Spell Turning causes spells from a total of 12 spell levels that are cast against the wizard to rebound on the original caster.
Description[]
| “ | Spell Turning This powerful Abjuration spell causes the spells cast against the wizard to rebound upon the original caster. This affects a total of 12 spell levels––including spell cast from scrolls and innate spell-like abilities––but excludes area effects that are not centered directly upon the wizard, as well as area effects that are stationary such as Cloudkill and Stinking Cloud. As long as the spell is cast directly at the wizard, it will be reflected back upon the caster as long as there are levels remaining. For example, if there is only 1 level left and a 3rd-level spell is cast at the wizard, the spell will be reflected while canceling the Spell Turning. This spell will not protect the caster from Dispel Magic, but it will not be dispelled by Dispel Magic either. |
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Gameplay[]
Like Spell Deflection and Spell Trap, and unlike Globe of Invulnerability and Spell Immunity, Spell Turning doesn't protect from AoE spells.
It not only turns away hostile spells, but also buff and healing spells by allies.
If Minor Spell Turning is also active, it will be overridden by Spell Turning: They are not cumulative, any turned spell will drain both. If both a turning spell and a deflection spell (Minor Spell Deflection or Spell Deflection) are active, then the turning will take priority, the spell deflection will only trigger and be drained once the turning effect is exhausted.
Spells turned not only return to the original caster but they maintain their original "ownership", meaning that, say, a spell cast by a lich against a player protected by this spell will still be considered as the lich's own spell once it's turned against that.
This is important because casters cannot be protected against their own spells (only against their spells' effects), so, for example:
a) If a mage is protected by Spell Immunity: Conjuration and their Melf's Acid Arrow (a conjuration spell) projectile is turned back against them, they will be affected by the spell.
b) If a mage is protected by Protection from Acid and their Melf's Acid Arrow projectile is turned back against them, they will (technically) be affected by the spell, but will suffer none of the effects, as they're immune to acid damage (so they're protected against the effect, not the spell).
c) If a lich, that's normally immune to spells of level 5 and under, has their Melf's Acid Arrow (a level 2 spell) projectile turned back against them, they will also be affected by the spell and take damage normally, if they're not protected against acid damage specifically.
Spell Turning will not reflect the 5th level Breach spell, since it does not deflect spells that are designed to remove protections. Note that with the Sword Coast Stratagems mod, Spell Turning does reflect Breach.
List of spells that can be turned (innate abilities and enemy-only abilities not included)[]
Divine spells:
Level 1: Command, Doom, Magic Stone
Level 3: Call Lightning (even when you're not the original target), Summon Insects
Level 4: Mental Domination, Poison
Level 5: Cause Critical Wounds (including from beholder rays), Flame Strike, Slay Living
Level 6: Harm, Dolorous Decay, Sol's Searing Orb
Level 7: Energy Blades (only the electricity part), Ether Gate, Finger of Death, Implosion
Arcane Spells:
Level 1: Blindness, Charm Person, Chill Touch (not the fist damage), Chromatic Orb, Larloch's Minor Drain, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp (not the fist damage), Spook
Level 2: Agannazar's Scorcher (even when you're not the original target), Deafness, Ghoul Touch (not the fist damage), Melf's Acid Arrow, Power Word: Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 3: Dire Charm, Flame Arrow, Lightning Bolt (only if you're the original target), Melf's Minute Meteors (only the fire damage), Vampiric Touch
Level 4: Contagion, Polymorph Other
Level 5: Domination, Feeblemind
Level 6: Chain Lightning (only if you're the original target), Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Power Word: Silence
Level 7: Finger of Death, Power Word: Stun
Level 8: Bigby's Clenched Fist, Maze, Power Word: Blind
Level 9: Bigby's Crushing Hand, Black Blade of Disaster (only turns the level drain and disintegration effects, not the damage), Energy Blades (only the electricity part), Energy Drain, Imprisonment, Power Word: Kill
It will also turn enemy-only abilities that count as magical projectiles of those levels, for example the rays of a beholder. It will also affect wands.
Spell protection removers that dispel Spell Turning[]
Where to obtain its scroll[]
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn[]
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal[]
Mod content[]
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
Spell Revisions mod has replaced Spell Turning, which is removed from the game, with this new arcane spell. See below:
Greater Spell Deflection
Level: 7
School: Abjuration
Range: Personal
Duration: 5 turns
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Caster
Saving Throw: None
This abjuration spell causes any spells cast against the wizard to be absorbed and consumed. This affects a total of 12 spell levels, but having 1 level left of protection means a 1st level spell would get absorbed, as well as a 9th level spell. This spell will not protect the caster from a dispel magic. However, it will not be affected by a dispel magic, either. This spell absorbs spells cast from scrolls and innate spell-like abilities, but will not protect against area effect spells that are not centered directly upon the wizard (such as Fireball), or stationary area effect spells (such as Cloudkill and Stinking Cloud).
Sword Coast Stratagems (SCS) changes Spell Turning behavior and now bounces/reflects the 5th Level Breach spell and the Wand of Spell Striking. If SCS and Spell Revisions are installed then Greater Spell Deflection can block/deflect Breach spells, the same as any other single-target spell/innate magic.
External links[]
- Spell turning on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.