Raise Dead

A
Support

Raise Dead is a Support spell. Support spells strengthen, protect, or buff allies.

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 spell that revives a creature dead for up to 10 days with
restorative healing

Raise Dead is a Healing spell. Healing spells restore hit points and bring characters back to life.

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, closing mortal wounds and clearing poison.

2024 Rules
Level & School
5th-level necromancy
Casting Time
1 hour
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M (a diamond worth 500+ GP, which the spell consumes)
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Paladin

With a touch, you revive a dead creature if it has been dead no longer than 10 days and it wasn't Undead when it died. The creature returns to life with 1 Hit Point. This spell also neutralizes any poisons that affected the creature at the time of death.

This spell closes all mortal wounds, but it doesn't restore missing body parts. If the creature is lacking body parts or organs integral for its survival—its head, for instance—the spell automatically fails. Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The target takes a −4 penalty to D20 Tests. Every time the target finishes a Long Rest, the penalty is reduced by 1 until it becomes 0.

2014 Rules
Level & School
5th-level necromancy
Casting Time
1 hour
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M (a diamond worth at least 500 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Paladin

You return a dead creature you touch to life, provided that it has been dead no longer than 10 days. If the creature's soul is both willing and at liberty to rejoin the body, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point.

This spell also neutralizes any poisons and cures nonmagical diseases that affected the creature at the time it died. This spell doesn't, however, remove magical diseases, curses, or similar effects; if these aren't first removed prior to casting the spell, they take effect when the creature returns to life. The spell can't return an undead creature to life.

This spell closes all mortal wounds, but it doesn't restore missing body parts. If the creature is lacking body parts or organs integral for its survival-its head, for instance-the spell automatically fails.

Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The target takes a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. Every time the target finishes a long rest, the penalty is reduced by 1 until it disappears.

Raise Dead 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

It no longer requires the soul to be willing and able to return, but it now can’t restore a creature that was Undead when it died. It also only neutralizes poisons now; the 2014 version also cured nonmagical diseases and interacted with magical diseases/curses. The resurrection penalty now applies to D20 Tests instead of just attacks, saves, and checks.

Raise Dead popularity

Raise Dead is one of the rarest level 5 spells in the game. Choosing it will set you apart from all other casters.

Spells similar to Raise Dead

  • Resurrection 7th-level necromancy

    It restores life to a creature with a touch and is the higher-level counterpart that solves many of the same problems Raise Dead addresses.

  • Revivify 3rd-level necromancy

    This is the quicker, lower-level version that also brings a creature back to life via touch, making it an obvious mechanical close match.

  • True Resurrection 9th-level necromancy

    True Resurrection is the more powerful revival option that accomplishes the same core goal but with far fewer limitations.

  • Reincarnate 5th-level necromancy

    Although it changes the creature's body, it is another mid-level necromantic method for returning the dead to life using touch and instant effects.

  • Gentle Repose 2nd-level necromancy

    This spell doesn’t revive on its own but directly ties to the same use-case by preserving a corpse and matching Raise Dead's ten-day window.