Protective Aura

Protective Aura offers rare, brief support to the physical and magical defense of a small group. It protects the caster and at most two nearby allies, so it can matter in a moment of shared danger. However, its scope is specific. It does not create a safe area for an unlimited number of people or lasting protection for everyone who appears nearby later.

One use per adventure encourages careful choice of timing. The targets' proximity, the two-round duration, and the non-stacking defensive bonus must be considered. The aura can help during an important shared move, but the party must still deal with the course of the encounter. The protective effect itself does not remove enemies, obstacles, or every possible consequence of further actions.

Exact effect: Each of at most 3 targets gains +2 to both PDEF and MDEF. Bonus: +2 PDEF and MDEF. Target: caster and at most 2 nearby allies. Duration: 2 rounds. Restrictions: once per adventure; does not stack. Using it requires at least Intelligence 9 and Level 3, the appropriate casting ability, and knowledge of this spell. Meeting the numerical requirements alone does not grant knowledge of the spell.