Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Rules and such => Topic started by: Overbyte on <05-03-18/1629:50>
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Since there seem to be a few threads about the astral right now I thought I'd add another that I've been thinking about a lot since I have a dual-natured player in my game.
What do you see (what information do you get) when you are just casually looking around in astral space?
If we look at the Assensing Table on SR5 p.313 it seems to imply that you really can't tell anything specific about the auras you see unless you make a specific Assensing test on that particular aura.
Example: There is a mage (not in astral space) who has 3 foci.
Can you tell they have 3 foci since they all have auras (p.318)?
Yes. Assuming the foci auras aren't blocked by their aura. (Like their weapon focus is behind them)
Can you tell which foci are active since they have astral forms (p.318) and not just auras?
Yes. You can tell the difference between an aura and an actual astral form.
Can you tell if they are astrally perceiving?
Yes. Same as above since they would have an astral form and not just an aura.
Can you tell if he is a mage?
Not if they aren't astrally perceiving since that requires 1 success on Assensing table.
You could assume that they are magically active since they have foci but you can't tell directly.
Can you tell they are dual natured?
Probably not? You'd probably have to assense them to know this. Just like knowing they are Awakened or not (1 success, maybe more?).
Other stuff?
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"With the skill of Assensing, you can interpret the “colors” and “brightness” of an aura to determine the wellness and state of being of the subject.[...]
While astral perception allows an Awakened character to sense the astral plane, actually interpreting what you’re looking at takes practice. Interpreting auras to gain information about the person or thing to which they belong is called Assensing."
I think that's the central statement here.
So
Can you tell they have 3 foci since they all have auras (p.318)?
Yes and no. You can count them if they are not within another aura. Differentiating the different auras is "interpreting what you're looking at".
Can you tell which foci are active since they have astral forms (p.318) and not just auras?
No. Differentiating between mundane and awakened auras takes 1 hit on assensing
Can you tell if they are astrally perceiving?
No. That's definitely "interpreting what you're looking at".
Can you tell if he is a mage?
No. Differentiating between mundane and awakened auras takes 1 hit on assensing
Can you tell they is dual natured?
No. Same reason as with #3. Astrally perceiving is the same as being dual-natured.
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Astral Perception is not really "seeing". A blind person can use astral perception. It have nothing to do with your "eyes". Also, a being that have both an astral form and a physical form at the same time = Dual Natured. For example, an adept that is using Astral Perception = Dual Natured.
Game mechanic wise astral perception is not unlike regular perception. You don't need to spend a simple action to observe in detail to notice someone running towards you with something in his hand, but you might need to spend a simple action to observe the subject to find out if he is friend or foe or what he is actually holding in his hand. Same thing in the astral. It would be directly obvious if the object is living or not or if it have an astral form or not. You can tell that by just glancing at a crowd without focusing at all. But to tell if a the living aura belong to an awakened or mundane character you need to focus on the aura for a split second. Having said that, once you spend time to actually look at the aura it is quite obvious if an aura belong to an awakened or mundane character (it is basically as easy to notice as it is for your regular perception to notice a neon sign or a running crowd).
@Jack,
There are differences between
1. an object that is not magic nor living (which lack aura - they are grey, lifeless, and intangible... like opaque shadows)
2. an object that is living (which have an aura - shining, vibrant, colorful intangible luminescence)
3. an object that is actively magic (which have it's own astral form - tangible and more colorful and brighter than auras, as they are astrally “real.”)
If a magician that is not using astral perception nor astral projection carry 3 active focus then you will see a shining, vibrant, colorful living aura which might or might not belong to an awakened character (you need to spend a simple action to find out) and you also see 3 distinct bright and tangible "real" astral forms that are the foci. From the astral (if you for example are projecting) you cannot interact with the intangible aura but you can interact with the 3 astral forms. The 3 foci will be tangible.
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See.. it's not so simple!
But Jack seems to think you can't tell the difference between an aura and an astral form without assensing. I certainly don't feel that way.
It seems those two things would be immediately obvious, e.g. - the difference between a person (not in the astral plane) and a spirit in the astral plane. The first is just an aura, the second is an actual astral form. Although I'm not sure there is anything in the books that explicitly says this, it is just my opinion and Jack could be right.
@Xenon
In your description I assume you mean that all three foci are activated and therefore have astral forms. Otherwise they are just auras.
But you seem to think that you can't distinguish all those auras clumped together (the mage and his foci) unless you make an assensing roll, and I could definitely see this being the case although it certainly is not made clear in the book. The Assensing Table seems to be based on assensing a single aura and determining everything about that single aura.
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I'd say, you are still "interpreting what you are looking at". Making distinctions between mundane auras and magic auras is definitely something that needs some processing on your part.
The only thing you can distinguish at a glance is non-living grey from colored aura.
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I'm of the opinion that you'd still use perception for all the things in the astral that you would for all the things in the physical. E.G. detecting subtle presences, noticing that one particular thing among the many others is important, even detecting someone trying to sneak. The skill description for Assensing only says it's for interpreting auras, so I chose to believe that's what it means. You "spot" things with Perception, then you "read" their details via Assensing.
Of course the rules for environmental perception checks are written for the physical plane, so you'd have to use your own reasonableness to figure out what sorts of things are so obvious that a perception check is unnecessary. For example a bare room with nothing but a person hiding in it and a light bulb dangling from the ceiling illuminating the room. In the physical, the light bulb is painfully obvious to see as the room would otherwise be dark without its presence/activation. No check needed to spot a lit light bulb in a barren room, but the sneaking person attempting to hide might be ruled to get one (depending on how barren that hypothetical room actually is). But from the astral, it's reversed. The living thing is "illuminating" the room, and plainly obvious whereas the nonliving light bulb, should it be relevant for some reason, would require a perception check to detect from the astral.
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There is a clear distinct difference between a living aura and an astral form. p. 312 Auras and Astral Forms explain this, but there are more places.
Although I'm not sure there is anything in the books that explicitly says this
Living beings basically just cast a colorful blurred reflection of themselves in the astral plane (=Aura).
A spirit is tangible, sharp and "real" and it is also more colorful and brighter than an aura (=Astral Form).
You don't need to take a test to realize if is just a living object on the physical plane that cast a reflection in the astral or if it is actually an astral entity with a real astral form that you can interact with. It is obvious.
But you seem to think that you can't distinguish all those auras clumped together
No, I believe that the 3 foci will be obvious to distinguish from the aura of the owner (if they are active that is). Their Astral Forms will be brighter, more colorful and most of all they will all be "real" in the astral plane (while the aura of the owner is not).
Making distinctions between mundane auras and magic auras is definitely something that needs some processing on your part.
Yes. You need to take a look to find out if the living aura you are looking at belong to an awakened character or a mundane character.
No. You don't need to take a look to find out if the sword is non magic and not living (and thus doesn't have an aura) or if it is a deactivated focus (because it will have an aura) or if it is an active weapon focus (because it will be "real" in the astral- it will be dual natured- it will have an astral form).
There is a difference between a magic aura (the aura of a non-active focus or the aura of an awakened character) and an astral form (the form of a projecting magician, the form of an active weapon focus, the form of a spirit).
The only thing you can distinguish at a glance is non-living grey from colored aura.
...and actual real astral forms
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I'm of the opinion that you'd still use perception for all the things in the astral that you would for all the things in the physical.
this is 100% incorrect.
you replace Perception with Assensing when Astrally Perceiving.
The only exception is naturally Dual-Natured critters can use Perception in lieu of Assensing.
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I'm of the opinion that you'd still use perception for all the things in the astral that you would for all the things in the physical.
this is 100% incorrect.
you replace Perception with Assensing when Astrally Perceiving.
The only exception is naturally Dual-Natured critters can use Perception in lieu of Assensing.
Citation for Assensing taking the place of Perception on the Astral Plane?
I can't cite a negative. All Assensing does is let you interpret Auras that you have found/are so easy to see they don't require a Perception check to find. The skill description for Assensing never says it replaces Perception for the astral plane. Ergo, the argument that it doesn't. OTOH, I'll cite the Concealment critter power (SR5 pg 395) It does not penalize Assensing tests only Perception tests. Again, doesn't make sense if you're using Assensing in place of Perception to perceive people astrally under benefit of the Concealment power.
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you replace Perception with Assensing when Astrally Perceiving.
Agreed.
For example you use Assensing to spot the astral signature (unique fingerprint left behind by the magician casting the spell). You use Assensing when you spend an action to Observe in Detail. You use Assensing when a target is trying to hide. You use Assensing when trying to locate your body if someone moved it while you where out. You use Assensing to follow the astral link between spirits, spells, foci, magical lodges etc and the responsible magician.
A magician or adept have normal perception until they shift to astral perception. While they are using astral perception they only have access to astral perception until they shift back again. Shifting between normal perception and astral perception or astral to physical is a simple action. Astrally perceiving while trying to accomplish mundane tasks is very distracting; you take a –2 dice pool penalty to actions on the physical plane.
Naturally dual natured critters is an exception to this as they are using both astral perception and physical perception at the same time and they don't have to (can't) shift between the two. A magician that use astral projection only have astral perception until he return to his physical body. A spirits only have access to astral perception, even after they materialize and become dual natured.
And again. Astral Perception is not really "vision". You can be blind and still have no issues using astral perception. You don't need eyes at all. While you use astral perception you don't "see" the real world (except if you are a natural dual natured critter). When someone use astral perception I like to think that the subject close their eyes or that their eyes roll back so you only see the white part of the eyes. If you are not using astral perception nor astral projection you roll Perception + Intuition [Mental] to notice things. When you use astral perception or astral projection you roll Assensing + Intuition [Astral] to notice things.
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I'd go on, but I realized something. Perception, unlike most active skills, can already be largely substituted by other skills without requiring the GM's agreement or attending dice pool penalties as listed under the optional rules sidebar for Substituting skills on pg 130. Using Sneaking+Intuition instead of Perception+Intuition to spot someone trying to sneak is an explicit example called out by the rulebook (pg 136). Now technically that's saying that Stealth skills can be used in Place of perception, and while there's no analogous rule for Assensing, I suppose it's totally reasonable to say that there should be one... as I'm having trouble finding it at the moment but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing another substitution for Perception in the case of Electronic Warfare (Sensor Operations) for remotely piloting/being jumped in to vehicles/drones.
Because afterall if someone is trying to hide from an astral perciever, there's no harm in transferring any perception penalties (that would be appropriate for the astral environment) to the 1st Assensing test to first "perceive/find" the aura, then of course assuming the would-be sneak was successfully spotted then a 2nd Assensing test would be necessary to "read" the aura as described in the skill description.
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In the matrix you use Matrix Perception which is resolved with Computer + Intuition [Data Processing]
In the astral you use Astral Perception which is resolved with Assenssing + Intuition [Astral]
In the physical world you use [Physical] Perception which is resolved with Perception + Intuition [Mental]
if someone is trying to hide from an astral perciever
SR5 p. 312 Astral Perception
Like physical perception, you don’t need to make a test to see things that are immediately obvious (and since astral forms are bright and vibrant, this means that most astral forms are easy to spot). You only need to roll the dice when your target is trying to hide
An adept or magician that use Astral Perception cannot also use [Physical] Perception at the same time. You can either only sense the astral plane with intangible gray shadows and auras in different colors around you or use your eyes to actually "see" the physical plane for what it really is. You can't do both at the same time (the only exception to this are Naturally Dual Natured Critters). It take a simple action to switch between the two.
Most modifiers applicable to using eyes to "see" in the physical plane (such as darkness or smoke etc) doesn't really apply once you close your eyes and switch to astral perception...
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I can agree with most everything said here. And, noting this below:
Perception, unlike most active skills, can already be largely substituted by other skills without requiring the GM's agreement or attending dice pool penalties as listed under the optional rules sidebar for Substituting skills on pg 130. Using Sneaking+Intuition instead of Perception+Intuition to spot someone trying to sneak is an explicit example called out by the rulebook (pg 136). Now technically that's saying that Stealth skills can be used in Place of perception, and while there's no analogous rule for Assensing, I suppose it's totally reasonable to say that there should be one... as I'm having trouble finding it at the moment but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing another substitution for Perception in the case of Electronic Warfare (Sensor Operations) for remotely piloting/being jumped in to vehicles/drones.
Because afterall if someone is trying to hide from an astral perciever, there's no harm in transferring any perception penalties (that would be appropriate for the astral environment) to the 1st Assensing test to first "perceive/find" the aura, then of course assuming the would-be sneak was successfully spotted then a 2nd Assensing test would be necessary to "read" the aura as described in the skill description.
And, of course, it may be possible that the 1st and 2nd Assensing tests could fail, through a Stealth Skill applicable in the Astral, through one or more Metamagics, and/or via the threshold test p.312, Assensing + Magic [Astral] 3.
And, of course, non-living objects, grey. lifeless, and intangible, may be utilized to assist with Stealth, by hiding behind them, or even proactively by moving along behind them as they are moved!
I forget where it says that the 'aura' extends beyond surface of the non-living full-body armor, but clearly there must be a limit to this distance.
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I'm of the opinion that you'd still use perception for all the things in the astral that you would for all the things in the physical.
this is 100% incorrect.
you replace Perception with Assensing when Astrally Perceiving.
The only exception is naturally Dual-Natured critters can use Perception in lieu of Assensing.
Why? When someone is perceiving they are dual-natured. I don't really have opinion on this ether way. But perception is not purely visual anymore then Assensing is. So I'm confused as to why this is the case as SSDR is correct in that Assensing does say it for interpreting auras.
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SR5 p. 312 Astral Perception
Like physical perception, you don’t need to make a test to see things that are immediately obvious (and since astral forms are bright and vibrant, this means that most astral forms are easy to spot). You only need to roll the dice when your target is trying to hide
This is a good catch (actually on page 313). Combined with this:
SR5 p.312
Anything active on the astral plane, including spirits, active foci, dual-natured beings, etc., has a tangible astral form. These forms are more colorful and brighter than auras, as they are astrally “real.”
Makes me agree with everything Xenon (and others) said.
1) Always use Astral Perception in the astral (although the only skill is called Assensing)
2) You can easily tell auras from astral forms.
It's not perfectly clear if auras can hide behind other auras or astral forms.
We do have to remember that Astral Perception is NOT visual and therefore does not obey visual rules, although auras and forms ARE blocked by non-astral things like walls. A bit of a conundrum.
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The abundance of life in the first 10 meters of water from the surface in the oceans will give you a -2 dice pool modifier to assensing tests, in warm water it's -4 due to the extra abundance of micro organisms ( run and gun pg 158 ). I would say that's a good indicator that you can use other auras and Astral forms to aid in hiding astrally.
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The abundance of life in the first 10 meters of water from the surface in the oceans will give you a -2 dice pool modifier to assensing tests, in warm water it's -4 due to the extra abundance of micro organisms ( run and gun pg 158 ). I would say that's a good indicator that you can use other auras and Astral forms to aid in hiding astrally.
Fair point. Although there are micro-organisms everywhere in the ocean (and only give a -2), whereas the air is pretty much devoid of life.
But I could see in special circumstances it could work, like trying to spot an aura standing right behind an astral form.
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Mana barriers, another astral form, also obscures astral perception, so does background count. They may not say it directly but I think it's fairly clear that that's the intention.
At our table we have always used it so. For example large crowds or an abundance of plant life will directly aid you in hiding astrally.
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The Sneaking skill "allows you to remain inconspicuous in various situations." This incluedes walking quietly against being heard or moving in such a way as to not draw attention to yourself. Since non-astral forms don't seem to be translucent but only "appear as faded semblances of their physical selves; grey, lifeless, and intangible." I don't see why you can't use Sneaking to be undetected by astral perceiving characters, or hide in astral. An Astral form is not visible through walls and such. So if you can physically hide form physical sight why can't you hide from astral ones? It even implies that you can hide against astral perception on pg. 313- "You only need to roll the dice when your target is trying to hide or when you’re trying to observe in detail—then you make an Assensing Test to see what you can see." It even says you use Assensing to see what you can see. Which to me implies that you would use Assensing for perception tests in the astral.
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Since non-astral forms don't seem to be translucent but only "appear as faded semblances of their physical selves; grey, lifeless, and intangible."
Just want to add that what you just described was non-living mundane entities.
Non-living mundane entities that have strong emotions attached to it by an individual or metahumanity as large like a lost teddy bear, a love letter or a mass grave might be described as colorful.
Living physical forms such as a metahuman that don’t use astral perception, an animal or a plant are often described as intangible, shadowy reflections of the physical form that is both colorful and bright, illuminating the surroundings.
And astral forms such as a spirit, a dual natured metahuman and an active focus are often described as solid and tangible as well as much brighter and colorful than living auras.
Having said that, Astral Perception is a psychic sense which mean that while some astral beings “see” auras as different colors and lights another astral being might rather “feel” different textures or “smell” different flavors.
Can you hide in the Astral? For sure. You just need to do it in another way. It’s more about blending in with other living auras, hide behind a bright and colorful astral form or fully get behind mundane cover. Hiding in the shadows in the corner of a badly lit room work on the physical plane but doesn’t work against astral perception since your aura would be obvious to spot as it lit up the otherwise gray and lifeless mundane room.
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This is one of those times I wish I could just +1 a post. :)
I think getting a description of what a person is doing is a good habit to get into before any roll. If they are trying to hide in a corner in the open I would say "I don't think you could hide your aura by standing in the open, would you like to hide in another way?" I tell them that ahead of time so they can adjust their actions, I'm not out to screw over a player, nor do I think anyone here is either.
I like to have the group work together to weave a better story. I do this for almost every situation I ask my players to actually role-play with me a bit to get con or negotiation rolls or describe what/how they are doing something before they get a skill test. I do have some players that get nervous in socially situations and for them I allow them to interpret dice, but that is a corner case most of the time. To me having the descriptions brings the world to life in the minds of those at the table and makes it more than just, what if feel is mechanically reading the results of a skill test by looking at the dice. It also gives me, as a GM, more information to go on as I narrate the results to the table.
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In the matrix you use Matrix Perception which is resolved with Computer + Intuition [Data Processing]
In the astral you use Astral Perception which is resolved with Assenssing + Intuition [Astral]
In the physical world you use [Physical] Perception which is resolved with Perception + Intuition [Mental]
if someone is trying to hide from an astral perciever
SR5 p. 312 Astral Perception
Like physical perception, you don’t need to make a test to see things that are immediately obvious (and since astral forms are bright and vibrant, this means that most astral forms are easy to spot). You only need to roll the dice when your target is trying to hide
An adept or magician that use Astral Perception cannot also use [Physical] Perception at the same time. You can either only sense the astral plane with intangible gray shadows and auras in different colors around you or use your eyes to actually "see" the physical plane for what it really is. You can't do both at the same time (the only exception to this are Naturally Dual Natured Critters). It take a simple action to switch between the two.
Most modifiers applicable to using eyes to "see" in the physical plane (such as darkness or smoke etc) doesn't really apply once you close your eyes and switch to astral perception...
Astral Perception page 312. This ability is called astral perception. It is a primary sense used in the astral plane that allows you to "see" auras and other things in the astral world overlaid on the material plane.
You are seeing both the astral plane and the material plane at the same time, hence the -2 penalty to actions on the physical plane. Astral is overlaid on the material.
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Please don't necro threads that are two years old.
When you use your physical perception then things on the physical plane look solid and have actual tangible forms. You see (with your actual eyes) visual light (such as color and contrast).
When you switch from your physical perception to your astral perception you no longer 'see' the physical plane. Instead you 'sense' the astral plane. While using astral perception doesn't matter if you have perfect 20/20 vision or if your are blind (or if you close your eyes) on the physical plane. While astral is often explained as 'seeing' (because the metaphor works and because it is easier for most of us to understand) astral perception is a psychic 6th sense, different from your other 5 senses:
It takes a Simple Action to shift one’s perception from the astral to the physical, and another to shift it back again (it is not possible to see both at the same time, though almost everything in physical space is reflected on the astral, albeit without detail).
Astral perception is a psychic sense that is not linked to the character’s physical sight. A blind magician can still magically perceive the astral plane and the creatures and auras within. Likewise, deaf magicians can “hear” in astral space.
you’re not technically seeing them, but the analogy works
Technically, astral perception isn’t vision—you don’t need working eyes to see in the astral plane—but vision is the easiest metaphor to use.
Astral perception is a psychic sense, so where I see and hear light and sound, others may interact more through taste or texture. Your experience in the astral very much depends on who you are.
Since astral sight is not a truly visual sense, Awakened characters who are blind can still use astral perception all the time and at least have some sense of objects in the world, but gamemasters should apply the customary –2 dice pool modifier to all actions performed on the physical plane while perceiving the astral, including indirect combat spells, and keep in mind the differences between the astral and physical worlds.
Being dual natured, though, is different from astral perception in that a dual-natured critter always senses both the physical and astral worlds; they don’t have to shift back and forth (and, in fact, cannot do so).
The book describe the astral plane like this:
It is an emotionally charged photonegative of the physical world where only living things and things infused with mana are real and physical objects are mere intangible shadows.
The general aura of that life illuminates the astral world at all times with an ambient glow. Things that exist only on the material plane can be seen and heard from the astral, but they are blurred and muted as the emotional context of people and things registers more than physical properties of light and sound (in many ways they are a substitution for those properties).
Objects that are neither magical nor living do not have an aura; they are featureless grey shadows of their physical form.
Life illuminates and emotions color a grey and shadowy mirror of the physical world. When astral projecting, you do not hear the din of the physical world, nor can you read written words. Technological displays and holographic images don’t exist even as shadows on the astral plane. All the lifeless objects in the physical world appear as dull and intangible shadows to astral forms, allowing them to easily pass through. Details on these objects (color, texture, smell) are almost impossible to understand; a book’s words are impossible to read, as is the context of the writing unless it’s tied to some emotion that the character can perceive. All life has intangible auras that illuminate the astral world, while emotions can color them. Emotions can also color non-living objects if they have some significance to metahumanity (individually or as a whole). Within the silence, the magician can hear the crackle and hiss of mana being drawn into a spell or the subtle harmonies or cacophony of aspected mana as it flows through the astral plane.
When you look at a room with your regular perception you could for example see a red bench with two people. You see a yellow desk and you see a green poster on the wall with some white text that you can read. Spotlights in the ceiling lit up the room. If you close your eyes everything goes dark.
When you switch from your physical perception to your astral perception, while still keeping your eyes closed. You 'sense' (which is different from 'seeing') the walls, the bench and the desk, but they appear to be intangible colorless shadows of their former self - you get the feeling that you could walk straight through them (and if you were projection you actually could). You almost can't distinguish the poster on the wall from the wall itself and the color, contrast and text is no longer there. Everything is lifeless and colorless, except for the two living subjects on the bench. While they too are just represented by intangible blurred shadows they are full of emotions and they also have an 'aura' full of life which make them quite obvious compared to their lifeless mundane surrounding.
Now you open your eyes on the material plane, while still using astral perception. And nothing changes. At all. You are still using astral perception instead of your regular perception. You still can't read the poster. You still can't see the color of the bench. You still can't see the bright light from the spotlights in the ceiling (instead the room still appear to be 'lit up' by the two living subjects on the bench).
You can navigate through the room or even bring up your gun and aim at one of the subjects on the bench, but since you are using astral perception instead of physical perception you will take a negative dice pool modifier of 2 dice (due to the disorientation). It would also not matter if someone would turn off the spotlights in the ceiling (or if someone blindfolded you). While the room would turn into total darkness on the material plane which would cause a negative dice pool modifier of 6 dice (Blind Fire) for anyone using their regular perception, you would not even notice that the room turned dark and you would still 'only' have a negative dice pool modifier of 2 dice from using your astral perception.
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So nothing in 5e onwards by RAW state that you cannot see both. Its basically up to the game master to determine how he/she/it determine it to be.
Thanks!
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Only dual natured critters get to both see the physical plane and sense the astral plane at the same time. A magician using astral perception need to shift back and forth.
Being dual natured, though, is different from astral perception in that a dual-natured critter always senses both the physical and astral worlds; they don’t have to shift back and forth (and, in fact, cannot do so).
Having said that, you are free to rule that astral perception let you view both at the same time just like dual natured critters and you are also free to rule that mundane objects don't appear as blurred, featureless grey shadows of their physical form, if you like. It's your table. Your rules.
Just don't try to sell it as RAI or RAW ;-)
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For what it's worth, 6we does dispense with the arcane distinction between astral perception and dual natured. In that edition, they ARE finally exactly the same thing.
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I need to read the rules in 6th edition to be 100%, but I am pretty sure that dual natured critters still observe both the astral plane and the physical plane at the same time while magician have to spend a minor action to shift between physical perception and astral perception and then another minor action to shift back into physical perception from using astral perception.... ... that there is still no difference between using astral perception while not projecting and using astral perception while projecting... and that objects still appear as blurred, featureless grey shadows of their physical form while using astral perception.
Having said that, while RAI seem to be identical to the previous edition in a majority of cases, almost all written rules in SR6 have become much more ambiguous and a lot more open for interpretation (if you ask me skipping all the clarifying text was the biggest drawback of cutting the word count, but some might also see this as an advantage as it gives GMs more freedom in how they want to shape the rules at their table).
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In 6we, while you're astrally perceiving you become dual natured.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
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And...?
(you become dual natured while using astral perception in 5th edition as well; which mean you have both a tangible physical body and a tangible astral body at the same time - doesn't automatically mean you can use your physical perception and your astral perception at the same time....... it doesn't automatically mean that that astral perception is suddenly just something you activate and deactivate rather than switching to and from)
I'll go read through 6th edition rules on the matter before replying more in this thread, but I doubt there will be new rules that conflict with how it worked in earlier editions. If anything they probably just cut out a bunch of clarifying text to make the rules more open ended, ambiguous and open for interpretation (without actually changing any rules).