Area up to 200 sq. ft./level (S) ... This powerful spell is primarily used to defend a stronghold or fortress by creating a number of magical wards and effects. The ward protects 200 square feet per caster level. The warded area can be as much as 20 feet high, and shaped as you desire.
Is the area supposed to be only 200 square feet per CL?
Each grid square is 25 square feet. This means 8 grid squares per CL.
At CL 20, it's not even 13x13 grid squares. That's a puny stronghold.
On the other hand, 200x200 feet per CL seems a bit ridiculous.
You can protect 2200 sq ft at level 11 when a wizard is first able to pickup this spell. With 1 casting. For 22 hours. The spell is fine.
God forbid the wizard has to cast the spell twice to protect the whole compound. Not to mention if the GM will let you use it with permanency.
You can protect 2200 sq ft at level 11 when a wizard is first able to pickup this spell. With 1 casting. For 22 hours. The spell is fine.
God forbid the wizard has to cast the spell twice to protect the whole compound. Not to mention if the GM will let you use it with permanency.
I looked at a keep from one of the adventure paths. It is roughly 55x30 squares times two stories + some extra towers and cellars. Let's say two stories. That is 3300 grid squares, 82500 square feet. Would require 38 casts at level 11, or 21 casts at level 20.
I'm not saying the spell is bad. Only reason I ask is because of the "This powerful spell is primarily used to defend a stronghold or fortress by creating a number of magical wards and effects." fluff. To me it seem to indicate that the intention is that it should be able to cover a keep with a few casts.
The easiest way to look at in battle map form is 8 5x5 squares per caster level. Since a 5x5 square is 25 sq. ft., just divide 200 sq. ft. by 25 and get 8 squares. That way if you have an 11th level caster, he can protect a 10 foot wide, 220 foot long corridor, or about two and a half 30 x 30 rooms, etc.
Remember it usually lasts all day and it can be made permanent so you can have multiple castings of it going at the same time.
You can protect 2200 sq ft at level 11 when a wizard is first able to pickup this spell. With 1 casting. For 22 hours. The spell is fine.
God forbid the wizard has to cast the spell twice to protect the whole compound. Not to mention if the GM will let you use it with permanency.
I looked at a keep from one of the adventure paths. It is roughly 55x30 squares times two stories + some extra towers and cellars. Let's say two stories. That is 3300 grid squares, 82500 square feet. Would require 38 casts at level 11, or 21 casts at level 20.
I'm not saying the spell is bad. Only reason I ask is because of the "This powerful spell is primarily used to defend a stronghold or fortress by creating a number of magical wards and effects." fluff. To me it seem to indicate that the intention is that it should be able to cover a keep with a few casts.
Just because it's used to defend a stronghold or fortres doesn't mean the whole stronghold or fortress is covered in it, or needs to be. You cover important bits in it, not everything. Hallow is also a very powerful spell, but is only a 40ft radius emanation. You cover the important bits, it's defending the keep. Heck look at all the effects it gives: Fog in all the halls, all the doors are locked with arcane lock, webs fill stairways, a confusion affect for directions, hides doors, and one additional magical effect from a list of five. It's meant to cover strategic areas of a keep. Not the whole darn thing. It really doesn't do anything in big giant open spaces that don't have doors or stairs or halls unless you want to get one of the specific magic effects of the five avialable for that area. So, how much of the keep is stairs, halls, and doors that you really want to have covered by these effects? How much is open space? How many casting do you really need?
Also, what AP is this from with such a huge keep?
If you look at page 108 of Ultimate Campaign you will see a fort. You could cover the whole thing with about 4 castings at caster level 11. But most of it would be wasted since the major effects of the spell affect doors, stairs, and hallways. You could probably cover the areas you really want to with 2 castings. Also remember that you have to navigate through any of the stuff thats there too, meaning if you want to climb the stairs on a warded area you have to make it through the webs also. So you probably don't want to use this on areas of a keep where people will regularly be walking through. Especially if you're going to have lower level NPCs who will be thoroughly inconvienced by the effects of this spell.