Raise Dead

• Casting Time: 1 hour
• Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin
• Components: V S M
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Level: 5
• Material: A diamond worth at least 500 gp, which the spell consumes
• Name: Raise Dead
• Range: Touch
• School: Necromancy
• Target: A dead creature you touch

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 poison 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.

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The SendingStone review

Raise Dead is a powerful spell that allows a character to bring a deceased ally back to life, but at a high cost both in terms of materials and level of the caster. It is a spell that requires careful consideration, as it not only requires a costly diamond as a material component, but it also carries the risk of significant consequences if the resurrection is unsuccessful. Ultimately, the decision to use Raise Dead must be balanced against the potential benefits and risks involved, making it a spell that should only be used in the most dire of circumstances.

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Raise Dead is D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) 5th edition content, but other TTRPGs may have their own version such as a Raise Dead Pathfinder edition. Want to use Raise Dead in a VTT (virtual tabletop)? Try out SendingStone for free today!

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