Shattered Kingdoms

Idea: Going ethereal in a fight for casters is generally a safe escape. Why should they be able to simply change back out of ethereal and cast again?

I suggest an ethereal timer, like, if you go ethereal your body needs time if it's going to return to the physical. Make it a few minutes. This way if a mage does go ethereal to escape the fight he has effectively lost for at least a few minutes and can't just pop back in at will and keep fighting. I think without wimping ethereal this would create a drawback to doing it.

facepalm

The only way you can willfully leave etherealform is if you cast it on yourself. I believe the casting time on eth is prohibitive to the point that doing this in combat is already a bad idea. That's many rounds the sorc is just not doing a thing.

The other ways eth is applied, via consumables, already have a built in timer like you'd suggest - though for other reasons.

Eth people can cast dispel

facepalm