Break out of an inescapable prison! Win an internet! Hypothetical scenarios ahoy!

[Nevereatcars]

Hello! I'm about to DM for a group of relative novices to D&D (no member of the group I'll be running has played for more than eight months), and we are about to start a new campaign, as the old DM, who I am in the process of replacing, is soon to go off to college. As the one with the most D&D experience, I was chosen to take his place, and, frankly, I'm a bit terrified.

That isn't the point, though! There was interest in less Good-Versus-Evil plot and more Shades-Of-Neutral, so I'm setting the game in a city which, for Reasons and due to Shenanigans, was teleported into the Ethereal Plane, warded against teleportation in and out, and lost. The city was then overrun by crime lords etc etc etc, plot, background, stuff.

I don't want my players to simply be able to leave the city; it's supposed to be both impregnable and inescapable, and so I want to make them work for it. At the same time, though, I refuse to veto a clever trick that will get them out, simply because it would ruin my plans for them, the city, and the game. Our current DM has done things like that, and it rubbed everybody the wrong way.

The city floats in the Ethereal Plane, and has hundred foot high walls. These walls are laden with magical defenses designed to stop anybody that attempts to breach, climb or fly over, or in any other way bypass them.

The entire city is warded against teleportation to and from the Material Plane, and to any other plane of existence. Nothing from the Material Plane can teleport into the city, and nothing in the city can teleport in or out. Creatures from other planes of existence can teleport in or be summoned in, but the first is rare, because the city is also warded against magical divination, so very few entities know where to teleport to. Anything summoned into the city can be dismissed, but can't take anything from the city, person, place, or thing, with it. This is complicated, but its the best I could devise that wouldn't inherently bar basically all conjuration magic. Suggestions on exactly how this part of the setting can be improved or made elegant would be lovely.

In the center of the city is a massive portal, which is connected to another portal in the Material Plane. This portal was the intended way into or out of the city, but the gemstones that powered it have been broken, and the city was cut off. This is an integral part of the setting: I don't know whether or not my players even WANT to escape the city, but if they decide to make it their goal, fixing the portal would be the obvious goal to focus on.

The city was on the coast, and when it was shifted into the Ethereal Plane, part of the coast came with it. The water goes for a few miles before gradually merging with, and then eventually turning into, pure Ethereal Plane Stuff. This is what I consider the weak point, but I need the coast for a few reasons. First, it provides some variety. In an almost-entirely urban environment, getting to fight some sea monsters or go on an underwater quest might be welcome. Second, the open access to the Ethereal Plane allows others to find the city by accident, and provides an access point for anybody who wants the city for a purpose. There are half-formed plans here: perhaps some eldritch creature (or a dragon, or a single, extremely weakened hobgoblin) would come in from the sea and threaten the city. Perhaps an inter-planar warlord might invade from there. Other examples, words, so forth.

I don't want it to be easy to break out of, so here's the beta test. Using only spells, tricks, and exploits that would be available to a group of characters that are, at an upper estimate of maximum potential level, 9th level, how would you escape my city?

[Yorrin]

hundred foot high walls. These walls are laden with magical defenses designed to stop anybody that attempts to breach, climb or fly over, or in any other way bypass them

Tell me more about these magical defenses. Because by that level there are lots of ways to get 100ft up in the air, and a good number of ways to become resistant to damage.

[Twelvetrees]

Dig through the ground until one reached the normal ethereal plane, then escape that way. Depends on how deep one would have to dig, but this would avoid the walls entirely.

[Shining Wrath]

A boat. Sail into the mystic ... er, into the Ethereal.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Since the coast provides a basically unfixable breach in your city defenses (assuming the party has the resources to escape the plane to begin with) I would rely on a defense that doesn't use any kind of straightforward impediment. Instead, I would use something that knocks people out then teleports them/makes them appear back in the city. Or some sort of reality-bender that results in all attempts to leave the warded area to get mystically turned around and end up headed back to the city.

In that sense, the walls are more of a distraction and a defense against the plane-denizens than a real barrier. Let the players discover that for themselves, though...

[Nevereatcars]

Dig through the ground until one reached the normal ethereal plane, then escape that way. Depends on how deep one would have to dig, but this would avoid the walls entirely.


A boat. Sail into the mystic ... er, into the Ethereal.

That... is an excellent point. I haven't given enough thought to this. Dangerous monsters in the ocean were already a part of the plan; I forgot to mention that. Should I put some more underground? Or maybe a smallish-sized drow settlement that's very territorial?

Shining Wrath, emphasized hesitation at Ethereal Plane. Am I using the wrong part of the cosmos?

Internets to both of you.

[Human Paragon 3]

At the point where the water of the river transitions into Ethereal stuff, it could become Water of Madness. Put a high will save on it, have the will save repeat every round a creature is in contact with it, and have the effect be something nasty like confusion that will cause people trying to escape to go mad, drown, and / or kill each other.

So escaping through the river is pretty strait forward, but carries a strong risk of death or worse.

As for digging, you could say that people have tried it in the past, but the hole they make wraps around to the top of the city, basically you fall through the floor, then continue falling through the sky and land back where you were.

[DrLemniscate]

From the PHB:


The Ethereal Plane is a misty, fog-bound dimension that is sometimes described as a great ocean. Its shores, called the Border Ethereal, overlap the Material Plane and the Inner Plane, so that every location on those planes has a corresponding location on the Ethereal Plane. Certain creatures can see into the Border Ethereal, and the see invisibility and true seeing spell grant that ability. Some magical effects also extend from the Material Plane into the Border Ethereal, particularily effects that use force energy such as forcecage and wall of force. The depths of the plane, the Deep Ethereal, are a region of swirling mists and colorful fogs.

Too bad the extension of some spells is one way, otherwise I might be content to sit in the Ethereal Plane and throw up invisible walls in front of people on the Material Plane.

Make sure "teleportation" is well defined, otherwise the spellcasters could just banish everyone. Maybe just any effect that directly references changing of planes, or demiplanes?

Call all the wards and such level 10 spells at least, so they can't just be easily dispelled.

What is the nature of the wards? Do they create a sort of invisible physical barrier (stopping everything), or a sort of psionics to just keep creatures in? Could I Dominate Person on myself, then order myself to walk through the wards?

I'm sure the Wall is warded enough, but I'm thinking Animate Object on some of the structures (you must face the Gazebo alone), and see if they are immune to any wards.

Awaken on some of the oldest plant life, see if they can give some history.

Make a daily routine of summoning and killing as many creatures / people as you can. Bodies eventually pile up very high, hopefully some God takes notice.

Contact Other Plane, 5 questions to a demigod. All to the effect of "Which pair of shoes look better?" or "Do you know where your mother was last night?" or "What are you doing with your life?" or "Why aren't you on a demiplane, Mr. Demigod?" or "Do you have a moment to take about Ao, or Lord and Savior?". Repeat every day until the entity (and hopefully some of his buddies) come to mess you up. Cast Hallucinatory Terrain so they walk right in to the wall. Let them take it down for you.

I'll probably think of more.

edit: Warding against Identify a must.

[Nevereatcars]

Tell me more about these magical defenses. Because by that level there are lots of ways to get 100ft up in the air, and a good number of ways to become resistant to damage.

I don't actually have anything specific for the wall. I have a vague image of grids of walls of force combined with fireball artillery. I would gladly take suggestions.


At the point where the water of the river transitions into Ethereal stuff, it could become Water of Madness. Put a high will save on it, have the will save repeat every round a creature is in contact with it, and have the effect be something nasty like confusion that will cause people trying to escape to go mad, drown, and / or kill each other.

So escaping through the river is pretty strait forward, but carries a strong risk of death or worse.

As for digging, you could say that people have tried it in the past, but the hole they make wraps around to the top of the city, basically you fall through the floor, then continue falling through the sky and land back where you were.

Wraparound city sounds HILARIOUS. I like it. Take an internet.

[DrLemniscate]

Is there any sort of set strength to the wall?

Can it withstand a Peasant Railgun?

[Yorrin]

Make sure "teleportation" is well defined, otherwise the spellcasters could just banish everyone. Maybe just any effect that directly references changing of planes, or demiplanes?

Yeah, demiplanes is the direction I was thinking. Rope Trick, for example, is a demiplane-on-demand spell. Combine with Conjure <whatever> just outside the walls and then use Conjurer's lvl6 ability to escape.

[Nevereatcars]

Yeah, demiplanes is the direction I was thinking. Rope Trick, for example, is a demiplane-on-demand spell. Combine with Conjure <whatever> just outside the walls and then use Conjurer's lvl6 ability to escape.

My reading of Rope Trick is an "extradimensional space." I think that would make it just a little pocket of compressed space, rather than an entirely different plane, wouldn't it? It would still be inside the wards by that reading. Unless that's what demiplanes ARE, of course.

EDIT:

From the PHB:

Make sure "teleportation" is well defined, otherwise the spellcasters could just banish everyone. Maybe just any effect that directly references changing of planes, or demiplanes?

edit: Warding against Identify a must.


That was the general gist. I think I might have to brush up on my rules-lawyering lingo before I try to hang with this crowd. :smallbiggrin:

EDIT2:

Yeah, demiplanes is the direction I was thinking. Rope Trick, for example, is a demiplane-on-demand spell. Combine with Conjure <whatever> just outside the walls and then use Conjurer's lvl6 ability to escape.

Let me know if I'm screwing this up. Rope Trick to get into a demiplane, and thus beyond the wards. Conjure Animals to get some adorable Feywild squirrels, then Benign Transposition (Conjurer lvl 6 ability, aforementioned) to... make their dismissal take you instead of them? I don't know how that works.

[Yorrin]

My reading of Rope Trick is an "extradimensional space." I think that would make it just a little pocket of compressed space, rather than an entirely different plane, wouldn't it? It would still be inside the wards by that reading. Unless that's what demiplanes ARE, of course.

Let me know if I'm screwing this up. Rope Trick to get into a demiplane, and thus beyond the wards. Conjure Animals to get some adorable Feywild squirrels, then Benign Transposition (Conjurer lvl 6 ability, aforementioned) to... make their dismissal take you instead of them? I don't know how that works.

The idea is that rope trick is a demiplane (and thus not effected by the outside planar wards), but still leaves you line of sight back to the plane from which it is cast. So you fly up to the top of the wall and conjure a creature just outside of the wall, enter your demiplane, and switch places with the creature.

[Nevereatcars]

Ohhh, that is clever. Yorrin, add an internet to your pile. Take a cookie, too.

[Lord Raziere]

I got one:

I put one bag of holding inside of another, get myself sucked out into the astral plane, then use the appropriate conjuration spell to teleport to the Prime Material plane when I get there.

[Nevereatcars]

I got one:

I put one bag of holding inside of another, get myself sucked out into the astral plane, then use the appropriate conjuration spell to teleport to the Prime Material plane when I get there.

Is it confirmed that Bags of Holding still do this? I don't have any magic items for 5E. Aren't they exclusively in the DMG?

[Lord Raziere]

Is it confirmed that Bags of Holding still do this? I don't have any magic items for 5E. Aren't they exclusively in the DMG?

Hm, your right., we don't know. but I don't see why'd they change that.

[tzar1990]

As suggested, tunneling down or flying straight up until you're above/below the city seems like the best suggestion. The obvious solution to this is that the city is contained within a sphere, rather than walls. This gives you the added advantage of having cool stuff like a mechanical sun that physically crawls across the walls to provide light, and also avoids the "just go around them" issue.

There's also the fact that as you described it, teleportation between to the material plane is forbidden, but teleportation WITHIN the ethereal is not - however, I'd assume that's an oversight. EDIT: nevermind, I missed that this is impossible after all.

If you can get antimagic field up, cast in on an area of the walls, then break your way through the now-mundane stones.

You could summon a useful monster of some sort, hire it to break through the walls from the outside, then dismiss it (giving you a buddy on the outside). I'd suggest some sort of Chaotic outsider, or possibly something good-aligned (if the face that the portal's closed means that no food can get in and people are gonna starve to death)

Ultimately, though, we'd need to know how the defenses on the walls work and what they do, in order to figure out the best way past them.

[Yorrin]

Ohhh, that is clever. Yorrin, add an internet to your pile. Take a cookie, too.

Thank you, sir:smallbiggrin:

[Waylor]

it's supposed to be both impregnable and inescapable, and so I want to make them work for it. At the same time, though, I refuse to veto a clever trick that will get them out, simply because it would ruin my plans for them, the city, and the game. Our current DM has done things like that, and it rubbed everybody the wrong way.

It either is impregnable and inescapable or it isn't, can't be both at the same time. :smalltongue:
You seem to be confusing railroading with using plot devices. Don't leave it open to random chances of a player getting the idea mid game and leaving the adventure cause that is what's going to happen if any of them does, probably without the rest of the part, instead, build the story around it. 5th edition builds a lot around the old school magic mysticism, use it.

(this is a example on it's own and not using the information you gave, just to give you a idea)

Example events:

1- Introduction, City gets "Stolen".
"City magic ward": City has been trapped within a wall of force effect. Any attempt to teleport, move to another dimension or create extradimensional space simply fail. Bags of holding and rope tricks don't work anymore and their content got pulled out.
2- Crime lords take advantage of the situation, taking control over the city pretty quickly.
3- PC's are requested to fight the crime lords (uhhh good vs evil) and return the city back to the material plane.
4- During the investigation the PC's find out that the crime lords had nothing to do with it (what?), but find somebody or a clue about who did it. Maybe some papers detailing some weird magic components being smuggled into the city.
5- Investigation leads to a wizard laboratory within the city. The wizard died during the experiment but his bodyguards, golems and magic traps are waiting for them.
6- PC's destroy the artifact that holds the magic around the city. City returns back to the material plane.

Now that opens to a lot of things, they could be fighting/joining the crime lords, they could decide to just have some adventures as criminals or follow the wizard clue, they could even find the artifact and decide to keep it that way. There might be people who have found out a way to get in and out of the city because the know the work of that wizard, maybe even players can study his notes and create their own way to get in and out.

Hope it helps :P

[DrLemniscate]

Construct a large, hollow tower.

So tall that is stretches from the sky to deep underground, eventually connecting due to the loop.

Flush it with water, and have some sort of water wheel or something installed. Generate unlimited energy, use it to propel your small city in to the Modern age.

Alternatively, use it as a cannon. Drop chunks of stone in the tower, wait until they reach terminal velocity, then pull a lever that reroutes the path of the falling boulder on to a ski jump ramp that hurls it at the wall. Repeat as needed.

If the translation from falling through the world is not direct, you could replace the tower with a giant funnel, spanning the city.

It would also be interesting to dig up everything, eventually putting the entire city in a perpetual state of freefall.

The spell that conjures food/water never says anything about it disappearing, although the food will go bad. You could flood the entire city, looking for breaches in the wall. No matter how strong that damnable wall is against any singular attempt to breach it, it probably can't withstand physics acting on every single part of the wall at once.

[Trasilor]

It either is impregnable and inescapable or it isn't, can't be both at the same time. :smalltongue:
You seem to be confusing railroading with using plot devices. Don't leave it open to random chances of a player getting the idea mid game and leaving the adventure cause that is what's going to happen if any of them does, probably without the rest of the part, instead, build the story around it. 5th edition builds a lot around the old school magic mysticism, use it.

(this is a example on it's own and not using the information you gave, just to give you a idea)

Example events:

1- Introduction, City gets "Stolen".
"City magic ward": City has been trapped within a wall of force effect. Any attempt to teleport, move to another dimension or create extradimensional space simply fail. Bags of holding and rope tricks don't work anymore and their content got pulled out.
2- Crime lords take advantage of the situation, taking control over the city pretty quickly.
3- PC's are requested to fight the crime lords (uhhh good vs evil) and return the city back to the material plane.
4- During the investigation the PC's find out that the crime lords had nothing to do with it (what?), but find somebody or a clue about who did it. Maybe some papers detailing some weird magic components being smuggled into the city.
5- Investigation leads to a wizard laboratory within the city. The wizard died during the experiment but his bodyguards, golems and magic traps are waiting for them.
6- PC's destroy the artifact that holds the magic around the city. City returns back to the material plane.

Now that opens to a lot of things, they could be fighting/joining the crime lords, they could decide to just have some adventures as criminals or follow the wizard clue, they could even find the artifact and decide to keep it that way. There might be people who have found out a way to get in and out of the city because the know the work of that wizard, maybe even players can study his notes and create their own way to get in and out.

Hope it helps :P

+1 to this idea :)

As a DM you sometimes need to go "off script".

"Nobody knows why teleportation and extra-dimensional space doesn't work...it just doesn't."

I know most don't think of this but...

You will have all sorts of issues if this city stays in the ethereal realm too long. Raw materials are non-existent. So things like water, food and ore will become a scarce resource. When people start starving, bad things happen.

Of course there are magical solutions but something to keep in mind for how long the city has been trapped.

You almost want to create a 'mega-city' - one that is completely self contained with multiple sections. It would be interesting if it was large sphere 'floating' through the ethereal plane.

Netflix made an original anime called Knights of Sidonia which has a mega ship flying through empty space...ship is so massive it has a sea....

[Shining Wrath]

I give you ... Rover (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_%28The_Prisoner%29).

[Confusion567]

I give you ... Rover (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_%28The_Prisoner%29).

Ah yes - the only thing more frustrating to a player than a city from which he cannot escape is an enemy he cannot defeat.

[koscum]

You could always just use Sigil :3. Inescapable unless DM allows exit and no clever tricks for getting around that.



Is it confirmed that Bags of Holding still do this? I don't have any magic items for 5E. Aren't they exclusively in the DMG?
They are available in DM pdf on Wizards' site. Their interaction with Portable Hole is the same as before, so it could work. However, right-click -> Disable extra-dimensional space would nuke that idea to hell.
Also, there is the question of interaction from the outside. Astral travellers/natives could bump into the city, decide to investigate, and players might hitch a ride.
If summons work normally (they return to their point of origin/native plane), one could always summon some kind of caster and strike a deal with it to have it summon the player out, followed by banishment to native plane or dimensional anchor (although that one would be kind of restrictive). If summons do not return, the city could be overcrowded in by spamming summoning spells for a while.