To avoid arguments I have been letting the mage in my campaign get away with casting certain spells the way he sees it as written. One is Teleportation Circle.
As I read it, it only allows one-way teleportation, it does not say you can enter the gate from the permanent circle end. I imagine if you had a busy teleport circle at, say, a mages guild this would cause untold issues. He sees it as a two-way circle.
Also, in a base there is a magic circle. It is not a teleportation circle. I once said he couldn't use it to teleport to as he had not scribed the circle for 100 days and thus it was not permanent. This caused so much grief that I let him do it, but I think I will start putting my foot down about it now as it is being abused.
It takes a minute to cast, lasts for one round, and lets you teleport to one of two permanent circles you automatically gain knowledge of when you learn the spell. No one can just magically come to you once you place the circle on the ground because they don't know it exists. It also would cost 15,000 gold to make a teleportation circle permanent, 300 days x 50 gold per day.
Magic Circle is a 3rd level spell, which does wildly different things, are different schools of magic, etc etc.
Don't be afraid to put your foot down on the rules. If you want to make exceptions as the DM, that is your prerogative but now since you've allowed it in the past, you have to climb out of a hole. Best of luck on that with a player who seems a bit hard to deal with.
I would definitely rule that they are one way. I would be unlikely unlikely budge without significant compromise in their part (a special ritual or something that requires a rare material.
Why?
Because there's a spell that does do two way portals. It's a 6th level spell (so requires more powerful magic) and has much more severe limitations (500ft).
Yeah, no way will I let them boost the range while knocking down a power level and get the same portal.
Do what you wish. You have to confront the player, not me, so you can rule how you wish. But I'd rule that they can't. If they want two way, use Arcane Gate. If they want the long distance, find a permanent gate that can handle it. Otherwise, they have make do with what they have. Alternatively, use Wish to wish for a the gates to be placed. It's not wise to be undermining spells by giving their properties to other, cheaper, spells.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
one way - unless of course he wants to spend a minute and 50 gp to draw his temporary circle exactly on top of the existing circle...then sure - two way for 1 round.
I would say that they are one way because of the wording of the spell, which says, "As you cast the spell, you draw a 10-foot-diameter circle on the ground inscribed with sigils that link your location to a permanent teleportation circle of your choice whose sigil sequence you know..." How can the permanent circle be a link to a circle that didn't exist at the time and therefore did not have a know sigil sequence? I think to make it two way, both circles would have to be created at the same time with predetermined sigil sequences...
This is not an in-character issue with a wizard playing fast and loose with the spell descriptions.
This is an out-of-character issue where one of the players is bullying the DM (and it's unclear from the post, but potentially the other players, too?). You need to address this as such. Have an out-of-character discussion with the player who is running the mage, do it between sessions. Tell this person that you are the DM and your rulings are what goes. Explain the way you interpret the spell as an example and say that you are going to use it your way from now on. You'll be willing to hear their opinions, but you will make the decision. If they have a problem with that concept, or that ruling, or with other rulings, they are free to find a new table. You need to get the bullying in hand before you can do anything else.
Honestly, I'm tempted to say you should just kick them. I realize the OP was about 4 sentences long, but I get the impression of a long-term pattern of behavior. If you are trying to "avoid arguments" and the player has "caused so much grief" it sounds like you are not having fun. I'll bet other players are annoyed, too. Kicking this person will make the environment better for everyone. Maybe give them a warning, as part of the discussion about the rulings in general. But only one warning, otherwise, they'll think you were bluffing, and then they'll keep bullying you.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/teleportation-circle
To avoid arguments I have been letting the mage in my campaign get away with casting certain spells the way he sees it as written. One is Teleportation Circle.
As I read it, it only allows one-way teleportation, it does not say you can enter the gate from the permanent circle end. I imagine if you had a busy teleport circle at, say, a mages guild this would cause untold issues. He sees it as a two-way circle.
Also, in a base there is a magic circle. It is not a teleportation circle. I once said he couldn't use it to teleport to as he had not scribed the circle for 100 days and thus it was not permanent. This caused so much grief that I let him do it, but I think I will start putting my foot down about it now as it is being abused.
What are your thoughts?
So if you are casting the spell as intended:
It takes a minute to cast, lasts for one round, and lets you teleport to one of two permanent circles you automatically gain knowledge of when you learn the spell. No one can just magically come to you once you place the circle on the ground because they don't know it exists. It also would cost 15,000 gold to make a teleportation circle permanent, 300 days x 50 gold per day.
Magic Circle is a 3rd level spell, which does wildly different things, are different schools of magic, etc etc.
Don't be afraid to put your foot down on the rules. If you want to make exceptions as the DM, that is your prerogative but now since you've allowed it in the past, you have to climb out of a hole. Best of luck on that with a player who seems a bit hard to deal with.
I would definitely rule that they are one way. I would be unlikely unlikely budge without significant compromise in their part (a special ritual or something that requires a rare material.
Why?
Because there's a spell that does do two way portals. It's a 6th level spell (so requires more powerful magic) and has much more severe limitations (500ft).
Yeah, no way will I let them boost the range while knocking down a power level and get the same portal.
Do what you wish. You have to confront the player, not me, so you can rule how you wish. But I'd rule that they can't. If they want two way, use Arcane Gate. If they want the long distance, find a permanent gate that can handle it. Otherwise, they have make do with what they have. Alternatively, use Wish to wish for a the gates to be placed. It's not wise to be undermining spells by giving their properties to other, cheaper, spells.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
one way - unless of course he wants to spend a minute and 50 gp to draw his temporary circle exactly on top of the existing circle...then sure - two way for 1 round.
temporary = out
permanent = in
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I would say that they are one way because of the wording of the spell, which says, "As you cast the spell, you draw a 10-foot-diameter circle on the ground inscribed with sigils that link your location to a permanent teleportation circle of your choice whose sigil sequence you know..." How can the permanent circle be a link to a circle that didn't exist at the time and therefore did not have a know sigil sequence? I think to make it two way, both circles would have to be created at the same time with predetermined sigil sequences...
Thanks everyone :)
This is not an in-character issue with a wizard playing fast and loose with the spell descriptions.
This is an out-of-character issue where one of the players is bullying the DM (and it's unclear from the post, but potentially the other players, too?). You need to address this as such. Have an out-of-character discussion with the player who is running the mage, do it between sessions. Tell this person that you are the DM and your rulings are what goes. Explain the way you interpret the spell as an example and say that you are going to use it your way from now on. You'll be willing to hear their opinions, but you will make the decision. If they have a problem with that concept, or that ruling, or with other rulings, they are free to find a new table. You need to get the bullying in hand before you can do anything else.
Honestly, I'm tempted to say you should just kick them. I realize the OP was about 4 sentences long, but I get the impression of a long-term pattern of behavior. If you are trying to "avoid arguments" and the player has "caused so much grief" it sounds like you are not having fun. I'll bet other players are annoyed, too. Kicking this person will make the environment better for everyone. Maybe give them a warning, as part of the discussion about the rulings in general. But only one warning, otherwise, they'll think you were bluffing, and then they'll keep bullying you.
Could you use arcane gate as a trap, so one portal opens directly above the other and you fall through them for the duration of the spell?