Monk with Staff of the Traveler

[RangerWickett]

Staff of the Traveler (in PHB3) is an implement staff that has a property which, to the best of my recollection, says: Whenever you would shift, you can instead teleport a number of squares equal to the amount you would have shifted.

Monks can use staffs as implements. Monks also have an at-will that lets them shift 2 squares as a move action, plus many other shifty powers.

I put these together, and my GM was rightfully concerned at the power. Our compromise, which I think is fair, is that the property only lets you teleport if you would be able to shift. You would not be able to use it while prone, or while immobilized or restrained. You can still use it to hop around difficult terrain, go through fences really easily, and dodge enemies.

What do you think? Does that sound fair? I personally am very eager to play Nightcrawler.

 

[Piratecat]

How is your compromise a compromise? I think I may be missing something. Either way, I think the character concept is great (although tying a concept to an item is always a little problematic) and I would definitely allow it.

Note that teleporting while prone leaves you prone, and you can't shift while you're prone, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Also, remember that you can shift around corners and into areas you can't see; that won't happen with the staff, either, since you need to see where you're teleporting to.

 

[Kingreaper]

How is your compromise a compromise? I think I may be missing something.

It doesn't let you teleport out of physical immobilisation.

 

[Insight]

Actually, your "compromise" is a correct interpretation of the verbiage of the item's power. "Whenever you would shift..." means you would have to be able to shift in order to teleport instead. It doesn't necessarily mean you can teleport any time a power allows you to shift (that would be a little powerful).

 

[Piratecat]

Actually, your "compromise" is a correct interpretation of the verbiage of the item's power. "Whenever you would shift..." means you would have to be able to shift in order to teleport instead. It doesn't necessarily mean you can teleport any time a power allows you to shift (that would be a little powerful).

That's my read as well. You can't shift if you're immobilized, so the staff wouldn't function.

 

[RangerWickett]

(although tying a concept to an item is always a little problematic)

One intriguing insight that came out of one of the various edition wars threads that in 3e your own powers weren't as interesting as your magic item powers. In 4e, while the designers did make your own powers more interesting, they occasionally took cool powers that were magic item-based in 3e, and wholly eliminated them instead of finding a way to give them to PCs. More often they took magic powers that you used to be able to use all the time, and made magic items that can do them just once a day. (Of course, those powers were probably overpowered, but hey, rings of invisibility have cachet.)

My personal preference would be even fewer magic items than 4e assumes (attack, AC, other defenses, plus miscellaneous), and to instead have more magical properties PCs could learn for themselves. Then again, I get the appeal of being able to swap out magic items so you regularly have new tricks. Maybe they'll have something like it when 4e's Unearthed Arcana comes out.

Note that teleporting while prone leaves you prone, and you can't shift while you're prone, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Also, remember that you can shift around corners and into areas you can't see; that won't happen with the staff, either, since you need to see where you're teleporting to.

Yeah. I'm cool with that. I just love short-distance teleports. I eagerly look forward to using Five Storms to teleport into the center of a group of enemies, and then whirlwind attack them.

(It does amuse me, though, that while 4e lets you teleport a lot, it puts odd restrictions on it. Like, if I'm blind, nothing in the rules says I can't navigate my way around a corner, but you can't blindly teleport around a corner. And teleporting is instantaneous movement, but if you teleport more than 2 squares and try to hide, you instantaneously moved too quickly, and take a penalty. *grin*)

Oh, and as for teleporting while prone, in a previous campaign with the same GM, we decided that a prone eladrin could fey step into the air, then make an Acrobatics check to tumble in midair and land on his feet. God I love teleporting.

I need to learn parkour. That's the closest I figure you can get in real life.

 

[Piratecat]

Oh, and as for teleporting while prone, in a previous campaign with the same GM, we decided that a prone eladrin could fey step into the air, then make an Acrobatics check to tumble in midair and land on his feet. God I love teleporting.

That's valid and cool, although I'd definitely make them make the check; nothing is funnier than someone who does this and flubs it. The monsters stop attacking long enough to point and laugh.

That wouldn't work with the staff, though; since it only triggers on a shift, and I believe you can't shift while prone, you're probably out of luck.

 

[Storminator]

...and I believe you can't shift while prone...

Where is that? I can't find it in the PHB or compendium.

Crawling lets you go half your move, and at our table you can't crawl-shift unless you can shift 2 squares. But that happens all the time.

PS

 

[DracoSuave]

Where is that? I can't find it in the PHB or compendium.

Crawling lets you go half your move, and at our table you can't crawl-shift unless you can shift 2 squares. But that happens all the time.

PS

You cannot move when prone, except to crawl. Crawl means to move at half your -speed-.

You cannot take two different move actions at the same time and call it one move action. You cannot run/shift, walk/shift, or crawl/shift.

 

[RangerWickett]

Well, I know there's a feat in PHB 3 that lets you shift at full speed while prone. But hm, I don't actually see a rule for a no shifting while prone restriction.