(Reversible)

Abjuration [warding]

Cleric Version

• • Level Cleric 1

  • Components V, S, M

  • Casting Time 4 segments

  • Range Touch

  • Area of Effect One creature

  • Duration 3 rounds per caster level

  • Save nil

Magic-user Version

• • Level Magic-user 1

  • Components V, S, M

  • Casting Time 1 segment

  • Range Touch

  • Area of Effect One creature

  • Duration 2 rounds per caster level

  • Save nil

This spell provides a personal warding against attacks by evil or conjured/summoned creatures. 

The ward provides the recipient a 1-ft. aura of protection, hedging, and mental defense that moves with the recipient.

Protection. The recipient gains a +2 bonus to AC against attack by any creature with an Evil alignment. The recipient also gains a +2 bonus to any saving throw against effects offering a save generated by any creature with an Evil alignment. Magic resistance possessed by opponents cannot affect this ward.

Hedging. The recipient cannot be physically contacted by any touch, contact attack, or natural weapon possessed by a conjured or summoned creature or those with the creature sub-type of extraplanar. If the recipient uses a touch attack, natural attack, grab/grapple, or otherwise, forces physical contact with a conjured or summoned creature, the spell will not fail but the hedging ward will cease functioning with regards to the creature attacked for the duration of the spell (if the ward is granted as a continuous special ability, it will resume automatically in 1d4 rounds once the attacked creature is no longer in the area of effect). The recipient will know just before the attack that the creature is conjured or summoned if not otherwise apparent and can stop the attack (causing a delay or if losing initiative, losing their turn during the round). Magic resistance possessed by opponents that are conjured or summoned cannot overcome this ward using magic resistance. Otherwise, an active magic resistance check can be used to shatter (dispel) the spell as a major action (if the ward is granted as a continuous special ability, it will resume automatically in 1d4 rounds). Some creatures not conjured or summoned will have a special vulnerability to this spell (e.g. ghouls), this will be noted in the creature's description.

Mental Defense. The ward offers immunity against mental control by any creature. If mental control existed before the ward was in place, the mental control is broken for the duration of the spell. Otherwise, spells or abilities that use mental control against the recipient will fail. Magic resistance possessed by opponents cannot affect this ward.

Ward vs. Ward. A spherical ward such as this spell does not interact with or cancel out the ward of another spell whether it is a personal ward or spherical ward. However, if opposite versions are cast on a recipient, both will cancel out (although type must be the same: personal vs personal). The effects of this cancellation are instantaneous. If a creature has a special ability granting protection from evil, 10-ft. radius (or good), it will automatically resume after 1d4 rounds. Note that an unwilling creature must be attacked as per a touch spell to be affected.

Stacking. Any spell or effect of "protection from evil" (of any kind) will not stack with the same type of effect. The same goes for two "protection from good" effects. However, if one is more powerful, that one will supersede the weaker effect.

Material Components (Cleric). The cleric must anoint the one protected with 1/3 of a vial of holy water or must burn a portion of incense and blow the smoke on the recipient. Burning incense obviously requires some access to open flame. Cost/Scarcity. Holy water costs 25 g.p. per vial/Uncommon while incense costs 1 g.p. per portion/Uncommon. 

Material Components (Magic-user). The caster must sprinkle the recipient (in a circular pattern) with a combination of powdered iron and silver. The component is consumed in the casting of the spell. Cost/Scarcity. 5 s.p./Common.

Known Substitutions. If a magic-user uses powdered cold iron in place of standard iron, the hedging property will hedge ghasts as well as ghouls. Cost/Scarcity. 12 g.p./Rare.

Performance Rating Notes. Good clerics using protection from good and Evil clerics using protection from evil will gain a performance rating mark.