Protection From Evil And Good
- Level: 1
- School: Abjuration
- Class: Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (a flask of Holy Water worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes)
- Duration: Concentration up to 10 minutes
Until the spell ends, one willing creature you touch is protected against creatures that are Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, or Undead. The protection grants several benefits. Creatures of those types have Disadvantage on attack rolls against the target. The target also can't be possessed by or gain the Charmed or Frightened conditions from them. If the target is already possessed, Charmed, or Frightened by such a creature, the target has Advantage on any new saving throw against the relevant effect.
Tactical Usage
Extraplanar Defense Specialist. Protection from Evil and Good provides comprehensive protection against a wide range of supernatural creatures, making it essential when facing aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead.
Condition Immunity Advantage. The spell prevents charm and fear effects from targeted creature types while providing advantage on saves against existing conditions, offering both proactive and reactive benefits.
Attack Disadvantage Benefit. Forcing disadvantage on attacks from six major creature types provides substantial defensive improvement against supernatural threats.
Spell Combinations
Holy Water Efficiency. The material component cost makes combining with other defensive spells strategically important for comprehensive protection packages.
Party Coordination. Multiple castings can protect several party members, though resource management becomes important given the material component requirements.
Condition Recovery. Pairing with other condition removal spells provides comprehensive supernatural defense against both physical and mental threats.
Material Component Details
Holy Water Investment. The 25+ gold piece holy water requirement represents significant early-level investment but provides powerful protection against major supernatural threats.
Component Consumption. Unlike many protective spells, the consumed holy water prevents repeated casting without additional resource investment.
Sacred Symbolism. Holy water represents divine protection against supernatural evil, making it thematically appropriate for warding against otherworldly threats.
Creator Notes
Supernatural Encounter Tool. Protection from Evil and Good provides excellent mechanics for encounters featuring extraplanar beings, undead, or other supernatural threats.
Early Level Significance. The spell offers powerful low-level protection that remains relevant throughout character progression when facing appropriate creature types.
Resource Management Balance. The material component cost prevents casual use while maintaining accessibility for important supernatural encounters.
Environmental Interactions
Planar Environment Value. The spell provides exceptional utility when traveling to planes dominated by protected-against creature types.
Supernatural Location Defense. Haunted areas, fey crossings, elemental rifts, or fiendish strongholds become more manageable with appropriate protection.
Detection Interaction. Some supernatural creatures might recognize the protection and alter their tactics accordingly, creating interesting tactical dynamics.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Creature Type Coverage. Protection applies to Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, and Undead specifically, requiring creature type identification for optimal effectiveness.
Possession Immunity. Complete immunity to possession provides absolute protection against some of the most dangerous supernatural abilities.
Existing Condition Benefits. Targets already affected by relevant conditions gain advantage on new saves, providing hope for eventual recovery.
Attack Disadvantage Application. All attack rolls from protected-against creature types suffer disadvantage, significantly improving target survival rates.
Alternative Applications
Investigation Protection. Providing safety during investigation of supernatural phenomena, haunted locations, or otherworldly mysteries.
Diplomatic Immunity. Offering protection during negotiations with supernatural beings, though the spell might be perceived as hostile by some creatures.
Ritual Safety. Creating protective barriers during magical rituals or ceremonies that might attract supernatural attention or interference.
Related Spells
Protection Spell Series. Protection from Energy addresses elemental threats, while other protection spells target different danger categories with varying effectiveness.
Condition Prevention. Various spells provide immunity or resistance to specific conditions, while this spell offers broad supernatural creature protection.
Holy Magic Connection. Turn Undead, Consecrate, and similar divine magic shares themes with protection against supernatural evil and otherworldly threats.
Scaling Analysis
Consistent Supernatural Value. Protection from Evil and Good maintains relevance throughout character progression as supernatural threats continue appearing in high-level encounters.
Early Investment Returns. The spell provides exceptional value at low levels when facing supernatural threats that would otherwise be overwhelming.
Campaign Integration. Utility scales with supernatural creature frequency and extraplanar encounter prevalence in specific campaign settings.
Narrative Flavor
Divine Blessing Manifestation. The protection should feel like divine favor or holy blessing that repels supernatural evil and otherworldly malevolence.
Supernatural Recognition. Protected creatures might appear blessed or warded to supernatural senses, potentially affecting creature behavior and encounter dynamics.
Holy Water Integration. The consumed holy water can be described as creating lasting sacred protection that sanctifies the target against otherworldly corruption and supernatural influence.