Unlocking New Dimensions with RandomPortals
Minecraft’s vanilla portals have always been a bit rigid. Nether portals stand tall, End portals lie flat, and that’s about it. For builders, modpack creators, and adventurers who crave more freedom, the RandomPortals mod rewrites the rules. It introduces vertical End portals, lateral Nether portals, colored gateway effects, and a fully configurable system that lets you define entirely new portal types. Whether you want a sideways Nether portal on a ceiling or an upside-down End gateway hidden in a wall, this mod puts you in control of teleportation.
What RandomPortals Brings to the Table
At its core, RandomPortals overhauls how portal frames are detected and how teleportation behaves. Instead of relying on vanilla’s limited checks, the mod uses its own logic to recognize frames of any orientation and size. This opens up a world of possibilities that feel natural in survival and creative mode alike. Placeable portal block items are added to the creative inventory, so you can manually position Nether portal, End portal, and End gateway blocks wherever you need them. You can even use the Pick Block keybind to grab them on the fly.
End Portals in Every Orientation
The End dimension becomes far more accessible with the new frame logic. RandomPortals supports several End portal variants that completely change how you approach strongholds or custom builds:
- Vertical End portals that stand upright like a doorway
- Inwards-facing vertical frames for compact designs
- Lateral End portals using vertical frame blocks to create horizontal gateways
- Upside-down lateral portals that hang from ceilings
The mod also fixes a long-standing vanilla bug (MC-97216) where corner frames would reactivate an already active portal. With RandomPortals, corner frames are properly ignored during activation. Another minor quirk is patched: villagers can sometimes spawn wearing vertical End portal frames on their heads, and you can right-click a villager to place one there yourself—a small but amusing detail.
Lateral Nether Portals and Persistent Gateways
Nether portals get the same treatment. You can build lateral Nether portals that lie flat, making it easy to integrate them into floors, ceilings, or slanted surfaces. Because RandomPortals replaces vanilla’s frame detection, it also changes how receiving portals are generated. Receiving portals become persistent, meaning they won’t break when you leave the area unless the frame is invalid or the portal type changes. This effectively makes mods like NetherPortalFix unnecessary, and RandomPortals should not be used alongside it.
One notable change is that manually placed Nether portal blocks won’t pop off if a valid frame isn’t detected, unless they were part of an activated portal of the same type and the netherPortals.replaceUserPlacedPortalsOnActivation config is set to false. This allows you to create permanent portal art without worrying about accidental breakage.
Colored Portals for Creative Builds
Color is where RandomPortals truly shines for builders. You can dye portal blocks by throwing dyes into an active portal or by right-clicking individual portal blocks with dye. All relevant portal blocks change color, and you can create intricate patterns since user-placed portal blocks are not replaced upon activation. Colored portals even contribute to beacon beam colors and show up on maps, giving you a whole new palette for decorative and functional builds. The dyeing behavior is fully configurable, so server owners can tweak how colors are applied.
Custom Portal Types for Modpack Authors
Beyond the built-in portal shapes, RandomPortals provides a powerful system for defining custom portal types. Each folder inside config/randomportals/portal_types acts as a portal type group, with a group_data.json file that specifies valid activation dimensions and a default dimension ID. You can set different portal types per dimension within the same group, controlling everything from frame size and minimum block requirements to teleportation behavior, activation items, and even zombie pigman spawn rates. This makes it possible to create multi-block gateways to custom dimensions added by other mods, like the Aether or Twilight Forest (though full compatibility is still a work in progress).
For those who love tinkering with settings, the mod includes an in-game configuration GUI and two handy commands: /rporeload and /rporeloadclient. These reload the configuration from disk without restarting the game. Frame sizes and Nether portal types must still be edited manually in the JSON files, but most other properties take effect instantly.
Installation and Compatibility Notes
RandomPortals requires RandomPatches 1.12.2-1.16.0.0 or newer. It is not compatible with NetherPortalFix, and when using LiteLoader, you’ll need Extra Foam For LiteLoader or RandomPatches Integration to avoid a crash. The mod replaces vanilla teleportation entirely, so if you encounter any inconsistencies, the developer welcomes feedback. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to install and manage mods like this one, the foxygame.net launcher offers a modern, flexible experience where you can browse and download mods directly from the built-in menu, making setup a breeze.
Expanding Your World with RandomPortals
RandomPortals turns the humble portal into a creative tool. From vertical End gateways that fit seamlessly into sci-fi builds to lateral Nether portals embedded in floors and ceilings, the mod gives you the freedom to design teleportation networks that feel truly unique. The ability to dye portals and define custom types opens the door for modpack creators to craft immersive dimension-hopping experiences. While the 1.12.2 version is no longer being actively developed, the mod’s feature set remains robust and well-documented, making it a worthwhile addition to any modded setup that values configurability and visual flair. Grab it, tweak the JSON files, and start reshaping how you travel between worlds.