How can you deal with reincarnation effects (feats and ability scores) on D&D 5e?
According to the Reincarnate 5e d&d spell text (PHB, page 271), “The reincarnated creature remembers its past life and experiences.” It retains the same capabilities like its original form, but it changes its race and racial traits to match.
The character has almost all of his former life’s features, including ASI feats and ability scores. The reincarnated character may be of a different race. It means that all race features (except ability scores) are lost, and the new race and components will be added.
It is that simple. You can’t alter ability scores, spells, ability scores, class, or any other features that were not acquired from the previous race. The character may have a vague memory of being an elf, but the new gnome body doesn’t work with the old elven features such as bow and longsword.
Reincarnate 5e is a fun way to relive your past life and experience. It retained all its abilities when it was in its original form, but it changes its race and alters its racial traits.
It means that some characters’ ability scores will be affected. A gnome who reincarnates as a half-orc will lose their +2 intelligence and +1 dexterity/constitution (or any other homebrews or books) and gain a +2 strength and +1 constitution.
The problem comes when a half-orc becomes a gnome wizard who has 20 intelligence. They become weaker as wizards and lose their natural intelligence. If you decide to become a Gnome Barbarian (which would be hilarious, but still) and get 20 strength through rolls, increases, and drops, you will lose the +2 strength you receive from a half-orc. 20 is the natural maximum.
My opinion is that there are two options.
- It is the truth of the matter. You have to accept the fact that you aren’t as good after your death as you once were.
- To give the character a race similar to their previous one, rig the reincarnation. Let them reincarnate as a half-orc if they are a half-orc. They are statistically identical, so it is not the end for the world if they switch.
Read: Play stupid games win stupid prizes
Level 5 transmutation spell
- Casting time: 1 hour
- Touch – Range
- Components: VSM (Rare oils or unguents of at least 1,000gp that the spell consumes).
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Druid
- Touch a dead or fragment of a deceased humanoid. The spell creates a new adult body and calls the soul to enter it, provided that the creature is dead for no more than ten days. The spell will fail if the target’s soul isn’t willing or free to use the magic to create a new adult body. The GM rolls a d100 and then consults the table below to determine the form of the creature when it is brought back to life. The reincarnated creature remembers its past life and experiences. It retained all its abilities when it was in its original form, but it changes its race and alters its racial traits.
Why is it that Druids are the only class capable of casting Reincarnate 5e d&d?
Reincarnation has the benefit of only requiring a small amount of the deceased to work. Although “revivify 5e” will do most of the dead-raising in a campaign, the Druid can help bring back the man who was disintegrated without using a 9th level magic.
There is no reason to do so mechanically. If they could access this spell, other classes wouldn’t suddenly become OP.
Druids must have Druid-only magical abilities. It takes away the uniqueness and individuality of the archetype if they don’t. Reincarnate is a natural fit for the Druid’s “circle-of-life” nature themes. The Druid doesn’t bring back your old self, but they allow a new self into the space that you left after you die.
Reincarnate 5e dnd Updated Table
| d100 | Race | Monstrous | Aasimar | ||
| 01 – 03 | Aarakocra | d20 | Subrace | d20 | Subrace |
| 04 – 05 | Aasimar | 1 – 3 | Bugbear | 1 – 8 | Protector |
| 06 – 08 | Dragonborn | 4 – 7 | Goblin | 9 – 15 | Scourge |
| 09 – 20 | Dwarf | 8 – 10 | Hobgoblin | 16 – 20 | Fallen |
| 21 – 34 | Elf | 11 – 14 | Kobold | Gith | |
| 35 – 37 | Firbolg | 15 – 17 | Orc | d20 | Subrace |
| 38 – 39 | Genasi | 18 – 20 | Yuan-Ti | 1 – 10 | Githyanki |
| 40 – 41 | Gith | 11 – 20 | Githzerai | ||
| 42 – 44 | Goliath | Tiefling | Dwarf | ||
| 45 – 51 | Gnome | d20 | Subrace | d20 | Subrace |
| 52 – 62 | Halfling | 1 – 4 | Asmodeus | 1 – 8 | Hill |
| 63 – 65 | Half Elf | 5 – 6 | Baalzebul | 9 – 15 | Mountain |
| 66 – 68 | Half Orc | 7 – 8 | Dispater | 16 – 20 | Duegar |
| 69 – 82 | Human | 9 – 10 | Fierna | ||
| 83 – 84 | Kenku | 11 – 12 | Glasya | Elf | |
| 85 – 86 | Lizardfolk | 13 – 14 | Levistus | d20 | Subrace |
| 87 – 89 | Monstrous | 15 – 16 | Mammon | 1 – 3 | Dark |
| 90 – 92 | Tabaxi | 17 – 18 | Mephistopheles | 4 – 5 | Eladrin |
| 93 – 95 | Tiefling | 19 – 20 | Zariel | 6 – 10 | High |
| 96 – 97 | Tortle | 11 – 13 | Sea | ||
| 98 – 100 | Triton | Gnome | 14 – 15 | Shadar-Kai | |
| d20 | Subrace | 16 – 20 | Wood | ||
| 1 – 4 | Deep | ||||
| 5 – 11 | Forest | Genasi | |||
| 12 – 20 | Rock | d20 | Subrace | ||
| d20 | Subrace | 1 – 5 | Air | ||
| 1 – 9 | Lightfoot | 6 – 10 | Earth | ||
| 10 – 18 | Stout | 11 – 15 | Fire | ||
| 19 – 20 | Ghostwise | 16 – 20 | Water | ||
How can you deal with reincarnation effects (feats and ability scores) on D&D 5e?
According to the Reincarnate 5e d&d spell text (PHB, page 271), “The reincarnated creature remembers its past life and experiences.” It retains the same capabilities like its original form, but it changes its race and racial traits to match.
The character has almost all of his former life’s features, including ASI feats and ability scores. The reincarnated character may be of a different race. It means that all race features (except ability scores) are lost, and the new race and components will be added.
It is that simple. You can’t alter ability scores, spells, ability scores, class, or any other features that were not acquired from the previous race. The character may have a vague memory of being an elf, but the new gnome body doesn’t work with the old elven features such as bow and longsword.
Reincarnate 5e is a fun way to relive your past life and experience. It retained all its abilities when it was in its original form, but it changes its race and alters its racial traits.
It means that some characters’ ability scores will be affected. A gnome who reincarnates as a half-orc will lose their +2 intelligence and +1 dexterity/constitution (or any other homebrews or books) and gain a +2 strength and +1 constitution.
The problem comes when a half-orc becomes a gnome wizard who has 20 intelligence. They become weaker as wizards and lose their natural intelligence. If you decide to become a Gnome Barbarian (which would be hilarious, but still) and get 20 strength through rolls, increases, and drops, you will lose the +2 strength you receive from a half-orc. 20 is the natural maximum.
My opinion is that there are two options.
- It is the truth of the matter. You have to accept the fact that you aren’t as good after your death as you once were.
- To give the character a race similar to their previous one, rig the reincarnation. Let them reincarnate as a half-orc if they are a half-orc. They are statistically identical, so it is not the end for the world if they switch.
Read: Play stupid games win stupid prizes
Level 5 transmutation spell
- Casting time: 1 hour
- Touch – Range
- Components: VSM (Rare oils or unguents of at least 1,000gp that the spell consumes).
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Classes: Druid
- Touch a dead or fragment of a deceased humanoid. The spell creates a new adult body and calls the soul to enter it, provided that the creature is dead for no more than ten days. The spell will fail if the target’s soul isn’t willing or free to use the magic to create a new adult body. The GM rolls a d100 and then consults the table below to determine the form of the creature when it is brought back to life. The reincarnated creature remembers its past life and experiences. It retained all its abilities when it was in its original form, but it changes its race and alters its racial traits.
Why is it that Druids are the only class capable of casting Reincarnate 5e d&d?
Reincarnation has the benefit of only requiring a small amount of the deceased to work. Although “revivify 5e” will do most of the dead-raising in a campaign, the Druid can help bring back the man who was disintegrated without using a 9th level magic.
There is no reason to do so mechanically. If they could access this spell, other classes wouldn’t suddenly become OP.
Druids must have Druid-only magical abilities. It takes away the uniqueness and individuality of the archetype if they don’t. Reincarnate is a natural fit for the Druid’s “circle-of-life” nature themes. The Druid doesn’t bring back your old self, but they allow a new self into the space that you left after you die.
Reincarnate 5e dnd Updated Table
| d100 | Race | Monstrous | Aasimar | ||
| 01 – 03 | Aarakocra | d20 | Subrace | d20 | Subrace |
| 04 – 05 | Aasimar | 1 – 3 | Bugbear | 1 – 8 | Protector |
| 06 – 08 | Dragonborn | 4 – 7 | Goblin | 9 – 15 | Scourge |
| 09 – 20 | Dwarf | 8 – 10 | Hobgoblin | 16 – 20 | Fallen |
| 21 – 34 | Elf | 11 – 14 | Kobold | Gith | |
| 35 – 37 | Firbolg | 15 – 17 | Orc | d20 | Subrace |
| 38 – 39 | Genasi | 18 – 20 | Yuan-Ti | 1 – 10 | Githyanki |
| 40 – 41 | Gith | 11 – 20 | Githzerai | ||
| 42 – 44 | Goliath | Tiefling | Dwarf | ||
| 45 – 51 | Gnome | d20 | Subrace | d20 | Subrace |
| 52 – 62 | Halfling | 1 – 4 | Asmodeus | 1 – 8 | Hill |
| 63 – 65 | Half Elf | 5 – 6 | Baalzebul | 9 – 15 | Mountain |
| 66 – 68 | Half Orc | 7 – 8 | Dispater | 16 – 20 | Duegar |
| 69 – 82 | Human | 9 – 10 | Fierna | ||
| 83 – 84 | Kenku | 11 – 12 | Glasya | Elf | |
| 85 – 86 | Lizardfolk | 13 – 14 | Levistus | d20 | Subrace |
| 87 – 89 | Monstrous | 15 – 16 | Mammon | 1 – 3 | Dark |
| 90 – 92 | Tabaxi | 17 – 18 | Mephistopheles | 4 – 5 | Eladrin |
| 93 – 95 | Tiefling | 19 – 20 | Zariel | 6 – 10 | High |
| 96 – 97 | Tortle | 11 – 13 | Sea | ||
| 98 – 100 | Triton | Gnome | 14 – 15 | Shadar-Kai | |
| d20 | Subrace | 16 – 20 | Wood | ||
| 1 – 4 | Deep | ||||
| 5 – 11 | Forest | Genasi | |||
| 12 – 20 | Rock | d20 | Subrace | ||
| d20 | Subrace | 1 – 5 | Air | ||
| 1 – 9 | Lightfoot | 6 – 10 | Earth | ||
| 10 – 18 | Stout | 11 – 15 | Fire | ||
| 19 – 20 | Ghostwise | 16 – 20 | Water | ||
