Astral Space

From Shadowrun: Awakened

Astral space is a parallel dimension to reality populated by spirits, emotion, and the life force of all thing.

Game Rules Description

Astral space represents another dimension populated by the living essence and energy of living and magical entities. This include the life force and emotions of people and animals, plus entirely magical spirits. This parallel dimension can be accessed by awakened characters, magicians, using either astral perception or projection. Perception involves extending one's vision into the astral plane, allowing them to see. Projection involves leaving one's body and fully entering the astral plane. Both methods will be available in SRA.

Perception will act as an augmented vision, representing to the player the magical and emotional properties of objects around them. It will be possible to read social reactions, find magical items, and see spirits and characters currently in astral projection. It will also allow the character to interact with these entities.

Projection causes a magician to leave his body entirely, existing entirely in astral space. This allow them to interact with only othe astral objects and pass through most non-living materials. Only living soil, such as the earth itself, wards, and specialize biological barriers can stop an astrally projecting magician. Also, the magician is unaffected by gravity and moves wherever they desire, in all three dimensions. This ability lasts for a limited duration, tradition (essence) hours, so that rate in game time translates to 15 minutes per point. This speed may be furher increased to discourage people from spending too long in astral space, adding more tension to this ability. While using this abilty, the magician's body persists in the world and is vulnerable. If their body is damaged to the point of incapacitation, then they will return to it in bad condition. If their body is killed, then they return to it and it is resolved as any other case of death.

Metaplanes, places in astral space that are not paralled to reality, but rather beyond it, are on the docket for 2.0. These would require inclusion of initiation rules, which are not currently expected in version 1.0.

The concept of background count, where constant activity in an area by humanity, be it genocide, pollution, or rock concerts, is not likely to have a game effect in 1.0. However, there may be plot specific visual portrayal of this effect.

Fast movement during astral projection, will not be possible given the current technical constraints.

Technical Implementation

The interactions between reality, astrally perceiving, and astrally projecting characters will be driven by physics and represented using shaders. By filtering collisions based on objects being part of reality, astral space, or both, it will be possible to realistically portray their interactions. For instance, if a character is astrally perceiving, they participate in both reality and astral space. They can be hit by a bullet or a full-astral spirit. They could be flung by a car, but stopped by an astral ward. Collision filtering will provide this representation on a per type basis.

The visal representation of astral space will be provided by changing from normal textures and lighting into an alternate "Astral Vision". Undr astral vision, objects will be colored versus their magic and emotion. Man-made items, those that carry neither, may appear drab, gray, and somewhat ghostly. However, people, spirits, and love notes will be vibrant and colorful. Lights in reality will be meaningless, but the brightest things, such as spells and spirits, might emit their own light.

While using astral perception, it will be impossible to use Augmented Reality.