Time and the Astral Plane [Archive] - Wizards Community

Time and the Astral Plane [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Arhra
03-23-08, 09:43 AM I was tossing around an idea for having my players run into a githyanki stranded on the material plane and I realised I didn't know much about how timeless planes like the Astral Plane work.

Obviously enough, it has the timeless trait, meaning you don't get hungry or age while there. Travelling to a non-timeless plane has the nasty tendency of having time suddenly catch up with you.

I also know the githyanki are supposed to use certain spells to temporarily get around this and they maintain enclaves on other planes in order to raise children.

However, considering a stranded githyanki, with age snapback looming has gotten me wondering about several things.

For the Astral Plane, the not getting hungry or aging seems simple enough, but I started thinking about some related issues. Physically, are you effectively frozen? Would you remain just as healthy no matter how much or how little exercise you did for example? What about other biological issues like getting full, going to the toilet, getting pregnant or becoming tired?

I also wondered about plants on the Astral Plane. Is it actually possible to grow them there?

Having some light shed on this would be a big help.
Eldritch_Lord
03-23-08, 11:34 AM For the Astral Plane, the not getting hungry or aging seems simple enough, but I started thinking about some related issues. Physically, are you effectively frozen? Would you remain just as healthy no matter how much or how little exercise you did for example? What about other biological issues like getting full, going to the toilet, getting pregnant or becoming tired?

So far as I understand it, "normal" biological processes are effectively frozen, but abnormal ones are not. That is to say, tiredness, hunger, thirst, aging, weight gain or loss, using the facilities, etc. are put on hold since those are day-to-day, regular activities. Pregnancy, disease, poison, healing, etc. don't take place because those are out of the ordinary (aren't happening continuously) and/or are introduce by an outside agent.

I also wondered about plants on the Astral Plane. Is it actually possible to grow them there?

Not really; growth counts under aging, so growing plants, harvesting fruits, etc. would be frozen as well.
Naderion
03-23-08, 03:38 PM I think it was some planescape book that said githyanki had to leave the astral plane to raise any children, as they wouldn't grow at all on the astral plane. Such breeding outposts were the main reason githyanki ever leave their astral homes.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Arhra 03-23-08, 09:43 AM	I was tossing around an idea for having my players run into a githyanki stranded on the material plane and I realised I didn't know much about how timeless planes like the Astral Plane work. Obviously enough, it has the timeless trait, meaning you don't get hungry or age while there. Travelling to a non-timeless plane has the nasty tendency of having time suddenly catch up with you. I also know the githyanki are supposed to use certain spells to temporarily get around this and they maintain enclaves on other planes in order to raise children. However, considering a stranded githyanki, with age snapback looming has gotten me wondering about several things. For the Astral Plane, the not getting hungry or aging seems simple enough, but I started thinking about some related issues. Physically, are you effectively frozen? Would you remain just as healthy no matter how much or how little exercise you did for example? What about other biological issues like getting full, going to the toilet, getting pregnant or becoming tired? I also wondered about plants on the Astral Plane. Is it actually possible to grow them there? Having some light shed on this would be a big help.
Eldritch_Lord 03-23-08, 11:34 AM	For the Astral Plane, the not getting hungry or aging seems simple enough, but I started thinking about some related issues. Physically, are you effectively frozen? Would you remain just as healthy no matter how much or how little exercise you did for example? What about other biological issues like getting full, going to the toilet, getting pregnant or becoming tired? So far as I understand it, "normal" biological processes are effectively frozen, but abnormal ones are not. That is to say, tiredness, hunger, thirst, aging, weight gain or loss, using the facilities, etc. are put on hold since those are day-to-day, regular activities. Pregnancy, disease, poison, healing, etc. don't take place because those are out of the ordinary (aren't happening continuously) and/or are introduce by an outside agent. I also wondered about plants on the Astral Plane. Is it actually possible to grow them there? Not really; growth counts under aging, so growing plants, harvesting fruits, etc. would be frozen as well.
Naderion 03-23-08, 03:38 PM	I think it was some planescape book that said githyanki had to leave the astral plane to raise any children, as they wouldn't grow at all on the astral plane. Such breeding outposts were the main reason githyanki ever leave their astral homes.