Second-Guessing Myself: Allow Teleporting While Falling?

[Deltran]

Neonchameleon: the teleport power was an Effect before the attack roll of the encounter attack power.

chitzk0i: the pit was 6 squares across and the enemy was 1 square in (7 distance) - the teleport was only 5 squares.

delericho: just to clarify, he did a move (the jump) and a standard (encounter attack power).

Nullzone: reminders like that make me want to get the new DM screen so I can have the charts at hand easier

UngeheuerLich: I feel like I have to re-read the PHB at least now - I missed all of those cases you mention


I was a little nervous about setting a cheesy precedent, but it seems that everyone so far is saying it'd be allowed in some fashion or another.

Thank you, everyone, for showing me that 1) I'm not crazy and 2) there is ample reason to let the action happen w/o additional hindrance.

 

[Journeymanmage]

I would've said, "why didn't you use the teleporting attack in the first place?"

It might be safe to assume that the Assassin (PC) was not in range. He moved (jumped) along the chasm/ledge but came up short (by 2 squares) of the opposing ledge. But in making the initial jump, it brought him within the 5 square teleport range of Inescapable Shadow.

to the OP, I would give it to him. As he's flying through the air ... he comes up short of the landing area he wants. Inescapable Shadow lets him teleport 5. If his target is within 5 then he can trigger the power/attack. Just because he came-up short on the jump does not mean he has fallen to the bottom of the chasm yet. If he takes no action, he falls as it would be the end of his turn. Unless he had a power with an unusual movement attacked (flight/hover/slow fall/teleport), he really can't do anything, as he is in mid-air. In this case, he's jumps, he's in mid-air and coming up short, he calls on his training to meld with and reform from an enemy's shadow (Inescapable Shadow) and teleports the remaining distance and attacks.

 

[Cormacolinde]

I would allow it but require an acrobatics check to make sure he lands on his feet, as he's teleporting with a momentum.

 

[the-golem]

Since it was his turn, he's allowed the standard three actions (Move, Standard, Minor). I don't know of anything in the rules that says you have to be standing on solid ground to teleport. In fact, if it was a Move action, I'd allow it too, as he'd be subbing a Standard for a Move. Of course, once he got there, he'd have to wait until his next turn to attack.

I can understand the player's ire, as this is something that should have either just happened (my opinion and his obviously) or not happened. I'd probably have him roll an Acrobatics though, after the attack, to see if he landed on his feet or whatnot.

In my games, I award creativity, and this is one of those things that should be rewarded.

Please tell me you didn't make him expend his encounter power, since he never really got to use it in the first place.

 

[Mengu]

Rules are pretty clear. If you don't end your movement on a solid surface, you fall. Regardless of what his standard action is going to be, he took a move action, and ended it in midair, therefore falling. I think you were generous allowing a save. He has no reason to complain. If I was the player in question, I would fully expect to fall.

I'm a bit more lenient when someone wants to jump charge. Since the charge attack combines movement and attack actions, I allow the attack at the end of the charge, and then, the character would fall if they are in mid-air after the attack. If the character in question had a way to use the "teleport and attack" power on a charge, I would allow the maneuver.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Without a readied action, I think you ruled it fairly. You allowed a saving throw, which is more than fair I think in that situation. Falling should be scary. I applaud the dramatic move, but sometimes things fail, which is what makes success more satisfying. In this case he missed the skill check and a saving throw. Sometimes things get ugly, it's what keeps it thrilling. How we deal with failure can be just as entertaining and exciting as being perfect all the time.

Hope your player looks at it this way as well and does not get bruised feelings because they feel their big action move failed. Some of our favorite moments in games past is when someone goes for a daring move and fails spectacularly. In fact that can be far more memorable than had they succeeded.

 

[mudlock]

Readied actions are immediate actions. You cannot take immediate actions on your turn. So I'm surprised how many people are presenting that as the "solution."

Unless you can fly, at the end of each action, if you're not on solid ground, you fall. There is an exception, and it includes jumping, but it won't help here: if you roll high enough on your jump check that you *exceed* the maximum distance of your movement (i.e., have a speed of 5 and roll like a 30), then you can use a *double move* to continue your jump and land safely.

Offering a saving throw was generous.

 

[mneme]

I would totally have allowed it, as it's awesome. But you were entirely within your rights to disallow it (or to require a roll).

 

[mudlock]

That's a good point: it IS awesome. Never let the rules get in the way of unadulterated awesomeness.

If you thought him jump-port-stabbing was awesome, let it happen. (Maybe let him know that, technically, the rules don't work that way, so you can reserve the right to NOT let it happen that way next time.)

But if you wanted your encounter to focus around the difficulty of navigating this narrow walkway, and for only the most athletic adventurers to be able to leap across the vast chasm (which you were generous enough to NOT make them be prone at the bottom of some deep pit they had to climb out of, taking them out of the fight for 2 or 3 rounds, but rather, put them back up at the top with minimal damage) then the rules support you fully in letting him fall.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Concur with mudlock.. I would allow it, and say "in the future you fall unless you declared the teleport-attack along with the jump. If something interupts the jump or you don't get close enough for the attack to trigger, you lose your action."

This way its awesome, the player wins, and the resulting rule is within the spirit of the raw.



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