Both these races gain access to a form of teleport, but they are limited by proficiency bonus number of uses per long rest. This further shows that even when races gain native access to teleport, it is limited by usage. I think this further shows that teleportation is limited much more strictly than something like a fly speed, which is in itself fairly controversial for low level characters.
Misty step doesn't get you out of prone either, and you can absolutely jump as a barbarian (Advantage on Str).
No, but you can misty step while prone or with 0 speed or when grappled. Honestly, I'm struggling to understand how jumping as a barbarian is relevant. Even a barbarian is limited to a horizontal jump distance of their strength score, or a high jump of 3 + their strength modifier, assuming a 10ft running start. Both of those require movement, and are far more limited than what can be accomplished with a 30ft misty step in any direction. Additionally, by RAW your jump distance is still limited to your normal movement limit. Even with a 1st level jump spell tripling your jump distance, you can't jump farther than your movement speed on a turn without also dashing or otherwise increasing your normal movement rate.
And while those are more things, those things don't come up very often. You could go several sessions before Misty Step is used for more than Disengageing.
Right, but a fireball spell may also only ever be used once every couple of sessions. The fact that things don't come up often does not in and of itself suggest you should have more access to it.
"spend an amount of movement equal to half your Speed (round down) to teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 10 feet of yourself"
Thus you can teleport 10' * 2 = 20', every turn.
Slower than walking, but it's unlimited teleportation.
I reread the cartographer ability. It's actually pretty cool. And yes, you can teleport up to 20ft per turn (40ft if you dash), or you can teleport up to 70ft (140ft if you dash) if you are teleporting next to characters holding your maps within 30ft of you. But it still requires that you have movement to spend, meaning it is useless when grappled or restrained (one of the big benefits of teleporting). Additionally, you are technically making mini-teleporting jaunts. Can you use it to cross a 20ft ravine? Technically, you appear in mid-air over the ravine. RAW suggests you immediately start falling, and when falling it is immediate up to a distance of 500ft (per Xanathar's if you are falling more than 500ft, you instantly fall 500ft at the start of your turn and another 500ft at the end of your turn). So the fact that it is multiple short teleporting hops may also limit the utility. Or change it to crossing 20ft of lava. You are going to appear, even for an instance, on the lava surface at the midpoint. Do you take that 10d10 fire damage?
Saying the shadow monk take "6 levels" of investment makes it sound like they have 5 dead levels where they get nothing. Their movement feature is interspersed with the damage and defense features.
I didn't say or even suggest those were dead levels. But it is an example of the level of commitment one needs to engage with in order to unlock that kind of ability. Teleport, as it currently exists in 5e, is always limited by either usages per rest or strict conditions on its usage. If a character can access a better version of teleport with fewer restrictions, it devalues the Shadow Monk as a subclass, especially given that it is the most expansive form of teleport for the available level. This is another form of mechanical balance that should be considered when designing new mechanics. If a new mechanic invalidates an established mechanic, then is it truly balanced?
Boon of Dimensional Travel.
And again, Cartographer.
Thanks. But Boon of Dimensional Travel requires you to be at least 19th level, which further proves my point.
But even the cartographer's version of teleport is extremely limited, even if it can be used at will (assuming you have the movement to spend). It's very short jaunts unless you are joining a character with one of your maps, and is useless when grappled or restrained.
There's also a cantrip in Keith Baker's Quickstone called Orien Step. It's unlimited teleportation, but its an action for 5ft, and specifies you cannot teleport through solid objects or out of manacles and similar restraints.
I compared it to the other movement features.
It's maybe 1.5x to 2x better.
I think it is better to instead compare it to other abilities that grant forms of teleportation. Teleportation is not like other forms of movement. Looking at the existing feats, racial abilities, class abilities, and items that grant teleportation is a better place to start for effective balancing of mechanics, at least from my perspective.
Or see Goliath, which gives you a pretty direct comparison.
Cloud: teleport 30'
Fire: +1d10 damage.
Both examples are limited to a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Whether its the cloud's jaunt or the fire's burn, its gonna be no more than twice per long rest until level 5.
So does having a swim speed. Or darkvision.
I don't really understand the comparison. We can see the way the designers treated swim speeds and darkvision. They have a low impact on the game balance, hence why they are so easily obtained in ways that are not limited in times used or constraints on usage. Teleport is treated much more cautiously.
Not neccicaraly. Again, see cartographer.
Fair. But even then you aren't moving far, and can't get out of grapples or restraint.
I don't know if it let's you escape manacles.
If it did, wouldn't you also "escape" your armor and arrive naked everywhere?
Ok, maybe it's fair to rule you can't escape manacles. This is an area more for DM fiat to decide. But there are still tons of other utility advantages teleport would allow you to escape.
Not at all.
Misty Step is a level 2 spell.
Flight is a level 3 spell.
Yea, but I can get an permanent fly speed at level 1 by being an aarakocra or fairy. I can't get similar access to teleportation without it being limited to twice per long rest.
I don't see anyone suggestion you can teleport unlimited distance.
30' seems to be the default.
I didn't say or suggest unlimited distance. I'm saying you can either do it only a certain number of times per rest, or there are heavy constraints placed on the quality of the teleport (which can include factors like distance traveled, the kind of action required, using resources like spell slots, requiring expending movement, limiting it to areas of darkness, requiring certain conditions to activate, etc).
