Abjuration Spell Reference
Dimensional Anchor
A ray of emerald force fixes its target within the present reality, denying teleportation, planar passage and escape through extradimensional space.
Spell Overview
Holding a Traveller to One Reality
Dimensional Anchor is a precise countermeasure against magical escape. It does not restrain the target’s body. It fixes the target’s planar position, preventing magic from carrying that creature or object through space, into an extradimensional refuge or across the boundary between planes.
What It Stops
Teleportation, planar travel, portals and entry into extradimensional spaces cannot move the anchored target while the effect lasts.
What It Leaves Intact
The target can still walk, fly, fight, cast spells and use ordinary exits. Extradimensional senses and attacks also remain possible when they do not move the target.
The Classic Limitation
The spell does not forcibly end an astral or ethereal form already active when the ray strikes. It blocks later travel rather than cancelling an established state.
Anchor Is Not Imprisonment
A successful anchor removes one exceptional escape route. Secure capture still requires walls, guards, restraints, a warded circle or another effect that controls physical movement.
At the Table
Quick Rules Reference
This summary identifies the spell’s shared function. Use the edition tabs immediately below for the correct attack roll, duration, resistance and action terminology.
Edition-Separated Rules
Dimensional Anchor Mechanics
The D&D 5.5e version is an independently written conversion. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e retain their own attack, duration, Spell Resistance and action terminology.
Dimensional Anchor
- Level
- 4th
- School
- Abjuration
- Casting Time
- 1 Action
- Range
- 120 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Target
- One creature or object
- Classes
- Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard
You project a narrow ray of green force at one creature or object you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, a faint emerald field surrounds it for the duration.
While the field remains, the target cannot teleport, enter or leave an extradimensional space, or travel to another plane. A spell, magic item, portal or magical ability that would move the target in one of those ways fails to transport it.
- If an effect transports several creatures independently, the anchored target remains behind while other legal targets travel.
- If the anchored creature is the caster or indispensable origin of an effect that requires it to travel, the attempted travel fails.
- The target can create a portal or transport another creature when the anchored target is not moved.
- The spell does not close a Gate. It prevents the anchored target from crossing it.
- The spell imposes no condition and does not reduce Speed or prevent ordinary movement.
- An astral or ethereal state already active when the ray hits is not forcibly ended.
- A summoned creature still disappears or returns when the effect that summoned it ends.
Planar Travel
The field prevents the target from being moved by effects such as Banishment, Plane Shift or Gate while the anchor lasts.
Ending the Anchor
The spell ends if its caster loses Concentration. Dispel Magic can also end it. A 3rd-level Dispel Magic requires the normal spellcasting ability check against DC 14. A 4th-level or higher casting ends the anchor automatically.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot
Casting Dimensional Anchor with a higher-level spell slot produces no additional effect.
Dimensional Anchor
- School
- Abjuration
- Casting Time
- 1 standard action
- Range
- Medium
- Effect
- Ray
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 1 minute/level
- Saving Throw
- None
- Spell Resistance
- Yes (object)
Spell levels: arcanist 4, cleric 4, inquisitor 3, medium 3, occultist 4, oracle 4, psychic 4, sorcerer 4, spiritualist 4, summoner 3, unchained summoner 4, warpriest 4 and wizard 4.
The caster makes a ranged touch attack. If the ray hits and any applicable Spell Resistance is overcome, a green field surrounds the target for 1 minute per caster level.
The target cannot use or be transported by extradimensional movement. This includes astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, Gate, maze, Plane Shift, Shadow Walk, teleport and comparable spell-like abilities.
- The target cannot use a Gate or teleportation circle, but other eligible creatures can.
- The spell does not interfere with a creature already in astral or ethereal form when the ray takes effect.
- Extradimensional perception and attacks continue when they do not transport the target.
- A summoned creature still disappears when the summoning spell ends.
- The spell imposes no restriction on ordinary movement or actions.
Inward-Facing Magic Circle
A creature held by an inward-facing Magic Circle against Evil can normally escape through dimensional travel. If Dimensional Anchor is cast on that creature before it acts, the anchor lasts as long as the circle.
A successfully prepared special diagram also allows Dimensional Anchor to be cast during the round before the calling spell. The resulting anchor remains in effect for as long as the circle remains effective and undisturbed.
Removing the Effect
Dispel Magic can end Dimensional Anchor through the normal Pathfinder 1e dispel procedure. Use Pathfinder caster-level checks and limits rather than modern spellcasting ability checks.
Dimensional Anchor
- School
- Abjuration
- Level
- Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4
- Casting Time
- 1 standard action
- Range
- Medium
- Components
- V, S
- Effect
- Ray
- Duration
- 1 minute/level
- Defences
- No save; SR yes (object)
The caster makes a ranged touch attack. A successful hit surrounds the target with an emerald field. Any applicable Spell Resistance must be resolved before the field takes effect.
For 1 minute per caster level, the target cannot undertake or be subjected to extradimensional movement. The prohibition includes astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, Gate, maze, Plane Shift, Shadow Walk, teleport and similar spell-like or psionic forms of travel.
- The anchored target cannot use a Gate or teleportation circle, although other creatures can.
- The spell does not end an astral or ethereal form already active when the target is struck.
- Extradimensional senses and attacks remain possible when they do not transport the target.
- A summoned creature still disappears when its summoning duration ends.
- The target retains ordinary movement, actions and attacks.
Calling Diagram Interaction
An inward-facing Magic Circle against Evil does not itself stop dimensional escape. If the called creature is successfully anchored before it acts, the anchor lasts with the circle.
A successful special diagram can receive Dimensional Anchor during the round before the calling spell. The resulting anchor remains in effect for as long as the circle remains effective and undisturbed.
Dispelling the Anchor
A targeted Dispel Magic can remove the effect through the normal D&D 3.5e caster-level check. Do not import Pathfinder modifiers or the 5.5e spellcasting ability check.
| Rule Element | D&D 5.5e / 2024 | Pathfinder 1e | D&D 3.5e |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules Status | Independent conversion | Independent rules summary | Independent SRD-compatible summary |
| Attack | Ranged spell attack | Ranged touch attack | Ranged touch attack |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute | 1 minute/level | 1 minute/level |
| Saving Throw | None | None | None |
| Spell Resistance | Not used by the system | Yes (object) | Yes (object) |
| Existing Astral or Ethereal Form | Not forcibly ended | Not disrupted | Not disrupted |
| Area Protection | None. Use Dimensional Lock for a location-based ward. | ||
Adjudication
Rules Clarifications and Edge Cases
Is the target physically restrained?
No. The spell prevents a category of supernatural movement. The target can still move normally unless another effect stops it.
Does the spell create an anti-teleportation area?
No. The field follows one struck target. Use Dimensional Lock when a chamber, vault or prison requires an area ward.
What happens during group teleportation?
When passengers are legal independent targets, the anchored creature remains behind and the others travel. When the anchored creature is the caster or indispensable carrier of the effect, the required travel cannot occur.
Does the spell close a Gate?
No. It blocks the target’s passage rather than suppressing the Gate. Other eligible creatures can still cross.
Can an anchored creature teleport somebody else?
Yes, when only the other creature is transported. The spell prohibits movement of the anchored target. It does not automatically remove every travel spell from that target’s repertoire.
What if the creature is already astral or ethereal?
The classic limitation is deliberate. The anchor does not force an established astral or ethereal form back to another plane or body.
Against an active Astral Projection, Snare Astral Traveler is the more specialised interception spell.
Does a summoned creature remain after its summoning ends?
No. The creature still disappears or returns when the summoning effect ends. Dimensional Anchor does not rewrite that termination rule.
Can Dispel Magic remove the anchor?
Yes. Resolve the attempt using the active edition’s Dispel Magic procedure. Do not transfer DCs, modifiers or action terminology between systems.
Can the spell be cast on a portal frame?
Only if the object itself is a legal target and the object is what would be transported. Striking an arch or doorway does not convert this single-target spell into Dimensional Lock.
Tactics and Counterplay
Useful Spell Combinations and Counters
Magic Circle and Planar Calling
In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e, combine the anchor with an inward-facing Magic Circle against Evil. The circle blocks physical crossing while the anchor prevents dimensional escape.
Binding
Binding provides more comprehensive confinement. Dimensional Anchor first removes teleportation as an escape route while the longer-lasting restraint is prepared.
Dimensional Lock
Dimensional Lock protects a location rather than one target. Use it for permanent security and the anchor for pursuit, capture or precision control beyond a prepared site.
Banishment and Plane Shift
The anchor can prevent Banishment from moving its target and can stop an enemy escaping through Plane Shift.
Snaring an Astral Traveller
Dimensional Anchor does not retrieve somebody whose Astral Projection is already established. Snare Astral Traveler is designed for that narrower task.
Direct Counterplay
The ray can miss. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e targets may resist it through Spell Resistance. Once active, the field can be removed by Dispel Magic or suppressed by applicable antimagic.
Do Not Treat It as Automatic Capture
An anchored target can still fight, break line of sight, flee through ordinary terrain or rely on an ally to dispel the field. Effective containment must answer those options as well.
Worldbuilding
Campaign and World Consequences
Planar Prisons
Serious prisons employ anchor-casters alongside barred cells, mundane guards and area wards. The spell answers magical escape without replacing walls.
Extraplanar Diplomacy
Casting the spell on a planar envoy can constitute arrest, abduction or an act of war. Some courts require visitors to accept a temporary anchor before an audience.
Summoning Chambers
Professional conjurers layer circles, anchors and emergency dispelling procedures. A missed ray can turn a controlled negotiation into an immediate breach.
Teleporting Criminals
Magical law officers value the spell against thieves, assassins and spies who rely on instant escape. Arrest teams still require conventional pursuit and restraint.
Planar Warfare
Anchor-bearing troops target couriers, summoned commanders and portal engineers. One successful ray can isolate an officer from a prepared retreat route.
Countermeasure Markets
Dispelling charms, resistant armour, decoys and mundane escape routes become valuable wherever Dimensional Anchor is common. The spell creates an arms race rather than an absolute defence.
Adventure Design
Adventure Hooks
The Untransportable Witness
A witness marked by an unknown anchor cannot be teleported out of a besieged city. The characters must identify the caster and escort the witness through occupied streets.
The Broken Calling Circle
A conjurer’s anchor ray missed the creature inside a prepared circle. The outsider is contained for the moment, but it can still depart or bargain from an unexpected position of strength.
Emerald Mark at the Embassy
A planar ambassador is anchored during a public audience. The attack causes no injury but prevents escape, leaving the party to decide whether it was an arrest, assassination attempt or warning.
The Prisoner Who Wants the Anchor
A captured traveller begs the party not to dispel the field, claiming something beyond the planes will find them the instant the anchor ends.
The Anchored Gate-Key
A relic must cross a portal to seal a planar breach, but an enemy has anchored the object. The party must protect a dispeller while creatures pour through the open Gate.
Escape Without Teleportation
A planar thief is finally anchored, yet the prison was designed so completely around magical escape that nobody considered the forgotten river tunnel beneath the cells.
Historical and Occult Development
From Ritual Binding to Astral Confinement
No historical magical tradition describes a literal spell that prevents teleportation. Dimensional Anchor instead combines ancient ritual binding with later occult accounts of astral travel and structured unseen planes.
Curse Tablets and Fixing a Target
Greek and Roman binding tablets were used to restrain, fasten or fix named opponents so that they could not perform a desired act. The historical practice was social and symbolic rather than spatial, but its underlying logic resembles a magical anchor imposed on one target.
The British Museum’s ancient curse tablet provides a surviving example of ritual binding recorded on lead.
The Greek Magical Papyri
The Greek Magical Papyri preserve ritual instructions involving spoken names, written signs, attraction, protection and binding. These texts show how late-antique practitioners imagined words and symbols constraining people through invisible relationships.
The British Library’s introduction to the Greek Magical Papyri provides accessible historical context.
The Astral Plane in Modern Occultism
Nineteenth-century occult literature helped popularise the idea of an astral realm that could be entered, explored and described as an organised plane of existence. Later fantasy joined that vocabulary to older ritual ideas of circles, names and binding.
C. W. Leadbeater’s The Astral Plane is one influential example of this modern occult vocabulary.
Fantasy Synthesis
Dimensional Anchor turns symbolic constraint into a precise game effect. The target is still bound, but the prohibited action is movement through supernatural geometry rather than speech, victory, desire or legal success.
This is a modern fantasy construction rather than evidence of one continuous historical spell tradition.
Mythological Parallels
Gods and Heroes Fixed in Place
These stories do not describe teleportation-blocking spells. They provide narrative parallels in which supernatural freedom is defeated by confinement, fastening or deliberate restraint.
Ares in the Bronze Jar
The Aloadae imprison Ares in a bronze vessel for thirteen months. A god of violent action becomes powerless because he is confined and cut off from the world in which his strength matters.
Prometheus Bound
Prometheus is chained to a remote rock as punishment for defying divine authority. The binding fixes an immortal within an imposed cosmic sentence.
Odysseus and the Mast
Odysseus orders his crew to bind him before passing the Sirens. The restraint is accepted because ordinary will cannot be trusted once the supernatural danger takes hold.
The Shared Pattern
Each story removes an extraordinary being’s freedom by fixing it to a container, rock or chosen point. Dimensional Anchor translates that pattern into planar geometry: the target remains capable and dangerous, but the boundary that offers escape will not admit it.
Publication and Compatibility
Sources, Compatibility and Related References
D&D 5.5e / 2024
The modern mechanics are an independent conversion written for compatibility with the 2024 rules framework. Dimensional Anchor is not presented as an official 2024 spell.
General terminology is informed by the System Reference Document 5.2.1, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Pathfinder 1e
The Pathfinder section is independently phrased while retaining the class levels, ranged touch attack, duration, saving throw and Spell Resistance of the published rules.
D&D 3.5e
The 3.5e section is an independently worded compatibility summary preserving the classic range, ray, duration, resistance and extradimensional-travel restrictions.
Compatibility Notice
This is an unofficial multi-system reference. It does not reproduce protected commercial spell text. Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and associated marks remain the property of their respective owners.