Restoration Rites

Picture a sorcerer, gaunt and resolute, reaching out with trembling fingers to touch a fellow traveler in need. In this moment, they offer their own life force, their very essence, as a balm for their friend’s affliction.

But remember, dear listeners, that such benevolence comes at a cost. As the sorcerer channels their vitality into their comrade, they, in turn, suffer a grievous wound, a toll that cannot be evaded, 4d8 necrotic damage which can’t be reduced in any way. It is a spell of shared suffering, of selflessness, and of the enduring bond between those who venture forth together.

Revivify: 3rd-level

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (diamonds worth 300 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

In the realm of magic, there exists a power that can rekindle the spark of life in one who has recently departed this mortal coil. Picture, if you will, a brave hero, struck down in the heat of battle, their life force ebbing away. But fear not, for ‘Revivify’ is their salvation.

With but a touch, a caster of this spell can breathe life back into a comrade that has fallen within the last minute, as if they had merely slumbered briefly. The soul, still tethered to the realm of the living, is beckoned back, and the body stirs with newfound vitality.

Yet, heed my words, for this magic has its limits. ‘Revivify’ cannot mend the ravages of time, nor can it restore missing limbs or organs. It is a spell of immediate redemption, a beacon of hope in the darkest of hours.

Raise Dead: 5th-level

Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a diamond worth at least 500 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

In the annals of magic, there exists a profound spell known as ‘Raise Dead,’ a beacon of hope for those who have recently departed this world. Listen closely, for it unveils a path to resurrection.

With this enchantment, a caster can call back a soul that has been departed for no longer than 10 days, beckoning it to rejoin its earthly vessel. Yet, this return to life is not without conditions. The soul must be willing, and its ethereal bonds must be unburdened, free to reunite with its mortal form.

When the magic takes hold, the fallen is reborn with but a single hit point, a fragile ember reignited. Alongside this miraculous revival, the spell works other wonders. It purges the body of poisons and banishes mundane diseases that may have plagued the departed in life.

But, my dear listeners, there are limits to this magic. It cannot dispel curses or magical maladies, and it has no power over the undead. Furthermore, ‘Raise Dead’ does not restore lost limbs or vital organs. If, for example, one’s head has been severed, the spell shall fail.

Bear in mind, the journey from death to life is arduous. The revived soul bears a burden, a weight upon its shoulders, resulting in a temporary reduction of their abilities. A -4 penalty graces their attacks, their resilience, and their skills. With each passing day, this burden eases until it vanishes entirely.

So, remember well the tale of ‘Raise Dead,’ a song of rebirth and the tenacity of the human spirit, for it teaches us that even when the darkness of death claims us, there may yet be a path back to the realm of the living.

Resurrection: 7th-level

Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a diamond worth at least 1,000 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

In the grimoires of magic, there lies a profound enchantment known as ‘Resurrection’, a beacon of hope for those who have recently departed this world. Listen close, for it tells a story of revival and reclamation.

With this magical invocation, a caster can reach across the veil of mortality and beckon a departed soul to return to the realm of the living – one that isn’t dead for no more than a century, and who didn’t die of old age. But heed this, for the soul must be willing, and its ethereal bonds must be free, unshackled and eager to reunite with its corporeal form.

When the spell takes hold, the departed is reborn, not as a feeble ember, but in full vigor, with all their hit points restored. Alongside this miraculous revival, the spell works other wonders. It purges the body of poisons and rids it of mundane diseases that may have plagued the departed in life.

Yet, my dear listeners, there are limitations to this magic. It cannot dispel curses or banish magical ailments, and it remains powerless against the undead. However, it can weave back together the very fabric of life, restoring any missing limbs or vital organs.

But heed the tale’s warning, for the journey from death’s door to life’s embrace is no small feat. The revived soul carries a heavy burden, a weight that bears down on their abilities. A -4 penalty shadows their attacks, their resilience, and their skills. Yet, with each passing day, this burden lightens until it vanishes completely.

But, dear ones, should you seek to use ‘Resurrection’ to bring back one who has rested in the realm beyond for a year or more, be prepared. The spell exacts a toll upon the caster, sapping their strength. Until they partake in a well-deserved rest, they cannot wield their magic, and they must bear the weight of disadvantage on all their actions, be it attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws.

So, let this tale of ‘Resurrection’ be a testament to the power of love and the indomitable spirit of humankind, showing that even when the cold grip of death has taken a loved one, there may yet be a way to reclaim them and return them to the world of the living.

True Resurrection: 9th-level

Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a sprinkle of holy water and diamonds worth at least 25,000 gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous

There exists an enchantment known as ‘True Resurrection,’ a spell that defies the very boundaries of mortality. This tale unfolds the story of a true rebirth, a return from the abyss of death to the vibrant realm of the living.

With ‘True Resurrection’, a caster can reach across the veil that separates the living from the departed and beckon a willing soul back to life. The spell is not bound by the passage of time, for it can summon souls that have rested peacefully for up to two centuries. However, it cannot resurrect those who have succumbed to old age, for that is a natural end no magic can reverse.

When the spell takes hold, it restores the departed creature to life in all its glory, healing all wounds and breathing life back into their form. It banishes any poisons that may have coursed through their veins, cures the most virulent of diseases, and lifts the darkest of curses that may have tormented them in life.

Even if their body has been ravaged or maimed, the spell weaves anew, replacing damaged organs or missing limbs, making the resurrected whole once more. And should the creature have been transformed into a creature of undeath, this spell restores them to their original, living form.

Yet, my dear listeners, the spell’s magic is so potent that it can even provide a new body if the original has been lost to time or destruction. The caster must merely speak the creature’s name, and the resurrected soul will appear in an unoccupied space, summoned to life within 10 feet of the caster’s choosing.

So, let this tale of ‘True Resurrection’ serve as a testament to the unyielding power of magic, showing that even when a soul has embarked on its journey to the great beyond, there may yet be a way to call it back, to rekindle the flame of life, and to reunite it with the world of the living.