Astral Plane Escape

[soc0ut]

In tonights game my party wandered into the lair of a freakishly over powered solo (we weren't supposed to survive). -This was actually to teach me about certain aspects of DMing

Now, my character was about to die. The solo could regenerate, and I was in its throat. The DM was smiling, as I was coming face-to-face with the realization that I couldn't fight or escape. That's when I said I was going to put my portable hole into my bag of holding (Heward's Handy Haversack actually). He had always assumed the Astral plane was limbo, and that one could never returned.

I understand its DM's descretion, but what do you guys think. Did I survive?

The night ended with my DM saying he needed to study up on it.

PS: It was a really fun night. We were told at the begining that we probably wouldn't survive. Made for a eustressful game!

[Phelix-Mu]

The Astral Plane is extremely survivable. In fact, aside from eventually starving or dying of thirst, there isn't much that is going to kill you, since the vast majority of the infinite plane is barren and empty.

So, the real thing to note is that, if both you and the bad guy were sent to the Astral Plane, aside from a bit of confusion, the bad guy/monster will probably still manage to kill you, since you are already in its throat.

If it's just you in the Astral Plane, survival is very possible. Once you figure out how to move around, you can actually move quite quickly, though the distance you have to move is measured in hours or something funky like that. Look for silver cords to follow, as usually people that are using astral projection are navigating in some kind of intelligent manner.

Beware the color pools, natural portals on the Astral Plane that lead to any other plane in existence. If your character doesn't know the color code (seems unlikely), then using them to travel can dramatically reduce your life expectancy. On the other hand, if you are about to die of thirst/hunger, then go through a color pool, since most of the planes that are out there will have something that passes for food/water available.

Good luck. Astral Plane is a challenge that can easily spell the end of a low-level character, since the average EL of off-plane stuff is generally much higher.

[Psyren]

So, the real thing to note is that, if both you and the bad guy were sent to the Astral Plane, aside from a bit of confusion, the bad guy/monster will probably still manage to kill you, since you are already in its throat.

This. You both definitely got sucked in (as it was PH into BoH, rather than the reverse) so he's there with you and, most likely, you are still in his throat.

I would argue that the shock of such a sudden and dramatic occurrence might cause him to spit you out. Maybe have him ad-hoc some kind of reflex save or Escape Artist check to get out of the thing's mouth. And you two could then end up landing some distance from each other (possibly even miles apart - see plane shift), giving you a chance to escape it. But between that being total fiat and the chances of running into something nasty while you're out there (like githyanki), your survival odds aren't great.

[Crake]

My main question, if I were in the DM's shoes would be how would you be able to get out your bag of holding and portable hole while inside a monster's throat. You'd technically be considered grappling and I think you at least need a successful grapple check to retrieve a spell component let alone a bag of holding and portable hole, even if the BoH is actually a handy haversack.

[Flickerdart]

The Astral Plane isn't a limbo (neither, strictly speaking, is Limbo). It's a transitive plane, which exists pretty much specifically for moving through. There are tons of ways to escape the Astral Plane, not the least of which is just Plane Shift. If you are low level, your best bet is probably to find the nearest silver cord of an astral projecting character and tug on it until they come see what's going on (not actually RAW but worth a shot).

[Mr Adventurer]

Nothing happens when you put a Portable Hole into a Handy Haversack.

[Bogardan_Mage]

The Astral Plane is extremely survivable. In fact, aside from eventually starving or dying of thirst, there isn't much that is going to kill you, since the vast majority of the infinite plane is barren and empty.
It's Timeless, so not even hunger and thirst will kill you.

[Psyren]

The Astral Plane isn't a limbo (neither, strictly speaking, is Limbo). It's a transitive plane, which exists pretty much specifically for moving through. There are tons of ways to escape the Astral Plane, not the least of which is just Plane Shift. If you are low level, your best bet is probably to find the nearest silver cord of an astral projecting character and tug on it until they come see what's going on (not actually RAW but worth a shot).

The plane isn't exactly criss-crossed with silvery ropes. If you're close enough to see one, you're close enough to its owner to just shout to them or something.


Travelers may be encountered either in physical form or in astral form. In the latter case, travelers appear as ghostly, silvery images of themselves. A silver cord trails behind each one for a few feet, then disappears into the astral haze.


The cord usually appears at the base of an individual’s skull and stretches back 5 feet before merging with the Astral Plane.

So if you're far away from a traveler, their cord is merged into the plane and you can't affect it or know it's there anyway.

[Lapak]

The plane isn't exactly criss-crossed with silvery ropes. If you're close enough to see one, you're close enough to its owner to just shout to them or something.And in an event, since tugging on someone's Astral Cord is a near-equivalent to sticking your hand in their chest and tugging on their heart to get their attention, doing so would not likely put them in a frame of mind to help you anyway. I mean, it's not possible to sever a Cord without extraordinary means, but that doesn't mean I'd treat someone who wandered up and yanked on it kindly.

[soc0ut]

This. You both definitely got sucked in (as it was PH into BoH, rather than the reverse) so he's there with you and, most likely, you are still in his throat.

The DM did say that the wording implied that the whole of a creature must be within the 10' to be taken. If anything, perhaps I ripped a part of its neck away, but that a whole new one could grow from that (some sort of low level intelligence, elder evil). He agreed, in the latter situation that I would have a chance to escape.


My main question, if I were in the DM's shoes would be how would you be able to get out your bag of holding and portable hole while inside a monster's throat. You'd technically be considered grappling and I think you at least need a successful grapple check to retrieve a spell component let alone a bag of holding and portable hole, even if the BoH is actually a handy haversack.

It was huge. Does that work? DM did allow me effectively two rounds to get out. I see your point though.


The Astral Plane isn't a limbo (neither, strictly speaking, is Limbo). It's a transitive plane, which exists pretty much specifically for moving through. There are tons of ways to escape the Astral Plane, not the least of which is just Plane Shift. If you are low level, your best bet is probably to find the nearest silver cord of an astral projecting character and tug on it until they come see what's going on (not actually RAW but worth a shot).

I have a 9th level spell call astral shift, assumed that would work.


Nothing happens when you put a Portable Hole into a Handy Haversack.

According to the SRD, a gateway to the astral plane is ripped open.

[Phelix-Mu]

Epically awesome way to escape an elder evil. If you have access to high-level spells and the critter isn't there, you should be fine. Assuming you have access to a spellbook, supposing you need one. That would suck.

Just wait a day and prepare some kind of planar travel spell. If you don't have one, that is gonna be a problem, but I think you can wish yourself a plane shift or some such. Really hard to cause real problems for high level casters....

[Psyren]

Nothing happens when you put a Portable Hole into a Handy Haversack.

Not true - the description explicitly states that the 'sack has two BoHs on the side. So it would inherit the "astral hole rip" interaction that a PH and BoH have with each other. He also put them in the right order.


The DM did say that the wording implied that the whole of a creature must be within the 10' to be taken. If anything, perhaps I ripped a part of its neck away, but that a whole new one could grow from that (some sort of low level intelligence, elder evil). He agreed, in the latter situation that I would have a chance to escape.

I didn't read it that way, but I wouldn't argue if the DM says an Elder Evil doesn't follow me somewhere either. You might even be able to defeat a "lesser evil" (particularly if you have 9ths) and gain some kind of power or insight you can use to defeat the parent.

[Mr Adventurer]

Not true - the description explicitly states that the 'sack has two BoHs on the side. So it would inherit the "astral hole rip" interaction that a PH and BoH have with each other.

No it doesn't - it says they are LIKE bags of holding. It also doesn't even say that for the main bag.

But if we're going to disagree, I'll not argue with you as it's moot.

[Psyren]

No it doesn't - it says they are LIKE bags of holding.

Right, and this presumably inherits the properties of bags of holding as presented in their entry.