Teleportation

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Icon for Teleportation

This is an in-depth exploration of teleportation. For a more general overview, read about Psionics.

Teleportation is the psionic discipline relating to instant traversal through space. A teleporter can move both living and non-living matter under certain conditions, some of which are still not entirely understood.

The Science

Metadimensional Traversal

Like most psionic disciplines, there's no certain explanations for how teleportation works. The leading theory is that teleporters transit themselves through metadimensional space similar to how a spike drive functions for ships.

There's logic to this if not direct proof. If an engine can transit a ship across the galaxy through metadimensional space, it stands to reason a person could use their connection to that space to transit themselves far lesser distances.

Did you know?

All living creatures have an 'aura' of metadimensional energy. When a teleporter brings other people with them, they instinctively expand this energy field to include those others.

Gravitic Locales

Gravitic locales define how fixed locations in space relate to their nearest major gravity well. Teleporters can use an innate "gravity sense" to interpret locales and teleport to them later, provided the jump is within their current limitations.

Within a certain short distance, teleporters can supplement gravity sense with other senses to extrapolate a locale they haven't been to. Such as looking through a window to teleport inside.

Dislocated Sense

Some teleporters can project their senses to areas they can teleport to. This can include an ability to sense their surroundings, or the more advanced version of full perception of a distant location. This is often described as teleporting their senses but not their body.

For most teleporters, this dislocation only includes their sense of vision. It's aided those who've lost their sight later in life, but those born without sight have had different experiences.

The People

Common Traits

Teleporters are often assumed to be inattentive, forgetful, and hyperactive. Like most stereotypes, there is some truth to this. Teleporting can trigger the infamous Doorway Effect same as walking between rooms can, leaving some to forget what exactly they teleported for. Dislocated senses can be very distracting, and being able to teleport instead of drive can save energy for other tasks.

Yet in truth, the average teleporter can reach no farther than the neighbor's house, and not without expending more energy than simply walking. Bringing others is more tiring still, and though drunk teleporting is safer than drunk driving, many teleporters complain of friends that treat them more as a taxi service than a person.

"We're always going to your place, why don't you come to mine this weekend?"

"It's a 30-minute train ride, and you can teleport so-"

"So I should put in all the effort to see you instead of the other way around?"

"It's just easier!"

"Easier for you."

— A teleporter regrets dating a telekinetic

Common Jobs

Beginner teleporters often find ways to use their abilities in unrelated careers, though many office settings prohibit teleportation after too many complaints from startled colleagues.

Only expert teleporters are hired for their psionics, and charge a high price. Arriving via teleportation has become status symbol among the wealthy. Socialites even start bidding wars to ensure their competition isn't able to afford such a grand entrance. Being teleported in fashionably late is less of statement when everyone does it.

Despite being one of the more common abilities, teleporters rarely turn to a life of crime. Very few locations can imprison a teleporter, resulting in more drastic measures to handle such criminals. Some don't make it to trial.

First Responders

Teleporting people out of harm and to medical attention.

Daycare Provider

Tending to groups of young children or energetic animals.

Courier

Transporting goods and people swiftly and safely, with the specified degree of stealth.

Bodyguard

Tracking the location of an object or person in order to protect them.

Military Spy/Infiltrator

Covertly gathering information or bringing squads behind enemy lines.

Content Warning: Hover (or tap on mobile) to reveal a quote that references Stalking

Crowds block the courthouse entrance today as people gather to weigh in on what's to become of a 24-year-old teleporter. For two years, she's used her psionics to stalk an ex-lover. She's ignored repeated court orders to stay away, and followed her victim to new homes across city lines.

Some are here to argue in favor of capital punishment and stricter laws on psionic use. Others say fear for her life is why this teleporter has evaded law enforcement, and the promise of more reasonable consequences would resolve the matter sooner.

— News article from a Mithoran suburb

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Limitations

No teleporter can reach a location of mortal peril, like a burning building or the vacuum of space. Beyond that, each individual has different limits depending on their skill level and expertise. Remember to focus on the FACTS:

F for Far

Teleportation range goes from a few feet to leaps across the planet, but none have managed interplanetary teleports.

A for Amount

Some can only bring what they can carry while others can bring a dozen friends and their belongings. No one has managed a full groundcar yet.

C for Consent

Most teleportation can't work on the unwilling, which can include the unconscious. Only master teleporters can occasionally break this rule.

T for Time

Teleportation is near-instant. Recovery time can be as little as a few seconds or at most 15 minutes.

S for Sense

Most teleporters need to experience a place with unaided senses to teleport back to it. The only exceptions are rare and risky.

For information on general limitations of all disciplines, read more about Psionics and the metadimension (article coming soon).

Known Teleporters

Captain Catherine Olai

Perimeter Agency captain of the Prox-Auri.

Jareth Quinn

Talmarian orphanage owner and founding member of the Night Knights.

Jorie Grey

Founding member of the Gal Pals, now prophet of the Mother of the Stars.

Noah Dawson

Talmarian courier, Yellow Jacket, and occasional Night Knight.

Taz

Notorious pirate with unpredictable allegiances.

Mys. Yasmin Ada

Unconventional psionics tutor and former founding member of the Witches.

Zachariah Eckhart

Xerosian professor at the Blue Spire Academy.

Author Commentary

Sight Beyond Sight

I have a hard rule that no photo, video, or simulation can remove the "sense" limitation of teleportation. My players disagree, but I think it's way too interesting of a limitation to ignore. Though I may add a one-of-a-kind psitech that could be used this way...

Daisy Chaining

One of my favorite player ideas was to use dislocated senses to aid other abilities, such as reading someone's mind while spying on the room they're in. I ended up building an entire mission around this concept.