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Etherealness

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Etherealness
  • Level: 7
  • School: Conjuration
  • Class: Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Up to 8 hours

You step into the border regions of the Ethereal Plane, where it overlaps with your current plane. You remain in the Border Ethereal for the duration. During this time, you can move in any direction. If you move up or down, every foot of movement costs an extra foot. You can perceive the plane you left, which looks gray, and you can't see anything there more than 60 feet away.

While on the Ethereal Plane, you can affect and be affected only by creatures, objects, and effects on that plane. Creatures that aren't on the Ethereal Plane can't perceive or interact with you unless a feature gives them the ability to do so.

When the spell ends, you return to the plane you left in the spot that corresponds to your space in the Border Ethereal. If you appear in an occupied space, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take Force damage equal to twice the number of feet you are moved.

This spell ends instantly if you cast it while you are on the Ethereal Plane or a plane that doesn't border it, such as one of the Outer Planes.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You can target up to three willing creatures (including yourself) for each spell slot level above 7. The creatures must be within 10 feet of you when you cast the spell.

Tactical Usage​

Planar Escape: Etherealness provides ultimate escape and infiltration capabilities through planar travel. This 7th-level transmutation spell excels at bypassing obstacles and avoiding physical threats.

Optimal Timing: Deploy for emergency escape, infiltration missions, bypassing impenetrable barriers, or accessing otherwise unreachable areas.

Resource Management: Uses a 7th-level spell slot - available from character level 13+. 8-hour duration provides extensive ethereal travel.

Target Selection: Self plus up to three willing creatures within 10 feet enter the Ethereal Plane.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Detection Magic: Combine with see invisibility to understand ethereal environment
  • Transportation Magic: Layer with plane shift for comprehensive planar travel
  • Protection Magic: Pair with nondetection to avoid ethereal tracking

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Planar Knowledge: Features that enhance planar understanding improve ethereal navigation
  • Survival Skills: Wilderness survival adapts to ethereal plane challenges
  • Magical Resistance: High-level features may protect against ethereal hazards

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple ethereal travelers can coordinate complex operations across planes.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: No material components required - pure planar magic through transmutation.

Component Handling: Complex V, S casting represents planar transition magic.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different ethereal manifestations reflect planar understanding or magical traditions.

Economic Considerations: No costs beyond precious 7th-level spell slot for ultimate infiltration capability.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Complete intangibility and planar travel fundamentally alter encounter dynamics.

NPC Usage: High-level spies, planar travelers, or ethereal specialists might use this for infiltration.

Environmental Considerations: Ethereal Plane allows movement through solid objects but has unique hazards.

Campaign Integration: Ultimate infiltration magic for high-level campaigns requiring planar travel.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Can move through solid objects on Material Plane. Ethereal Plane has different terrain.

Weather Influence: Material Plane weather doesn't affect ethereal travelers.

Structural Interactions: Pass through walls, barriers, and obstacles freely while ethereal.

Elemental Interactions: Most Material Plane effects don't affect ethereal creatures.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time with 8-hour duration. Transition to Ethereal Plane immediate.

Target Limitations: Self plus up to three willing creatures within 10 feet.

Duration Interactions: 8-hour duration allows extensive ethereal exploration. Can return to Material Plane at will.

Mechanical Interactions: Ethereal creatures can see Material Plane but are largely intangible to it.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Infiltration, exploration, bypassing obstacles, accessing restricted areas, or planar research.

Social Encounters: Invisible surveillance, avoiding detection, gathering intelligence, or dramatic entrances/exits.

Exploration Applications: Bypassing barriers, accessing sealed areas, exploring dangerous regions safely, or planar investigation.

Utility Functions: Ultimate infiltration, planar travel, obstacle bypass, or supernatural exploration.

Same School: Other transmutation spells like blink (3rd level ethereal evasion), dimension door (4th level teleportation), plane shift (7th level planar travel).

Similar Effects: blink (3rd level partial ethereal), phase door (7th level temporary passage), plane shift (7th level planar travel).

Progression Options: blink (3rd level temporary ethereal), etherealness (7th level full ethereal), plane shift (7th level planar mastery).

Complementary Magic: see invisibility (ethereal vision), plane shift (planar navigation), nondetection (avoid tracking).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Ultimate infiltration capability for highest-level play (13+) where planar travel becomes necessary.

Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots - pure 7th-level planar mastery.

Campaign Phases: Most valuable in high-level campaigns where conventional barriers no longer provide security.

Comparative Value: Exceptional utility magic that justifies 7th-level slot for ultimate infiltration and escape.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Reality shifts around you as planar magic carries you and your companions into the ghostly realm of the Ethereal Plane.

Effect Manifestation: You become translucent and insubstantial as you exist simultaneously in the Material and Ethereal Planes.

Personal Style: Wizards use precise planar calculations, while sorcerers manifest intuitive planar connection through magical will.

World Integration: Represents advanced planar magic available only to master transmuters, often associated with planar research, espionage operations, or ethereal plane mastery.