It takes a fantastic game master to create things on both planes simultaneously, and I have to admit that I have been reluctant to even allow player characters to delve into the arts of magic. It just seemed like more work for me to prepare. Who knew when a character would astrally project? (I knew it wouldn't be when I wanted him to.) Well, I'm hear to tell you that in my first few attempt at using magic I have learned a lot and my game has improved. The first day I allowed a PC to run a mage (as his last character kindly donated his remaining body parts to science), the team set up to plan a raid on a warehouse near the Customs Building on the docks of Seattle. Generally, at this point the group muddles around for about an hour real time discussing ways to look inconspicuous walking around in a place they shouldn't be. Then for the next hour they plan, purchase, and execute doing some type of recon (which generally fails because they either never stick to the plan, or never had a plan to begin with). Well, this day would be a bit differant. The mage slips astrally and does the recon for the team. Well, silly me!!! It was a generic run with no magical opposition, so the mage was able to move about as he wished. He was able to gather a good bit of information about how many guards, etc... the warehouse employed. I didn't give him a very good description of "other" things that he noticed while astral, just the things he was looking for. I kept the astral aspects in line though. He couldn't read computer screens or watch access numbers appear, only sense impressions of what they may be about.
Later that evening, I went home and rehashed the evenings play. I knew something was missing. I reread the Shadowrun II book I had about astral projection, and even a bit of the Grimoire, but still didn't find what I wanted. The next day at work I was thinking about it some more and then it hit me! Everything was missing!
The next week our group met the team had gone to a restaurant downtown to discuss how they were going to hit the warehouse and get away with the item they sought. Well, the mage slipped me a note that he was going to astrally perceive around the room. Boy was he in for a shock!
"You slip into astral perception and the room takes on a slightly altered and blurry appearance. Sitting around the table you can see your teammates, each with a discernable aura. Glancing quickly around the room, you notice others sitting at tables conversing, eating, and going about their businesss. Two tables away from where you are sitting you see two individuals at a table, at waist level to the man on the right you notice a small rotund creature with no apparent arms, only a round head and body with little legs. His face is distinguishable, but his nose stands out some eight inches. It is frantically tapping its foot on the floor. As you look in it's direction it stops tapping and stares at you for a moment, then walks through the table and begins pacing on the other side. Continuing to look around the room you notice several other creatures of similar discription, yet each individualized by unique characteristics, almost cartoonish. Ignoring these creatures you continue to look around the room, when something catches your eye in a booth parallel to the side exit. A lovely young lady is sitting across from what appears to be a bear holding a cup of soykaf."
At that point the player asked for a conference. We walked into the other room. He immediately asked, "What the hell is all that? I just wanted to scan the room and see if I could see anyone carrying weapons or anyone heavily cybered.....possibly someone spying on us astrally?" I replied, "Well, when you peer into the astral world you are going to see what is happening on the adjoining plane. As you were sitting in a public restaurant, several other mages happened to be having lunch there as well. Some of them had watchers present, the funny little creatures you seen." He wondered about the Bear, so I added, "Well, you could be perceiving a Bear Shapeshifter in his true form. The astral plane can be a busy place full of other things." He asked, "So, it's not always safe to go astral?" I added with a smile, "Well, from now on there will be things going on in both places, some may not effect you, but others may."
I learned my lesson. From now on, the mage doesn't just pop astral and see nothing except what he is looking for. Sometimes he notices other mages astrally, which tend to avoid him or he may notice a watcher going about some task. I've even thrown in a few spirits that were occupying a vacant building across the street from the warehouse. I wound up being quite amusing. From his experiences, he now uses his conjuring a bit more and actually summons elementals to assist him. It has made the game more enjoyable. Just keep in mind, Astral does not mean Empty!!!
Elementals are something a whole lot differant. They are from those "other" places that Shadowrun III talks about. Kind of like AD&D. You have your planes of reality: Water, Air, Fire, and Earth. For game purposes I specify that when you conjure up an elemental you are bringing forth a native of one of those planes to do your bidding. Sometimes they break free and do their own bidding, which is fine. Some break free because they don't want to be told what to do and wind up attacking the first poor astral (or otherwise) soul they encounter out of fear of being ripped from their plane.
Take a look through one of your old AD&D books and you will see listings for creatures. Generally, some of them list a Home Plane. Shadowrun is no different. There are beings that reside on the astral plane and beyond that have the ability to move around, perhaps not onto the Physical Plane, but to others. The Game Master should give serious consideration to having other types of creatures from beyond. These creatures can be used in so many ways. I have invented a neat little spell called Attract. It simply lets a mage cast this onto a person or object and causes an astral radiation to eminate from them attracting certain types of astral beings that don't like it. The spell creates interesting situations and also allows me to have it cast on player characters that have crossed a mage, but not made him mad enough to straight out fireball them.
I will get in to more discussion about various creatures and entities that travel between planes, or reside strictly on the astral plane. Some are wise old creatures that have been observing the Earth for thousands of years, while others have just recently discovered the physcial plane. Variety is key to keeping players striving to know more.....without having (or being able) to buy a book and read it all.