Gentle Repose
Level 2 · Necromancy
- Ritual
Gentle Repose (cleric, paladin, and wizard) casts from a 2nd-level slot in the necromancy school. Cast time: Action. Range Touch, components V/S/M, duration 10 days. Material: 2 copper pieces, which the spell consume. Marked ritual. Effect: You touch a corpse or other remains.
Stat Block
- Level
- 2
- School
- Necromancy
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- 10 days
- Ritual
- Yes
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Cleric, Paladin, Wizard
- Material
- 2 copper pieces, which the spell consume
Description
You touch a corpse or other remains. For the duration, the target is protected from decay and can't become Undead. The spell also effectively extends the time limit on raising the target from the dead, since days spent under the influence of this spell don't count against the time limit of spells such as Raise Dead.
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
The Necromancy tradition carries narrative weight whether the caster wants it or not. NPCs notice; the church notices; the dead notice. The Necromancy school is the right home for Gentle Repose thanks to the spell works on the boundary between life and death — draining, raising, or extending vitality. 2nd-level slots become common enough that Gentle Repose can be cast in two or three encounters per long rest.
Class Fit
- Cleric: Domain-bonus spells fill some of the Cleric's prep automatically; check whether the chosen Domain already grants Gentle Repose before manual prepping.
- Paladin: Oath bonus spells fill some of the prep automatically — Vengeance gets Bane and Hunter's Mark, Devotion gets Protection from Evil — check before adding Gentle Repose manually.
- Wizard: Arcane Recovery returns one or two slots on a short rest. Gentle Repose's slot cost is therefore not exactly what the slot column says.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Gentle Repose
- What level spell is Gentle Repose?
- Gentle Repose sits at level 2 in the Necromancy school of magic, prepared by Cleric, Paladin, Wizard.
- What is the range of Gentle Repose?
- Gentle Repose has a range of Touch — the caster must be in contact with the target to cast it.
- How long does Gentle Repose last?
- The duration on Gentle Repose is 10 days, with no concentration required.
- What components and casting time does Gentle Repose need?
- For Gentle Repose: Gentle Repose requires V, S, M; on top of that, Material component: 2 copper pieces, which the spell consume; Gentle Repose can be cast as a ritual: an extra 10 minutes of casting time, no spell slot consumed.