A Dissertation on the Varieties of Protection Spells

4E 299

Protection spells are among the most commonly used spells of today. Even the most thick-headed apprentice knows at least some basic Warding skills. The need for the two kinds of spells is obvious. Tamriel is a place of many perils, and all too often skills taken for granted make a large difference in life-or-death situations. With this in mind, this paper discusses the origins of modern protection spells.

For the purpose of this paper, protection spells will be classified into Ward-type spells and Armor-type spells. Ward-type spells block direct damage, particularly from magical attacks such as Destruction spells. Armor-type spells, on the other hand, do not prevent damage but reduce damage taken. This is done by altering the toughness of the caster’s skin, increasing it to varying degrees (depending on the spell’s strength) so as to better withstand sustained damage. Ward-types belong to the School of Restoration, while Armor-types belong to the School of Alteration.

Ward-type spells and Armor-type spells, despite belonging to different Schools, share similarities in that they are designed to protect the user from harm. This brings us to the main subject of this dissertation. Ward-type spells and Armor-type spells share a common lineage in Shield-type spells, spells which were used two hundred years ago.

The usage of Shield-type spells dates back to the Merethic Era; Aldmeri scrolls describe the usage of spells which “hardened the body like steel”. Vanus Galerion, who created the different Schools of Magic, classified Shield-type spells firmly into the Alteration category. Galerion himself developed various Shield-type spells, most of which are still in use today. Early Shield-type spells were vastly inferior to Shield-type spells in use today, lasting half as long and offering inferior protection.

A subclass of Shield-type spells was the Elemental Shield-type, which offered protection from the different elements. Ironically, despite their notorious mutual hatred for each other, Vanus Galerion had to draw upon the Worm King Mannimarco’s research to create Elemental Shield-type spells that were available to the general magic community. Indeed, Mannimarco’s experience with Elemental Shield spells was truly impressive, so much so that some researchers suggest that he used a “Resist Death” spell to attain lichdom. This theory, however, has been thoroughly discredited.

It is clear to see how the Elemental Shield subclass influenced Ward-type spells. Ward-type spells are used by mages mainly to block elemental assaults. However, Ward-type spells have more in common with the Reflect-type spells from the now defunct Mysticism schools.

Shalidor is credited as the father of Reflect-type spells. His research bore wondrous fruit in the form of Shalidor’s Mirror. Many of his principles on Reflect-type spells are used today as the backbone for Ward-type spells and Ward research. Although Ward-type spells merely block magical damage, Reflect-types did more than that; they redirected the offensive spell’s flow back to the caster.

The effect of Reflect-type spells raises a question; why are they not in use today? Reflect-type spells only had a chance of reflecting offensive spells, and many a caster unaware of this was burnt to a crisp. At the height of their usage, the Arcane University was towing upwards of two thousand corpses every month to the Imperial City’s graveyards. Wards, although inferior in effect, provide a much higher degree of reliability.

As to how Ward spells proper were invented; well, that is an easy matter to settle. Circa 4E 16, a team of researchers at the Arcane University began research on the effects of Reflect-type spells and Elemental Shield-type spells. Research of this nature is nothing new; the different Schools of Magic are artificial constructs, and such overlap with one another. Twenty-four long years of hard work, slowed significantly by the squabbling and political intrigues between the Synod and the College of Whispers, resulted in what we know now as the modern Ward.

With the Elemental Shield-type spells and the Reflect-type spells now rendered obsolete, as well as the dissolution of the Mysticism school, massive changes were inevitable. These changes peaked at the Convention of Mages at the Arcane University. The Convention established two major changes in spellcraft. The Shield-type spells were to be reclassified as Armor-type spells, now wholly separate from the new Ward-type spells but otherwise unchanged. The Ward-type spells, after much debate, were deemed most at home in the Restoration school, where they remain to this day.

And thus concludes this dissertation on the numerous forms of Protection spells. Hopefully this has provided some insight. Protection spells have served mages for centuries now, and are likely to do so in the coming centuries.