According to the Core Rules, spells with the teleportation descriptor uses the Astral Plane for instantaneous travel. O.k.
In the description of tree stride, even though it has the teleportation descriptor, it is worded that the caster jumps (not literally) from tree to tree and the travel is instantaneous with each jump. It does not really imply that the travel is extradimensional in some fashion beyond the teleportation descriptor. If anything, it almost reads as if it is transportation via the earth or similar medium.
In the dimensional anchor spell description, it explicitly blocks extradimensional travel and lists a series of teleportation spells described in the Core Rulebook (like dimension door, plane shift, teleport, and so forth). It did not include tree stride, which seemed like an odd exclusion to me, since it is a core spell and one of the few long-range teleportation spells for druids.
I honestly do think that by RAW, dimensional anchor blocks tree stride, but I just want to see if others agree with that conclusion or is there something out there by the game designers/developers that indicate, perhaps as RAI, tree stride is not a form of extradimensional travel and was never meant to be hampered by dimensional anchor.
I am o.k. with the RAW conclusion, it is just that I have this nagging feeling that the second interpretation was meant to be the correct interpretation for tree stride.
Please discuss your thoughts on the RAW interpretation and the interaction between these two spells.
Cheers!
CB out
Once within a tree, you can teleport from that particular tree to another tree.
To me that means it's a goes-through-the-Astral effect exactly like any other teleport, even ignoring the descriptor (which you shouldn't).
So IMHO RAI agrees with RAW on this one---no tree striding while anchored.
In the dimensional anchor spell description, it explicitly blocks extradimensional travel and lists a series of teleportation spells described in the Core Rulebook (like dimension door, plane shift, teleport, and so forth). It did not include tree stride, which seemed like an odd exclusion to me, since it is a core spell and one of the few long-range teleportation spells for druids.
It's also fairly obscure, precisely because it's a druid-only spell, and (frankly) has never seen a lot of usage because it's so situational (what if there's no tree near where you want to go?) The designers can't be expected to go through the entire spell list, even the entire Core spell list, to make sure they list every specific example.
The fact that it has the teleportation descriptor implies that it's implied to work like teleport, and therefore uses the Astral Plane.
I think that tree stride is, by both RAW and RAI, blocked by dimensional anchor.
Hm, agreed on those points.
I just don't know why I had that feeling that RAI it might have been otherwise. I suppose I might have seen the 2nd interpretation in play by another GM running previous editions of the game and thus a slight disassociation was being felt there.
I see tree stride being used more often in my campaign because there are more fey creatures in the campaign, thus more nature-themed magic abound.
In any regards, thank you for your input.
Cheers!
CB out.