Raise Dead — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use This
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes to Avoid
• •Usage Tips
• •Rules Notes
• •Raise Dead vs Revivify
• •Synergies
• •Anti-Patterns
• •Tactical Modules
• •Countermeasures
• •Raise Dead in the 2024 Rules
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Raise Dead is a 5th-level necromancy spell for Bards, Clerics, and Paladins. Over 1 hour, you touch a creature that has been dead no longer than 10 days, and it returns to life with 1 hit point. The spell consumes a diamond worth 500 gp. The revived creature takes a −4 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks, which shrinks by 1 each long rest.

Overview

Raise Dead is the spell for a death you couldn't reach in time. Revivify needs the body within 1 minute. Raise Dead gives you 10 days, enough to finish the dungeon, carry the body to town, or find a temple with a caster.

The price is higher on every axis. It is a 5th-level slot instead of 3rd, a 500 gp diamond instead of 300 gp, and an hour of casting instead of an action. The returned creature also carries a −4 penalty to its d20 rolls for four long rests.

It has hard limits. It can't bring back an undead creature. It doesn't replace missing body parts, and it fails outright if the body lacks something it needs to live, like its head. Curses and magical diseases come back with the creature unless you remove them first.

Stat Block

Bards and Clerics can cast it from 9th level; Paladins from 17th. In the 2014 SRD, Life Domain clerics always have it prepared from 9th level. The 2024 Life Domain list doesn't include it.

When NOT to Use This

• •The creature died within the last minute and you have Revivify. That is cheaper, faster, and carries no penalty.
• •More than 10 days have passed. The spell can't work. Resurrection (7th level) reaches back a century.
• •The body is missing its head or another part it needs to survive. The spell automatically fails.
• •The creature was undead. A destroyed zombie or vampire spawn can't be raised with it.
• •In the middle of a fight. It takes an hour to cast.

Spell Slot Efficiency

Upcasting

Raise Dead has no higher-level effect. A higher slot still returns the creature with 1 hit point.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Remove curses before you raise.

Why it works: The 2014 text says magical diseases, curses, and similar effects that aren't removed first take effect when the creature returns. The 2024 rules say the same for conditions, contagions, and curses still running.

This avoids the mistake of: Raising a werewolf-bitten ally who comes back still carrying lycanthropy.

Tip #2: Plan four long rests before the next big fight.

Why it works: The −4 penalty drops by 1 per long rest, so it is gone after the fourth. A raised character who rests four times comes back at full strength.

This avoids the mistake of: Sending a −4 character into a boss fight the morning after.

Tip #3: Keep the body intact and protected.

Why it works: The spell fails if the body lacks a part integral to survival, like the head. Gentle Repose also stops the 10-day clock and prevents the body from becoming undead.

This avoids the mistake of: Leaving a body where a ghoul, a wight, or a necromancer can get to it.

Tip #4: Heal right after.

Why it works: The creature returns with 1 hit point. A Cure Wounds or Prayer of Healing right after gets it back on its feet.

This avoids the mistake of: Leaving a 1-hit-point ally exposed while the party moves on.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting the penalty applies to death saves

Why it's bad: A death saving throw is a saving throw in both editions, so the −4 applies. A death save normally succeeds on 10 or higher, 55% of the time. At −4 it needs a natural 14, only 35%. A recently raised character who drops again is much more likely to die.

Do this instead: Keep a newly raised character out of the front line until the penalty is gone, or keep Healing Word ready.

Raising a cursed creature without ending the curse

Why it's bad: The curse comes back with the creature. A character bitten by a werewolf and killed before anyone cast Remove Curse returns with lycanthropy. Mummy rot is a different case: a 2014 victim killed by the rot, or a 2024 victim dropped to 0 by a Rotting Fist, turns to dust, which leaves no body for the spell.

Do this instead: Cast Remove Curse or Greater Restoration on the body first.

Expecting 2024 Raise Dead to cure disease

Why it's bad: The 2014 spell neutralizes poisons and cures nonmagical diseases. The 2024 spell only neutralizes poisons.

Do this instead: In 2024, treat diseases separately. Many 2024 monster diseases (the otyugh's, the death dog's) are written as the Poisoned condition. Whether "neutralizes any poisons" also ends a Poisoned condition from a disease is a DM ruling, not rules text. Lesser Restoration ends it for certain.

Usage Tips

• •The penalty in numbers. A 9th-level fighter with a +8 attack bonus hits AC 15 on 7 or higher, 70% of the time. Right after Raise Dead, at −4, she needs 11 or higher: 50%. After one long rest (−3), 55%. After four long rests, she is back to 70%.
• •Wight victims. A Humanoid slain by a wight's Life Drain rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight's control, unless it is restored to life or its body is destroyed. Raise Dead within those 24 hours stops it. Gentle Repose also stops it, because a body under that spell can't become undead.
• •After it rises. Once the victim is a zombie, the 2014 text says Raise Dead can't return an undead creature to life. If the zombie is destroyed, whether the corpse counts as undead is a DM ruling under 2014 wording. The 2024 text settles it: the spell fails if the creature was Undead when it died.
• •Vampire victims. A Humanoid killed by a vampire's bite and buried rises as a vampire spawn the following night (2014) or sunset (2024). Raise the body before then.
• •Night hag, 2024. If a 2024 night hag's Nightmare Haunting kills a creature, its soul is trapped in the hag's soul bag and it can't be raised until the soul is released. In 2014 the soul is trapped only if the target was evil.
• •Lycanthropy. A werewolf's bite curses its victim. If the cursed creature dies and is raised, the curse returns with it in both editions. Remove Curse first.
• •Disintegrate and dust. A creature reduced to dust has no body for Raise Dead to work with. That calls for True Resurrection or Wish.

Rules Notes

• •Time limit: dead no longer than 10 days. Days under Gentle Repose don't count against it, in both editions.
• •In 2014, the creature's soul must be willing and at liberty to return. In 2024, the spirit knows who is casting the spell and can refuse.
• •It returns with 1 hit point and isn't dying, so it makes no death saves.
• •It closes all mortal wounds but doesn't restore missing body parts. If a part integral to survival is missing, it fails.
• •The text has no old-age clause, unlike Revivify and Resurrection. Whether it works on a creature that died of old age is a DM ruling, not rules text.
• •In 2024, the revived creature returns with 1 fewer Exhaustion level and loses attunement to all magic items.

Raise Dead vs Revivify

Revivify is the in-combat answer. Raise Dead is the answer when you couldn't reach the body in time. Resurrection is for older deaths and missing heads.

Synergies

• •Gentle Repose (2nd level): Pauses the 10-day clock for its 10-day duration and stops the body from becoming undead.
• •Remove Curse and Greater Restoration: Cast on the body first so curses don't come back with the creature.
• •Bless: Its 1d4 offsets part of the −4 on attack rolls and saves while the penalty wears off.
• •Revivify: Covers the first minute. Raise Dead covers the next 10 days.

Anti-Patterns

• •Raising a creature in the field and marching it straight into the next fight at −4.
• •Waiting more than 10 days without Gentle Repose because the temple was far away.

Tactical Modules

• •Body recovery: If an ally dies and the party must retreat, carry the body or note where it fell. You have 10 days.
• •Wight aftermath: Raise or Gentle Repose every Humanoid the wight killed within 24 hours, or face them as zombies.

Countermeasures

• •Threat: No caster can cast 5th-level spells. Response: Pay a temple. Fallback: Gentle Repose buys 10 days at a time.
• •Threat: The head is gone. Response: Raise Dead fails. Fallback: Resurrection restores missing body parts.
• •Threat: The soul refuses. Response: In 2024 the spirit knows who is casting; a caster the dead creature trusts may help. Fallback: That outcome is up to the DM.

Raise Dead in the 2024 Rules

The level, school, 1-hour casting time, touch range, 500+ GP diamond, 10-day limit, 1 hit point, and −4 penalty all stay. The class list is still Bard, Cleric, and Paladin. The penalty is now written as −4 to D20 Tests, which covers the same three rolls: ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws.

Four details changed. The spell now works only if the creature wasn't Undead when it died, which settles the destroyed-zombie question. It no longer cures nonmagical diseases, only poisons. The soul clause moved to the rules glossary: the spirit knows who is casting the spell and can refuse. That glossary entry also says the creature returns with any conditions, contagions, or curses still running, with 1 fewer Exhaustion level, and without attunement to its magic items. Finally, Life Domain clerics no longer get it as a domain spell.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Raise Dead work in 5e?

You spend 1 hour touching a creature that has been dead no longer than 10 days. It returns with 1 hit point, the spell consumes a 500 gp diamond, and the creature takes a −4 penalty to attacks, saves, and checks that drops by 1 per long rest.

What is the time limit on Raise Dead?

10 days from death. Gentle Repose extends it, because days spent under that spell don't count against the limit.

What is the difference between Raise Dead and Revivify?

Revivify works only within 1 minute of death, takes an action, costs 300 gp in diamonds, and has no penalty. Raise Dead works up to 10 days later, takes an hour, costs a 500 gp diamond, and leaves a −4 penalty for four long rests.

Does Raise Dead work without a head?

No. If the body lacks a part integral to survival, like the head, the spell automatically fails. Resurrection restores missing body parts.

Does Raise Dead remove curses?

No. In 2014 curses and magical diseases take effect again when the creature returns. In 2024 any curses still running come back too. Remove them first.

Can Raise Dead bring back undead?

No. The 2014 spell can't return an undead creature to life. The 2024 spell fails if the creature was Undead when it died.

Does the −4 penalty from Raise Dead affect death saves?

Yes, by the text. A death saving throw is a saving throw, so a recently raised creature needs a natural 14 to succeed instead of 10.

Can Paladins cast Raise Dead?

Yes, in both editions, from 17th level, when Paladins get 5th-level spells. Bards and Clerics get it at 9th level.

Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)

Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.