Teleporting on a flying dragon's back?

Arravis

First Post
If a character were to Teleport on top of a flying and hostile dragon's back, what would happen?

Could he ride or hold on to the dragon? Would holding on be a standard action, so he could not do it on the round he teleports? Would he even be able to stay on if all he has is a movement action that round? If he could, would it be a ride check, a balance check, a grapple check, or something else altogether different?

What if the character used Dimension Door instead of Teleport, would it be possible to avoid falling since the character can't take actions? I was never sure if Dimension Door prohibited passive actions such as spot checks, etc or just "active" actions.

Anyway, ideas or suggestions would be welcome, thanks guys!
 
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Balance would apply if he was trying to stand on the dragon. Although Ride (if just using legs) or Climb (if using both hands and legs) could be used, I believe that by the rules grappling would be the mechanic to use. But that would make it tough for the teleporting wizard to actually hold on. As a DM, I would probably extrapolate Ride or Climb for "riding but not grappling a hostile creature."
 




Yep, it's something that's going to likely (planned) to happen in an upcoming game. I'm not sure how to resolve it. Some players may Dimension Door, some may Teleport.
 

Here's my take. The first problem you'll have is as you mentioned. Do you fall immediately or fall only on your turn? I say that you fall immediately (150ft in the first round). So, casting dim door is a bad idea if you are 150ft high or less (you cannot use featherfall while recovering from dim door). Using teleport is better, but grabbing onto a dragon's back is extraordinarily difficult. IMO, the DC's required would be near epic-level. A balance check (riding the dragon like a surfboard) would be hardest, probably DC 50 or so, perhaps modified by hit die or speed moved this round by the dragon. I would not allow a (free) grapple check (though carried allies could ready to attempt a grapple, provoking etc. as normal but he had better succeed this high up or fall). No other skill check seems to apply IMO. A climb is essentially a grapple. A ride check is closer to a grapple than a balance and you need to have your legs wrapped around the dragon. I'm not sure I'd allow it, though I could understand using it OR balance. Or, perhaps a balance check using your ranks (+ skill bonuses) from Ride as the PC desires.
 

Both methods are shaky at best. Both require that all transported be in contact (e.g., a chain of some kind) – which would, IMO make it rather difficult to get to the exact spot necessary.

Teleport pretty much requires a clear idea of the location.

Dimension Door does not, but it prevents the character from taking any actions until his next turn.

I would have difficulty in transporting into a mounted position, as I see these spells transporting the character into the exact same body position he was in to start with.


From the SRD

Teleport
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Travel 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal and touch
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)
This spell instantly transports you to a designated destination, which may be as distant as 100 miles per caster level. Interplanar travel is not possible. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent (see below) per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you. As with all spells where the range is personal and the target is you, you need not make a saving throw, nor is spell resistance applicable to you. Only objects held or in use (attended) by another person receive saving throws and spell resistance.

You must have some clear idea of the location and layout of the destination. The clearer your mental image, the more likely the teleportation works. Areas of strong physical or magical energy may make teleportation more hazardous or even impossible.

To see how well the teleportation works, roll d% and consult the Teleport table. Refer to the following information for definitions of the terms on the table.

Familiarity: “Very familiar” is a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home. “Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you can currently see it, you’ve been there often, or you have used other means (such as scrying) to study the place for at least one hour. “Seen casually” is a place that you have seen more than once but with which you are not very familiar. “Viewed once” is a place that you have seen once, possibly using magic.

“False destination” is a place that does not truly exist or if you are teleporting to an otherwise familiar location that no longer exists as such or has been so completely altered as to no longer be familiar to you. When traveling to a false destination, roll 1d20+80 to obtain results on the table, rather than rolling d%, since there is no real destination for you to hope to arrive at or even be off target from.

On Target: You appear where you want to be.

Off Target: You appear safely a random distance away from the destination in a random direction. Distance off target is 1d10x1d10% of the distance that was to be traveled. The direction off target is determined randomly

Similar Area: You wind up in an area that’s visually or thematically similar to the target area.
Generally, you appear in the closest similar place within range. If no such area exists within the spell’s range, the spell simply fails instead.
Mishap: You and anyone else teleporting with you have gotten “scrambled.” You each take 1d10 points of
damage, and you reroll on the chart to see where you wind up. For these rerolls, roll 1d20+80. Each time “Mishap” comes up, the characters take more damage and must reroll.
Familiarity On Target Off Target Similar Area Mishap
Very familiar 01–97 98–99 100 —
Studied carefully 01–94 95–97 98–99 100
Seen casually 01–88 89–94 95–98 99–100
Viewed once 01–76 77–88 89–96 97–100
False destination (1d20+80) — — 81–92 93–100


Dimension Door
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4, Travel 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)
You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction. After using this spell, you can’t take any other actions until your next turn. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you.

If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location.

If there is no free space within 100 feet, you and each creature traveling with you take an additional 2d6 points of damage and are shunted to a free space within 1,000 feet. If there is no free space within 1,000 feet, you and each creature travelling with you take an additional 4d6 points of damage and the spell simply fails.
 

I'm not saying that more then one character will be transported per spell, only the caster. The basics question is if only the caster Teleports (or Dimension Doors), can he do anything to stay on the dragons back beyond his own immediate turn? He wouldn't instantly fall since he IS on the dragon's back, not in freefall. A Balance check might be in order, but it wouldn't be instant fall since he is on a solid, though not flat, surface. He would mainly risk falling on the dragon's turn when it moves or tries to remove the character.

Also, the location doesn't have to be "familiar" if you can see the location.
“Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you can currently see it, you’ve been there often, or you have used other means (such as scrying) to study the place for at least one hour.
 

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