You eat at least a portion of the brain of another creature's corpse. Roll a d20. On a 15+, you gain the creature's memories and knowledge to some degree, recalling any important fact known to the creature - family history, recent events, the general layout of the creature's stomping grounds, details about the creature's death, important plans, passwords, magic item command words, and similar tidbits. Skills, feats, spells, and other such knowledge cannot be obtained in this fashion.
Once you roll to determine whether she recalls a fact, she cannot attempt to recall that fact again.
You temporarily strain a living target creature's muscles in a very specific way. The target feels a sharp pain when they make an attack, suffering disadvantage on attack rolls for the duration.
You call upon the darkest forces in all existence to rain destruction down upon the land in a 200 mile radius originating from you. All creatures and objects in the spell's area take 10d6+30 fire and acid damage. This damage usually levels forests, crumbles mountains and causes genocides. You take this damage as well.
Upon casting, you take 8d6 necrotic damage and your hit point maximum is reduced by that amount until you complete a long rest.
You make a targeted liquid poisonous and foul. Creatures swimming in the water take 5d6 poison damage. Anyone drinking this water must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 5d6 poison damage.
This spell only works on bodies of water no larger than 1500 feet by 1500 feet by 150 feet.
You place a curse on the touched creature, choosing one of the following three effects:
• One of their ability scores is reduced to 1.
• Two of their ability scores are reduced to 5.
• They have disadvantage on any d20 roll.
• Each turn, they must roll a d20. On a 5 or lower, they take no action and end their turn.
Players may invent new curses, but they should be no more powerful than those listed above, and the DM has final say on the curse's effect.
A greater curse cannot be dispelled, nor can it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, or remove curse spell. A miracle or wish spell removes the greater curse, and any particular greater curse can be removed if the subject performs some deed that the caster designates. The deed must be something that the subject can accomplish within one year.
With sinister flame and brimstone, you completely consume one dead body so absolutely nothing remains. A creature whose body is destroyed by a charnel fire spell can only be brought back to life through the spell true resurrection. If this spell is cast upon a corporeal undead, the creature gets a Charisma saving throw. If the undead creature fails its save, it is destroyed forever.
You gain claws that deal 1d8 slashing damage. When hit with the claws, you automatically make a Strength (Athletics) check to grapple.
You create a magical force that grips the subject's heart, beginning to crush it between a psychic hand. They must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer from the paralyzed condition and take 1d6 points of necrotic damage per round.
Victims of this spell gain new saving throws to stop the spell each round. If they die as a result of the Clutch of Orcus, their chest ruptures and bursts, as their smoking heart appears in your hand.
You take on the appearance and form -- including clothing and equipment -- of a freshly dead humanoid. You assume the form of the creature as it looked when it lived. You must eat the flesh of the corpse whose form is to be assumed when you cast the spell.
Once the spell is complete, you can assume the new likeness at will. By changing to this new form, your body can undergo a limited physical transmutation, including adding or subtracting one or two limbs, and your weight can be changed up to one-half. If the form selected has wings, you can fly at a speed of 30 feet. If the form has gills, you can breathe underwater. You cannot assume the likeness of something that is a different size than you are
Your statistics do not change. The spell does not confer special abilities, attack, defenses, ability scores, or mannerisms of the chosen form. If you take damage or die, you automatically revert to your normal form. You can also take an action to voluntarily assume your normal form.
A fist of darkness appears 30 feet above the ground and begins smashing downwards with ferocious power. All creatures and objects within 5 ft. wide and 30 ft. long cylinder take 20d6 force damage at the beginning of their turn. Creatures in the area of effect can reduce the damage in half with successful Dexterity saving throws.
As a bonus action, you may direct the fist to another area within range.
This illusion forces the target creature to believe their flesh is rotting and falling off their body, all the while their internal organs are spilling out. They must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they suffer from the stunned condition for 1 round. After that round, they fall unconscious for 1 minute.
Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within range to fill a 15-foot radius sphere for the duration. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with Darkvision can't see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it.
Good-aligned creatures take 2d6 points of necrotic damage per round in the darkness. Neutral creatures take 1d6 points of necrotic damage per round in the darkness.
If the point you choose is on an object you are holding or one that isn't being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.
If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 4th level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
Through a wild and chaotic dance, you unleash a wave of crackling energy flashing outward in a 30 ft. range. Creatures within the area take 3d6 necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.
You summon five spiked chains with you can control with reckless abandon, dancing or moving as you wish. As a bonus action, you may attack with the chains using your Spell Attack modifier for both attack and damage. You can climb a chain you control without making Strength (Athletics) checks or a climb speed.
You shoot a bolt of sheer darkness from your hand, striking with overwhelming evil. Make a ranged spell attack. You deal 1d8 points of necrotic damage. On a hit, the target creature cannot regain hit points until the end of their next turn.
The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
You cause a touched creature's innards to erupt with razor-sharp, writhing agony. Target creatures must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer the incapacitated condition for 1d4 rounds before dying. Creatures who do succeed on the saving throw still suffer the incapacitated condition for 1d4 rounds, taking 1d10 points of piercing damage per round.
You mark a touched corpse with a certain magical signature, thusly identifying you as the murderer. Some may use this spell as a calling card or as a way to show employers they've earned their pay. The signature can take many forms: a specific expression on the face of the corpse, a rune, a phrase, a discoloration, etc.
You hover your hand over a corpse, radiating a foul energy that begins to eat away at the flesh. Target corpses quickly decay, becoming compost for the earth.
Massive, batlike wings grow from your back, giving you a flying speed equal to your movement speed.
You blight and corrupt the earth below in a radius of 20,000 ft. outwards from you. Plants shrivel up and die and the ground cannot ever support plant life again. All living creatures in the area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 5d8 vile damage. Objects in the area, such as walls and doors, take 5d8 vile damage.
Only the effects of multiple wish spells can undo the lasting effects of this spell.
You grow a 3-feet-long tail, thin in size but ending in a wicked-looking spike. You may use this tail to make melee attacks using your Spell Attack Modifier, dealing 1d10 slashing damage.
Your tongue lengthens and strengthens, allowing you to grapple with a reach of 15 feet.
The target creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have their lungs fill with water. To avoid drowning, the creature must hold their breath (PHB, pg. 183). After each minute, creatures can remake the Constitution saving throw to expel the water from their lungs. Creatures with water-filled lungs cannot talk and have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.
The target creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or their body is twisted and warped, wracked forever with excruciating pain. They are rendered helpless, but - as long as the spell continues - it is sustained and has no need for food, drink, or air. They do not age - all the better to ensure a true eternity of unimaginable torture. They take 1 damage which permanently reduces their maximum hit points every day (to a minimum of 1 hit point). The subject cannot heal or regenerate. Lastly, they are completely unaware of its surroundings, insensate to anything but the excruciating pain.
You replace your own eyes with those from a corpse, allowing you to control the actions of a zombie you've animated. The magic of this spell allows you to remove your eyes (dealing 1d6 points of damage from the pain, but no permanent damage to your eyes) and take a zombie's eyes that you had removed. Your eyes are preserved by the spell while you control the zombie and perceive the world through it. Your body remains motionless and is subject to harm normally.
When the spell ends or a controlled zombie dies, your eyes automatically return to you.
You send a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar. The creature hears the message in its mind, recognizes you as another creature it is familiar with, as specified by you, and can answer in a like manner immediately. The spell enables creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 1 to understand the meaning of your message. You can send the message across any distance and even to other planes of existence, but if the target is on a different plane than you, there is a 5% chance that the message doesn't arrive.
You flay a piece of your skin off while replacing it with the skin of another creature, wearing it like clothing or armor. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage. Once you prevented a total of 50 points of damage from this spell, the skin slowly rots, shedding in patches like a molting snake.
You invoke pure vile strength in the form of a blackened claw flying at a creature, ripping their flesh into strips. Make a ranged spell attack at a target creature. On a hit, you deal 3d8 points of necrotic damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.
You make it impossible for a single creature to speak about a single topic unless they succeed on Charisma saving throw. The topic should be narrow, for example, the events that occurred during the creature's captivity or the password to a guarded compound. Invalid topics include anything too broad up to DM discretion, such as their background or career.
The target creature cannot communicate regarding the topic in any way. Their speech becomes gibberish, writing is reduced to unreadable scrawls, gestures impossible, even telepathy scrambled. They haven't forgotten the information, but they cannot ever communicate it in a feasible way.
You see through the veil of reality to pose a single question to nameless malevolent entities existing beyond normal consciousness. The question must be answerable by a yes or no. The answer given is correct 75% of the time. Too obscure questions or answers up to DM discretion are never answered.
Your hand detaches to form a long grasping claw that lasts for the duration or until you cast this spell again. When you cast the spell, you take 2d4 points of necrotic damage. You can make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of the weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 slashing damage + your spellcasting ability modifier.
When you cast a spell with a range of touch, your detached hand can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.
As a bonus action, you can move the weapon up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 5 feet of it.
You animate the hand of a target humanoid to detach itself from its owner unless they succeed on a Constitution saving throw. The hand forcefully abandons its owner, leaving a bloody stump and dealing 5d6 slashing damage.
The detached hand then begins floating in the air and attacks its owner. Its stats resemble a wight (MM, pg. 300), except it's considered tiny.
Only a regenerate spell can restore the target humanoid to normal.
You cause the innards of a target creature to burst forth unless they succeed on a Constitution saving throw. They take 10d6+30 vile damage or half on a successful save. If the target dies as a result of this spell, their innards fly towards you and are absorbed into your body, giving you 20 temporary hit points.
You fill a target creature's heart with heart-wrenching sorrow unless they succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. They take no action during the next round.
The target creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they take 5d8 vile damage. They take half on a success. If the target dies from this spell, their still-beating heart is wrenched from their body and appears in your hand.
Creatures with no heart are not affected by this spell.
You create a small explosion of brimstone and flame that can burn even through the coldest of ice. Make a ranged spell attack dealing 4d6 fire damage ignoring resistances and immunities.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
With a wave of your hand and an infernal chant, a huge explosion of brimstone erupts within range in a 30 ft. radius. Creatures within the area must make a Dexterity saving throw and take 6d6 fire damage that ignores resistances and immunities on a failure. They take half on a successful save.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the damage increases by 3d6 for each slot level above 7th.
You are able to divine the answer to a single question, as long as the answer is a single person's name. For example, who broke into the temple last night and stole the wand of magic missiles? Questions that cannot be answered with a single name are not answered at all. The chance for a correct answer is 80%. Multiple Identify Transgressor spells of the same question cast within a week of each other yield the same result as the first spell.
A target creature that has the ability to possess other creatures must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, they are powerless within the host it currently inhabits and cannot leave through any means. Examples of potential target creatures are ghosts and casters of magic jar.
You place the target living creature's soul into a receptacle, such as a gem or a ring, leaving their body lifeless. The creature is unable to leave the receptacle by their own means.
As long as the receptacle is in your hands, you may question the soul once per day. If the soul is unwilling, it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be forced to answer truthfully and to the best of its abilities.
Destroying or opening the receptacle ends the spell, releasing the soul.
Your fingers become dangerous projectiles, flying from your hand and forever striking. You create 5 finger darts that deal 1d6+2 piercing damage each and always hit. Upon casting this spell, you lose use of one hand due to a loss of fingers. Your fingers come back after a long rest or with the spell regenerate.
You invoke a lance of greenish-black energy from your hand, striking a foe with a ranged spell attack. On a hit, you don't deal damage, rather the target creature's closest friend, family or lover is wracked with pain for 5d6 necrotic damage.
If the loved one is within an antimagic field, the spell has no effect.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
A target creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, you enter the mind of that creature, learning everything that creature knows. You can erase or add memories as you see fit as well as altering emotions, opinions and even alignments. When you are done, you may even permanently leave the creature with a Long-Term Madness.
Alterations from this spell can only be corrected with the wish spell.
You send a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar. The next time the creature approaches a mirror, your face will appear on the mirror and speak your message before disappearing. They may respond likewise. The spell enables creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 1 to understand the meaning of your message.
You transform a creature's alignment one step towards evil unless they succeed on a Charisma saving throw. They still retain their previous relationships, allegiances and outlooks so long as they don't conflict with their new alignment.
A target creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or contract a terrible and contagious disease. The disease strikes immediately with no mercy. Every dawn, their Strength score is reduced by 1d4 until they die.
Diseased creatures may make a new Constitution saving throw each day, but it requires two consecutive successes to cure themselves.
Anyone who touches a diseased creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall victim to the same malady and suffer the same effects.
You can give a target creature demon-haunted dreams so vivid and frightening that sleep provides no rest unless they succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. The target can no longer take Long Rests as nightmares continuously plague them each night. Every midnight, their Charisma scores are reduced by 1d4.
Haunted creatures get new saving throws each morning to resist the spell. Creatures who die from this spell have their soul devoured by demons, unable to be resurrected even by resurrection spells.
You drain the personal well-being from the target creature with a ranged spell attack. They gain a level of exhaustion on a hit. It takes only a short rest to remove a level of exhaustion caused by this spell.
You plant a vile hex on a target creature's eyes which implode with a flesh-burning liquid. They must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are blinded and all creatures within 10 feet of the target creature take 1d10 acid damage. On a success, they are not blinded but all creatures within 5 feet of the target creature take 1d10 acid damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st.
You channel dark energies that blackens and rots the target creature's flesh. They must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 vile damage. They take half damage on a success.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
You absorb a touched creature's life force to sustain yourself. You are considered satiated and hydrated for that day. The target creature, on the other hand, gains a level of exhaustion.
You sing a wailing ululation that causes listeners' flesh to bubble and fester into pestilent blobs. All creatures that can hear you within 60 ft. must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 3d6 points of necrotic damage per round on a failure. If they die as a result of this spell, they burst with a sickening pop as steamy gore spills onto the ground.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 2nd.
You detach your hand, which transforms into a spider (MM, pg. 337) that he controls. You can see through its eyes and it can travel up to 100 feet away from you. If the spider is killed or prevented from returning to the caster, your hand is restored but the spell ends as you take 1d6 points of necrotic damage. If the spider returns to your arm, you take no damage.
You grow four long spider legs from the sides of your body. You have a movement speed of 40 feet and you have climbing speed of 15 feet.
You tap into the life of a living creature, draining it and adding it onto your own. After casting, you must spend additional time to steal the target's life. Every additional hour you hold the spell, the target creature's Constitution score is reduced by 1 and you become one week younger. This reduction is permanent and can only be restored by a wish spell. Creatures who die from this spell become dry, horrid husks that shrivel into dust soon after.
Channeling hatred and spite, you call upon foul powers to give the subject a massive heart attack. The target creature must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 5d6 vile damage on a failure. On a success, they take half damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 4th.
You emit a piercing screech not unlike that of a vrock demon. Each creature within 60 feet that can hear you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become stunned.
You place once creature in a clouded and confused state, not allowing clear thought or the ability to take actions. They can be moved or forced to walk if dragged, but they have no idea of their surroundings.
A thousand needles surround the target creature and pierce their flesh, worming through armor or any type of natural defense. The target creature takes 5d6 piercing damage, half on a successful Constitution saving throw. For the rest of the spell's duration, they have disadvantage on ability checks.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.
The touched creature must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 acid damage on a failure. On a success, they take half. If the creature dies as a result of this spell, they dissolve into a pile of green slime.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
A black cloud of sheer darkness spreads from your mouth, creating an area of cloying shadows and filling a 30-foot radius sphere. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with Darkvision can't see through this darkness, nonmagical light and even magical light can't illuminate it. Evil-aligned creatures can see in this darkness as if it were a dimly-lit area.
If the point you choose is on an object you are holding or one that isn't being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.
You create a wall of woven spiked chains on a solid surface within range. You can make the wall up to 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick, or a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 1 foot think. The wall lasts for the duration.
When the wall appears, each creature within 5 feet of the wall must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d8 slashing damage, or half as much damage on a successful save.
The wall deals 5d8 slashing damage to each creature that ends its turn within 10 feet of or inside the wall. A creature takes the same damage when it enters the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. If attacked, the wall has an AC of 15 and 100 hit points.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
You create an opaque area of swirling energy in the form of roaring, screeching mouths full of sharp teeth. Anyone within the 30 feet radius sphere takes 7d8 vile damage every round.
You may move the area of teeth up to 40 feet as a bonus action.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 7th.
You choose whether to wither either the arms or the legs of the target creature if they succeed on a Constitution saving throw. Withered legs force creatures to fall prone for the rest of the duration. Withered arms make it impossible for creatures to use objects or use somatic components. At the end of the spell's duration, the limbs return to normal.
You plant a vile hex on a target creature's eyes which implode with a flesh-burning liquid. They must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are blinded and all creatures within 10 feet of the target creature take 1d10 acid damage. On a success, they are not blinded but all creatures within 5 feet of the target creature take 1d10 acid damage.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st.
You shoot a bolt of sheer darkness from your hand, striking with overwhelming evil. Make a ranged spell attack. You deal 1d8 points of necrotic damage. On a hit, the target creature cannot regain hit points until the end of their next turn.
The damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th, 11th, and 17th level.
Your fingers become dangerous projectiles, flying from your hand and forever striking. You create 5 finger darts that deal 1d6+2 piercing damage each and always hit. Upon casting this spell, you lose use of one hand due to a loss of fingers. Your fingers come back after a long rest or with the spell regenerate.
You create a small explosion of brimstone and flame that can burn even through the coldest of ice. Make a ranged spell attack dealing 4d6 fire damage ignoring resistances and immunities.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
You are able to divine the answer to a single question, as long as the answer is a single person's name. For example, who broke into the temple last night and stole the wand of magic missiles? Questions that cannot be answered with a single name are not answered at all. The chance for a correct answer is 80%. Multiple Identify Transgressor spells of the same question cast within a week of each other yield the same result as the first spell.
You make it impossible for a single creature to speak about a single topic unless they succeed on Charisma saving throw. The topic should be narrow, for example, the events that occurred during the creature's captivity or the password to a guarded compound. Invalid topics include anything too broad up to DM discretion, such as their background or career.
The target creature cannot communicate regarding the topic in any way. Their speech becomes gibberish, writing is reduced to unreadable scrawls, gestures impossible, even telepathy scrambled. They haven't forgotten the information, but they cannot ever communicate it in a feasible way.
You fill a target creature's heart with heart-wrenching sorrow unless they succeed on a Wisdom saving throw. They take no action during the next round.
With a wave of your hand and an infernal chant, a huge explosion of brimstone erupts within range in a 30 ft. radius. Creatures within the area must make a Dexterity saving throw and take 6d6 fire damage that ignores resistances and immunities on a failure. They take half on a successful save.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the damage increases by 3d6 for each slot level above 7th.