Looking for ways to make a difficult teleport

[Donny_Green]

I should explain

One of our GM's is running an under mountain campaign and despite allowing all 3.5 material, is trying to run it more like a 3.0 dungeon hop.
He's also the type to get very frustrated with magic, and that what my little gnome is.
Long story short I have to work alot harder to get away with some of the idea's I have.

We've been running into innocents lately, and luckily haven't killed any. This leaves the group with the dilemma of escorting any said innocents back to the entrance.

So I got this idea that we could possibly start teleporting these people to the entrance. (full circle) but my GM is telling me it's going to take more than a simple wand/staff of teleport, or even the basic teleport spell for this to work.

Does anyone on the playground know what I can do to increase the chances of a successful teleport?

I'm looking for spell, and magic items.

Thanks all

[Slipperychicken]

Can't you simply walk them back to the entrance? Or get a hireling to do it?

[Donny_Green]

Can't you simply walk them back to the entrance? Or get a hireling to do it?
We've got alot of gold, I'd rather streamline the process.

[Jack_Simth]

Well of Many Worlds? Cubic Gate? Although really, it's Undermountain, so the blocking is via DM fiat (pretty much by definition).

[Donny_Green]

Well of Many Worlds? Cubic Gate? Although really, it's Undermountain, so the blocking is via DM fiat (pretty much by definition).

Well it's always about negotiation with this GM... but to help with that, I'm looking for something to help increase the control over the teleport, not randomize it even more.

[Miss Disaster]

I'm not sure what your level is ... but can the 6th level Wiz/Sorc spell Shadow Walk circumvent the unique difficulties you are having with Teleport descriptors spell in your Undermountain campaign?

[Slipperychicken]

Will the Teleport spells still work? If he's just talking about the default failure chance, it's only ~5% chance to not land where you want, assuming you've carefully studied the entrance. You can just re-cast it if you wind up off-target (if you can cast it N times in a row, the effective failure chance = 1/[20^N]). Also, you could stuff the civilians inside a portable hole or something if you're worried about the piddly 1d10 from mishaps killing them.

Alternatively, you can teleport them to your house (or whatever passes as "familiar" to your character) for almost zero failure chance, and just let the civvies crash there for a while until you're done with the crawl. Maybe you can cast Magnificent Mansion near your house so they have a nice place to stay.


Well it's always about negotiation with this GM... but to help with that, I'm looking for something to help increase the control over the teleport, not randomize it even more.

I'm guessing you guys don't have access to Greater Teleport?

[HunterOfJello]

The long distance pseudo-teleport spells that don't touch the Astral Plane are probably your best bet.

At level 13 or so those would be Shadow Walk, Plane Shift, and Tree Stride.

~~~

You could also invest effort into building a small hidden sanctuary for all of these people you keep meeting.

[Donny_Green]

The long distance pseudo-teleport spells that don't touch the Astral Plane are probably your best bet.

At level 13 or so those would be Shadow Walk, Plane Shift, and Tree Stride.

~~~

You could also invest effort into building a small hidden sanctuary for all of these people you keep meeting.

I'm a beguiler, shadow walk is definitely on the list, but still requires I escort said civilian back.

[Donny_Green]

Will the Teleport spells still work? If he's just talking about the default failure chance, it's only ~5% chance to not land where you want, assuming you've carefully studied the entrance. You can just re-cast it if you wind up off-target (if you can cast it N times in a row, the effective failure chance = 1/[20^N]). Also, you could stuff the civilians inside a portable hole or something if you're worried about the piddly 1d10 from mishaps killing them.

Alternatively, you can teleport them to your house (or whatever passes as "familiar" to your character) for almost zero failure chance, and just let the civvies crash there for a while until you're done with the crawl. Maybe you can cast Magnificent Mansion near your house so they have a nice place to stay.



I'm guessing you guys don't have access to Greater Teleport?

The hole thing has alot of GM shananagins in it, but I have a feeling teleport and great teleport aren't going to work...

Now if there was some kind of magic circle to magic, circle teleport spell out there, I think I might get that to work. (Again negotiating with the GM)

Otherwise I'd need to think outside the box enough to just bypass the problem.

I'd say there was a portal lock on the place, but it's more like a portal lock that only locks down teleporting from inside out, randomizes teleporting internally, and allows the wizard/maze owner to teleport around as he pleases.

Again shananagins.

[NoACWarrior]

The long distance pseudo-teleport spells that don't touch the Astral Plane are probably your best bet.

At level 13 or so those would be Shadow Walk, Plane Shift, and Tree Stride.

~~~

You could also invest effort into building a small hidden sanctuary for all of these people you keep meeting.

Tree stride would be funny to use, just have 2 bags of holding IVs with some type of banzai ficus trees with large girths, placing one at the entrance of the dungeon, and always carrying one with you at all times.

[HunterOfJello]

Again shananagins.

Do you have anyone who can make Sepia Snake Sigils? You can use those to put the NPCs in stasis, carry them around in bags of holding, then take them out several days later once you're in the clear.

[Flickerdart]

Tree stride would be funny to use, just have 2 bags of holding IVs with some type of banzai ficus trees with large girths, placing one at the entrance of the dungeon, and always carrying one with you at all times.
Bonsai. Banzai trees would be...awakened tree ronin?

[Keneth]

banzai ficus

You better be shouting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-4Md_scX4Q) every time you cast the spell.

[Donny_Green]

Do you have anyone who can make Sepia Snake Sigils? You can use those to put the NPCs in stasis, carry them around in bags of holding, then take them out several days later once you're in the clear.

we have an on and off again wizard. He might be able to pull that off.

I havn't looked up anything about portals, but I'm thinking that might be another option.

Yeah I know, in a previous post I said there was a portal lock, but I don't think the GM is really even aware of the portal lock spell, and what it really does.

[Slipperychicken]

Bonsai. Banzai trees would be...awakened tree ronin?

"Tree? I am no tree. I am an ENT!! An eternal warrior of the harmonious Mirkwood forest!"


Banzai apparently means "ten thousand years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_thousand_years)". So it could mean some kind of immortal tree. Which would be really awesome.

[Donny_Green]

Tree stride would be funny to use, just have 2 bags of holding IVs with some type of banzai ficus trees with large girths, placing one at the entrance of the dungeon, and always carrying one with you at all times.

and I was just thinking, if only I was a druid.

[Telok]

The hole thing has alot of GM shananagins in it, but I have a feeling teleport and great teleport aren't going to work...


If the adventure is taking place in Undermountain, which is part of the Forgotten Realms setting if I recall correctly, then then there really is a good reason for teleportation being mucked up.

A wizard did it.

[Psyren]

Well of Many Worlds? Cubic Gate? Although really, it's Undermountain, so the blocking is via DM fiat (pretty much by definition).

Fiat-blocked teleports are in the spell itself though:


You must have some clear idea of the location and layout of the destination. The clearer your mental image, the more likely the teleportation works. Areas of strong physical or magical energy may make teleportation more hazardous or even impossible.

So if a DM wants to say "no teleporting" they can just say there's a lot of energy in the area. Curiously, this energy does not have to be magical, so you could argue that a waterfall or storm can block teleportation too.

[Donny_Green]

If the adventure is taking place in Undermountain, which is part of the Forgotten Realms setting if I recall correctly, then then there really is a good reason for teleportation being mucked up.

A wizard did it.

yeah and I've met the mad wizard in question.. Can't wait till the killer comes out in my gnome build, then me and him need to have a little discussion. Well no actually I plan to hit him with my hardest hitting spell, while he's not looking. Than hit him with another spell while he is.

Still I'd really like away around this particular rule.. It doesn't have to be outside of the dungeon, just to the entrance.

And yes I know I can just walk the people back, stick them in stasis, and blah blah blah a hundred other things.

But I want to use some kind of teleport so I can say. "Okay, I do my usual trick so they can get back to the entrance..... now lets move on peeps, maybe we can get another room or two in before dinner."

Basically, this solution would speed up the game in "real" time.

[Yanisa]

Now if there was some kind of magic circle to magic, circle teleport spell out there, I think I might get that to work. (Again negotiating with the GM)

Sounds like Teleportation Circle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportationCircle.htm), but that's like level 9 so probably isn't going to help you.

[Donny_Green]

Sounds like Teleportation Circle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportationCircle.htm), but that's like level 9 so probably isn't going to help you.

I can still cast it on a scroll I think.

[NoACWarrior]

and I was just thinking, if only I was a druid.

Well the purpose of the Bonsai Tree w/ Tree stride was to make it so you didn't need to spend resources. Just get a wondrous magic item of Tree Stride 5/day that the innocents can use - they activate it, you whip out the Ronin bonzai charging tree and "bam", it charges them to the entrance. The cost would be 57.6k for the command word, or 64k for a use activated (using ranger levels, druid would be 81k and 90k respectively). You'd need to find a druid or ranger willing to cast the spell for you for 60-100 days, paying them along the way.

[Yanisa]

I can still cast it on a scroll I think.

A scroll would be 5k if I remember correctly. A permanency would be 25k, or 30k total for a one way ticket. 60k for a two way ticket.
Being a sorcerer/wizard makes the casting easier, else its a 37 UMD I believe.

There are probably far easier and cheesier ways to do it, but this pretty much straight forward core rules. (Unless I made a mistake in cost or dc calculation)

[Donny_Green]

A scroll would be 5k if I remember correctly. A permanency would be 25k, or 30k total for a one way ticket. 60k for a two way ticket.
Being a sorcerer/wizard makes the casting easier, else its a 37 UMD I believe.

There are probably far easier and cheesier ways to do it, but this pretty much straight forward core rules. (Unless I made a mistake in cost or dc calculation)

20 + caster level. That does change things quite a bit.

[icefractal]

Ring Gate + Portable Hole, is one method. You carry one gate with you and give the other to a trusted contact in some safe location.

When you want to transfer people, you open the hole, have them climb inside (at least eight should fit, probably more), fold the hole up, pass it through the hole, and open it for them to climb out on the other side. There's only 10 minutes of air in there, but the transfer should taken less than one, so you're good.

The gate can transfer 100 lbs of stuff a day, and the hole is "the size of a handkerchief", so that's a lot of transfers you can do if necessary.

[Donny_Green]

Ring Gate + Portable Hole, is one method. You carry one gate with you and give the other to a trusted contact in some safe location.

When you want to transfer people, you open the hole, have them climb inside (at least eight should fit, probably more), fold the hole up, pass it through the hole, and open it for them to climb out on the other side. There's only 10 minutes of air in there, but the transfer should taken less than one, so you're good.

The gate can transfer 100 lbs of stuff a day, and the hole is "the size of a handkerchief", so that's a lot of transfers you can do if necessary.

in what source my I find a ring gate, and under what kind of magic item?

Edit, found it, thanks for the suggestion

[Haldir]

Fiat-blocked teleports are in the spell itself though:



So if a DM wants to say "no teleporting" they can just say there's a lot of energy in the area. Curiously, this energy does not have to be magical, so you could argue that a waterfall or storm can block teleportation too.

This prompts me to make one of my characters begin studying this phenomena and create a spell that shreds teleporting hostiles.

[TuggyNE]

This prompts me to make one of my characters begin studying this phenomena and create a spell that shreds teleporting hostiles.

Call it teleport area denial, per Schlockiverse. :smallamused:

[Mootsmcboots]

This whole thing is dumb. No offence. But if you're looking to streamline the process, then you are trying to eliminate wasted time.

It doesn't seem to be a danger element, like making the trek is sketchy, especially if you've done a solid job of clearing the way on the way in.

If he's planning on hitting you with an ambush while escorting them, which is the only reason I could see him dragging out this mundane, plodding, boring task, then it's just as bad. Like we didn't see that coming pal....

"You gotta escort them back manually, even if it takes a while. Also I didn't mention this earlier but this joint is like mad magical, like real bad. So teleport is all grunked up... So get walking...."

I mean, be more subtle about it guy.

And if he's not planning anything...well then he's just being difficult for no reason.