D&D 5E Low Level Teleportation

[doctorbadwolf]

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.

Yep. I’d upgrade it to longer distance and not needing line of sight eventually, but the low level version would be short and require line of sight.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Still not sure if it’s better as a rogue or monk subclass.

I think there should also be a warlock patron that grants at-will teleportation at level 1, but I’d also settle for a Pact of The Portkey that gives limited teleports, and has an Invocation that makes it more frequent.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Still not sure if it’s better as a rogue or monk subclass.

I think there should also be a warlock patron that grants at-will teleportation at level 1, but I’d also settle for a Pact of The Portkey that gives limited teleports, and has an Invocation that makes it more frequent.

Oh, and higher level invocations that let you turn any door into a portal to another doorway you’re familiar with, 1/rest.

 

[Bawylie]

Check out the Blink spell for reference.

3rd level spell. Duration 1 minute (so basically a combat). At the end of your turn you have a 50% chance to disappear. You reappear at the start of your next turn within 10 feet of your original position (to a space you can see).

Now that spell pretty much makes you untarget-able about half the time. Which seems like its primary function. It’s a big effect. Very big. The movement is a minor component. And unless the movement would also make you functionally untargetable, it’s not anywhere close to the same effect.

IMO, you could easily have a mess of extra movement (on par with anyone else who has extra movement) at about the same rate. That makes me think of Expeditious Retreat. That’s a 1st level spell that lasts 10 minutes and grants you a bonus action dash, every turn for the duration (requires concentration).

So here’s my proposal. A spell like Expeditious retreat that permits a bonus action teleport up to 15 feet (destination within line of sight), concentration up to 10 min. OR a similar type of spell but instead of a bonus action, it’s your movement. So you’d gain a movement speed of Teleportation: 30 ft for the duration. Still needs line of sight and concentration.

That spell could easily fit on the Fighter’s spell list for level one spells and have a mess of utility throughout their career.

IMO that’s the smallest possible change you can make to get closest to the effect you want. No subclass, no class, no class feature shenanigans. One spell that’s mostly like another spell. I think you could put it on the wizard spell list too, so you can grab it as a feat.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Check out the Blink spell for reference.

3rd level spell. Duration 1 minute (so basically a combat). At the end of your turn you have a 50% chance to disappear. You reappear at the start of your next turn within 10 feet of your original position (to a space you can see).

Now that spell pretty much makes you untarget-able about half the time. Which seems like its primary function. It’s a big effect. Very big. The movement is a minor component. And unless the movement would also make you functionally untargetable, it’s not anywhere close to the same effect.

IMO, you could easily have a mess of extra movement (on par with anyone else who has extra movement) at about the same rate. That makes me think of Expeditious Retreat. That’s a 1st level spell that lasts 10 minutes and grants you a bonus action dash, every turn for the duration (requires concentration).

So here’s my proposal. A spell like Expeditious retreat that permits a bonus action teleport up to 15 feet (destination within line of sight), concentration up to 10 min. OR a similar type of spell but instead of a bonus action, it’s your movement. So you’d gain a movement speed of Teleportation: 30 ft for the duration. Still needs line of sight and concentration.

That spell could easily fit on the Fighter’s spell list for level one spells and have a mess of utility throughout their career.

IMO that’s the smallest possible change you can make to get closest to the effect you want. No subclass, no class, no class feature shenanigans. One spell that’s mostly like another spell. I think you could put it on the wizard spell list too, so you can grab it as a feat.

I actually really like that. I’d still need to make a monk sub that gets wizard spells to do it with a monk, but otherwise it all works out.

I’ll look into that. I particularly like it giving a Teleportation Speed, so you can split up the teleports.

 

[Bawylie]

I actually really like that. I’d still need to make a monk sub that gets wizard spells to do it with a monk, but otherwise it all works out.

I’ll look into that. I particularly like it giving a Teleportation Speed, so you can split up the teleports.

Sorry, I didn’t realize you were doing Monk. Just add the feature to Step of the Wind. Spend a Ki point to Dodge, Dash, or Disengage as a bonus action. Instead of doubling your Jump distance, you gain a movement speed of Teleport: 30ft. (Line of sight, etc.). That’ll get you around just fine.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Sorry, I didn’t realize you were doing Monk. Just add the feature to Step of the Wind. Spend a Ki point to Dodge, Dash, or Disengage as a bonus action. Instead of doubling your Jump distance, you gain a movement speed of Teleport: 30ft. (Line of sight, etc.). That’ll get you around just fine.

True. Tho I might also give that monk ‘port spells, like Thunder Step.

 

[Lanefan]

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

Depends how you build your world, and whether or not non-PC or non-played adventurers are out there in any numbers.

In my world they are, if for no other reason than to explain the existence of replacement PCs.

 

[Lanefan]

Oh, and higher level invocations that let you turn any door into a portal to another doorway you’re familiar with, 1/rest.

Ooh, on first reading this is a cool idea for a spell.

The only immediate risks I can see is that it would very quickly turn into too much of a get-out-of-danger escape spell and-or it would allow parties to go back to town and rest each night after a hard day's adventuring then go back next morning and pick up where they left off.

 

[Blue]

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

The 4e example was a race.

Also, you are making the assumption that only PCs have features from classes, which is not true. There are those who cast spells, etc.

By definition, low level features will be more common than high level. By demographics, you get a settlement of 10K and it'd have a good number of equivalents of low level PCs. Get a big fantasy city and it will be much more.

Just a few for hire by invaders or as part of a assassin's guild will completely change the nature of needed defenses, even if not common. Just like a high level mage would - but much more common since it's a low level effect.