D&D Lore - The Ethereal and Astral Plane

[@lonk2902]

" Where you are when you aren't anywhere else." I love this quote since it can be said about every single location ever.

[@Jorphdan]

or nowhere at all ;)

[@gabeheartz13saravia97]

Does Anyone else think that the ethereal/astral plane is made of quasiphysical cosmic energy

[@gabeheartz13saravia97]

@@Jorphdan so the ethereal/astral plane is the space between universes? Would that make ectoplasm extra dimensional cosmic energy?!

[@Yiab]

How did you manage to do a summary of the astral plane without once mentioning what is (to me) its most interesting (if rare) feature: the gigantic corpses of long-dead and forgotten deities. (See Dead Gods; 2e Planescape)

[@agsilverradio2225]

But if your not in the astral plane, and your not anywhere else, you may be in the far realm.

[@danielearnshaw8392]

Yeah its literally in the dm manual and he didnt mention it

[@FromAgonyToLight]

I made a necromancer character who eventually made it to level 20 whose eventual grand master plan was to reanimate the corpse of a dead god and swap spirits with it.

[@kalamity273]

@@FromAgonyToLight I know what I'm playing next! :-P BRILLIANT!

[@AllWillBeRevealed957]

Or how the githyanki built an entire city on top of one of them.

[@EyalDegabli]

Hey Great video! On Stranger Things, when the kids search for information about the Upside Down on the D&D books they find an entry about the Vale of Shadows. Now apparently they're not officially playing D&D because of trademark issues etc, but I would guess the upside down is something like the Shadowfell indeed.

[@jonathanolson1185]

So if I have this right, the etheral plane is the "in between" for the material plane and places like the feywild or the shadowfell, and the astral plane is the "in between" for everything else? such as nine hells? 5e is back on the wheel cosmology yeah?

[@Jorphdan]

You are correct, 5e is a wheel cosmology! The Ethereal plane connects to the inner planes which include the Elemental Planes, the Feywild/Shadowfell and the elemental Chaos. That's what is officially stated in the 5e DMG.

[@shamusfarmer]

The Astral Plane sounds like that place beyond time in Chrono Trigger!

[@Elektroschnitzl]

So good! Thanks for setting all this up and spreading the lore :) I'm currently writing on a campaign that has a powerful lich draining power from the barriers between the planes, eventually causing things to shift from one realm to another and vice versa, and all the lore about the different planes of existence is just fueling the entire narration machine! Thanks so so much!

[@Jorphdan]

+Bastian Wilk that sounds awesome!

[@bahaakpinar6643]

My campaign has the same gimic

[@JeremiahMcCoy]

Maybe a detour into how Spelljammer intersects with Forgotten Realms. There are several points where it does.

[@Jorphdan]

I do love some spelljammer

[@JeremiahMcCoy]

As all right thinking gamers do.

[@terran236]

i wish they made an isometric RPG based on crazy outer realms. Torment 2 or something.

[@vjm3]

So I'm a little confused: The Ethereal is a "ghost dimension" where someone can walk around in the Material world, but as a ghost. The Astral Plane is the "ocean" of travel between the planes, and acts as a physical way to do this traveling (unless you're doing that astral projection thing, where instead of physically traveling you're kinda using a spiritual version of "Google Earth.") Am I understanding this correctly?

[@Jorphdan]

I think you've got it :)

[@vjm3]

Thank you! The Ethereal was tripping me up.

[@TAG_Animus]

Jorphdan, just letting you know you're my go-to for Meta Lore and Knowledge

[@Jorphdan]

The pressure!! XD

[@TAG_Animus]

Jorphdan you beautiful man, you've already succeeded

[@ChuckUFarley90]

There's another way to get to the Astral Plane: Put a Bag of Holding inside another Bag of Holding. Rips open a portal to the Astral Plane, which sucks in anything within 10 feet. No saving throw, and no way to avoid it, it just HAPPENS. It destroys the bags, but it's an instant portal, and only takes an action to do. It's a perfect "Panic Button," for when the only alternative is Death.

[@irok1]

This is why I'm at this video

[@nicolollenado9641]

I really like your content, looking forward for more! I'm currently running a weekly campaign for some friends and it's taking place in the country of Sembia. I'd love it if you made a video about the contemporary era, like the latest stuff that happened which led up to the present age. (Spellplague and the Second Sundering were the latest major events right?) I really enjoy learning more about the world and the history of how things came to be, but I also really want to know how things currently are! Great job on the vids dude, keep on keeping on! :D

[@Jorphdan]

Thanks! I'm going to stay on this D&D Cosmology track until I finish, then I plan on going back to Faerun and explore specific areas much like you suggested! Glad you enjoy the videos and good luck with your campaign :D

[@nicolollenado9641]

Jorphdan Bless u dear sir, your content is a hidden gem ;_;

[@lorddraekan]

WOAH!?!?!?!? 2 videos in the same week!?!?!?!? What is this madness!!!!!

[@Jorphdan]

I know right!?! Lore videos will be every Wed, not sure where I'll squeeze in the vlog yet :)

[@TechRunnerW175B]

In a campain I played in my character got a hold of the Robe of Stars which allowed me to travel to the Astral Plane. This came in handy when we were fighting an adult white dragon in a small cave. My character was a Chosen Soul Sorcerer and was quite useful for healing the cleric when he went down. But eventually I got reduced to less than 5 hp so I just poped into the Astral Plane where I was safe since the dragon had its sights set on me for healing the cleric.

[@Deity1]

The Veil of Death in Harry Potter is a rare plane portal confirmed, probably an Ethereal one tho since no one comes back.

[@ooloncolluphid7904]

I was thinking about the Upside Down while I watched your Shadowfell video. Great DM's think alike. I'll like to hear more of your take on 1st and 2nd Editions lore (I'm old school 70's and 80's).

[@MistxTube]

Best ph-video yet! :)

[@kevinchristiansen4348]

I love the planes my favorite part of dnd thumbs up

[@zacharyhockett6248]

Love the videos. I think rolling to see what portal shows up is a little silly. I don't feel guilty about making up those things at will.

[@christofrochel496]

I ran an encounter in the Shadowfell and as soon as the party saw the shadow crossing, they asked: "Oh my god - is that the Upside Down?!" So that's what we call the Shadowfell in my campaign :P

[@endnami]

Yay! Another video I'm so happy :)

[@robertcartledge826]

no mention of the asteral dragons? those things are kickass! although rare. or did they die off during one of the massive changes like the time of troubles or the second sundering?

[@pbr-streetgang]

Thanks much for the vid sir.

[@tylermohr25]

Could you pass through undead in the ethereal since they technically aren't living matter?

[@TerrariaGolem]

Tyler M don't know why this was funny. Probably because it's clever.

[@sofialaya596]

there are different kinds of undead, some do have souls, or are just souls like ghosts. Other undead are vessels with "magical simulations of souls", I read somewhere. If you can pass trough magic you can pass trough the last one I guess

[@Timothy--Armes]

If you are on the Astral plane, can you still travel to the inner planes via portals? Or do you only find portals to the outer planes in the Astral plane?

[@Jorphdan]

I believe you can travel anywhere from the Astral Sea via portals. The DMG has colored portals for all the outer planes, the material, and the ethereal. However nothing to stop YOU from connecting the inner planes too, or your players can take a quick jaunt to the ethereal plane before making their way to an inner plane.

[@MrAelual]

Astral plane has rifts into the ethereal plane where you can find curtains into the inner planes.

[@pickering86]

Working the astral sea into a campaign I'm working on so the info here has been helpful. Since the astral sea exists outside time and space, and if you know how to navigate it, you can go anywhere, could you also go anywhen? Long story short, I'm thinking of trying to get my players to team up with a crew of Gith to travel back in time to stop an llithid invasion before it has even begun.

[@Jorphdan]

nice!

[@TheGillianReed]

Is Gloomwrought meant to be the Shadowfell equivalent of Baldur's Gate? They seem to share a lot of similarities (ex: located on the water, surrounded by a wall, huge hub for merchants, etc.)

[@Jorphdan]

Not to the equivalent that Evernight is an echo of Neverwinter. Gloomhaven and the shadowfell weren't built for the realms, but the realms incorporated it during 4e. I see what you mean though, and in my game why not!

[@davidlewis8814]

I’ve made lyrics to your theme song, and they please me a great deal. They have nothing whatsoever to do with anything.

[@AnthonySmith-wc8ky]

Lead usually blocks magic adapting the radiation blocking property it has in the real world.

[@fr3akz77]

Just found your channel and I'm loving it! Are you or have you done a video on specifically Ravenloft?

[@Jorphdan]

I haven't yet but it's a good idea!!

[@bhuntin08]

@1:11 where is that picture from?! It'd amazing!

[@Jorphdan]

Here ya go! Found it on this wiki elrion.wikia.com/wiki/The_Cosmos?file=Ethereal_plane.jpg

[@44Kokoloko]

Something is bugging me; how do the astral plane and elemental planes overlap, since astral connects only the material plane to the outer planes? Is there no way to gor from the inner planes to the astral plane except by passing by the material plain? Also, starting on the material plane, can you get to any of the outer planes through the astral plane? if so, then why can't you go from an outer plane to any other non-adjacent one by the same means? Can the material plane be used just as the outland, as a shortcut? also, how do the astral plane and ethereal plane overlap? How can you go from one to the other? And how does the astral plane and the outer planes connect? (whats the astral planes' version of border etherial?)

[@alamaywhite2360]

Is there a passage of time in the these plans? Or is there no time at all

[@alamaywhite2360]

I was curious because if I casted a spell that took time, would it just go on forever?

[@alsorensen2484]

So if the cosmic wheel represents all the alignments, would that make the astral and ethereal planes be the planes of True Neutrality?

[@sirdoge361]

Reminded me of the astral dragon video

[@Jorphdan]

That was a good video!

[@adanomic949]

So would a good analogue for the Ethereal Plane be the Wraith world from LOTR? It seems like, minus the lack of gravity, all the rules kinda of seems to apply.

[@tinnitusthenight5545]

killing a mind flayer is easy for them though cause they are immune to most of their BS

[@johnkirk2863]

A young githyanki kill a mindflayer??!! HA wouldnt see many Githyanki in the Astral plane then LOL

[@shanem8145]

Maybe what the dm should try is build the lowest tier of githyanki that could actually kill an entry level mind-flayer and use that. Make them much more dangerous. No level 2 githyanki lol

[@magnux2]

i need some help here to understand. is the astral plane the same as the astral sea? can you travel from the Ethereal plane to the Astral and how? and how does the elemental chaos fit in between this.

[@PETEYBOY954]

I watched Stranger Things like six times and I just came from your last video which I just watched for a second time and it was only five minutes ago or so when I was watching your other video that I made the connection that the shadow fell straight up the upside down. I’m pretty sure they call it in the show, how am I just now connecting this. Come to think of it. I may have started getting into dnd because of stranger things and meeting a DM in the military.

[@TheRabbitHole-r2b]

To simplify. “The Astral Plane is fully separated. The Ethereal plane is filled with shadows of things that are, the Astral Sea is filled with things that could have been.”-Reddit. Not me.

[@Weneedcarlsaganback]

Hey Jorphdan, great video! I wonder: Can you Long Rest in the Border Ethereal?

[@Jorphdan]

Probably, but some ethereal monsters might find you

[@genostellar]

Where can I learn about Astral Diamonds that isn't a video about Neverwinter?

[@MrAelual]

You spoke of the Gith Yanki but nothing on the Gith Zeri?

[@Killishness1337]

They inhabit Limbo, not the Astral plane, however they are a related species.

[@stubbins-_-7]

so my players managed to create a rift portal thing by having the bard knowingly put a magical item the isn't supposed to go into the bag of holding, it created a portal and it sucked them in, they're relatively low level and no one knows any "astral plane door spells" what's a way I can get them back to their original plane. new to dming

[@Jorphdan]

There are always portals. could be a fun adventure for them to find a portal that leads to the feywild and from the feywild another portal that leads them home. Meeting interesting quest givers along the way :)

[@vindiesel6695]

wait, if the astral sea negates hunger thirst and age, could you theoretically spend down time there without paying for living expenses? also, can you use a wish spell (lesser or greater) to get like, 10,000 years of down time to spend freely in the astral sea?

[@properlydicedonyon3624]

...You could just plane shift there

[@thiagocorreia3483]

so if the "border" of the ethereal plane is basically a mirror of the closest plain (material or elemental), how exactly can you describe the deep ethereal?

[@Jorphdan]

good question, I know I'd come up with something smokey and mysterious as a DM. But officially I'm not sure if there is a set way the Deep Ethereal is supposed to be. Perhaps this will warrant a Deep Ethereal video. I'll see what I can dig up.

[@thiagocorreia3483]

Jorphdan So it depends on the DM's interpretation, tricky. Thank you and keep up with the great work

[@kevonlordoftheslimes9084]

i always love your vids

[@amberpdavis]

i'm totally gonna do a githyanki fighter PC on a quest to kill a mind flayer and earn their place in the astral plane

[@Jorphdan]

Nice!

[@ONDANOTA]

Best YT soundtrack for ethereal plane: " 9 Hours Fantasy Ambient Beautiful Music "Potion n.4"

[@MrVulcanator]

Francesco Rizzo I cant find it

[@ONDANOTA]

@@MrVulcanator in my channel

[@berner]

"If you liked this video, give it a Lich"

[@ArcTracertruepath]

In Xanathar's you can be born in the astral plane

[@MrVulcanator]

So the ethereal plane is where wraiths exist in the Lord of the Rings.

[@elliotbryant3459]

Anyone know if a Githyanki silver sword could sever a creature's silver cord while on the material plane? -like if the wielder were at the physical body of an enemy who was astral projecting?

[@makingnoises2327]

wait, the natives of the Astral Sea fight Illithids? i thought the Illithids were either from the Far Realm, or from like, actual space in the material plane, but not on Toril. was the Astral Plane / Sea originally an analog for outer space and that got retconned? d&d is confusing

[@sofialaya596]

it is almost as confusing as greek mythology, yap

[@monohybridstudios]

The illithid traveled across the multiverse enslaving the many races they came across. It is thought that the gith were once human but corrupted and twisted (this is unknown to be true or false). Anyways, the gith eventually rebelled led by a female named Gith (where they took their name).

[@makingnoises2327]

@@monohybridstudios that isn't relevant to my question at all. the question is about how the illithids got into the astral when originally they traveled through the phlogiston between the celestial spheres in spelljammer, which is all on the prime material plane. the astral is an entirely different plane, and illithids rarely leave the prime in spelljammer, let alone fight wars on other planes.

[@monohybridstudios]

@@makingnoises2327 I can't say I know much about the mythos of spelljammer. But in the original Forgotten Realms they are thought to be from the Far Realm originally and it's possible that even the Gith aren't native to the Astral but brought there by (or escaped there from) the Illithid.

[@ericgonzalez934]

Did the Githzerai are on this edition ? The other. Gith race. Who is at war with the Githyanki

[@panwall1327]

really good stuff. you should eventually get into the outlands/Planescape with Sigil as it shares the same outer planes with Forgotten Realms

[@Jorphdan]

Thanks! That's the plan!

[@lucca6153]

You could break anything by placing another object inside it

[@samsamsamsamsamanilla5281]

Love this channel! I've played AD&D since the 80s and have always pronounced Githyanki as YANK like the Yankees instead of like YONK like Yonkers. Ugh😬

[@Jorphdan]

tomato... tomato? 😀 Thanks for watching!

[@andresmarrero8666]

The ethereal plain seems a bit boring to me. It certainly needs a makeover but doing so would probably cause another spell plague or something similar unless you arrange something among the deities.

[@austincoker9876]

1:97 DOOM!!!!!!!!!!

[@desertphilosopher777]

They thing is,people actually do astral projection in real life,its real look it up

[@Jorphdan]

well this is a game, so... I'm focusing on the game :)

[@desertphilosopher777]

@@Jorphdan hahahahaha yeah gg :)

[@KyleMaxwell]

The KZbin suggested videos on this one are gonna be whack.

[@Jorphdan]

+Kyle Maxwell get ready for psychic help centers

[@lidlonez]

[@janetangeles7025]

Failbaddon