D&D 5E What happens if I unknowingly teleport into an invisible creature's space?

[Maxperson]

I think the RAW answer is that the spell fails, but I think a more interesting answer would be to use the rules for when an ethereal creature ends its turn inside a creature or object: take 1d10 force damage, and I’d say you’re forced into an adjacent unoccupied space as well.

This is akin to the 3e rules, which I also prefer. I think 5e went the way it did to A) be simpler, and B) be nice to PCs.

 

[Maxperson]

Could do, but that would be a lot more work as well.

No only that, but after the first time it happened by mistake, the PCs would be teleporting deliberately into all kinds of creatures to find a way to make a powerful monster/PC hybrid.

 

[overgeeked]

As title asks.

Thanks.

Whatever the referee wants to happen.

 

[DND_Reborn]

With Misty Step you can't teleport into an occupied space, so you've made an invalid target. Using the Xanathar's targeting rules, you would go nowhere and lose the spell. Fey Step uses Misty Step, so the same.

With Misty Step, you are the target, as with any teleport spell. JC has made that clear to be the intent for 5E. So, the information in Xanathar's is not appropriate.

Misty Step says you can teleport up to 30 feet into an unoccupied space you can see. You cannot choose an occupied space, therefore the spell sends you to the closest unoccupied space. As the DM in such a case, I would make it the space in line to the desired space, but 5 feet before it.

 

[Maxperson]

With Misty Step, you are the target, as with any teleport spell. JC has made that clear to be the intent for 5E. So, the information in Xanathar's is not appropriate.

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Misty Step says you can teleport up to 30 feet into an unoccupied space you can see. You cannot choose an occupied space, therefore the spell sends you to the closest unoccupied space. As the DM in such a case, I would make it the space in line to the desired space, but 5 feet before it.

Even if you are the target, you would still fail to go anywhere when you cast Misty Step. There's nothing in the spell that allows you to teleport if the target square is occupied. You only go if the square is unoccupied. See Dimension Door for an example of what happens when you try to teleport into something solid.

It's a fair ruling to allow it to shunt you to another square, but nothing in RAW supports that. It's more fair ruling that the spell simply fails, though, since RAW states that that the square must be unoccupied to Misty Step.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Even if you are the target, you would still fail to go anywhere when you cast Misty Step. There's nothing in the spell that allows you to teleport if the target square is occupied. You only go if the square is unoccupied. See Dimension Door for an example of what happens when you try to teleport into something solid.

It's a fair ruling to allow it to shunt you to another square, but nothing in RAW supports that. It's more fair ruling that the spell simply fails, though, since RAW states that that the square must be unoccupied to Misty Step.

Look, if you want to ignore the designer's intent, that is your choice.

Technically, the spell does not even say a space YOU CHOOSE, just an unoccupied space you can see. So, speaking strictly RAW, it could be any random space that is unoccupied within 30 feet of you that you can see...

Finally, nothing in the spell says it wouldn't work as I suggest, and given the precedence for other spells/features which specify you end up in the nearest unoccupied space, I would go with that since nothing, RAW, supports the spell simply failing, either.

Whatever the referee wants to happen.

Always the best answer LOL!

 

[aco175]

I would be more willing to just have the PC shunt to the nearest space. The blame gets shifted to the DM since the player does not see the invisible bad guy and the DM is the one who determines what space it is in. There needs to be the trust in that the DM does not move the monster to make the game fit.

 

[Maxperson]

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Look, if you want to ignore the designer's intent, that is your choice.

The designer's intent is clear. You pick an unoccupied space and go there. If you're saying that you teleport to any random space within 30 feet that you can see, that would allow what you say, but then it would be nearly useless as the DM would get to decide where you end up.

Either you pick a single space and go as intended, or the spell picks for you. It's not both. Nothing in RAW or RAI says that you would end up one space away if you pick an occupied square.

Technically, the spell does not even say a space YOU CHOOSE, just an unoccupied space you can see. So, speaking strictly RAW, it could be any random space that is unoccupied within 30 feet of you that you can see...

That's clearly not the intent, though. It would be a virtually useless spell if that happened.

Finally, nothing in the spell says it wouldn't work as I suggest, and given the precedence for other spells/features which specify you end up in the nearest unoccupied space, I would go with that since nothing, RAW, supports the spell simply failing, either.

Games don't work that way. Nothing in the spell says that it doesn't detonate a nuclear explosion, either. You can only go by what rules DO say, not by what they don't say.

If the spell doesn't say you are shunted to the nearest occupied square, by RAW it simply does not do that. The DM can of course change it, but that becomes a house rule for that spell.

Lastly, given precedence for other teleport spells that specify what happens, you would take 4d6 and not move, per Dimension door, the closest teleport spell to misty step.

"If you would arrive in a place already occupied by an object or a creature, you and any creature traveling with you each take 4d6 force damage, and the spell fails to teleport you."

 

[Maxperson]

I would be more willing to just have the PC shunt to the nearest space. The blame gets shifted to the DM since the player does not see the invisible bad guy and the DM is the one who determines what space it is in. There needs to be the trust in that the DM does not move the monster to make the game fit.

I object to the term "blame." It's not the DM's fault the player chose that spot, so any "blame" would be mutual.

 

[DND_Reborn]

If the spell doesn't say you are shunted to the nearest occupied square, by RAW it simply does not do that. The DM can of course change it, but that becomes a house rule for that spell.

Nothing in Misty Step says "If you choose an occupied space, the spell fails," either--that is your interpretation, which is fine, of course.

Lastly, given precedence for other teleport spells that specify what happens, you would take 4d6 and not move, per Dimension door, the closest teleport spell to misty step.

"If you would arrive in a place already occupied by an object or a creature, you and any creature traveling with you each take 4d6 force damage, and the spell fails to teleport you."

Which is because DD allows you to go to a space you CANNOT see, so if you risk teleporting into a space you cannot see, such are the chances you take.

In the case of Misty Step, it is just an unoccupied space you can within 30 feet you can see. Nothing says the spell fails. So, the DM tells you pick another space or uses the closest unoccupied space or makes it random, however they want to rule it. As a DM, if you want it to fail, that is up to you....

Any way, I am not going to debate it further with you. You said it fails because the target is invalid, I've shown you the target is the caster, not the location, then you argue the spell fails even though it does not specify that it fails (like DD does). So, no matter what I tell you, you'll come up with another reason why the spell should fail.

The OP has options and can work it out with their group and rule as they see best fits them. Have a nice day.