The Astral Plane

The Astral Plane, also known as the Astral Sea, is one of the planes of existence in various models of cosmology.
The Astral can be reached from almost any point in a Prime Material plane by spell, psionic ability, or device. It is described as a barren place of other-dimensional nothingness extending in all directions. What little solid substance that floats in the bright, gray void is typically chunks of matter broken off from their original plane. The Astral has no gravity but objects do retain their mass so you can throw small items or push off from large objects to move in the weightless environment.
Time in the Astral flows at the same rate on a Prime Material plane but the effects of time are slowed almost to a stop―a thousand years in the Astral plane feels like only a day to the traveller. Creatures do not go hungry or age while in the Astral plane. For that reason, its mortal inhabitants need to return to the Material Plane in order to have children or to reach adulthood.
The most striking and immediate impression a visitor to the Astral Plane experiences is the lack of colour and light; no sun, moon, or stars adorn the vault of the inky black sky, and all things looked as if the colour has leeched out, leaving nothing but black and white, which in the dimness was more like "dark black" and "light black". A light source only illuminates half the distance it normally would, flames and fires put out less heat, and spells that deal with light or fire are less predictable and prone to failure, whereas divination spells are enhanced. On the other hand, although it will not illuminate as far, any light source on the plane can be spotted at a distance of up to ten times its normal range of illumination, such is the contrast to the constant gloom, similar to a star in the night sky. Even a light source that only puts out shadowy illumination, like a darkness spell or a lantern burning shadowlight oil, can be seen up to five times its range of illumination.
Souls lost to the Weave can sometimes walk around the Astral Plane, should Mystra and the Raven Queen not wish to punish them personally.

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

The Planar System

Owner/Ruler

The Raven Queen