Difference between revisions of "Protection from evil"

Latest revision as of 20:52, 10 September 2024

When the protection from evil spell is cast, it creates a magical barrier around the recipient at a distance of one foot. The barrier moves with the recipient and has three major effects:

First, all attacks made by evil (or evilly enchanted) creatures are more likely to fail.

Second, any attempt to possess or to exercise mental control over the protected creature is blocked by this spell. Note that the protection does not prevent such effects from being attempted, but it does prevent the exercise of mental control through the barrier. Likewise, a possessing life force is merely kept out. It would not be expelled if in place before the protection is cast.

Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by creatures of an extraplanar or conjured nature. This causes the natural (body) weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil, if such attacks require touching the protected being. Animals or monsters summoned or conjured by spells or similar magic are likewise hedged from the character.

This protection ends if the protected character makes a melee attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature.

This spell can be reversed to become protection from good; the second and third benefits remain unchanged.

Note: This version of protection from evil originally appeared in the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons from TSR. Its use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.