Top 15 Best Abjuration Spells in D&D 5e [Ranked]

The School of Abjuration, also known as the School of Protection, focuses primarily on spells providing various benefits to the intended target.

It contains mostly protection spells. However, there are other spells that buff characters, provide magic, negative conditions, or curse cancels and even interdimensional banishments.

Best Abjuration Spells 5e

15. Armor of Agathys (1st-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a cup of water)

Duration: 1 hour

Starting this list, we have Armor of Agathys, a spell adored by Warlocks and adopted by some Eldritch Knights.

When the spell is cast, you all gain 5 temporary HP; if a creature were to hit you while you have the HP, they’d take 5 Cold Damage.

The armor acts as an extra layer of defense when playing a close-range Warlock or if enemies come too close. That extra bit of undodgeable Cold damage is also a killer in the long run, especially to lower CR enemies.

Note: The spell also upscales quite well, providing an extra 5 temporary HP and Cold damage for each spell slot above the 1st.

14. Pass Without Trace (2nd-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (some ashes from a burned leaf of mistletoe and one sprig of spruce)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Pass Without Trace functions incredibly well with sneaky characters like Rogues and Rangers.

When cast, each creature you choose from within 30 feet of you (plus you) gets a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks. When affected by this spell, you’ll leave no tracks or traces of your passage.

Using this spell for your party to sneak past a group of strong enemies or have your stealthy members assassinate someone is what instantly comes to mind.

13. Absorb Elements (1st-level)

Casting Time: 1 reaction you take when you are dealt Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage

Range: Self

Components: S

Duration: 1 round

Absorb Elements works well against some of the most common damage types, especially in the early game where defense is low.

When cast, some of the incoming energy from a spell cast on you is stored for your next melee attack. You’ll have resistance from the triggering damage type and deal 1d6 damage of the same type the first time you hit a target with a melee attack.

Weaker early-game characters like the Artificer or Ranger, with minimal defensive options, should unlock Absorb Elements.

12. Sanctuary (1st-level)

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (one small silver mirror)

Duration: 1 minute

Sanctuary is a blessing in disguise for early-game supports wanting to keep their team alive into the late game.

When cast, any creature who targets the creature affected by Sanctuary with an attack or harmful spell must first complete a Wisdom saving throw. If the save fails, the attacking creature must choose a new target or lose the spell/attack.

Note: Be careful of AoE, as Sanctuary does protect against it.

Artificers and Clerics should consider Sanctuary a potential defensive option if they want to force a saving throw.

11. Lesser Restoration (2nd-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Adverse conditions are some of the worst debuffs, especially in the early game, where cures are scarce and expensive.

When touched, the target can end one disease or condition. These conditions include: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.

These conditions can easily be ended using Lesser Restoration, saving your party GP and time, as you don’t have to look for a spellcaster to do it.

10. Forbiddance (6th-level) [Ritual]

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (sprinkling of holy water, powdered ruby worth at least 1,000 GP, and rare incense)

Duration: 1 day

Forbiddance is a gigantic spell that affects all manners of creatures as you choose the area you want to be protected most.

A ward is placed against magical travel (including planar travel), protecting up to 40,000 square feet of floor space up to a height of 30 feet above that floor.

You can also pick certain creature types that take 5d10 Necrotic or Radiant damage upon entering the spell’s area for the first time. The password you can designate makes it even better for your base of operations.

9. Mind Blank (8th-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: 24 hours

Being immune to a damage type, even a less common damage type, can make battles much easier.

Touch a willing creature; it is now immune to Psychic damage and any effect that would read its thoughts or sense its emotions as well as the charmed condition.

Note: The spell even resists the Wish spells and others of its capacity.

Mind Blank works exceptionally well against Mind Flayers and others of its kind.

8. Dispel Magic (3rd-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Dispelling magic, no matter how meager or powerful, can result in the opposite side losing a spell, weakening their action economy.

Pick any object, magical effect, or creature. Spells of the 3rd-level or lower ends. Spells higher than the 3rd-level force you to make an ability check on your spellcasting ability modifier.

Note: Upcasting Dispel Magic is highly recommended, as it’ll bypass the ability check that would’ve been made.

7. Shield (1st-level)

Casting Time: 1 reaction you take when hit by an attack or targeted by the Magic Missile spell)

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 round

Simple spells, such as Shield, sometimes have the best results regarding defense!

You cast the spell; until your next turn starts, you have a +5 bonus to AC. It’s also included against triggering attacks, and you’ll take no damage from Magic Missile.

Spellcasters, like the Sorcerer and Wizard, need Shield in the early game, as their AC will be extremely low.

6. Death Ward (4th-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: 8 hours

Unlike spells that can save you, Death Ward WILL save you!

Touch a creature, granting it protection from death. If the target drops to 0 HP after taking damage, the target will instead drop to 1 HP. Effects that can instantly kill the target without dealing damage can also be negated.

Frontline characters benefit most from Death Ward, as they have the highest risk of instantly dying or being brought to 0 HP, so try using it on them.

5. Remove Curse (3rd-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Curses are terrible, but with Remove Curse, you’ll never have to worry about them again.

Touching a creature or item removes all curses affecting it.

Note: If used on a cursed item, the curse remains, but the owner’s attunement to the object is broken.

4. Banishment (4th-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (one item distasteful to the target)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

With Banishment, you can get rid of the most powerful foe, leaving only their lackeys.

Targeting a creature sends it to a different plane of existence upon failing a Charisma saving throw.

Note: Targets native to the current plane of existence are sent to a harmless demiplane. Targets belonging to a different plane of existence from the current one are returned to their home plane.

3. Counterspell (3rd-level)

Casting Time: 1 reaction you take when a creature within 60 feet is within your vision, casting a spell

Range: 60 feet

Components: S

Duration: Instantaneous

Well known as the best spell to counter any spellcaster in D&D.

Casting Counterspell interrupts a creature’s process of casting a spell. Spells of casting level 3 or lower end, higher level spells require you to make an ability check if you don’t upcast the spell.

2. Invulnerability (9th-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (one small piece of adamantine worth at least 500 GP, consumed by the spell)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Being immune to all damage, even briefly, is completely insane and can create an unkillable Wizard! What’s not to love about Invulnerability?

Upon casting, you become immune to any damage until the end of the spell.

1. Greater Restoration (5th-level)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (diamond dust worth at least 100 GP, consumed by the spell)

Duration: Instantaneous

Greater Restoration can be used in so many ways that there’s no reason a supporting character shouldn’t take it.

Casting the spell can reduce a target’s exhaustion level by one, or you can choose to end one effect of the following: An effect that charmed or petrified target, one curse (or the owner’s attunement), reduction to the target’s ability scores, or an effect reducing the maximum HP of the target.

Final Thoughts

Even though Abjuration can easily be forgotten, it serves most spellcasters better than their “traditional” damage spells.

Whether you’re a close-range mage, utility caster, full-on healer, or tanky Paladin, Abjuration will provide you and your team with extremely powerful buffs to help you live through even the toughest encounters.

You might also be interested in the following:

• Best Conjuration Spells 5e
• Best Divination Spells 5e
• Best Enchantment Spells
• Best Evocation Spells 5e
• Best Illusion Spells 5e
• Best Necromancy Spells 5e
• Best Transmutation Spells 5e