This thread inspired me to come up with what I believe to be the Perfect Defense for a Rift Gate.

First, the so-called 'gates' are not gates at all. A gate can be opened and closed by the user, whereas these seem to be more like boards nailed over a door to prevent it opening. Perhaps a better analogy would be duct tape because the 'gate' is supposed to prevent further fraying of reality, while destroying them appears to do additional damage to the hole they closed.

Defending them is difficult because a dungeon invites adventurers the way stink attracts flies. No matter how well executed your defense, eventually someone will come along to mess with it.

But I do have a plan for the perfect defense:

Build an actual gate. One which can be opened by whoever comes along, perhaps by touching a big red button. The gate would remain open for one minute, then close again. Put it out in the middle of Nowhere, and put no defenses of any kind whatsoever on it.

Instead, place a permanent Magic Mouth that speaks in Tongues on a stele that is inscribed with magically comprehendable writing. People approaching the button can read the tablet and understand what the Magic Mouth says, even if they are blind and deaf. (Braille, or whatever silent language the observer uses.)

The message describes exactly what the gate is, why it was put there, and what it contains. The message also informs the visitor that he will be the first victim of The Snarl should he press the button. Finally, it suggests that if the visitor must press the button, the gate will close, locking him in the Snarl's prison forever. "Good luck, friend. The world will soon forget that you ever existed."

Now, the contingency: instead of building dungeons and whatnot, build a dozen gates so that if one is moved or destroyed, the next in line automatically deploys from an Etheral warehouse and plugs itself in. Have an assembly line ready to replace the ones used up by boneheads and idiots, and then just stay away from the rift forever.

Find the faults and propose corrections, please. (Or do the whole thing better yourself so we can pick on you!