False Life

Necromancy

Level: 1st-level

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Duration: 1 hour

Components: V, S, M

Materials: A small amount of alcohol or distilled spirits.

Bolstering yourself with a necromantic facsimile of life, you gain 1d4 + 4 temporary hit points for the duration.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you gain 5 additional temporary hit points for each slot level above 1st.

Spell Details

School: Necromancy

Level: 1

Ritual: No

Concentration: No

Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard

B-Tier Reliable early-level damage mitigation that scales decently but becomes obsolete without upcast investment.

Player Guide

Cast False Life before entering combat or during downtime to maximize its 1 hour duration and stack temporary HP with other protections. The 1d4+4 average of 6.5 temporary HP is modest but useful for low-level characters, particularly Wizards and Sorcerers who lack heavy armor. Prioritize casting this during short rests or before anticipated encounters rather than wasting action economy in active combat unless you have actions to spare.

Spell Combos

shield Combines temporary HP with reaction-based damage reduction for comprehensive defense.blur Stacking evasion chances with temporary HP creates layered defensive synergy.

DM Tips

Remind players that temporary HP don't stack—the highest value applies. Consider that necromancy-themed characters may prefer this thematically over mundane healing potions despite mechanical equivalence.

Related Spells

shield mage-armor