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Raise Dead vs Revivify

Both bring back the dead; the cost and timing differ wildly.

Raise Dead

Level
5
School
Necromancy
Casting Time
1 Hour
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M
Duration
Instantaneous
Concentration
No
Ritual
No
Classes
Bard, Cleric, Paladin

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 or

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Revivify

Level
3
School
Necromancy
Casting Time
Action
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M
Duration
Instantaneous
Concentration
No
Ritual
No
Classes
Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger

You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature revives with 1 Hit Point. This spell can't revive a creature that has died of old age, nor does it restore any missing body parts.

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Which one should you pick?

  • Pick Raise Dead: Pick Revivify (level 3) within one minute of death — a 300-gp diamond and the body is back at 1 HP.
  • Pick Revivify: Pick Raise Dead (level 5) up to ten days after death — a 500-gp diamond and the body returns with 4 days of exhaustion-style penalties.
  • Tiebreaker: Keep a Revivify diamond on the cleric at all times. The level-3 slot is cheap insurance.

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