Priests and Prayers (GEP)

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Don't think for a moment that priests (or paladins and others who channel priestly magic) remain untouched by planar geography when it comes to spell use. Actually, most planewalkers agree that priests carry the worst burden when they travel too far from their power's primary plane. Why? Because priests don't get their power from study and devotion to arcane formulas; instead, they pray for their spells and receive them via divine channels. Unfortunately, the farther a priest moves (in a planar sense) from his power's plane, the more difficult it is for him to receive spells. Thus, a priest on the Ethereal (either the Border or the Deep) whose deity resides on the Outer Planes receives spells as if he were two experience levels lower than normal, as two planes separate him from the home of his deity (the Astral and the Prime). 'Course, if a blood's deity resides on the Inner Planes or the Ethereal itself, he operates normally.
When it comes to the various demiplanes, the pattern is thrown to the ethereal mists. Some demiplanes are more restrictive, others encourage a direct conduit not unlike the Prime, while a rumored few actually increase a priest's ability to receive spells. The reasons behind these exceptions remain somewhat darkalthough some cutters point to the existence of a rumored celestial treaty sworn by the various powers to prevent a war among the powers.
Despite their limitations, priests aren't limited by planar boundaries the way wizards are. Fact is, a priest can cast the astral spell anywhere on the Ethereal or Inner Planes, provided he can access 7th-level spells. Unfortunately, this doesn't extend to spells cast from scrolls and other magical items. The following spells don't function on the Ethereal or the Inner Planes if cast from a scroll or magical item: astral spell, astral window*, join with astral traveler*, and speak with astral traveler*.
: * Indicate spells detailed in Tome of Magic.