Protection from Evil and Good is a 1st-level abjuration spell for Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, and Wizards (Druids too in the 2024 rules). You touch one willing creature. For up to 10 minutes (concentration), aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead have disadvantage on attack rolls against it, and they can't charm, frighten, or possess it. If it is already charmed, frightened, or possessed by one of them, it gets advantage on any new save against that effect.
The name misleads people. The spell has nothing to do with alignment. It protects against six creature types: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. A lawful good unicorn is a celestial, so it is covered. A chaotic evil bandit captain is a humanoid, so it is not.
Against those six types, the spell does two jobs. Every attack roll they make against the warded creature has disadvantage, which roughly halves the hit chance of a monster that hits half the time. And they can't charm, frighten, or possess the target at all.
That second job keeps the spell useful at every level. A 1st-level slot shuts off a vampire's charm, a ghost's possession, and a succubus's charm. The cost is concentration, a consumed material component, and touch range, so you protect one creature per casting.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | 1 |
| School | Abjuration |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | Touch |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Material | Holy water or powdered silver and iron, which the spell consumes. |
| Duration | Up to 10 minutes |
| Concentration | Yes |
| Ritual | No |
| Save/Attack | None |
| Classes | Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, Wizard |
Oath of Devotion paladins get it as an oath spell at 3rd level in both editions. In the 2014 SRD, a Devotion paladin is always under its effects from 15th level (Purity of Spirit).
| Metric | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Slot Efficiency | Excellent against the six types. A 1st-level slot can make one ally immune to a CR 13 vampire's charm. |
| Action Economy | One action, ideally before combat starts. |
| Opportunity Cost | Concentration for up to 10 minutes, and the material component each time. |
The spell has no higher-level effect. Casting it with a higher slot does nothing extra, so always use a 1st-level slot.
Why it works: A ghost possesses one humanoid at a time, and a vampire's bite needs a willing, grappled, incapacitated, or restrained target. Ward the character whose loss would hurt most: the heavy hitter a ghost would steal, or the front-liner a vampire would grab.
This avoids the mistake of: Warding the caster out of habit while the fighter becomes the enemy's weapon.
Why it works: It lasts up to 10 minutes. Cast it in the hallway and start the fight with your action free.
This avoids the mistake of: Spending your first turn on a touch spell while the ghost is already inside someone.
Why it works: If an ally is already charmed or frightened by one of the six types, the spell gives advantage on any new save against that effect. It helps when the effect offers repeat saves, like a 2014 ghost's Horrifying Visage (a save at the end of each turn).
This avoids the mistake of: Assuming nothing can be done until the effect ends on its own.
Why it's bad: The spell checks creature type. Evil humanoids, like cultists and bandits, are not affected. A good-aligned celestial is.
Do this instead: Check the stat block's type line.
Why it's bad: A 2014 werewolf is a humanoid (shapechanger), and a 2024 werewolf is a monstrosity. Neither is on the list, so the spell gives no protection against its bite or its curse.
Do this instead: Use AC, distance, and Remove Curse afterward.
Why it's bad: Disadvantage applies only to attack rolls. The 2024 vampire's Bite is a DC 17 Constitution save, so the ward does nothing to it.
Do this instead: Check whether each ability uses an attack roll or a save. A monster with three attacks a turn loses far more to the ward than one with a breath weapon.
The 2024 rules (SRD 5.2.1) keep the effect almost word for word. The same six creature types have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target, and the target can't be possessed by them or gain the Charmed or Frightened condition from them. Advantage on new saves against an existing effect is unchanged. It is still a 1st-level abjuration with touch range and concentration up to 10 minutes.
Two things changed. First, the class list adds Druids, so it is now a Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Warlock, and Wizard spell. Second, the material component is a flask of holy water worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes. Under the 2024 component rules, a component pouch or focus can't replace a material that has a cost or is consumed, so you must carry the holy water.
The 2024 rules also name the spell in a few places. The rules glossary says possession can be prevented by Protection from Evil and Good and ended by Dispel Evil and Good. The 2024 night hag's Nightmare Haunting fails against a warded target. Oath of Devotion paladins still always have it prepared from level 3.
Aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead have disadvantage on attack rolls against one willing creature you touch, and they can't charm, frighten, or possess it. It lasts up to 10 minutes with concentration.
No. The spell checks creature type, not alignment. An evil cultist or bandit is a humanoid and gets no penalty. A good celestial, like a unicorn or a deva, is covered.
Yes, in both editions. A vampire is undead, so the warded creature can't be charmed by it. In 2014 that also removes the charm route to a willing bite. In 2024 the vampire's grapples still enable the bite, but its Grave Strikes have disadvantage.
Yes. A ghost is undead, so the warded creature can't be possessed by it. If the creature is already possessed, the spell's advantage on new saves doesn't help, because the ghost's Possession gives no repeat save.
No. A 2014 werewolf is a humanoid and a 2024 werewolf is a monstrosity. Neither type is covered.
Not directly. It only imposes disadvantage on attack rolls, so breath weapons and save-based abilities like the 2024 vampire's Bite still hit normally. It does still block charm, fear, and possession from those creature types, even when they come through a save.
You can, but nothing improves. It has no higher-level effect, so use a 1st-level slot.
In the 2014 SRD: Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, and Wizards. The 2024 rules add Druids. Oath of Devotion paladins always have it prepared from 3rd level.
Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)
Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
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