Death Ward

[Epinephrine]

What do you allow Death Ward to protect against?

"The subject is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects. "

So, does it protect against an inflict wounds spell?

A Shadow's touch is a negative energy effect (it states it in the description, "The touch of a shadow deals 1d6 points of Strength damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow dies. This is a negative energy effect. "), but a Wraith's touch lacks this description - would you consider all undead touch attacks "negative energy effects"? What about a Ray of Enfeeblment? It's a necromantic spell of black energy - but not specifically "negative", nor is Vampiric Touch, though it certainly sounds it. I suspect by RAW you would only apply it if the words "negative energy effect" were used in the description, but I'm interested in how others actually apply it in game.

[Optimystik]

So, does it protect against an inflict wounds spell?

Yes.

A Shadow's touch is a negative energy effect (it states it in the description, "The touch of a shadow deals 1d6 points of Strength damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Strength 0 by a shadow dies. This is a negative energy effect. "), but a Wraith's touch lacks this description - would you consider all undead touch attacks "negative energy effects"? What about a Ray of Enfeeblment? It's a necromantic spell of black energy - but not specifically "negative", nor is Vampiric Touch, though it certainly sounds it. I suspect by RAW you would only apply it if the words "negative energy effect" were used in the description, but I'm interested in how others actually apply it in game.

I'd say it blocks any and all of those "touch-and-drain" moves that undead like to use.

[Moriato]

Wraith's touch lacks this description - would you consider all undead touch attacks "negative energy effects"?

No, not all undead touch attacks are "negative energy effects". A wraith's touch attack is ability drain, death ward doesn't say anything about protecting you from ability drain, or ability damage, and I don't think it was intended to. So I'd say no.

What about a Ray of Enfeeblment? It's a necromantic spell of black energy - but not specifically "negative", nor is Vampiric Touch, though it certainly sounds it.

No, death ward doesn't protect you just from necromancy effects. If it did, death ward wouldn't work at all because it is necromancy.

[Keld Denar]

Uh...a Wight's attack inflicts negative levels. It doesn't affect your ability scores. Thats what Energy Drain is...negative levels.

Death Ward would protect against Inflicts, and Harm. It would protect against the attacks of Shadows, Alips, Ghosts, Wights, Vamps, and a few others.

It would NOT protect against the paralyzing tough of a Ghoul or Ghast though. Thats a Paralysis effect, not a Negative Energy attack.

As far as Ray of Enfeeblement...I don't think Death Ward would protect against it. I don't know why, really, but I think its something to do with the fact that its a penalty, which is not covered by Death Ward. You can also RoE an undead and it would be affected, so yea...

[Douglas]

Death Ward would protect against Inflicts, and Harm. It would protect against the attacks of Shadows, Alips, Ghosts, Wights, Vamps, and a few others.

No, it would not. Some of those are defeated by Death Ward, but not all of them.

Shadow: Yes, the ability specifically states it is a negative energy effect.
Allip: No. It's generic ability drain. The fact that it's an ability of an undead creature does not automatically make it negative energy.
Ghost: No. All of the various ghost special attacks do not cause negative levels and are not noted as involving negative energy.
Wight: Yes. Negative levels are blocked.
Vampire: Energy Drain yes, Blood Drain no. Negative levels are universally blocked (except things like a good character wielding an unholy weapon), but constitution drain is not negative energy by default.

If you use Life's Grace from the Spell Compendium instead, that would protect against all of them.

[Moriato]

Uh...a Wight's attack inflicts negative levels. It doesn't affect your ability scores. Thats what Energy Drain is...negative levels.

Meant to say wraith, like the quote. Fix'd