Revivify 5e D&D Guide [2023]

Revivify is the first opportunity for the party to avoid meeting a permanent fate in the afterlife. The spell has almost become a must-have for those willing to adventure into the unknown.

The rules for Revivify can be found in the Players Handbook on page 272.

Revivify 5e

3rd-level Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a diamond worth 300GP that the spell consumes)

Duration: Instantaneous

You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This spell can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.

The rule for Revivify outlines its potential and ability to “resurrect” a fallen creature. They also clearly lay out the stipulations and downside as well. It must be within 1 minute (10 rounds), and it consumes a diamond worth 300 GP.

This can be expensive for a low-level party but is almost certainly a must-have.

Is Revivify Good?

Revivify is undoubtedly a game-changing spell, especially at lower levels when there isn’t any easy way to revive a dead party member. Most characters with Revivify on their spell lists will have the chance to unlock it at level 5, but should you?

The answer depends entirely on your class, what your role is, and if you even need it in the first place (as in some classes, Evocation spells or Illusion spells might be more important).

For classes like Clerics and Paladins, which don’t have many spell choices, to begin with, Revivify is a perfect default, as it’s better to have and not need it than to need it but not have it. They also won’t miss out on powerful spells like other full casters who have access to many other powerful spells besides Revivify.

When Can You Use Revivify?

As the spell description states, Revivify can be used on a creature that has died within one minute. The spell cannot be used after the one-minute mark and will automatically fail. The spell also fails if attempted on a creature that has died from old age.

A creature that has suffered severe trauma such as decapitation will revive with the spell but will immediately die again as the spell does not restore missing body parts of any kind.

Is Revivify Necromancy?

Yes, Revivify is in the necromancy school of magic. The spell brings a creature back to life who was recently deceased. It could have been classed a few other ways, but for 5e, necromancy makes the most sense.

This classification allows for potentially interesting roleplay as it provides an example of how necromancy is not necessarily an evil school of magic. The same type of magic that raises zombies and skeletons from the ground can return a companion or a loved one who had fallen too soon.

Who Gets Revivify?

Only a few base classes get Revivify. The Cleric, Paladin, and Artificer all have the spell on their class list. There are several sub-classes that have access to it as well. The Wildfire Druid, the Divine Soul Sorcerer, and the Celestial Warlock also have the opportunity to cast Revivify.

Depending on the rule sets used, the Druid and Ranger may also have access to Revivify, but this should be verified with the dungeon master.

Revivify is an important spell for most parties, but if no one plays a class that can cast it, the spell is off the table. This can limit the DM and the player group.

A good option for keeping the pressure off of the players is to play one of these classes, especially if no one wants to use scrolls. Revivify can be turned into a scroll and sold or provided to the group. In some instances, this can add a more important element of resource management to the game.

Do You Need a Diamond for Revivify?

Yes, and specifically, a single diamond that is worth 300 gold pieces. Having a handful of lesser diamonds is not a sufficient component for the spell. This can be flavored in many ways for an explanation, but the easiest is that several diamonds cannot channel the same magic energy as a large one.

It is also up to the table to decide, but in most instances, simply having the gold to cover the cost is not sufficient either. Now, this is a variant rule that can be used to avoid the excess bookkeeping of components but doing so makes the spell readily available multiple times to any reasonably equipped party.

Can You Fail Revivify?

It is generally not possible to fail the casting of Revivify without some other cause to be unable to cast a spell or the specific scenarios presented in the spell description.

There are numerous homebrew rules out there that make the use of the spell more difficult to succeed and rules that impose adverse effects on those revived by the spell. If you are considering using any of these rules, make sure to consult your group.

Revivify 5e FAQs

Can You Cast Revivify on an Unwilling Creature in 5e?

Unlike most revive spells, Revivify can bring an unwilling creature back from the dead. That means players can use Revivify to bring possible informants back to life after accidentally being killed or even after brutally torturing a subject.

Note: Just make sure you bring them back to life before a minute passes, or else there’s no use.

Can Revivify Bring Back Undead in 5e?

Most spells will specify if they can’t target or affect Undead; Revivify doesn’t, so it’s safe to assume it can be used to return an Undead creature back to its “dead but living” state.

You shouldn’t have any problems with your DM regarding this matter, but if they have a problem, hopefully, it’s for a good reason.

Final Thoughts

Revivify is an adventuring staple for just about every party. The addition of the Artificer as a class that can cast the spell reduces the need for a Cleric or holy warrior-type Paladin. The spell has followed much of the other healing-type spells and abilities in 5e.

It has been made available in several ways to keep anyone from having to play a certain class. While this is nice for players who always get stuck as the healer, reducing the importance of filling a role in the group. Party balance has always been important, and this spell doesn’t change that.