Portals are more than doorways—they are thresholds of transformation, guarded by trials, governed by rules, and shaped by those who pass through them. This chapter details portal designs, activation mechanics, and the dangers of crossing.
Portal Designs
Anatomy, types, and energy signatures.
Side Effects
Mutations, sickness, and time distortion.
Activation
Keys, rituals, and defusing mechanics.
Portal Anatomy
The Parts of a Portal
Every portal consists of five components:
The Frame
Physical threshold: doorway, mirror, cave mouth, or purely abstract (shimmer in air). Determines portal's visibility and accessibility.
The Veil
Barrier between domains. Can be translucent (see destination), opaque (blind leap), or reflective (shows travelers' fears).
The Lock
Condition required to pass: password, item, emotional state, blood price, or simple physical touch.
The Trial
Challenge imposed during passage: riddle, combat, sacrifice, or psychological test. Optional but common.
The Anchor
Destination endpoint. Stable portals have fixed Anchors; unstable ones shift based on conditions.
Portal Classifications
Portal Types by Function
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Unidirectional | One-way passage. Return requires finding another portal. | 70% |
| Bidirectional | Two-way travel. Highly valuable for trade routes. | 15% |
| Timed | Opens only at specific intervals (lunar cycles, etc.). | 10% |
| Randomized | Destination changes each use (1d12 possible locations). | 3% |
| Conditional | Requires specific criteria (only children, only the guilty, etc.). | 2% |
Portal Trials: Passage Challenges
Trial Structure
Trials occur during passage—in the liminal space between domains. Time dilates: 1 minute outside = 1 hour inside. Failure means ejection back to origin domain (and usually injury).
Trial Categories:
⚔️ Combat Trial
Fight spectral guardians, manifestations of domain's Willpower, or your own shadow.
- • Challenge: Defeat enemies (Willpower × 2 HP each)
- • Failure: Ejected, take damage equal to remaining enemy HP
🧩 Riddle Trial
Solve logic puzzles, answer philosophical questions, or decipher cryptic poetry.
- • Challenge: Lore (Anima) vs. TN (Willpower × 4)
- • Failure: Anima Fracture, ejection
💔 Sacrifice Trial
Choose what to leave behind: memory, item, or relationship.
- • Challenge: Conviction (Umbra) vs. TN 20 to resist
- • Failure: Lose chosen thing permanently
Expanded Trials Library
Use these 15 specific trials to challenge your players:
1. The Mirror Duel
Traveler fights a copy of themselves. Copy has same stats but opposite personality. Win: Accept your flaws (Insight TN 15) or kill it.
2. The Weight of Gold
Gravity increases by 10x. Win: Drop all carried items worth >10 Ledger (Sacrifice) or Athletics TN 25.
3. The Sphinx's Silence
A guardian asks a question in a language that doesn't exist. Win: Answer telepathically or with a gesture (Empathy TN 18).
4. The Corridor of Blades
Narrow tunnel filled with swinging scythes. Win: Acrobatics TN 20 or take 4d6 damage.
5. The Memory Market
A merchant demands a childhood memory as toll. Win: Roleplay the memory loss (lose 1 Anima).
6. The Floor is Lava
Literal lava. Win: Parkour across floating stones (Athletics TN 16, 3 successes needed).
7. The Truth Booth
Must confess a secret you've never told anyone. Win: If the GM/Table is surprised, you pass.
8. The Aging Room
You age 1 year for every minute you hesitate. Win: Run blindly into the dark (Bravery TN 14).
9. The Siren's Song
Beautiful music lures you to sleep. Win: Willpower Save TN 18 or fall asleep for 100 years.
10. The Chessboard
You are a pawn. Win: Navigate a grid without being "taken" by invisible knights (Logic TN 16).
11. The Oxygen Thief
Room has no air. Win: Hold breath (Con TN 15) while solving a physical puzzle.
12. The Doppelganger Rescue
See a party member in danger. It's an illusion. Win: Do NOT help them (Insight TN 20).
13. The Toll Bridge
Troll demands a joke that makes him laugh. Win: Performance TN 18.
14. The Darkness
Absolute zero visibility. Win: Navigate by sound/touch only (Perception TN 22).
15. The Count's Coin
A coin flip. Heads you pass, Tails you owe The Count a favor. Win: 50/50 chance.
"Every threshold asks a question. Answer wrongly, and you remain where you are. Answer truly, and you become someone else."
— The Count's Fifth Rule