You create a ward that protects up to 400 square metres of floor space (an 20m Square area, or one hundred 2m squares or twenty-five 4m squares). The warded area can be up to 6m tall, and shaped as you desire. You can ward several stories of a stronghold by dividing the area among them, as long as you can walk into each contiguous area while you are casting the spell.

When you cast this spell, you can specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose. You can also specify a password that, when spoken aloud, makes the speaker immune to these effects.

Warding creates the following effects within the warded area:

Corridors. Fog fills all the warded corridors, making them Heavily Obscured. In addition, at each intersection or branching passage offering a choice of direction, there is a 50% chance that a creature other than you will believe it is going in the opposite direction from the one it chooses.

Doors. All doors in the warded area are magickally locked, as if sealed by an Arcane Lock spell. In addition, you can cover up to ten doors with an illusion (equivalent to the illusory object function of the minor illusion spell) to make them appear as plain sections of wall.

Stairs. Webs fill all stairs in the warded area from top to bottom, as with the Web spell. These strands regrow in 10 minutes if they are burned or torn away while Warding lasts.

Other Spell Effect. You can place your choice of one of the following magickal effects within the warded area of the stronghold.

• Place Dancing Lights in four corridors. You can designate a simple program that the lights repeat as long as Warding lasts.
• Place a Paranoia spell in one location. You select an area of up to 2m square, and any creature that enters or passes through the area receives the spell mentally.
• Place a Toxify spell in two locations. The vapours appear in the places you designate; they return within 10 minutes if dispersed by wind while guards and wards lasts.
• Place a constant Aerora spell in one corridor or room.
• Place a Suggestion in one location. You select an area of up to 2m square, and any creature that enters or passes through the area receives the suggestion mentally.

The whole warded area radiates magick. A Dispel spell cast on a specific effect, if successful, removes only that effect.

You can create a permanently warded structure by casting this spell there every day for 30 days.