Survival on the Ethereal (GEP)

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Cautious bloods don't plunge into unknown planes without first checking out important survival details. Such details could mean the difference between life and death.
BREATHING. This is something most bloods take for granted-until they can't. Thankfully, taking a big breath is usually not a problem on the Ethereal. In fact, a body can breathe in a normal fashion while traveling the plane. See, the Ethereal Plane is filled with ethereal particles that have "bled off' the Inner Planes. These particles combine to form the ethereal fog, miniscule packets of possibility. A body breathing the fog automatically translates possi bility into reality; the mist becomes a nourishing gas appropriate to the breather. Don't think about calling kip here just yet, though. The Border Ethereal sometimes borrows too many qualities from its bordering plane; these qualities can taint the fog. Imagine taking a much-needed breath only to discover that ooze from the bordering Paraelemental Plane isn't very supportive of life-unless you're a native. Rumors abound of Border areas where a body can't breathe.
FOOD AND DRINK. Nourishment is still necessary if a blood wants to live long on this plane. The easiest way to quell hunger and thirst is for a traveler to bring food for the trip. Any food brought onto the Ethereal plane exists in the same ethereal state as the traveler and provides nourishment in the same manner as it would have on another plane. Of course, some bloods have tumbled to another way of eking nourishment from the mists of the Ethereal. These canny planewalkers can translate food from the mists! Make no mistake, it's not easy, and the resulting nutriment isn't anywhere near satisfying, but it'll help a body ward off starvation when lost in the Deep Ethereal. (See the nutriment proficiency on page 31.)
==Senses on the Ethereal==
A body needs to know how far he can see and hear, as well as smell, touch, or taste features that might share the Ethereal with him. More than one prime's put himself in the dead-book because he overestimated his ability to see.
VISION. The environments of the Border and the Deep somewhat reduce the distance at which a body can see, as they consist of thick soups of ethereal matter. Looking around on the Ethereal is like trying to see through regular fog. While there is no discrete or discernible light source, a dim radiance pervades all ethereal material. No one knows why, but some say it has to do with the presence of innerplanar particles. Small quantities of ethereal matter do not readily shed any light, but taken in whole, the radiance from ethereal material is enough to provide illumination throughout the plane-both in the Deep and on the Border.
At the best of times, vision extends about 300 feet through the swirling vapors-although murky shapes, bulges, and ripples are often visible beyond that range. Because the Ethereal is a plane of possibility, temperature ceases to have meaning here. Thus, a warm area does not radiate any heat, thereby negating the effects of infravision (if the DM uses the optional infravision rules found in the Player's Handbook). However, creatures with the ability to see in spectrums lower than the infrared and higher than the standard visible spectrum can see through the mists. Additionally, some cutters who live permanently on the Ethereal Plane have developed the ability to pierce the mists at a greater range. (See the ethereal sight proficiency on page 30.)
HEARING. A body's hearing actually increases on the Ethereal, as sound travels twice as far in the thick, possibility-laden medium of the plane than it does on the Prime. On the Ethereal, all characters double their normal chance to hear noise (this doubling occurs before adding any bonuses for magical items, spells, or psionic powers).
SMELLING. This becomes more difficult on the Ethereal, as the lack of definite boundaries prevents odors from permeating a space. Creatures that use scent to track can do so only if they're not more than 5 rounds behind their target. Beyond this distance, the ever-changing boil of the Ethereal obscures all scent trails.
TOUCH AND TASTE. These senses seem somewhat blunted on the Ethereal. Food loses most of its tang and savor, and objects feel somewhat pliant and rubbery. For this reason, some cutters carry spices that are so devastating that they're banned on all but the Lower Planes. These spices-including devilwort, goryenne, and even mephosweat-are damaging when eaten by most bloods on other planes but perfect to add flavor to food made bland by the Ethereal.