How can I prevent teleportation in 4e?

Question

In our gaming group, our storyteller loves to use creatures with teleportation abilities. This is starting to get frustrating since as soon as a creature is bloodied, it teleports away with its next action. We've only managed to kill 1 creature in our last 10 combat encounters.

I'm looking for any powers or magical items that can prevent teleportation.

We do receive full experience for defeating the encounter. The issue is more the frustration of not actually killing the creatures, and that they keep coming back again and again.

Answer 1

I've attempted here to find some of the lowest level stuff that will do what you want, here's a couple of suggestions:

Dimensional Warding - Swordmage Utility 6 - Daily

It's a close burst 2 arcane/stance/zone that prevents teleport in or out.

Dimensional Warding compendium entry

Forbiddance Bolt - Level 9 Ammunition

+2 ammunition that prevents teleportation.

Forbiddance Bolt compendium entry

The bolts sound particularly handy as they can be used by anyone that can use a bolt!

Answer 2

You might need to have a talk with your DM. Ask him why he keeps using these kinds of monsters. Remind him that you are here to kill things and take their stuff. :) This kind of tactic, used right, could be an interesting twist in the game. Having to track down and finally kill an annoying bad guy is very rewarding. If every critter does it, it loses its appeal very quickly IMHO.

That said, what monsters is he using? Teleporting away from the battle isn't an ability given to stock monsters (that I'm aware of).

I checked the Compendium and found some teleport 8's and a teleport 10 (Bahumut^DDI) but I'm not aware of any critters can teleport far enough away to get out of battle. If the monsters are just using teleport to get a head start on running away, in addition to the fine suggestions already given, I'd suggest reconfiguring a character or two to become a chase character. A Barbarian or an Avenger can cover a lot of ground quickly in pursuit of a target. I'm sure other characters can do the same with the right feat/power choices.

One additional thing, teleportation can only be used to destination squares that you have Line of Sight to. The DM should not be teleporting^DDI critters through walls or into closed off rooms.

If the DM breaks the rules once in a while in an attempt to make the game his own, I'm fine with that. But if he is redefining basic terms like teleportation, then you have a right to know the exact definition that he is using along with any limitations.

Answer 3

Your best bet is a Feyslaughter Weapon:

Feyslaughter weapon

Level: 14

Property: When you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature cannot teleport until the end of your next turn.

Other Items: Forbidding Weapon or Anchoring Armor or Dimensional Anchor

Powers: Entangling Force (Wizard 13) or Moon Wrath

Search DDI for "Can not teleport" "can't teleport" and "cannot teleport"

Answer 4

Normal teleportation requires line of sight. So if you can break line of sight from a valid target space, you can prevent teleporation.

Some tactics and methods to accomplish that:

• make them blind.
• tactically use walls (like a Wall of Fire) to "box them in".
• immobilize them in a zone like that blocks line of sight (like Stinking Cloud).

Answer 5

It's possible the DM is just enjoying a power trip, in which case there's nothing you can do to fix this situation at the technical level. As other answers suggest, you need to sit down with your DM and figure out why this is happening at the social level.

But that aside...

Let the DM teleport his monsters away.

1. You get full XP for these encounters.
2. You got to finish the encounter quicker.
3. This means you get more encounters per session.
4. This means you level faster.
5. This means less risk to your characters!

If your DM isn't awarding the XP, he's being a pain in the not following the rules as written.

If the same nasty monster returns to attack you again, try to Intimidate it into leaving you alone. I think you deserve a check before it's bloodied and at least a small bonus to your checks for having defeated the monster before.

Intimidate: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge.

Opposed Check: Intimidate vs. Will

           . . .

Success: You force a bloodied target to surrender, get a target to reveal secrets against its will, or cow a target into taking some other action. ^{DDI (emphasis added)}

Answer 6

Aside from any special anti-teleportation powers already mentioned, there's only three things I know of that prevent teleportation:

• A successful save to avoid involuntary teleportation into "hindering terrain".
• The person using the power does not have Line of Sight to either the target object, or the target endpoint, or both.
• The person using the power does not have Line of Effect to the target object.