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I've seen these 2 questions, but neither seems to address exactly what I'm wondering:

The description of the booming blade spell states (SCAG, p. 142):

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell’s range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, and it becomes sheathed in booming energy until the start of your next turn. If the target willingly moves before then, it immediately takes 1d8 thunder damage, and the spell ends.

Does teleportation trigger the secondary damage from booming blade?

There seems to be some debate on the internet over it, but I don't see any official answer to this in the Sage Advice Compendium (or unofficially by Jeremy Crawford on Twitter). It seems unclear, since it doesn't use the character's own movement, but obviously teleportation does cause them to end up in a different spot.

To me, it seems as if it wouldn't trigger the additional damage, assuming it works similarly to opportunity attacks... But it doesn't necessarily work the same way. I'd appreciate anyone pointing me to an official ruling one way or the other (or an unofficial ruling, failing that), and making a compelling rules-based argument argument why teleportation would or wouldn't trigger the additional damage.

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2 Answers 2

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No

The spell description says

If the target willingly moves before then,

So is teleportation willing movement?

If you use the definition of movement in the PHB it isn't

Your movement can include jumping, climbing and swimming. These different modes of movement can be combined with walking, or they can constitute your entire move. However you are moving, you deduct the distance of each part of your move from your speed until it is used up or until you are done moving.

In support of this interpretation Jeremy Crawford stated on twitter that...

When booming blade refers to moving, it means movement in the game's normal sense

Teleportation is not listed as a form of movement.

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    \$\begingroup\$ But: twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/663030224154562561 "Standing up costs movement but moves you nowhere. To move while prone, you crawl or use magic (PH, 191). #DnD" And mentioned PHB 191: "To move while prone, you must crawl or use magic such as teleportation." This may not change the answer, but it is a mention of teleportation as a form of movement. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mark
    Commented May 20, 2018 at 18:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Mark: Yeah, it's mentions like those that give me pause. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented May 20, 2018 at 20:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ How would you deal with the following from PHB page 191: "To move while prone, you must crawl or use magic such as teleportation." Which seems to say that teleportation counts as movement \$\endgroup\$
    – Exempt-Medic
    Commented Oct 14, 2019 at 13:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ Similarly, Hallow (PHB, p. 249, second instance of bold text added) states: "Extradimensional Interference Affected creatures can't move or travel using teleportation or by extradimensional or interplanar means." That seems to imply that teleporting can, in some cases, count as moving. Unless... unless it means those affected creatures can't move at all (including traveling by teleportation?) But it seems odd to call that feature "Extradimensional Interference" if that's the case. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gandalfmeansme
    Commented Nov 2, 2021 at 17:29
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No, teleportation doesn't trigger the secondary damage

The rules on movement and position state:

On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed.

If you aren’t using up your speed, you aren’t moving; you are being moved by something else.

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