Psionic Teleport Effects

[JustinInOz]

I have been reading the JTAS No 11. In the section on Zhodani Military Organisations, the teleportation of the commandos is discussed. It mentions two things that I have never seen explicitly spelled out. These are changes in elevation/conservation of momentum and disorientation.

I am assuming the changes in elevation come from the moving in and out of a gravity well and the associated potential energy changes. For example, to change elevation 2,500 metres in a 1 g environment is a change in potential energy of 1,715,000 joules for a 70 kg person. If energy is to be conserved, about the only way that this could happen would be to change the temperature or the teleporter. I am assuming a person has approximately the same specific heat as water. This change in potential energy would entail a change in temperature 5.9 degrees centigrade. Running a fever of 43 degrees or dropping in core temperature to 31 degrees would be terrifying if not dangerous. This is where the teleporter is on the receiving end of adiabatic heating or cooling.

There is a possibility that some mass be converted to energy via e=mc2. However, this approach smacks of handwavium and does not interest me at all.

Secondly, there is implied that there is a time of disorientation proportionate to the distance teleported. I get this from the mention that long distance teleports have to occur in secluded places so that the group has time to recover. Short distance teleports allow the group to teleport into combat and be immediately active. It seems that teleporting on a tactical scale has no real after effects but teleporting on a strategic scale has debilitating effects that require time to recover.

Has anyone seen rules that spell out these effects? Am I on the right track with the adiabatic heating/cooling?

 

[Icosahedron]

Adiabatic processes are mentioned specifically in LBB3, where psionic teleport gets its first mention. This arises from the concept of instantaneous teleportation which, let's face it, is handwavium itself. The mechanisms of teleportation (whatever they may be) could allow for heat exchange naturally, and mass-energy conversion could conceivably be an integral part of quantum processes involved in the mechanism.
Alternatively, a workaround might be for the teleporter to wear some device that rapidly exchanges heat and/or to prepare for the 'trip' whenever possible by heating/cooling the body immediately prior to teleporting.
The disorientation is simply a handwavium rule inserted to further limit the power of teleportation by imposing another Achilles heel. Your decision whether you keep it or reject it.

 

[aramis]

Yes, there are some rules on it in some editions.

Mega Traveller Player's Manual says -1000m=+2.5°C and vice versa. (p100-101.)

Same source also says long distance teleports also involve up to 120 seconds of disorientatio.

 

[Darkhstarr]

The teleport side-effects have never come into play in any of my games. Few people ever picked or rolled that particular skill. And the only time I had a distance effect was a 5th Frontier scenario in Bette Noire youth. A Zhodani escort had hammered her SDB, killed her commander & demanded surrender. She freaked out, teleported over to the Zhodani bridge & wasted the bridge crew. Which was a great diversion for the boarding party she sent over while she was supposed to be buying time running a bluff of the Zho's.
Considering her state of mind (& asking in private the psych student in the group) I couldn't see where disorientation would come into play. Interestingly enough, that was the first & last time since her childhood temple psi training she's used her abilities(that she admits).

 

[Gadrin]

Has anyone seen rules that spell out these effects? Am I on the right track with the adiabatic heating/cooling?

GURPS Traveller p84-85 has something similar or at least touches on this. It offers teleportation max ranges and disorientation.