How do you defend against this?

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

Non-detection, forbiddance, thin sheets of lead, anti-scry and anti-teleport devices of any kind (spell, researched spell, special materials, etc.) are also good ideas.

However, consider the strategic implications of 'contingency' and 'chain contingency'... I know chain is gone in 3rd, but it can easily be researched.

With just contingency, you can guarantee a teleport to safety and enough time to prepare proper defenses. With chain contingency, you could even strike back with really nasty spells going off after you've teleported out.

Time Stop was typically my villains favorite spell to contingency Especially in conjunction with a nearby teleportation occurring.

 

[Al]

Mind Blank, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Nondetection or very high Will saves protect against Scry.

Forbiddance and Dimensional Lock protect against Teleport.

Extraplanar fortresses can protect against both for the very high level adventurer.

Contingency and Chain Contingency will, at the least, give you a fighting chance if attacked.

Traps, servants and golems can often deter potential attackers; as will multiple "home defense" spells, such as Hallow and Guards and Wards.

 

[andargor]

I believe that a whole slew of Teleport-oriented spells are in the BoEM splatbooks. Teleport Tracer, Teleport Block and Teleport Redirect, if I recall.

Andargor

 

[Staffan]

In my home campaign, I am considering only allowing teleportation to certain predetermined points in the world. These would be common enough to still allow for teleportation as a travel aid, but would disallow the scry/buff/port strategy.

Dimension Door would still work like before though, since it's limited by its short range.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Most of the suggestions said so far, though, only work if you're holed up at home or travelling by yourself. So much for "adventuring". Let's say our intrepid heroes are heading for the Dungeon of Doom. They want to set up camp for the night; how can they prevent the Scry-Buff-Teleport combo? Dimensional Lock would work, but it only covers a 20'-radius burst area, and you don't need the huge duration. Extradimensional spaces aren't too bad, although someone who can Gate could still get in there. Contingency+Teleport seems fine, but that only saves you, the rest of the party still gets whacked. So, what's needed? A tent made of lead? Hallowing the campsite?

Besides, in general the defense to a strategy requiring only 3rd-5th level spells shouldn't require near-Epic resources. IMO, there need to be more lower-level spells that can reduce the effectiveness of this strategy overall, even if they don't completely stop it.

Now, I like the House Rule that all duration-based effects expire in transit in Teleport, but even an unbuffed attacker can still be at a huge advantage. One other suggestion (originally made to prevent Teleport being used as an improved Dimension Door) was that while the transit is instantaneous to the people involved, it actually takes a few minutes relative to the outside world. So, if you're relying on the element of surprise after a Scry, the other side has time to buff up or escape. If you also count that time against any spell durations, it prevents things like Haste from coming through intact, without disrupting all the long-lasting spell effects.
One other ruling I liked was that the Scry check/saving throw is made at the START of the 1-hour casting time, and the victim knows instantly whether it succeeded, but the caster won't know if it succeeded or not until the end; that way, your potential victims have an hour of warning that there's someone watching them, and you can't just abort what you know to be an unsuccessful attempt. The target can get equipped, find a featureless place to hide, and so on. Greater Scrying gets around this, but that's what you'd expect from a 7th-level spell.

 

[jmucchiello]

The easy fix is to disallow teleport to a location you've never been to unless you can see it (with your physical eyes), or just add a +50 to the teleport check. If scry can't allow you to teleport in, then it doesn't do as much good. This doesn't protect Kings and Emperors who hold public courts but they tend to have good mundane defenses in those courtly places.

 

[Norfleet]

I believe that a whole slew of Teleport-oriented spells are in the BoEM splatbooks. Teleport Tracer, Teleport Block and Teleport Redirect, if I recall.

Andargor

What about Teleport Fireball? Did that one appear yet?

A simple approach to avoiding the entire scry/teleport thing is to deprive the enemy of an LZ: If you spend your time resting in an underground box as your bed, into which you, yourself, teleport, your opponent, who looks for you, simply sees the inside of a box. It's very dark inside, and it's the inside of a box, to boot. There's not enough room to teleport in, when the box is occupied, and the box buried in the dirt, or even solid rock, leaving no place to teleport to. Throw in an enchantment to provide you with internally contained air to breathe, and you've got a perfect place to rest. Should you somehow managed to be killed there or elsewhere, at least you've also got your burial expenses covered.

 

[Al]

Most of the suggestions said so far, though, only work if you're holed up at home or travelling by yourself. So much for "adventuring". Let's say our intrepid heroes are heading for the Dungeon of Doom. They want to set up camp for the night; how can they prevent the Scry-Buff-Teleport combo?

Answer: Top-level heroes should nearly never going around happy camping. Without exception, heroes ascertain where they are going (through Legend Lore, Commune, Contact Other Plane, Discern Location or Scrying), then teleport there. If they can't teleport there, they should take special precautions. At the very least, Dimensional Lock + Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion. If the party can afford that many resources, then multiple Mind Blanks (or Chained Mind Blank using a Rod of Greater Chaining) is a good bet to prevent scrying.

 

[TuDogz]

You are correct. You are doomed. Any BBEG worthy of the name will eventually kill you in your sleep or when your pants are down. Even...

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The best answer that springs to mind is to never leave anyone alive who has both the means and the motivation to execute such a strategy. This is what all the Evil Overlords do.
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... doesn't help cause it is nigh on impossible to permantly kill anyone.

IMC, we don't allow teleportation to areas you have not personally viewed. It does multiple things that help game flavor.

It stops the Scry-Buff-Teleport Cheese.

It maintains the overland travel aspect of the game throughout all levels of play. There is a Teleportation amd Travel Guild that derives it's value and marketability from the sheer number of places its' members can take you. The guild might get you close but never close enough.

It leaves the thief something to do. What is the point of sneaking past security when all you have to do is sit on your butt all day and scry a guard till he walks into the room you need access to? The group still teleports in but the thief scouts the way in with a tiny polymorphed sorcerer until they find the right spot the old fashioned way.

I have no problem with high magic DnD, that is the game we play. But when you have to pretend an obvious thing like this can't be done to keep the game from being crap, steps have to be taken.