Dimensional Anchor: Looking for Testimonials & Feedback.

[Miss Disaster]

Having had very little exposure to playing above 13th level, I'd like to hear some feedback from players who've both had the opportunity to use DimAnch ... and who've had to deal with trying to determine when and how to get the spell ready for use on a given adventuring day.

For higher level play, I would think that DimAnch would be an ideal spell to use for dealing with heavy-bamfing opponents such as evil outsiders and optimized spellcasters. Yet experienced high-level players I've talked to seem to be on opposite ends of the opinion spectrum for when it comes to talking tactics, neccessity and alternatives.

Against annoyingly teleporty mobility-enemies and recurring villains, this debuffing spell pretty much ensures that a final solution is gonna come about in the actual fight that the spell successfully lands. Unfortunately, that's all the spell does. Plus, just because it doesn't have a save doesn't guarantee that it's gonna land. It's a ray - and rays don't always land and also have some nasty defenses against them (Friendly Fire, etc.). Also, since a prime target for DimAnch are Evil Outsiders, SR=YES is going to also be a potential problem.

Another issues is how many of these damn things do you prepare as a Wizard or Cleric? Because you sure don't want this spell as a Sorceror selection.

***

There are also alternatives to your party arcanist laying down DimAnch.

1. Anticipate Teleport spell (and it's improved version, GAT). Unfortunately, this borks your party's own tactical bamfs. Of which every optimized party I know has things like Anklets of Translocation, Shadow Cloaks ... or a Conjurer Specialist who likes to Abrupt Jaunt.

2. Dimensional Shackles (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#dimensionalShackles). Ugh. 28,000 GP and very problematic to get on.

3. Binding Weapon Special Property (MIC p. 29). +1 Cost and 2/Day for 10 minutes duration. Not bad. CL 10 for the SR check ... which sucks.

4. Desert Diversion spell from Sandstorm. WOW. I like this spell as it is basically a clone/alternative to DimAnch ... but the "diversion" trigger sends the teleporter to a location where it sits until the 1 Minute/Level duration of the spell expires (assuming the victim can teleport back to your location) ... or it effectively is stuck-or-dead at its new location and the combat encounter is over with. Which could be bad if the target had a ton of great treasure on it. At least DimAnch allows you to loot the defeated ex-teleporter once you down it.

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In my final analysis, I would think that when up against a huge barrage of teleporting outsiders and spellcasters ... I'd prefer to want to overwhelm them with deadly force within a few rounds and hope you neutralize them before they bound away. But it doesn't always work that way. So that's why I'd like some play experience insights from some of you guys.

Cheers!

[Ranting Fool]

While the spell can be countered with:

High Touch AC (Casters don't tend to have the highest touch)
Ray Deflection, Level 4 Spell from Spell Compendium. All rays fail vs you.
High SR

My players tend to get angry when the party caster doesn't carry at least One Scroll of DA at all times. As BBEG's getting away with all their shiny loot is never a good thing :smallbiggrin:

[Eldariel]

I very rarely bother with the spell. Last I saw it used (on a Succubus), she died before taking her turn anyways so it was wasted. By and large, I find Dimensional Anchor a waste of time, simply because it checks for Touch AC and Spell Resistance. With the same trouble you could be hitting them with a massive debuff or even a lethal attack. It's even annoying to carry as a scroll since it checks for SR and thus you kinda want it to be a high caster level spell.

Generally I find Dimensional Lock or Antimagic Field good enough in conjunction with control spells or closed spaces since they don't check for anything but DA is just too unreliable to be worth the action and the slot in many cases. Cleric's level 2 spell Silence can do the same thing better when not dealing with a Spell-Like version of teleportation too. And defensively there's always Anticipate Teleportation & co. Yeah, Anticipate Teleportation has annoying side clause so you have to be a bit careful with it but you can generally work around it (Extraordinary Spell Aim, setting the caster level you want, etc.).

[StreamOfTheSky]

In the few high level games I've been in, it has always been a high priority to have prepared every day. But since wizards and clerics both get it, not necessarily a priority for every PC caster to have it each day. The SR part is annoying and I wish it weren't there, but yeah... If you don't want them to get away, it's basically a requirement. Usually what's painful isn't the spell slot, it's the combat action. Quickening it is ideal, if possible.

As for being a Ray... if your DM allows Ray Deflection and/or Friendly Fire, your game's probably lost all sense of balance anyway.
Sure is annoying that supposedly ranged touch is so good that it's worth +2 spell levels to metamagic melee touch into ranged touch and yet...no option to do the opposite.

[nedz]

It's a good spell, though unreliable.
The thing is you often don't need it at all or you need two, so how many do you prepare ?
Touch AC, miss chances and SR all conspire to this end.

I've seen it fail due to a low initiative roll also: hit and run attack with the guy Bamfing out before it could be cast.

[Miss Disaster]

Thanks for your insight guys. Seems like we all agree ... the opportunity cost and resource allocation of a prepared DimAnch is often a suboptimal gambit. And to think of even prepping more than 1 seems ludicrous (although if you are in a campaign where half or more of your 4 daily encounters are with high-level evil outsiders, I'm sure you'd be tempted).

Another option that I just thought of can be found in the Fiendish Codex II book. It's a 5th level spell (Wiz/Sorc/Cleric ... even Blackguard 4!) called Investiture of the Orthon. The caster can even cast this on, say, your charging barbarian who can close with the teleporting enemy and Immediate Action the 20' radius teleport-prevention field. The enemy gets no save ... although it appears the field is SR=YES because it simulates the area of a Dimensional Lock spell (an 8th level spell!). Plus, IotO also gives you a bunch of other really nice little buff and attack options. Wow. For 1 level higher than DimAnch and 3 levels lower than DimLock (which it simulates), this spell looks to be like a much more effective solution to teleporting enemies. Especially since, unlike Desert Diversion (which is still an interesting/good spell), you can still loot the dead body. :smallbiggrin:

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EDIT: On an additional note, this spell can be Chained (ranged - and it has one target). I also would consider this to be a strong candidate for a Runestaff spell. Especially since it has the utility options of the damaging sonic shield, Evasion for Acid Attacks and Fire Resistance 10.

[StreamOfTheSky]

And to think of even prepping more than 1 seems ludicrous (although if you are in a campaign where half or more of your 4 daily encounters are with high-level evil outsiders, I'm sure you'd be tempted).

You can just get a pearl of power (4th level) and only prep it once. That's generally what I see happen. Or the casters each prep it once.

[ericgrau]

There's dimensional lock too. If you're sure you can win you may just want to negate your party's own teleports too if it means finally catching the annoying foe.

Generally I assume it's a single foe so you can have one party member take out the teleportation and the others attack. If it's multiple foe and one pops out, good, that much easier to kill the rest. If they all have it, let foes bamf down to 1-2 then use single foe tactics as above, or focus on trapping one from the start and let the rest bamf away.

A wand or staff can be a good way around making decisions on how many spells to prepare. Staff if SR is a concern. It can sit for weeks without eating your spell slots, then give you 7 dimensional anchors when needed. If you only expect to use 2-3 anchors in the forseeable future, then scroll it instead. 700 gp a pop, but better than being down a high level spell all the time. The money you don't actually burn until you need it.

Holding your actions for allies and focus fire can work too. If you can knock out a foe in 1 round then he won't get a chance to bamf. And a foe that bamfs at 3/4 health won't get much chance to attack you in the first place. That's the most common solution I've seen in my disorganized groups. Often it's unplanned and just happens.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Dimensional Lock is problematic because often times...the area just isn't big enough to keep someone from getting outside of it and then teleporting away.

I actually prefer Dim. Anchor to Dim. Lock, and it has absolutely nothing to do w/ the higher level or "double edged nature" of Lock. Anchor, if it hits, is stuck on there, they can't just escape it. Of course, there is dispelling, but that's true for both.

[Miss Disaster]

Keep in mind, DA is online at 7th level of play. DL is online at 15th level of play. That's 8 whole levels of play to deal with before you can reasonably begin to compare-&-constrast them (assuming no early-casting shenanigans).

In addition, Desert Diversion is available at 7th level. And Investiture of the Orthon at 9th level.

[classy one]

I use it against my PCs all the time with good results. Most PCs don't have any resistance and it does it's job. Don't know why it isn't used more by players. Maybe they are so OP that they can deal with anything summoned or don't care that their prey escapes?

[Miss Disaster]

I use it against my PCs all the time with good results. Most PCs don't have any resistance and it does it's job. Don't know why it isn't used more by players. Maybe they are so OP that they can deal with anything summoned or don't care that their prey escapes?

I was trying to think of a good way around enemies that use DimAnch and DimLock against the party. The important thing to consider is the mention of the exact words "extradimensional travel" being barred within the text description of both of those spells. And both spells gives examples that include effecting game mechanics with a [Teleportation] tag and/or that use Plane of Shadow-style movement.

One spell that *can* work around this is the Lightning Leap spell (Wiz/Sorc 5 - Complete Mage). It gives you teleportation style movement ... but only because it "transforms" the caster's body into a line of lightning. Interesting.

[Miss Disaster]

One other thing, you should keep in mind all these spell options (listed above) for when you may be casting spells like Lesser Planar Binding, Planar Binding, etc. As you'll recall from reading the Binding spells, they outright mention DimAnchor as a means to prevent extradimensional travel from bound creatures who have escaped. Although clearly, DimLock and InvOrth could be substituted for DimLock in such cases (and depending upon what the party wants to do with the escaped outsider).