D&D 5E If you use thunderstep but teleport less than 10 feet do you take damage?

[Lyxen]

The literal functioning of the spell depends on whether you assume disappearing and and appearing to be two temporally distinct events, or merely the same event observed in different locations. I also don't think that figuring out the RAW is really that important. First off, there simply is not enough information and the rules are not written tightly enough that it would be possible to do so in this instance, and secondly, as Crawford is committed to demonstrating, literal RAW is often nonsensical mess.

Just to be clear, this is exactly my position as well, as expressed early in this post. I mostly try (but probably fail) to demonstrate that attempts at having only one explanation are usually wrong because the rules are written in an open fashion and in natural language, which leaves lots of room for interpretation.

In particular, if you want teleportation to be "unitary" in the sense that it cannot be split, I'm absolutely fine with it nothing says otherwise in the books. But neither do the books say that it is that way, other interpretations are just as valid, and I like to present them because sometimes, they lead to interesting possibilities in the game.

So just decide how you want it to work in your game, and do that. And inform the players of the ruling before they use the spell; the characters in the setting can be assumed to know how their magic works.

Indeed. And my further advice is to be benevolent towards your players, you are, after all, running this game for their fun. Having things blow up in their face just because one of the potential interpretations could be considered to say so is not really fun IMHO.

 

[Maxperson]

This is incorrect. The trigger is not the spell, as it's not necessarily an perceivable circumstance. The trigger is the caster disappearing. Readied actions INTERRUPT another creature's turn, it's specifically written that way: "If the reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction."

The trigger must finish, though. Your readied action has no ability to stop an instant teleport so that you can run 30 feet or attack someone before they reappear. The trigger of disappearing does not finish until reappearance. End of story.

You have many examples, like the opportunity attack, or the casting of counterspell, who interrupt whatever is going on, which can then resume after the reaction completes.

Nope. Not one of those can stop a teleport once the person vanishes.

 

[Maxperson]

Teleportation moves you from one place to another without crossing the intermediate space (in particular because you do not choose the path that you take when teleporting). Because teleportation fails within the sphere, you cannot appear there, full stop.

That makes no sense. There's no requirement for you to pick the path in order to cross space. I don't pick the path of the airplanes I board, but I still cross space to the place I am landing.

Teleport also crosses space even though the caster doesn't pick the path. It just does so instantly and bypasses physical obstructions. In other words, it goes through another dimension to get you there.

And...............................I've said the same thing in like every post man. You cannot appear in the sphere, yes. What the sphere does not do per RAW is stop the teleport from beginning outside the sphere. It only prevents teleportation WITHIN THE SPHERE. So by RAW, the teleport goes off without a hitch from outside and then fails inside, leaving the caster in a limbo that the rules do not cover.

And as it fails as a destination point within the sphere, it simply fails. You have no destination, no path, so you simply don't move.

This is not written anywhere, but would be a ruling the DM could make.

The teleportation fails.

The rules for the anti-magic sphere do not say teleportation fails. It says, teleportation fails WITHIN THE SPHERE. Only half of it fails, not all of it.

Prove it. Show me where it says that you cross the space.

"This spell instantly transports you and up to eight willing creatures of your choice that you can see within range, or a single object that you can see within range, to a destination you select."

There. It transports you to a destination. There is no mention of not crossing intervening space and without such wording, it works like any other transportation other than you arrive instantly. YOU have to prove your claim of no intervening space, which isn't said anywhere.

What's more, Dimension Door is a teleport spell. Clearly from the name, teleportation goes through another dimension(plane). And, the Hallow spell says this.

"Extradimensional Interference. Affected creatures can't move or travel using teleportation or by extradimensional or interplanar means."

Clearly teleportation is travel through another dimension, or it wouldn't be placed in the Extradimensional Interference category. If travel happened with no intervening space, no other dimensions would be accessed and Hallow would not affect it.

And more. The School of Conjuration in the Wizard Class says this.

"As your mastery grows, you learn spells of transportation and can teleport yourself across vast distances, even to other planes of existence, in an instant."

Not travel instantly without crossing intervening space, but rather it explicitly says you teleport across the vast distances.

So again, you need to prove that all of what RAW says or implies is wrong and that your claim of no intervening space being crossed when you teleport is correct.

 

[Maxperson]

Wrong. This is not what the spell says.



And the damage is instantaneous TOO, sorry. And, contrary to the reappearance, the damage is specified to be IMMEDIATELY after the reappearance. So the sequence is clear: Disappearance, Damage, Reappearance, all instantaneous, bus not simultaneous either, as per the Xanathar rule.

No. Disappearance and reappearance are the same effect. The singular effect of teleporting. The spell does not break that up into two effects, despite the unfortunate wording that is giving you trouble.

 

[amethal]

Indeed. And my further advice is to be benevolent towards your players, you are, after all, running this game for their fun. Having things blow up in their face just because one of the potential interpretations could be considered to say so is not really fun IMHO.

D&D is a group game, it's not just about one player.

In our group everyone else would find it hilarious if the situation forced the caster to get caught in the blast of their own spell.

 

[Maxperson]

D&D is a group game, it's not just about one player.

In our group everyone else would find it hilarious if the situation forced the caster to get caught in the blast of their own spell.

It's also about challenge, and playing teleportation as one effect like it is, where the disappearance and reappearance are one effect, means that the spell causes damage to the caster if he goes 10 feet or less. That adds a small bit of challenge to the game. Now you have to consider that when you use the spell. Lots of players enjoy D&D games that challenge them, so removing that challenge is not going to be enjoyable by everyone who plays the game.

 

[Lyxen]

The trigger must finish, though.

It did. The caster disappeared. You seem to be thinking that the trigger must be an action which needs to complete, but this is not what the rules are saying. The triggers are perceivable circumstances, which are way better than actions since actions are not necessarily perceivable.

The caster has disappeared, the trigger is complete, the reaction occurs and interrupts whatever was happening. These are the rules.

Your readied action has no ability to stop an instant teleport so that you can run 30 feet or attack someone before they reappear. The trigger of disappearing does not finish until reappearance. End of story.

You are inventing rules here. It's OK if it is your personal interpretation, but I'm waiting to see one sliver of rule in there, because there is none. Everything I tell you is supported by clear rules, in particular about the ready action and its capacity to interrupt.

 

[Irlo]

It's also about challenge, and playing teleportation as one effect like it is, where the disappearance and reappearance are one effect, means that the spell causes damage to the caster if he goes 10 feet or less. That adds a small bit of challenge to the game. Now you have to consider that when you use the spell. Lots of players enjoy D&D games that challenge them, so removing that challenge is not going to be enjoyable by everyone who plays the game.

It might add a small bit of challenge for the players when the spell is used by the PCs, but it will also reduce challenge for the players when used against the PCs by an NPC.

 

[Lyxen]

No. Disappearance and reappearance are the same effect.

Prove it. Because I have a proof that they are not. When does the damage occur ? Just after the disappearance. Not the appearance, not the teleport, just the disappearance.

The singular effect of teleporting.

There is no such thing in the rules. If there is, prove it. And description of OTHER spells do not count, they apply only to these spells, as they have their specificities too.

The spell does not break that up into two effects, despite the unfortunate wording that is giving you trouble.

It's not giving me any trouble, it's giving YOU trouble, since you keep changing the words in the sentence to try to have it say what you feel it should say. I'm just using the words as written.

 

[Maxperson]

It did. The caster disappeared. You seem to be thinking that the trigger must be an action which needs to complete, but this is not what the rules are saying. The triggers are perceivable circumstances, which are way better than actions since actions are not necessarily perceivable.

You cannot interrupt a singular effect like teleportation. For the trigger to finish, the teleport must finish. I mean, you're arguing that someone can ready an action to run behind a wall if a fireball blooms to the size of 5 feet. Then he gets to freeze the fireball in mid explosion and move, then fireball gets to continue exploding. It doesn't work like that. You can't split an effect.