D&D 5E Why did they design Demiplane to suck?

[The Crimson Binome]

So, I looked up the spell again, and I realized it actually does kinda suck, in the way I care about, which is allowing a wizard to make a real demiplane. Here's an example of what I imagine when I think of a demiplane made by a high level wizard:

A large tower (or smallish castle) sits atop an earthburg floating in a stormy sky. If you travel more than a few hundred feet in any direction, you reappear out of the storm from the opposite side.

When I think of a real demiplane, I think of Ravenloft: The Demiplane of Dread. Anything much smaller than that is a disservice to the title.

Level 9 spells are the most powerful magic that could ever possibly exist. If there has ever been any spellcaster within the entire history of the setting who has done anything useful or interesting, then a level 9 spell should be able to facilitate that. Because if they can't, then it creates a situation where NPCs are better than PCs, just because they're NPCs. And that's not cool.

As it is, this spell should really just be renamed pocket dimension.

The same could be said of rope trick, which is kind of sad, that the difference in spell levels amounts to basically no change in their functionality.

 

[Ganders]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned how easy it is to get stuck in your own demiplane. This seems like an oversight -- there should be a way for the Demiplane spell to re-open the door from the inside.

If you somehow stay in it past the hour, or someone casts Dispel Magic on your door while you're inside, there's no way out. Casting Demiplane might get you to a different demiplane, but it won't get you home. If you don't happen to know Plane Shift, Banishment, or Astral Projection (and have the right compontents) you're pretty screwed -- and even those are likely to deposit you someplace unintended and inconvenient (but at least you're out).

It seems like such an obvious oversight. But then I realized there are other oversights -- for instance, what happens if you tunnel through the floors and walls? What if you want to end the spell after less than an hour -- can you dismiss the door with an action? And so I realized there IS an answer to the OP''s question. Demiplane sucks because it's inentionally incomplete. There's supposed to a another whole paragraph about how it works and what you can do with it -- but that was left up to individual DMs to fill in, as suits their game.

 

[gyor]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned how easy it is to get stuck in your own demiplane. This seems like an oversight -- there should be a way for the Demiplane spell to re-open the door from the inside.

If you somehow stay in it past the hour, or someone casts Dispel Magic on your door while you're inside, there's no way out. Casting Demiplane might get you to a different demiplane, but it won't get you home. If you don't happen to know Plane Shift, Banishment, or Astral Projection (and have the right compontents) you're pretty screwed -- and even those are likely to deposit you someplace unintended and inconvenient (but at least you're out).

It seems like such an obvious oversight. But then I realized there are other oversights -- for instance, what happens if you tunnel through the floors and walls? What if you want to end the spell after less than an hour -- can you dismiss the door with an action? And so I realized there IS an answer to the OP''s question. Demiplane sucks because it's inentionally incomplete. There's supposed to a another whole paragraph about how it works and what you can do with it -- but that was left up to individual DMs to fill in, as suits their game.

I didn't think of that. It's an even worse spell then I thought. A spell that creates a demiplane should be one of the coolest spells, not the lamest. Magnificent Mansion is 10 times the better spell, it's one weakness is you can't make it permanent (maybe with a Wish Spell).

 

[JasonZZ]

Don't forget the Oubliette:

1. Get Repelling Blast.

2. While the BBEG is fighting your allies, cast demiplane on the wall of the BBEG's lair, and open the door as your free interaction.

3. Maneuver so the BBEG is between you and the door.

4. Fire off a volley of eldritch blasts.

5. Have an allied spellcaster cast dispel magic on the door using an 8th-level slot.

Note the lack of any place where Legendary Resistance could be used to shut this down. And it's remarkable how few monsters, even giant high-level legendary monsters like archdevils, have access to planar travel.

So you're leaving them to be a problem for future generations? Maybe they have cultists/minions who will spend all kinds of time trying to free them? It sounds to me like you're justifying the traditional "unbeatable evil bound to protect the world" shtick.

 

[Maxperson]

It seems like such an obvious oversight. But then I realized there are other oversights -- for instance, what happens if you tunnel through the floors and walls? What if you want to end the spell after less than an hour -- can you dismiss the door with an action? And so I realized there IS an answer to the OP''s question.

I don't think these are oversights at all. One of the main precepts of 5e is ruling over rules, so a lot of things are written vaguely to enable each DM to decide for himself how it works.

Demiplane sucks because it's inentionally incomplete. There's supposed to a another whole paragraph about how it works and what you can do with it -- but that was left up to individual DMs to fill in, as suits their game.

I don't think it sucks. It just meanst that one DM might rule that if you dig through you fall into nothingness forever. Another might decided that it wraps around to the other side of your demiplane. A third DM might decide that it expands the size of your demiplane. And so on. To me that's a strength.

When too much is spelled out in detail, people tend to stop being as creative about things. They just stay within those detailed bounds. When things are vague like demiplane, the player might dig through hoping to find out X, Y or Z and the DM can go with it, or decide that it's A, B or C.

 

[MarkB]

Things to do with a larger demiplane:

1. Set the door horizontally on the seabed. Wait the full duration.

2. Set the door horizontally on the ceiling of the first room in the dungeon. Run away.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Eh, I like it. But I'm that weirdos who, if given my choice of some D&D-style magic spells, would take Create Bonfire, Mold Earth, Goodberry, Create or Destroy Water, Fabricate and Teleportation Circle.

I'm too practical for my own good, and an extradimensional studio apartment sounds quite lovely and quite practical.

 

[catman1132000]

I don't think it sucks. I use it mostly as a way to transport massive stockpiles of stuff to anywhere. I also am a necromancer, and since Zombies and other undead need next to nothing to survive, I use it to carry a backup zombie army everywhere.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

Two people in the thread, perhaps more if I misread, mentioned Demiplane being part of a way to sustain multiple concentration spells. Is this true? If so does anyone know how and what they were talking about?

 

[FarBeyondC]

Two people in the thread, perhaps more if I misread, mentioned Demiplane being part of a way to sustain multiple concentration spells. Is this true? If so does anyone know how and what they were talking about?

They may or may not be referring to the act of stockpiling Glyphs of Warding within a Demiplane, that can effectively be triggered whenever you need / want them.