which spells protect from petrification?

[Mausul]

In ADND there was the spell "protection from petrification", but what spells protect in 3rd edition???

 

[hong]

Freedom of movement?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Since most petrification effects are caused by gaze attacks (from a medusa or basilisk, for example), the Tome and Blood spell gaze screen is a good choice. Essentially, it gives you a 50% chance to avoid any gaze attacks without any penalties against you.

Most of those old protection type scrolls (protection from fire, demons, devils, petrification, etc.) have either become spells themselves or no longer exist. Petrification is a good example of one that no longer exists, at least not in the core rules. Note that there is no longer a wand by that name, either.


Hong: I cannot see freedom of movement protecting against a petrification effect.

 

[Ryan Koppenhaver]

How about...

Blindness?

 

[hong]

Hong: I cannot see freedom of movement protecting against a petrification effect.

From the PHB: "This spell enables you or the creature you touch to move and attack normally... even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement". Since petrification obviously impedes movement, it's consistent with the spell description. You just need to interpret it broadly.

 

[Nareau]

You could always try and convince your DM that a Formian's petrification immunity is somehow a non-magical, natural ability (and thus a valid ability to gain when Polymorphing into one).
Or you could polymorph into a bat, and get its Blindsight ability (and close your eyes. Blindsight does not subject you to gaze attacks).
Heck, if your DM allows it, there's the MoF spell (cleric 4) Blindsight.
But no, I don't think there's anything that specifically protects you from petrification.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

From the PHB: "This spell enables you or the creature you touch to move and attack normally... even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement". Since petrification obviously impedes movement, it's consistent with the spell description. You just need to interpret it broadly.

I would say that petrification does not impede movement, except accidentally. It directly turns you to stone. By this broad interpretation, freedom of movement would enable you to ignore a finger of death, since death obviously impedes movement. LOL. The spells listed in the spell description as examples just are not the same kind of thing as a petrification attack. At least that is how I see it.

 

[hong]

I would say that petrification does not impede movement, except accidentally. It directly turns you to stone.

Perhaps. But note that FoM explicitly protects against slow, and the argument could be made that slow doesn't directly impede your moment either -- you can do anything you could normally, you're just slower. Basically I don't think it's that out of line for FoM to protect against petrification, especially given how it tends to be lethal a lot of the time.

 

[Vaxalon]

... the argument could be made that slow doesn't directly impede your moment either...

I suppose it could be made, but it would be wrong. It's bad logic, hong, because "impede" doesn't just mean stop, it also means slow. You can be impeded and not be completely stopped. Try again.

 

[Gromm]

I would say that petrification does not impede movement, except accidentally. It directly turns you to stone. By this broad interpretation, freedom of movement would enable you to ignore a finger of death, since death obviously impedes movement. LOL. The spells listed in the spell description as examples just are not the same kind of thing as a petrification attack. At least that is how I see it.

Agreed. Freedom of Movement doesn't protect against petrification. You can't move because your stone, not because your held in any way. Casting FoM on a statue doesn't make it a living thing, same thing applies here. After being petrified you are no longer alive, you are a piece of rock. Period.

For the record there isn't any spell that protects against petrification that I can think of. The only thing that comes to mind are the old Protection from Petrification scrolls. A player (or NPC) could quite easily develop a spell that did protect against petrification though (or a contingencied Stone to Flesh type effect).

Most people mention gaze attacks, but lets not forget Flesh to Stone (which will proably have a much higher DC and can't be avoided by closing ones eyes).

Edit:
One defense is to make your body something other than flesh (ie Statue or Iron Body), since Flesh to Stone, obviously, requires the target to be flesh. Other defenses include spells like Spell Resistance (not perfect, but at least it cuts the odds down). Basically,in the case of Flesh to Stone anyway, counters are going to be similar to counters for Disintegrate. Both are 6th level spells, and both have few reliable, easy counters.