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Forbiddance

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Forbiddance
  • Level: 6
  • School: Abjuration
  • Class: Cleric
  • Casting Time: 10 minutes or Ritual
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M (ruby dust worth 1,000+ GP)
  • Duration: 1 day

You create a ward against magical travel that protects up to 40,000 square feet of floor space to a height of 30 feet above the floor. For the duration, creatures can't teleport into the area or use portals, such as those created by the Gate spell, to enter the area. The spell proofs the area against planar travel, and therefore prevents creatures from accessing the area by way of the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the Feywild, the Shadowfell, or the Plane Shift spell.

In addition, the spell damages types of creatures that you choose when you cast it. Choose one or more of the following: Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, and Undead. When a creature of a chosen type enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature takes 5d10 Radiant or Necrotic damage (your choice when you cast this spell).

You can designate a password when you cast the spell. A creature that speaks the password as it enters the area takes no damage from the spell.

The spell's area can't overlap with the area of another Forbiddance spell. If you cast Forbiddance every day for 30 days in the same location, the spell lasts until it is dispelled, and the Material components are consumed on the last casting.

Tactical Usage​

Area Sanctification: Forbiddance provides powerful area protection against extraplanar creatures and teleportation. This 6th-level abjuration spell excels at securing important locations and preventing magical infiltration.

Optimal Timing: Cast for long-term area protection, when securing important locations, or preventing extraplanar intrusion.

Resource Management: Uses a 6th-level spell slot - available from character level 11+. 24-hour duration provides extended protection.

Target Selection: 40,000 square feet of area (200x200 feet or equivalent) within range for comprehensive protection.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Protection Magic: Combine with other warding spells for comprehensive area defense
  • Detection Magic: Layer with alarm spells for enhanced security monitoring
  • Barrier Magic: Pair with wall spells for physical and magical protection

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Divine Magic: Clerics gain enhanced effectiveness with religious area protection
  • Ritual Casting: 10-minute casting time allows careful preparation and positioning
  • Spell Save DC: Higher spellcasting ability improves damage against designated creatures

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple forbiddance areas can create extensive protected zones.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: Ruby dust worth at least 1,000 gp - expensive gemstone component requiring significant investment.

Component Handling: Valuable component consumed during casting, representing substantial magical investment.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different protective patterns reflect religious traditions or divine connections.

Economic Considerations: Expensive component cost (1,000 gp) for comprehensive area protection.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Area protection against extraplanar creatures and teleportation significantly affects encounter design.

NPC Usage: High-level clerics or protective organizations might use forbiddance for sanctuary security.

Environmental Considerations: Massive area coverage (40,000 square feet) provides extensive protection.

Campaign Integration: Ultimate protection magic for securing important locations and preventing magical infiltration.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Covers massive area (200x200 feet equivalent). Affects entire protected zone.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable protection regardless of environment.

Structural Interactions: Protection extends through structures within the designated area.

Elemental Interactions: Blocks extraplanar travel and teleportation regardless of magical source.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: 10-minute ritual casting with 24-hour duration. Protection immediate upon completion.

Target Limitations: Designated creature types within protected area. Password allows safe passage.

Duration Interactions: 24-hour duration provides extended protection. No concentration required.

Mechanical Interactions: Blocks teleportation and planar travel. 5d10 radiant damage to designated creatures.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Sanctuary protection, important location security, anti-teleportation barriers, or religious site sanctification.

Social Encounters: Demonstrating divine authority, creating secure meeting areas, or establishing religious boundaries.

Exploration Applications: Securing base camps, protecting important locations, or creating safe zones.

Utility Functions: Area protection, teleportation prevention, extraplanar security, or sanctuary creation.

Same School: Other abjuration spells like private sanctum (4th level area protection), guards and wards (6th level comprehensive protection), symbol (7th level triggered protection).

Similar Effects: private sanctum (4th level area protection), guards and wards (6th level multiple protections), hallow (5th level religious area protection).

Progression Options: protection from evil and good (1st level single protection), forbiddance (6th level area protection), symbol (7th level triggered protection).

Complementary Magic: guards and wards (additional protections), alarm (intrusion detection), glyph of warding (triggered defenses).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Ultimate area protection for high-level play (11+) where securing locations is crucial.

Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 6th-level protection investment.

Campaign Phases: Most valuable in campaigns involving important location security and extraplanar threats.

Comparative Value: Exceptional protection magic that justifies 6th-level slot and expensive components for comprehensive area security.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Divine or arcane energy suffuses the area as powerful protective magic creates an invisible sanctuary barrier.

Effect Manifestation: The protected area becomes subtly sacred or magically warded, repelling designated creatures and blocking teleportation.

Personal Style: Clerics create religiously-themed protections, while wizards establish arcane security patterns.

World Integration: Represents ultimate area protection magic available to high-level divine casters, often associated with sanctuary magic, religious protection, or institutional security.