From:	Wafflemeisters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Astral Magic
Date:	Tue, 19 May 1998 05:26:34 -0500

> Re: Astral Magic) (Ereskanti , Mon 21:15)
>
> In a message dated 5/18/98 9:01:19 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
> dghost@****.COM writes:
>
> > This brings me to another question ... Is there anyway to increase the
> > amount of time you can safely stay on the astral plane?

No rules I know of allow you to do so without major outside
intervention. Since your body looses essence because the spirit is not
present, it would seem a fundmantally unsolvable problem, like most
other essence problems.

> >
> There are two ways I can think of....Blood Magic (ooo, icky, bad) and Astral
> Gateway via a Free Spirit, which technically, by-the-book, has no real limit
> and can let anyone go astral/metaplanar, even mundanes...

Blood magic does not alter your essence. The "Gestault" being from
"Threats" can probaly spend a LONG time in a-space, though.
The "Astral Gateway" power in no way affects loss of essence, AFAIK- a
low essence character could easily DIE from using this power. However,
most times "Astral Gateway" is used to reach a metaplane, and your body
doesn't loose essence while you are on a metaplane.
A third option would be for a spirit to posses the vacant body, or use
"hidden life" on it. Free spirit Possesion requires a voluntary subject
or defeat in astral combat. It MIGHT be possible to have your "empty"
body possesesd, and you still in a-space. You might also have somebody
use your vacant body as the "vessel" for thier Ally spirit ; you can't
conjure while projecting, but this would be a "interesting" ritual of
change to have performed on a free ally spirit whose name you knew, or
the ally of a VERY trusted friend. I'd say all of those would halt
essence loss from projection.

Obviously, these are all EXTREME solutions, more in the realm of plot
devices than likely PC options.

-Mongoose