Teleport Tactician - What does the word 'use' mean?

[Auspician]

The benefit for Teleport Tactician reads:

SRD wrote:

Any creature using a teleportation effect to enter or leave a square threatened by you provokes an attack of opportunity, even if casting defensively or using a supernatural ability.

In the effect of this feat, how is the word 'use' defined? Put another way, in the following situations, would the 'teleporter' provoke an AoO from the holder of a teleport tactician feat who is threatening them?

1: The teleporter casts teleport.
2: The teleporter activates boots of teleport.
3: The teleporter activates the dimensional steps ability.
4: The teleporter steps into a teleportation circle he was aware of.
5: The teleporter steps into a teleportation circle he was *not* aware of.
6: A contingency teleportation effect created by the teleporter activates upon them.
7: The teleporter's allies cast a teleport spell upon them.
8: The teleporter's enemies cast a teleport spell upon them (to which they are willing).
9: The teleporter's allies activate dimensional steps upon them.
10: The teleporter's enemies activate dimensional steps upon them (to which they are willing).

You can see the need for a definition of 'use' - is use defined here as 'make use of' a teleport effect? Does it still apply if the subject is not willing (as in case 5)? Or does is 'use' defined as 'personally make it happen', meaning that in cases 4-10 (other than possibly 6) their teleportation does not provoke an AoO?

Some clarification would be nice here . . . thanks!

[ciretose]

Auspician wrote:

The benefit for Teleport Tactician reads:

SRD wrote:

Any creature using a teleportation effect to enter or leave a square threatened by you provokes an attack of opportunity, even if casting defensively or using a supernatural ability.

In the effect of this feat, how is the word 'use' defined? Put another way, in the following situations, would the 'teleporter' provoke an AoO from the holder of a teleport tactician feat who is threatening them?

1: The teleporter casts teleport.
2: The teleporter activates boots of teleport.
3: The teleporter activates the dimensional steps ability.
4: The teleporter steps into a teleportation circle he was aware of.
5: The teleporter steps into a teleportation circle he was *not* aware of.
6: A contingency teleportation effect created by the teleporter activates upon them.
7: A contingency teleportation effect created by *an ally* activates upon them.
8: A contingency teleportation effect created by *an enemy* (known or unknown) activates upon them.
9: The teleporter's allies cast a teleport spell upon them.
10: The teleporter's enemies cast a teleport spell upon them (to which they are willing).
11: The teleporter's allies activate dimensional steps upon them.
12: The teleporter's enemies activate dimensional steps upon them (to which they are willing).

You can see the need for a definition of 'use' - is use defined here as 'make use of' a teleport effect? Does it still apply if the subject is not willing (as in case 5 or 8)? Or does is 'use' defined as 'personally make it happen', meaning that in cases 4-12 (other than possibly 6) their teleportation does not provoke an AoO?

Some clarification would be nice here . . . thanks!

It applies to all of the above.

You are using a teleportation effect in all of the examples.

[Auspician]

Thanks, Ciretose. So you are 'using' a teleportation effect even if you are unwilling, and the effect is basically being 'used' upon you?

[ciretose]

Auspician wrote:

Thanks, Ciretose. So you are 'using' a teleportation effect even if you are unwilling, and the effect is basically being 'used' upon you?

I would say yes. You are being moved from the square using a teleportation effect, which I read as the trigger for the AoO.

My read is that it is the process of being teleported that is the trigger, not the source from which it comes.

[LazarX]

Auspician wrote:

Thanks, Ciretose. So you are 'using' a teleportation effect even if you are unwilling, and the effect is basically being 'used' upon you?

Yes... you can be put off your guard even by unwilling means. On the other hand if you're not willing and you save against the spell, then this doesn't apply.

If the spell specifies willing targets only than you can't be an unwilling target.

[Auspician]

ciretose wrote:

My read is that it is the process of being teleported that is the trigger, not the source from which it comes.

Very interesting. So it could be quite a potent trap to have a teleportation circle in a hallway, a fighter in the 5' square behind it, and the destination of the teleport effect immediately behind him. A fighter with a high dexterity and teleport tactician would get two AoO's on anyone who attempted to get into non-reach melee with him, and could theoretically do this for as many PCs as attempted to face him in melee.

This question is a bit off-topic: could you set a teleportation circle's destination to the triggering point of another teleportation circle, and have the destination of *that* teleportation circle the original teleportation circle's triggering point? If so, this would seem to create an infinite teleportation loop that would allow a fighter as described above the entirety of their AoO's every round? More importantly, would the effect ever end, or would the subject be in permanent limbo until something like dispel magic or an antimagic field were brought to bear?

[Auspician]

LazarX wrote:

Yes... you can be put off your guard even by unwilling means. On the other hand if you're not willing and you save against the spell, then this doesn't apply.

If the spell specifies willing targets only than you can't be an unwilling target.

Teleportation circle grants no saving throw.