Remove Curse 5e D&D Guide

Remove Curse is a 3rd-level spell falling under the Cleric, Paladin, Warlock, and Wizard spell lists.

Players wishing to play a supporting character will find great use with this spell and its ease of use.

The Player’s Handbook specifics are as follows:

Remove Curse 5e

3rd-level abjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

At your touch, all curses affecting a creature or object will end. If the object is a magic item, its curse remains.

Remove Curse, however, still breaks its wielder’s attunement, making the object able to be removed or discarded.

What Is Remove Curse 5e?

Remove Curse is 3rd level abjuration school spell, costing players one standard action to be cast. It has the range of ‘touch’ and is instantaneous.

Players must use Verbal and Somatic components while casting Remove Curse.

What Does Remove Curse Do?

Players must choose one target; when they touch the target, any curses affecting them will end.

Note: Players can remove any curse by using Remove Curse on a player; however, only if specified, a curse might be too powerful to remove (depending on your DM and the campaign you play).

Which Classes Can Use Remove Curse?

Traditional D&D classes, such as Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, and Wizards, have Remove Curse in their spell lists.

Subclasses linked to the above-mentioned traditional classes can use Remove Curse.

Note: Even though these classes can use Remove Curse, they have many more versatile spells to choose from.

Is Remove Curse Good?

Remove Curse can be exceptionally busted if used when it is least expected.

Many DMs forget about this spell, and sometimes they will even base an entire campaign around curses. Be sure to use this to your advantage!

Advantages of Remove Curse

Remove any curse: Any curses affecting a creature or player can be removed unless specified otherwise.

Note: However, always ask your DM about removing curses in their campaign. It isn’t uncommon for DMs to nerf or completely negate Remove Curse and add specific rules that need to be followed for a curse to be broken.

Traditional D&D curses: If a campaign is played with no additional rules or additions, Remove Curse can remove any curse that afflicts a creature or player.

Remove curses on everyday items: Normal items affected by a curse can also be cleansed (make sure the item isn’t magical).

Easily castable: Remove Curse uses no additional Material to be cast, using only Verbal and Somatic components.

Drawbacks of Remove Curse

Close range: Remove Curse has a range of touch, making it quite tricky to use in the heat of battle if the target is far away. Players should either wait for the battlefield to quiet down or remove the curse from the target after the battle.

Optimizing Remove Curse

Using Remove Curse effectively can be an excellent advantage for your party.

Monsters Inflicting Curses

A player using Remove Curse can come in handy when facing enemies such as undead spellcasters, evil wizards, and ancient dragons. Some of these enemies might try or successfully curse players for weakening them.

If a party has come prepared, they will know that, depending on the curse, the battle must end quickly, or they must administer a cure for the curse.

Other members can throw everything they have at the enemies, or the member with Remove Curse can try to cure the afflicted player while the enemies are distracted.

Note: Serious curses might need to be cured faster, meaning the party may have to retreat or take risks.

Finding Cursed Items

While players explore their D&D world, they will stumble across many points of interest not marked on their map.

Temples, wizard towers, infested mines, and abandoned campsites are to be found off the trail.

Many of these unmarked locations might have cursed items waiting to be found.

These cursed items may be unsafe to inspect by anyone unable to remove curses. Therefore, use your ‘curse master’ to cast Remove Curse on the item, making it good as new.

Note: Don’t tell anyone the items used to be cursed if you want to sell them. Some commoners have skewed opinions regarding curses.

Offering Your Services

Many merchants or traders have cursed items in their shops that they cannot sell. Mainly due to ordinary NPCs not knowing much about curses.

If your party needs some quick gold, you can discuss helping these merchants remove the curse from the item.

Most of the time, they will pay you in gold. However, if they choose to give you the item for your troubles, it can be even better for your party.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can You Remove a Curse From a Magical Item?

Cursed items are very tricky. Players can remove the curses from ordinary items but not magical ones.

They can, however, use Remove Curse to break the attunement magical items have to a linked individual.

Note: Some high-level items, such as Book of Vile Darkness, Wand of Orcus, and Hand/Eye of Vecna, shouldn’t or can’t have their attunement broken.

Does Remove Curse Cure Lycanthropy?

Lycanthropy in D&D is described as a curse, not a disease. Players are allowed to remove the curse of lycanthropy from the cursed individual.

Note: Many DMs will not allow players to cast Remove Curse to cure lycanthropy.

Most DMs will have players find a personal item relating to the cursed individual to use as the focus of your Remove Curse spell.

Can Druids Remove Curses?

Yes, Remove Curse is part of the Druid spell list. Therefore, like the other classes, Druids must complete the necessary conditions to cast Remove Curse.

They must have access to the Remove Curse, be in touch range, and be able to use Verbal and Somatic components.

Final Thoughts

Removing curses is a remarkable ability to have on hand in D&D. Its vast uses and interesting mechanics can make up for the lack of action just by discussing it.

I recommend every player able to use Remove Curse to add it to their spell list as you never know when it’ll come in handy!