On Magical Planar Travel and No-Mana Worlds

[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.

[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?

[Faolyn]

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?

You could say that the caster brings a bit of mana with her when she travels: assuming she's from a world with that generally has at least a normal level of mana, then you can assume that her tissues are permeated with the stuff, or at the least, its in the air in her lungs. And it would then dissipate really quickly, meaning that she wouldn't be able to get back.

As for rules backing it up...the closest I can think of (and admittedly, this is a stretch) is to use the faerie races from DF as an example: they have a Dependency to mana, and begin to lose HP after a minute. One can take this to mean that they carry just enough mana within them to last for a minute, and which point it runs out. Normally not a problem, in a place with background magic, but a problem in a no-mana zone.

So it's a weird suggestion, but here you are.