Glyph of Warding

Abjuration

Level: Clr 3

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Touch

Target or Area: Object touched or up to 5 sq. ft./level

Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)

Saving Throw: See text

Spell Resistance: No (object) and Yes; see text

This powerful inscription harms those who enter, pass, or open the warded area or object. A glyph of wardingcan guard a bridge or passage, ward a portal, trap a chest or box, and so on.

You set the conditions of the ward. Typically, any creature entering the warded area or opening the warded object without speaking a password (which you set when casting the spell) is subject to the magic it stores. Alternatively or in addition to a password trigger, glyphscan be set according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight) or creature type, subtype, or kind. Glyphscan also be set with respect to good, evil, law, or chaos, or to pass those of your religion. They cannot be set according to class, Hit Dice, or level. Glyphsrespond to invisible creatures normally but are not triggered by those who travel past them ethereally. Multiple glyphscannot be cast on the same area. However, if a cabinet has three drawers, each can be separately warded.

When casting the spell, you weave a tracery of faintly glowing lines around the warding sigil. A glyphcan be placed to conform to any shape up to the limitations of your total square footage. When the spell is completed, the glyphand tracery become nearly invisible.

Glyphscannot be affected or bypassed by such means as physical or magical probing, though they can be dispelled. Mislead, polymorph, and nondetection(and similar magical effects) can fool a glyph, though nonmagical disguises and the like can’t. Read magicallows you to identify a glyph of wardingwith a DC 13 Spellcraft check. Identifying the glyphdoes not discharge it and allows you to know the basic nature of the glyph(version, type of damage caused, what spell is stored).

*Note:*Magic traps such as glyph of wardingare hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find the glyphand Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 28 for glyph of warding.

Depending on the version selected, a glypheither blasts the intruder or activates a spell.

*Blast Glyph:*A blast glyphdeals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d8) to the intruder and to all within 5 feet of him or her. This damage is acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic (caster’s choice, made at time of casting). Each creature affected can attempt a Reflex save to take half damage. Spell resistance applies against this effect.

*Spell Glyph:*You can store any harmful spell of 3rd level or lower that you know. All level-dependent features of the spell are based on your caster level at the time of casting the *glyph.*If the spell has a target, it targets the intruder. If the spell has an area or an amorphous effect the area or effect is centered on the intruder. If the spell summons creatures, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack. Saving throws and spell resistance operate as normal, except that the DC is based on the level of the spell stored in the glyph.

*Material Component:*You trace the glyphwith incense, which must first be sprinkled with powdered diamond worth at least 200 gp.