Magic Circle Against Good
Magic Circle Against Good
All creatures within the area gain the effects of a Protection from Good spell, and good summoned creatures cannot enter the area either. The circle wards a creature from attacks by good creatures, from mental control, and from summoned creatures.
Protection From Good
Creatures in the area, or who later enter the area, receive only one attempt to suppress effects that are controlling them. If successful, such effects are suppressed as long as they remain in the area. Creatures that leave the area and come back are not protected. You must overcome a creature’s Spell Resistance in order to keep it at bay (as in the third function of Protection from Good), but the deflection and resistance bonuses and the protection from mental control apply regardless of enemies’ Spell Resistance.
This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A Magic Circle Against Good can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a non-good called creature (such as those called by the Lesser Planar Binding, Planar Binding, and Greater Planar Binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the Magic Circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal Protection from Good spell for that creature only.
A Magic Circle leaves much to be desired as a trap. If the circle of powdered silver laid down in the process of spellcasting is broken, the effect immediately ends. The trapped creature can do nothing that disturbs the circle, directly or indirectly, but other creatures can. If the called creature has Spell Resistance, it can test the trap once a day. If you fail to overcome its Spell Resistance, the creature breaks free, destroying the circle. A creature capable of any form of dimensional travel (Astral Projection, Blink, Dimension Door, Etherealness, Gate, Plane Shift, Shadow Walk, Teleport, and similar abilities) can simply leave the circle through such means. You can prevent the creature’s extra-dimensional escape by casting a dimensional anchor spell on it, but you must cast the spell before the creature acts. If you are successful, the anchor effect lasts as long as the Magic Circle does. The creature cannot reach across the Magic Circle, but its ranged attacks (ranged weapons, spells, magical abilities, and the like) can. The creature can attack any target it can reach with its ranged attacks except for the circle itself.
You can add a special diagram (a two-dimensional bounded figure with no gaps along its circumference, augmented with various magical sigils) to make the Magic Circle more secure. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is ineffective. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20.
A successful diagram allows you to cast a dimensional anchor spell on the Magic Circle during the round before casting any summoning spell. The anchor holds any called creatures in the Magic Circle for 24 hours per caster level. A creature cannot use its Spell Resistance against a Magic Circle prepared with a diagram, and none of its abilities or attacks can cross the diagram. If the creature tries a Charisma check to break free of the trap (see the lesser planar binding spell), the DC increases by 5. The creature is immediately released if anything disturbs the diagram – even a straw laid across it. The creature itself cannot disturb the diagram either directly or indirectly, as noted above.
This spell is not cumulative with Protection from Good and vice versa.
Area: 10 ft. radius emanation from touched creature
Abjuration [evil]
Will negates (harmless)
SR: No; see text
V, S, M/DF (a 3 ft. diameter circle of powdered silver)
1 standard action, 10 minutes/level, touch
Protection From Good
First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by good creatures.
Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by good creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by good summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not good are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell Resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by good creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by good summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not good are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell Resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
Creatures in the area, or who later enter the area, receive only one attempt to suppress effects that are controlling them. If successful, such effects are suppressed as long as they remain in the area. Creatures that leave the area and come back are not protected. You must overcome a creature’s Spell Resistance in order to keep it at bay (as in the third function of Protection from Good), but the deflection and resistance bonuses and the protection from mental control apply regardless of enemies’ Spell Resistance.
This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A Magic Circle Against Good can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a non-good called creature (such as those called by the Lesser Planar Binding, Planar Binding, and Greater Planar Binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the Magic Circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal Protection from Good spell for that creature only.
A Magic Circle leaves much to be desired as a trap. If the circle of powdered silver laid down in the process of spellcasting is broken, the effect immediately ends. The trapped creature can do nothing that disturbs the circle, directly or indirectly, but other creatures can. If the called creature has Spell Resistance, it can test the trap once a day. If you fail to overcome its Spell Resistance, the creature breaks free, destroying the circle. A creature capable of any form of dimensional travel (Astral Projection, Blink, Dimension Door, Etherealness, Gate, Plane Shift, Shadow Walk, Teleport, and similar abilities) can simply leave the circle through such means. You can prevent the creature’s extra-dimensional escape by casting a dimensional anchor spell on it, but you must cast the spell before the creature acts. If you are successful, the anchor effect lasts as long as the Magic Circle does. The creature cannot reach across the Magic Circle, but its ranged attacks (ranged weapons, spells, magical abilities, and the like) can. The creature can attack any target it can reach with its ranged attacks except for the circle itself.
You can add a special diagram (a two-dimensional bounded figure with no gaps along its circumference, augmented with various magical sigils) to make the Magic Circle more secure. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is ineffective. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20.
A successful diagram allows you to cast a dimensional anchor spell on the Magic Circle during the round before casting any summoning spell. The anchor holds any called creatures in the Magic Circle for 24 hours per caster level. A creature cannot use its Spell Resistance against a Magic Circle prepared with a diagram, and none of its abilities or attacks can cross the diagram. If the creature tries a Charisma check to break free of the trap (see the lesser planar binding spell), the DC increases by 5. The creature is immediately released if anything disturbs the diagram – even a straw laid across it. The creature itself cannot disturb the diagram either directly or indirectly, as noted above.
This spell is not cumulative with Protection from Good and vice versa.
Area: 10 ft. radius emanation from touched creature
Material Components
A 3 ft. diameter circle of powdered silver.
Related School
Abjuration [evil]
Effect Duration
10 minutes/level
Effect Casting Time
1 standard action
Range
Touch