How to Escape from a Portable Hole

[TarionzCousin]

...or a Bag of Holding, Handy Haversack, etc.

Is there a way to escape from an extra-dimensional space holding device--other than opening another similar device inside the first?

Can you claw your way out through the "walls"?

Can you force the entrance open?

Can you teleport out?

Click your heels together three times and say "There's no place like home, there's...."???

 

[kreynolds]

Would plane shift work? I'd think it would. Can't remember if you can just open these things from the inside.

 

[Roger]

SRD: If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined.



Cheers,
Roger

 

[dinsdale]

If you're up against the Knights of the Dinner Table, you build a fortress with siege weaponry inside of the portable hole and hold the party's loot for ransom.

 

[kreynolds]

SRD: If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined.

Oh, well that's a much simpler method. Wish I hadn't missed that.

Note: Genius Wizard (aka, me)

Genius Wizard: *sigh* "Okay, so to get out of here, I'm going to a need a forked metal rod composed entirely of Baatorian Green Steel that has been soaked in the desecrated blood of seven pit fiends for 7 years."

Clever Rogue: "Dude." *holds up dagger*

Genius Wizard: *hand slap to face*

 

[Mort]

Oh, well that's a much simpler method. Wish I hadn't missed that.

Note: Genius Wizard (aka, me)

Genius Wizard: *sigh* "Okay, so to get out of here, I'm going to a need a forked metal rod composed entirely of Baatorian Green Steel that has been soaked in the desecrated blood of seven pit fiends for 7 years."

Clever Rogue: "Dude." *holds up dagger*

Genius Wizard: *hand slap to face*

That's not a great idea because of the next sentence; from the SRD:

If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined. All contents are lost forever.

 

[jontherev]

I dunno if there's an actual ruling on this, but I'm pretty sure you can't use extra-dimensional travel, like teleport.

I'd say as long as you were conscious, that you could just open it up yourself. Reading the portable hole description, it seems very obvious that occupants can pull themselves out. So, I'd rule that occupants can physically remove themselves, but cannot use any spells (other than probably a wish or micracle of course) to get out. YMMV.

 

[TarionzCousin]

That's not a great idea because of the next sentence; from the SRD:

If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined. All contents are lost forever.(Emphasis added)

Yeah, that's the sticking point. :\

Does it mean "lost forever on the Astral plane"? Because that's something a PC/NPC could overcome.

Or does it mean "lost forever and roll up a new character"?

If you're up against the Knights of the Dinner Table, you build a fortress with siege weaponry inside of the portable hole and hold the party's loot for ransom.

But then you get flooded, right? Of course, if you're the KODT, everything eventually turns sour. I love that comic. Hear that, Jolly?

 

[Arkham]

There's no rule that says you cannot plane shift or gate out of an extradimensional space. The 'lost forever' text generally applies to items in the bag being lost to those outside the bag. How often can you find 20 specific +1 swords in the astral plane after they're scattered due to a pierced bag of holding. Portable holes, on the other hand are not so fragile and have no text about being damaged from the inside. Bags of holding, you can probably force open from the inside, as the actual bag is there, just with different dimensions inside vs. out. A portable hole, on the other hand, you probably cannot, as the 'hole' only exists when the whole thing is stretched out flat.

 

[javcs]

I dunno if there's an actual ruling on this, but I'm pretty sure you can't use extra-dimensional travel, like teleport.

I'd say as long as you were conscious, that you could just open it up yourself. Reading the portable hole description, it seems very obvious that occupants can pull themselves out. So, I'd rule that occupants can physically remove themselves, but cannot use any spells (other than probably a wish or micracle of course) to get out. YMMV.

T-port and dimension door, no, because it's not the same plane ... plane shift should work (assuming you have the appropriate focus for your intended destination).