Resurrection
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 7th-level necromancy
- Casting Time
- 1 hour
- Range
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M (a diamond worth 1,000+ GP, which the spell consumes)
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Classes
- Bard, Cleric
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2024)
With a touch, you revive a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, didn't die of old age, and wasn't Undead when it died.
The creature returns to life with all its Hit Points. This spell also neutralizes any poisons that affected the creature at the time of death. This spell closes all mortal wounds and restores any missing body parts.
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.
Casting this spell to revive a creature that has been dead for 365 days or longer taxes you. Until you finish a Long Rest, you can't cast spells again, and you have Disadvantage on D20 Tests.
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 7th-level necromancy
- Casting Time
- 1 hour
- Range
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M (a diamond worth at least 1,000 gp, which the spell consumes)
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Classes
- Bard, Cleric
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2014)
You touch a dead creature that has been dead for no more than a century, that didn't die of old age, and that isn't undead. If its soul is free and willing, the target returns to life with all its hit points.
This spell neutralizes any poisons and cures normal diseases afflicting the creature when it died. It doesn't, however, remove magical diseases, curses, and the like; if such effects aren't removed prior to casting the spell, they afflict the target on its return to life.
This spell closes all mortal wounds and restores any missing body parts.
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.
Casting this spell to restore life to a creature that has been dead for one year or longer taxes you greatly. Until you finish a long rest, you can't cast spells again, and you have disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Resurrection 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Resurrection popularity
How popular is Resurrection? It is a seldom seen spell in the game, but is often chosen over other options when available. This spell could be a valuable addition for spellbooks.
- #3 picked level 7 Bard spell
- #3 picked level 7 Cleric spell
- Top 50% of all level 7 spells
- Bottom 25% of all 5e spells
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Resurrection
Revivify 3rd-level necromancy
This is a lower-level emergency version of the same core effect: bringing a recently dead creature back.
Players prefer Revivify over Resurrection
Regenerate 7th-level transmutation
Its touch-based restorative magic repairs severe bodily damage, overlapping with Resurrection’s restoration of wounds and missing parts.
Players prefer Regenerate over Resurrection
True Resurrection 9th-level necromancy
It is the closest match, reviving the dead through a touch with the same necromantic purpose at a higher level.
Players prefer Resurrection over True Resurrection
Clone 8th-level necromancy
Both provide powerful protection against death, with Clone serving as a prepared replacement body rather than direct revival.
Players prefer Resurrection over Clone
Raise Dead 5th-level necromancy
Both are touch-range, instantaneous spells that restore a deceased creature to life.
Players prefer Resurrection over Raise Dead
Reincarnate 5th-level necromancy
Like Resurrection, it returns a dead creature to life with an instantaneous touch, though the body and form may change.
Players prefer Resurrection over Reincarnate