Abjuration

Illusion, Necromancy, and Enchantment felt like some of D&D's biggest missed opportunities. Abjuration, Evocation, Divination and Conjuration a little less so. Still, I've run out of blogging topics, so might as well finish this list. Abjuration spells cantrip to nine gooooooo!

Illusion

Enchantment

Necromancy

Abjuration magic is tricky. First impressions leave it as a pretty bland school. But glancing over the themes I think there's something to work with. You've got:

1. Boring protective magic.
2. Extradimensional sanctuaries
3. Locking/Unlocking stuff
4. Counterspelling/Dispelling
5. A few outliers, like glyphs

The biggest thing I'll chime in on are two things:
- Treat body as a home regarding abjuration.
- Abjuration applies to metaphysical forces as well as physical.

Sycophanty

Abjuration, Cantrip

Range: Self

Saving Throw: None

Duration: 10 minutes (concentration)

Component: S, V

You protect yourself from all unwanted language, criticism, insults, bad news, or any other speech or noises which may disrupt your fragile ego. While the cantrip is active, anything you may not want to hear is instead converted in the brain to more soothing, yes-man like language.

While this effect is active, you are immune to fear, but you automatically fail saves against charm effects.

Examples:
"Go f--- yourself!" --> "You are a perfectly adequate person, and I am very insecure!"
"Whatever you say, thunder-thighs." --> "I'm too tired and wrong to argue with you. Also I wish I had your body."
"This plan is idiotic! We're all going to die!" --> "Brilliant stratagem, sir! We'll give them a good thrashing!"
"I'm going to eat you." --> "I'm sure you taste delicious."

((Okay okay, I know this is more illusion-y/enchant-y than abjuration, but it was too much fun to include on the list.))

Remove Doubt

Abjuration, 1st Level

Range: 60ft
Cast Time: 1 Action

Saving Throw: Charisma

Duration: Instantaneous

Component: S, V

Voluntarily, or on failed Save, the target loses all doubt regarding present course of action. This can mechanically manifest as several ways. Target:
- stops deliberating, must pick course of action now, no matter how rash.
- if Feared, maximizes the duration of the Fear condition.
- feels no guilt about present actions.

Upcasting this increases the Save DC by 2 for each spell level above one.

Magician's Bodybag

Abjuration, 2nd Level

Range: Touch

Saving Throw: Dexterity

Duration: 2 Minutes (concentration)

Component: S, V, M (a sack with an opening no larger than 1ft)

As an action, you open up a sack and swallow up an extremity, whisking it off to an extra-dimensional space temporarily. Things larger than a foot in diameter cannot be swallowed. For the duration, the extremity is safely sequestered in a pocket dimension and cannot be harmed. The extremity can still be felt.

Every round while this spell is being concentrated on, you may similarly use an action for this spell.

If you are trying to use this spell on an enemy, they are entitled to a Dexterity Saving Throw with Advantage to avoid its effects. If the bag used in the spell breaks, all extremities are returned to their bodies. You may only snatch up an entire body like a giant snake if the creature is Small size and Incapacitated/Restrained/Paralyzed, or Tiny and smaller.

For all limbs, snatching up that limb prevents its use. For heads, the target is blinded, but not deafened (they can still hear through the sack). For other things, best leave it to the GM.

Plenty of shenanigans to be had.

Misspell Magic

Abjuration, Level 3

Range: 60ft

Saving Throw: None

Duration: Instantaneous

Component: S, V, M (a writing utensil)

As a reaction, you may change the effect of a spell by changing the name of the spell. The new spell effect, to be determined by the GM, will have equivalently the same magnitude of power as the original, but with the new effect. The new spell title must be a correctly spelled.

((As a general GMing rule, the more inane and specific the new spell title is (i.e. Disguise Shelf), the more effective it is in situations that match its specificity. The more overpowered the spell title sounds (i.e. Hideous Slaughter), the more restrained the effect. As another GMing rule, it's recommended that complete nullification of the spell's effectiveness be avoided, lest this version overpower Counterspell.))

Casting this at level 3 gives you one modification to the spell name. You may:
- Add one letter
- Remove one letter
- Change one letter
- Adding or removing spaces/capitalizations are free

For every spell level above 3, you get one additional modification.

((Takin' it all the way back to the Paromancers with this one.))

Lock Memory

Abjuration, 4th Level

Range: Touch

Saving Throw: Intellect

Duration: Permanent

Component: S, V, M (a brass key)

You lock away a particular memory, sealing it until certain conditions are met. These conditions may not be impossible. They may be suggested by the player but the DM gets veto power. Evidence of locked memories may be discovered by Detect Magic. Hints to the unlocking condition may be obtained by Legend Lore. Dispel Magic momentarily suppresses the spell for but an instant, giving the subject a brief glimpse at the locked memory.

Multiple instances of this spell may be cast on a person. The caster may voluntarily fail their own save.

Example Conditions:

- Subject's 18th birthday

- When subject finds an image of a loved one

- When the code phrase is spoken

- On the day of the subject's marriage

- On the subject's deathbed

Heart Locker

Abjuration, 5th Level

Range: Touch

Saving Throw: Constitution

Duration: Until Ended

Component: S, V, M (a living heart, a locker of mahogany and ruby worth 1000gp)

You reach into a person's chest and remove their beating heart, placing it into the locker of mahogany and ruby. While the heart remains in the locker, the object of the spell is immune to all heart injuries, and is incapable of feeling or expressing love in any way. Cruelty will take their body, and they will be immune to all Charm effects or wounds of the heart, both literal and metaphysical.

You may perform this on yourself, or a willing creature without save. While the heart remains in the locker, it still beats as if it were alive. If the locker is opened, and the heart wounded or destroyed, the object of the spell will die instantly.

Protection from Suitors

Abjuration, 6th Level

Range: Touch

Saving Throw: Charisma

Duration: 1 Month

Component: S, V, M (a needle, an orange, and living mouse)

For the duration, the target gains the following benefits against suitors:

+4 AC
Immune to Charm/Domination/Possession effects
Immune to Curses
Advantage on All Saves
Prevents all physical contact (not weapon attacks)

Suitors with a Charisma or Intelligence higher than the caster's Wisdom ignore all Advantage effects, convert the immunities to Advantage From, and reduce the AC bonus to +2.

(If I were you, I'd interpret 'suitors' very liberally)
(This spell can be altered to fit a variety of social relations: Siblings, Moochers, Sycophants, Royalty, Children, Thieves, etc.)

They'll never see it coming.

Faithful Counselor

Abjuration, Level 7th Level

Range: 5ft

Saving Throw: None

Duration: 10 Minutes

Component: S, V, M (500gp, which is consumed)

You summon an invisible counselor within 5ft. It follows you about. For the duration, it will provide discrete counsel on all matters political, diplomatic, and law. The counselor cannot be touched - it is incorporeal, and it can both speak in any languages you know. It communicates by whispering in your ear, and is familiar with the following knowledge, attuned to the land in which you currently occupy:

- All laws and official protocols.
- All names, titles, epithets, genealogies, relations, and official ranks of all people of note.
- Any and all interactions with anyone you've had personally, with perfect memory.

In addition, if anybody whispers or mumbles in your presence, the counselor will repeat the words into your ear clearly. The Counselor can read your thoughts, and if you're about to do or say something illegal or make a faux pas, it will inform you before you make the decision.

If two people with Faithful Counselor active come within 5ft of each other, both Counselors will instantly annihilate. This will not become immediately known to the caster. It will merely register as silence. Faithful Counselors cannot speak in a Silence. Faithful Counselors can relay other Faithful Counselors' whispers. Upcasting this spell increases the duration: 1 hour for 8th level, and 24 hours for 9th level.

Null Zone

Abjuration, 8th Level

Range: Touch
Cast Time: 1 Minute (Ritual)

Saving Throw: Wisdom

Duration: 10 Minutes (concentration)

Component: S, V

You designate a circle on the ground no more than 10ft in radius. For all purposes, this space no longer exists for the duration of the spell to anyone but you. Reality folds together to accommodate this hole, and things (besides you) entering one side of the circle will exit on the opposite side.

Anything else within the circle when casting is finished remains as so. Once outside, any object or person cannot return to inside the circle for the duration.

Magic, both divine and arcane, does not function within the circle. Nothing can leave the circle once it's inside it. It is a godless place. Any acts committed within will not count as sin. Nobody can hear or see you within. It is the only place where truly nobody is watching or listening.

Gambit

Abjuration, 9th Level

Range: Self

Saving Throw: None

Duration: Instantaneous

Component: S, V

As an action, you cast a spell and make a prediction for an effect to happen upon your person by an enemy force in exactly 6 seconds (1 round from now). If this predicted effect happens, then you are completely immune to that effect, and all subsequent instances of that same effect from that source for three Rounds.

For instance, if you predict that the Beholder will use its Paralyzing Ray on you next round, and then it happens, then you are immune to the ray's effects on that round and for three subsequent rounds from that particular Beholder. If you predict Death will cast Finger of Death (which he always does), then maybe you've gotten yourself three Rounds of freedom before he begins pursuit.

This spell won't save you from self-inflicted actions.