Speak with Dead

Speak with Dead is a level 3 necromancy spell. It allows spellcasters to grant a semblance of life to a corpse, allowing it to answer questions.

Description

Grant a semblance of life to a corpse, allowing it to answer questions.

Skeletons and creatures killed with Acid, Fire, Lightning, Necrotic, Radiant damage no longer have a mouth and can't be made to talk using this spell. Doesn't work on Undead.

Properties

Cost

 Action +  Level 3 Spell Slot

Details

 Range: 9 m / 30 ft

 Ritual

At higher levels

Casting this spell at a higher level grants no additional benefit.

Technical details

UID

Target_SpeakWithDead

Spell flags

HasSomaticComponent, HasVerbalComponent, IsSpell

Condition: Recast Speak with Dead

 Recast Speak with Dead

Duration: Until Long rest

• Can recast Speak with Dead without expending a spell slot.

How to learn

Classes:

• Class level 5: Bard, and Cleric

Granted by features:

•  Ritual Caster: Free Spells

Granted by items:

• The Amulet of Lost Voices ( Recharge: Long rest)
• Necromancy of Thay ( Recharge: Long rest)

Other ways to learn:

• Also granted to Warlocks who choose the Eldritch Invocation  Whispers of the Grave at level 9+.
• Wizards cannot scribe a Scroll of Speak with Dead to their spellbooks.

Notes

• With one notable exception, each corpse only answers five questions before the spell loses its power.
• Casting this spell also affords Recast Speak with Dead, as a granted spell. Granted spells allow the spellcaster to recast a like copy of the original without expending a spell slot, until the next Long Rest.
• Most corpses are unwilling to speak with the caster if they dealt the killing blow. While not always the case, this can be circumvented by applyig  Disguise Self spell before casting this.
• For the list of NPCs this spell can be used on see Category:Available to Speak with Dead.
• If cast by a Cleric, the spell must remain Prepared. If removed from the Cleric's Prepared Spells list, they lose the ability to use Recast Speak with Dead until preparing and casting Speak with Dead once more. Meanwhile, applicable corpses do not show a green glow to indicate they can be spoken to. If cast with a scroll or item, the caster need not keep this spell prepared, and can use Recast Speak with Dead until their next Long Rest.
• Keeping a collection of corpses in the Traveler's Chest at camp can be a useful way to activate "Recast Speak with Dead" after each long rest, to get the green glow on "speak-able" corpses, though this can only be done once per corpse.
• Using Speak with Dead grants the  Whispers from the Grave inspiration to party members with the Sage background.
• The incantation for Speak With Dead is Cum Mortuus in Lingua Mortua, Latin for "With the dead in a dead language" or In Nocte Consignē, Latin for "Mark/seal in night."

External links

• Speak with dead on the Forgotten Realms Wiki