Erik Westmarch
First Post
So, going by the description of the Teleport/Teleportation Circle spells in the 5E SRD, I can't help but think of the security issues around having a Permanent Teleportation Circle (PTC ) inside your temple/tower/city, etc.
Essentially the "sigil sequence" acts like a secret password to the PTC that anyone can memorize with 1 minute of study. It's not clear whether that sigil sequence can be reproduced, so if I have it memorized, can I tell other people? Can I publish it in a newspaper?
Regardless, even if you can only learn the sigil sequence by studying it yourself, that means that all former members of your organization probably know it. Just think if the Jedi Council had a PTC, each Sith who was a former Jedi could probably T in any time he wanted to.
Also, when someone learns the TC spell they automatically learn the sigil sequence of two locations, so there's always the possibility that some random stranger (who's powerful enough to cast 5th level spells) will be able to pop in any time.
There's also nothing in the spell about changing the sigil sequence. So you can't defend yourself by changing the password every couple months.
I think you'd have to treat the PTC like a castle gate that you couldn't lock. It would have to be really, really well defended. Like, the PTC is in a room with stone walls, no doors, and several hostile iron golems. The iron golems would have been instructed to let only certain people use the PTC, and anyone else gets subdued and sirens go off.
I would also assume, although it's not in the rules, that someone at some point has created an Anti-Teleportation Field that covers a certain volumetric area. You'd want to make that Permanent over all of your Sanctum Sanctorum, regardless of whether you have a PTC or not. Anyone who Ts into the ATF would get a Mishap and then sent Off Target.
How would you defend your PTC? Maybe contribute five ways that organizations in your world have defended them?
1. The Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus. PTC kept in a lower sub-basement in a sealed room. The walls project a one-way anti-magic field (so spells can be cast into the room but not in the room). A silk rope rings a bell to let people know you're there, and if they choose to they'll trigger a permanent phase door. There's enough air in the room for 3 hours divided by the number of people.
2. Pax Tharkas. Two iron golems watch the PTC. They have memorized who the current in-favor membership of the organization are, and only allow them (or people with them) through. A weighted portcullis can be opened from the outside by a winch or by someone as strong as an iron golem.
3. Daltigoth Renegade Wizards' Guild. Teleport counter-trap. When anyone PTCs into the room, they have one action to say a second password or everyone in the room is targeted with a second Teleport spell sending them to an airless void between the worlds. The password on the counter-trap changes monthly. Also, there are eight identical doors leading out of the room. Seven of them release a Cloudkill or similar into the room. The eighth is locked and requires a magic key. There are only five such keys.
4. The Temple of Zeboim. The PTC is at the bottom of a deep well under 200' of water. The walls of the well are festooned with a large crustacean that crabs swimmers with strong tentacles, pulls them inside the 4" thick shell, and snaps shut for a month of pleasant digestion (DC 25 STR to bust out). Sort of like the Sarlacc meets a 6' long scallop. There are only three Medallions of Safe Passage that keep the Mega-Scallops away, and you'll still need your own Water Breathing spell. A medallion can be dropped down to the bottom of the well by the Wellkeeper, if you announce you're coming at least an hour in advance.
5. Temple of Chemosh. The PTC is at the heart of a maze-like crypt full of undead. Oh my god, so many undead. But only the kind that make more of themselves. Every failed attempt to enter the temple just makes more of them. If they ever run low, the priests teleport some villagers into the crypt.
Essentially the "sigil sequence" acts like a secret password to the PTC that anyone can memorize with 1 minute of study. It's not clear whether that sigil sequence can be reproduced, so if I have it memorized, can I tell other people? Can I publish it in a newspaper?
Regardless, even if you can only learn the sigil sequence by studying it yourself, that means that all former members of your organization probably know it. Just think if the Jedi Council had a PTC, each Sith who was a former Jedi could probably T in any time he wanted to.
Also, when someone learns the TC spell they automatically learn the sigil sequence of two locations, so there's always the possibility that some random stranger (who's powerful enough to cast 5th level spells) will be able to pop in any time.
There's also nothing in the spell about changing the sigil sequence. So you can't defend yourself by changing the password every couple months.
I think you'd have to treat the PTC like a castle gate that you couldn't lock. It would have to be really, really well defended. Like, the PTC is in a room with stone walls, no doors, and several hostile iron golems. The iron golems would have been instructed to let only certain people use the PTC, and anyone else gets subdued and sirens go off.
I would also assume, although it's not in the rules, that someone at some point has created an Anti-Teleportation Field that covers a certain volumetric area. You'd want to make that Permanent over all of your Sanctum Sanctorum, regardless of whether you have a PTC or not. Anyone who Ts into the ATF would get a Mishap and then sent Off Target.
How would you defend your PTC? Maybe contribute five ways that organizations in your world have defended them?
1. The Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus. PTC kept in a lower sub-basement in a sealed room. The walls project a one-way anti-magic field (so spells can be cast into the room but not in the room). A silk rope rings a bell to let people know you're there, and if they choose to they'll trigger a permanent phase door. There's enough air in the room for 3 hours divided by the number of people.
2. Pax Tharkas. Two iron golems watch the PTC. They have memorized who the current in-favor membership of the organization are, and only allow them (or people with them) through. A weighted portcullis can be opened from the outside by a winch or by someone as strong as an iron golem.
3. Daltigoth Renegade Wizards' Guild. Teleport counter-trap. When anyone PTCs into the room, they have one action to say a second password or everyone in the room is targeted with a second Teleport spell sending them to an airless void between the worlds. The password on the counter-trap changes monthly. Also, there are eight identical doors leading out of the room. Seven of them release a Cloudkill or similar into the room. The eighth is locked and requires a magic key. There are only five such keys.
4. The Temple of Zeboim. The PTC is at the bottom of a deep well under 200' of water. The walls of the well are festooned with a large crustacean that crabs swimmers with strong tentacles, pulls them inside the 4" thick shell, and snaps shut for a month of pleasant digestion (DC 25 STR to bust out). Sort of like the Sarlacc meets a 6' long scallop. There are only three Medallions of Safe Passage that keep the Mega-Scallops away, and you'll still need your own Water Breathing spell. A medallion can be dropped down to the bottom of the well by the Wellkeeper, if you announce you're coming at least an hour in advance.
5. Temple of Chemosh. The PTC is at the heart of a maze-like crypt full of undead. Oh my god, so many undead. But only the kind that make more of themselves. Every failed attempt to enter the temple just makes more of them. If they ever run low, the priests teleport some villagers into the crypt.
