Rules regarding teleportation and solid surfaces

[rrwoods]

What are they, specifically, and where?

I feel like the "you can only teleport onto a solid surface" thing is part of the community consciousness, or at least, it's something I've found is ingrained in my understanding. It's possible that understanding is incomplete or utterly wrong. My google-fu and srd-search-fu is failing me. Can anyone point me at RAW regarding what kinds of restrictions (if any) are placed on teleportation generally or under specific circumstances? Thanks in advance :)

[Psyren]

The line in question says:


creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in an empty space. It must arrive in an open location on a surface capable of supporting it.

Whether it applies to teleport depends on whether you view moving yourself somewhere to count as being "transported to your location." Some say that, technically anywhere you wind up is your location because the travel is instantaneous. Others say that line should only apply to you staying where you are and something else coming to you., and therefore that teleporting yourself should have no restrictions at all. Your GM will have to decide.

The teleport spell itself adds additional caveats, including the "areas of strong physical or magical energy" clause that can interfere with you landing on target.

[Segev]

If there is a RAW interpretation that allows a caster who is flying to teleport to a location in mid-air where he's still flying, I would personally go with it, because otherwise it's kind-of silly. "I'm flying, but I can't teleport to the other side of this chamber at the same altitude because then I wouldn't be standing on solid ground."

[Psyren]

Technically that does work. You're not floating in empty space (because the space contains air) and when you are subject to a fly spell, air is capable of supporting you.

There might be weird interactions with vacuum, but how often are you going to be teleporting into a vacuum anyway?

[Inevitability]

There might be weird interactions with vacuum, but how often are you going to be teleporting into a vacuum anyway?

You desperately need to stop Atropus from crashing into our world by destroying his aspect on the moonlet's airless surface?

[Psyren]

You desperately need to stop Atropus from crashing into our world by destroying his aspect on the moonlet's airless surface?

Aren't moonlets solid?

[Inevitability]

Aren't moonlets solid?

They are, but they typically don't have an atmosphere. Therefore, teleporting to their surface would mean teleporting into a vacuum.

[rrwoods]

The line in question says:



Whether it applies to teleport depends on whether you view moving yourself somewhere to count as being "transported to your location." Some say that, technically anywhere you wind up is your location because the travel is instantaneous. Others say that line should only apply to you staying where you are and something else coming to you., and therefore that teleporting yourself should have no restrictions at all. Your GM will have to decide.

The teleport spell itself adds additional caveats, including the "areas of strong physical or magical energy" clause that can interfere with you landing on target.
Interesting. Didn't realize there was that bit of ambiguity regarding whether it applies to spells that teleport the caster. Good to know.

[Jay R]

It's a meta-rule to keep you from using teleportation as an instant kill spell.

Don't use it as an instant kill spell, and don't sweat the small stuff.

[Elkad]

"surface capable of supporting"... That includes the air for winged flight, and even a vacuum for magical flight. An Iron Golem couldn't appear on the water, but a creature than can swim could. (Though I guess RAW an Iron Golem can probably swim. It's in the same category as Centaurs being excellent at climbing ladders.)

And I'll allow the caster to specifically ignore that for himself - as a houserule.