Mystic Portal and distance

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Veknironth
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Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by Veknironth »

Well, here's a question that came up from an Open House game. Wizard casts Mystic Portal from point A, hundreds of feet away from the enemy (high level characters). It opens right behind the enemy. Melee jumps through and attacks the main witch. Witch eventually casts Immobilize on melee. Now the immobilize cone is maybe 15 feet from the portal. The wizard who cast the portal is right next to his side of the portal. The wizard wants to cast Negate Magic on the Immobilize, through the portal. The GM says the wizard is too far away. Thoughts?

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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by kiralon »

The question would be then can magic spells be cast through a mystic portal.
The mystic portal is one way for physical matter, but light comes back through it as you can see what's on the other side.
Allowing attacks through it could set a precedent so id allow magic 2 way travel and allow it to be a shortcut for the range of the spell, but the negate magic caster would have to be able to have los to the immobilise spell.
However I'd give a small chance of spell failure to indicate the portal could interfere.
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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by eliakon »

My call would be that the Negate Magic would simply Negate the Portal itself.

I would also be very hesitant to open the door to being able to use Mystic Portal to make ranged attacks with out being able to be attacked in return. That sounds like something that is just begging to be abused.
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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by Library Ogre »

Well, Mystic Portal is a one-way passage, so the Witch's Immobilize wouldn't go through it... but it would also preclude the wizard from "sticking his hand through" and casting Negate magic.

I'd probably allow it, due to Rule of Cool, but I think a strict reading of the spell likely would not.
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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by eliakon »

Mark Hall wrote:Well, Mystic Portal is a one-way passage, so the Witch's Immobilize wouldn't go through it... but it would also preclude the wizard from "sticking his hand through" and casting Negate magic.

I'd probably allow it, due to Rule of Cool, but I think a strict reading of the spell likely would not.

I think the idea on the imobilize coming back through would be that if they were making the portal permiable to magic they would treat magic like light... aka that it can go both ways.
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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by Veknironth »

Well, I think I didn't explain the situation well. The Immobilize spell was a good 20 feet from the opening of the portal. So the question was strictly one of range. I think the spell is pretty clear on things coming back through. It's one-way so nothing goes in the other direction. The question is how do things operate going forward?

Is there a constant speed of travel? I.e. an arrow fired will enter at whatever velocity but will exit at the same velocity as anything else. If yes, then anything thrown or fired through the portal would lose that speed and be much less effective as a weapon. If no, then it seems someone could use the portal as the ultimate sniping tool - you can shoot through it but they can't shoot back.

How would that work for magic? I know this is the gist of the post, but can a magic spell pass through? And if so what happens? What about casting Immobilze in such a way that the cone starts in front of the portal but continues through? The same would be true for cloud spells. Would this work for magic distance attacks? Could you throw a fireball through the portal and have it come out and strike someone? To the Fireball, it's only travelling 50 feet, or whatever.

Another concern would be orientation. Does the opening have to be perpendicular to the ground? Can it open in mid air facing down?What about opening in the floor facing up?

Finally, what happens if you try to just push part of something through, or just part of your body? I know you can't pull it back, but could you open the portal behind, below, or above someone and stab someone with a spear without going through it entirely? Would the spear be stuck in midair, or pulled through? Could you push your hand through and tap someone on the shoulder? Could a mage put just the pinky finger through to cast a spell that has a limited range but doesn't create an object to send through the portal?

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Re: Mystic Portal and distance

Unread post by kiralon »

The definition of the immobilise spell makes it a cone from the point 40ft up and down to an area 20ft diameter, so no doing a cone through a portal even if the portal was flat on the ground, which would make the immobilise spell still start from 40ft up above the portal so would cover the portal but not go through.

"The portal can be placed on a vertical wall, the floor or ceiling"
so no air portals

you can see what's on the other side so light comes back through.

The momentum question applies to all teleport spells, does teleport transfer momentum as well. I don't think it does because dimensional teleport doesn't splat you. (What are the chances the planet you teleport from is moving the same speed and direction, very small). The fact that you don't splat means the magic gives you the momentum and motion of the place you are going to which is the same as the planet, same with teleporting to a flying ship doing 40mph, if you were standing still and teleported to the deck you would slam against a wall until you personal speed caught up to the flying ship. So an arrow shot through would gain the speed of the location it was going to and simply drop to the ground when going through.
Most magic is self propelled so would keep going, and I would allow magic to go both ways but there would be limitations.

Easiest way to play the portal is if a tiny bit touches the portal you dematerialise and rematerialize on the other side, then there is no sticking an arm through and getting stuck.
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