Vampiric Touch
Level 3 · Necromancy
- Concentration
- Damage
- Attack Roll
Vampiric Touch (sorcerer, warlock, and wizard) casts from a 3rd-level slot in the necromancy school. Cast time: Action. Range Self, components V/S, duration up to 1 minute. Marked concentration. Effect: The touch of your shadow-wreathed hand can siphon life force from others to heal your wounds. At higher levels: The damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot level above 3.
Stat Block
- Level
- 3
- School
- Necromancy
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- up to 1 Minute
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
The touch of your shadow-wreathed hand can siphon life force from others to heal your wounds. Make a melee spell attack against one creature within reach. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 Necrotic damage, and you regain Hit Points equal to half the amount of Necrotic damage dealt. Until the spell ends, you can make the attack again on each of your turns as a Magic action, targeting the same creature or a different one.
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. Vampiric Touch is Necromancy because the spell works on the boundary between life and death — draining, raising, or extending vitality. At level 3, daily slot counts allow Vampiric Touch to be cast multiple times across the adventuring day.
Class Fit
- Sorcerer: Twin Spell turns single-target spells into two-target spells; if Vampiric Touch is single-target, Twin doubles its value. Concentration is the binding cost — Vampiric Touch can't share a slot with another concentration spell.
- Warlock: On a Warlock sheet, Vampiric Touch competes with Hex (the early concentration default) and with whatever upcast pact slot the build prioritises. Upcasting Vampiric Touch changes the effect; the spell page lists the per-slot scaling.
- Wizard: Arcane Recovery returns one or two slots on a short rest. Vampiric Touch's slot cost is therefore not exactly what the slot column says. Keep in mind that Vampiric Touch ends the moment the caster takes concentration off it for any reason.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Vampiric Touch
- What level spell is Vampiric Touch?
- The spell Vampiric Touch is a level 3 spell in the Necromancy school. Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard all have access to it.
- How much damage does Vampiric Touch deal?
- On a base cast, Vampiric Touch deals 3d6 necrotic damage. The damage scales when upcast — see the higher-level note.
- Does Vampiric Touch require a spell attack roll?
- Vampiric Touch resolves with a spell attack roll, not a save. The caster's attack bonus is their spellcasting modifier plus proficiency.
- What is the range of Vampiric Touch?
- As a self-target spell, Vampiric Touch affects only the caster.
- Is Vampiric Touch a concentration spell?
- Vampiric Touch is a concentration spell. Maximum duration is up to 1 minute. The caster can only maintain one concentration spell at a time, and damage forces a Con save to keep it active.
- What components and casting time does Vampiric Touch need?
- For Vampiric Touch: the spell uses V, S components, casting is a normal Action.