Astral Projection

Power 6

The trademark trick of the original shamans, astral projection frees the magus' mind from their body, allowing them to visit distant place and converse with spirits. The technique has spread to all corners of the globe and evolved somewhat over time. Various governments are known to have experimented with it during the Cold War, as a means of covert surveillance.

The ritual requires entering an ecstatic trance, usually through some mix of music, wild dance, and/or hallucinogenic herbs. Sooner or later, the magus enters what looks like a coma; they either collapse or sit down and become unresponsive.

Their conscious awareness drifts beyond their body, invisible to mortal eyes. In this state, they can see otherwise invisible spirits, sense the flow of magical energy, and converse with spirits and other astral travelers, regardless of language differences.

As long as the spell lasts, the magus' material body is defenseless. Cautious spellbinders put wards, protective talismans, or allies in place before entering the trance. Breaking the spell is a simple matter of willing the astral body back into the material body, at which point the caster awakens.

Overpower Effects

• The astral body becomes "untethered." If the physical body is moved, it will be unable to find its way back.
• The astral body attracts the attention of any spirits in the area, who may also be able to located the magus' material body.
• The astral body is visible to mortals as a ghostly apparition.

Underpower Effects

• The material body is still connected to the astral body enough to suffer damage from astral injuries and feel the effects of any hostile environments the astral body travels to.
• The astral body is unable to use any magic possessed by the magus.
• The astral body can only communicate in languages the magus knows.