[RPG] Dimension door, does it really have a door

dnd-5espells

In the player's handbook there's a spell called Dimension Door. I know it is used for teleportation but everything else is vague.

How does it really work?

Does the user have to use the door to teleport? If not, then why is it called "Dimension door?"

Best Answer

No, you don't have to step through a door (magical or otherwise) to teleport. Dimension Door only has a Verbal component, and its duration is Instantaneous. So you say some magical words, and you're instantly teleported. The description doesn't say anything about a door; it's only the title that contains the word "door".

As for why the spell is called Dimension Door, this particular spell goes all the way back to OD&D (I believe it's been in every D&D edition), so the name in 5e is simply a legacy of previous editions.