Sanctuary

Sanctuary is a level 1 abjuration spell. It allows spellcasters to ward themselves or an ally against enemy attacks.

Description

You or an ally cannot be targeted until you attack or harm a creature. You can still take damage from area spells.

Until the affected entity attacks or harms another creature, it cannot be targeted by enemy attacks. However, it can still take damage from spells that influence a larger area.

Properties

Cost

 Bonus Action +  Level 1 Spell Slot

Details

 Range: 18 m / 60 ft

At higher levels

Casting this spell at a higher level grants no additional benefit.

Condition: Sanctuary

 Sanctuary

Duration: 10 turns

• Affected entity can't be targeted by enemy attacks or spells. However, it can still take damage from spells that influence a larger area. Condition ends if the affected entity attacks or harms another creature, and will receive  Sanctuary Blocked for 1 turn.

How to learn

Classes:

• Class level 1: Cleric
• Class level 3: Oath of Devotion (Oath Spell)
• Class level 6: College of Lore (via Magical Secrets)
• Class level 10: Bard (via Magical Secrets)

Granted by features:

•  Magic Initiate: Cleric

Notes

• If a character is not in active combat (i.e. not in turn-based mode) they can perform a single attack against an entity under the protection of this spell (this includes casting a spell like  Disintegrate or a cantrip with multiple attacks, such as  Eldritch Blast). Doing so places them in regular combat initiative order and forfeits any remaining attacks against the protected entity for the remainder of their turn. However, if the sanctuaried opponent is killed from this one attack, the attacker remains out of combat and may repeat this process.
•  Throw is considered a harmful action; throwing anything (including healing potions) ends sanctuary.
• Weapon attacks do not count as harmful unless they hit or damage something.
•  shoving breaks the sanctuary effect.
• Self-Damaging breaks sanctuary.
• If someone takes damage in a surface the character created, this character loses sanctuary even if it was created in a previous round.
• If someone takes damage from a condition the character applied, this character loses sanctuary even if it was applied in a previous round.
  • This includes conditions applied from surfaces created, like  Poisoned or  Burning.
  • This does not include conditions if the damage is not attributed to the character with sanctuary, like  Singing Sword: Shriek.
• If a character with Sanctuary active on them uses a  Reaction that affects enemies, such as  Counterspell,  Opportunity Attack, or  Cutting Words, Sanctuary automatically breaks.
  • A Missed Opportunity attack does not count.
  • This does not include  Portent Die and  Bend Luck which do not break Sanctuary, even if used on enemy rolls.
• Damage dealt by controlled summons does not break sanctuary.
  • This includes things like  Find Familiar, and  Animate Dead.
•  Hypnotic Gaze does not break sanctuary.
•  Gust of Wind and  Chromatic Orb do not break sanctuary if no damage is dealt.
  •  Chromatic Orb: Acid and  Chromatic Orb: Cold both have surfaces that do not deal damage, and can be used by shooting the ground.
•  Sleet Storm  does not break sanctuary.
• Neither  Moonbeam  nor  Move Moonbeam breaks sanctuary even if successfully dealing damage.
• Obsidian Laced Robe and Circlet of Psionic Revenge do not break sanctuary when they do damage resulting from success on saving throws.
• The incantation for Sanctuary is Mactē Virtutē, Latin for "With great virtue".

Bugs

• Enemies affected by Sanctuary can still be targeted with  Blight,  Chain Lightning, and  Thorn Whip due to these spells lacking the IsHarmful spell flag. Conversely, a large number of enemy actions (for example,  Sharp Rock) can target player characters that are affected by Sanctuary for the same reason.

External links

• Sanctuary on the Forgotten Realms Wiki