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Would it make any kind of sense to have a store or shop that can only be found in the ethereal plane? Do the rules as written not permit that? I've read the sections in the DMG and PHB about it, but it still seems a bit fuzzy.

My idea was to have my players stumble upon a shady purveyor of magic items who does his business in the ethereal plane to avoid the prying eyes of authorities.

Follow up question: would the astral plane make any more sense? To me, that seems less feasible, but you never know.

Update: The players were transported via a modified version of the Cubic Gate from the DMG. I imagine this merchant having the ability to shift to the ethereal innately (right now I envision him as some kind of fiend) and he carries an item or two with him when he travels there.

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    \$\begingroup\$ What magic items are being sold? How are customers expected to get to the shop? How are the items getting to the shop? \$\endgroup\$
    – Snorka
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ Welcome! You can take the tour as an introduction to the site and check the help center if you need further guidance. I made an edit just to clean the question a bit (you've done nothing wrong, don't worry) but feel free to edit further if you want. Good luck and happy gaming! \$\endgroup\$
    – Sdjz
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:14
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    \$\begingroup\$ Dated, but related - rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/6436/… \$\endgroup\$
    – JohnP
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for that link JohnP \$\endgroup\$
    – G.M.theGM
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:33
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    \$\begingroup\$ Are you open to using previous editions as resources? With little conversion planescape’s “Guide to the Astral plane” and “Guide of the Eternal Boundary” are problem exactly what you are looking for in terms of inspiration and things to look out for. \$\endgroup\$
    – L.P.
    Oct 23, 2019 at 18:54

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There's nothing mechanical that prevents this. Page 48 of the DMG has details about both the Border Ethereal and Deep Ethereal, which are places you can travel through. And according to the Etherealness spell:

While on the Ethereal Plane, you can only affect and be affected by other creatures on that plane. Creatures that aren't on the Ethereal Plane can't perceive you and can't interact with you, unless a special ability or magic has given them the ability to do so.

Seeing as you can affect creatures on the plane, there's no reason you couldn't trade.

That said, there are concerns to be had. Distance has no meaning in the Deep Ethereal, so intentionally finding people there would be difficult. Vision is limited to 60 ft on the border, and 30 feet in the deep. There's also effects such as Ether Cyclones that can prolong your journey, throw you into the Border Ethereal of a plane, or toss you into the Astral Plane.

Nonetheless, according to the DMG entry on Ethereal encounters, creature encounters are stated to be able to occur in the Deep Ethereal, with fiends specifically listed as possible travelers there. So it wouldn't be far fetched for your party to encounter someone during their time there. It would likely be either a "random" encounter, or the creature being encountered would need some way to detect and seek out other travelers there.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks, so to clarify, it wouldn't make much sense to bump into this trader in the Border Ethereal then? \$\endgroup\$
    – G.M.theGM
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ @G.M.theGM They could happen anywhere, border or deep. From the actual section on encounters there: In the Deep Ethereal, most encounters are with other travelers, particularly ones from the Inner Planes (such as elementals, genies, and salamanders), as well as the occasional celestial, fiend, or fey.. This doesn't exclude the border, just follows up on the part where border encounters can also include creatures that can see into the Ethereal. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mwr247
    Oct 23, 2019 at 15:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Mwr247 Can you clarify what you mean by "Distance has no meaning in the Ethereal"? The Etherealness spell and the DMG both talk about movement and distance. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jack
    Mar 11, 2022 at 21:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Jack "Traveling through the Deep Ethereal to journey from one plane to another is unlike physical travel. Distance is meaningless, so although travelers feel as if they can move by a simple act of will, it’s impossible to measure speed and hard to track the passage of time." - DMG, Pg 48 \$\endgroup\$
    – Mwr247
    Mar 12, 2022 at 2:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Mwr247 Thanks for answering comments on an old answer. I think your answer would be improved by changing "Distance has no meaning in the Ethereal" to "Distance has no meaning in the Deep Ethereal", and perhaps other editing to note that it is the Deep Ethereal where distance is meaningless. Or if you don't mind, I'll edit. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jack
    Mar 12, 2022 at 12:37

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