The Astral Plane [Future of Magic Discussion]

[Andreas the Wise]

The following topic is to discuss the Astral Plane and related issues - should we keep it; should magic show up there; should magic show up but not be linked to a particular plane; should it go back to NCM days etc. Whatever is decided will apply both to CCM and Gerk's new system. The options in the poll are explained in more depth below.

Currently, the Astral Plane has the following traits:
- All magic cast on any plane shows up on the Astral Plane.
- All units with a Rank can see the Astral Plane.
- The Astral Plane is empty.
- Summoned elements (eg chunks of air, fire, water etc) persist indefinitely on the Astral Plane.

Note the following about the options:
Drop the Astral Plane
- Remove this plane entirely. This does not mean it's powers may not be transferred to other things.

Stops and Keeps are self explanatory.

Allow vision of magic on your plane to occur as normal, but not be linked to the Astral Plane
An option to replace the Astral Plane. You can still see magic; but you only see magic that is cast on your plane (which, honestly, makes more sense to me).

There is also the separate question of how you see magic.
My current favoured view is that if you can see magic, you see both magic and the normal world at the same time, and the appearance of magic in the normal world is like normal world things - it's not obvious bright glowing lights etc. When you close your eyes, you can't see the normal world, but you see magic. So you instantly see who is a mage, and what's being effected by spells etc (any noun used in a spell would show up). But obviously you're vulnerable to physical attacks while looking for magic.

[Bayen]

See this.

Also, I definitely support the "how you see magic" idea. It's a keeper.

[Andreas the Wise]

Personally, I think we should remove the Astral Plane, but keep the magic viewing (of magic cast on the plane you are on). There shouldn't be anywhere that you can just infinitely summon elements.

[Andreas the Wise]

So the consensus is to drop the Astral Plane and keep Astral Vision?

[Demon of Fides]

AYE

[Nicholas the Mad]

Seems to be.

[Gerk]

this really doesn't matter with my system, though i like the idea of having to close you eyes to see magically, therefore becoming physically vulnerable.

but i hate to see the Astral plane go, as it plays a huge role in my backstory (which i'm close to finishing now). and it'll make me rethink the future of Anaglea, as i do intend to bring the lost island in again in the future, and it will be difficult to explain without an astral plane.

[Andreas the Wise]

Er ... you do realise Bayen destroyed everything on the Astral Plane. So if your backstory involved Angalea being on Astral Plane, it has been destroyed.

I'm disappointed you didn't include magical vision in your system; and you haven't mentioned planes at all in there. So it's slightly confusing you want it back

[Gerk]

Anaglea is technically stuck between the two planes, so i have a loophole.

my system isn't dependent on the planes for anything, it allows you to determine the theory of magic and all that independently. i never really considered magical vision, i'm still not quite sure how that would play into my system, though i think your idea is quite fitting.