A glyph was a magical inscription used to ward objects or areas against intrusion. It was placed either upon a physical object, which a Spellcaster had to touch, or upon a defined area that the caster could physically access while inscribing it. Areas had to be clear and exposed at the time of casting, as the glyph was traced with burning incense along the surface and, if necessary, to the boundaries of the warded space. The maximum size of an area varied with the caster’s skill, beginning at roughly twenty-five square feet.
Only a single glyph could be placed on any one object or defined area, though complex objects such as cabinets could be warded piece by piece. Any creature that met the trigger conditions and entered the warded area or interacted with the object without speaking the password was subject to the glyph’s effect. When a glyph was created, the caster defined these trigger conditions and, if desired, a password that allowed safe passage. Glyphs possessed a limited perceptive capacity. They could respond to specific physical traits such as height or weight, to ancestry or creature type, to moral or spiritual alignment, or to membership in a particular faith. In this way, a glyph could discriminate between intruders and those it was meant to allow.
However, this perceptive quality was imperfect. Invisible creatures were detected, but those traveling through the Ethereal were not. Certain magical effects, such as Polymorphing or concealment magic, could also defeat a glyph’s criteria, while mundane disguises could not. Once completed, the symbol and its connecting tracery faded to near invisibility. Still, glyphs could be dispelled and, with sufficient arcane expertise, could be found and disabled like physical traps.
Many variations of glyphs were known, though typically all required expensive Spell Components to create. Some released elemental blasts that struck the intruder and those nearby. Others stored a spell that discharged upon activation, targeting the triggering creature or centering its effect upon them. Certain faiths developed devotional glyphs that bestowed blessings rather than harm, often incorporated into temple rites or holy festivals. More specialized forms produced barriers of force, summoned hostile entities, or manifested violent, unnatural phenomena tailored to punish specific alignments or creatures.