My gaming cohorts came to the realization recently that having the ability to hide in an extra-dimensional space can come in really, really handy. The rope trick spell is extremely useful.
One thing that tends to occur when utilizing or toying with extra-dimensional and non-dimensional spaces: debate over exactly how bad things can happen.
I have to admit, I find it extremely amusing… but completely confusing. I am hoping to come to a little bit of clarification. So, lets start with the fact that a bag of holding “opens to a non-dimensional space.” Do I understand exactly what they mean by non-dimensional? Not exactly, since there do appear to be some dimensional constraints on the space: it appears the space can be filled.
If you thought that was confusing… a portable hole “causes an extradimensional space” and “each portable hole opens on its own particular nondimensional space.” Huh?
Now add to that: “If a bag of holding is placed within a portable hole, a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in that place. Both the bag and the cloth are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn there, the portable hole and bag of holding being destroyed in the process.”
Hrm… I thought I would start to clear things up… It doesn’t appear to be working.
I mean, to make things even more confusing, there is this talk of the Astral Plane. What the heck? It appears that the Astral Plane is actually a space or plane that exists between other planes. So, when yout travel from one plane to another, you actually pass through the Astral Plane when doing so. But, this doesn’t really explain why the badness happpens when mixing a bag of holding and a portable hole. But, I guess you just need to have faith in these rules… understanding is not necessary. Although, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to someone trying to help me understand.
As I said last night, IMC, I don’t use the silly mixing-extra-dimensional-spaces-causes-’splosions “rule” (if you can even call it that). Not because it doesn’t make sense “in the game”, whatever that means, but because the rules don’t make sense!
Also, where is the fun for the players here? Is it fun to have to remember that your magic_item_1 maybe can’t be placed near your magic_item_2 without both of them blowing up, destroying all of your character’s possessions in the process? Even if the whole extra-dimensional space issue was clearly spelled out somewhere in the _Dungeon Master’s Guide_, what does it add to the game?
I guess it adds boom-booms.
But, I do miss the point of including it at all in the rules.
It adds explosions, which I maintain are always good.