaced by such circuits, causing the conduit itself to buck and wobble against the force of the Astral Sea trying to pour itself back into this null space. As a consequence, there is a zone of danger around such conduits that draws nearby creatures into contact, making approaching one a foolhardy endeavor.

Conduits that aren't as wide as a small creature is tall aren't a hazard, as they lack the force to damage corporeal creatures that come into contact with them. Small conduits are only a danger if you come into contact with one, referred to as a Conduit Collision. Medium and larger conduits, however, can draw creatures that wander too close into them, requiring a Strength or Dexterity save to avoid being drawn into a Conduit Collision. The DC of the Strength or Dexterity save to avoid being drawn in, and the distance from the conduit itself where this is a danger are listed on the table below, as is the amount of bludgeoning damage such a collision deals (see Sidebar).

The Void

Deeper in the Astral Plane lies a region of darkness and prismatic starlight through which nothing but souls may travel. This portion of the Astral is known as the Void, and it is inimical to any living or unliving creature. It is through this region of the Astral that the souls of the deceased travel to their final reward, and is their only route back as well. Those few creatures who have attempted to breach its demesnes have been utterly annihilated, their souls drawn away like any other. Nightmare horrors from the Far Realms and Divine Beings are no different in this regard, and both have been destroyed by being subsumed into the Void.

The Void seems to display a degree of will. It has been discovered that trying to force an unwilling creature into the Void is ineffective, with one famous adventurer running across its edge as if it were some sort of flowing skin. The creatures that were attempting to force it in, however, were not so lucky. Their telepathic screams of terror and pain were heard on adjacent planes of existence. And yet, many who are suffering great pain and wish to end their lives have approached the Void, expecting to be ripped apart, only to be gently dissolved and their soul freed in a manner which witnesses have described as "peaceful" and "kind."

It has been discovered, to the great misfortune of those who have witnessed it, that even souls are not entirely safe from the dangers of the Void. A soul that traverses the Void once has nothing to fear, but every time it is resurrected the "Call of the Void" grows stronger, and there is a chance that the void will consume the soul, annihilating it utterly.