Ablate

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This spell creates a mobile, faintly glowing spherical sphere centered on the caster. The sphere can partially disperse coherent energy streams of all types, including high-energy particle beams (such as a raider's plasma burst). This spell also partially protects against spells and spell-like effects that direct elemental energy, such as lightning bolt, fireball, cone of cold, and dragon's breath.

The field's strength is expanded as needed to protect against damaging effects. It can protect against a number of HD equal to the appropriate damage equal to the level of the caster. If the targets of an appropriate attack within the field suffer more damage dice than the level of the original caster, the field finally winks out. For example, if an 8th-level Wizard casts ablate on herself and is subject to a 1d6/10 plasma burst, the field protects the caster against 8d10 points of damage; however, the caster suffers the remaining 6d10 points of damage as the field collapses. On the other hand, if the caster was first subject to a 6d6 fireball, she would receive complete protection, and the protective field would remain capable of absorbing another 2 damage dice before collapsing.

Whether the ablative field provides spell protection or no protection, the spell ends when the duration elapses. Note that the field absorbs its damage die total, it expires before the stated duration.

Unlike most spells, ablate was specifically researched to be “stackable.” That is, an 8th-level Wizard (specialized in Abjuration) can cast this spell on herself twice to enjoy protection against a full 16 damage dice. Note that the Range: 0 of this spell prevents multiple Wizards from casting this spell on a single target.