Pesky teleporting PCs no more... [Spell]

[Icewalker]

I'm not particularly experienced in actual play, and as such the tricks and common breaking of the story by the PCs, but it seems like teleportation would cause a pretty significant problem at mid to high levels. Throw them in prison? Teleport. Dungeon out in the middle of nowhere? No more travel difficulties, rendering the natural portions of the environment books almost useless, etc etc...

I've come upon this problem a few times in the campaign I'm setting up. While this seems a little heavy handed of a solution, it does make sense for this spell to exist, just a version of Dimensional Anchor with an area.

Dimensional Blockade
Abjuration
Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Area: Sphere, 10 ft./level radius
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

This spell creates a zone that blocks dimensional travel around it in both directions, emanating out from an object touched in a circle, with a radius of 10 ft./level. Any creature or object attempting to enter or leave the boundaries of a Dimensional Blockade using methods including astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport or similar spell-like or psionic abilities is pushed back to the position they tried to leave from. Attempts made that are blocked by this ability are still consumed with regards to uses per day, prepared spells, etc.

Additional: Dimensional Blockade can be made permanent with a Permanency spell, costing 1500 xp and requiring a minimum caster level of 13th.




There. Any significantly large prison ought to be encompassed in one of these so prisoners cannot teleport out and outside help cannot teleport in to spring people.

[DarknessLord]

Isn't there already a spell like this in some book or another, I can't remember.

Anyway, just thought I'd point out, block says 10 ft/level text says 5.

[Icewalker]

Ah, thanks for the correction, I changed it halfway through. Should be 10 ft.

There's the spell Dimensional Anchor, which is this but on a single target instead of in an area, which I modeled this off of for a more locational usage.

[Arbitrarity]

Also dimensional lock, which has a larger duration, but much smaller radius. However, this is more useful for game purposes, interdicting a large area, possibly permanently.

However, what does it do?

Any creature or object attempting to enter or leave the boundaries of a Dimensional Blockade using methods including astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport or similar spell-like or psionic abilities

I see no prevention clause.

[erikun]

Isn't there a magical item, 'dimentional shackles' or something, that prevents all forms of teleportation while worn?

[Icewalker]

Oops. I'm tired, sorry. Fixed.

[Alcino]

If you want to go by the rules, though, check the XP cost to have other spells permanent'd. Yours is too low for its level.

[Icewalker]

I did look at the xp cost. There didn't seem to be a pattern. I didn't want to make this too hard to permanency so it'd be reasonably usable by NPC groups.

[Jack_Simth]

I did look at the xp cost. There didn't seem to be a pattern. I didn't want to make this too hard to permanency so it'd be reasonably usable by NPC groups.
Pattern is 500 xp times spell level, minimum 500 xp; caster level requirement is 8 + spell level (minimum 9).

Also, check out the Cleric-6 Forbiddance spell, as well as the Sor/Wiz-8, Cleric-8 Dimensional Lock spell.

[Innis Cabal]

Dimensional Anchor....really makes me mad, this spell is even nastier

[Weiser_Cain]

Why don't you negate charm spells while you're at it....

[Magnor Criol]

There's plenty of things that would negate charm spells already, not the least of which would be equipping your guards with just one or two affordable wondrous items that give bonuses to resist enchantments. Simple, and already spell'd out.

It seems to me like there should be some sort of caster level check or something; like, a 20th level wizard, should he ever somehow be captured (I have no idea how), should be able to force his way through this if it were cast by an 15th-level caster. It's just a matter of power levels. Make it a pretty high DC, but it seems like it should be possible.

[Weiser_Cain]

There's plenty of things that would negate charm spells already, not the least of which would be equipping your guards with just one or two affordable wondrous items that give bonuses to resist enchantments. Simple, and already spell'd out.

It seems to me like there should be some sort of caster level check or something; like, a 20th level wizard, should he ever somehow be captured (I have no idea how), should be able to force his way through this if it were cast by an 15th-level caster. It's just a matter of power levels. Make it a pretty high DC, but it seems like it should be possible.

Or.... you know, Finger of Death.

[Icewalker]

There's plenty of things that would negate charm spells already, not the least of which would be equipping your guards with just one or two affordable wondrous items that give bonuses to resist enchantments. Simple, and already spell'd out.

It seems to me like there should be some sort of caster level check or something; like, a 20th level wizard, should he ever somehow be captured (I have no idea how), should be able to force his way through this if it were cast by an 15th-level caster. It's just a matter of power levels. Make it a pretty high DC, but it seems like it should be possible.

Well, there's no allowable break on Dimensional Anchor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dimensionalanchor.htm). Makes sense though, and this is a more spread out version, I can see an opposing caster level check against something like 15 +caster level of the caster.

[Somber Requiem]

I cheated with my campaign. I had players so abusive with teleport that finally I had the entire universe of Forgotten Realms undergo an planar realignment. (what, it's not any worse than how FR's been screwed up in the past!) Now, any one using a teleport spell with a range greater than a mile found their spell didn't work. Dimensional door did, but all others did not. In addition, gates and portals had a chance at GM's whim of dumping those passing through into the far plane. They were grouchy about it, but had fun later trying to find and slay the far plane god responsible for it. "Here" was not amused with their attempts.

[DracoDei]

Ok, maybe I am missing something, but why is Dimension Lock insufficient? Why invent a new spell? As for making it perminant... Perminancy is, perhaps ironically, a tool for the caster in a hurry... those who have time can save resources by creating wonderous items instead... having an entire wing of the jail, and large portions of palaces Dimension Locked by items in secure closets scattered throughout the places is perfectly reasonable to me in a high-powered campaign...
Is it the spell level that is giving the problem?

[Icewalker]

Well the main thing is I didn't know of Dimension Lock when I made it, just Dimensional Anchor. This is obviously a better version of that, but the main reason for it was the area, which needed to be big enough to cover a large area.

Would it actually be cheaper/easier to make a permanent item of this than casting it and using permanency?

[DracoDei]

I beleive I remember reading that somewhere... you could check the math if you like using the item creation rules and the formulae for Perminancy... but I would be very much surprised if the spell had any advantages other than speed of implimentation, and not having to spend an item creation feat...

[Heliomance]

And you can do things like permanencying true seeing on yourself without using an item slot.

[Jack_Simth]

And you can do things like permanencying true seeing on yourself without using an item slot.

Only with DM permission, though - True Seeing isn't normally available for Permanency.

[Weiser_Cain]

Why don't you just tell your player he can't be a wizard rather than hobbling the class with a million convenient wizard traps?

[KBF]

Why don't you just tell your player he can't be a wizard rather than hobbling the class with a million convenient wizard traps?

There is no easier way to tell a good player from a bad player then what he gets mad at. This spell is for keeping you from teleporting through each layer of the BBEG's defenses, to keep you from simply teleporting out of the forbidden desert. It's a plot device, to keep drama.