Skipping

Artwork by Bastien Grivet

Skipping is a broad term that describes a complex phenomenon present across all of Tyrnog -- the ability to shift between two points in space without the use of divine intervention, magic, or technology. While primarily studied by Alignmatists, the skill can feasibly be learned by anyone, although it comes easier to some than others, often requiring decades of practice. Of great interest to scholars, Skipping is not a supernatural or magical effect, and thus cannot be stopped by anti-magic fields or technology that stops teleportation. Even the gods are unable to Skip naturally, often mastering the skill over their long tenure in the cosmos.
Outside of the Alignmatist community, few mortals have been observed completing a Skip -- making the effect very difficult to research -- but include Valentina Terris, the Arcanist (before he was a Saint), and Solomon the Flame.

Theory

The information in this section is only known to creatures who have successfully Skipped, making their first jump incredibly dangerous. The practice of Skipping is not uniform across all users of the skill -- it is instead unique to the caster, and their beliefs about the cosmos. For example, an Alignmatist often understands the universe as a collection of Alignments, whereas a Witchwarper often sees the world in the threads of possibility. While a master Alignmatist might find it trivial to Skip from one Alignment to another, they would struggle to change reality as they did so, whereas the Witchwarper would find the opposite to be true.
Only two things are for certain about this technique:

1. If a Skip is completed, the user will venture from one location in the universe to another, and will arrive at their target location in the second or so after they initiated the Skip.
2. The "further" the distance between the source and target destinations, the harder the Skip.

Mechanics

Skipping is a Full Action that provokes Attacks of Opportunity, costs RP to invoke (see table below), and are augmented by one of the options in the Skip Traits section. Skip Traits are chosen by the GM based on the character, and cannot be changed without GM approval (which would likely be a momentous occasion in the character's life). A Skipper can select multiple adjacent allies to take with them, and can traverse any distance from a 5-ft. square up to another plane of existence. They must pass the appropriate Mysticism check to succeed, which is determined by the table below, and cannot be modified by most abilities, spells, effects, items, or metagame effects/bonuses (including Inspiration Die!). Mantles of Power, Saint blessings, and similar mechanics are the exception to this rule.
A failed Skip occurs when the user rolls a natural 1 (which is always a fail, despite general rules surrounding skill checks), or if the result of their Mysticism check is below the DC. When this occurs, the user spends the action but does not move locations, and instead sends a ripple out into the universe. This energy is picked up by Aeon watchdogs, who share in the Monad's hatred of Skipping, and those who exploit the metaphysics of the universe. While such failures may not result in direct conflict, frequent Skippers will quickly learn to fear the guardians of the universe, and the raw power they can unleash upon mortalkind...

Description	DC / DC Modifier	RP Cost / Modifier
Basic Skip (Visible Location, Self Only)	25	0
Minor Skip (Range of Teleport)	+5	+1
Moderate Skip (Range of Interplanatary Teleport)	+10	+2
System Skip (Solar System to Solar System)	+15	+3
Inner Sphere Skip (Anywhere in the Inner Sphere)	+20	+4
Outer Sphere Skip (Anywhere in the Outer Sphere)	+25	+5
Outer Gates Skip (To the Outer Gates)	+30	+10
Add Adjacent Ally (Non-Encumbered Medium creature)	+3	+1/4 creatures (Min. +1)

Skip Traits

• Alignmatist: You are a master of Alignmatism, and understand the fundamental link between places of power. You reduce the DC for Skipping by your character level when traveling from one Alignment to another.
• Witchwarper: You see the threads of possibility as naturally as color, and can select one of these threads when Skipping. You may perform a single, self-targeting Standard or Move Action during your Skip, e.g. swapping weapons, administering a healing serum to yourself, casting a self-targeted spell, etc. This extra action spends any resources utilized as normal. If you bring another creature along in your Skip, the action used during the jump can target those creatures as well.