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While searching the web for possible house-rules to include into a campaign for my players, I stumbled across this little gem.
Linky
Iourn, who appears to be the author of the website, has some really interesting house-rules dealing with teleportation.
I really enjoy how he has the teleport spell function. Distance limitations are removed but you can only teleport to specific permanent teleportation circles and even then, you can only teleport to a circle in which you know its 'sequence'.
This allows players to cut down on travel times while not removing it completely once this spell comes online.
I am thinking I would like a Teleportation Circle to only be available in settlements of 'Large City' size or bigger and somehow giving them a opportunity in the future (perhaps via a lengthy side quest) to create a permanent tele circle somewhere. This location would function as a home base of sorts for them to return to to lick wounds, craft, or even start a settlement of their own.
1: What do you folks think of these house rules?
2: Do you foresee any potential problems?
3a:How do you think a Teleportation circle would work in a city like Magnimar?
3b: Would The Teleportation Circle be within the city walls?
3c: Would it be protected/Guarded? How?
4: Any additional thoughts?
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1: Super neat!
2: Not at first. I don't want Teleporting to be something used by the common folk, though. I suppose the cost of he spellcasting services and the inability to cast such spells themselves would stop most people.
3a: I imagine it was something commissioned to be built during the founding of the city. Perhaps you can purchase a copy of the rune sequence from a nearby vendor. I imagine Lord Mayor Groboras doesn't care much for it considering its seldom use and it's resulting negligible amount of profit it reels in.
3b: I think the Circle would have been encompassed into the city walls. for an easier way to track who is coming in or out.
3c: I think there would be guards posted 24/7. Definitely not a favorite post considering the lack of traffic but it would be foolish to leave it undefended.
4: I was trying to figure if you would enter essentially into a locked room. Guards would be alerted the circle has been used and would conduct a customs-like search just as what might be done at the front gate when walking in. Hmm, I wonder if there would be certain times of night where the portal would be warded? Like a portal curfew almost?
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If you prefer to leave the spell more flexible while still integrating your concept, consider the option of adding an expensive material component to teleport and its cousins - one that isn't required if the characters are teleporting into a prepared circle like the ones you describe.
(To really curtail teleportation's utility, I'd add the component "an ounce of soil or dust from the intended destination."
Oh! So maybe you don't purchase a copy of the sequence but perhaps almost like consumables that would be used during spellcasting for a specific location! "Oh, next time we warp to Magnimar we need more TC(Tele circle) Keys, this is my last one"
oooooh
I use the following:
Teleportation
You can only teleport a number of miles equal to your caster level. (When teleporting through the use of a racial ability, the distance is limited to a number of miles equal to your total HD.)
Teleporting characters or objects disappear instantly, but teleportation takes a number of rounds equal to the number of miles traveled (minimum of 1 round). During this time, characters at the destination of the teleport can make a Spot check (DC 20). If the check succeeds, they are aware of the incoming teleport. If the distance of the teleport is a mile or less, characters at the receiving end of the teleport will only have a surprise round in which to take actions before the teleport is completed.
Teleport Trace: Outgoing teleport spells leave a teleport trace during the duration of the teleport. Characters at the source of a teleport can make a Spot check (DC 20) to spot the teleport trace. Teleport spells and similar effects can be used to automatically follow the original teleport, although the caster will not know where the teleport spell goes until they arrive.
Dispelling Teleports: Spellcasters who are aware of the incoming teleport can attempt to counterspell the teleport (even though they are unable to see the caster).
Blocked Teleports: If a teleport is counterspelled, blocked, or otherwise disrupted the character or object being teleported returns to its original location.
Gate: The gate spell can be used to circumvent the distance limitation on teleportation. The casting time for the spell is equal to 1 round per mile traveled or 1d10 minutes for interplanar travel. During the casting time, the gate is clearly visible from both ends and events at the other end of the gate can be seen murkily through it (Spot checks suffer a -10 penalty). Once the gate is established, travel through the gate is instantaneous.
Spells (and abilities duplicating the effects of spells) with the [teleportation] descriptor cannot penetrate to an area that is entirely enclosed by more than 1 ft. of solid stone, 3 ft. of earth, an inch of metal, and/or a thin coating of lead (an exception is teleportation circle, which works normally).
The same restriction applies to scrying effects.
Kings therefore live in stone castles, not for defensibility from armies, but for secrecy; if a need to teleport or use scrying magic comes up, they can go to an outside room and open a leaded-glass window, but while inside an inner room with stone walls and a lead-lined door, their councils are protected from eavesdropping and teleporting assassins. Many wizards likewise live in stone towers with designated divining and transportation rooms open to the outside. Tombs and cultist headquarters are typically found in dungeons underground for similar reasons.
Divination and dimension door effects within a dungeon or building itself are normally not affected, as the doorways, rooms, and corridors provide “open” pathways of effect within the complex itself. However, rooms with stone walls and thick stone or metal doors would fall under these guidelines.
1: Great start and I want to see the later versions. They will come.
2: What is the expense of operation? Who can activate? Cost? Security? How much to build one? Are they linked or do you only go one place or even way? ones in 40K pass through primordial chaos (scary) and can draw all manner of oooglies! If they are too 'safe and common place' they will spoil the immersion.
3a: see 2 above
3b/c: I put mine in their own ward, protected from the interference of others, yet safely outside the actual walls. Current game city has it on an exposed platform in a 'dry cistern' that can be flooded. Once the travelers have been cleared, they can pass through a secured gate. Yes, other defenses are there.
4: Fishbourne has a great list, if published before, I probably did a copy/paste for mine. The only addition I have is the (Thewms) TCkey have a built in scry of you going to the guard mage at the other end so they know who's coming. As I also have differing versions of spells, the Elves work the same into spells that go to their hidey holes. I got that one from a player.
RQ sorcery used this idea, they were called homing circles.
The circles were placed in access controlled areas.
User conditions were also placed on them fairly regularly.
Somehow I suspect UMD would not help you hack through a homing circle user condition 500 miles away.
CASTLES AND DUNGEONS
Spells (and abilities duplicating the effects of spells) with the [teleportation] descriptor cannot penetrate to an area that is entirely enclosed by more than 1 ft. of solid stone, 3 ft. of earth, an inch of metal, and/or a thin coating of lead (an exception is teleportation circle, which works normally). The same restriction applies to scrying effects. This guideline, adapted from the Dungeonomicon (Frank and “K,” The Gaming Den), not only curtails “scry-and-fry” tactics, but also provides a rationale for the prevalence of both castles and dungeons in a game world in which dragons exist.
Kings therefore live in stone castles, not for defensibility from armies, but for secrecy; if a need to teleport or use scrying magic comes up, they can go to an outside room and open a leaded-glass window, but while inside an inner room with stone walls and a lead-lined door, their councils are protected from eavesdropping and teleporting assassins. Many wizards likewise live in stone towers with designated divining and transportation rooms open to the outside. Tombs and cultist headquarters are typically found in dungeons underground for similar reasons.
Divination and dimension door effects within a dungeon or building itself are normally not affected, as the doorways, rooms, and corridors provide “open” pathways of effect within the complex itself. However, rooms with stone walls and thick stone or metal doors (such as all of the Tomb of Horrors beyond the Chapel of Evil and Stone Gate) would fall under these guidelines.
As Daw says, the idea comes from RQ3 and it worked fine in that game. The various circles were all unique and had to be attuned to a caster before he could use them, so he had to get there at least once on foot.
The net effect is that teleportation does exist in the gameworld, but is only seldom used, at least by adventurers. It also completely defeats scry-and-die tactics.
1) Sounds OK. Just plan out who would place a circle where. Are there enough 9th+ wizards around to justify public teleport spots? Make sure there is some key or ritual required before you can use a given circle.
2) No.
3a) The authorities would have their own network, which is not accessible to outsiders. So would have mage organisations.
3b) Depends on who has access and how common teleportation is. If it is possible to beam an army in, outside the walls, if not, then in a secure location inside.
3c) A circle would always be watched, and if only by the guard who wants to know who comes and goes. The kind of guard and protection depends heavily on the available NPCs' level. Guards can range from a corporal and two recruits up to an adamantium golem inside an AMF stepping on the circle. Magical security can range from the circle being deactivated (by guard or automatically) to prevent further incomers to blasting the area with maximized mythic fireballs.
Anything is possible in a magical world - just imagine what you can do with incorporeal undead guards :)
4) Make sure the players know in advance, which they will, if they advance from low levels to when they can cast teleport.
Consider how other forms of teleportation will work in your world. There are Refuge, Word of recall, Gate, and probably some others.
The net effect is that teleportation does exist in the gameworld, but is only seldom used, at least by adventurers. It also completely defeats scry-and-die tactics.
Much in the way charm person is a lower-level spell than charm monster, I'd like to see teleport to a specific circle simply be a lower-level version of teleport. At 17th level, wizards can create their own demi-planes; I have no problem with them also being able to teleport outside of a specific destination at that point (i.e., instead of banning an option entirely, simply bump it up to the next stage of game play).