Abjuration

The warded creature gains partial protection from undead creatures who use negative energy, and from certain weapons and spells that drain energy levels. The death ward spell uses positive energy, which can offset the effects of a negative energy attack.

When the warded creature is struck by a negative energy attack that drains levels or ability scores, the spell’s energies cancel the attack. The warded creature takes only hit point damage from the attack, and does not suffer any drain of experience levels or ability scores (regardless of the number of levels or ability score points the attack would have drained).

An undead creature attacking a subject warded with death ward takes 2d6 points of damage from the positive energy. An attacking caster or weapon receives no damage.

Each time the warded creature is thus protected from a negative energy attack, one charge is drained from the spell. The spell has 1 charge per caster level when cast. When all charges are drained, the spell ends.

In addition to the above effects, a warded creature gains a resistance bonus on saving throws against death spells and magical death attacks, equal to the number of charges remaining. After the warded creature is subjected to a death spell or magical death attack, the spell ends, regardless of whether the saving throw against the attack was successful. (An attack or spell that fails to get through a warded creature’s spell resistance does not cause the spell to end, because as no saving throw is rolled in that event.)