Forbiddance
Level 6 · Abjuration
- Ritual
- AOE
- Teleport
Carried by cleric, Forbiddance operates at the 6th level of the abjuration school. Cast time: 10 Minutes. Range Touch, components V/S/M, duration 1 day. Material: ruby dust worth 1,000+ GP. Marked ritual. Effect: You create a ward against magical travel that protects up to 40,000 square feet of floor space to a height of 30 feet above the floor.
Stat Block
- Level
- 6
- School
- Abjuration
- Casting Time
- 10 Minutes
- Range / Area
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- 1 day
- Ritual
- Yes
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Cleric
- Material
- ruby dust worth 1,000+ GP
Description
You create a ward against magical travel that protects up to 40,000 square feet of floor space to a height of 30 feet above the floor. For the duration, creatures can't teleport into the area or use portals, such as those created by the Gate spell, to enter the area. The spell proofs the area against planar travel, and therefore prevents creatures from accessing the area by way of the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, the Feywild, the Shadow Realm, or the Plane Shift spell. In addition, the spell damages types of creatures that you choose when you cast it. Choose one or more of the following: Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, and Undead. When a creature of a chosen type enters the spell's area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature takes 5d10 Radiant or Necrotic damage (your choice when you cast this spell). You can designate a password when you cast the spell. A creature that speaks the password as it enters the area takes no damage from the spell. The spell's area can't overlap with the area of another Forbiddance spell. If you cast Forbiddance every day for 30 days in the same location, the spell lasts until it is dispelled, and the Material components are consumed on the last casting.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
The Abjuration school handles every spell that ends with the words 'this does not happen' — counterspells, dispels, shields, barriers, banishments. On the school axis, Forbiddance is Abjuration: the spell ends, prevents, or absorbs an effect that would otherwise land. At level 6, Forbiddance is a tier-3 commitment — slots at this level are scarce.
Class Fit
- Cleric: At tier 1 a Cleric has maybe four prep slots; Forbiddance is competing with healing options for that limited count.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Forbiddance
- What level spell is Forbiddance?
- In D&D 5e, Forbiddance is classified as a level 6 spell of the Abjuration school. Available classes: Cleric.
- What is the range of Forbiddance?
- Forbiddance is cast via touch. The caster has to reach the target with a successful melee touch (if the target is unwilling).
- How long does Forbiddance last?
- Forbiddance lasts 1 day. It does not require concentration, so the caster can run other concentration spells alongside it.
- What components and casting time does Forbiddance need?
- the spell uses V, S, M components. Material component: ruby dust worth 1,000+ GP; Forbiddance can be cast as a ritual: an extra 10 minutes of casting time, no spell slot consumed; the casting time is 10 minutes (not a standard Action).