Contagion
Level 5 · Necromancy
- Damage
- Save
- Buff
- Debuff
A 5th-level spell in the necromancy school, Contagion appears on the cleric and druid lists. Cast time: Action. Range Touch, components V/S, duration 7 days. Effect: Your touch inflicts a magical contagion.
Stat Block
- Level
- 5
- School
- Necromancy
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Touch
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 7 days
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Cleric, Druid
- Material
- —
Description
Your touch inflicts a magical contagion. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 11d8 Necrotic damage and have the Poisoned condition. Also, choose one ability when you cast the spell. While Poisoned, the target has Disadvantage on saving throws made with the chosen ability. The target must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns until it gets three successes or failures. If the target succeeds on three of these saves, the spell ends on the target. If the target fails three of the saves, the spell lasts for 7 days on it. Whenever the Poisoned target receives an effect that would end the Poisoned condition, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the Poisoned condition doesn't end on it.
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 magic is the school of vitality and its absence. Spells in it drain hit points, ignore deaths, or animate corpses. Contagion is Necromancy because the spell works on the boundary between life and death — draining, raising, or extending vitality. At level 5, the slot economy tightens — Contagion competes with the strongest spells in the band.
Class Fit
- Cleric: Domain-bonus spells fill some of the Cleric's prep automatically; check whether the chosen Domain already grants Contagion before manual prepping.
- Druid: Circle of the Moon Druids spend most of their turns in Wild Shape — Contagion earns its slot only if the build expects to cast in humanoid form.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Contagion
- What level spell is Contagion?
- Contagion sits at level 5 in the Necromancy school of magic, prepared by Cleric, Druid.
- How much damage does Contagion deal?
- On a base cast, Contagion deals 11d8 necrotic damage.
- What save does Contagion require?
- Contagion calls for a Constitution save against the caster's DC. Success conditions are described in the spell text.
- What is the range of Contagion?
- Contagion is cast via touch. The caster has to reach the target with a successful melee touch (if the target is unwilling).
- How long does Contagion last?
- Without concentration, Contagion runs for its full 7 days duration regardless of what else the caster is doing.
- What components and casting time does Contagion need?
- The cast: Contagion requires V, S, taking the usual Action.