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Guards and Wards

Class(es)
Casting Time
Range
Target
Up to 2,500 feet of floor space in up to one hundred contiguous 5-foot squares
Components:
silver rod worth 10 gold, burning incense, brimstone, and oil
Duration:
24 hours

You create wards that protect the target area. Each warded area has a maximum height of 20 feet and can be shaped. Several stories of a stronghold can be warded by dividing the area among them if you can walk from one to the next while the spell is being cast.

When cast, you can create a password that can make a creature immune to these effects when it is spoken aloud. You may also specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose.

Guards and wards creates the following effects within the area of the spell.

Corridors: Corridors are heavily obscured with fog. Additionally, creatures that choose between multiple passages or branches have a 50% chance to unknowingly choose a path other than the one they meant to choose.

Doors: Doors are magically locked as if by an arcane lock spell. Additionally, you may conceal up to 10 doors with an illusion as per the illusory object component of the minor illusion spell to make the doors appear as unadorned wall sections.

Stairs: Stairs are filled from top to bottom with webs as per the web spell. Until the spell ends, the webbing strands regrow 10 minutes after they are damaged or destroyed.

In addition, one of the following spell effects can be placed within the spell's area.

  • Dancing lights can be placed in 4 corridors and you can choose for them to repeat a simple sequence.
  • Magic mouth spells can be placed in 2 locations.
  • Stinking clouds can be placed in 2 locations. The clouds return after 10 minutes if dispersed while the spell remains.
  • A gust of wind can be placed in a corridor or room.
  • Pick a 5-foot square. Any creature that passes through it is subjected to a suggestion spell, hearing the suggestion mentally.

The entirety of the warded area radiates as magic. Each effect must be targeted by separate dispel magic spells to be removed.

The spell can be made permanent by recasting the spell every day for a year.