Astral Projection
Numina · Vampire
Countless people have reported out-of-body experiences during near-death situations. Spiritual pilgrims worldwide have reported strange ascents to a higher plane during mediation in which they claim to have physically seen their body from the outside. A number of parapsychologists have theorized that this phenomenon is a latent experience with Astral Projection.
Astral Projection is the ability to separate the consciousness from the physical body and then explore the realm of pure thought — the astral plane. This strange plane of existence is believed to overlay the material world and is thought by some Psychics to be populated by angels, ghosts, living memories, or other immaterial beings. The nature of the denizens of the astral plane is as yet unknown, but it is clear that some of them are malicious and unkind.
The astral traveler must mediate for a turn, after which she leaves her physical body in a sleeping state as her spirit travels freely through the astral plane. Astral travelers move very quickly, traveling at the speed of thought. The disembodied traveler is connected to her body by an ephemeral silver cord. Other astral creatures can touch this cord, and if the cord is severed, the traveler’s consciousness becomes trapped in the astral plane.
For more information about the astral plane, see pages 138-139 of V20. The Astral Projection Numina Path is a bit different from the Psychic Projection Auspex power, but the destination is the same.
Astral Interaction
Entities may talk, touch, and even engage in combat upon the astral plane. Since they have no physical bodies, characters using Astral Projection or otherwise dwelling therein substitute their Physical Traits for Mental and Social Traits. (Wits replaces Dexterity, Manipulation supplants Strength, and Intelligence substitutes for Stamina.) Due to his lack of a physical body, the only way to harm an astral traveler is to cut his silver cord, which is represented by the astral traveler’s Willpower score in Health Levels. For more information on psychic combat, see page 138 of V20.
System
Roll: Varies
Modifiers: N/A
Cost: Varies
Duration: Based on successes
Astral Projection Levels
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| • | The Psychic has a rudimentary awareness of the astral plane, though she cannot yet travel to it. She can shift her senses toward the astral realm, where she can see astral travelers and communicate with them. She must first concentrate for a turn to allow her mind to adjust to the competing images, after which the Psychic sees the astral realm overlaid upon the normal physical world. |
| •• | With the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 8) by her player, the Psychic can leave her body for brief periods of time and travel to the astral realm. Each success on the activation roll allows one minute of astral travel. If the Psychic wishes to push herself, her player may spend a Willpower point to extend the character’s time by an additional minute. When this time has elapsed, the Psychic snaps back to her physical body, unless something strange and dire has happened. |
| ••• | With the expenditure of a Willpower point by her player, the Psychic can manifest her astral form in the material world. In this manner, a Psychic can manifest on the other side of the world from where her physical body resides, using the great speed of astral travel to visit faraway locales in the form of thought. An astral traveler appears as a blurry and translucent ghost version of her usual physical appearance. A manifest astral traveler cannot touch or affect the material world, but she can be seen by non-Psychics and may speak in soft whispers. |
| •••• | At this level of prowess, the Psychic may travel deep into the astral plane for lengthy periods of time. With the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 8) by her player, the Psychic can visit the astral realm for one hour per success. If the Psychic wishes to push herself, her player may spend a Willpower point to extend the character’s time by an additional hour. |
| ••••• | With the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Manipulation + Awareness roll (difficulty 8) by her player, a Psychic can mask her presence in the astral plane (including her silver cord) from other astral travelers. Suspicious rival Psychics and native astral entities might sense the presence of something strange, at the Storyteller’s discretion, but they won’t be able to identify the source of the irritation unless their players achieve more successes on a Perception + Awareness roll than the activation roll made for the hidden astral traveler. |