Bestow Curse
Level 3 · Necromancy
- Concentration
- Save
Bestow Curse (bard, cleric, and wizard) casts from a 3rd-level slot in the necromancy school. Cast time: Action. Range Touch, components V/S, duration up to 1 minute. Marked concentration. Effect: You touch a creature, which must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration. At higher levels: If you cast this spell using a level 4 spell slot, you can maintain Concentration on it for up to 10 minutes. If you use a level 5+ spell slot, the spell doesn't require Concentrat…
Stat Block
- Level
- 3
- School
- Necromancy
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Touch
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- up to 1 Minute
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Bard, Cleric, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
You touch a creature, which must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration. Until the curse ends, the target suffers one of the following effects of your choice:
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
Necromancy is the spell-school of consequence. The Animate Dead corpses come back when the party returns to town; the Raise Dead caster is remembered. Bestow Curse is Necromancy because the spell works on the boundary between life and death — draining, raising, or extending vitality. 3rd-level slots become common enough that Bestow Curse can be cast in two or three encounters per long rest.
Class Fit
- Bard: A Bard prepares Bestow Curse from the known list, which means it stays on the sheet for several levels of play before retraining is an option. Note that Bestow Curse requires concentration; switching to a second concentration spell ends it.
- Cleric: Life Domain Clerics value Bestow Curse differently from War or Trickery Clerics; the Domain's identity shapes which spells become signature. Bestow Curse's concentration requirement makes it vulnerable to a single failed save when the caster takes damage.
- Wizard: Tier 3 and tier 4 Wizards add 5th-9th level spells to the book — Bestow Curse interacts with those upper-tier picks as part of a full prep loadout. Bestow Curse has an at-higher-levels rule; the spell's per-slot scaling makes upcasting worthwhile in the right context.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Bestow Curse
- What level spell is Bestow Curse?
- Bestow Curse sits at level 3 in the Necromancy school of magic, prepared by Bard, Cleric, Wizard.
- What save does Bestow Curse require?
- Bestow Curse forces a Wisdom save. The DC is the caster's spell save DC (8 + proficiency + casting modifier).
- What is the range of Bestow Curse?
- Bestow Curse has a range of Touch — the caster must be in contact with the target to cast it.
- Is Bestow Curse a concentration spell?
- Concentration is required for Bestow Curse, with a maximum duration up to 1 minute. The concentration rules apply: one at a time, and Con saves on damage.
- What components and casting time does Bestow Curse need?
- Bestow curse requires v, s; casting takes one Action.
- Can Bestow Curse be upcast?
- Yes — If you cast this spell using a level 4 spell slot, you can maintain Concentration on it for up to 10 minutes. If you use a level 5+ spell slot, the spell doesn't require Concentration, and the duration becomes 8 hours (level 5-6 slot) or 24 hours (level 7-8 slot). If you use a level 9 spell slot, the spell lasts until dispelled.