The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

[Samuraiko]

Bear with me, I've never asked a question on here before.

 

What is the most efficient and/or cost effective way of doing the following (read: can this even be done?) in 5eR:

 

The use of some sort of focus that I could use to lock onto another person and teleport from wherever I happen to be to wherever they happen to be.

 

The idea is that if a teammate gets into trouble and needs me there, I can just bampf to wherever they are (of course, getting back to wherever I was BEFORE is a problem, but that's not my concern right now).

 

Now, I realize that this means a HUGE potential variance in distance, and a hell of a lot of accuracy. How exactly might I be able to do this? (You can give it to me in HeroSpeak, I can have my husband translate it if necessary...)

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

[Steve Long]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Since this is a how-to, I've moved it to the Discussion board. What do you think, Herodom Assembled?

[OddHat]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Ask the GM if you can buy fixed or floating locations defined as "My Team Mate".

 

Then, put your teleportation in a multipower. One slot has a range of up to 1km with non combat multiple, one uses megascale and can reach any location on Earth.

 

Now, if the GM gave permission to define a location as a person rather than a place, you can bamf wherever you need to.

 

Alternatively, buy Targeting on the Radio sense group and let your team mate send you a radio call for help.

[prestidigitator]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

The Multipower is the way I've done this kind of thing before. I'd make the object ("focus") the Fixed Location rather than the person. It gets more interesting that way.

[Kenn]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

She said a focus, but I'm not sure if she means focus, in general usage, or focus the Hero System game mechanic.

 

The most direct way would to buy floating locations with the focus limitation on it to represent the "homing" device, and then use the teleport multipower that OddHat described.

 

Other options would get clumbsy quick (like actually building a 1 freq. radio transmitter, and having the appropriate sense to sense the mechanism.)

[prestidigitator]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

She said a focus, but I'm not sure if she means focus, in general usage, or focus the Hero System game mechanic.

 

The most direct way would to buy floating locations with the focus limitation on it to represent the "homing" device, and then use the teleport multipower that OddHat described.

 

Other options would get clumbsy quick (like actually building a 1 freq. radio transmitter, and having the appropriate sense to sense the mechanism.)

Right. I'd say it's a Fixed Location, though, unless you can transfer the location between different devices, build new ones and switch the connection, etc. Remember that a, "fixed," location can be relative (like in the cabin of a particular airplane).

[Samuraiko]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Ooops, thanks for moving it Steve, didn't realize it had gone in the wrong place. *blush*

 

I meant "focus" as in an item that the teammates carry. However, if there is some sort of "homing signal" they can use (even if it is something like a mental "cry for help", as it were), that would work too.

 

And can someone give me a ballpark figure of how much this is gonna COST?

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

 

PS - my teleportation is currently in my Elemental Framework...

 

21 Shadow: Elemental Control, 42-point powers

27 1) Walk the Twilight Path: Teleportation 14", No Relative Velocity, x2 Increased Mass, x4 Noncombat

[prestidigitator]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Hmm. Interesting. I just thought of something. It is a bit of a sidetrack, but you technically can't use Clairsentience to change your Floating Location. I wonder if you could use Transform on yourself to change your Floating Location (similar to Instant Change) to a place you can currently see with Clairsentience....

[OddHat]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Hmm. Interesting. I just thought of something. It is a bit of a sidetrack' date=' but you technically can't use Clairsentience to change your Floating Location. I wonder if you could use Transform on yourself to change your Floating Location (similar to Instant Change) to a place you can currently see with Clairsentience.... [/quote']

 

I allow Targetting for Clairsentience as a 10 point adder. In that case, I'd let it switch locations.

[Jaxom]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Depends on how big a stickler your GM is for rubber science.

 

I agree with Presto that you want a Fixed Location (one for each device). Second, I would make it "Independent" instead of "Focus" based on what I am hearing (although you may want specific game effects that would change that answer).

 

Rules for a Focus say, in general, that it may or may not be obvious what it is doing (as a GM, I'd want this to be obvious to the right senses, radio or whatever) and then whether or not the object can easily be taken away. They can also be destroyed if targetted and hit for enough BODY and given that this is going to be a *really* cheap item that means it's going to be fragile unless you explicitly armor it.

 

The rules for an Independent power are a bit less clear. See the notes in the text on this one that describe how to allow a wizard to build a wand of fireballs. The big thing to note here is that *anyone* can use it, not just your teammates.

 

So what happens if the Big Bad grabs the "focus" and tries to summon you? At 10,000 ft? With some kind of nasty taser/T-port-blocker in hand?

 

The good news is that you *can* do something like making these hard-wired neural implants (indestructible and can't be stolen) by making them inaccessible, unbreakable foci. I don't know if that is even worth any point off the top of my head. Might be a -0 Limitation. Base cost for each Fixed Location is 1 point so the cost per teammate is small.

 

There is an additional can of worms that I don't have an answer to though. If you can teleport 10,000 km (halfway around the world) should you take Position Change and No Relative Velocity to keep from meeting a solid object at high speed when you get there? Your GM will have to answer that one. If not, then taking the proposed Multipower build is not too bad. On the other hand, taking Megascale 1" = 1000km or 10,000km with that 15 points of adders on it gets relatively expensive pretty quickly.

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Here's how I might do this:

 

56. Walking The Twilight Path: Multipower, 56-point reserve

6u) Short Path: Teleportation 8", No Relative Velocity, x2 Increased Mass, x64 Noncombat (56 Active Points)

6u) Long Path: Teleportation 5", No Relative Velocity, x2 Increased Mass, MegaScale (1" = 1,000 km; +1), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (56 Active Points)

 

4. Homing Device: Teleportation: Fixed Location (5 Locations) (5 Active Points); IIF (-1/4)

 

Total Cost = 72 Points.

 

The Homing Device is a small device given to up to 5 people. If the GM requires a Floating Fixed Location then the cost increases.

 

The Short Path covers up to just over a KM, the Long Path covers everything from 1KM to 5,000KM away.

[Samuraiko]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Hmmmm... no way to scale down that second one to be a bit more refined, hmm?

 

Okay, now is that 72 points for EVERYTHING? (Assuming I do it that way and my GM is kosher with it?)

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Hmmmm... no way to scale down that second one to be a bit more refined, hmm?

 

Okay, now is that 72 points for EVERYTHING? (Assuming I do it that way and my GM is kosher with it?)

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

72 points for it all.

 

56 Points for the Multipower Pool, 6 Points for each slot, and 4 Points for 5 "homing devices."

 

I'm not sure what you mean by more refined... if you mean Below 1" = 1KM, no that's the drawback to Megascaled. Which is why you need the power twice.

 

Of course, any additional limitations you place on that will bring down the price.

 

Almost forgot ... there is a Non Combat Multiplier on the Long Path, you can either place a No Non Combat Movement Limitation on it, or realize you can go twice as far outside combat .... up to 10,000KM with a Non Combat Move.

[Samuraiko]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

And then comes the almighty question...

 

Can I con Dust Raven into letting me switch out my current Teleportation for this (assuming, of course, I eventually can afford to pay the difference in cost)?!

 

 

If anyone else has other ways of possibly doing this, I am all for hearing them - at least then I can give him multiple possibilities and maybe hammer out an acceptable way to do this...

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

I did notice that your current Teleport is 14" ... if you keep that distance the Short Path needs only a x32 NCM. However, it makes the power considerably more expensive.

[prestidigitator]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

I agree with Presto that you want a Fixed Location (one for each device). Second' date=' I would make it "Independent" instead of "Focus" based on what I am hearing (although you may want specific game effects that would change that answer).[/quote']

I wouldn't make it with either Focus or Independent. The objects just define the Locations. If one gets broken, the GM should probably let the character build/acquire another, but not until then (if they are indeed Fixed).

[Robyn]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

If anyone else has other ways of possibly doing this' date=' I am all for hearing them - at least then I can give him multiple possibilities and maybe hammer out an acceptable way to do this...[/quote']

 

It sounded like what you want to do was Teleport the original item back, along with whoever was touching it, and I was feebly wondering about Sticky or a similar (custom) Advantage to carry them along - but then I realized you wanted to Teleport yourself to the item, and all this became much simpler. (The previous builds also made a lot more sense.)

 

You can take the "homing beacon" as a Focus (non-Independent, though Jaxom's idea was a good one; still, it doesn't need to be Independent), made Recoverable if you construct a new one, and a Teleport with the Focus as a fixed location; Usable By Others should give you control of the power since you need to consent for it to work. Whoever uses it must pay the END cost, so it would be reasonable to define the SFX in a way that allows them to send their identity along with the summons in their mental cry for help. If you buy it without Invisible Power Effects you should be able to feel it happening in time to decide whether or not to resist.

 

I was going to add a few footnotes here about the existing Advantages and new (custom) ones you'd have to add to make these powers work like described, but I'm still using 4th Edition, and the powers may work differently in the first place now that you're on 5th, not to mention all the new Advantages, of which 1 or 2 could probably smoothly do what I would have to try to kludge through with 4th.

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

You can take the "homing beacon" as a Focus (non-Independent' date=' though Jaxom's idea was a good one; still, it doesn't need to be Independent), made Recoverable if you construct a new one, and a Teleport with the Focus as a fixed location; Usable By Others should give you control of the power since you need to consent for it to work. Whoever uses it must pay the END cost, so it would be reasonable to define the SFX in a way that allows them to send their identity along with the summons in their mental cry for help. If you buy it [i']without[/i] Invisible Power Effects you should be able to feel it happening in time to decide whether or not to resist.

 

I was going to add a few footnotes here about the existing Advantages and new (custom) ones you'd have to add to make these powers work like described, but I'm still using 4th Edition, and the powers may work differently in the first place now that you're on 5th, not to mention all the new Advantages, of which 1 or 2 could probably smoothly do what I would have to try to kludge through with 4th.

You've made it far more complicated that it is.

 

1) The Focus does not use Recoverable - that's an modifier for Charges.

2) Fixed and Floating Fixed Locations do not use END.

3) You do not need Usuable By Others, as they aren't using the power at all. You've defined the Fixed Location as "The Beacon" or "The Person With The Beacon" which is why I might recommend Floating Fixed Locations. Either way they're still you're Locations and your Teleport.

 

No weird Advantages, custom or otherwise, are required as this construct is well within the reaches of a rather standard Teleport concept.

 

No the rules have not changed from 4E.

[Samuraiko]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Now to make sure I understand this, I would theoretically be teleporting TWICE to get to them - once using the Long Path (to get to their general vicinity if I am far away), and then once again using the Short Path (to get to WHERE THEY ARE), correct? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

You've gotta remember, I don't have all the Ins and Outs of this system memorized. I'm still working on this.

 

But I do seriously appreciate that folks are trying to help me out. (My husband then mentioned, "Are you sure this is 'Shadow-esque'?" I said, "Yes, if one of my 'agents' needs me, of course 'the Shadow knows...' and should be able to do that 'just in the nick of time to save your a** appearance' thing.")

 

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Now to make sure I understand this, I would theoretically be teleporting TWICE to get to them - once using the Long Path (to get to their general vicinity if I am far away), and then once again using the Short Path (to get to WHERE THEY ARE), correct? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

You've gotta remember, I don't have all the Ins and Outs of this system memorized. I'm still working on this.

Nope- only once.

 

the reason there are two powers is because Megascale cannot let you go below the 1KM mark - so the Long Path has an absolute minimum distance of 1KM (1" of Teleport). So you need the Short Path to get to anyone up to 1KM away (from 1" to 1KM).

 

You use either Teleport - whichever gets you there.

 

Don't worry about having all the ins/outs memorized yet... it's only a matter of time

[Samuraiko]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

That's my point - let's say I'm back in NYC (the only REAL place to live) following up on a lead, and my friends in Edge City (on the West Coast, Seattle-area) need me. I would have to bamf twice - once to get from the East Coast to the West, and then once again to get wherever in Edge City they are?

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

[OddHat]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

That's my point - let's say I'm back in NYC (the only REAL place to live) following up on a lead, and my friends in Edge City (on the West Coast, Seattle-area) need me. I would have to bamf twice - once to get from the East Coast to the West, and then once again to get wherever in Edge City they are?

 

Michelle

aka

Samuraiko

 

No. The 1 KM distance is a minimum, but a megascale t-port can take you 1KM and 3 meters or whatever. Your bamf takes you straight to them.

[Robyn]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

1) The Focus does not use Recoverable - that's an modifier for Charges.

 

Same concept, good inspiration for pricing idea on similar limitation. It can be emulated with "Expendable", but then each only works once; or Breakable, but then it can be broken as well as replaced. Perhaps, as you state below, a Floating Location, only, with a Limitation to specific objects?

 

2) Fixed and Floating Fixed Locations do not use END.

 

I didn't see anything to this effect in the power description, though it certainly would be pretty nice since the END cost is 1 point for every 5 inches travelled. (The people in help can't pay the cost, and the hero would be pretty helpless after paying most of their END to arrive with none left.)

 

3) You do not need Usuable By Others' date=' as they aren't using the power at all.[/quote']

 

But they are activating it remotely; with this build, the "call for help" is bundled in with the Teleport, instead of the character invoking the Teleport after a separate power notifies them that it is time to do so.

 

You've defined the Fixed Location as "The Beacon" or "The Person With The Beacon" which is why I might recommend Floating Fixed Locations.

 

If it was to be the person, the attunement to switch a floating location may as well be done when Samuraiko's character gives them the object; otherwise, if we want to let them give the rings away (to someone more needy), we obviously can't simply switch the floating location at a distance to someone we can't see and may have never met! Making it the Beacon shouldn't be a problem, since the Focus can't be used unless it's with them anyway; if it could be used at a distance, for instance had the character left it behind or lost it or had it been stolen, then there would be nothing to prevent them from leaving it behind at their base or with Samuraiko's character (safest place, right?), and the Focus wouldn't be a Limitation.

 

This approach does allow for a villain to steal the Focus and potentially misuse it, but perhaps a Side Effect of breaking if the Focus is "taken away by force" instead of giving it away?

 

Sure, the villain can still trick someone into giving it away, but that at least takes care of the most obvious flaw

[ghost-angel]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Same concept' date=' good inspiration for pricing idea on similar limitation. It can be emulated with "Expendable", but then each only works once; or Breakable, but then it can be broken as well as replaced. Perhaps, as you state below, a Floating Location, only, with a Limitation to specific objects?[/quote']

Focii automatically imply "recoverable" simply by being Focii (I drop my sword, I can pick up my sword). Expendable vs Breakable and all that aren't really a factor of what you're talking about.

 

I didn't see anything to this effect in the power description' date=' though it certainly would be pretty nice since the END cost is 1 point for every 5 inches travelled. (The people in help can't pay the cost, and the hero would be pretty helpless after paying most of their END to arrive with none left.)[/quote']

My builds cause the character to expend a maximum of 6 END to travel the farthest each build can take you. Hardly enough END to cause issues.

 

But they are activating it remotely; with this build' date=' the "call for help" is bundled in [i']with[/i] the Teleport, instead of the character invoking the Teleport after a separate power notifies them that it is time to do so.

No, the build was how to get from Where I Am to Where They Are. Teleport and Fixed/Floating Locations have NO method of transmission for "help" and the holder of the Beacon Device (Fixed Location) has NO control over activating the power. It wasn't requested in the original build. Another Power has to be introduced to induce communication.

 

If the holder of the Beacon Device can remotely activate the Power forcing the Teleporter to them that is closer to Uncontrolled on the Teleport. Usuable By Other means the Owner gives the Power for the Recipient to use on the Recipient. Not The Owner gives the power for the Recipient to use on the Owner.

 

If it was to be the person, the attunement to switch a floating location may as well be done when Samuraiko's character gives them the object; otherwise, if we want to let them give the rings away (to someone more needy), we obviously can't simply switch the floating location at a distance to someone we can't see and may have never met! Making it the Beacon shouldn't be a problem, since the Focus can't be used unless it's with them anyway; if it could be used at a distance, for instance had the character left it behind or lost it or had it been stolen, then there would be nothing to prevent them from leaving it behind at their base or with Samuraiko's character (safest place, right?), and the Focus wouldn't be a Limitation.

 

This approach does allow for a villain to steal the Focus and potentially misuse it, but perhaps a Side Effect of breaking if the Focus is "taken away by force" instead of giving it away?

 

Sure, the villain can still trick someone into giving it away, but that at least takes care of the most obvious flaw

I'm not sure what this nonsense all means but I'll try:

 

The GM is certainly within the rights of Dramatic and Common Sense if the holder of Beacon Device 1 gives it to another that the Floating Location has moved (which is why I reccomend Floating Locations). Unless the SFX call for some kind of "attunement" (Fixed Locations) on the part of the Teleporter.

 

Stealing the Focus will either change the Location of the Teleport Destination (Floating Locations) or cause it to fail completely (Fixed Locations).

 

Try this thought:

As a Fixed Location the Teleporter attunes themselves to the Recipient, the Focus is merely acting like an antenna. The Person is still the Target of the Teleport Desitation (They ARE the Fixed Location). The Beacon merely enables the Teleport Fixed Location to function.

 

As a Floating Fixed Location the Teleporter is actually attuned to the Beacon Device and thus Teleports to where THAT is, thus a villain stealing it, placing it in a cell and then faking a "call for help" by whatever means they use (remember: Teleport and Locations have no inherent ability to transmit anything or anykind) thus tricking the Teleporter.

[Robyn]

Re: The Use of a Focus for Teleportation...?

 

Focii automatically imply "recoverable" simply by being Focii (I drop my sword' date=' I can pick up my sword). Expendable vs Breakable and all that aren't really a factor of what you're talking about.[/quote']

 

True, which is why I acknowledged in my latest post that they only came close to emulating it, and even then had some flaws. I was thinking, though, of "recoverable" in more than the standard "recover the Focus" sense you describe above; i.e., if I drop the Focus off the side of a boat and it sinks to the bottom of an ocean, I don't want to have to dive down there to pick it up, I want to construct a new Focus (without paying XP for the replacement). Same thing, hopefully, for the villain who steals one; once tricked, you know to not trust the "feel" of that particular signal anymore, and use a distinctly different signal in the new one.

 

My builds cause the character to expend a maximum of 6 END to travel the farthest each build can take you. Hardly enough END to cause issues.

 

Okay. My point, though, was that I didn't see anything in the power description to exclude fixed locations from requiring an END expenditure to teleport to, so that particular complication sort of "needed" to be there in the first version, before I learned how it's done in 5th Edition (and 4th if it hasn't changed, but like I said, the power description doesn't cover that).

 

No' date=' the build was how to get from Where I Am to Where They Are. Teleport and Fixed/Floating Locations have NO method of transmission for "help" and the holder of the Beacon Device (Fixed Location) has NO control over activating the power. It wasn't requested in the original build.[/quote']

 

I took the original build request as a concept, not a mechanic; a "this is what I'd like to happen", not a "this is how I want it to work". The power can be built along a Trigger instead of a Useable By Others if it needs to distinguish between the person holding the Focus wanting help or just recognizing that they are in danger.

 

Usuable By Other means the Owner gives the Power for the Recipient to use on the Recipient. Not The Owner gives the power for the Recipient to use on the Owner.

 

Oh. My misunderstanding, I thought that the +1/4 "the character can give a target the Power, but then cannot use it himself" would be the equivalent of giving someone else the remote control to switch it on and off, but I can see now that I misread it.

 

I'm not sure what this nonsense all means but I'll try:

 

The GM is certainly within the rights of Dramatic and Common Sense if the holder of Beacon Device 1 gives it to another that the Floating Location has moved (which is why I reccomend Floating Locations).

 

It's cheaper to take a Fixed Location as the beacon, though; my point with all that "nonsense" was to point out that, practically speaking, you're not going to encounter a situation where someone activates their beacon when that beacon is not physically with them, therefore there's no difference in the effect if the character is teleporting to the beacon or teleporting to the person. Both are in the same place.

 

You're trying to teleport to where they are, and the beacon is where they are. Why complicate matters?