Teleportation power

[kevinknight]

In my campaign, I had a squad of Zhodani commandos teleport onto the players ship. After the smoke had cleared and 3 of the characters were dead with their ship heavily damaged, one of the players made a comment about good thing they didn't bring a pocket nuke... So, what stops a Zhodani telporter from just teleporting onto the bridge or engineering room of an Imperial capital ship and setting one off? Say they use a heavily stealthed assault shuttle to land on a giant capital ship, use clairvoyance to see where they want to go, then do it? The RAW says 500kg of equipment but also says that independent items may not be moved... so is a briefcase considered equipment or an independent item?
The reason this is going to be an issue is one of the characters can teleport so he may want to try something like this one day and I need to have a good reason for him other than 'because I said no'... I would like some hard and fast rules; I'm beginning to have second thoughts about introducing this psionic power in my campaign...

 

[Jeraa]

In my campaign, I had a squad of Zhodani commandos teleport onto the players ship. After the smoke had cleared and 3 of the characters were dead with their ship heavily damaged, one of the players made a comment about good thing they didn't bring a pocket nuke... So, what stops a Zhodani telporter from just teleporting onto the bridge or engineering room of an Imperial capital ship and setting one off? Say they use a heavily stealthed assault shuttle to land on a giant capital ship, use clairvoyance to see where they want to go, then do it? The RAW says 500kg of equipment but also says that independent items may not be moved... so is a briefcase considered equipment or an independent item?
The reason this is going to be an issue is one of the characters can teleport so he may want to try something like this one day and I need to have a good reason for him other than 'because I said no'... I would like some hard and fast rules; I'm beginning to have second thoughts about introducing this psionic power in my campaign...

A briefcase that is being carried by the teleporter is equipment. A briefcase sitting by itself is an independent item. Only the teleporter himself and his eqipment may beteleported - you can't just send over the briefcase by itself.

Remember, giant capital ships are rarely alone. You would have to get close enough to teleport while avoiding being detected by the sensors of your target and the sensors of the ships escorts as well.

And you better hope your ships vector is exactly the same as that of the target ship, or your teleporter may end up a very messy paste on the wall once he arrives.

 

[rust2]

I would like some hard and fast rules; I'm beginning to have second thoughts about introducing this psionic power in my campaign...

See page 203 of the core rules: "Buildings and vehicles can also be psionically shielded, but this is much more costly, increasing the cost of the vehicle by 10%." I would expect all warships and many civilian ships (e.g. the yachts of nobles, etc.) to have psionic shielding.

 

[Jeraa]

I would like some hard and fast rules; I'm beginning to have second thoughts about introducing this psionic power in my campaign...

See page 203 of the core rules: "Buildings and vehicles can also be psionically shielded, but this is much more costly, increasing the cost of the vehicle by 10%." I would expect all warships and many civilian ships (e.g. the yachts of nobles, etc.) to have psionic shielding.

That only stops Telepathy powers, not Clairvoyance or Teleport.

 

[rust2]

That only stops Telepathy powers, not Clairvoyance or Teleport.[/quote]
Something a referee can easily change. 8)

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Energy and Momentum: Teleportation involves serious restrictions on movement in order to ensure the conservation of energy and momentum, two laws of physics that can cause teleporting Travellers serious issues.

Core, p202.

Teleportation can easily kill you. Teleporting into a moving spacecraft is very difficult, a slight speed vector difference between the origin spacecraft and the target spacecraft will kill or incapacitate.

 

[kevinknight]

Energy and Momentum: Teleportation involves serious restrictions on movement in order to ensure the conservation of energy and momentum, two laws of physics that can cause teleporting Travellers serious issues.

Core, p202.

Teleportation can easily kill you. Teleporting into a moving spacecraft is very difficult, a slight speed vector difference between the origin spacecraft and the target spacecraft will kill or incapacitate.

Yes, why I had put the following in the original post:

use a heavily stealthed assault shuttle to land on a giant capital ship

So other than extending the Psionic Shielding to include all psionic powers, not just telepathy there are no rules per say that prevent this. I acknowledge it would be difficult, but not impossible.
Plus we may not always be talking about moving ships; could be a base or building... maybe will just make up some house rules to keep this power in line...

 

[alex_greene]

Most of the time, ships are not designed with psionic shielding. First of all, there is the cost. And second, on capital ships the shielding provides zero defence against Telepathy and Clairvoyance.

Third, there is the cost.

 

[-Daniel-]

Why not just make larger Disruption Units that cover important areas in capital ships like the bridge? Tie them into the ships power grid and let them run.

"Disruption Unit
Available at TL 12+. This small unit emits a constant electro-psionic
field that disrupts psionics within its sphere of influence. The unit
carries a 100 point charge, with its operation drawing on this charge
at the rate of 1 point per minute. The maximum setting is variable
between 1 and 6 points, with each point applying a negative DM
to all psionic use equal to the points setting. The disruption unit
affects an area of a 3 metre radius. The unit can be recharged from a
standard power source, taking 1 minute per point to recharge." Pg 84 Psion

If this is a real threat, then the counter measures would be developed and used as well.

 

[Reynard]

I guess if you can have a specifically built heavily stealthed assault shuttle to land on a giant capital ship to teleport then plant a pocket nuke, psionically shielded ships aren't too far fetched either, hypothetically speaking.

 

[phavoc]

Or ships on the Zho frontier have extra sensors and anti boarder defenses in critical areas. Amy thing that suddenly appears gers grav plating maxed, or zero g and a few laser rounda into itm

There will be the unfortunate failure from time to time... buy can't trust the zhos!

 

[AnotherDilbert]

use a heavily stealthed assault shuttle to land on a giant capital ship

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought teleport aboard.


But if we can sneak in a heavily stealthed small craft to dock with the capital ship, we could just attach a limpet mine with a gigatonne nuke and blow the ship, we wouldn't need any psion?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

In my campaign, I had a squad of Zhodani commandos teleport onto the players ship.

Hammer vs. mosquito?

The RAW says 500kg of equipment but also says that independent items may not be moved... so is a briefcase considered equipment or an independent item?

Strap it to your chest and it is equipment. Set it down next to you and it's an independent object.

The reason this is going to be an issue is one of the characters can teleport so he may want to try something like this one day and I need to have a good reason for him other than 'because I said no'... I would like some hard and fast rules; I'm beginning to have second thoughts about introducing this psionic power in my campaign...

Does the character also have Clairvoyance? Blind jumps can be dangerous.

You might have the character reappear not exactly where he intended on a slightly failed roll, near something solid or with some equipment fused into a wall. That might make him a bit careful?

If someone else even suspects psionic, Imperial forces might have black helicopters circling the area, especially near the Zho, in the Domain of Deneb.

Most psi can be unbalanced; a touch of Telekinesis can stop someones heart without a mark on the body, a bit of Suggestion would make a mockery of any negotiation or trade campaign.

Once the cat is out of the bag, i.e. the players have psi, you have to ride the tiger. You have to let them use their powers, and give them harder challenges to compensate.

 

[Reynard]

Just because some players say it can be done it doesn't mean they get what they want. And don't encourage them with highly unlikely means such as handing out pocket nukes and totally undetectable delivery systems (Emission Absorption system and Superior Stealth).

The Imperium has been at odds with the Zhodani long enough to ban psionics and have experienced psionic warfare. If the Zhos haven't tried teleporting bombs on targets, the Imperial military has more than likely run that scenario over and over. Ships in a region that might have Zhos will be on high alert. Important ships are ringed in a sea of vessels with their Improved and Advanced sensors on. Considering jump travel and the subsequent strategic movement, getting a very specialized assault ship to a particular target would need divine intervention not psionics.

I'm not saying it couldn't be an exciting adventure but it would be highly unique in a Guns of Navarone way. Not a cakewalk and not proof psionics in infallible. If it was that easy, the Zhos would have ruled the galaxy a long time ago.

 

[alex_greene]

If it was that easy, the Zhos would have ruled the galaxy a long time ago.

Like the Imperial Chinese, I suspect that they could have, if they'd really wanted to.

It's just that, for centuries, they haven't been interested. They've just been content with being the top of the food chain in their vast region of space, with only sporadic conflicts along the Imperial border - and most of those seem to be of the "get off my lawn!" kind of conflict.

It's just that the thought of having to impose the Path of Morality on all those trillions of psionically primitive, wayward, mentally diseased potential Proles with their guns, murder, secrets, dishonesty and lies is a task that really daunts the most ardent Zhodani evangelist.

And those Zhodani who think too much about wanting to go out there proselytising to the deceitful madmen in the Imperium quickly receive a visit from the Tvarchedle' and a new assignment on a Core Expedition ship.

But that is a topic for another thread, one which I'll open shortly.

Back to the teleporting thing. I'll come up with a comment on the original topic too; again, shortly.

 

[-Daniel-]

Does the character also have Clairvoyance? Blind jumps can be dangerous.

Based on the RAW, Blind Teleports can't be done at all. (2e Pg 202)

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Based on the RAW, Blind Teleports can't be done at all. (2e Pg 202)

Not entirely blind, no.

But you can Teleport to a place you scouted last week or last year. Furniture can have been moved since you saw the place. People may be standing where you intend to appear.

The safe procedure is to always take a peek right now, then Teleport in.

 

[-Daniel-]

Based on the RAW, Blind Teleports can't be done at all. (2e Pg 202)

Not entirely blind, no.

But you can Teleport to a place you scouted last week or last year. Furniture can have been moved since you saw the place. People may be standing where you intend to appear.

The safe procedure is to always take a peek right now, then Teleport in.

I agree, the safe way is to look just before the teleportation.

 

[Condottiere]

Zhodani thrive on control, and expanding too fast loosens their grip, and might create conditions for peasant revolts.

 

[alex_greene]

Zhodani thrive on control, and expanding too fast loosens their grip, and might create conditions for peasant revolts.

Or so the Imperial propaganda would have you believe.

But a hundred thousand years of studying social sciences, psychology and similar specialities might give the Zhodani a pretty firm idea of how to keep a society from tearing itself apart, and it would do so by giving its people exactly what they want.