Ethereal Plane: The Afterlife

The Astral Plane is an infinite, silvery void that serves as a transitory realm between different planes of existence. It is often referred to as the Astral Sea, a vast, boundless expanse where time barely seems to exist, and distance is a nebulous concept. Here, travelers drift as if weightless, surrounded by an endless shimmering mist. The Astral Plane is a realm where thought and willpower shape reality, making it a place of both immense wonder and lurking danger.

Introduction to the Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane is a misty, fog-bound dimension that overlaps the Material Plane and the Inner Planes, creating a surreal, shadowy world. Known as the "shores," the Border Ethereal allows travelers to move freely while observing other planes without being seen. The plane’s depths are called the Deep Ethereal, which is a mysterious realm of swirling mists and colorful vaporous curtains that connect it to different planes.

The Ethereal Plane is often used by adventurers for reconnaissance, as it allows them to move through solid objects and remain invisible to those on the overlapped plane. Travelers might enter the Border Ethereal by using spells like etherealness , while deeper journeys require the plane shift or gate spells. The ability to navigate this strange, gravity-defying plane makes it ideal for avoiding obstacles, moving unseen, and exploring the unknown.

Border Ethereal

From the Border Ethereal, a traveler can see into whatever plane it overlaps, but that plane appears muted and indistinct, its colors blurring into each other and its edges turning fuzzy. Ethereal denizens watch the plane as though peering through distorted and frosted glass and can’t see anything beyond 30 feet into the other plane. Conversely, the Ethereal Plane is usually invisible to those on the overlapped planes, except with the aid of magic.

Normally, creatures in the Border Ethereal can’t attack creatures on the overlapped plane, and vice versa. A traveler on the Ethereal Plane is invisible and utterly silent to someone on the overlapped plane, and solid objects on the overlapped plane don’t hamper the movement of a creature in the Border Ethereal. The exceptions are certain magical effects (including anything made of magical force) and living beings. This makes the Ethereal Plane ideal for reconnaissance, spying on opponents, and moving around without being detected. The Ethereal Plane also disobeys the laws of gravity; a creature there can move up and down as easily as walking.

Deep Ethereal

To reach the Deep Ethereal, one needs a plane shift spell or arrive by means of a gate spell or magical portal. Visitors to the Deep Ethereal are engulfed by roiling mist. Scattered throughout the plane are curtains of vaporous color, and passing through a curtain leads a traveler to a region of the Border Ethereal connected to a specific Inner Plane, the Material Plane, the Feywild, or the Shadowfell. The color of the curtain indicates the plane whose Border Ethereal the curtain conceals.

d8 Plane Color of Curtain
1 Material Plane Bright turquoise
2 Shadowfell Dusky gray
3 Feywild Opalescent white
4 Plane of Air Pale blue
5 Plane of Earth Reddish-brown
6 Plane of Fire Orange
7 Plane of Water Green
8 Elemental Chaos Swirling mix of colors
Ether Cyclones

An ether cyclone is a serpentine column that spins through the plane. The cyclone appears abruptly, distorting and uprooting ethereal forms in its path and carrying the debris for leagues. Travelers with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or more receive 1d4 rounds of warning: a deep hum in the ethereal matter. Travelers who can’t reach a curtain or portal leading elsewhere suffer the cyclone’s effect. Roll a d20 and consult the Ether Cyclone table to determine the effect on all creatures in the vicinity.

d20 Effect
1–12 Extended journey
13–19 Blown to the Border Ethereal of a random plane (roll on the Ethereal Curtains table)
20 Hurled into the Astral Plane

The most common effect of an ether cyclone is to extend the duration of a journey. Each character in a group traveling together must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. If at least half the group succeeds, travel is delayed by 1d10 hours. Otherwise, the journey’s travel time is doubled. Less often, a group is blown into the Border Ethereal of a random plane. Rarely, the cyclone tears a hole in the fabric of the plane and hurls the party into the Astral Plane.

Denizens of the Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane is home to many mysterious and often ghostly creatures. These beings either dwell permanently within its fog-bound expanses or pass through while traveling between other planes. The Ethereal Plane overlaps with the Material Plane and Inner Planes, allowing a diverse collection of creatures to appear within its misty environment.

Ghosts and Spirits ▼

The most well-known inhabitants of the Ethereal Plane are ghosts, spirits of the dead who refuse to move on to the afterlife. These restless beings often linger in the Border Ethereal, haunting locations that hold great importance to them in life. Their incorporeal nature allows them to move freely between the Material Plane and the Ethereal, appearing to the living only under specific circumstances.

Phase Spiders ▼

Phase spiders are arachnid predators that can phase in and out of the Ethereal Plane at will. They use this ability to ambush prey, often appearing without warning and then disappearing back into the mists of the Ethereal. These creatures are highly dangerous, as they can strike without being seen, utilizing the Ethereal Plane for hit-and-run tactics.

Night Hags ▼

Night hags traverse the Ethereal Plane in search of dreams to corrupt and souls to collect. They use their innate magic to shift between planes, lurking in the Border Ethereal as they target their victims, whom they haunt with terrifying nightmares. Night hags are cunning and manipulative, often making deals with mortals in exchange for dark favors.

Ethereal Filchers and Marauders ▼

Ethereal filchers are strange creatures that live in the Ethereal Plane and raid the Material Plane in search of magical trinkets and treasures. Their cunning and stealth allow them to steal objects undetected, making them a constant nuisance for travelers and adventurers. Ethereal marauders, on the other hand, are predators that move freely between the Material and Ethereal Planes, hunting creatures in both realms.

Notable Locations in the Ethereal Plane
The Misty Shore ▼

The Misty Shore is a boundary region where the Border Ethereal meets the Deep Ethereal. It is characterized by swirling mists that form strange and fleeting shapes. Travelers passing through this area report seeing visions of other planes, as if the Ethereal Plane were acting as a mirror, reflecting distant worlds. This phenomenon makes the Misty Shore both a place of wonder and a treacherous maze.

The Sea of Serpents ▼

The Sea of Serpents is a particularly hazardous area of the Deep Ethereal known for its serpentine currents of energy that can disorient and scatter travelers. These currents are said to be haunted by spectral serpents that lash out at those who intrude upon their domain. The area is also rumored to contain portals to the Elemental Chaos, though such portals are unpredictable and dangerous to use.

Veil of Echoes ▼

The Veil of Echoes is a region of the Ethereal Plane where sound and vision do not behave normally. Voices can echo endlessly, and travelers report seeing distorted reflections of themselves or even people from their past. The Veil is often visited by night hags and other creatures looking to exploit the memories and fears of those passing through.

Environmental Mechanics in the Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane presents unique environmental challenges for travelers. Unlike the Material Plane, physical laws such as gravity are different here, and interactions with other planes are possible in ways that make exploration both wondrous and dangerous.

Gravity and Movement ▼

In the Ethereal Plane, creatures can move in any direction, including vertically, as easily as they walk on the ground. This lack of gravitational restriction makes navigating the plane a surreal experience, but it also means that becoming disoriented is a constant threat. Travelers are advised to carry a tether or mark their path to avoid becoming lost in the mists.

Visibility and Distortion ▼

The Ethereal Plane is a place of perpetual fog and mist. In the Border Ethereal, visibility is limited to about 60 feet, while in the Deep Ethereal, it is reduced to 30 feet. Objects and landscapes appear ghostly and distorted, with colors blending into one another, making it hard to judge distances accurately. The environment itself seems to move and change, as if alive, responding to the thoughts and emotions of travelers.

Ether Currents and Cyclones ▼

Ether currents are invisible flows of energy that travel through the plane, carrying with them bits of thought, memory, and energy from the Material and Inner Planes. When these currents collide, they can create ether cyclones—powerful, chaotic whirlwinds that can throw travelers off course, trap them, or even fling them into a different plane altogether. Navigating the Deep Ethereal requires awareness of these currents, and skilled guides are invaluable in avoiding their more dangerous formations.