Saker wrote:I like to build Astral Projection as 1 point of Clairvoyance (present).
Provides line of sight for mental powers that have no range limits, right?
The character is not really there, so there's no rolls to be perceived or attacked.
If the character wants to travel to the Astral world and fight, I would treat it as teleport to another dimension.
my two cents
cheers
Great point, Saker. Clairvoyance (present) does make a great equivalent to the Astral Projection ability. In this way it is like an Astral Perception, giving you the ability to stealthily observe an area (provided you make the difficulty roll to find it) and keeping your physical body completely safe from harm; instantly reawakening from meditation once your surveillance is complete. This application of the Clairvoyance power does feel a little off from the traditional notion of the Astral Projection power, which usually presumes that more than your mere awareness is present in the scene... your full, spiritual body is there as well.
Still, its simplicity and effectiveness cannot be overlooked. This form of sensing, should be viewed as a viable, and cheaper, variation on the art of astral travel. In fact, it is technically superior to the Astral Projection power, using rules as written, as it is far less expensive, offers nearly all the same benefits, and does not put your character at risk of psychic/magical injury (not to mention the hampering aspect of being booted from the scene when you are damaged).
Still, the all-encompassing, Astral Projection power does fit better with the genre. You aren't just perceiving the environment, your spirit is actually present there, and the gravity of this fact needs to be addressed.
Quick Recap of the Power's Aspects
- - Astral Projection is Ghost From, but you leave your body behind.
- Like Ghost Form, you can pass through walls and move about at your normal movement rate (but can't rise back up through floors from which you have dropped down through).
- Also, like Ghost Form, you are visible and and immune to physical damage attacks.
- Astral Projection costs more than Ghost From, but adds only an additional hindrance (damage received boots you from the scene).
- Via Awesome Powers #5, you can stay in a scene after taking damage, by buying levels of the Reusable enhancement.
My Thoughts
I'm in agreement with Sijo, in that some form of flight should be added to the Astral Projection power, even if it is in some limited form (like, say, just 1" movement per Page, or double that for an aerial 'sprint'). It fits perfectly with the genre and solves the 'getting stuck down below' aspect of the power. Maybe buying levels of an
Astral Flight enhancement could be bought, giving you faster, flying movement via the Flight power but without having to Link it to Astral Projection, or clumsily buying the actual Flight power and adding some Situational limitation, restricting it to just your astral form.
Does
not having your physical body at the scene balance the scene-vacating constraint of taking damage? This aspect of Astral Projection doesn't feel right to me. What benefit of Astral Projection is this rule trying to compensate for... being able to quickly flee an overwhelming scene, perhaps?
What, Galactus is here? I'm outta here! [Cancels Astral Projection, instantly returns to body and calls travel agent to book an off-world flight with Space-X.] That 'quick escape' aspect is something that the Ghost Form character cannot do, so I guess that's something. Still, I don't think that that cool trick is worth the penalty of dropping from a scene each time you encounter any damage (in body, or in spirit). Also, the Reusable enhancement seems like a heavy-handed way of dealing with this hindrance.
I like the ability of an astral character being able to become invisible. This could be done, temporarily, by a Power Stunt or Power Trick, or by applying an enhancement like Unseen (Awesome Powers #1) or Imperceptible (see my previous post, above) to the power when it is bought. In a way, I feel like these ideas are better ways of handling this common, astral trope.
