Divine Magic • Core Spell Reference
Raise Dead
Choose your edition before using the spell. Its level, casting procedure, targets, effects, and limits follow the rules in the selected panel.
Raise Dead at a Glance
| 5.5e (2024) | Level 5 |
|---|---|
| 5e (2014) | Level 5 |
| Pathfinder 1e | Level 5 |
| D&D 3.5e | Level 5 |
| Browse | Cleric spells • Cleric class |
Spell Rules
Raise Dead — 5.5e (2024)
Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.
| Spell | Level 5 Necromancy (Bard, Cleric, Paladin) |
|---|---|
| Casting Time | 1 hour |
| Range | Touch |
| Components | V, S, M (a diamond worth 500+ GP, which the spell consumes) |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
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.
Raise Dead — 5e (2014)
Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.
| Spell | 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 |
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 — Pathfinder 1e
Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.
| School | conjuration (healing) |
|---|---|
| Level | cleric 5 |
| Casting Time | 1 minute |
| Components | V, S, M (diamond worth 5,000 gp), DF |
| Range | touch |
| Target | dead creature touched |
| Duration | instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | none, see text |
| Spell Resistance | yes (harmless) |
You restore life to a deceased creature. You can raise a creature that has been dead for no longer than 1 day per caster level. In addition, the subject’s soul must be free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw.
Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The subject of the spell gains two permanent negative levels when it is raised, just as if it had been hit by an energy-draining creature. If the subject is 1st level, it takes 2 points of Constitution drain instead (if this would reduce its Con to 0 or less, it can’t be raised). A character who died with spells prepared has a 50% chance of losing any given spell upon being raised. A spellcasting creature that doesn’t prepare spells (such as a sorcerer) has a 50% chance of losing any given unused spell slot as if it had been used to cast a spell.
A raised creature has a number of hit points equal to its current HD. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. Normal poison and normal disease are cured in the process of raising the subject, but magical diseases and curses are not undone. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life. None of the dead creature’s equipment or possessions are affected in any way by this spell.
A creature who has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. The spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.
Raise Dead — D&D 3.5e
Cleric spell level 5. Edition source.
| School | Conjuration (Healing) |
|---|---|
| Level | Clr 5 |
| Components | V, S, M, DF |
| Casting Time | 1 minute |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | Dead creature touched |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | None; see text |
| Spell Resistance | Yes (harmless) |
You restore life to a deceased creature. You can raise a creature that has been dead for no longer than one day per caster level. In addition, the subject’s soul must be free and willing to return. If the subject’s soul is not willing to return, the spell does not work; therefore, a subject that wants to return receives no saving throw.
Coming back from the dead is an ordeal. The subject of the spell loses one level (or 1 Hit Die) when it is raised, just as if it had lost a level or a Hit Die to an energy-draining creature. If the subject is 1st level, it loses 2 points of Constitution instead (if this would reduce its Con to 0 or less, it can’t be raised). This level/HD loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means. A character who died with spells prepared has a 50% chance of losing any given spell upon being raised, in addition to losing spells for losing a level. A spellcasting creature that doesn’t prepare spells (such as a sorcerer) has a 50% chance of losing any given unused spell slot as if it had been used to cast a spell, in addition to losing spell slots for losing a level.
A raised creature has a number of hit points equal to its current Hit Dice. Any ability scores damaged to 0 are raised to 1. Normal poison and normal disease are cured in the process of raising the subject, but magical diseases and curses are not undone. While the spell closes mortal wounds and repairs lethal damage of most kinds, the body of the creature to be raised must be whole. Otherwise, missing parts are still missing when the creature is brought back to life. None of the dead creature’s equipment or possessions are affected in any way by this spell.
A creature who has been turned into an undead creature or killed by a death effect can’t be raised by this spell. Constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead creatures can’t be raised. The spell cannot bring back a creature that has died of old age.
Material Component: Diamonds worth a total of least 5,000 gp.
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