🔥 Unstable Nether Portals (LOOK AT COMPAT BELOW)

"The realms reject your presence. The gateway crumbles behind you..."

Centuries ago, scholars warned of the instability of dimensional rifts — the unnatural tearing of space by obsidian rings and fire. Now, that warning has become reality.

Unstable Nether Portals transforms Nether travel from a convenience into a risky ritual. When a player first breaches the veil between dimensions, the portal destabilizes shortly after arrival. A warning echoes through the air as the gateway begins to fail… and moments later, the portal collapses behind you.

The safe path home is no longer guaranteed. Every journey into the Nether must be planned carefully.

💀 Core Features

🌀 Portal Collapse Mechanic
When the player first earns the "We Need to Go Deeper" advancement, the portal that brought them to the Nether becomes unstable and collapses shortly after arrival.

⏳ Configurable Collapse Delay
A short delay gives players time to react before the portal fails.

🔊 Warning Sound
A custom warning sound plays shortly before the portal collapses.

💥 Optional Portal Explosion
The collapse can optionally trigger an explosion at the portal’s location.

🧱 Obsidian Frame Destruction Options

Choose how destructive the collapse should be:

• Destroy the entire obsidian frame
• Destroy only part of the portal frame

💧 Fragmented Portal Remains
Remaining obsidian can become Crying Obsidian, representing unstable portal residue.

🪨 Obsidian Rubble
Destroyed frame blocks can scatter nearby as rubble, leaving behind the remnants of the collapsed portal.

⚙️ Fully Configurable

Server owners can configure:

• Collapse delay
• Explosion strength
• Terrain damage from explosions
• Player damage from explosions
• Obsidian destruction behavior
• Fragmented obsidian conversion chance
• Collapse warning sound volume
• Collapse message text and color

Config File:

["collapse behavior"]

#If true, portal will explode when activated

#Default: false

enable_portal_explosion = true

#Delay (in seconds) before the portal collapse sequence triggers

#Affects explosion, block destruction, and related effects

#Default: 5

#Range: 0 ~ 60

collapse_delay_time = 5

#Explosion strength (vanilla TNT = 4.0)

#Only used if enable_portal_explosion is true

#Default: 8.0

#Range: 0.0 ~ 20.0

explosion_power = 8.0

#If true, explosion damages the player

#Default: true

explosion_damages_player = true

#If true, explosion damages terrain

#Default: true

explosion_damages_terrain = true

#If true, ALL obsidian in portal frame will be destroyed

#Default: false

destroy_all_obsidian = false

#If true, some obsidian blocks will randomly convert into crying obsidian

#Only used if there is obsidian left around you (from the frame or when it is flung)

#Default: true

allow_fragmented_obsidian = true

#Chance (0.0–1.0) for each obsidian block to convert to crying obsidian

#Default: 0.25

#Range: 0.0 ~ 1.0

fragmented_conversion_chance = 0.25

#If true, destroyed obsidian blocks will be left around portal location

#Scales based on destroy_all_obsidian config

#Default: true

fling_obsidian_blocks = true

["message and sound customization"]

#If true, player receives a collapse message

#Default: true

send_collapse_message = true

#Message shown when the portal collapses

#Supports normal text formatting (§ codes optional if you later support them)

#Default: "The portal destabilizes violently..."

collapse_message_text = "The gateway destabilizes as the Nether rejects your return home..."

#Hex color of collapse message (RGB format) (Purple by default)

#Default: 0xAA00FF

collapse_message_color = 0xAA00FF

#If true, plays the custom collapse sound

#Default: true

enable_collapse_sound = true

#Volume of collapse sound

#Only used if enable_collapse_sound is true

#Default: 1.0

#Range: 0.0 ~ 5.0

collapse_sound_volume = 1.0

["activation conditions"]

#If true, unstable portal only activates the first time a player enters the Nether

#Activates via the vanilla "We Need to Go Deeper" advancement

#Default: true

first_time_nether_only = true

#If true, ensures safe spawning in the Nether (solid ground, no spawning over lava)

#Default: true

safe_nether_spawning = true

#List of dimensions where unstable portal behavior is allowed

#Used only if first_time_nether_only = false

#Format: "modid:dimension"

#Default: ["minecraft:overworld", "minecraft:the_nether"]

allowed_dimensions = ["minecraft:overworld", "minecraft:the_nether"]

🧩 Compatibility & Intentions

This mod was specifically built and ,by default, configured with Ruined Portals Only and Portal Switch in mind — encouraging ruined portal repairs in both the Nether and Overworld to light new gateways. Players are challenged to seek, restore, and protect ancient portals rather than spamming new ones. Travel becomes exploration-driven and far more meaningful.

⚠️⚠️ Ruined Portals Only is a Fabric mod, but works on Forge 1.20.1 using Forgified Fabric API and Sinytra Connector ⚠️⚠️

These mods also pair exceptionally well with:

Nether Remastered
Makes Nether access a true adventure by requiring players to collect four shards to craft the Seal of the Underworld.

Crying Portals
Perfectly complements Ruined Portals Only by allowing active portals made with Crying Obsidian.

HOPO: Better Ruined Portals
Adds more atmospheric portal ruins and makes discovering ancient gateways far more rewarding.