Spirit Lantern
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 5th-level necromancy
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S, M (a black lantern)
- Duration
- 10 minutes
- Classes
- Artificer, Cleric, Warlock, Wizard
- Source
- Arcana Unleashed
You conjure a floating, ghostly black lantern that hovers above you and sheds Dim Light in a 60-foot radius. When an enemy dies within this Dim Light, a fragment of the creature's soul flies into the lantern. The lantern can hold a number of soul fragments equal to your spellcasting ability modifier, and those fragments dissipate when the spell ends.
As a Bonus Action, you can expend a soul fragment to create one of the following effects.
Drain Life. The soul fragment darts at a creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. The target makes a Constitution saving throw, taking Necrotic damage equal to 4d8 plus your spellcasting ability modifier on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
Repair Undead. The soul fragment flies into an Undead creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. That creature regains Hit Points equal to 4d8 plus your spellcasting ability modifier.
Ward Ally. The soul fragment darts around a creature of your choice that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Other creatures have Disadvantage on attack rolls against the chosen creature until the start of your next turn.
Spirit Lantern 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Spirit Lantern is a new spell for the 2024 edition.
How popular is Spirit Lantern in 5e?
Spirit Lantern is the #31 most popular level 5 spell (of 71) and the #10 most picked level 5 Warlock spell (of 18).
Among level 5 spells, Spirit Lantern ranks just below Dispel Evil and Good and just above Steel Wind Strike in popularity.
- #346 (of 580) most popular 5e spell
- #31 (of 71) most popular level 5 spell
- #10 (of 18) most picked level 5 Warlock spell
- #7 (of 10) most picked level 5 Artificer spell
- #34 (of 48) most picked level 5 Wizard spell
- #16 (of 19) most picked level 5 Cleric spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated and see Spirit Lantern visualized with all other 5e spells.
Spells similar to Spirit Lantern
Vampiric Touch 3rd-level necromancy
Both drain life through necrotic magic and convert offensive actions into healing, though Vampiric Touch is more self-focused.
Players prefer Vampiric Touch over Spirit Lantern
Wither and Bloom 2nd-level necromancy
The spell pairs necrotic damage against enemies with healing for allies, making it a lower-level but mechanically direct analogue.
Players prefer Wither and Bloom over Spirit Lantern
Soul Cage 6th-level necromancy
Both are necromantic spells that harvest or manipulate souls to provide repeated healing and other useful effects during a fight.
Players prefer Soul Cage over Spirit Lantern
Enervation 5th-level necromancy
This fifth-level necromancy spell combines ongoing necrotic damage with life restoration, closely matching the lantern's offensive and healing functions.
Players prefer Enervation over Spirit Lantern
Life Transference 3rd-level necromancy
It shares the necromantic theme and explicitly links harm to restoring another creature's hit points, despite its less flexible single-use design.
Players prefer Spirit Lantern over Life Transference
Negative Energy Flood 5th-level necromancy
It is a fifth-level necromantic spell that deals necrotic damage while also offering restorative value, with considerable class-list overlap.
Players prefer Spirit Lantern over Negative Energy Flood