Fortify

A punch to a warrior's face is sure to make one's knuckles bleed - and it may not even give the warrior pause. It depends on how much one lifts weights, I suppose... but if a sage were to punch someone with their fist fortified, not only would their knuckles not bleed, but they'd probably send the poor soul flying across the room. A very useful spell when tactfully executed.

Effect

This spell acts as a sort of shield by "fortifying" the area of effect. This isn't a ward; it doesn't created a wall of solidified magical energy. Rather, it strengthens the actual object under the spell and absorbs the impact of whatever attack hits it. Whatever object is affected by this spell (inanimate or sentient), it gains a soft, blue glow. When the spell reaches its limit of force-absorption, the light shatters and the shards fly out before they fade away.

Side/Secondary Effects

If the caster loses focus while using the spell, it will fade away. It takes concentration to keep it up.
If, on the other hand, the spell is botched then the fortification won't work properly. The area of effect will still glow, but the light will waver or flicker. This could be fatal if trying to defend against a bludgeoning weapon, or any number of other circumstances.

Related School

Abjuration

Effect Duration

Indefinite, if focusing on the spell

Range

Touch

Applied Restriction

The larger the object, the more difficult it is to fortify. If a sage were to use the same amount of energy to cast this spell on a pebble as on a large boulder, the pebble would become nigh on unbreakable. The boulder, on the other hand, wouldn't be much stronger than usual.
It's also useless to try and fortify something as large as a castle - even with multiple sages doing the work. Wards are far better for defending spaces, while fortify is more useful for strengthening the blow of a mace or lessening the force of an enemy's attack on oneself.