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Blade Barrier

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Blade Barrier
  • Level: 6
  • School: Evocation
  • Class: Cleric
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 90 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You create a wall of whirling blades made of magical energy. The wall appears within range and lasts for the duration. You make a straight wall up to 100 feet long, 20 feet high, and 5 feet thick, or a ringed wall up to 60 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 5 feet thick. The wall provides Three-Quarters Cover, and its space is Difficult Terrain.

Any creature in the wall's space makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d10 Force damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature also makes that save if it enters the wall's space or ends its turn there. A creature makes that save only once per turn.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Blade Barrier:

  • Ultimate battlefield division and area denial
  • Excellent for protecting valuable locations or allies
  • Strong choice for channeling enemy movement
  • Valuable for creating tactical chokepoints and controlling engagement distance

Configuration Options:

  • Straight Wall: 100 feet long for battlefield division or protection
  • Ring Wall: 60-foot diameter for area protection or enemy containment
  • Height Advantage: 20 feet high prevents most jumping or climbing
  • Thickness: 5 feet thick creates substantial barrier zone

Positioning Strategy:

  • Protective Circle: Surround allies or valuable objectives
  • Battlefield Division: Split enemy forces or control engagement zones
  • Escape Routes: Block enemy movement while maintaining ally access
  • Three-Quarters Cover: Position allies behind wall for ranged combat advantage

Spell Combinations​

Tactical Coordination:

  • Misty Step: Teleport through wall safely
  • Dimension Door: Bypass barrier restrictions
  • Spirit Guardians: Layer area denial effects
  • Hold Person: Force enemies into blade contact

Enhancement Synergies:

  • Bless: Improve allies' saves against forced movement into blades
  • Freedom of Movement: Allow specific allies to pass through safely
  • Counterspell: Protect concentration from enemy dispelling
  • Shield of Faith: Additional protection while concentrating

Material Component Details​

Verbal and Somatic Only:

  • Divine Focus: Pure channeling of divine power through prayer and gesture
  • Accessibility: No material components required for this divine magic
  • Stealth Considerations: Verbal components may alert enemies to casting
  • Reliability: Cannot be disrupted by component theft or loss

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe divine words calling forth celestial weaponry
  • Reference gestures that trace the pattern of the wall's formation
  • Use voice and movements to convey the wall's divine nature
  • Emphasize the spell's connection to divine justice and protection

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • Wall can be shaped as straight line or complete ring
  • Three-quarters cover provides +5 AC and Dexterity save bonuses
  • Difficult terrain in wall space slows movement but doesn't prevent it
  • 6d10 Force damage significant threat but allows save for half

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Dramatically alters battlefield geography for entire encounter
  • 10-minute duration covers multiple encounters if needed
  • Forces tactical decisions about positioning and movement
  • NPCs should respect the wall's danger and adjust tactics accordingly

Balancing Notes:

  • 6th-level slot cost appropriate for powerful battlefield control
  • Concentration requirement creates vulnerability for caster
  • Force damage rarely resisted but Dexterity saves allow counterplay
  • Large area coverage balanced by single-wall limitation

Environmental Interactions​

Physical Properties:

  • Wall of spinning blades creates both visual and auditory presence
  • Provides substantial cover but doesn't block all line of sight
  • May interfere with environmental features like doors or windows
  • Creates wind effects from spinning blade motion

Terrain Integration:

  • Can conform to ground level but doesn't follow slopes exactly
  • May partially embed in walls or other solid barriers
  • Height allows most Medium creatures to pass underneath in some circumstances
  • Thickness creates zone of danger rather than simple barrier

Interaction with Objects:

  • Destroys most objects that come into contact with blades
  • May damage or destroy environmental features within wall space
  • Ammunition passing through takes damage and may be destroyed
  • Living walls, plants, or organic barriers suffer significant damage

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I shape the wall around allies to protect them? A: Yes, you can create a ring around allies, though they'll be trapped inside.

Q: Does the wall block spells and ranged attacks? A: It provides three-quarters cover, blocking some but not all attacks.

Q: Can flying creatures pass over the wall? A: At 20 feet high, most flying creatures can pass over with sufficient movement.

Q: What happens if I lose concentration while enemies are in the wall? A: The wall disappears immediately and they take no further damage.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Area Protection: Secure campsites or important locations
  • Crowd Control: Manage large groups without lethal intent
  • Environmental Barriers: Block dangerous areas or hazards
  • Demonstration of Power: Display divine authority during negotiations

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Create temporary bridges by placing ring walls strategically
  • Destroy large objects or barriers by trapping them in wall space
  • Provide cover for extended ritual casting or healing
  • Force enemy retreats by cutting off escape routes

Wall Magic:

  • Wall of Fire: Elemental damage wall
  • Wall of Force: Impenetrable barrier creation
  • Wall of Stone: Permanent physical barrier
  • Wall of Thorns: Nature-based barrier with damage

Divine Area Effects:

  • Spirit Guardians: Mobile area denial
  • Guardian of Faith: Stationary area protection
  • Flame Strike: Area damage with divine source
  • Circle of Power: Anti-magic area protection

6th-Level Alternatives:

  • Heal: Major single-target restoration
  • Harm: Major single-target damage
  • Word of Recall: Group teleportation
  • Heroes' Feast: Party-wide enhancement

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Available at Level 11: High-level tactical option
  • Duration Value: 10 minutes provides exceptional encounter coverage
  • Resource Investment: Major spell slot for battlefield control

Tactical Evolution:

  • Mid-High Level: Dominates battlefield control at appropriate tier
  • Damage Relevance: 6d10 Force damage remains threatening throughout levels
  • Strategic Value: Wall creation always valuable regardless of level

Long-Term Viability:

  • Battlefield control never becomes obsolete
  • High damage ensures continued tactical relevance
  • 10-minute duration provides value beyond single encounters
  • Essential tool for high-level clerics focused on tactical control

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: You raise your hands skyward while speaking a prayer that resonates with divine authority and righteous fury. The air around your target location begins to shimmer and hum with building energy, and suddenly erupts into a magnificent wall of spinning, gleaming blades. Each blade appears to be forged from pure divine energy, rotating and spinning in perfect patterns that create an impenetrable barrier of righteous steel. The wall pulses with holy power, its blades singing hymns of protection and justice as they slice through the air with lethal precision.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Gleaming blades of divine energy spinning in perfect formation
  • Auditory: Harmonic singing of spinning blades and divine hymns
  • Spiritual: Overwhelming sense of divine justice and protection
  • Kinesthetic: Wind and pressure from spinning blade motion

Cultural Context: Blade Barrier represents the divine's capacity for both protection and righteous violence, creating barriers that defend the faithful while threatening those who would bring harm. Different religious traditions may manifest this differently—some as angelic weapons, others as divine justice made manifest—but all emphasize the protective and martial aspects of divine power.