OVERALL RATING: F-TIER

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Spare the Dying 5e

In the 2014 rules, Spare the Dying was widely considered one of the worst cantrips in the game. It required you to touch a dying ally — putting yourself in danger — just to do something a 5 GP item (the Healer’s Kit) could do just as well.

The 2024 update buffed the cantrip, making it a ranged spell, with range that scales as you level up. While this solves the safety issue, the fundamental problem remains: in 5e combat, stabilizing an ally is rarely as good as healing them up.

Below, I break down the new range mechanics, compare it to the humble Healer’s Kit, and explain why Spare the Dying is still likely not worth taking.

What Does Spare the Dying Do in 5e?

Spare the Dying instantly stabilizes a creature with 0 Hit Points.

Mechanically, this means the target stops making Death Saving Throws. They remain Unconscious (at 0 HP) but are no longer at risk of dying unless they take damage again. Unlike a Medicine check, this spell does not require a roll; it automatically succeeds as long as the target is not already dead.

The spell’s range starts at 15 feet and doubles at levels 5, 11, and 17, eventually allowing you to stabilize allies from 120 feet away.

Spell Rating: Spare the Dying

Overall: 🩹 F-Tier (Just Don’t)

Contextual Performance (1-10)

• Combat: 2/10. The 2024 range buff prevents you from having to run into melee to save a friend, which is certainly improvement. However, the spell still consumes your Action and fails to bring the ally back into the fight. In the 5e action economy, an unconscious ally deals 0 damage. A Healing Word (Bonus Action) wakes them up and lets them take a turn. This spell is strictly a “Plan Z” option when you are out of spell slots.

• Exploration: 1/10. Unlikely to be useful.

• Social: 1/10. You might be able to use it for dramatic effect in an execution scene or a hospital, but it is largely irrelevant in social settings.

Core Metrics (1-10)

• Raw Power: 1/10. Spare the Dying restores 0 Hit Points. It removes the threat of death, but still leaves your party down a member.

• Versatility: 1/10. It does one thing, and it’s not even that good at that thing..

• Efficiency: 5/10. Spare the Dying has one thing going for it: it costs no spell slots and has a 100% success rate.

• Scaling: 3/10. The range scaling is whatever. Sure, it’s better than nothing, but it doesn’t make the cantrip any more worth taking…especially since you’ll have access to much more powerful options by the time its range scales significantly.

Playstyle and Synergy

• Playstyle: This spell is for the “Pacifist Healer” or the “Out of Slots” emergency. You generally only cast this when the Cleric is completely tapped on resources but needs to stop the Rogue from bleeding out 30 feet away.

• Party Synergy: None. This spell halts momentum rather than creating it.

What Are the Rules for Spare the Dying in 5e?

The rules for Spare the Dying in the 2024 Player’s Handbook are straightforward, but there are a few nuances:

• It works on 0 HP creatures only. You cannot “pre-cast” this on a conscious ally to give them a buffer. The target must currently be at 0 HP.

• It does not the target up. A stable creature is still Unconscious. They do not regain consciousness until they regain at least 1 Hit Point, or until 1d4 hours have passed (PHB 2024, pg. 29).

• You don’t need to be able to see your target. The spell specifies “a creature within range.” It does not specify “that you can see.” However, general spellcasting rules require a Clear Path to the Target (PHB 2024, pg. 238). If you are separated by a wall of force or total cover, the spell will fail.

Is Spare the Dying 5e a Good Spell?

No, Spare the Dying is not a good spell in 5e. While the 2024 update improved it by adding range, it still suffers from being an Action-cost effect that leaves an ally Unconscious.

In optimization terms, the best condition to inflict on an enemy is “Dead,” and the best condition to grant an ally is “Conscious.” Spare the Dying achieves neither. It is a safety net that competes with much better options (Healer’s Kits and Healing Potions) and consumes a valuable Cantrip slot that could be used for combat or utility.

Spare the Dying 5e DM Tips

DMs often struggle with the tension of “Death Saves” when players have easy access to stabilization. Spare the Dying can remove the tension from a downed player immediately.

To keep the stakes high, remember that intelligent enemies know what this spell looks like. If a Cleric stabilizes a downed Fighter, a ruthless enemy might decide to attack the unconscious Fighter again to force failed death saves (melee attacks against unconscious targets are auto-crits, causing 2 failed saves). Don’t let the players feel too safe just because they have this cantrip.

On the other hand, if your players are picking Spare the Dying, they are 100% not optimizers. That means you might want to take it a bit easier on them, and reward them for taking a clearly suboptimal spell by not immediately going for the ally they’ve stabilized with Spare the Dying.

DnD 5e Spare the Dying FAQ

1. Does Spare the Dying wake you up? No, Spare the Dying does not wake the creature up. It only stabilizes them. A stabilized creature remains unconscious at 0 Hit Points. To wake them up, they must regain at least 1 Hit Point (via a potion or spell like Healing Word) or wait 1d4 hours.

2. Does Spare the Dying work on constructs? The 2024 spell description does not explicitly exclude Constructs or Undead in the target clause (it says “Choose a creature”), but historically and logically, Constructs do not make death saving throws in the same way living creatures do. However, the 2024 text simply says “Choose a creature… that has 0 Hit Points and isn’t dead.” This implies it should work on any creature type that makes death saves.

3. Is Spare the Dying a bonus action? No, Spare the Dying has a casting time of 1 Action. Only the Grave Domain Cleric (from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) has a feature allowing them to cast it as a Bonus Action.

Matt Zane

Author, DnD Lounge

Matt Zane started DnD Lounge in 2021. Matt began playing DnD 5e in 2015, and has been DMing since 2017. He loves optimization, but also enjoys looking for creative ways to use spells and abilities that follow the spirit and letter of the rules. He also eschews pure optimization in favor of a more balanced approach, where building a character is primarily about serving an interesting story arc and party dynamics rather than maxing out DPR.