How do you handle magical travel in your worlds? (Sharing my veil-slip system + curious about yours!)

Hey everyone! I’ve been refining the magical travel system in my fantasy world, and I’m curious how you all handle portals, rifts, teleportation, waystones, or any other form of magical movement in your stories.

In my world, witches and wizards use something called veil-slip portals. Temporary rifts created by slicing into the fabric between locations.

Here’s how veil-slipping works:

1. The conjurer visualizes their destination clearly.
2. They summon a small glowing orb using the incantation Velum Aperi.
3. The orb cuts the veil, creating a glowing slash in midair.
4. They pull the opening apart like a curtain until it’s large enough to step through.
5. The portal snaps shut behind them with a physical, almost violent finality.

A few quirks of the system:

• Portals can be dangerous if opened incorrectly.
• Holding one open too long burns the surrounding area.
• Inexperienced users risk misfires or unstable rifts.
• Skilled users can veil-slip almost instinctively.

The system leans toward something beautiful but risky. Magic that has real consequences.

How does magical travel work in your worlds?
Do you prefer systems that are unpredictable and wild, or ones that are clean and reliable?
What limitations do you put on travel magic to keep it interesting?

I’d love to hear different approaches.