D&D 5E Teleport /fly /misty step the bane of cool dungeon design is RAW in 5E

[Krachek]

Core assumption 1 characters in DnD can fly, teleport, spider climb and much more.
Core assumption 2 DnD is played in a fantasy setting. Not a sim medieval setting.
But for your specific setting,
Change misty step for a disengage effect. Less powerful but still useful.
Allow fly to self only.

 

[Greg Benage]

Yes, these issues are indeed unique to 5e. If only these types of spells had existed in previous editions, we might have been able to draw upon examples from the past to see how to deal with them.

Heh. It's fair to say, though, that these issues (or awesome features!) have gotten worse (or better!) with recent editions of the game. You get into the superhero levels much more quickly and much more easily. In B/X, you got a 3rd-level spell when you amassed 20,000 XP, and then, sure, you could use that single slot on fly and take your 13-hp self somewhere interesting, bypassing dungeon obstacles. You could pick up dimension door at 80,000 XP and teleport at 300,000 XP, though it was more limited (and dangerous).

Fair to say that TSR D&D supported a more extended period of "dungeon survival" mode, and that the superheroics weren't as super, assuming you ever got there. In 5e, it's two sessions to 3rd level and misty step, maybe ten sessions to fly, revivify and a few other game-changers, and your character is much, much more likely to survive that long.

 

[aco175]

Most of these have not come up too much in my games. There is misty step where a few times someone jumped through a window or past a gate he could see through. Most of the time is gets used to get behind a monster or escape a grapple. Fly seems to be more a mid-level power and teleport more a higher level power. Most of my campaigns tend to wrap up before these get too much play.

I agree with some of the other comments where these should be countermeasures. Feel free to make items and powers that redirect where teleport goes and limits these powers. Be careful that you do not do it all the time though. I remember all the old 1st edition modules seemed to start the module with a list of spells that do not work in this dungeon, like teleport and commune with god. It got old and frustrating as a player that you could not use your cool powers every dungeon. I remember there was arguments over this and once not even going into the dungeon.

As the DM you should feel free to change the rules for NPCs and monsters. Give the enemy mage a 1/rest power to dispel magic. Create a shackle spell that the PCs can get only be finding the NPC spellbook. I have created NPCs that occasionally travel with the PCs and get played by the other players if a fight comes up. One of the cool fighter powers on the 5th level warrior-type was a close burst 1 power from 4e. A simple power that can be used 1/rest. It is simple and the players want it for their fighter now.

 

[Bawylie]

Insofar as those resources have limitations, it can be good to repeat the obstacles. Right? Like yeah, you can dimension door a couple times per day, so here are 4 different things you can DD through. You'll hit 2 out of 4. Gonna have to think of something else for the others.

You can also play with visibility quite a bit. Darkness, fog, mist, smoke, webs, corners, dust, and other obstacles like ceilings and screens. So then you're gating the ability to fly or teleport behind some other obstacle. So the players can actually earn the ability to fly by dealing with that, first.


-Brad

 

[jgsugden]

What you identify as a bug is a feature, and one of the most important features in the game. The PCs are heroes. They should be able to do heroic things - like bypass dangers with magic. You're not there, as a DM, to make every challenge as difficult as possible. You're there to make them fun and awesome. You're not there to make the PCs struggle in every situation - you're there to provide the story in which the heroes can triumph.

Does this mean there should be no challenges in the game? Of course not. But it does mean that we should not lament that heroes can bypass certain types of challenges based upon the abilities they have. Rather, we should work to make it constantly seem cool when they teleport past the traps and dangers.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

Interestingly Tomb of Annihalation has a mechanic related to teleportation within the final dungeon (MECHANICAL SPOILERS FOR THAT)

[sblock]Spells that would normally allow creatures to transport into and out of the tomb either fail or deposit their recipients in area 57. Spells that normally allow one to pass through stone fail, and divination spells cast within the tomb provide false readings. Spells designed to communicate over long distances are similarly foiled. These alterations are summarized in the Modified Spells table. Spells not included in the table might suffer similar alterations, at your discretion

Then area 57 is a room reminiscent of the trash compactor from the death star with an otyugh lurking to attack lone characters and a control panel that can open a mouth to suck up everything in the room at a saving throw. Anything sucked up is destroyed by what is probably a sphere of annihilation.
[/sblock]

So if its a big deal, WOTC seems to have no issues with creating mechanics to punish transportation abuse.

 

[Ath-kethin]

Then why don't you just restrict everything to humans and ban magic all together?

Don't knock it til you've tried it. This is more or less the way I run my campaigns, and I get rave reviews.

 

[dagger]

Hm, a smiley eventually next time pls to mark sarcasm

Yes, these powers have been around in earlier editions, but in 1e /2e they were hard to aquire and easy to cancel e.g. the whole undermountain dungeon stated: teleportation not possible, eat it players.

It was not assumed that any mage could learn any spell he wanted to.

1e magic-users did get one free spell per level that they could add to their spell book.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

1e magic-users did get one free spell per level that they could add to their spell book.

Did they remove that for 2E? I remember playing and worrying about finding a second level spell before hitting level 3, because otherwise I wouldn't know any; and the temptation to play a specialist wizard, because they did get one spell for free every level.

And I know that, prior to 1E at least, the books were big on empowering the DM to not deal with certain spells by simply not making them available to find or purchase. The only spells that the wizard could access were the ones that the DM specifically placed ahead of time.

 

[Greg Benage]

What you identify as a bug is a feature, and one of the most important features in the game. The PCs are heroes. They should be able to do heroic things - like bypass dangers with magic.

There are different styles of play and different definitions of "heroic." Personally, I'd call "bypassing dangers with magic" superheroic. Like, superman flies down and lifts the train into the air. Cool. I'd call running into a burning building to rescue a kid with no magic to protect you heroic. In this definition of "heroic," it's less about what the character can do and more about what the character is willing to do.

Using superpowers can be fun. Having amazing adventures and doing amazing things without superpowers can also be fun.