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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 5981067" data-attributes="member: 6696971">But the problem with the above is that it misrepresents the issues with the actual RAW rules (non-abusive) mechanics of the spell.  Teleport isn't a problem (for those who have a problem with it, such as myself) due to corner cases and synergistic combinations (Scry, Buff, Teleport, Assassinate).  It is a problem due to the fact that at mid-level it absolutely circumvents standard genre tropes (much in the same way that unconstrained Divinations circumvents investigation and intrigue) such as Oregon Trail attrition, overland travel (and the organic plot points that can derive from it - caravans, roadside inns, bandits, etc etc), harrowing pursuit evasion/narrow escapes, anxiety-inducing navigation of treacherous terrain or extreme environments, or cloak and dagger travel via subterfuge, stealth and uncanny wits through a city in which you are wanted or a target (of the guard, local thieves guild, or worse).  And on and on.  Once you've narrowed the scope of your game by cutting these possible adventure paths/scenes out of the picture, the level of potential, genre-relevant dynamism of your game is choked to its last breath.Yes, there are all manner of contrived conventions that DMs of 20 + years can use to short-circuit a wizard's repertoire...but the game can quickly turn into a trite effort of rock/paper/scissors and you find the entirety of your prep and in-game effort is built around trying to foresee the numerous ways that your resident Generalist Wizard PC can checkmate the excitement out of the collective fiction and circumvent anything resembling a climactic plot-point so that the session/adventure turns into a "why are we even bothering?" moment for everyone at the table who isn't the cynical Generalist Wizard.  And possibly even worse yet is when the contrived conventions become so painfully transparent that they illicit a facepalm from the players (and from the DM inside is own head....maddened that he has to use such nonsense....maddened that he cannot let his Generalist Wizard go full bore...lest the game become fully unhinged).  Yes, I know that not everyone has those problems and some have never seen them manifest ever.  I've had this same conversation with a few other posters on here.  Nonetheless, there actually are very practiced, very proficient 20 + year GMs out there who would like a module that either constrains these spells via limited, hard-coded mechanics or moves them down the line to a higher level.  They aren't foolish or afraid of cutting the spells out of the game or reaching social accord with their players to "play nice" with those spells.  They are just worn out by the games that those spells, read as written, produce.  Keep those beloved spells in the core for all I, and others, care.  All we ask for is a supported (designer created, play-tested, quality controlled) module that allows the game to retain the elements listed above for a bit longer than through level 9.</blockquote>

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