Ward | Tyrrapedia: Encyclopedia of Tyrra

Ward - Elenaro’s Astral Displacement
Level 9 – Celestial
"With eldritch force I build a Ward...Ward Up."

This spell magically seals a single room or an entire building. The object so affected must be an actual unmovable structure such as a building, a tent, or an unmovable wagon.

This spell requires a lock and key that must be prepared from a single piece of material. The two pieces are placed upon the structure, the spell is cast, and the key is removed from the lock. A magic barrier will then appear enclosing the shielded area. All portals into the area are sealed by the barrier, including windows. Nothing may enter or leave except for air itself. No gaseous forms, gases, weapons, spells — nothing. No one (not even the caster) may enter until the key is placed back in the lock. Ward is not be affected by Dispel Magic.

Wards are always visible, even when down. When the key is placed in the lock, the barrier disappears only from the portal where the lock is located. The Ward lock is placed in midair in the portal. This way, the key can be entered into the lock from either side.

The casting of this spell takes five minutes. The caster must say the incant and hold the key in the lock for the entire five minutes. If the caster takes any damage, loses any spell defense, or becomes unable to hold the key in the lock, then the spell is blown. At the end of the five minute casting time, the caster announces “Ward Up,” removes the key, and the spell is complete.

It is possible to Ward a building and have two separate portals; for example, a building with multiple doors can be Warded so that any door could be used with the proper key. In order to do this, multiple casters are needed. Each portal must have a Ward cast upon it within the five minute time frame. In other words, if one caster begins a Ward spell at the front door, another may place an additional Ward at the back door if it is begun within five minutes. Once completed, the building will have only one Ward but will have separate keys for each door. Each key must be unique and distinguishable from the other. The keys are not interchangeable.

Note that every time a new Ward is started, the five minute time frame begins again, so that two casters could Ward a building with multiple doors by “taking turns” at each door as long as the castings overlap.The Ward is active, blocking entry and exit, once any of the casters successfully completes his or her five minute spell. If any of the casters is interrupted, that particular casting will fail, but the others can continue and can be successful. Once the five minute time frame is broken, no further Wards may be cast.

Anyone inside an area being Warded immediately becomes aware of an “eerie sensation” and knows that a Ward is being cast. This eerie sensation is strong enough to awaken a normally sleeping person. If a Ward is being cast upon one portal and another caster begins a Ward at another portal, the first caster will be aware of a different “eerie feeling” than the one caused by his or her casting and will immediately be aware that someone else is attempting to Ward the area.

It is also possible to Ward or Wizard's Lock a smaller room within the Ward as long as the two rooms do not share the same portal. Ward, Circle of Power, Wizard's Lock and Wall of Force effects may not overlap in any way. These barriers may be within one another, but must always be fully within, or fully external to, each other. For example, you may surround a circle with another circle, you may put a Ward on a building that is fully within a Circle, etc. Celestial and Earth spells may combine freely for these effects.

The size of a Ward key is variable but cannot be a weapon such as a shield or sword. All Ward keys are indestructible.

Anything left in the way of a rising Ward will be pushed to the side of least resistance. Creatures with only one eligible side always go to the only eligible side. Otherwise, the “side of least resistance” is defined as follows: (1) Creatures “in the way”, even if unconscious, choose the side they’d like to be on. All of their possessions go to that side, too. (2) Items “in the way”, if possessed by a creature, always go to the side of the possessor. (3) Items “in the way”, if not possessed by anyone, have their side chosen by the person removing the Ward Key.