"If I can just hold the portal open a little longer..."

[bigdamnhero]

It's a fairly common trope in many genres: there's a portal to another dimension or whatever, the portal is closing, and the heroes are trying to hold it open as long as possible - maybe to let allies through or whatever. Or maybe the heroes are trying to close it, and its the bad guys that are trying to keep it open. Either way: how do we model this in Hero?

 

A few more specifics to help focus the conversation. Champions game, standard-to-high-level superheroes. Assume at least one PC is a mystic hero with a Magic VPP. In the Big Bad's Palace of Mystic Badness, there is a portal to the dark dimension where BB's evil gods live. The Good Guys, having entered the Palace and found the portal, want to open it and go through. (Mechanically, the portal is EDM with the Gate modifiers.)

 

Q1: Do the Good Guys need EDM to open the portal? Or since the door is already there, would you let them use some other magical application to open it? If so, what? What dice rolls would be involved, if any?

 

They open the portal, and pass through into the dark dimension. One character (PC or NPC) stays behind to hold the portal open until they return.

 

Q2: What does the gatekeeper need to do to keep the portal open? Just spend END? On what, and how much?

 

Now the heroes come running back towards the portal, chased by creatures of shadow and madness. And teeth - lots of teeth. The Dark Dimensional Being chasing them uses his mystic power to try and close the portal and trap the heroes here; the door warden tries to hold it open until they can escape.

 

Q3: How does this work? What powers/skills/characteristics are involved and what kind of dice rolls are made?

 

The heroes make it out, the portal slamming shut behind them. But now the Dark Being tries to force the door open from his end, while the heroes try to seal it forever.

 

Q4: Same question: how do they seal the portal?

 

I know the answer to most of this is: however you want it to work for your game. But I'm specifically asking what you might do if this were your game, to get some different ideas. Thanks,

[Surrealone]

 

Q1: Do the Good Guys need EDM to open the portal? Or since the door is already there, would you let them use some other magical application to open it? If so, what? What dice rolls would be involved, if any?

It depends.  If the gates are constructed only to amplify/focus a would-be user's ED movement (say, in a particular 'direction' i.e. to a particular destination), then the Good Guys need EDM to open/use it.  If, however, the gates are constructed to provide EDM for a would-be user that lacks it, then the Good Guys need only figure out how to use that which is clearly a device.  Since one person's 'science' is someone else's 'magic', both scientific and magical approaches to the use of a gate that provides EDM should be viable.  Likewise, if the gates only focus a would-be user's EDM, it should be irrelevant if the SFX of that EDM is sci-fi or magical.  As for dice rolls, well, it depends, again.  If the gate has a control mechanism that has been deliberately concealed, then Concealment is in order.  If it's in some other language, then Language skills and/or Universal Translator may be in order.  If the system is voice or sound-controlled in some way, then Mimicry and/or Perfect Pitch may be relevant. If the controls are unfamiliar to the Good Guys, then System Operations is definitely in order.  If there's an unknown or scrambled/encoded sequence that's required, then Cryptography makes sense and Lightning Calculator may help if there is math involved.  If the system has been designed so that only 'authorized' users can use it, then Security Systems and/or Computer Programming may be appropriate, depending on genre.

 

Q2: What does the gatekeeper need to do to keep the portal open? Just spend END? On what, and how much?

If EDM is required to use the gate (i.e. the gate is built to focus a would-be user's EDM), then the gatekeeper should have to continue to spend END ... and likely remain within a certain proximity of either end of the gate.  If, however, the gate provides EDM to would-be users, then the gate probably draws/uses a pile of energy of some kind (sci-fi, mystical, whatever), and most probably turns off after transport in order to conserve that energy.  In this latter case, the Good Guys would either need to rig the gate to remain open ... after ensuring there was enough energy from the source to keep it open.  If there was not enough energy to keep it open, the Good Guys might need to figure out how to augment that energy or supply it.  As an alternative, the Good Guys could simply arrange to have the gatekeeper pre-open the gate after a certain amount of time ... or at set intervals -- but they may want to ensure that the flow of time occurs on both ends of the gate at a known ratio (1:1?  2:1, 1:3, etc.); Absolute Time Sense could be handy here, by the way.

 

Q3: How does this work? What powers/skills/characteristics are involved and what kind of dice rolls are made?

Totally depends on implementation, but I think if you consider my answer to Q2 AND how you'd build the gate, its power source (if any), its controls, etc ... the answer(s) to this question will be self-obviating.

 

Q4: Same question: how do they seal the portal?

Many options:  Destroy one end of it.  Destroy both ends of it.  Destroy its controls on one or both ends.  Deplete or destroy its energy source on one end.  Collapse the area around one end of the portal to make it inaccessible (i.e. bury it).  Send the portal's controls and/or its energy source through the portal such that they arrive on the other end separate from the mechanism, itself (this one's particularly interesting and likely the most permanent approach, but would probably have some kind of kaboom).  The approaches that apply would, of course, depend on how you built the gate.

 

 

Hope that gives you some ideas without locking you into a particular vision.  I say that because I am a player, not a GM, so I -wouldn't- build it for my game, which is why I didn't answer you as a GM might.  These are the sorts of approaches I'd be looking at when trying to figure it out as a player...

[Nolgroth]

EDIT: If I would have actually read the first message instead of skimming....

 

How did you define the gate? Does the power RAR to use? Was it a one time roll just to activate? Those questions are really the bottom line answer from the mechanical perspective.  

 

From the storytelling perspective, it sounds like the PCs need to get through the gate to continue on with the scenario. In your place, I would have the mystic character roll some dice to activate the gate, but instead of that being a success vs. failure roll, it is more about what consequences come from it later. In other words, successful roll = no consequence, minor failure = disorientation when passing through, major failure= as minor failure, but the character brought the attention of some mystic entity upon themselves and their comrades. It doesn't have an immediate effect but it is a potential future foe.

 

Scenarios like these are like clues that the characters have to find. On one hand they need the clues/gate open in order to continue the story. On the other hand, you don't want to spoon feed. You need to find a compromise in there somewhere. A success with consequence is a decent compromise.

 

As for the rest, once you decide your narrative goal, don't let the rules minutia get in the way.

[JohnnyAppleseed098]

I agree with Surrealone's answers except for this one

Q4: Same question: how do they seal the portal?

I would say a Dispel EDM, Dispel Magic, or some other sort of Dispel. Additionally, one could make the portal collapse upon itself and make it impossible to travel through (Barrier With Transdimesional).

[DasBroot]

Contested skill challenge rolls for everyone!

 

The gatekeeper's Knowledge: The Arcane vs the gate having its own knowledge skill to fight back with (if it's a tricky gate that likes to close) with the winner gaining ground towards their goal.

 

At Q4 it's the same thing - only vs the dark entity instead.  If you want it to be a snap decision than the entire thing could come down a single opposed roll (good time to spend some HAP).  If you want a dramatic fight against the dark tentacles while the mage battles to close the gate then it could be a few rolls.

 

Once a set threshold of success is met (either due to margin of success or accumulated success) the gate is closed - forever!

[dmjalund]

To keep a power active when someone is trying to dispel it may need an inventive use of Power Defense UBO or similar

[bigdamnhero]

Good ideas so far -thanks guys.

 

Up until now, these have been plot device powers that haven't figured largely in the story, so I never bothered to stat them out. So this is definitely a case of the build following how I want it to work narratively, rather than it working the way it was built.

 

Narratively, the basic idea is that when a sorcerer opens a portal to another dimension (EDM with Gate), it weakens the walls between those two worlds. When the sorcerer stops paying END, the portal closes, but the weakness remains. Actually sealing a portal for good is something that requires a conscious effort; smart mystics will always seal their portals so others can't use them, but not everyone is so conscientious. If they're not sealed, these residual portals remain behind, essentially like hidden doorways. They can be detected and possibly opened by some mystics even if they don't have the ability to create their own original portals.

 

Edit: Part of how I painted myself into this corner is I kludged together some ideas from a previous campaign, an urban fantasy game where finding and closing these residual portals was a major part of the game. But there, the PCs had specific abilities to help them do that (basically built around EDM with heavy Limitations). So I ported the idea into this game without thinking it through, and at the 11th hour realized none of these PCs have had any reason to pick up those powers. Doh!

 

Since one person's 'science' is someone else's 'magic', both scientific and magical approaches to the use of a gate that provides EDM should be viable.

Agreed (at least in this case). I hadn't envisioned there being any sort of control console, but honestly that might be the easiest approach.

 

EDIT: If I would have actually read the first message instead of skimming....

Heh. I've certainly never done that...recently...today...

 

From the storytelling perspective, it sounds like the PCs need to get through the gate to continue on with the scenario.

Essentially yes. Honestly I'm happy to just handwave Steps 1 & 2, and that's why I didn't bother statting everything out. And Dispel works well enough for Step 4, as JA098 points out. It's when I got to Step 3 that I realized there needs to be some sort of opposed rolls going on, as I want there to be some challenge and suspense to it.

 

Contested skill challenge rolls for everyone!

 

The gatekeeper's Knowledge: The Arcane vs the gate having its own knowledge skill to fight back with...

I like this! I had thought of just using Power Skill: Magic, but involving a Knowledge Roll also makes sense.

 

To keep a power active when someone is trying to dispel it may need an inventive use of Power Defense UBO or similar

Oooo - that is inventive, well done! I'm not sure it fits the narrative I'm looking for here, but definitely one to file away for later mischief.

[Christopher]

It's a fairly common trope in many genres: there's a portal to another dimension or whatever, the portal is closing, and the heroes are trying to hold it open as long as possible - maybe to let allies through or whatever. Or maybe the heroes are trying to close it, and its the bad guys that are trying to keep it open. Either way: how do we model this in Hero?

 

A few more specifics to help focus the conversation. Champions game, standard-to-high-level superheroes. Assume at least one PC is a mystic hero with a Magic VPP. In the Big Bad's Palace of Mystic Badness, there is a portal to the dark dimension where BB's evil gods live. The Good Guys, having entered the Palace and found the portal, want to open it and go through. (Mechanically, the portal is EDM with the Gate modifiers.)

 

Q1: Do the Good Guys need EDM to open the portal? Or since the door is already there, would you let them use some other magical application to open it? If so, what? What dice rolls would be involved, if any?

 

They open the portal, and pass through into the dark dimension. One character (PC or NPC) stays behind to hold the portal open until they return.

 

Q2: What does the gatekeeper need to do to keep the portal open? Just spend END? On what, and how much?

 

Now the heroes come running back towards the portal, chased by creatures of shadow and madness. And teeth - lots of teeth. The Dark Dimensional Being chasing them uses his mystic power to try and close the portal and trap the heroes here; the door warden tries to hold it open until they can escape.

 

Q3: How does this work? What powers/skills/characteristics are involved and what kind of dice rolls are made?

 

The heroes make it out, the portal slamming shut behind them. But now the Dark Being tries to force the door open from his end, while the heroes try to seal it forever.

 

Q4: Same question: how do they seal the portal?

 

I know the answer to most of this is: however you want it to work for your game. But I'm specifically asking what you might do if this were your game, to get some different ideas. Thanks,

Q1: "Mechanically, the portal is EDM with the Gate modifiers."

And what other modifiers, especially limitations? Is it perhaps a bulky focus? Immobile Focus?

The ideal case is that you can open a gate whereever you want, to wherever you want, using your own power.

The 2nd best is to have a Focus (highly mobile) that you can use to open it.

Having to use a hard to move gate, located inside a Fortress is pretty incovenient. There must be a pretty good reason for that. That means either the EDM power is part of the Focus (just so BB can save some points on it, buying it through his base). Or something about the gate allows to make a Portal to a normlly denied location (BB's Gods Dimension). If it is part of the Focus, it depends on the Focus use rules you applied.

 

Q2: Again this depends on the Full Build of the Portal. Ideally that gate powers itself, so all he has to do is keep people "from the Controls". That needs no special Skills.

But Maybe it also needs Concentration and Endurance to keep it open while in use?

 

As far as movement Powers go, EDM is by far the least granular and well defined. Because it ties deeply into the Campaign settings. A short answer would be something like a "Power Skill Roll". But I asume you want something else.

 

Maybe making EDM more like Flight, Running, Jumping or Teleport would be an option?

I am a fan of applying Megascale to Teleport to simulate Star Trek Longrange Beaming. As a result "Change Environment, -X meter of Teleport" could be used to simulate teleport Inhibitors (it affects megascaled Movement at megascaled intervalls).

Wich in turn could be countered by Aiding the Teleport, dispelling or Draining the inhibitors, destroying the Foci that produce it/generators that power it or just getting closer.

 

Translating that to EDM:

What if Dimensons were a set of "Dimensional Distance Units" appart from one another, same way two hexes are meters appart from one another?

What if EDM was bought with DDU Ranges like Teleport/Jumping is with meter ranges?

What if you needed to make the "jump" into a Dimension in one go (the reason I keep mentioning Teleport and Jumping)?

What if the dimension was so distant/protected against dimensional intrusion in that area that you need a certain minimum DDU range to get there?

Now the portal could be something like a "Aid EDM power". Or Maybe "Change Environment, +X DDU for EDM".

 

 

The biggest problem with that question:

This might be something that just does not translate as well between Source Material and a RPG. It might not be something that was ever intended as role for a Player Character anyway.

 

"Needing to hold the portal open" is usually a Special Effect for splitting the party. Whoever holds the portal open/tries to close it is not doing anything else that maters. I do not see how you could make this role exiting for a PC and his player.

You should propably leave that to a NPC. (S)he might even be the Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate or Witchcraft of the local setting. But since that character is bound "keeping the portal open/closing the portal", it serves as a reason why they are not comming along/helping with the fight.

The mystical NPC serves the role of Questgiver/Relayer and Travel enabler. And because he is doing that, he can not come along.

 

You could maybe apply this role to a PC if the player is not around that session. But always keep a "I stabilised the portal so now I can join you" exit strategy handy, in case he is there next session.

 

The JLU Episode S2, 18 "The Balance" was a dedicated epsiode where only Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl were in Focus. Those two were the PC's of that session. So about the first thing they did was write all the seriously mystical heroes out of the story.

Even the amazons were tied op "keeping the doors closed" (in this case, litteral doors).

[bigdamnhero]

And what other modifiers, especially limitations? Is it perhaps a bulky focus? Immobile Focus?

The ideal case is that you can open a gate whereever you want, to wherever you want, using your own power.

The 2nd best is to have a Focus (highly mobile) that you can use to open it.

In the previous campaign I self-plagiarized from, it was all of the above. Some people had to use large bulky Stargate-type devices; some people had more expensive/complicated portable devices; and a handful were powerful enough to open them without any Foci. Regardless of how it was created, the energy needed to re-open a residual portal was a tiny fraction of that needed to create a new one.

 

Again this depends on the Full Build of the Portal.

Normally, but in this case it's the other way around - I'm looking for how best to build it to achieve the narrative effect I want. At this point I can slap any Limitations on it I want.

 

Maybe making EDM more like Flight, Running, Jumping or Teleport would be an option?

I am a fan of applying Megascale to Teleport to simulate Star Trek Longrange Beaming. As a result "Change Environment, -X meter of Teleport" could be used to simulate teleport Inhibitors (it affects megascaled Movement at megascaled intervalls).

Wich in turn could be countered by Aiding the Teleport, dispelling or Draining the inhibitors, destroying the Foci that produce it/generators that power it or just getting closer.

 

Translating that to EDM:

What if Dimensons were a set of "Dimensional Distance Units" appart from one another, same way two hexes are meters appart from one another?

What if EDM was bought with DDU Ranges like Teleport/Jumping is with meter ranges?

What if you needed to make the "jump" into a Dimension in one go (the reason I keep mentioning Teleport and Jumping)?

What if the dimension was so distant/protected against dimensional intrusion in that area that you need a certain minimum DDU range to get there?

Now the portal could be something like a "Aid EDM power". Or Maybe "Change Environment, +X DDU for EDM".

I like this! In my previous campaign, I did something similar where EDM was purchased at 10 points per d6 instead of a flat rate, and each dimension had a Difficulty rating that had to be overcome. So an easy-to-reach dimension might have a Difficulty of only 2d6, whereas a hard-to-reach dimension might have 8d6 or more. Convergence was also a factor, so a pristine natural setting might lower the difficulty of getting to, say, Faerie but raise the Difficulty of getting to Babylon.The difficulty also varied depending on dimension of origin; so getting to Dimension X might need 8d6 from Earth, but if you go through Dimension Y first (which is only 2d6) getting to X from Y is only 4d6. It worked really well, with minimal handwaving, in a game where that was a significant plot point. But it may be more complexity than I want/need to introduce at the 11th hour for something that's only likely to come up in one adventure

 

This might be something that just does not translate as well between Source Material and a RPG. It might not be something that was ever intended as role for a Player Character anyway.

Yeah, totally agreed. The PCs have Followers that can be tasked to do this, so the player can still make rolls for it without sidelining their main PC. But for Step 3 at least, I expect the main PC Mystic to lend a hand.

 

PS: Major Geek Points for working both a PS238 reference and a JLU reference into one post!

[bigdamnhero]

After more thought, and based on your input, I'm leaning towards keeping it simple:

 

The PC mystic has a Spells VPP and Spell Research, so she can whip up an EDM spell ahead of time; slap Requires EGO Roll on it.

 

1: PER Roll with Magesight to spot the closed portal; use EDM Spell (with EGO Roll) to open it.

 

2: Once it's open, most any mystic can spend END to keep the portal open by pumping raw magic into it. Probably not more than a couple END per Phase?

 

3: The Darksider uses Dispel to try and close it. Target AP is the AP of the EDM Spell that opened it; PCs can Push to pump more AP into the spell to keep it open, with KS: Magic (or whatever) as Complimentary Roll.

 

4: Basically the same as above but this time it's the Good Guys using Dispel and the Bad Guys using EDM w. EGO Rolls to reopen it.

 

Does that work?

[Christopher]

After more thought, and based on your input, I'm leaning towards keeping it simple:

 

The PC mystic has a Spells VPP and Spell Research, so she can whip up an EDM spell ahead of time; slap Requires EGO Roll on it.

 

1: PER Roll with Magesight to spot the closed portal; use EDM Spell (with EGO Roll) to open it.

 

2: Once it's open, most any mystic can spend END to keep the portal open by pumping raw magic into it. Probably not more than a couple END per Phase?

 

3: The Darksider uses Dispel to try and close it. Target AP is the AP of the EDM Spell that opened it; PCs can Push to pump more AP into the spell to keep it open, with KS: Magic (or whatever) as Complimentary Roll.

 

4: Basically the same as above but this time it's the Good Guys using Dispel and the Bad Guys using EDM w. EGO Rolls to reopen it.

There might be a simpler way:

The plain Rule of Pushing on 6E2 133. It already requires an Ego roll. It is very tyring by nature. And if any mystic can just "take over" anothers portal it would only mater who currently holds it open.

Only thing would be that you apply the "pushing" only to certain phases of use, rather then the entire use of the power.

[Doc Democracy]

I do think that for game balance, you want tightly defined powers and rules; for maximum game fun you want mechanics that provide dramatic tension.

 

I often despair at combat in so many systems as, due to balance considerations, you get into prolonged bouts of attrition style dice rolls.  What was dramatic can often become humdrum.

 

As such, for such occasions, I like to look for ways I can use mechanisms to increase the drama while working in the system constructs to allow players some influence. 

 

Obviously this kind of occasion might happen when PCs have relevant powers or where the GM had it planned and put a mcguffin into the hands of the PCs to allow them to do something.  It may also happen out of the blue.

 

In the last case the GM needs to deliver something better than asking the players if they have anything that can interface with the power structures designed without this situation in mind.  This is not terrible, HERO, contrary to popular belief, is very flexible, it has a huge number of things a GM can hang seat of the pants play on.

 

In this case there is a power construct, there is a time constraint, there may also be opposing sides.    So what would I do?  I would look at the power for the portal and convert it into dice based on 1d6 per 5 active points.  I would then tell the players that I was going to roll the dice every minute and remove from the dice pool, every dice that rolled 6.  That gives us a variable time for the collapse of the gate.  

 

What I need is a way for players to extend the size of the dice pool and for their opponents to prevent that.

 

To that end I ask the players how, narratively, they want to engage with this, for example, the gadgeteer knocking up a focus to allow the energy blaster to stabilise the portal.  I might allow the EB to roll his normal attack, adding his a dice to the pool for every six he rolls.  However, this opens up his powers to feedback from the portal, each time the EB adds dice he needs to roll for burnout, possibly 8 or less with a +1 for every six rolled by the portal dice pool. I would also begin ramping up END costs for doing the addition to reflect the increasing strain of opposing the natural order.

 

If you made the original portal dice one colour and the dice added by the EB another, you might heighten the tension by indicating that, if the EB burns out, all the added dice vanish.  A catastrophe position.

 

What about opposition?  Opposition might take the form of piling power in to destabilise the portal - using a power to cause portal dice to vanish when they roll 5 or 6, possibly even 4, 5 or 6; it might seek to prevent the EB adding power, so perhaps a power versus power roll to see if they can prevent dice being added; it might seek to increase the burnout in some way.

 

I am sure, with time, I could think of ways for everyone to get involved all of them influencing the diminishing dice pool.

 

Doc

[ghost-angel]

Part 1; Keep the gates open:

You could take the Mystics Power Skills and allow a use of "Raw Magical Power" to be poured into the portal, effectively feeding it energy, opposed rolls (modified of Knowledge Magic and/or Ego Rolls) allows the winner to add or drain Endurance from the Portal. This works well if you give the Portal a Starting Endurance Number and Endurance it uses every Phase just to remain in existence; when a Mystic opens a portal they feed it Endurance to keep it open, usually just enough that as soon as they stop feeding it there's almost no lag between when they stop and when the portal closes (enterprising mystics can feed it a whole bunch of Endurance up front so it can remain unattended for a few moments (phases) on its own. Likewise a Power Skill Roll (whatever magic the mystic uses) allows them to later on bleed Endurance off or add more in (the bled Endurance just goes away, no one gets it).

 

1a: Get Clever: give a very strong character Transdimensional on their Strength and just have them literally hold the door open. A STR Roll, instead of Power, determines how much 'endurance' a Portal 'gains' from them just holding the walls of reality apart.

 

Part 2; Addendum to Part One, the simplest way to determine how much Endurance a Portal needs to remain open it literally the Endurance needed to activate/keep active the EDM Build. Use a Mystics personal Endurance, or smart Mystic builds an Endurance Battery into some mystical doorway object that fuels the Power. Or pick a number that will allow for maximum drama.

 

Part 3; Opposed Power Skill/Magic Use rolls, complimentary Ego Rolls, and possibly Knowledge Magic if the portal uses a type of Magic the Mystic isn't directly trained in. I would also make these Skills Rolls a Full Phase Action to maintain, control, and manipulate the Magic.

 

Part 4; Bleed off the built up Magic (Endurance) of the Portal by draining it with your magic, a massive Dispel on the EDM itself could work

 

One of the easiest ways to get all this dramatized is to give the Portal a Speed and Endurance stat of its own, sort of simulating a Vehicles Fuel and Consumption Rate; this is stepping off the book a ways, but this is Hero, and the Mechanics of Speed and Endurance are easy to work with, so stapling them onto EDM:Portal To Somewhere to really cool dramatic effects should be totally possible.

 

Example:

A Portal starts with a Speed 3, and however much Endurance the caster initially fed into it, or however much the Mystic Battery powering it currently has. The Mystic Evil One has a mana-stone with 25 Endurance in it, and the Portal uses 5 END per Phase, without doing anything when they open the Portal it lasts for 5 Phases, or about 18 seconds. Using their Magic Power skill they feed some more Endurance into the Mana Stone every few seconds for a few minutes at the end their very tired, by the mana-stone is currently full enough to give them a full unattended minute to walk through, talk with, allow something to come through, or toss someone into the portal...

 

It's workable, doesn't require too much more book keeping than is already involved in Combat, and opposed skill rolls take care of adding or subtracting from the time left the portal has. It works easily within the constraints of how combat already flows, and mechanics that already exist (Endurance, Speed, Skill Rolls).

 

Also, have the added fun of allowing other characters interrupt the magic beams the mages are throwing out, every END they're trying to add/bleed off = 1D6 Normal Damage. As long as they're adding END in the 5-15 range this won't be a game changing hit, and allow characters to interrupt beams for longer (or indefinite...) periods as long as they stay in the beam, a successful Magic Roll allows a mage to redirect an active beam of magic around/past the offending character as well...

 

Given most Characters Endurance scores, I wouldn't deal in overly large numbers; if a Character wants to drain or add 5 Endurance off the portal they need to pay 5END to do it (Endurance spent = Endurance changed); and small numbers can be dramatic...

[Mister E]

With an Extraordinary STR Roll Grond ought to be able to hold a dimensional portal open.

 

Having four arms might even make the roll easier.

[Christopher]

Let's see what we found so far:

1. If Dispel is the way to close the portal, bolstering the Portals AP would be the way to counter Dispel.

Pushing per 6E2 133 could be used to archieve that. After all boosting the Character points would also boost the AP of the power and thus it's Dispel ressitance.

The big question is how long this use of Pushing has to be maintaiend/proves viable.

If I pushed during the first attempt to dispel it and the Dispel would have been successfull without the pushing, what happens if I stop pushing? Does it collapse? Or only make future dispelling easier?

 

2. Just turn the powers into D6 at a 1D6/5 AP ratio. Roll and Compare normal Body of both rolls

This allows some odd powers to be used to bolster the portal, inlcuding holding it open with sheer strenght or energy blasts.

Also mind the rules about complimentary and contradicting Mental Powers, wich can do a sort of "Mental Duel" the same way this would be a "Dimensional Duel".

 

3. Simulate a proper "Tug of War" by giving the portal a Endurance and SPD at wich the Endurance is used up.

 

There have been various ideas to implement the Power Skill Roll into this. You could just use it as repalcement for the EGO roll required for normal Pushing.

[dmjalund]

a naked "Difficult to Dispel" advantage creatively used

[Wardsman]

I agree with Surrealone's answers except for this one

I would say a Dispel EDM, Dispel Magic, or some other sort of Dispel. Additionally, one could make the portal collapse upon itself and make it impossible to travel through (Barrier With Transdimesional).

 

5 edition player so my terms may be wrong for 6th.

Block with force wall. Fill with entangle. Or the brick can jam rubble into the hole, Gates do have a weight limit and an aperture problem.