On Magical Planar Travel and No-Mana Worlds

[shkspr1048]

Does anyone have any idea on how a magic-user might observe/travel to no-mana planes, which base rules say cannot be done? And I understand that GM fiat is as valid a method as any, but I'm looking specifically for a method that already exists within GURPS (an Enhancement, optional rule, or what all else).

So, any suggestions?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Does anyone have any idea on how a magic-user might observe/travel to no-mana planes, which base rules say cannot be done? And I understand that GM fiat is as valid a method as any, but I'm looking specifically for a method that already exists within GURPS (an Enhancement, optional rule, or what all else).

So, any suggestions?

Well there are a lot of fundamentally no-mana worlds that actually have little patches of mana. This is particularly likely at "soft spots" which make it easy to travel between world since it can "leak through". Other than that, the answer is obvious. Use a non-magical method of travel.

[shkspr1048]

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

[Refplace]

Could say it was a small mana area where the portal arrives.
Could say the energy comes all from the casters side and the gate is opened but isnt magical or needs mana on the other side.
If it violates laws of physics you might have a problem but could spin it as "exotic particles" or "a wormhole" or whatever handwavium you desire that fits.
Observing would stretch my credibility more then a gate.

[shkspr1048]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Could say it was a small mana area where the portal arrives.
Could say the energy comes all from the casters side and the gate is opened but isnt magical or needs mana on the other side.
If it violates laws of physics you might have a problem but could spin it as "exotic particles" or "a wormhole" or whatever handwavium you desire that fits.
Observing would stretch my credibility more then a gate.

The idea of energy between the two sides gives me an idea of equalizing pressure. The gate opens in no-mana worlds because the relatively high 'pressure' on the casting side (from the world/Mana Enhancement level, whichever) wants to spread to the area of lowest density, in this case the no-mana area.

[Anaraxes]

The basic rule is just there on the assumption that you need to have mana on the far end to create the portal in the first place. If you're willing to assume that you can open a portal to anywhere using energy just from the source end (just as you could build, say, a causeway without needing dirt or stone from the destination), then no problem. It's magic, so the metaphysical handwavium is up to you.

One of the first things you'll want to send through is some kind of Mana Enhancer so you can get back. Maybe that's also the portal mage, which gives the PCs a reason they have to put up with his obnoxious behavior while they're trying to not get killed while exploring.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

Non-magical doesn't mean technological. For example you could hitch a ride on a world-hopping creature, or find an interplanar road between a low mana world and a zero mana world.

[shkspr1048]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

The basic rule is just there on the assumption that you need to have mana on the far end to create the portal in the first place. If you're willing to assume that you can open a portal to anywhere using energy just from the source end (just as you could build, say, a causeway without needing dirt or stone from the destination), then no problem. It's magic, so the metaphysical handwavium is up to you.

One of the first things you'll want to send through is some kind of Mana Enhancer so you can get back. Maybe that's also the portal mage, which gives the PCs a reason they have to put up with his obnoxious behavior while they're trying to not get killed while exploring.

This raises an interesting idea: What if the Mana Enhancer is a geomantic formation? This way, the Enhancer can work as both a landing site for future travel and as a base of operations for explorers.

Does GURPS have any rules for architecture, outside of the standard bonuses and penalties for certain actions in certain places?

[lexington]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

Canonically it's impossible. This is made clear in Infinite Worlds. The Cabal (nigh infinite magical resources) wrongly believes all time lines have magic because they cannot reach no-mana worlds.

You have to alter the rules or make special exceptions to explain it. A simple method might be a portal that makes its own low mana zone in the world where it appears by sucking energy from the other side.

[Maldark]

In Infinate Worlds, they define three methods of planar travel - Tech (machines), Magic (spells) and Metahumans (superpowers).

Maybe you should summon a hero with worldjumper powers (with tunnelling advantage) to create a non-magical gateway without technology.

FYI - to create a magical gateway you have to CREATE the UNIQUE spell to travel to that specific world that you want to go to. If you can go to 20 different worlds magically, you have to have 20 different spells to get to them. Unless you have a magical backfire and travel to a random GM chosen world.