Spell protections type

Spell protections is a secondary spell type in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, with the primary type being the spell school. It is an in-game classification invisible to the player but that can have an impact on gameplay. For the most part, this classification gathers spells and abilities that grant immunity to other spells and effects by targeting their power level or spell school, or by providing magic resistance. Typical spell protections are Spell Immunity, Globe of Invulnerability or Spell Trap.
They should not be confused with the Combat protections and Specific protections spell types: The former tends to protect against physical attacks (Spirit Armor, Stoneskin, Globe of Blades, ...), and the latter against non-physical damage types and status effects (Protection From Fire, Death Ward, Resist Fear, ...), though there is some overlap between these two spell types.
==Mechanics==
The Spell protections type is actively targeted by Spell protection removers, which include attacks like Secret Word or Spellstrike. There doesn't appear to be other game mechanics attached to this classification.
However, spells and abilities of this type were given somewhat consistent characteristics by game developers, explored below.
===Dispel Magic immunity===
With the exception of Resist Magic, the Magic Resistance spell, its Wish equivalent and Wild Surge #26 “Globe of Invulnerability”, all spell protections are entirely unaffected by Dispel Magic and do not cease to function in dead magic areas like in the Watcher's Keep Teleport Maze.
Conversely, they tend not to be able to protect from Dispel Magic, with the exception of Spell Immunity when the source of dispel uses a spell school — typically Abjuration.
===Vulnerability to Magic attacks===
Spell protections rely on special "status" effects to achieve their purpose. Most of these effects explicitly avoid countering attacks of the Magic attack type, so spells like Breach or Lower Resistance cannot be stopped by Spell protections that rely on them.
Two types of effects are able to block Magic attacks: Those giving power level immunityImmunity to spell level (102) on the IESDP, namely the Globe of Invulnerability spells, and those targeting the spell type directlySpell type deflection (226) on the IESDP, of which there is only Spell Shield.
Deflection, reflection and absorption by power level are powerless, so out the window go Spell Deflection, Spell Turning and Spell Trap. Area of effect attacks are a good way to ascertain that a defense is relying on power level immunity and not one of the other three, because in the "defense by power level" group of effects that we are discussing, only immunity can shield from AoE.
===For self-protection only===
Spells and abilities of the Spell protections type are all single target, and only target the caster. There doesn't appear to be any exception.
===Protection from friendly spells===
The effects used by most Spell protections let the caster's own spells pass through, but they're not so permissive with other party members, so a Heal from a Cleric will crash on a Minor Spell Deflection and the Mage protected by it will not be healed. As an AoE spell of power level 5 however, Mass Cure would bypass all Spell protections except Spell Immunity: Necromancy.
This is not an issue for spell protections granting magic resistance, if only because non-hostile spells tend to bypass it altogether.
==Comparison of Spell protections spells==
Name 	Spell level 	Primary effect 	Protects against spell levels	Protects against AoE attacks	Duration
Minor Globe of Invulnerability	Wizard, level 4	Immune to all spells of affected spell levels 	1-3 	yes 	1 round / level
Globe of Invulnerability 	Wizard, level 6	Immune to all spells of affected spell levels 	1-4 	yes 	1 round / level
Minor Spell Deflection 	Wizard, level 3	Negates up to 4 levels of spells against the wizard 	1-7 	no 	3 rounds / level
Spell Deflection 	Wizard, level 6	Negates up to 10 levels of spells against the wizard 	1-10 	no 	3 rounds / level
Shield of the Archons 	Priest, level 7	Negates up to 10 levels of spells against the priest 	1-10 	no 	3 rounds / level
Minor Spell Turning 	Wizard, level 5	Reflects up to 4 levels of spells back to the attacker 	1-4 	no 	3 rounds / level
Spell Turning 	Wizard, level 7	Reflects up to 12 levels of spells back to the attacker 	1-10 	no 	3 rounds / level
Spell Immunity 	Wizard, level 5	Immune to all spells of the selected spell school 	0-10 	yes 	1 round / level
Spell Shield 	Wizard, level 5	Immune to all level 0 spells of magic attack type (see Power level), negates a single spell protection remover of any level	0 	yes 	3 rounds / level
Spell Trap 	Wizard, level 9	Absorbs up to 30 spell levels, and restores spell slots for the wizard 	1-10 	no 	18 rounds
==List of spell protections==
In addition to spells and abilities in this list, a special Stoneskin exists that is only used by Amelyssan and Demogorgon. Unlike the real Stoneskin spell, this one is of the Spell protections type, it is treated as a level 8 effect and cannot be dispelled. Demogorgon uses it only once, with his early battle contingency, after which he only uses the real Stoneskin spell.
== External Links ==
* Spell Protections at Sorcerers.net
==References==
Category:Lists
Category:Game mechanics