Spell Shield

Spell Shield grants the caster one level worth of immunity to all spells and abilities of the Magic attack type, which for the most part hosts attacks against Spell protections and buffs, as well as the breath from many types of dragons. Spell Shield makes these attacks ineffective, and then loses an amount of "levels of immunity" equal to the level of the thwarted attack. Once the shield has no more levels left, its protection falls with a recognizable sound.
The value of this spell comes from the fact that most Magic attacks cast against player characters, though particularly devastating, are actually level 0, and therefore cannot harm Spell Shield as they get thwarted by it. The in-game description for the spell is silent about them and obfuscates most of the mechanics behind its behavior.
==Description==
As Spell Shield starts to take hold, a brief lighting effect and color fade plays over the wizard. The note "Protected by Spell Shield" appears in the combat log, and a new icon starts showing on the caster's portrait. In that character's Record screen, the mention "Spell Shield" can be found next to this icon. When the shield expires an audible sound effect will play, signaling the end of its protection.
==Gameplay==
*Spell Shield provides cover from AoE and level 0 attacks, unlike other level-based protections such as Spell Deflection, Spell Turning or Spell Trap.
*A second casting of Spell Shield overwrites the first one; it does not add extra levels of immunity or duration.
*Any Spell protection remover would normally be able to destroy Spell Shield, because the shield itself belongs to the Spell protections type. But when a Spell protection remover is of the Magic attack type, the shield gets to act first and blocks the remover before it can do harm. All Spell protection removers in the game are Magic attacks, so they are all blocked, with the exception of arrows fired from a Fallen Solar's Bow. A single arrow can remove Spell Shield and other Spell protections all at once because it does not belong to the Magic attack type and is therefore beyond the reach of the shield. There is a second exception in the original edition: the Wand of Spell Striking's Pierce Magic ability.
*Spell Shield is the best and often the only defense against level 0 Magic attacks.
*The shield takes a second or so to fall after thwarting a level 1+ Magic attack such as Lower Resistance. Consequently, a Spell Sequencer launching several level 1+ Magic attacks will crash them all into Spell Shield before the protection falls: none of the attacks will have any effect. This game engine quirk also applies to other level-based immunities such as Spell Trap; a small delay between attacks is necessary for them to react as one would expect.
The following abilities are level 0 Magic attacks; this means that Spell Shield blocks them and the Spell Shield will not be consumed in the process:
*Saladrex and Firkraag's Lower Fire Resistance
*Abazigal's Lower Electrical Resistance
*Breath attacks from most non-red, non-green dragons, with Abazigal as a notable exception.
*Morentherene's Wing Buffet
* The Wing Buffet of all dragons, in original edition only
*A Beholder's Anti-Magic Ray
*A Hive Mother's stronger ray
*The exceedingly rare psionic attacks Ballistic Attack, Ego Whip and Project Force
*The electrical wind force from the magical fan in the Watcher's Keep Elemental Level
*The shockwave from Abazigal's dragon transformation
*Yan-C-Bin and Chan's Whirlwind
* Wilful transformation into the Slayer
==Where to obtain its scroll==
===The Black Pits===
====Sold by====
* Dinguer the Mad 
=== Siege of Dragonspear ===
====Available at====
* Dragonspear Castle Basement
===Shadows of Amn===
==== Available as ====
*Random treasure
====Sold by====
*Carlig 
===Throne of Bhaal===
==== Available as ====
*Random treasure
====Sold by====
*Arcana Archives
==Trivia==
*The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Spell Shield differs from the BG video game's version. Spell Shield con­fers strong protection against certain spells and magical attack forms. The protection gives a saving throw bonus of variable strength against certain effects, such as beguiling, charms, commands, domination, quests, confusion, feeblemind etc. The Pen and Paper game version has nothing to do with shielding protection spells on the Wizard from anti-magic attacks. See the External Links for further reading.
*The only opponents to use Spell Shield are Jon Irenicus in the Tree of Life and as the slayer, the Liches Shangalar and Lagole Gon, and Elminster Aumar if attacked during the Summoned to the Harper Hold quest. Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear added two more users of Spell Shield, Gurn Coldhearth and Zhadroth.
==Mod content==
Spell Revisions mod has changed this arcane spell, revising its effects, and duration. See below for description:
Spell Shield
Level: 5
School: Abjuration
Range: Personal
Duration: 5 turns
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw: None
When this spell is cast the wizard is protected from the next magical attack against him. If one of those spells is cast at the wizard this spell activates and absorbs the attack. However, this only works once as this spell is consumed in the process.
The spells that Spell Shield protects the wizard from are: Spell Thrust, Secret Word, Pierce Magic, Ruby Ray, Warding Whip, Pierce Shield, and Spellstrike.
{{Note|The quirks/bugs of Spell Shield in the unmodified game are fixed with the SR version. The SR version of Spell Shield doesn't interact with Breach at all. With this mod, Breach can be blocked by any Spell protection that can block a 5 Power level spell, or it can be blocked with the mod's Dispelling Screen.
With the Sword Coast Stratagems mod and Spell Revisions, Spell Shield is fixed so that it is consumed by magic attack spells no matter what power level they are, which is the correct implementation of the Magic Attack vs. Spell protection dynamic.
SCS and Spell Revisions mods ensure that Spell Shield can no longer interact with Dragon Breath attacks, as those mods have revised those innate breath weapons to have no assigned Spell School or "Secondary Type", thus ensuring that dragon breath attacks are non-magical attacks with zero Power level.
However, the game engine quirk that requires a delay for Spell Shield to fall remains, and becomes more apparent with SCS, where high level enemies routinely use Spell Shield on top of various Spell protections. For example, the player could use Time Stop or Improved Alacrity to cast several Spell protection removers in quick succession and see them all blocked by the enemy's shield. To avoid this, one way is to remove Spell Shield before stopping time or entering alacrity.
==Mod content gallery==
Screenshot (512).png|thumb|Party mage with Spell Deflection and Spell Shield is attacked by the Beholder's Anti-Magic Ray. The Spell Shield cancels the ray, and then the spell shield is consumed - a text displays "Spell Shield Dispelled".
==External links==
* 
* 
* Advanced D&D 2nd Edition Wiki - Spell Shield (Wizard Spell)
Category:Random treasure