The Spellward
The Spellward
Magic can be incredibly dangerous when it is left unanswered. The Spellward is an arcane caster focused on making sure that rarely happens. They raise powerful wards, counter hostile spells, strip magical effects, and eventually reflect directed spells back at their caster. Spellwards are commonly found as arcane bodyguards, mage hunters, siege defenders, or protecting other spell casters who focused a bit too much on blowing people up.
Basic Detail
HD Type: d8
Bonus HP Per HD: +3
Attack Curve: Low
Magical Prowess: Advanced
Sub-Type: Combat Focus
Skill Growth: 2 + Intelligence Modifier (x4 at first level)
Suggested Skills: Concentration, Counterfeit, Craft (Imbuement), Discern Intent, Investigate, Knowledge (Arcana),
Knowledge (The Planes), Listen, Profession, and Spot.
Known Skills: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
Weapon Proficiency: Dagger
Armor Proficiency: None
Saves: 1 High, 3 Low
Primary Mental Attribute (PMA): Intelligence
Suggested Attribute Distribution: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 14
Progression
| HD | Perk | Base Attack | High Save | Low Save | Spell Proficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wizardry (Abjuration)D, Ally ShieldingA, Spell FocusF, and Spell PenetrationF | +0 | +2 | +0 | +1 |
| 2 | - | +1 | +3 | +0 | +1 |
| 3 | UntouchableF | +1 | +3 | +1 | +1 |
| 4 | - | +2 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 5 | Wizard's Associate (Abjuration)D, Practiced CounterspellF, and Abjuration CL +1 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +1 |
| 6 | UnbreakableF | +3 | +5 | +2 | +2 |
| 7 | - | +3 | +5 | +2 | +2 |
| 8 | - | +4 | +6 | +2 | +2 |
| 9 | UnshakableF | +4 | +6 | +3 | +2 |
| 10 | Wizard's Baccalaureate (Abjuration)D, Spell TheftA, Swift SpellF, Abjuration CL +2, and SR 21 | +5 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 11 | SR 22 | +5 | +7 | +3 | +2 |
| 12 | Greater Spell FocusF and SR 23 | +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +3 |
| 13 | SR 24 | +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +3 |
| 14 | SR 25 | +7/+2 | +9 | +4 | +3 |
| 15 | Wizard's Masters (Abjuration)D, Greater Spell PenetrationF, Improved MetamagicF, Abjuration CL +3, and SR 26 | +7/+2 | +9 | +5 | +3 |
| 16 | SR 27 | +8/+3 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 17 | SR 28 | +8/+3 | +10 | +5 | +3 |
| 18 | Perfect SpellF and SR 29 | +9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +4 |
| 19 | SR 30 | +9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +4 |
| 20 | Magic ResistantD, Energy VeilA, AlertF, and SR 35 | +10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +4 |
F Feat, A Ability, and D Definition
The Breakdown
The Spellward should make Will their high save. Attribute increases should be placed into Intelligence whenever possible. The three innate save feats shore up the remaining saves, which becomes especially useful after Wizard's Masters begins reflecting directed spells on a successful save.
Wizardry (Abjuration): Gain access to the Arcane spell list and lose access to the Generalist list. Specializing in Abjuration makes every Arcane Abjuration spell a known spell. Compulsion and Thaumaturgy are the forbidden schools for this prebuilt. Their spells cannot be cast from spell slots, scrolls, wands, or staves.
Ally Shielding: Gain the ability Ally Shielding. Allies within 30 ft. gain regenerative warding equal to the Spellward's HD multiplied by their Intelligence modifier.
Spell Focus: Select the available Abjuration spells. Those spells are cast at +1 caster level and can exceed their normal damage, healing, or warding die limits by one die.
Spell Penetration: Gain +2 when rolling against spell resistance or defending against a counterspell.
Untouchable: Gain a +2 innate bonus to Reflex saves.
Wizard's Associate (Abjuration): Abjuration spells gain +1 caster level. Also gain extra uses of Counterspell each day equal to half the Spellward's Intelligence modifier.
Practiced Counterspell: Counterspell can be used a second time during the same round without consuming another immediate action.
Unbreakable: Gain a +2 innate bonus to Fortitude saves.
Unshakable: Gain a +2 innate bonus to Ego saves.
Wizard's Baccalaureate (Abjuration): Abjuration spells gain another +1 caster level, for a total of +2. Also gain spell resistance equal to 11 + HD.
Spell Theft: Gain the ability Spell Theft. After succeeding on a save against a directed spell, absorb it for later use or reclaim its spell levels as spell slots.
Swift Spell: Increase a spell's slot level by 4 to cast a standard-action spell as a swift action or a full-round spell as a standard action.
Greater Spell Focus: Choose two first-level Abjuration spells already selected for Spell Focus. They gain another +1 caster level, are always signless and soundless, and can each be cast once per day as a swift action without consuming a spell slot.
Wizard's Masters (Abjuration): Abjuration spells gain another +1 caster level, for a total of +3. Whenever the Spellward succeeds on a save against a spell directed at them, that spell is reflected back at its caster.
Greater Spell Penetration: Gain another +2 when rolling against spell resistance or defending against a counterspell, for a total bonus of +4.
Improved Metamagic: Reduce the additional spell-slot cost of Swift Spell and Perfect Spell by 1.
Perfect Spell: Increase a spell's slot level by 3, reduced to 2 by Improved Metamagic, to maximize every randomized element. Many Abjuration spells roll warding dice, so there are plenty of useful choices for this feat.
Magic Resistant: Increase the Spellward's spell resistance to HD + 15 because it is combined with the Abjurer's Wizard's Baccalaureate. This produces SR 35 at 20 HD.
Energy Veil: Gain the ability Energy Veil. Become protected against broad energy damage, absorb one chosen energy type, and share a reduced version of the protection with nearby allies.
Alert: Gain +3 to Initiative, Spot, and Listen checks.
Spell Casting
Caster Level: The Spellward's caster level is equal to their HD. Abjuration spells gain the additional caster-level bonuses shown in the progression.
Spell List: The Spellward casts Arcane spells. Compulsion and Thaumaturgy are forbidden schools.
Spells Known: Every Arcane Abjuration spell is automatically known. The spells-known table represents additional known spells selected from the five remaining Arcane schools. Other permitted Arcane spells can be recorded in a spellbook and prepared normally.
Spells Per Day: These are the Spellward's base spell slots before bonus spells from Intelligence.
| Spells Known | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 15 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Spells Per Day | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
| 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 11 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 13 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 17 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Suggested Spells by Level
Abjuration Specialization
All of the following spells are automatically known through Wizardry and do not consume the selections shown in the spells-known table.
Level 1
Level 2
- Bronze Skin
- Counterspell
- Energy Flux
- Interdiction
- Invisibility Retort
- Secure
- Signal Scramble, Lesser
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8
Level 9
Simplex
Additional Known Spells
These fill the normal advanced-caster selections with useful options from the permitted schools. Abjuration is still the primary focus, but the Spellward does not need to be useless whenever there is nothing around to ward.