It exists in a different phase, a realm teeming with specters and creatures hidden in plain sight. Adjacent to your reality, yet imperceptible to your senses. The Ethereal Plane, a mist-laden dimension, intertwines seamlessly with the Material Plane and often intersects with other realms. Travelers navigating this ethereal realm describe it as a tapestry of swirling mists and vibrant fogs. From within, the Material Plane is visible but appears obscured, its hues blending, and its contours softening into a hazy ambiguity. Inhabitants of the Ethereal Plane observe the Material Plane as if through warped and frosted glass.
Though sight into the Material Plane is possible from the Ethereal, the inverse is typically true—those on the Material Plane cannot perceive the Ethereal. Normally, beings on either plane cannot harm those on the other, remaining invisible, intangible, and utterly silent across the divide. This peculiarity renders the Ethereal Plane invaluable for clandestine activities like reconnaissance or surreptitious movement.
Structurally sparse, the Ethereal Plane harbors its own inhabitants. Alongside fellow ethereal travelers, ghosts haunt these misty expanses, posing a particular hazard to wanderers treading the foggy paths.
Ethereal Links The Ethereal Plane is strongly connected to its coexistent plane. As a traveler moves through the Ethereal Plane, he perceives the Material Plane alongside it every step of the way.
Portals from other planes may open onto the Ethereal Plane, rather than the corresponding point on the Material Plane. Such portals appear as curtains of shimming colors (rather than the Astral Plane's color pools). These portals create conduits through the Astral Plane to reach their destination, just like any other portal, but their entrances are on the Ethereal Plane. Travelers from elsewhere become ethereal once they reach the Ethereal Plane by means of a curtain, and they must pass through another such curtain (or have some other means of manifesting themselves) to reach the Material Plane.
It is possible to plane shift (as the spell) into the Ethereal Plane. In such cases the body becomes ethereal upon reaching the plane. Similarly, travelers who open gates onto the Ethereal Plane and individuals accidentally thrown there become ethereal (as the ethereal jaunt spell) when they arrive. Unless they have the ability to somehow leave the Ethereal Plane, or they find a curtain leading out of the Ethereal Plane, they're trapped there.
Magical beasts such as the ethereal marauder, phase spider, and ethereal filcher use the Ethereal Plane. These are not true outsiders, but rather Material Plane creatures that have adapted to use the Ethereal plane to hunt prey. Travelers to the Ethereal Plane include outsiders that have access to magic portals or curtains onto the Ethereal Plane. As stated above, moving onto the Ethereal Plane by means of a gate or plane shift spell turns the traveler ethereal. It takes a second spell to return travelers to their plane of origin.
One great danger of the Ethereal Plane is ghosts, which often call this plane home. Such creatures have a deep and abiding hatred of the living, and no love for those travelers who impinge upon their realms.
There is a definite “down” to the Ethereal Plane that corresponds to the gravity of the coexistent plane it is attached to. However, there is no danger of falling. Because the Ethereal Plane is coexistent with the Material Plane, most travelers walk normally along the ground of the Material Plane. Creatures on the Ethereal Plane can move through solid objects on the Material Plane, but they cannot move through solid objects on the Ethereal Plane. Unlike the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane offers no quick way to move great distances.
A traveler normally moves physically between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane, unlike travelers to the Astral Plane, who sometimes project a duplicate form. The most common way to reach the Ethereal Plane is with spells such as ethereal jaunt or magic items such as armor with the etherealness special ability. There is no inherent danger when moving from the Material Plane to the mostly empty Ethereal Plane. Even if there is an ethereal object in the way, the traveler is painlessly shunted to the nearest open space in the Ethereal Plane.
Moving back to the Material Plane poses a risk if a solid object or creature is present. Travelers who overlap with a Material Plane object or creature are shunted to the nearest open space, taking 1d6 points of damage per 5 feet so moved.
The limited vision on the Ethereal Plane also affects combat; it's difficult to spot opponents at long range. Furthermore, a group that is separated may have difficulty pulling itself back together as members are drawn off into smaller combats. Natives of the Ethereal Plane might try to lure adventurers away from each other, then ambush them individually.
However, there is no food or water other than what travelers bring with them. Someone trapped on the Ethereal Plane without a way out risks eventual starvation or dehydration. See Environmental DamagesUnlike most planes, the Ethereal Plane allows vision across the planar border to the plane it's coexistent with: the Material Plane. No matter where you are on the Ethereal Plane, you can see the corresponding part of the Material Plane. Vision is limited, however, to 60 feet both on the Ethereal Plane and onto the Material Plane.
Furthermore, the Material Plane appears as if wrapped in fog, so ethereal observers can't discern precise details suchas normal writing. It's easy to discern faces and landmarks, however. Seeing and hearing is otherwise normal, so gaze attacks and sonic attacks and abilities launched from the Material Plane affect ethereal creatures.
The reverse isn't true. An ethereal traveler is normally invisible and inaudible to an individual on the Material Plane. Spells and abilities such as see invisible reveal an ethereal object or creature.
Creatures on the Ethereal Plane cannot talk to those on the Material Plane, even if they want to be heard. Ethereal listeners only hear Material Plane sounds that originate up to 60 feet away, but their hearing is otherwise unaffected. Touch, smell, and taste do not reach between the planes. The Ethereal plane emits its own diffuse light, so ethereal observers do not need torches to see onto the Material Plane, even if it's pitch-black. Light sources do not expand the 6o-foot vision limit on the Ethereal Plane, nor do alternate methods of sight such as darkvision.
Blindsight used on the Material Plane does not reveal Ethereal Plane creatures, but a creature with blindsight on the Ethereal Plane can detect other ethereal creatures at its normal range.
To viewers on the Ethereal Plane, objects on the Material Plane are foggy, indistinct, and almost translucent. Such objects block line of sight and provide concealment, but not cover. An ethereal observer can't see through a wall on the Material Plane unless he pokes his head through it first.
An ethereal character whose eyes are totally within a Material plane object cannot see.
Force: Force effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane and affect the creatures therein. A wall of force, for example, prevents an ethereal creature from passing through it. In general, an ethereal traveler sees what a Material Plane native would see. Depending on the spell, this might be nothing at all.
Ethereal Objects: These objects have been constructed on the Material Plane, then shunted (usually magically) to the Ethereal Plane. A chest of valuables can be sent onto the Ethereal Plane with a vanish spell, for example, or a creature might have been turned to ethereal stone by a medusa's gaze.
Larger objects exist on the Ethereal Plane, too. For example, a wizard might seek privacy from extraplanar interlopers in her personal library. She turns a 20-footby- 20-foot slab of stone ethereal, then builds her Material Plane library on the spot coexistent with the slab. Or, through a deity's favor, a powerful baron moves an entire mountain onto the Ethereal Plane and builds his keep where the mountain used to be. Ethereal intruders encounter a stone block in the first case and a mountain in the second—both impassable objects for would-be spies. An ethereal object, if forced to manifest on the Material Plane, cannot reappear where it had vanished from if another object occupies that space; if so, it is displaced to the nearest area that can hold it. In the second example above, the mountain does not reappear in the space the keep occupies. As long as the keep is taller than it is wide, the mountain is shunted to the side if forced to appear on the Material Plane. But if the shortest direction for the mountain to reappear is straight up, then the baron has a new problem.
Though sight into the Material Plane is possible from the Ethereal, the inverse is typically true—those on the Material Plane cannot perceive the Ethereal. Normally, beings on either plane cannot harm those on the other, remaining invisible, intangible, and utterly silent across the divide. This peculiarity renders the Ethereal Plane invaluable for clandestine activities like reconnaissance or surreptitious movement.
Structurally sparse, the Ethereal Plane harbors its own inhabitants. Alongside fellow ethereal travelers, ghosts haunt these misty expanses, posing a particular hazard to wanderers treading the foggy paths.
Ethereal Links The Ethereal Plane is strongly connected to its coexistent plane. As a traveler moves through the Ethereal Plane, he perceives the Material Plane alongside it every step of the way.
Portals from other planes may open onto the Ethereal Plane, rather than the corresponding point on the Material Plane. Such portals appear as curtains of shimming colors (rather than the Astral Plane's color pools). These portals create conduits through the Astral Plane to reach their destination, just like any other portal, but their entrances are on the Ethereal Plane. Travelers from elsewhere become ethereal once they reach the Ethereal Plane by means of a curtain, and they must pass through another such curtain (or have some other means of manifesting themselves) to reach the Material Plane.
It is possible to plane shift (as the spell) into the Ethereal Plane. In such cases the body becomes ethereal upon reaching the plane. Similarly, travelers who open gates onto the Ethereal Plane and individuals accidentally thrown there become ethereal (as the ethereal jaunt spell) when they arrive. Unless they have the ability to somehow leave the Ethereal Plane, or they find a curtain leading out of the Ethereal Plane, they're trapped there.
Ethereal Inhabitants
The Ethereal Plane is much more populated than the Astral Plane. It boasts a great variety of natives as well as frequent travelers.Magical beasts such as the ethereal marauder, phase spider, and ethereal filcher use the Ethereal Plane. These are not true outsiders, but rather Material Plane creatures that have adapted to use the Ethereal plane to hunt prey. Travelers to the Ethereal Plane include outsiders that have access to magic portals or curtains onto the Ethereal Plane. As stated above, moving onto the Ethereal Plane by means of a gate or plane shift spell turns the traveler ethereal. It takes a second spell to return travelers to their plane of origin.
One great danger of the Ethereal Plane is ghosts, which often call this plane home. Such creatures have a deep and abiding hatred of the living, and no love for those travelers who impinge upon their realms.
Movement and Combat
One moves through the Ethereal Plane as one would move on the Material Plane. However, due to the misty nature of the protomatter of the plane itself, a traveler can move up and down just as easily as along solid surfaces. However, all movement is at half speed, both for travelers and for creatures native to the Ethereal Plane.There is a definite “down” to the Ethereal Plane that corresponds to the gravity of the coexistent plane it is attached to. However, there is no danger of falling. Because the Ethereal Plane is coexistent with the Material Plane, most travelers walk normally along the ground of the Material Plane. Creatures on the Ethereal Plane can move through solid objects on the Material Plane, but they cannot move through solid objects on the Ethereal Plane. Unlike the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane offers no quick way to move great distances.
A traveler normally moves physically between the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane, unlike travelers to the Astral Plane, who sometimes project a duplicate form. The most common way to reach the Ethereal Plane is with spells such as ethereal jaunt or magic items such as armor with the etherealness special ability. There is no inherent danger when moving from the Material Plane to the mostly empty Ethereal Plane. Even if there is an ethereal object in the way, the traveler is painlessly shunted to the nearest open space in the Ethereal Plane.
Moving back to the Material Plane poses a risk if a solid object or creature is present. Travelers who overlap with a Material Plane object or creature are shunted to the nearest open space, taking 1d6 points of damage per 5 feet so moved.
Ethereal Combat
Combat on the Ethereal Plane is unaffected by the nature of the plane, with the exception that attacks may be made from any direction. (See the Combat in Three Dimensions sidebar in Chapter 1.)The limited vision on the Ethereal Plane also affects combat; it's difficult to spot opponents at long range. Furthermore, a group that is separated may have difficulty pulling itself back together as members are drawn off into smaller combats. Natives of the Ethereal Plane might try to lure adventurers away from each other, then ambush them individually.
Features of the Ethereal Plane
There is no direct danger to general survival on the Ethe- real Plane. The Ethereal Plane has a normal atmosphere, and inhabitants breathe normally. Inhaled poisons and spells such as cloudkill work on the Ethereal Plane.However, there is no food or water other than what travelers bring with them. Someone trapped on the Ethereal Plane without a way out risks eventual starvation or dehydration. See Environmental DamagesUnlike most planes, the Ethereal Plane allows vision across the planar border to the plane it's coexistent with: the Material Plane. No matter where you are on the Ethereal Plane, you can see the corresponding part of the Material Plane. Vision is limited, however, to 60 feet both on the Ethereal Plane and onto the Material Plane.
Furthermore, the Material Plane appears as if wrapped in fog, so ethereal observers can't discern precise details suchas normal writing. It's easy to discern faces and landmarks, however. Seeing and hearing is otherwise normal, so gaze attacks and sonic attacks and abilities launched from the Material Plane affect ethereal creatures.
The reverse isn't true. An ethereal traveler is normally invisible and inaudible to an individual on the Material Plane. Spells and abilities such as see invisible reveal an ethereal object or creature.
Creatures on the Ethereal Plane cannot talk to those on the Material Plane, even if they want to be heard. Ethereal listeners only hear Material Plane sounds that originate up to 60 feet away, but their hearing is otherwise unaffected. Touch, smell, and taste do not reach between the planes. The Ethereal plane emits its own diffuse light, so ethereal observers do not need torches to see onto the Material Plane, even if it's pitch-black. Light sources do not expand the 6o-foot vision limit on the Ethereal Plane, nor do alternate methods of sight such as darkvision.
Blindsight used on the Material Plane does not reveal Ethereal Plane creatures, but a creature with blindsight on the Ethereal Plane can detect other ethereal creatures at its normal range.
To viewers on the Ethereal Plane, objects on the Material Plane are foggy, indistinct, and almost translucent. Such objects block line of sight and provide concealment, but not cover. An ethereal observer can't see through a wall on the Material Plane unless he pokes his head through it first.
An ethereal character whose eyes are totally within a Material plane object cannot see.
Ethereal Solids
In general, movement on the Ethereal Plane is unres- trained. Travelers can journey to the center of the earth or high into the sky (though slowly and limited by available food and water). There are, however, permanent objects on the Ethereal Plane that can block movement for ethereal creatures. Ethereal solids are hard to the touch and feel real, even if they have no apparent reality on the coexistent Material Plane. Often these ethereal solids are the result of activities in the coexistent Material Plane. There are several types of ethereal solid.Force: Force effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane and affect the creatures therein. A wall of force, for example, prevents an ethereal creature from passing through it. In general, an ethereal traveler sees what a Material Plane native would see. Depending on the spell, this might be nothing at all.
Ethereal Objects: These objects have been constructed on the Material Plane, then shunted (usually magically) to the Ethereal Plane. A chest of valuables can be sent onto the Ethereal Plane with a vanish spell, for example, or a creature might have been turned to ethereal stone by a medusa's gaze.
Larger objects exist on the Ethereal Plane, too. For example, a wizard might seek privacy from extraplanar interlopers in her personal library. She turns a 20-footby- 20-foot slab of stone ethereal, then builds her Material Plane library on the spot coexistent with the slab. Or, through a deity's favor, a powerful baron moves an entire mountain onto the Ethereal Plane and builds his keep where the mountain used to be. Ethereal intruders encounter a stone block in the first case and a mountain in the second—both impassable objects for would-be spies. An ethereal object, if forced to manifest on the Material Plane, cannot reappear where it had vanished from if another object occupies that space; if so, it is displaced to the nearest area that can hold it. In the second example above, the mountain does not reappear in the space the keep occupies. As long as the keep is taller than it is wide, the mountain is shunted to the side if forced to appear on the Material Plane. But if the shortest direction for the mountain to reappear is straight up, then the baron has a new problem.