Teleportation
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Setting Intro | Visitor's Guide | Author's Intentions
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.
This is an in-depth exploration of teleportation. For a more general overview, read about the parent technology of Psionics.
The Science
"It's not instant, but you can't see the change. Like one location melts into another. Nearly made me sick the first time."
Metadimensional Traversal
It's theorized that teleportation works by breaching metadimensional space linking current and target locations, allowing a person to do what spike drives do for ships. This short jump is too brief for the teleporter to perceive the metadimension, and their personal MES field protects them from harm during it. To bring others with them, they extend their MES field to include everyone.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 their gravity sense with other basic senses to extrapolate a nearby locale they haven't been to.Dislocated Sense
Some teleporters can project their senses to areas they can teleport to, such as being able to sense their surroundings. A more advanced technique allows full perception of a distant location, often described as teleporting their senses but not their body. The way the brain interprets these senses depends on the individual. For most, it's based on sight, but those born without vision experience it differently.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."
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.
Content Warning:
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.
Parent Technologies
Limitations
No teleporter can reach a location that puts them in immediate mortal peril, such as a burning building or the vacuum of space. Beyond that, each individual has different limits depending on their skill level and area of expertise. Remember to focus on the FACTS:Known Teleporters
Author Commentary
Sight Beyond SightI 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.
I love the idea that teleporting can trigger the Doorway Effect. XD Really great set of limitations, too. I think teleporting can too easily become a crutch in stories, so it's nice to have to work for it. :)
During my first campaign, Jareth's player ended a session having teleported to a nearby town to accomplish a specific task. But by the next session, he couldn't remember what that task was... and we all found it more entertaining if we didn't remind him :D He roleplayed out being the teleporter who forgot why he teleported, and the Doorway Effect became canon!
Amazing. :D