Non-magical teleportation?

[ILM]

Oh look, my first post in a couple years!

I'm looking for something really specific and wondering if you guys can come up with something I haven't thought of. I need a way to have an ECL 6-10 character perform short-range teleports in a dead magic zone.

Important assumptions:
- the Shadow Jaunt maneuvers have been houseruled to be (Su).
- there is no magic-psionics transparency, but from a fluff perspective psionics are rare in this campaign world (in fact, this character would serve as the introduction of psionics - refluffed to exotic magical traditions - to the campaign).
- this character isn't a throwaway mook but may get the opportunity to grow, so viability at higher levels should be taken into account.
- this character will be concentrating on Diamond Mind maneuvers, and specifically the Nightmare Blades ones.

Preferences:
- minimal loss of Warblade levels.
- scaleability. I've considered 3 levels of Psy Warrior with the Quick Dimension Slip power (from Mind's Eye) but if the character is to evolve, those will basically be 3 wasted levels later in his life, sacrificing 2 initiator levels and 1 BAB for the ability to hop 20 ft like 2 or 3 times per day. Works, but not really optimal.
- innate abilities - I'd prefer it if his abilities didn't come from custom items.

So, any ideas? :)

[Jeff the Green]

Could you adapt Jade Phoenix Mage to psionics? It's not hard:

Arcane Wrath costs PP and gives 1d10/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Mystic Phoenix Stance increases ML and gives you DR 1/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Empowering Strike works as Empower Power.
Firebird Stance benefits Fire powers and the aura does 1d6/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Quickening Strike works as Quicken Power.
Probably give it Diamond Mind instead of Devoted Spirit

Go Erudite 4/Warblade 1/JPM 10/Warblade +5. Pick Favored Discipline (psychoportation) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a). You end up manifesting as a level 12 Erudite, and have a BAB and IL 18.

[Crake]

Could you adapt Jade Phoenix Mage to psionics? It's not hard:

Arcane Wrath costs PP and gives 1d10/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Mystic Phoenix Stance increases ML and gives you DR 1/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Empowering Strike works as Empower Power.
Firebird Stance benefits Fire powers and the aura does 1d6/2 PP spent, rounded up.
Quickening Strike works as Quicken Power.
Probably give it Diamond Mind instead of Devoted Spirit

Go Erudite 4/Warblade 1/JPM 10/Warblade +5. Pick Favored Discipline (psychoportation) (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a). You end up manifesting as a level 12 Erudite, and have a BAB and IL 18.

Mystic Phoenix stance should be 1:1, since it caps at DR10 for a 5th level spell, but a 5th level power is 10pp (rounded up)

[ILM]

It's an option of course, but introducing psionics AND a homebrew might be a bit heavy-handed and I'd hate for the players to think I'm DMPC-ing out on that character. Any other options?

[Sith_Happens]

1. Wand chamber in weapon.
2. Dorje of whichever power you prefer in wand chamber.
3. Use Psionic Device bonus of at least +19 achieved by whatever means you prefer.

[Segev]

Fluff-wise, does it have to literally be teleportation? What is it you need it for?

Teleportation can be used for a number of sub-purposes, from speedier transit to avoiding obstacles that can't even be flown over (e.g. teleporting out of a prison cell).

What is your use for it?

[Darrin]

Wasn't there some oddball combo with Bloodstorm Blade and Pushback (Miniatures Handbook)? Throw your weapon at range, bull rush them, then *bamf* into the square they just vacated?

Hmm. Looking at the feat now, it says "adjacent", so I'm not sure that works.

[Chronos]

From the OP:

- there is no magic-psionics transparency, but from a fluff perspective psionics are rare in this campaign world
Beware: This is precisely the situation where lack of transparency is most dangerous. A psion who can get ahold of Antimagic Sphere through some means will absolutely curbstomp anyone but another psion, or someone who can get ahold of Antipsionics... but if psionics is rare, then the psion will have no opposition at all, and will take over the world.

[Bronk]

Oh look, my first post in a couple years!
I need a way to have an ECL 6-10 character perform short-range teleports in a dead magic zone.

- this character isn't a throwaway mook but may get the opportunity to grow, so viability at higher levels should be taken into account.

Preferences:
- minimal loss of Warblade levels.

So, any ideas? :)

The only non-psionic method I'm aware of that allows casting magic in a dead magic zone at low levels is the 'Initiate of Mystra' feat. Unfortunately, the feat requires 3 levels of Cleric and having Mystra as your patron deity. You'd then need to make a caster level check, and have some teleport magic to cast as well.
{Link Scrubbed}

You would lose some Warblade levels, but there ya go.

Otherwise, perhaps a custom magic item of 'invoke magic'?

[ILM]

I'm really more going for a flavor of "your puny magic problems don't affect my blood", so while items would definitely make it work, it's not really what I'm after. I'd rather just eat the 3 dead levels and take my Psywar levels.


Fluff-wise, does it have to literally be teleportation? What is it you need it for?
Fair question. I need it mostly for effect. It can be really quick movement that (mostly) ignores terrain or whatever. Here's how I envision things: party gets blown up in DMZ. As they dig themselves out from the rubble, a wild bad guy appears! Turns on his flaming weapon (this I've got covered), party sh*ts bricks.

Solution a): they turn and run. Baddie teleports in front of them, trades a few blows, but is pushed back (the aim is that even with those powers he'll be weaker than their 4-man party). Party either escapes or he teleports away (or he dies if they outsmart me).
Solution b): party seeks confrontation immediately. See above.

So really, it's just a very visual, cinematic way to indicate to the party that there are new forces in play. I don't want to use anything more overt or powerful since, well, they're already at a pretty big disadvantage so if I start lobbing fireballs or whatever they'll just be frustrated.


Beware: This is precisely the situation where lack of transparency is most dangerous. A psion who can get ahold of Antimagic Sphere through some means will absolutely curbstomp anyone but another psion, or someone who can get ahold of Antipsionics... but if psionics is rare, then the psion will have no opposition at all, and will take over the world.
Quite. It's one of the major story arcs, and in fact may well be string that pulls in the next campaign if they get through this one (which is about something else entirely). :)

[Fax Celestis]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?172606-d20r-Style-Feat-Defender-s-Gambit

Fax Made A Feat For That.™

[nedz]

It's a tad expensive in terms of levels, but 6 levels of Horizon Walker with the Shifting Planar Terrain Mastery grants (Su) Dimension Door every 1d4 rounds.

Also someone outside of the AMF can use Miracle or Wish to transport people.

[ILM]

It's a tad expensive in terms of levels, but 6 levels of Horizon Walker with the Shifting Planar Terrain Mastery grants (Su) Dimension Door every 1d4 rounds.
Well, (Su) doesn't help in an AMF or DMZ...

[ShurikVch]

Dead magic doesn't block (Su) abilities

Otherwise, how about a non-magical teleporting devices? (Artificer did it. Or it's sci-fi stuff from future... or from space)

[Zanos]

You could say Travel Devotion is teleportation.

[Segev]

Alright. How about a variant on the Shadow Jump maneuvers? You said the existing ones are (Su), but what if there was an identical power that only let you move somewhere you could get to by running or jumping, but was (Ex)? It wouldn't allow bypassing barriers or the like, but would be "instantaneous" transport via "mundane" means. You DO cross the intervening distance, so you aren't getting somwhere you'd otherwise need to fly or be incorporeal to achieve.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

It's there any reason make the teleportation maneuvers (Su) other than just the weirdness of then being (Ex)? It's a sensible houserule, to be fair.

There are at least two different shadow pounce prestige classes but I am AFB, so I don't know if their abilities are all (Su) or not.

[Rubik]

Take a level in monk so your entire body is considered a weapon (your unarmed strike), invest in one of the ways to grab ranged AoOs, then give your unarmed strike the Throwing property so you can throw your entire body? Ravenloft: Legacy of Blood has devices, which are nonmagical versions of magical items, so you can use one of the myriad ways of boosting your unarmed strike, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?285801-Tippy-s-Terrifically-Terrible-Trial/page19&p=15474863#post15474863) but use devices rather than magic items.

Then, whenever someone tries to run away, AoO them from afar by throwing your body at them.

Use the Exit Wounds weapon property to explode through their bodies for more OMG factor and to get ahead of them and cut them off.

[Bronk]

Dead magic doesn't block (Su) abilities


Both dead magic zones and Anti Magic Fields block/suppress supernatural abilities... you might be thinking of the spells and spell-like abilities of Shadow Weave users.

Edit: Actually, having the NPC be a Shadow Weave user might be a good solution to the problem...


I need it mostly for effect. It can be really quick movement that (mostly) ignores terrain or whatever. Here's how I envision things: party gets blown up in DMZ. As they dig themselves out from the rubble, a wild bad guy appears! Turns on his flaming weapon (this I've got covered)...

For the 'quick movement', maybe just give him the 'Dark' template, which has 'hide in plain sight' as an extraordinary ability, for +1LA. He could taunt them, hide in a way that looks like teleportation, then while they're wondering where he is, he can pop up behind them or whatever.

For the flaming weapon... have you ever seen the 'Crod Mandoon' show that came out a few years back? The guy had a flaming weapon, and it turned out it was a real prop that was gas powered! I hear he actually caught himself on fire with it a few times in production. You could give your guy something like that...

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Between the mention of Ravenoft's devices and the flaming weapon prop, I'm reminded of the shenanigans that are Fallout 3's "shishkebob" sword and the "Rock-It Launcher," which would probably be used to mimic "hail of stone" or maybe one of the Orb of X spells.