Playing Portal in D&D

[Echobeats]

I had the idea of creating a puzzle challenge within a D&D setting based on the computer game Portal. (Click if you don't know what that is.)

Could this work well, do you think? I'm thinking the "portal gun" could be a magical staff that glows red at one end and green at the other end, with one end hidden inside a wizard's tower and the other end somewhere out in the world for the PCs to find. If they can get through the various rooms to the top of the tower using the staff, they fight the wizard at the end. Most of the walls are coated with a black, anti-portal substance, but in places it has worn off revealing the stone underneath, which will take portals.

Thoughts/ideas?

[Comet]

Communicating the physical space clearly enough without making the solution to each "puzzle" too obvious might be a bit tricky. You could maybe use visual aids to help with this.

Also, bear in mind that once the players have assembled their portal device they will want to use it everywhere they go for the rest of the campaign. Personally I think this is a fantastic thing since roleplaying games tend to handle unexpected, outside-the-box problem solving better than more stricly defined puzzles. It will change the nature of your campaign somewhat, though, which you might or might not be cool with.

[Calen]

Careful or all their enemies will wind up in space……..SPACE!!!


i'm in space

[The Great Wyrm]

Is putting a portal on the moon allowed?

[Knaight]

Also, bear in mind that once the players have assembled their portal device they will want to use it everywhere they go for the rest of the campaign. Personally I think this is a fantastic thing since roleplaying games tend to handle unexpected, outside-the-box problem solving better than more stricly defined puzzles. It will change the nature of your campaign somewhat, though, which you might or might not be cool with.

Limited charges would solve this nicely, as would restricting the surfaces to fairly smooth stone, plaster, etc (pretty much all the surfaces the work with the game). Limited range is also probably a good idea. This makes the item useful, but it stays a situationally useful item rather than the focus of the entire game.

[DigoDragon]

I have experience doing this and my recommendation is to make the puzzles put the portals down in specific limited areas instead of giving the PCs a Portal gun. Such a device opens a can of worms and will get the party wizard killed. :3

[Anxe]

If they don't get the Portal Staff after this dungeon you could just design the dungeon in Portal. They have a level generator right?

[Echobeats]

I have experience doing this and my recommendation is to make the puzzles put the portals down in specific limited areas instead of giving the PCs a Portal gun. Such a device opens a can of worms and will get the party wizard killed. :3

Do you mean there should be lots of switches opening portals in predetermined areas, or the portal staff/gun should only work on a few surfaces?

What happened to your wizard: did he fall out of a high ceiling?

I take everyone's point about not letting it work in the rest of the world. We usually do one-shots so it wouldn't be an issue. In an ongoing campaign I'd either tie it to the particular wizard's tower or give it limited charges. If they manage to complete the mission with a few charges to spare, good for them.

Range 500 ought to stop them sending enemies to the moon, or to space. Remember there needs to be a surface for the portal to appear on.