That said, it is also true that few mages would choose abjuration as a specialty. As one of the smallest school in terms of spells and effects, there are not many who consider the loss of other schools outweighs the dubious benefit of additional defenses. For those few who walk the path of an abjurer, what is gained is well worth the cost.

Exploring the boundaries of what protection magic can provide grants an abjurer a longer, safer life than many of his brethren. As any abjurer can say with surety; there is no spell that cannot kill, no sword that will not strike true, and no claw that will not tear flesh. When these things happen, only a well cast defense will ward off harm. Abjuration magic can form protective fields and negate hostile magic. It dismisses enemies and removes curses. Abjuration is the antithesis to every other school of magic. To study abjuration is to focus on what makes magic work and what can be done to counter it.

Not surprisingly, abjuration is fairly simple art. Some of its more powerful spells have such an overriding effect that little variation is needed in many cases. The school boasts the ability to negate, return, or simply block most other magic with only a handful of different spells. Armed with only a couple of abjurations, a mage can be well defended from hostile magic of any kind. Another abjuration spell or two renders him resistant to physical damage as well. The right spells at the right time can make a spellcaster quite impervious to the threats of violence, regardless of its form.

These defenses are not just valuable to the abjurer himself. Those who travel with an abjuration specialist can usually count on also reaping the benefits of magical defense. Several of the spells an abjurer can cast will protect an area from harm or grant their effects to those the caster touches. If an abjurer negates an incoming spell before it can take effect, he has defended his entire party from the damage they would have taken. In this way, an abjurer can quickly become the most valuable member of any adventuring team.

Designed to be seamlessly slotted into any fantasy-based d20 games system, these sourcebooks enhance and expand all arcane spellcasting classes, adding a whole new dimension to campaigns. Each book of the Encyclopaedia Arcane is not just intended for Games Masters to use in conjunction with their non-player characters, however. Players themselves will find full details on how to use the magic systems with new or existing characters, greatly increasing the wealth of options they are presented with by the core rulebooks.

As noted above, the primary flaw of the abjuration school is a lack of choices. There are not many spells to choose from for an abjurer and aside from direct protection, the school has very little flexibility. In this book, you will find special feats, character options, spells, and suggestions for expanding an abjurer’s repertoire. Devotees of abjuration need not be limited any longer.

So find a comfortable, well defended place to curl up and peruse what lies within. Abjuration may be the shield of the magical world, but that does not mean the art cannot be used offensively. After all, shields can also bash…