I was *thinking* of dropping a timeworn non-rechargeable version of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device into the game. Mostly just to see what my players do with it. Am I asking for trouble as a DM?
Here are the game mechanics off the top of my head (5e):
http://i.imgur.com/nTorD6L.png
Honestly, telekinesis seems a bit strong—it's more like a very short-range telekinesis, or mage hand with a larger weight threshold.
Otherwise, the portaling itself doesn't really open up any drastic options except majorly speeding up travel. Non-rechargeable, it's fairly toothless.
Didn't the portal destabilize moments after doing that, though, when it happened in the game?
Was thinking of dropping it in after Hellion is defeated. An improved mage hand would probably work better actually. Thanks.
Oh, I love this. #yoink
Thanks Joe. Curious to see what my players end up doing with it. For good or BAD.
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Back when 2 ed psionics offered early access to dimensional door, we used to try to send enemies a few hundred feat up in the air, drop one or more boulders at enemies, ect. this is a small sample of what your players may come up with, just as advanced warning.
Since the portal gun requires a solid surface, those shenanigans aren't quite as easy to pull off.
But then again: Outside the dungeon open a portal under a boulder. Inside the dungeon shoot a portal at the roof above an enemy. Hilarity ensues.
Happy of them to do this sort of stuff. Its timeworn, will run out eventually :)
Here is the APSHD, my players just got it as a "reward" from UNITY for destroying Hellion. Awaiting for hilarity to ensue during the Choking Tower now.
Of course my players are have already come up with a way to use a portal gun to "break" the game.
1) They need to get to Chesed quickly to raise dead.
2) They have a robot that can hover ("animal companion" of our ranger).
They want to get the robot to hold a slab of metal, shoot a portal into it and send it off to Chesed. Since it ignores terrain and doesn't rest it should get there in about 30 hours. The other portal is anchored in Scrapwall. Once it gets to Chesed they will jump through the portal.
I think I'll give them the FIRST one for free. Next time a T-Rex eats the robot.
:)
Wow, I'm shocked that you didn't give it to them timeworn. I plan to give them 4-8 charges and then that's it.
No, it's timeworn with 8 charges. So the shenanigans are limited. They have to roll on the glitch table first use.
No, it's timeworn with 8 charges. So the shenanigans are limited. They have to roll on the glitch table first use.
My mistake, I must have missed that!
How overpowered could it be without it being timeworn?
More mischief last night. They decided they like Chesed as a base, but since they have to travel 200 miles away in search of Casandalee they decided to use the portal gun. They bought a house, got some hirelings, setup a portal anchored at one end of in the new HQ and the other anchored on a metal sheet they stuck in the rhino (APC/tank) they are driving around in so they could hop back an fourth as needed.
It glitched on its first use and used double charges but it kept them amused :)
I think they spent a solid hour setting up the house and discussing how best to use the portal gun.
Added to this one of my characters, Rikku, loves animals and saved the mistreated warhorse I randomly added to the Knock on Wood Winery side quest. But the horse can't keep up with the tank, so they ended up creating a horse cart for it. So you have this tank driving around pulling towing a horse around.
Of course my players are have already come up with a way to use a portal gun to "break" the game.
1) They need to get to Chesed quickly to raise dead.
2) They have a robot that can hover ("animal companion" of our ranger).They want to get the robot to hold a slab of metal, shoot a portal into it and send it off to Chesed. Since it ignores terrain and doesn't rest it should get there in about 30 hours. The other portal is anchored in Scrapwall. Once it gets to Chesed they will jump through the portal.
I think I'll give them the FIRST one for free. Next time a T-Rex eats the robot.
:)
In all fairness, portals can't stay on moving surfaces. To the bane of many a player trying to solve certain tricky puzzles.
EDIT: Actually, I don't think they can ever stay on a moving surface.
That they cannot. Nor does it work on metal. Or anything but stuff made with moon rocks, for that matter. Your players aren't truly thinking with portals.
I think the "moon rock" thing can probably be waived, since otherwise fun with the portal gun is reduced to adventurers in certain laboratories. The item's stats do make a note of its limitations, though.
Moon rock is waived. Didn't occur to me about the moving surface. I pretty much just use the passwall spell rules for this except make it unlimited range.