Mystic Portal direction

[Veknironth]

Well, again I can't find any book anwers so here we are. The Mystic Portal spell allows you to essentially create a one-way tunnel. However, it doesn't say in which direction that tunnel has to go. So, could it travel towards the mage as opposed to away from him or her? For example, if the Mage was captured and held in a cell and wanted to create a tunnel for his or her comrades to enter where he or she was as opposed to tunneling out?

Also, if the tunnel is going outwards from the mage the mage can see the other side of the tunnel. The same is true for the teleport function. So that would imply that light is coming through the other way. Would that illuminate the area where the caster is?

Another, unrelated, question is about Wall of Swords. The spell is called WALL of swords which implies a three dimensional construct. However, the descrpition talks about the area that it covers. 20ft area + 10 feet per level. So, it seems to be missing a dimension. Is that supposed to be 20 cubic feet plus 10/level? That's a pretty small wall.

-Vek
"Also, I assume that these blades count as magic weapons."

[ShadowLogan]

1. So long as the "starting" point of the Tunnel is visible to the mage, and other spell requirements (range, doorway, etc) I don't see why you could not cast the entrance away from the mage with the exit closer to the mage.

2. I would say that yes light seeps through and illuminates on both sides.

3. Not familiar with the spell (off hand, Mysteries of Magic?), but there are other Wall Spells with similar issues. I wouldn't take 20ft area to be a reference to the volume.

[kiralon]

As often is the case would have to be house ruled.
1. I would say the idea is to be outward only, as that is the feeling i get from the spell as you cat the start point and the endpoint is elsewhere.
2. Magic is weird and would light the area.
3. Would have to look it up, but people often mix 20ft cubed for a cube 20ft x 20ft x 20ft, but getting to 120ft x 120ft x 120ft seems less likely. I would guess 10ft high, 10ft deep and 20ft (+10ft per level) wide. Because it is so ambiguous i likely wouldnt allow that version of the spell.

[Soldier of Od]

I think paragraph describing the one-way passage applies to the "teleportation" option of the mystic portal spell, not the "tunnel" option, which creates an actual tunnel that anyone can walk up and down for the full duration of the spell. The formatting of the paragraphs could make it look like it may apply to both, but I think that is just bad formatting, same at the similarly-formatted "range" paragraph, which more clearly applies only to the teleportation option, as the range of the tunnel is already detailed within its own description.

Most of those Mystic Bulwark walls have only one dimension listed, and most of them say "area", but lists a dimension in feet or meters and not ft² or m². Palladium have used the word area incorrectly (or just casually) many times, so I don't think they literally mean area here.
However, the Wall of Thorns spell in the main book has exactly the same wording in its range (20ft "area" plus 10ft per level), but goes on to detail in the spell description that the dimensions of the wall are 20x20x10ft. Perhaps the writer of Library of Bletherad used Wall of Thorns as a template for their new walls, but failed to notice that important information was contained within the main text and not under range. You could assume the same dimensions for Wall of Swords and the other walls. However, this does make them very big.

[Veknironth]

Well, here's another bizarre Mystic Portal issue. What happens if you use a Mystic Portal to "tunnel" past or though a warded door or wall?

-Vek
"I'm guessing nothing?"

[kiralon]

Nothing would also be my thought, as you are in an extradimensional space and aren't actually near the ward

[ShadowLogan]

Well, here's another bizarre Mystic Portal issue. What happens if you use a Mystic Portal to "tunnel" past or though a warded door or wall?

-Vek
"I'm guessing nothing?"

Assuming the Ward/Ward-Phrase isn't designed to counter Mystic Portal (if it is, Wards do their thing) I can see 3 options:
1. Nothing, but this assumes the two ends of the tunnel don't' interact with the Ward (and hover just above the ward/surface so as to not interact). This is the simplest approach
2. Nothing from the tunnel "ends" if they cross "planes" (ie the portal ends cross the ward/surface) as the magics all works themselves out, BUT anyone passing through can interact with the floating ward as normal (so if they physically walk through or grazes it such a Ward it goes off). This might be the most "fair" given if MP could be used to circumvent Wards like this it could make the branch of magic more limited
3. The two different magics don't interact well, and the MP-tunnel sets off the Ward(s) but also the Ward effects travel through the MP-tunnel coming out the other end which closes the MP-tunnel. (or the magics don't interact well, but something else happens like...).

[Veknironth]

Well, I don't know how everyone else feels aboout SL's third option, but I like it. It's a ward cannon!

-Vek
"Boom!"