Etehereal Darkness spell question

[Mataxes]

No. At least, not any longer.

(Astral sensing is one of those things where the fiddly under-the-hood details changed from edition to edition, and part of that is my doing even before ED4.)

A successful astral sensing test against the local MD of astral space allows you to "see" the imprints of everything within range (it's not actually sight, but as we are mainly visual creatures it works best to put it in those terms). You know where things are. This means it is possible to navigate/get around via astral sight.(*)

Anything more than that (viewing a target pattern, learning other information, 'targeting' somebody through astral space) requires beating the target's MD.

(*) With regard to ethereal darkness, I would rule the spell's presence in astral space would interfere with astral sensing -- it increases the MD of astral space in the area of effect to the effective MD of the spell (Dispel Difficulty). Mainly because the purpose of the spell is in line wth that, and it works with givens of astral interactions.

[Baravakar]

[Mataxes]

Yes, except you can sense the imprint regardless of the Mystic Defense.

[Tattered Rags]

[kosmit]

You can't use Astral Sight through things that obscures your vision (even if the talent forms mental image of the astral space in your brain).

In 3rd edition Astral Sight allowed to cast spells through walls, but not anymore.

In general:
1) Astral Sight against MD of Astral Space. Success allows you to "sense the astral imprint of everything within the range of the astral sensing ability being used" but "everything" is limited by the ability being used.

"Unless... noted by the particular ability, astral sensing does not enable to detect the imprints or patterns of subjects hidden behind or within other objects."

2) Result from the initial Astral Sight Test is then compared to MD of each target in range. Success in this comparsion allows you to spot magical auras and patterns.

3) To spot things obscured you need to use Astral Sense Spell which allows you to spot things hidden from sight.

In my opinion Mcguffin hiding in magical box can be sensed but only with Astral Sense Spell (and perhaps Lifesight IIRC) and after you beat magical box's MD (to see Mcguffin's imprint inside the box) and Mcguffin's MD (to see Mcguffin's pattern within his imprint).

So Ethereal Darkness with Dispel Difficulty of 11 would allow to remain hidden in astral from low-circle wizards and other mages (because without Astral Sense you can't spot things within things).

[Tattered Rags]

[Mataxes]

Astral Sense doesn't allow you to "see" through things any more than the Astral Sight talent does. It's an enhancement to Astral Sight, not a separate sensing method.

[Tattered Rags]

[Baravakar]

[Mataxes]