- See also Protection Spells.
This spell covers a group of related effects. The one desired is selected when the spell is memorized. It creates a globe of protection that protects all within from the direct attacks of one type of elemental creature. The sphere is centered on and mobile with the creature touched. If more elemental creatures attack than are protected against, the remaining ones can cross the barrier and attack. Forcing the protection against such creatures negates the protection. Otherwise, the effect of the spell varies with the caster's level.
Two factors rule the degree of protection. First, the total number of Hit Dice hedged out is 2 Hit Dice per level of the caster, to a maximum of 24 Hit Dice at 12th level.
Second, as the caster becomes more powerful, stronger elemental creatures can be hedged out. Thus, an 8th-level caster can keep out elemental creatures with a total of 16 Hit Dice or less, as long as the creatures have less than 8 Hit Dice each.
At 7th level, creatures of a specific element with less than 8 Hit Dice can be hedged out.
At 9th level, the protection is extended to creatures of a specific element with less than 16 Hit Dice.
At 12th level, the protection is extended to creatures of a specific element with less than 24 Hit Dice. Further, the protection hedges out any type of elemental creature with 16 Hit Dice or less; thus, a 12th-level wizard who memorizes the air elemental version gains the ability to keep out earth elementals of 16 Hit Dice or less as well.
At 15th level, protection is extended to any elemental creature with 24 Hit Dice or less.
Elemental creatures with more Hit Dice, or exceeding the total Hit Dice limit, can pass the barrier. For example, if a 9th-level wizard's sphere is attacked by three 8 Hit Die elementals, one penetrates the barrier. A sphere attacked by a single 24 Hit Die elemental is penetrated as well. Note that attacks by elemental creatures based on their element are blocked, but other attacks might not be. Thus, while an efreet could not affect protected creatures with its wall of fire, it could shoot a bow, if it had one.
The material component of this spell is a piece of a substance that came from neither the Prime Material Plane nor any of the Elemental Planes.
Notes: Uncommon for abjurers, conjurers, geometers, and elementalists; otherwise, rare. Elementalists are restricted to their own elemental form until they achieve 12th level.
Optional: Spells similar to protection from elemental can be researched for para-elemental and quasi-elemental creatures as well. It is suggested that, for a 12th-level caster, 16 Hit Dice of any of these creatures can be hedged out, regardless of which spell the caster employs.
Elementals[]
Spells affecting elementals, such as protection from elementals, also affect many similar elemental-based creatures.
Air creatures (includes djinn and invisible stalkers)
Earth creatures (includes xorn)
Fire creatures (includes efreet and salamanders)
Water creatures (includes tritons and water weirds).