Waypoint
A waypoint is a permanent magical rune inscribed on a solid surface that acts as a teleportation anchor. Each waypoint resonates with others across the world or across planes, allowing spellcasters to move creatures safely between them. A waypoint is typically a circle, sigil, or carved rune large enough to stand within (usually 5 feet across), though the exact design varies by creator.
In Aether Spira, long-range magical travel requires the use of waypoints. These magical runes serve as fixed points in space that teleportation and planar travel magic can reference to ensure safe and accurate transport. Some waypoints are naturally occurring in highly magical areas.
Under this variant rule, most magic that moves creatures between locations requires a waypoint at the origin, destination, or both.
TLDR: Waypoints
A spellcaster capable of teleportation can create a waypoint through a ritual requiring:
• 1 hour
• 1,000 gp in materials
Each waypoint has a password established when it is created.
Anyone who knows both the password and the waypoint’s location may teleport to it.
CRAFTING WAYPOINTS
A waypoint has at least one password or key used to activate it which is set by the crafter upon creation. Without the correct password, a waypoint cannot normally be used. Any creature capable of casting a calling, summoning, planar, or teleportation spell can create a waypoint.
Creating a waypoint functions similarly to crafting a magic item but requires only skill and raw magical materials rather than item creation feats.
Requirements
Ability to cast at least one calling, summoning, planar, or teleport spell.
Materials: 1,000 gp for a medium-sized (-200 gp per size smaller, cumulatively double per size larger)
Time: As crafting a magic item worth 1,000 gp (typically 1 day)
Check: Spellcraft check determined by the GM (typically DC 20)
Failure wastes half the materials.
Once created, a waypoint is permanent unless physically destroyed or magically suppressed.
USING WAYPOINTS
When a creature casts a calling, planar, summoning, or teleportation spell, the spell must reference a waypoint to travel from and to and the caster must know the password for both. The target must be current within a waypoint's area that is being accessed.
Unless otherwise noted:
The caster must begin the spell from a waypoint, target a waypoint, or both, depending on the spell.
Creatures arrive within the waypoint’s space or adjacent to it.
Waypoints can be used across any distance, including interplanar travel, unless noted otherwise by the power being used.
If multiple waypoints are within range, the caster chooses the destination waypoint during casting.
Waypoint Passwords: Each waypoint has one or more passwords or keys created by the crafter. A creature must know the password or use the key to activate the waypoint unless the creator allows open access.
Password features:
Speaking the password is typically a verbal component during casting.
Creators may add additional passwords later.
A waypoint may have multiple passwords granting different access levels (such as arrival only, departure only, or both).
The GM determines how easily passwords can be discovered.
Destroying a Waypoint
Waypoints are magical inscriptions but are otherwise physical objects with a hardness equal to the material they're made of +1 due to the magical inscription.
A waypoint is destroyed if:
The surface it is carved into is damaged enough to become broken.
It is targeted by dispel magic, disjunction, or similar magic at the GM's discretion.
The creator dismantles it through a 10-minute ritual.
Spells and Waypoints
Under this variant rule:
All spells with the calling, planar, summoning, or teleportation descriptors require a waypoint to function.
The spell must reference at least one waypoint unless the spell description specifically states otherwise.
Examples include:
Calling spells
Planar travel spells
Teleportation spells
The GM may rule that short-range summoning spells function normally if doing so better fits the campaign.
Sensory Wayfinding (Upgrade / Metamagic): Some advanced casters learn to navigate magical space without a prepared anchor.
Sensory Wayfinding allows a caster to replace the waypoint requirement with direct sensory targeting.
When using Sensory Wayfinding, the caster may use line of sight instead of a waypoint. To do this, the caster must be able to see the target and destination location at the time of casting or suffer a failure chance just like an attack roll against an obscured or hidden target. This ability represents advanced spatial awareness and magical navigation.