Teleportation / Fey Step in three dimensions

[ladycass]

I'd let him do it, with a difficulty and DC based on what he hopes to accomplish. Whatever the results are, they need to be weaker than another class's At Will powers.

If he wants to apply a status effect to the enemy (like prone) then he'll need to hit with an attack and won't get to deal damage. Damage + Prone is the purview of powers.

If he wants to deal damage, then he's making a normal attack with a +1 higher ground bonus. If he's willing to take another d6 damage and can teleport higher, he'd also get the +1 from charging.

If he wants it to be a surprise maneuver and generate combat advantage, it needs to be combined with a Bluff check the round before (probably with a +2 bonus unless the enemy has some reason to suspect a death from above teleport). Alternatively, he could combine the teleportation with a stealth check.

I try to allow everything as long as it sounds plausible. The trick is in making sure it isn't too powerful. If he wants to do crazy stuff because he wants some grounds from which to argue huge bonuses, don't allow it. If he wants to do crazy stuff because it's cool, fit it into the framework of the game's existing rules as best as possible, and award XP bonuses instead of instakills.

This post is very helpful. Thank you!

I think most of my "you can't do that" reaction to the teleporting mid air stuff is that it just isn't anything you ever had to worry about a 1st level character doing in 3.X. Immediatly this seemed both an overpowered skill and contrary to the intent of fey step. The posts here have helped give me some practical ways to balance the ability and handle some of the situations that arise.

I too am a firm believer of allowing players to have fun with abilities as long as they do not break my game.

 

[James McMurray]

This post is very helpful. Thank you!

Glad to help.

A short follow up: If I were writing it now I'd rephrase "they need to be weaker" to "they need to be weaker or riskier." I'd be ok with him making an attack out of it that does [2W] instead of the [W] of a standard basic attack, if there was a downside. It could be that he's automatically prone afterwards, takes extra falling damage if he misses, or whatever.

 

[weem]

A short follow up: If I were writing it now I'd rephrase "they need to be weaker" to "they need to be weaker or riskier." I'd be ok with him making an attack out of it that does [2W] instead of the [W] of a standard basic attack, if there was a downside. It could be that he's automatically prone afterwards, takes extra falling damage if he misses, or whatever.

Absolutely agree. You could even get into adding a feat down the road allowing for not falling prone after such a move, etc etc.

 

[James McMurray]

Definitely. If it becomes a favored tactic of theirs, make it into an optional class power or feat, which would let it jump in power level because it becomes balanced by the same resource requirement as the rest of the feats and powers.

 

[Cryptos]

I think that the possibilities of somehow using it as an attack are overcomplicating the core issue and causing us to "nerf ourselves", basically.

Is it fun to allow someone to use their per encounter power to teleport out of a pit? Is it more fun to say "no" to the player and leave their character in a pit and out of the action indefinitely?

I'd say that movement in three dimensions must be assumed, as there are plenty of powers granting flight and monsters with tactics that try to stay in flight during an encounter. Yet despite accounting for 3D movement in the game, they didn't call out teleport as being 2D by specifically stating "you can only teleport horizontally."

So, I'd say, "yes" to the teleporting in three dimensions. To using it to attack someone, I'd say "yes, and", as in "Yes, you teleport above your opponent. Keeping in mind that the opponent doesn't necessarily occupy the whole square, and isn't necessarily standing still when its not his turn, you fall down next to him", disallowing it as an attack unless its used with a power, feat, or ability that specifically makes it an attack.

The whole attack aspect of this is causing us to limit an ability that is otherwise fine as written. This should be simple.

 

[Lost in Thyme]

With the ability to teleport into the air, you have now giving us the dragoon.

 

[mvincent]

Without my books handy, either the Eladrin power, or the teleportation keyword, specify that you cannot teleport to a square you couldn't normally end your move at. I don't typically allow my characters to "move" on squares that are not at ground level. So unless they're *also* flying, no teleporting 10 feet above somebody/something.

I don't find that conclusion warranted to begin with, but the rules (DMG p.48) do say:
"It is possible that a creature far above the ground can spend more than a round falling to the ground."

 

[James McMurray]

Sounds like an Eladrin specific Paragon Path to me.

 

[NykeYoung]

Death from above?

Fey Jumper?

Don't blink, or an Eladrin will fall on you?

 

[Aria Silverhands]

Glad to help.

A short follow up: If I were writing it now I'd rephrase "they need to be weaker" to "they need to be weaker or riskier." I'd be ok with him making an attack out of it that does [2W] instead of the [W] of a standard basic attack, if there was a downside. It could be that he's automatically prone afterwards, takes extra falling damage if he misses, or whatever.

I disagree. Feystep is an encounter power. It should be stronger than an at-will.