Reincarnate 5e D&D Guide

The Reincarnate spell is a powerful force that allows one to cheat death and return from the beyond.

Through the skillful use of ancient arcane knowledge, a caster can bring deceased creatures back to life, imbuing them with a new form and a renewed sense of purpose.

Only those who dare to tamper with the natural order of life and death can hope to master this spell and wield its great power.

The Player’s Handbook states the following:

Reincarnate 5e

5th-level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (unguents and rare oils worth a minimum of 1,000 GP, which the spell will consume)

Duration: Instantaneous

You come into contact with a dead humanoid or a portion of one. The spell creates a new adult body for the creature and then summons its soul to enter it, provided that the creature has been deceased for no more than 10 days.

The spell fails if the target’s soul is not free or willing to do so.

The creature is given a new body by magic, which probably changes the creature’s race.

The DM rolls a d100 and reads the table below to determine what form the creature assumes when brought back to life, or the DM chooses a form.

Its previous existence and experiences are remembered by the reincarnated creature.

The only difference is that it switches to the new race and modifies its racial characteristics in accordance with it while maintaining the powers it had in its old form.

Spell Type – Healing

Which Classes Can Pick Reincarnate 5e?

The only traditional class that can freely unlock Reincarnate is the Druid.

Druids can unlock and use Reincarnate at level 9 when they unlock their first 5th-level spell slot.

No subclasses can freely unlock Reincarnate.

Is Reincarnate Good in 5e?

Reincarnate is a difficult spell to categorize, as what makes it excellent is its ability to resurrect the dead. However, the fact that it has a ‘consequence’ can rub people in a good or a wrong way.

Some players think the mechanic is great, giving death a more significant consequence and allowing you to explore other races.

Others might think it’s intrusive, messing with how player aims to develop their character.

Advantages – Reincarnate

No Concentration

Reincarnate doesn’t use Concentration to stay active. Even though Reincarnate has a long casting time, players don’t have to stay concentrated for the duration.

That means they can cast Concentration spells or have a healing spell active while resurrecting a player.

Time-Based

Reincarnate doesn’t make use of a standard or bonus action. It uses only time to activate its abilities.

In many cases, especially after a battle, this is ideal. You’ll need all the actions you can get to fight another battle.

Disadvantages – Reincarnate

Material Components

Reincarnate needs oils and unguents worth at least 1,000 GP, which is relatively expensive.

The main problem with these materials is their rarity. DMs will naturally make items needed for resurrection spells more difficult to find, even if they’re expensive.

So, if you want to play things safe, try searching your hardest for its materials before leaving for a quest.

Class Availability

Reincarnate is only available to the Druid class. Not only is the Druid one of the least picked classes in D&D, it has many powerful spells to choose from.

Even if you had a Druid in your party, the chances of having them pick Reincarnate is low unless they love playing a healer; then you’re in luck!

Spells Similar to Reincarnate 5e

Spells similar to Reincarnate are Clone (8th-level), Raise Dead (5th-level), Resurrection (7th-level), and Revivify (3rd-level).

When or How Should You Use Reincarnate?

Out of Combat

Reincarnate has a casting time of 1 hour. So if you want to use it, try using it out of combat, where you won’t be interrupted by constant battle.

Note: You should also help your party, as resurrecting a body during a battle could have unfortunate consequences.

Total Annihilation

A unique quality of Reincarnate is its ability to resurrect a person from just a piece of their body. You don’t need a corpse or a leg; a bit of hair will do.

You’ll just have to deal with now being a different race.

Changing Race

If you don’t mind changing your race, having Reincarnate cast on your body might be more beneficial than another resurrection spell.

Think about it, each race has a trait that makes them unique, and maybe it’ll work out. All it needs is a bit of creativity and a new perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Change Your Gender With Reincarnate?

Reincarnate only allows you to come back to life and change your race along with it. It doesn’t state that it changes your gender. However, a DM can put that in there if they want to.

What Is the Difference Between Resurrection and Reincarnate?

The main differences between these two resurrection spells are how they resurrect you, the benefits they provide you, and how long you have been dead (they are two levels apart, but that doesn’t matter too much).

When resurrected by Reincarnate, the flesh cannot be older than 10 days. It can resurrect you from a small piece of flesh and changes your race (however, you get the traits of that race.

Resurrection can resurrect creatures who have been dead for up to a century.

It needs a larger corpse (DM specific) and returns the body’s soul without any changes (however, it fixes mortal wounds and missing limbs while also neutralizing poisons).

Final Thoughts

Reincarnate isn’t just powerful but incredibly versatile and unique. There are many resurrection spells in D&D, but nothing similar to Reincarnate exists.

It’s very straightforward, meaning most parties can effectively use it without much knowledge.

The aspect that makes it most unique is the vast array of races available to players. Not only can you become any race mentioned, but you gain their features/traits.

Just make sure the DM doesn’t choose for you, as they’ll probably choose something that doesn’t fit!