Activate Dimensional Portal vs Force P and the savings throw

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Tor
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Activate Dimensional Portal vs Force P and the savings throw

Unread post by Tor »

Regarding "Activate Dimensional Portal" the first Physical psionic power on page 117 of World Book 1: Between the Shadows.

The end mentions 'A protected portal will resist being opened by interlopers'.

Seems to fit right in with the Savings Throw: None; protected portals will have a standard save, modified by any bonuses of its creator.

My first question is: what is a standard save? If it is versus psionics, the target depends on none (15) minor/major (12) or master (15). It is 15 because portals do not have psionic powers?

Or does 'modified by any bonuses of the creator' mean you would use the target number of the creator if they had psionics? Is being able to resist psionics with a lower roll a bonus?

Aside from that, wondering what "any bonuses of its creator" means. Bonuses to save vs psi? Perhaps other ones?

The types of portals mentioned include astral plane/domain/kingdom and dream pools/stream and Nightlands.

Since the portals must exist, I figure this means some kind of portal which can close/de-activate but is still there somehow.

Off-hand I can't remember any Nightlands versions, wondering if anybody recalls any earth-nightlands portals this might work on.

The key interest here with me is the Astral/Dream portals and what exactly a 'protected portal' is.

In terms of Astral, page 55 (C. Portals or Gateways) under 3. Physical World Portals says that psychics/magicians can detect it with "appropriate" spells or psychic powers. Also on 117 the last Sensitive psionic power "Sense Dimensional Anomaly" fits the bill, but I can't recall spells to do it.

The interesting thing is that the ISP cost for activating it is the exact same as Activate Dimensional Portal. So is there any purpose to using this power in regular situations when it doesn't even discount the cost and all psychics can open it? Or can only psychics with this power open portals into astral realms?

A caveat "unless the access is restricted" exists, which would prevent detection and activation.

Since you already need an appropriate spell/power to detect these, does the A. Accessibility 4. Restricted basically make it a 2 step thing? It makes you require a perception roll to search for a portal.

So how does that work? Does the perception roll replace needing to use a power like Sense Dimensional Anomaly? Or do you need to keep using a 2min/level power enough times to rack up 4 hours of searching and then ALSO pass a perception roll to find it? Whereas if a domain is not 'Restricted' then it's assumed you don't have to make any perception rolls and you just zero in within 2 minutes to where it is?

It also says "only a mage or psychic with the power to force a portal open can do so". This led me to think "what is a power to force a portal?" It says to se the New Spells and New Psychic Powers seciton. The only power that seems to fit in terms of psionics is Activate Dimensional Portal. So what 'new spell' does it? The 'Astral Portal' spell? This creates a NEW portal though... so in that case wouldn't you skip the need of using a detection power or rolling perception?

Page 126's level 7 Astral Portal spell only mentions there being a savings throw if you are attempting to a flee a domain. The bit at the end about 'some astral domains will have some restrictions' leads me to wonder if there is a separate condition. The 'restrictions on the use of magic' but I ignore because that's obviously referring to 'no casting spells' preventing using a spell to escape.

But domains having a restriction on (the use of?) dimensional portals, and it referring to the Domain section, makes me think it is also talking about the 'Restricted' characteristic.

In this case, whether you're trying to activate an existing portal or create a new one, does the portal or domain get a save vs magic to prevent you from getting in? If so, what bonuses would apply? Would they get the magic save bonuses of the astral mage or lord who is the primary creator of the domain? Or possibly the highest of all co-creators?

Page 94's 9th ability of the Dream Maker is also linked to this inquiry about Active (Dimensional) Portal. They can spend permanent ISP to make a portal that is permanent but which requires an amount of time to activate.

One assumes the Dream Maker would have no problems activating this portal. But would anyone else wanting to exit or enter his Dream Pool need Activate Dimensional Portal to get in using what he made? If so, I am not sure whether or not there would be a savings throw.

It is not worded "Restricted" like an Astral Domain, but Dream Pools normally, via their Membrane, get a save when people try to get in or out. Attackers trying to penetrate on the way out get a bonus as it's easier to escape. 'beings of power' (including psychics and supernatural creatures) can add bonuses vs mind control and bonuses vs psionics to their membrane's resistance roll.

So what I'm wondering is: would you get to make this save vs psi and add your membrane bonuses if someone was using Activate Dimensional Portal to try and get in through the permanent portal a Dream Maker made?

Psionic powers can be negated via Dream Combat attacks just like spells, so if the portal was opened (whether autoamtically or if you failed a save) I figure if the Dream Maker was aware of the intrution, they could try to negate the 'Force Portal' which would close the portal. I don't know if portals normally close on their own or if Dream Makers have to close them. I figure they couldn't just automatically close them until the round/level of the power is up though.

This is a big factor because when dreamers are awake they get a big savings throw bonus and dream makers can also get a big bonus if they spend permanent ISP.

But I'm wondering if maybe none of this applies because maybe dimensional portals skip past the Dream Membrane? Like you're dimensionally going around it instead of through it?
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Niji

Re: Activate Dimensional Portal vs Force P and the savings t

Unread post by Niji »

For ADP the saving throw the portal gets to make is the standard one based on your psychic level (minor, major, master, other), plus it adds any bonus saves or penalties from it's creator. Unless your own P.C.C has a feature or what not that alters said mentioned rules. Generally if you do not know your psychic level type it is minor, perhaps major if you have more than 60 isp and access to a lot of psychic powers or powers from all schools (minors usually have just one to a handful of powers, all from 1 or 2 schools if lucky and just their stat x2 or by itself as isp (with some isp from leveling)). Usually an outright P.C.c. Will be major or master or a specialist/unique and will mention being treated as a master or major psychic for the purposes of aura/saving throw/ etc.
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