Feign Death

Level & School
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time
Action or Ritual
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M (a pinch of graveyard dirt)
Duration
1 hour
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard

You touch a willing creature and put it into a cataleptic state that is indistinguishable from death.

For the duration, the target appears dead to outward inspection and to spells used to determine the target's status. The target has the Blinded and Incapacitated conditions, and its Speed is 0.

The target also has Resistance to all damage except Psychic damage, and it has Immunity to the Poisoned condition.

Level & School
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time
Action or Ritual
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M (a pinch of graveyard dirt)
Duration
1 hour
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard

You touch a willing creature and put it into a cataleptic state that is indistinguishable from death.

For the spell’s duration, or until you use an action to touch the target and dismiss the spell, the target appears dead to all outward inspection and to spells used to determine the target’s status. The target is blinded and incapacitated, and its speed drops to 0. The target has resistance to all damage except psychic damage. If the target is diseased or poisoned when you cast the spell, or becomes diseased or poisoned while under the spell’s effect, the disease and poison have no effect until the spell ends.

Feign Death 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The 2024 version grants immunity to the Poisoned condition, while the 2014 version states disease and poison have no effect but does not specify immunity. The 2024 version explicitly states the target has the Blinded and Incapacitated conditions, whereas the 2014 version describes these effects without naming conditions.

Spells similar to Feign Death

  • Gentle Repose

    Both spells deal with the preservation of life or death states in creatures.

  • Revivify

    Both spells are used to bring creatures back from a state closely associated with death.

  • True Resurrection

    Both spells deal with similar themes of restoring life and dealing with death.

  • Animate Dead

    Both spells involve the manipulation of the dead or those in a death-like state.

  • Bestow Curse

    Both spells involve afflicting conditions that incapacitate or harm living beings.