D&D 5E Low Level Teleportation

[doctorbadwolf]

Fair enough, but I don't like guaranteed successes where such wouldn't make sense, so how else would you remove the guarantee?

I wouldn’t, any more than I’d require a check to successfully disengage, dash, etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What's being proposed here seems to require line of sight. Yes there'd be some cases where it would bypass barriers (e.g. barred cells where you can see inside, or portcullises (portculli?), or narrow chasms where you can see across) but you wouldn't be able to use it to blip through a wall or door so some of those issues go away.

A corner case that'd need a ruling would be where you can see your target arrival point but there's an invisible barrier such as a wall of force in the way. (personally I'd allow it unless the invisible barrier was actually at your intended arrival point, in which case things could get messy )

Another corner case that'd inevitably arise would be what happens if someone tries to arrive on a moving surface e.g. the deck of a ship, the back of a horse or other large animal, or the branch of a tree swaying in the wind. (personally I'd advise that the PC would know this is risky then if they still want to try it, they're at risk)

EDIT TO ADD: another consideration is whether the teleporter can carry someone else. If yes then breaking people out of jail becomes a triviality; that alone would be enough to make me rule no.

Still gotta get in and out without getting caught.

 

[Lanefan]

I wouldn’t, any more than I’d require a check to successfully disengage, dash, etc.

In that case this would immediately become ripe for abuse, particularly in combat.

Still gotta get in and out without getting caught.

True, though the cell itself becomes meaningless as do any other barred barriers en route.

 

[TwoSix]

What's being proposed here seems to require line of sight. Yes there'd be some cases where it would bypass barriers (e.g. barred cells where you can see inside, or portcullises (portculli?), or narrow chasms where you can see across) but you wouldn't be able to use it to blip through a wall or door so some of those issues go away.

Line of sight would be a definite requirement. Moving to somewhere you can't actually physically see should be a high level ability, aided by scrying or clairvoyance or such.

A corner case that'd need a ruling would be where you can see your target arrival point but there's an invisible barrier such as a wall of force in the way. (personally I'd allow it unless the invisible barrier was actually at your intended arrival point, in which case things could get messy )

I think the most common D&D narrative is that you do short-range teleport by entering another plane briefly, and then popping back out, since the planes don't really connect in a Euclidean fashion. Since Wall of Force blocks etheral travel, I'd probably say it blocks the teleportation effect too. But that's really a "how does your campaign cosmology work" question, not a balance question.

Another corner case that'd inevitably arise would be what happens if someone tries to arrive on a moving surface e.g. the deck of a ship, the back of a horse or other large animal, or the branch of a tree swaying in the wind. (personally I'd advise that the PC would know this is risky then if they still want to try it, they're at risk)

Acrobatics checks seem apropos here, like in most cases where you want to see if the PC is going to fall on their ass.

EDIT TO ADD: another consideration is whether the teleporter can carry someone else. If yes then breaking people out of jail becomes a triviality; that alone would be enough to make me rule no.
[/QUOTE]
Thunder step lets you bring along one willing passenger as a 3rd level spell, so it would make sense as a limited Tier 2 feature for this hypothetical class, and an unlimited Tier 3 feature.

Besides, a teleporter should have no fear of jail; the inability to be bound is literally the power fantasy that playing a teleporter is aimed at! And even so, all it takes to control a known teleporter is a blindfold.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

In that case this would immediately become ripe for abuse, particularly in combat.
True, though the cell itself becomes meaningless as do any other barred barriers en route.

Yep, all obstacles have abilities that can bypass them, IME.
As for abuse, moving without getting attacked isn’t abuse, it’s the point.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I mean, considering what a low level teleport does, I imagine it requires line of sight and would prevent attacks of opportunity. Right off the bat this just seems like reskinning a rogue's cunning action disengage or the mobile feat when you move after an attack. That's simple enough.

Adding a 3rd dimension to the teleport to reach higher or lower places seems equivalent to reskinning the jump spell, with the jumper simply disappearing and reappearing where he would land.

So far we are achieving the desired teleport effect with existing mechanics available to low level characters.

The more difficult aspect to achieve is escaping grapples, manacles, or barriers like a jail cell. This can be achieved via misty step, and such circumstances are typically so situational that I don't imagine it would be needed more than once a short rest, which is also a mechanic available at fairly low levels via spell or racial feature.

Given that, it seems everything I can think of is already readily available to relatively low level characters until the bigger options become available at level 6 and beyond.

 

[Fenris-77]

Unless that teleporting character can take the rest of the party with him it's not the end of the world. It's not that different from, say, Alter Self and water breathing, or flying as mentioned. The first time someone teleports through a gate and then gets shanked by something players will start remembering that there is safety in numbers. Locked doors, height, and water and whatnot are often used to gate areas and while clever PCs can circumvent those gates that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

 

[Blue]

Okay, I kinda hate that 5e doesn’t have a class or subclass that can teleport frequently/at will before level 6.
How much of the power budget of a subclass would that take up?

From a world-building perspective, I am glad this doesn't exist. When it did in 4e there was a lot of discussion oh this invalidates much architecture in protection from theft, in defense, and in other ways.

 

[Fenris-77]

Needing line of sight cuts down on the shenanigans, especially if you're firm on actual line of sight, not sight gained from another source (like familiars, or, heaven help us, arcane eye). Limited distance also helps curb peoples larcenous enthusiasm.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

From a world-building perspective, I am glad this doesn't exist. When it did in 4e there was a lot of discussion oh this invalidates much architecture in protection from theft, in defense, and in other ways.

This always confuses me. PC classes are rare. Oddball classes even more so.