In 4E, many fewer options are available. Kundarak doesn't need a "kill all magic" field because magic is no longer capable of absolutely everything.
In short, no, there isn't an anti-magic spell, but security doesn't require one.
*Points above*
all good points- and all true. But don't let it stop you from using one if you want to. An anti-magic field would probably stop all Spells, Prayers and Invocations (Manuvers would still work), all Rituals, and all Encounter/Daily magic item powers as well as reduce any enhancement bonuses to 0.
Simultaneously they would be hideously expensive; almost impossible to make (Were talking a ritual that would require an Arcana Check in the high 30's or 40's) and a Greater/Syberis Mark of Warding. So if Kundarak has them they are probably used incredibly sparingly and in only the most pivotal of locations.
In short, no, there isn't an anti-magic spell, but security doesn't require one.
I'm particularly considering a scenario where the PC's have been thrown in jail, but I guess the PC's are the exceptions to the rule of the more common prisoners. I just don't want to make it too easy for them to escape and most teleporters make that difficult. The skill challenge article posted today (The Colossus of Laarn) simply eliminates this issue by saying "the magic of the shrine prevents all teleportation." That's the kind of thing I'm talking about, but there's no rituals that replicate this power. Also, enveloping an entire prison in such magic seems a bit extreeme, so I was thinking more along the lines of magic collars that prevent at least teleportation. Once removed, they no longer work (preventing giving the PC's magic items of unknown/unspecified level). The other issue is that many PC's don't need implements or weapons to unleash serious damge to guards in the prison (even with their hands bound), but I guess the guards generally out number such PC's and learn from experience how to handle such prisoners.
Today's skill challenge article reassures me on at least one point, I can add uber-magic without having to explain it in detail to the PC's (based on existing/available rituals/magic).
If the issue is specifically teleportation, then there's two things you should be aware off.
Firstly, iirc there's a magic "mortar" in the vault2 that makes walls un-teleport-through-able.
Secondly, teleportation requires line of sight (except for a single high-level warlock daily), so all you need to do to keep teleporters in thier cell is to make the door solid, blindfold them, or make them wear some form of vision-obscuring mask.
I only have a minute, so forgive me if I seem abrupt.
If the issue is specifically teleportation, then there's two things you should be aware off.
Firstly, iirc there's a magic "mortar" in the vault2 that makes walls un-teleport-through-able.
Secondly, teleportation requires line of sight (except for a single high-level warlock daily), so all you need to do to keep teleporters in thier cell is to make the door solid, blindfold them, or make them wear some form of vision-obscuring mask.
I was aware of the line-of-sight thing, but I was thinking prison cells without any visual openings would be pretty rare. However, on further reflection, I guess PC's are pretty rare as well. I love the AV2 mortar, I'll have to check that out.
It's not just the teleportation, I am designing an adventure and am trying to anticipate what future PC's might pull. The problem is more difficult without a specific set of PC's I can design around. This campaign is not set to start until early next year.
I was just thinking that in Eberron, particularly with the recent war and all, they should have more general ways of controlling magic-wielding prisoners.
You can also turn prisoners into stone (like that ward in Dreadhold prison) or build the prison on a Daanvi manifestation zone.
The other part I never mentioned is that my "prison" is a make-shift prison in a former House Cannith marble quarry, located on the border between Darguun and Cyre. Goblins have converted the facility into a prison and have been capturing war refugees in the region to perform experiments on them. This is all happening in the days leading up to the Mourning. In fact, as far as the PC's are concerned, the events involving this prison will unfold on the Day of Mourning. The prison is not high tech, but the Goblins are being well funded to run this operation (indirect ties go as far as The Chamber -- this all works into a campaign arc). So, the pits are perfect for some of the caves in the quarry. Cages are not much of a barrier to teleporters, but I'm still considering the magic collars I mentioned in an earlier response.
So I'm definitely using that prison pit/cell/lift design...thank you very kindly!
And you NEVER need a ritual or power or item to explain why the bad guys can do something that the PCs can't. That's the whole point of Eldritch Machines, and the monster design of 4E - if you want them to be able to do something, they can.
And you NEVER need a ritual or power or item to explain why the bad guys can do something that the PCs can't.
Sure, but like Pym Particles, that produces nonsense very fast. Eventually, a player will ask something like, "Hey, can I make an Arcana check to see how Kundarak blocks all teleportation to see if there's a way around it?" It's a logical question, but if you actually haven't thought of a reason for it beyond "plot device!" you're going to get some irritated, eye-rolling players.
A simple idea is that while Kundarak might maintain dozens of prisons, the important ones like Dreadhold are built in manifest zones that change the way this works. If you make it a location-based answer, places like Dreadhold are, in effect, no different that Alcatrax, since it's geography that secures the prison, not method.
If you simply say, "It's an eldritch machine," the question is begged, "If Kundarak can do it once, why can't they do it all the time? If they can ward an entire prison, why don't they ward castles? In fact, given that they've been around for centuries, why aren't they successfully blocking teleportation all over Khorvaire and grinding Orien into the ground?"
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In 4E, you don't really need to get into that. Teleportation isn't nearly so strong as it used to be. Nowadays, only a level 28 ritual can get you into a place without a circle - and if a prison is being targetted by a level 28 caster, Kundarak has other problems.
The best way to secure a place against teleportation in 4E is darkness and depth. Teleporters generally can't teleport into places they can't see, so blindfolds/masks/blinding magic will come into place. The other option is simply to use two sets of doors between every chamber, operating like an airlock. If there are guards in every room and no line of sight between rooms, teleporters won't get far at all.
A hood or blindfold is brilliantly low tech. First day in the prison, I could see a fellow prisoner telling them, "get caught teleporting in here and you can expect to live the rest of your days either with a sack over your head or with your eyes gauged out."
That would make a great line when the players are transported in and you get the traditional and thus obligatory prisoner crowd yelling at you. "Pansy Eladrin, mind your feet in here! Wouldn't want to lose those pretty eyes!"
Besides that, just limiting teleportation is going to work in heroic probably. But in paragon, you can expect players to start bashing through walls through sheer force of head (not Will, that's for pansies). So always make sure to include uber-mortar as well as blocked line of sight.
One thing to keep in mind when designing prisons (and to a certain extent fortresses) is how many wards and limitations are actually necessary. Sure, you don't want phasing creatures wandering through your jail like they own the place, but you only really need to ward the outer walls and the cells to keep them pretty secure. Likewise with teleportation, it only needs to be suppressed around the cells, which is a much more reasonable proposition than warding an entire compound.
Likewise with teleportation, it only needs to be suppressed around the cells, which is a much more reasonable proposition than warding an entire compound.
But doesn't that assume the prisoners are never let out of their cells. A prison break could start from the bath area or a labor area. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on running a day-in-the-life-of cell block H campaign, but I'm just pointing out that high threat prisoners probably require extra measures beyond the area of their cells.
Even if this isn't the status quo for most prisoners, it could be for the powerful ones.