Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

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R.L.
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Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by R.L. »

Fellow players and gamemasters,

The Power Circle of Teleport requires the destination to be inscribed within the circle. I understand that as True Names have power in the Palladium world the location needs to be written in a truthful manner.

Is there any information available regarding how general (e.g. "Credia"), specific (e.g. "The throne room of Credia") or absolutely accurate (e.g. "The throne room of the Royal Palace of Credia, the capital city of the Timiro Kingdom, on the Western catwalk, 144 meters from the sea level, vertical orientation, facing East") does the destination inscription need to be?

I am asking this to better understand how much information player characters coming across a Power Circle of Teleport can get before using it themselves.


Thank you for your time!

R.L.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

The location is usually know by the mage writing the location in the circle. So the intended location is mentally transmitted into the circle's targeting by the mage when writing the target location into the circle.
Note: trying to make a sensible explanation for this question where there is none in canon.

However, it all comes down to is how detailed the GM wants it to be.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by Library Ogre »

I would let it be as specific or general as the summoner wants... but with the caveat that more general scribed destinations lead to less accuracy.

So, if he writes "Credia", he shows up somewhere in Credia. If he shows up "In the throne room of Credia", he shows up somewhere in that throne room. Exactly where he shows up is a function of abstract vorticies and tides in the flow of magic and psychic energy... more precisely defining it reduces the influence of those tides, but lets people follow you more closely.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by R.L. »

Mark Hall wrote:I would let it be as specific or general as the summoner wants... but with the caveat that more general scribed destinations lead to less accuracy.

So, if he writes "Credia", he shows up somewhere in Credia. If he shows up "In the throne room of Credia", he shows up somewhere in that throne room. Exactly where he shows up is a function of abstract vorticies and tides in the flow of magic and psychic energy... more precisely defining it reduces the influence of those tides, but lets people follow you more closely.


Brilliant! This logical and simple solution would allow using the chances of a successful teleport, found in the lesser version of the spell, as guidelines for the length and level of detail of the inscription.

The only exception would be when using two linked circles for flawless teleportation. In this case the inscription of the location could be less detailed because the circles are connected.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by R.L. »

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:The location is usually know by the mage writing the location in the circle. So the intended location is mentally transmitted into the circle's targeting by the mage when writing the target location into the circle.
Note: trying to make a sensible explanation for this question where there is none in canon.

However, it all comes down to is how detailed the GM wants it to be.


The mental transmission of the intended location was my original assumption as well. Perhaps we will get some official clarifications on the matter in future sourcebooks or Rifter issues.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by Library Ogre »

R.L. wrote:Brilliant! This logical and simple solution would allow using the chances of a successful teleport, found in the lesser version of the spell, as guidelines for the length and level of detail of the inscription.

The only exception would be when using two linked circles for flawless teleportation. In this case the inscription of the location could be less detailed because the circles are connected.


Ah, meant to address the second part, but something shiny floated across my field of view.

It very much depends on the circles, who made them, and how clever they are. Because you still have to describe the location, and describing it badly can send you to unexpected places... though flawlessly.

So, if I make a bunch of circles, I might choose to number them. My description is "send me to my circle #5", and it will mambo me to circle #5. If I'm trying to follow a trail left by the mad summoner Lukterran, and say "Send me to Lukterran's circle in the Old Kingdom Mountains" I'm ok... unless he has a second circle in the Old Kingdom Mountains, in which case, I might wind up in the entirely wrong place, though I won't have to worry about, say, teleporting low and winding up half-stuck in the rock.

(Brilliant bit of evil for Kobold summoners, that... put your teleport circles in places only about 6" taller than you. Teach those Stretch Armdumbs to use YOUR circles!)
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by R.L. »

Mark Hall wrote:(Brilliant bit of evil for Kobold summoners, that... put your teleport circles in places only about 6" taller than you. Teach those Stretch Armdumbs to use YOUR circles!)


Using a self-made Power Circle to teleport into another summoner's circle by naming that circle and its supposed general whereabouts? Fantastic! And the thought of having to know also how to physically pose oneself upon arrival to a foreign circle? Priceless!

Of course, nothing short of the distance limitation would prevent a circle maker from utilizing also other factors, such as altitude differences, temperature extremes, fragile surfaces with a maximum weight allowance or issues of balance (for example, drawing the destination circle on the edge of a cliff) to surprise any uninvited guests.
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Re: Inscribing the Destination of the Circle of Teleport

Unread post by Library Ogre »

"Well, sure I put the circle inside a forge. Didn't want any of them Frost Giants using it... only us Nimro."
-overproduced by Martin Hannett

When I see someone "fisking" these days my first inclination is to think "That person doesn't have much to say, and says it in volume." -John Scalzi
Happiness is a long block list.
If you don't want to be vilified, don't act like a villain.
The Megaverse runs on vibes.
All Palladium Articles
Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
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