Regarding Astral imprints

Discussion on game mastering Earthdawn. May contain spoilers; caution is recommended!
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Spader
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Joined:Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:33 am
Regarding Astral imprints

Post by Spader » Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:28 am

The thread on erratas brought some thoughts I had regarding astral imprints. Questions I will probably have to answer to my players soon.

PG207: "The imprints of living things also possess substance. Since they are “solid,” astral beings cannot pass through them."

Does that mean that living beings in the physical world can interract with objects in astral space? If an astral being tries to block the way of the astral imprint of a name-giver passing by, will that name-giver feel the resistance in the physical world? Or will the astral being be totally powerless against this solid astral imprint that walks toward it? If we put an astral object (let say a dead tree) on the astral imprint of a name-giver, will he feel it's weight and be crushed? Should the astral imprints of the living grass cut the feet of astral beings like needles? And so on...

Or maybe I'm missing something. What's your thoughts?

Slimcreeper
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Re: Regarding Astral imprints

Post by Slimcreeper » Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:47 pm

I would rule that if a physical character can see astral, the physical character could move in the way of the astral, but not be able to grab or grapple the astral form. It would be like a rock trying to impede the motion of a stream. And the edges of astral forms are fuzzy. There is the Pattern, the Imprint, and in some cases, the Aura. And threads are woven in and out of everything.

I have never pictured gravity being a thing in Astral space in the way that it is here. I picture astral space as filled with a fluid that is more or less viscous in different areas - in some points practically solid, like glass (which is an amorphous solid, not a liquid. I just looked it up but don't really know what that means). Except for a few exceptionally barren areas, it is not really empty anywhere - it is filled with mana which is a cross between matter and energy, at least in the astral.

Bonhumm
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Re: Regarding Astral imprints

Post by Bonhumm » Thu Feb 01, 2018 4:01 pm

Spader wrote:
Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:28 am
T If we put an astral object (let say a dead tree) on the astral imprint of a name-giver, will he feel it's weight and be crushed?
The way I see it, the 'astral object' of your dead tree is 'there' because there IS a dead tree 'there' in the real world. The only way to move the astral imprint of the dead tree on the astral imprint of a name-giver would be to actually move the 'real' dead tree unto the 'real' name-giver. So yes, the name giver would feel it's weight because the tree IS on him.

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