So, we have a bit of a conundrum here. How does teleporting physically work? For context: I cast transport via plants on a tree, but the destination is surrounded by black necrotic-esque fog. My understanding is that Transport via Plants instantaneously teleports you to a fixed point, without deviation. My understanding is that the only way to stop transport via plants is to destroy either the departing plant, or the arrival destination WHILE they are in transit. Is this the case? Thoughts, ideas welcome.
Generally, the "how" of such things is flavor that can be decided by the players and the DM. Mechanically, the spell does what it says. It doesn't say anything about it mattering if the destination is surrounded by fog or blocked in any way, so that doesn't matter. Unless you are saying that this fog prevents there being any location to legally move into -- like, if there was no teleporting involved and a creature was trying to walk 5 feet into the fog but the fog physically prevents them from moving there -- then perhaps this might prevent the teleportation. I would picture this as like in the movie "Honor Among Thieves" if they tried to walk through the portal while the other end was laying flat on top of stone, it would be like trying to walk through the stone and therefore they cannot walk through the portal at that time. In this case, the exit would have to be blocked in every direction.
As for this part:
"My understanding is that the only way to stop transport via plants is to destroy either the departing plant, or the arrival destination WHILE they are in transit."
I'm not sure where you are getting this information, but the spell says nothing like this. It's unclear if this is even possible.
For context: I cast transport via plants on a tree, but the destination is surrounded by black necrotic-esque fog. My understanding is that Transport via Plants instantaneously teleports you to a fixed point, without deviation. My understanding is that the only way to stop transport via plants is to destroy either the departing plant, or the arrival destination WHILE they are in transit.
Is this the case?
First answer: Magic.
Second answer: Any spell can be stopped, canceled, fail to work, work in an unexpected manner, and more. Depends on the DM and the story of the adventurers.
Probably not very satisfying answers, especially if you want some sort of physics based stuff. You are literally talking about magic, so there is no physics involved. If you can apply physics to it, it isn't magic.
You have to know the place you are going to. It does not ensure your safety getting there it just gets you there. instantly. You pass through and you are there, at the new location, pretty much like walking through a door.
Could it be stopped? Yeah. you could mold earth or build a stone wall around the arrival tree. WOuldn't even need to be at that time. You could burn down the tree -- kill it. YOu might not know it, but if the tree isn't there any longer, you ain't going anywhere because that tree is gone.
Some will say that's not RAW, and they are correct. That's a mechanical appreciation of the systems, not a written rule. The spell still functions, only the place you are stepping to no longer exists. Whatever happens as a result of the target no longer existing is up to the DM, and every DM will have their own answer for it (and since it is RAW that such is the case, that's the RAW).
And that presumes there is no reason to make a change. If you are dealing with some kind of bad guy, for example, who knows of your use of that tree, then they might Awaken it (changing it to something other than the tree you knew). They might hire a band of folks to burn it, or cut it down and make it into a log cabin or maybe even build a prison cell around it.
or perhaps your escape or travel is bad for the story and so the DM is encouraging you to go on and not do that. Which strikes me as Railroady, but not my game.
Any spell, feature, rule roll, or effort in the game can be blocked. Any of them. That is what a DM *can* do -- they should have a reason to do so, and it should be a good reason, but they can do it. However, if they do it, the reason can be used against them, as well (if they are worth anything as a DM, imo), because they also have to be consistent.
Many DMs plan too much in my opinion. THey want a certain story to be told in a certain way and they get annoyed when players figure out ways around it. WHich players always do.
Learning to DM has a lot of moments like that, where you think the players will do X, Y, and Z and you have planned and then they come in and do C, K, and 4. A good Dm -- once again, in my opinion -- will let them do those C, K, and 4, and handle it all on the fly, because they recognize the story is about how the heroes (the player characters) respond to the events the DM sets in motion.
THe rest is all consequences. But some DMs don't know how to do that, and so they create reasons things don't happen because they are too invested in the story going the way they want it to go. Everyone's done it or will at some time (I have had an entire party teleport out from a final boss fight, and never return).
from your description, it sounds like your spell worked -- the arrival place is just surrounded by a necrotic fog. I can infer that this is somehow stopping you from teleporting -- but you don't say how it is stopping you, because if it didn't work you wouldn't know.
I am the sort that says screw it and calls the bluff -- i would step into the necrotic stuff, and knowing me I would probably die. Fortunately, I play NPCs, so no loss.
It could also be that if you are in some sort of dungeon, that all such teleporting type spells don't work, only placing you in a deadly fog within an extradimensional space. I've known a few liches who do that.
I mean, yeah -- there are lots of ways to stop it. Part of the goal a player has is to overcome challenges like that...
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Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
While both tree stride and transport via plants would seem to be teleportation effects, 5e doesn't actually say so. In any case, I don't see any reason to think that the destination being surrounded by black necrotic fog indicates that the spell is failing, it might just be that the location you want to go to is in fact surrounded by black necrotic fog.
Unlike other instant traversal spells such as Dimension Door, Misty Step, Arcane Gate, and Teleport, the plant based ones arguably can't be blocked by the official teleport warding spells per RAW because you are not actually teleporting, per se, whereas all Arcane instant traversal spells use "teleport" to describe the effect. Granted, it's entirely within the DM's purview to simply say "that endpoint is blocked, you can't go through", but best to use that sparingly; ruining someone's 6th level cast solution to a problem is not a good vibe for the table.
Unlike other instant traversal spells such as Dimension Door, Misty Step, Arcane Gate, and Teleport, the plant based ones arguably can't be blocked by the official teleport warding spells per RAW because you are not actually teleporting, per se, whereas all Arcane instant traversal spells use "teleport" to describe the effect. Granted, it's entirely within the DM's purview to simply say "that endpoint is blocked, you can't go through", but best to use that sparingly; ruining someone's 6th level cast solution to a problem is not a good vibe for the table.
This
Once players get level 6 spells, you can abandon all hopes of building an adventure with problems that can't be solved with a single spell or a feature.
The game changes dramatically after level 11.
I would also be very careful when trying to block the specific use of such a spell. At least consider how much value blocking it will bring.
They must have seen the plant in question, so they can't use it to reach unknown places. And going to a familiar place is the very purpose of the spell.
It would probably make a pretty epic player moment if they were able to use a powerful druid-only spell to save the party from a lot of trouble. I'd rather build that into a satisfying and meaningful moment and make sure that there is still thrill to be found despite using the shortcut.
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So, we have a bit of a conundrum here. How does teleporting physically work? For context: I cast transport via plants on a tree, but the destination is surrounded by black necrotic-esque fog. My understanding is that Transport via Plants instantaneously teleports you to a fixed point, without deviation. My understanding is that the only way to stop transport via plants is to destroy either the departing plant, or the arrival destination WHILE they are in transit. Is this the case? Thoughts, ideas welcome.
Generally, the "how" of such things is flavor that can be decided by the players and the DM. Mechanically, the spell does what it says. It doesn't say anything about it mattering if the destination is surrounded by fog or blocked in any way, so that doesn't matter. Unless you are saying that this fog prevents there being any location to legally move into -- like, if there was no teleporting involved and a creature was trying to walk 5 feet into the fog but the fog physically prevents them from moving there -- then perhaps this might prevent the teleportation. I would picture this as like in the movie "Honor Among Thieves" if they tried to walk through the portal while the other end was laying flat on top of stone, it would be like trying to walk through the stone and therefore they cannot walk through the portal at that time. In this case, the exit would have to be blocked in every direction.
As for this part:
"My understanding is that the only way to stop transport via plants is to destroy either the departing plant, or the arrival destination WHILE they are in transit."
I'm not sure where you are getting this information, but the spell says nothing like this. It's unclear if this is even possible.
First answer: Magic.
Second answer: Any spell can be stopped, canceled, fail to work, work in an unexpected manner, and more. Depends on the DM and the story of the adventurers.
Probably not very satisfying answers, especially if you want some sort of physics based stuff. You are literally talking about magic, so there is no physics involved. If you can apply physics to it, it isn't magic.
You have to know the place you are going to. It does not ensure your safety getting there it just gets you there. instantly. You pass through and you are there, at the new location, pretty much like walking through a door.
Could it be stopped? Yeah. you could mold earth or build a stone wall around the arrival tree. WOuldn't even need to be at that time. You could burn down the tree -- kill it. YOu might not know it, but if the tree isn't there any longer, you ain't going anywhere because that tree is gone.
Some will say that's not RAW, and they are correct. That's a mechanical appreciation of the systems, not a written rule. The spell still functions, only the place you are stepping to no longer exists. Whatever happens as a result of the target no longer existing is up to the DM, and every DM will have their own answer for it (and since it is RAW that such is the case, that's the RAW).
And that presumes there is no reason to make a change. If you are dealing with some kind of bad guy, for example, who knows of your use of that tree, then they might Awaken it (changing it to something other than the tree you knew). They might hire a band of folks to burn it, or cut it down and make it into a log cabin or maybe even build a prison cell around it.
or perhaps your escape or travel is bad for the story and so the DM is encouraging you to go on and not do that. Which strikes me as Railroady, but not my game.
Any spell, feature, rule roll, or effort in the game can be blocked. Any of them. That is what a DM *can* do -- they should have a reason to do so, and it should be a good reason, but they can do it. However, if they do it, the reason can be used against them, as well (if they are worth anything as a DM, imo), because they also have to be consistent.
Many DMs plan too much in my opinion. THey want a certain story to be told in a certain way and they get annoyed when players figure out ways around it. WHich players always do.
Learning to DM has a lot of moments like that, where you think the players will do X, Y, and Z and you have planned and then they come in and do C, K, and 4. A good Dm -- once again, in my opinion -- will let them do those C, K, and 4, and handle it all on the fly, because they recognize the story is about how the heroes (the player characters) respond to the events the DM sets in motion.
THe rest is all consequences. But some DMs don't know how to do that, and so they create reasons things don't happen because they are too invested in the story going the way they want it to go. Everyone's done it or will at some time (I have had an entire party teleport out from a final boss fight, and never return).
from your description, it sounds like your spell worked -- the arrival place is just surrounded by a necrotic fog. I can infer that this is somehow stopping you from teleporting -- but you don't say how it is stopping you, because if it didn't work you wouldn't know.
I am the sort that says screw it and calls the bluff -- i would step into the necrotic stuff, and knowing me I would probably die. Fortunately, I play NPCs, so no loss.
It could also be that if you are in some sort of dungeon, that all such teleporting type spells don't work, only placing you in a deadly fog within an extradimensional space. I've known a few liches who do that.
I mean, yeah -- there are lots of ways to stop it. Part of the goal a player has is to overcome challenges like that...
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
While both tree stride and transport via plants would seem to be teleportation effects, 5e doesn't actually say so. In any case, I don't see any reason to think that the destination being surrounded by black necrotic fog indicates that the spell is failing, it might just be that the location you want to go to is in fact surrounded by black necrotic fog.
Unlike other instant traversal spells such as Dimension Door, Misty Step, Arcane Gate, and Teleport, the plant based ones arguably can't be blocked by the official teleport warding spells per RAW because you are not actually teleporting, per se, whereas all Arcane instant traversal spells use "teleport" to describe the effect. Granted, it's entirely within the DM's purview to simply say "that endpoint is blocked, you can't go through", but best to use that sparingly; ruining someone's 6th level cast solution to a problem is not a good vibe for the table.
This
Once players get level 6 spells, you can abandon all hopes of building an adventure with problems that can't be solved with a single spell or a feature.
The game changes dramatically after level 11.
I would also be very careful when trying to block the specific use of such a spell. At least consider how much value blocking it will bring.
They must have seen the plant in question, so they can't use it to reach unknown places. And going to a familiar place is the very purpose of the spell.
It would probably make a pretty epic player moment if they were able to use a powerful druid-only spell to save the party from a lot of trouble. I'd rather build that into a satisfying and meaningful moment and make sure that there is still thrill to be found despite using the shortcut.
Finland GMT/UTC +2