Ward Magic

Wards are created by using specific physical components, drawing or carving the proper ward symbols, and energizing the ward by invoking a power word. It is a very precise and practiced magic art that requires intelligence, cunning and patience. As a rule, a Diabolist learns the ward symbols and power words during a four to six year apprenticeship with an established Diabolist. The apprentice is taught the fundamentals of cryptography, study habits, how to read and write, and the manufacturing of adhesives and components. The apprentice in return, cooks, cleans, prepares components, and performs any other chores, labors and responsibilities his teacher may impose. Long, hard hours of exhaustive work followed by extensive studies are the apprentice's daily regimen. As a reward, one new ward symbol is taught to him every month or two and one power word every three months, starting with the simplest — colors, numbers, alarms, etc. Most major ward symbols are learned last.

How Wards Work

Wards are ancient mystic symbols capable of holding, directing and unleashing magic energies. In some ways, one might think of wards as time delayed or time release magic — magic that is placed in a particular ward and released at a later time. All wards are harmless until energized by the proper power word(s) and sufficient P.P.E. energy. Then and only then are they filled with magic. First each individual ward symbol is made. Upon the completion of each, the power words are spoken, activating that part of the total "ward phrase" — a sort of incantation written in ward symbols. However, the ward is not functional until the last symbol has been made and energized by the proper words. Only after all the symbols are made (with the proper components) and each is energized by a power word and P.P.E., is the ward complete and functional. Without the proper power word(s) and P.P.E., the ward is nothing more than a strange design. The magic contained in the energized ward is not released until it is triggered and activated.

The Size of Wards

The ward symbols may be made as large as the diabolist desires, but cannot be made smaller than one inch (25.4 millimeters). Obvious or large wards are usually placed on walls, doors, vaults, archways and large objects to serve as a warning that an item or area is magically protected. Frequently, thieves, mercenaries, and adventurers will avoid a place, container, or object inscribed with ward symbols. Since most adventurers and bandits can't tell if a ward is energized or what magic it will unleash, the symbols alone can serve as a deterrent. Many Diabolists will place unenergized, harmless wards on many of their possessions to frighten away would-be thieves and intruders.

Ward Placement

Wards must be placed on the specific individual item or person it is to affect or protect. This includes alarm, inflict, protection, and permanence wards. Thus, if a Diabolist desires to inflict blindness or pain on a prisoner being interrogated, he must paint the ward symbols somewhere on that person's body. Likewise, if seeking protection from fire, cold, etc., each person must bear the properly painted ward symbols ("protection from" and the "condition," fire, cold, etc.), made with the proper components, and activated with the proper power words and a few P.P.E. points. Protection wards must be visible; a good place on a person is the forehead or chest. The ward or ward phrase affects only the person on which it is placed. Area affect ward magic cannot be used on living beings. The same applies to wards placed on inanimate objects. Each item that is to be protected by ward magic must be inscribed with its own ward or ward phrase. Numerous items can be protected by placing them in a container (a leather purse, pouch, box, trunk, crate, dresser, etc.) and inscribing one or more wards on the container — every time it is disturbed, one or more wards are activated and unleash its magic on the person disturbing the container (or those around it if an area affect ward is included).

The typical ward is sensitive to physical pressure and movement, thus it will go off instantly when touched, jostled or moved. The analogy of the gun comes to mind. Wards are a mystic device which cannot think or react. At best, they can be somewhat directed through the use of the ward symbols, numbers, and runes. Once directed and energized, the ward is like a loaded gun with a hair-trigger ready to go off. Typically a ward or ward phrase affects only the person who triggers/activates the ward by either touching/disturbing the ward or the object on which the ward is placed. Ward phrases connected to area affect wards will inflict its magic on every person in a particular area/radius. Consequently, even the people who did not set off the ward and who may be 10-100 feet (3-30.5 m) away may be struck by its magic (everybody in the radius of the magic must roll to save vs ward magic)! Wards cannot be placed on weapons or any portable item that is used frequently, unless the weapon is being put into storage. Otherwise, the instant the item is drawn, used, bumped or struck the wards will be set off. If it was an area affect ward, everybody in the area, friend, foe and innocent bystander, will fall under magic attack. Imagine the consequences of an area affect ward going off because the person with the warded object stumbled or the object is bumped or jerked. Boom! The ward magic is unleashed and people all around it are struck by its magic! Placing active wards on weapons, any small object or vehicle (cart, wagon, boat, saddle on a horse, etc.) that is being carried, moved or used just cannot be done until the wards have been deactivated (or unless done secretly as a deliberate bushwhacking tactic).

The Diabolist can place a ward on a weapon, book, scroll, tool, statue, box, etc., that is not being used — meaning an item that is placed on a shelf or put in a drawer. The moment somebody picks it up or even touches it, the ward(s) goes off affecting that person. If the person using the warded object is the Diabolist who created it, the ward is not activated. Nor will it be activated by others touching it at the same time he is, unless he willingly activates it (see ward energizing and immunity). Wards can also be made to exempt a specific person, so he or she can touch and move the item without activating the magic, but if another person should touch it, the ward is activated and that person will suffer the ward assault.

Note: Wards do not work when placed on cloth, fur. and most fabrics. Area affect wards do not work when placed on living beings.

Affixing Wards

Wards can be carved and glued to, or drawn on, floors, doors, walls. the decks of ships, trunks, books, weapons, armor, and just about anything one can think of, including people. They can be bold and obvious or cleverly concealed among intricate borders and the designs on a book's cover or spine, or incorporated in artwork. They can protect or affect the one person or item it has been inscribed upon, or it can affect an entire area and all who enter it. Wards are made by drawing, painting, sprinkling powder, etching or carving a ward symbol or series of ward symbols. The ward maker, must use common sense for the application of wards. For example, gold and silver dust is easy to carry and use but is equally easily blown away and is not permanent. Consequently, component substances are usually mixed with a sticky (adhesive) bonding element so that it creates a paste or thick liquid that can be painted on objects and people. The most common types of adhesive bonding substances are rabbit skin glue, egg, clear wax (not beeswax), and tree saps. Regardless of which bonding or adhesive agent is used, the mixture must contain no less than 64% of the ward's component material. Most diabolists feel 75% to 85% is a better mix, believing the purer the component elements the stronger the magic. Rabbit skin glue is extremely useful and a basic tool of the trade for most Diabolists. It is handy because it is prepared as a dry crystalline powder that can be easily stored in a pouch, sack, or vial. Even if it gets wet it is not ruined (although it will become thick, smell, and begin to spoil). To turn the powder into glue, one mixes equal parts of the crystals and water in a container and then brings it to a slow boil, continuing to heat until all the crystals have dissolved to create a smooth glue (no lumps). The glue may be thinned slightly with additional water while boiling. It can be used warm or cool and will dry completely in about six hours. Any remaining glue can be preserved in a sealed container but will eventually thicken and dry out; prepared glue will only last about four weeks even in a sealed container.

Egg can make an excellent bonding element, utilizing the same principles as in making tempera paints. Both the egg white and yolk can be used. Fresh eggs or stored eggs in a vial can be used, but both spoil in a week. The egg's contents is extracted by punching a hole in one end or cracking the egg completely and allowing its liquid contents to spill out. To avoid a runny mixture, the egg liquid should be allowed to dry in the air for a few minutes, thickening before using, but this is not necessary. Most diabolists prefer to use only the egg whites. Clear wax melted and used hot or warm is also a good bonding agent and can be kept for long periods of time, exposed to wetness and heat without spoiling. The wax must be clear and cannot be made of bees wax. Tree saps, syrups, and even honey can also be used to affix wards. The clearer the liquid the better.

Note: Paints, inks, blood, chalks, and charcoals do not need a bonding agent and can be applied directly to most surfaces. Ward Energizing

A Diabolist is physically drained each time he energizes a ward or ward phrase. The key word here is "energize." A Diabolist can prepare/create an arsenal of wards all waiting to be energized. It is the energized ward that harnesses magic energy and unleashes it when triggered. Wards that aren't yet energized or have already been triggered and their magic activated are harmless. The physical creation of a ward requires time, the proper depiction of the ward symbols, and the correct components, but it is the energizing of the ward, by invoking the proper power words that instills the ward with magic, that drains the character. Consequently, the Diabolist is limited in the number of wards he can activate per day. As the mage's body adapts to the magic energies that course through it each time a ward is energized, his ability to create a greater number of wards increases. The exact number of wards or "ward phrases" that can be energized within a 24 hour period is as follows: First level: one per P.E. attribute point, two per P.E. attribute point at third level, three per P.E. point at ninth level, and four per P.E. point at fifteenth level.

P.P.E. for energizing Wards: To be empowered with magic, each ward symbol in the "ward phrase" must be energized with one (1) P.P.E. point. Only the power and permanence wards cost more; five and twenty P.P.E. respectively.

Deliberate ward activation by the Diabolist: The Diabolist can deliberately activate/trigger any of one ward or a ward phrase by concentrating on it and expending two P.P.E. points while touching it! This action counts as one melee action. As always, the Diabolist is immune to the magic from his own wards (although he may pretend otherwise).

Ward Deactivation: The Diabolist can also deactivate wards of his own making without unleashing the magic within it. However, such deactivation costs five P.P.E. points per each ward; 10 for the power ward. Only the permanence ward and the wards connected to it in the ward phrase cannot be deactivated; once it is energized it is truly permanent! Wards created by other Diabolists cannot be deactivated.

Note: Also see the ward phrase explanation.

Immunity

A Diabolist is impervious to the magical effects of his own wards and cannot trigger them by touching or disturbing them. Consequently, he can pick up a book he has covered with wards without triggering a single one. However, someone else touching the book will set them off in an instant. Furthermore, if some unauthorized person sets off an area affect ward placed by the Diabolist, the mage is not affected by "his" magic; unfortunately, everybody else around him is affected, unless they make a successful saving throw — such is the nature of wards. The only way the Diabolist can trigger one of his own wards is to do so deliberately. Such an action requires deliberate intent, concentration, spending two P.P.E. points, and touching the ward. A Diabolist will sometimes do this to set off a sound alarm ward to frighten intruders or alert allies, or to activate an area affect ward to attack intruders or an opponent within the radius of the ward. Remember, while the Magic Scribe may deliberately set off one or more of his own wards, he is impervious to any magical effects they may unleash, while those around him are struck down. The Diabolist is only immune to his own magic, wards created by other mages have full effect on him, although unlike most other characters, the Diabolist can "read" the ward symbols to know what type of magic it will unleash. The Diabolist can also place and use protection wards on himself; although technically, protection wards are actually affecting those around the object or person under its magic protection; i.e. holding creatures at bay, diminishing the effects of magic, etc., and not the Diabolist himself.

Saving Throw vs Wards

To save against the effects of a ward, the player rolls a twenty sided die; a 14 or higher is needed to successfully save. Those who fail to save suffer the full effects of the ward's magic. Those who successfully save are not affected in any way whatsoever. The base saving throw against a ward is 14. The Diabolist enjoys a +1 to ward strength at levels five, ten and fifteen, so many wards will require a save of 15 or higher, some 16 or higher, while 17 or higher is quite rare.

Ward Duration

Most wards (particularly alarm and protection) remain magically potent for centuries, laying dormant until disturbed. It is only upon being disturbed that the spell is triggered and reacts, whether that reaction is sounding an alarm or inflicting damage. After the ward has done whatever it was designed to do, it is rendered inert and harmless. Each ward type will indicate its duration in minutes or melee rounds per level of the Diabolist. The duration of the ward is based on the experience level of its maker at the time of its creation and energization. Thus, a ward created by a 5th level Diabolist remains at 5th level potency even though 100 years may have passed and the Diabolist is now a 12th level ward master. When the duration time of the magic has elapsed, the object and/or area is safe, unless there are other energized wards that are activated if disturbed. Valuable objects may have many different wards protecting them. Typically, each ward or set of ward phrases are activated and their magic unleashed, every time the warded object is disturbed.

A power ward doubles all magical effects, including duration. A permanence ward causes the magical effect to last forever! The exact duration period, radius of effect and other elements of the magic can be specified by specific details of a "ward phrase," a string of ward symbols and/or runes that serve as specific directions. After a ward has been triggered and its magic used up, it is no longer potent. Furthermore, a spent ward can't be recharged or reactivated, even by the Diabolist who originally created it. Part of the ward creation process and focus of will necessary to empower it is the actual making of the ward symbol(s). After the magic has been expended, the ward symbol(s) remains where it was inscribed. To the untrained eye, it looks no different than it did when charged with mystic energy. Only a Diabolist or characters with the magical or psionic means to sense magic or see aura are able to tell if the ward is charged with magic energy. Those ignorant in the ways of Diabolism will have no way of telling whether or not a ward is energized and dangerous or depleted of P.P.E. and safe.

The Ward Phrase

Often the overall effect of a ward requires the creation of several ward symbols to create ONE effect. This string of wards is called a "Ward Phrase" and is considered to be one related unit and counts as the creation of one long ward sequence.

Ward Phrase Example Number One: The Diabolist wants to protect a special item from theft and decides to make a potent magic. He strings together the following wards:

1. protection by infliction,
2. agony (is inflicted),
3. area affect (the magic affects everybody within a certain radius), and
4. power (to double the damage, duration and area affected).

Note: Most wards will require at least two or three ward symbols to make a functioning ward phrase, such as:

• Silent alarm (when disturbed) — one ward.
• Sound alarm (when disturbed) — one ward.
• Magic alarm (when disturbed by the use of magic or by a creature of magic like a dragon, sphinx, faerie folk, scarecrow, etc.) — one ward.
• Alarm (magic, sound or silent) and area affect — two wards.
• Silent or sound alarm, (when disturbed only by) condition (evil, fire, energy, undead, etc.) — two ward phrase.
• Silent alarm ward that also "triggers" a sound alarm or other ward — three ward phrase.
• Silent or sound "alarm" ward that also "triggers" an "area affect" ward which "inflicts" the "condition" of agony (or other; darkness, blind, sleep, etc.) — five ward phrase.
• Inflict plus condition/effect (agony, darkness, etc.; when disturbed) — two ward phrase.
• Protection from plus the ward condition/effect (undead, evil, energy, fear, etc.) — two ward phrase.
• Protection by infliction plus the ward condition/effect (inflicts despair, agony, cold, sleep, etc.) — two wards.
• Inflict plus the ward condition/effect (fear, sleep, pain, etc., is inflicted if the warded item is disturbed) — two wards.
• Inflict, the ward effect/condition, plus area affect —three wards.
• Trigger by, condition (evil, good, light, dark, magic, undead, etc.), inflict, condition/effect of the magic inflicted —four ward phrase.
• Trigger by, condition (evil, good, light, dark, magic, undead, etc.), inflict, confusion, and area affect — five ward phrase.
• Trigger by, condition (evil, good, light, dark, magic, undead, etc.), inflict, confusion (or other condition), to an area affect (at double damage, range and duration because of a) power ward — six ward phrase.

In each case, a short sequence or phrase of ward symbols are required to create one ward response/effect/condition, thus it counts as one ward sequence the same as activating a single ward. Each part of the ward phrase simply helps to define the specifications of how the ward should respond. For example: trigger by condition: evil, to inflict with the condition of confusion, to the entire area (affect), means that only an "evil" being will "trigger"/activate the ward and that the magic unleashed or "inflicted" by the ward is magic "confusion." The confusion is an "area affect" magic so everybody within the radius around the warded item will be affected unless they each save vs ward magic. A total of five wards at a P.P.E. cost of five points. A Diabolist cannot use just one "condition" ward like blind or agony to create a magical effect. Only alarm wards can be used individually at a P.P.E. cost of one point. Even the simplest attack ward requires some sort of direction, such as inflict by evoking some condition/ward effect like agony, blind, burning pain, or darkness (two wards). A single blind ward is useless unless it is told to inflict the blindness on the person who disturbs the warded item or to an area. Without the inflict ward symbol, the blind ward cannot be activated. Likewise, the protection ward is useless without an indication of what it is to be protecting one from, such as darkness (including shadow beasts), energy, undead, evil, etc. — two wards. Note that a protection phrase can only protect against one thing or condition per phrase. However, more than one protection phrase can be placed on an object. If area affect is added (three ward symbols) the entire radius of the ward magic will be protected.

Authorization or exclusion: The diabolist can also set up an item or area ward so that a specific person or persons other than himself can come and go or touch it without activating the ward. This is done by simply inscribing the true name of that person next to the ward. The name can be written in any substance and in any language but must be written. Only those whose names appear do not trigger the ward nor are they affected if an unauthorized person activates it. The Diabolist can use runes in a ward phrase or sequence to help tailor wards to his needs with specific instructions. By inscribing runes next to a ward, he can direct an area affect ward to exclude a particular person (but only if the true name is written). Or it could be made to afflict only characters of good alignment by using the rune symbol for light, only evil characters by using the rune symbol for darkness, men of magic with the magic/forces rune symbol and so on. The principles of magic being what they are, wards, even combined with runes, cannot be made to exclude or include a particular race, only alignment (which is considered a "force") and a specific individual, but only if that person(s) true name is known and incorporated into the "ward phrase." Otherwise, wards create or affect forces indiscriminately. Much like a modern gun or trip mine, the ward cannot make a decision to hurt someone, it is simply loaded/energized, fired/activated, and hits anybody who it's pointed at.

Ward Sequence

A ward sequence is a series of wards or ward phrases that either go off in a particular order each time the warded object is disturbed, or goes off in rapid succession in a chain reaction of magic. The most common ward sequence is a series of ward phrases placed on the same item. Each phrase is listed in numerical order, thus when a warded object is disturbed for the very first time, ward phrase number one is activated (usually an alarm ward). If touched again, the second ward goes off (usually a condition of infliction). If the culprit flees, the remaining sequence of wards wait silently for the next person to disturb it. The next time this happens, ward number three goes off, and so on, until the entire sequence is burned out. The other type of sequence is a series of wards or phrases that fire in rapid succession, one after the other. These are also numbered in sequential order, but each ward phrase ends with a trigger ward which activates the next ward in line — there is usually a six second delay between the activation of the next ward.

Multiple Wards

The same object or area can have dozens of wards or ward phrases placed in any sequence, provided the surface is large enough. Thus each time the object is disturbed another ward is activated and unleashes its magic. Multiple wards are always numbered to insure that they go off in the desired sequence. Of course, it is impossible for those other than a Diabolist to tell which of them have already been triggered and which remain activated for the entire sequence will register as magic until all have been activated.

Ward Components

• Alarms can be made with any substance, drawn in dirt or dust, made with chalk, charcoal, paint, blood, etc., or carved from any material or etched into any material (wood, stone, metal, etc.).
• Area affect wards must be drawn with the Diabolist's own blood.
• Colors must be drawn with silver (same methods of use as described under conditions).

Conditions:

• All color wards, cold, dark, evil, good, invisible, and sleep wards must be made of silver (the actual metal). This is typically a silver dust glue or paste mix, but the symbol can also be made from poured molten silver, molded/cast from silver into jewelry like trinkets or medallions, or etched into silver. In all cases, the silver content must be at least 64% or the ward won't work.
• Charm, fire, light, knowledge, magic mystic drain, and energy ward symbols must be made of gold (the actual metal; same methods of use as silver).
• Agony, blind, burning pain, confusion, despair, death, fear, hate, and undead ward symbols must be made of quicksilver (mercury combined with a resin or glue binding agent; must be 64% mercury).

Inflict:

Drawn with sawdust/wood combined with a binding agent/glue or carved from a single piece of wood (any type of wood is acceptable). Protection wards can also be carved or etched into wood (a door, trunk, table, tree, etc.).

Numbers:

Can be drawn or carved in any substance.

Permanence:

This ward must be carved from the bone of a dragon, demon, devil, godling, or god.

Power:

This ward must be drawn or painted with the ground bone of a Hydra's tooth or Unicorn horn.

Protection from:

Made of beeswax. The beeswax is usually melted and applied as a liquid to make a protection ward, but it can also be molded by hand when warm or carved from a block of wax. It is a pleasant smelling wax, light brown in color (its natural color is caramel or amber). Artificial color can be added for dramatic effect without adversely affecting the ward.

Protection by infliction:

Drawn with sawdust/wood combined with a binding agent/glue or carved from a single piece of wood (any type of wood is acceptable). Protection wards can also be carved or etched into wood (a door, trunk, table, tree, etc.).

Ward Creation Time

Each specific ward symbol requires a certain amount of time to create. The following time factors are the maximum speed with which a word symbol can be made. It assumes that the components being used have been prepared in advance and are ready to use. If they are not add 20 minutes to the creation of that ward symbol. The ward symbol must be clear, clean and easily recognizable. The times listed apply to each individual symbol. If more than one symbol is required to make the finished "ward phrase" add each one to the total time factor.

Alarms:

Area affect:

Color (Ward Symbols): Drawn or painted: two melee rounds; carved, two hours.

Conditions:

Inflict:

Numbers (Ward Symbols):

Permanence:

Power:

Protection (both):

Rune Letters of the Alphabet:

Rune Symbols:

Note:

Destroying Wards

Anybody can eliminate a spent ward — a ward that has been activated and its magic unleashed — a ward that has never been energized. However, destroying an energized ward without activating it is extremely difficult, because most wards are set off the instant they or the object they are inscribed upon is touched. Only the Diabolist who made it can deactivate the magic energy of an energized ward and then safely wipe, scrape or chisel away the ward symbols. The only exceptions are wards made of loose powder/dust or written in the dirt or dust. These wards can be destroyed by having its components blown away, either by a person's breath, a natural wind or a magic wind (being touched by an air elemental will activate it).

Note:

Other substances like wood carvings and powders adhered with glue or resin are magically impervious to the elements and conditions that would normally affect them, like heat, cold and solvents. This means a chest with a wax ward on it can sit in the heat of a desert for 100 years without melting, but once the magic has been activated, it will soften, liquify and run like normal wax. Fire, falls from great heights and attacks that will greatly damage or destroy the warded object will also activate the ward(s). Likewise, sudden, sharp movements or violent jolts will usually set off one ward per jolt. Consequently, some adventurers will try to activate the wards on a door, container, or object by throwing things at it, or lassoing it with rope and pulling it around, knocking it over, or jabbing/pushing/rocking it with a spear or staff from what they consider a safe distance.

Note: Shooting it with arrows, cross bow bolts, bullets or small stones from a sling and pelting it with objects lighter than one pound (0.45 kg) will not activate the ward(s). The likelihood of setting off a standard ward with such action is 1 - 65%, but only one ward or ward phrase is activated per successful jostling of the item. Wind spells (even wind rush), earthquake and similar attacks are not likely to trigger any wards (unless great damage is inflicted), because they are magically perceived by the wards to be natural and nonthreatening; only 1-10% chance.

Even the jostling that activates a ward may not be quite the success one hopes for if area affect wards are involved. A first level area affect ward will have a 10 foot (3 m) radius; i.e. covers a circular diameter of 20 feet (6 m) with the warded object at the center — and closing a door won't lock out its magical attack or influence. The radius of an area affect ward made by a sixth level mage will be 35 feet (10.7 m) or a diameter of 70 feet (21.3 m), roughly the size of a typical modern house and part of the backyard and neighboring homes (remember this is a circular area of magic). Everybody caught in its circle of influence will fall under it attack or enchantment (each character must roll to save vs ward magic)! Thus, escaping the power of the ward may be difficult, especially if the item is in a confined space or enclosure (room, house, dungeon, etc.), which is usually the case. In addition, never underestimate the potential danger represented by an alarm ward. While the ward itself does no damage, it will certainly alert the Diabolist and/or his servants, protectors, or minions, especially if in his home or lair. A sound alarm is the most startling and annoying, alerting any guards or people within the range of the noise (which is pretty far). A silent alarm can be even more deadly for two reasons; one, the character(s) who have just activated it may not realize that they did so and may be oblivious to the fact that the Diabolist and/or armed guards may be rushing to that location even as the intruder looks around. Two, it may fool the character into thinking that other wards on the item are harmless; after all, nothing happened the first time he touched it (or so he believes), but the next ward could be dangerous.

Of course, the boldest adventurers will just take their chances and hope that they can save vs ward magic or survive any damage that each activation of a ward may inflict. During one epic adventure, the player group was in a life and death situation and had to get a powerful magic item out of a warded box. Each ward was tenth level in potency and the box was covered with several sequential series of deadly wards of all kinds. The majority of the group was sent 300 feet (91.5 m) down the corridor, while three of the most powerful heroes tried their hand at opening the box. Two of the three were pounded. One lapsed into a coma (-2 below zero). While the other tried to drag his injured companion to safety, an area affect spell killed them both! Miraculously, the third player made one incredible saving throw after another, so his character survived the entire ward barrage with four hit points to spare. He felt terrible, could barely walk, but got the item and saved the day. Luckily, he and the other survivors were able to convince a powerful supernatural being to resurrect their fallen comrades, provided they accepted a quest that sent them on another wild adventure.

The Ward Arsenal

A Diabolist may carve, paint, or draw a number of ward symbols and affix them on items or an area and leave them without energizing them. These wards and ward phrases are can be used and energized whenever the Magic Scribe desires to do so. With but a few spoken power words and a handful of P.P.E., the wards can be energized in a few seconds (counts as one melee action). The creation of a particular ward symbol and its proper affixing can take as little as one melee round or several hours. If the symbol, or substances for making a particular symbol, is already prepared, the Diabolist can activate it immediately after affixing it. Speed of creation and energizing can be a crucial factor, particularly in combat situations. There is no limit as to how many prepared but not energized wards can be created in advance and carried by the mage, except for time requirements, weight and availability of components. These prepared but unenergized ward symbols and the prepared components for making and affixing wards constitute the Diabolist's ward arsenal.

Some Ward Limitations & Reminders:

• Wards are primarily defensive and protective magic.
• A ward is typically activated the moment the warded object is touched or disturbed. "Disturbed" includes trying to open a box or package, taking the item from its resting place, or trying to damage the warded container or the object itself.
• They cannot be used to turn a weapon into a magic item, but can be placed on a weapon put into storage to protect it from thieves.
• Wards cannot be placed on any object that is handled frequently.
• Wards cannot be painted on a fabric to be unrolled at a moment of crisis, nor can they be inscribed on discs, stones, arrows, weapons or objects and used as hand grenades; setting off a magic ward the moment it strikes somebody, is stepped on, or touched.
• Area affect wards cannot be placed on living beings.
• A ward symbol can only be energized and used as a magic ward once. After it has been triggered and its magic unleashed, the symbol is harmless and cannot be energized again. Not even Diabolists are certain of the reason for this. Most contend that part of the ward's energy comes from the physical making of the ward and the focus and willpower of the maker — a rather inconspicuous aspect of ward creation.
• Although the ward symbol can only be magically energized once, many components used to make a ward, like silver and gold dust. powdered stone, and so on can be reused once the ward has been triggered and its magic spent. This is done by removing the ward from the object and returning it to its base component parts; typically involving heat, melting and solvents to separate and extract the components (basic chemistry). This recycling of materials is a common, cost saving practice.
• The Diabolist is immune to the magic from any ward which he has created.
• Only the ward creator can "deactivate" or "de-energize" an energized ward, rendering it harmless. Once de-energized, the ward's magic is spent and a new one must be created in order to replace it.

  Ward Symbols & Descriptions

  Alarms

  There are four types of alarms:

  • silent
  • magic
  • sound
  • trigger.
  Power Words to Activate: Acba yin Kym-nark-mar; same for all alarms. Alarms can protect an entire area when combined with an area affect ward (the Diabolist can control the size of the radius; the ward is activated by intruders entering the radius of protection) or placed on a specific item (activated when the item is touched). More than one type of alarm can be used in the same area or on the same item, combined with other wards or be used in a ward sequence. Alarms do not inflict any damage.
  1. Magic Alarm Ward:
     
     This single ward responds to the presence of magic energy. It is activated when the warded item is disturbed by being touched by any practitioner of magic, spell casting priests, creatures of magic or supernatural beings, or by the use of magic on it or within 10 feet (3 m) of it. It sends out a silent alarm to its creator wherever he may be.
  2. Silent Alarm Ward:
     
     The silent alarm is activated when a warded item (or area) is disturbed and sends out a silent alarm to the Diabolist who created it; only this person can hear the alarm in his head. He's likely to have scores of alarms in place, so the magic also enables him to know exact what the alarm is protecting. The alarm signal will alert the Diabolist the very instant it has been disturbed, no matter how far away he is, even if he is in a different dimension! The alarm can be used to alert the mage of intruders in a particular area when combined with an area affect ward.
  3. Sound Alarm Ward:
     
     This single ward will create a loud, siren-like noise that can be heard within a radius of 100 feet (30.5 m) per level of the Diabolist, and will blare for two minutes per level of its creator. It is triggered/activated if the warded item is disturbed in any way; even a gentle touch will set it off. The alarm can be used to sound off when an intruder enters a particular area by combining it with an area affect ward.
  4. Trigger Alarm Ward:
     
     This ward sends a silent alarm to the Diabolist and triggers/activates another ward or ward phrase within a 60 foot (18.3 m) radius. The ward it triggers (usually an area affect and condition ward) is not activated until the item or area (when combined with an area affect ward) with the trigger alarm is disturbed. The second ward can be on the same object or located anywhere within the 60 foot (18.3 m) radius of range.

     Area Affect Wards

     
     

     The Power Word: Agu is needed to empower an area affect ward. "Area affect" is a descriptive function code symbol indicating that the ward's affect covers an entire area rather than a single object. When an area affect ward is used with an alarm ward, the alarm will protect an entire area, so when an intruder/unauthorized person enters the radius of the area affect ward (the exact diameter is controlled by the Diabolist) the alarm is triggered and sounds. To unleash magic on everyone in a particular area, the object or person must bear an area affect ward symbol. An area affect symbol must be accompanied by a condition, protection from, protection by infliction, or an inflict ward symbol. These indicate which effect takes place in the warded area. Such wards can be placed on large stationary objects such as floors, walls, ceilings, archways, locked doors, large trunks, crates, and so on, but not items that are frequently used or carried. Likewise, an area affect ward cannot be placed on living people and animals.

     Limitations: Area effect wards can only be placed on immobile or stationary objects, because the area affected becomes magically centered on the spot where the ward is first activated, not on the ward or the object itself. If the warded object is moved, it goes off instantly, affecting that area. Tossing the object away will not change/move the area currently being affected. Only the Diabolist who made the wards can move the object without causing them to go off. Area affect wards will not work if placed on a living being or cloth/fabric.

     Range of Effect: Ten foot radius (3 m) plus an additional five feet (1.5 m) is added to the radius per level of the Diabolist who made the ward. Everyone entering the radius of magic influence will suffer the effects of the ward. The Diabolist can magically restrict the diameter of the radius from as small as five feet (1.5 m; 10 feet/3 m in diameter) and as large as his current maximum.

     Radius of Effect: The area of affect does not move once it has been activated. Once the ward magic has been unleashed, it affects the radius around the warded object. It does not follow its victims, so those who manage to flee the area of effect are free of its influence, just as any who enter the radius are instantly afflicted (roll to save vs wards). When the ward duration elapses, the area is again safe to enter. If the warded object is moved (an action that is likely to activate more wards, with deadly result), the radius of affect does NOT move with it. As stated previously, the magic radiates from the point where the ward was activated, so if the object is moved, the radius of magic remains unchanged. Of course, it is impossible to move wards affixed to a wall, pillar, floor, ceiling or very heavy object. Covering activated wards with cloth, dirt or debris, or levitating the warded object above one's head does not diminish or negate the area of mystical effect.

     Saving Throw vs Ward Magic: Each individual character in the radius of affect is allowed a saving throw vs magic. A successful save means the character is not affected or hurt by its magic in any way. The base save vs wards is 14; the typical range is 14-16.

     Conditions

     The "condition" ward symbol is the descriptive element of a ward phrase that always accompanies wards of inflict, protection by infliction and protection from (the condition). The condition indicates the particular effect, damage, reaction, or response inflicted by a ward, such as blind, fear, agony, death, invisibility, etc., or from which it protects, such as protection from undead, magic, energy, etc. Inflict + condition is a simple two ward phrase that can be used to:

     1. torture and interrogate (i.e. inflict a condition like agony, blind, burning pain, cold, energy/damage, etc.) by placing the ward on a living being and deliberately activating it by the Diabolist
     2. to instill an ability (invisibility, knowledge, etc.) by placing the ward on a living being and deliberately activating it by the Diabolist
     3. or instill a nonlethal or nonhurtful condition (cold, fear, charm, sleep, confusion, invisibility, etc.) by placing the ward on a living being and deliberately activating it by the Diabolist.
     Note: The inflict + condition cannot be combined with an area affect ward (see protection by infliction for area affect infliction).

     Protection by infliction is similar to the inflict and condition combo but it is placed on an object and is activated only when disturbed; it can also be combined with an area affect ward. Protection by infliction must have a condition ward or it is incomplete and useless (a two ward combination). The ward protects by inflicting the indicated condition on the person who touches/disturbs the warded object. When combined with an area affect ward, the condition (cold, light, dark, fear, or damage or effect such as confusion, blind, agony, fire, etc.) is inflicted on everybody in the radius of the ward magic; this is a three ward phrase. Only those who successfully roll a save vs magic (14 or higher for wards) are not affected. The protection by infliction ward + condition combo, or protection by infliction + condition + area affect ward phrase, can be combined with a sound, silent or trigger alarm (or power ward), making it a three or four symbol ward phrase. Additional instructions, exclusions and details can also be added to the ward phrase as desired, but remember that each ward requires at least one P.P.E. point to energize. Only one condition can be used per inflict or protection by infliction unless the second condition ward is used for purely descriptive purposes (typically evil, good and magic fall into this category). Also see ward sequences.

     The Damage & Effects of Condition Wards

     The following are usually the effects, damage, and conditions created by a condition ward when combined with an inflict or protection by infliction ward.

     • Agony
       
       The ward inflicts agonizing, stabbing pain in the head, neck, and stomach, but leaves no evidence of physical damage.
       Damage: 2D4 per level of the Diabolist.
       Penalties: The victim loses initiative, all combat bonuses and all but one attack per melee round (none if bound). Speed and skill performance are reduced by half.
       Duration: Two melee rounds per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, and area affect.
       Power Words: Pein yin Netosa
     • Burning Pain
       
       The ward inflicts terrible burning pains as if every muscle is on fire, but leaves no scars or burns.
       Damage: 1D6 per level of the Diabolist.
       Penalties: The victim loses initiative and all combat bonuses and attacks per melee round are reduced by half (none if bound). Speed and skill performance is reduced by 80%.
       Duration: Four melee rounds per level of experience.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, and area affect.
       Power Words: Acba yin Tarm-kin-toe yin Seraph-mytyn
     • Blind
       
       The victim(s) is temporary blind.
       Damage: Temporary loss of sight; see penalties.
       Penalties: -9 to strike, parry and dodge, no initiative and speed without stumbling and falling must be reduced by 80%.
       Duration: 10 minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, and area affect.
       Power Words: Acba yin Keron
     • Charm
       
       The victim(s) is compelled to regard the Diabolist who made the ward as his friend and will obey all commands that are not life threatening or strongly contrary to the character's alignment. If the ward maker is not present, the charmed character(s) is put in a lackadaisical state (see penalties).
       Damage: None per se; see penalties.
       Penalties: If the Diabolist is not present to command the charmed character, the victim is -4 on initiative, -2 on all combat bonuses, -1 on attacks per melee and -10% on skill performance.
       Duration: Four minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from.
       Power Words: Acba yin Lo-kum
     • Cold
       
       The ward creates a bone chilling cold that hurts and distracts its victim.
       Damage: One point of damage per melee round.
       Penalties: -2 on initiative, -1 to strike and -5% to perform skills.
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, protection from.
       Power Words: Cherubot-kyn
     • Confusion
       
       The magic causes the character to be confused and disoriented.
       Damage: None per se; see penalties.
       Penalties: Victim(s) is -5 on initiative, -2 to strike, parry and dodge, skill performance is -10% and the victim has no sense of direction or time.
       Duration: Two minutes (8 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, and area affect.
       Power Words: Lictalon yin Tarm-kin-toe
     • Dark
       
       Creates an unnatural darkness in a 10 foot (3 m) radius per level of the Diabolist.
       Damage: Those with normal, human-like vision are blind (-9 to strike, parry and dodge); the range and clarity of nightvision is reduced by half.
       Duration: Two minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict (creates darkness around someone), protection by infliction, area affect and protection from (person protected has nightvision of 60 feet/18.3 m even in magic darkness).
       Power Words: Acba yin Pein
     • Death
       
       A magic that inflicts damage direct to hit points!
       Damage: 1D6 points per level of the Diabolist direct to hit points, per melee round. Reducing a character to zero or slightly below will plunge the victim into a coma regardless of how many S.D.C. points may remain!
       Penalties: -20% to save vs coma/death.
       Duration: One melee round per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from.
       Power Words: Erva yin Xy
     • Despair
       
       Activating the ward invokes a feeling of deep sorrow, loneliness and little desire to go on fighting or living.
       Damage: No physical damage per se; see penalties.
       Penalties: There is a 1-50% chance of the victim surrendering to an opponent or leaving without a battle (+10% likelihood if the foe is the
       Diabolist who made the ward); -2 on initiative, -2 to parry and dodge, and -20% on skill performance.
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from. Power Words: Acba yin Netosa
     • Evil
       
       This is a descriptive ward used to exclude or respond to, or affect only characters of an evil alignment.
       Damage: None.
       Duration: Four minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Protection by infliction, area affect or protection from.
       Power Words: Keron (devil) or Pein (demon)
     • Energy
       
       A magical energy blast shoots from the ward and zaps the person who disturbed it. If combined with an area affect ward, everyone who fails to save vs magic is blasted.
       Damage: 1D6 per level of the Diabolist. The mage can regulate the exact amount of damage in increments of 1D6 or go with his current maximum.
       Duration: One blast per one melee round (per person if an area affect). The ward remains activated for one melee round per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, or protection from.
       Power Word: Ya-ahk-met
     • Fear
       
       Activating the ward invokes a feeling of terror!
       Damage: No physical damage per se; see penalties.
       Penalties: There is a 1 -50% chance of the victim running or hiding in terror, coming out or back only after the magic has elapsed (+10% likelihood if the Diabolist who made the ward is present). The victim also loses one melee attack/action every round and is -2 on initiative and -20% on skill performance unless trying to escape.
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from.
       Power Word: Ya-blik
     • Fire
       
       A bolt of flaming energy shoots from the ward and at the person who disturbed it. If combined with an area affect ward, everyone who fails to save vs magic is blasted.
       Damage: 1D6 per level of the Diabolist. The mage can regulate the exact amount of damage in increments of 1D6 or go with his current maximum.
       Duration: One blast per one melee round (per person if an area affect). The ward remains activated for one melee round per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, or protection from.
       Power Words: Seraph-mytyn
     • Good
       
       This is a descriptive ward used to exclude or respond to, or affect only characters of a good alignment.
       Damage: None.
       Duration: Four minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Protection by infliction, area affect or protection from.
       Power Word: Acba yin Tao-bo yin Acba
     • Hate
       
       Victims are filled with powerful emotions of hate and treachery. The emotions cloud the character's judgement, eating away at him and blinding him to the people and event happening around him as he focuses on thoughts regarding the object of his hate.
       Damage: No physical damage per se; see penalties.
       Penalties: The hate filled character is -2 on all combat rolls and -15% to perform skills. He is short tempered and is likely to lash out with deadly force at people who startle, anger or annoy him, in which case he's +3 on initiative and +1 to strike and parry.
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, and protection from.
       Power Words: Tarm-kin-toe yin Lo-kum
     • Invisible
       
       This ward turns the person who disturbed the item (or whom is being inflicted with the ward), or the object that is warded, invisible. In any case, the sudden invisibility can be startling, confusing, or suspicious.
       Damage: None, turns person or object invisible.
       Penalties: If a person is unexpectedly turned invisible, he loses initiative for the first melee round and cannot be seen by others; which can mean his comrades accidentally bump, hit or shoot him, or causes them to think he has fled or is trying to cheat or trick them. If the warded object turns invisible, the character cannot see it (unless he can see the invisible) and is -9 to strike or use the object and -50% to perform skills on it like lock picking.
       Duration: One minute per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from.
       Power Word: Cherubot-kyn yin Ya-ahk-met
     • Knowledge
       
       A powerful magic ward that temporarily bestows the knowledge to read, speak, and understand all languages, and recognize enchantments, all at the base skill of 80%. This ward may be used for random activation when the character who disturbs the warded object needs to read instructions, a warning, or communicate with the Diabolist or a minion.
       Damage: None.
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict (instill knowledge), and area affect.
       Power Words: Acba yin kym-nark-mar
     • Light
       
       The magic unleashed creates a light equal to one torch per level of the Diabolist.
       Damage: None, unless an undead or are sensitive to sunlight. Vampires and other undead will suffer 1D6 damage per melee round and be blinded by any ward light that is greater than two torches.
       Duration: Five minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, and protection from.
       Power Words: Seraph-mytyn yin Ya-ahk-met
     • Magic
       
       The condition ward for magic is used as a descriptive term that will cause a ward to respond/activate if magic is used on it or within 10 feet (3 m) from it. It can also be used to indicate that another condition ward should exclude (not harm/affect) or affect (harm) only practitioners and creatures of magic, or that it goes off only if disturbed by them.
       Damage: Protection from magic
       Duration: 8 melees per level of the diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Protection from, protection by infliction and area affect only.
       Power Words: Acba yin Xy yin Acba
     • Mystic Energy Drain
       
       This powerful condition ward is always combined with a second condition ward that serves a purely descriptive purpose, indicating what the mystic drain ward is supposed to magically drain! This ward is often combined with an area affect ward.
       Note: If the mystic drain ward is activated before a spell is cast, then that spell will be totally negated. However, if the ward is set up with a Protection by Infliction, it will only go off after a spell strikes the wearer of the ward. When this happens, the spell's effect/duration/damage will be reduced by half as the spell has a chance to take partial effect. One mystic drain ward will not negate another. While a diabolist has immunity from his own wards, including this one, it is a personal immunity; magical objects which he is actually touching or has on his person will not function. If he wishes to cast a spell from a scroll it will not work, and the scroll will be destroyed. If a ranged spell is cast into the area of affect, a fire ball, for example, it will fade out as it enters into the area of negated magic.
       Damage: Varies. The mystic energy drain can be used only with the following other conditions (and area affect):
       • Cold: Drains the chill from the air and raises temperatures to make the area comfortably warm (by the standards of the Diabolist who made the ward; will vary with different races).
       • Confusion: Drains away the effects of any confusion or disorientation caused by magic, psionics, drugs or disease, returning the character (at least for the duration of the ward) to his full alertness and ability.
       • Dark: A dark area will suddenly become dimly lit, as if illuminated by twilight or a single torch.
       • Fire: The magic will drain the energy from magical fires at a rate equal to two torches per melee round. Once extinguished, the torch/fire cannot be relit until the duration of the ward has elapsed.
       • Invisibility: Turns invisible beings visible for the duration of the ward's magic.
       • Knowledge: All skill abilities are temporarily reduced by half.
       • Light: A light area will suddenly become dimly lit, as if illuminated by a single candle, regardless of the time of day or number of torches present.
       • Magic: Drains 2D6 P.P.E. (per person if combined with an area affect ward) per melee round. Furthermore, the cost of casting a spell or energizing a ward costs twice as much (the ward absorbs half the energy) and the duration, range and damage of a spell, ward or magic item affected by the mystic energy drain is reduced by 25%!
       
       Duration: One minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Ward Used With: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, and protection from.
       Power Words: Xy yin Acba yin Lo-kum
     • Sleep
       
       Victim(s) fall into a slumber from which they cannot be roused unless attacked with deadly force or blood is drawn (standard saving throw).
       Damage: None, per se.
       Duration: Two melee rounds (30 seconds) per level of the Diabolist.
       Used to: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect and protection from.
       Power Words: Acba yin Tao-bo
     • Undead
       
       The ward repels mummies, zombies, vampires and other undead (not animated dead) from the warded person or object; or the radius of an area affect ward. This ward also prevents the creatures from coming into a warded area and from attacking the warded person or object. This ward cannot be used to turn a person into the undead.
       Damage: None per se.
       Duration: Ten minutes per level of the Diabolist.
       Used With: Protection from and area affect wards.
       Power Words: Acba yin Netosa yin Agu

     Colors

     Black Blue Brown Green Red White Yellow

     Usually a descriptive ward, but it can be used to inflict a color, magically transforming the warded object or person, or those in the radius of an area affect ward, into a particular color for the duration of the ward.
     Damage: None; turns object or person that color. Affects all persons/objects, or area.
     Duration: 10 minutes per level of the Diabolist.
     Used to: Inflict, protection by infliction, and area affect.
     Power Words: Acba yin Ariel-Rapere-kyn

     Numbers

     One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Fifty One Hundred One Thousand

     A descriptive ward or used in a ward series or sequence.
     Damage: None.
     Duration: Permanent indication.
     Used to: Inflict, protection by infliction, protection from, and area affect
     Power Words: Acba yin Lictalon
     Note: Also see protection wards.

     Inflict Wards

     
     
     The inflict ward symbol is used to inflict a condition on a living being (see condition ward descriptions on the previous pages). This ward symbol indicates that the particular person on which it is inscribed will be affected by some type of outside condition (cold, pain, fear, invisibility, etc.). The inflict symbol must be accompanied by a condition symbol indicating that which is to be inflicted. Area affect wards cannot be used with an inflict ward. To torture a person, only the inflict and condition ward symbols need to be drawn on the victim; the inflict symbol drawn in the Diabolist's own blood, usually on the forehead. Persons tortured or killed in this way show no signs of physical abuse (the wards can be washed off/removed.
     Power word to inflict: Lo-kum.

     Permanence Ward

     
     
     This ward symbol must be carved from the bone of a dragon, demon, devil, godling, or god and combined with an area affect ward. Once activated, the ward is permanently affixed to that item or place and the entire ward phrase is indestructible and makes whatever other magic effect, be it caused by a ward, circle, magic curse or magic spell, permanent and always active in the immediate area around the ward! In the case of adding a permanence ward to a magic circle, the entire circle (one giant symbol) becomes indestructible and permanently energized and activated. Only the mystic energy drain ward or power leech circle can temporarily reduce the potency of the permanent magic by half. The negate magic and dispel magic barrier spells have no effect on a permanence ward (or magic circles in general).
     Damage: None, in and of itself; extends the duration and effects of other wards or magic spells or circles indefinitely.
     Duration: Permanent/eternal!
     Used to: Inflict, protection by infliction, protection from, and area affect.
     Power Words: Xy-Lictalon yin Ariel-Rapere-kyn yin Agu yin Netosa

     Note: A permanence ward can only be applied to a living creature by sewing on the character's body (other wards can be glued or sewn; area affect wards cannot be used on a living being). Activation of the permanence ward with other wards or spell magic can be used to endow the person with abilities that can be normally bestowed via magic, such as invisibility, invulnerability, resist fire, nightvision, blind, curse, magic sickness, etc. Spells like fire ball, wall of fire, wind rush, call lightning, illusions, and similar cannot be given to a living being via a permanence ward. After a year, the permanence ward magically bonds to the body and cannot be removed except surgically. Removing the ward inflicts 1D6x10 damage direct to the hit points of the warded person and 2D4x10 damage to everybody within a five foot (1.5 m) radius around him at the time it is removed. A permanence ward affixed to a living being is extremely rare. Although it may give the character a magical power, it does not endow him with special healing, invulnerability, bonuses to save vs magic, or a longer life. A permanence ward cannot be attached to creatures of magic or supernatural beings. Power Ward This ward doubles the damage, range/radius, and duration of any other wards it is combined with. Damage: Doubles the effect, damage, range, and duration of any other ward or ward phrase. Duration: Double the length of the normal duration of the ward it accompanies. Used to: Inflict, protection by infliction, area affect, and protection from. Power Words: Xy yin Agu yin Ya-ahk-met

     Protection Wards

     There are two types of protection ward symbols

     1. Protection From
        
        Repelling, keeping at bay, or adding bonuses to save, etc., for anyone wearing an active symbol or in a protection area.
     2. Protection by Infliction
        
        Doing damage or enchanting anyone who touches/disturbs the protected item or area. Wards of protection may be used individually or combined with several other wards like alarms, power and permanence, etc. Placing Protection From + Condition wards on people for protection!
     Something which many people miss in reading the condition ward section is that most of the wards can be drawn or affixed on a person (the Diabolist or somebody else) to defend/protect against a number of physical, magic and psionic attacks. All such applications must include the protection from ward and the condition ward to make a one ward phrase. The ward must be placed/glued on the flesh of the character. Area affect wards cannot be used on people. The inflict ward is not applicable for protection (it is used only to inflict harm).
     Important Note: The bonuses of the protection wards are not cumulative and only one ward of protection can be placed on a person and activated at a time. However, subsequent wards can be activated after the previous ward and its magic elapses. The duration of all protection from wards is 10 minutes per level of the Diabolist, unless stated otherwise.
     • Agony: Protection from agony means the character can endure more pain than usual without the usual ill effects. Consequently, any penalties resulting from physical pain or pain inducing magic or psionics is reduced by half; the duration of the magic is also reduced by half.
     • Burning Pain: Not applicable.
     • Blind: Protection from blind gives the character a bonus of +3 to save vs magic and psionic induced blindness.
     • Charm: Protection from charm means the character is +3 to save vs all magical and psionic charms, including: charm, charismatic aura, love charm, domination, trance, and the mind controlling gaze from vampires and the succubus and incubus.
     • Cold: Protection from cold means the character can endure cold twice as long as normal without any ill effects and when he is affected, penalties and damage are half.
     • Confusion: Protection from confusion means the character is +2 to save vs the wisps of confusion spell and other disorienting magic.
     • Dark: Protection from darkness grants the protected character the ability of nightvision (60 feet/18.3 m) even in magic darkness.
     • Death: Protection from death means the character is +2 to save vs the "death" ward, spell and circle, as well as is +20% to save vs coma. If the pair of wards is combined with the ward symbol for evil, the ward powers are changed to protect the character from animated dead and skeletons, as well as ghosts and poltergeists. They will not attack the character unless he attacks them first.
     • Despair: Protection from despair makes the character +4 to save vs magical and psionic despair and sorrow, including the wail of the banshee. Should the character fall victim to such magic, all penalties and duration are half.
     • Energy: Protection from energy means all energy attacks do half damage, including lightning strikes and dragon's fire breath. Duration is two minutes per level of the Diabolist.
     • Evil: Protection from evil means the character is +1 to save vs magic, psionic or poison attacks from witches, devils and demons.
     • Fear: Protection from fear gives the person a +4 to save versus fear, be it magical, psionic or horror factor! This includes even such powerful fear spells as the Crimson Wall of Lictalon.
     • Fire: Protection from fire means normal fires do one-third normal damage and magic fire (including elementals) does 1/2 damage.
     • Hate: Protection from hate gives the character a +2 bonus to save against all mind and mood altering magic or psionics that evoke feelings of anger, hatred, revenge and berserker rage.
     • Invisible: Protection from the invisible enables one to see the invisible, including air elementals, entities, ghosts and those made magically invisible.
     • Knowledge: Protection from knowledge means that magic spells, circles and objects that magically instill knowledge, skills or special understanding do not work. These include the spells tongues, eyes of Thoth, eyes of the wolf, and similar.
     • Light: Protection from light makes characters who are sensitive to or blinded or injured by light, function normally in the light of day. Duration is one hour per level of the Diabolist. Not applicable to vampires and other undead.
     • Magic: Protection from magic gives the person a +2 bonus to save versus all types of magic, including potions, wards, circles, curses, and faerie food.
     • Mystic Energy Drain: Protection from mystic drain means the character's P.P.E. energy cannot be drained in any way except through blood sacrifice, and the effects, duration and damage from the mystic drain ward and life drain spell are reduced by half. The ward is not powerful enough to counter the power leech circle. Duration is two minutes per level of the Diabolist.
     • Sleep: Impervious to magic or psionically induced sleep, plus the character can stay alert and awake (no chance of falling asleep) for the duration of the ward's magic.
     • Undead: Protection from undead makes the character impervious to the bite and mind control gaze of the vampire, plus wild vampires, mummies and zombies will not attack the character unless they are attacked first.

     Trigger Alarm (special)

     
     

     The trigger alarm ward has two functions: One, it sends a silent alarm to the Diabolist who created it when it is disturbed, and two, it "triggers" another ward or ward phrase elsewhere on the object or in the room. The triggering of the other ward or ward sequence can activate an entire series of wards (usually at least one area affect ward)! Prior to that time, the other ward(s) will lay dormant even if touched, bumped or stepped on. The trigger effect has a radius of 10 feet (3 m) per level of the Diabolist. It is important to note that the trigger alarm cannot be used to set off every ward within its radius. Each trigger is linked to only one additional ward, or ward phrase, or to a numerical sequence of wards or ward phrases. In the latter case, the wards in the sequence go off in order. A trigger ward can also be part of a ward phrase that indicates a specific condition under which the ward phrase or sequence is activated; i.e. trigger (activate) when dark (a condition). Or trigger (activate) when touched by so and so (condition: true name) or trigger (activate) when touched by evil or undead or whatever "condition" is indicated.