Forced teleport question - dropping the target

[TheEvil]

In last weeks game, my avenger used Sequestering Strike on an enemy and I considered dropping him from a height since I could fly at the time. The GM wasn't sure that was legal and could lead to 'insta-kill' scenarios. I told him I would look into the issue. I have primarily found a lack of rules saying you couldn't drop someone with a teleport. The only relavent rule I could find was the errata that stated that a mounted rider is dismounted and falls prone if their mount is teleported.

Is there any rule which says you can't teleport the target up into the air? Has anyone dealt with this in their game?

 

[mneme]

There are rules -- specifically, if you're teleported such that you'd fall/take damage/etc, you get to make a saving throw, and if you make it, you're not teleported.

Beyond that, it's a good idea to not stick precipices that are aoutside the game's current weight class (so high-Heroic fights should have 20-30 foot cliffs, not 300 foot cliffs, as, yeah, instadeath), but if that's broken, yes, teleportation or forced movement can result in instadeath.

 

[TheEvil]

There are rules -- specifically, if you're teleported such that you'd fall/take damage/etc, you get to make a saving throw, and if you make it, you're not teleported.

That is exactly the sort of rule we were looking for! Where did you find it?

 

[Aulirophile]

It is in the teleport errata... sometime in 2009. June?

 

[TheEvil]

It is in the teleport errata... sometime in 2009. June?

Ah, I can see I need to pay more attention to my bookmarks, I was only looking at the latest update, not the compiled as I thought I was.

Thanks for the reference!

 

[cdrcjsn]

A tangent, but I've seen the "fight hundreds of feet in the air" encounters at low levels and always thought it was a bit iffy rules wise, though quite cinematic. Surprising how many DMs don't consider to vary the height of cliffs according to party level.

 

[TheEvil]

A follow up questions has occurred to us:

When a flying mount is teleported away from it's rider, does the rider get a saving throw? If he makes it, does the mount not teleport, or does the rider tag along with the mount?

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

A follow up questions has occurred to us:

When a flying mount is teleported away from it's rider, does the rider get a saving throw? If he makes it, does the mount not teleport, or does the rider tag along with the mount?

I would recommend reading the May Updates. It will answer the questions that you have posited here.

✦ Teleportation: If either the mount or the rider is teleported, the other does not teleport with it. If the mount is teleported without the rider, the rider is dismounted and falls prone.

So per your hypothetical the answer is no. The rider would fall prone and well falllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll >splat<

 

[TheEvil]

I would recommend reading the May Updates. It will answer the questions that you have posited here.

✦ Teleportation: If either the mount or the rider is teleported, the other does not teleport with it. If the mount is teleported without the rider, the rider is dismounted and falls prone.

So per your hypothetical the answer is no. The rider would fall prone and well falllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll >splat<

I agree that the May update seems to make it pretty clear (I cited it at the beginning of the thread), the GM doesn't feel that it is in the spirit of the June update that essentially says that you can't use teleport to drop someone without a saving throw and asked me to follow up. Any others dealt with this issue?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Under the current errata, every power which teleports can teleport into the air.

Doing so means that the target gets a save against the teleport, and if they succeed, they are not teleported.

This means that with many teleport powers you now need to decide whether you want to risk your teleport effect in order to cause additional damage.

Personally I think that the ruling is one which will have unintended consequences.