Ceremony 5e Spell

The aged Paladin had performed thousands of ceremonies in his lifetime. Funerary rites, coming of age, and simple blessings. Each one seemingly small when compared on a cosmic scale.

As the Paladin performed the Wedding ceremony for what seemed like the thousandth time, binding two souls together through magic and promises, he couldn’t think of any service he performed being more important.

What is Ceremony Spell?

This spell provides a way for those allied with the ethereal to bless others. If your character plays the long religious game, Ceremony might be a good choice for your spell list. 

According to Xanathar’s Guide to Everything:

You perform one of several religious ceremonies. When you cast the spell, choose one of the following ceremonies, the target of which must be within 10 feet of you throughout the casting.

The ceremony spell belongs on the lists of Cleric and Paladin. Your character performs one of a few rituals that have different, temporary, positive effects on the target or targets. 

Ceremony 5e Stats

Level	1
Casting Time	1 Hour
Range/Area	Touch
Classes	Cleric, Paladin
Components	Verbal, Somatic, Material*
Duration	Instantaneous
School	Abjuration
Attack/Save	Intelligence (Atonement only)
Damage/Effect	Buff

What Ceremonies Can You Perform?

Atonement

In this ceremony, your character can restore the alignment of another character. During the course of a DnD campaign, you may encounter certain situations that change the alignment or the way your character behaves.

Alignments range between Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil. They have a significant effect on the way a player interacts with the world. Players start with one alignment, but many different factors may cause this alignment to change.

Characters might also want to return to their original alignment. The ceremony spell is a way to do that. Typically alignment change is a long process. With the ceremony spell, it only takes one hour of casting time. 

Bless Water

With this ceremony, the player can make a vial of regular water holy. 

Coming of Age

This ceremony only works on young characters once. After participation in this ceremony, the player gains an extra d4 to a rolled saving throw for the next 24 hours. Coming of Age could help a young warrior fare better in a particularly tough battle.

Dedication

If your character has devoted themself to a god using this spell, they can initiate others to serve that god. This ritual gives the target plus d4 to any saving throw for 24 hours. 

Funeral Rite

If your character performs the ceremony funeral rite, they prevent the dead target from being turned undead for the next 7 days. Someone can only turn the dead target if they use the Wish spell. 

Investiture

This ritual allows your character to grant another player the power to cast a spell from your list. You must use a spell slot and whatever components you typically use to cast the spell. The gifted player must use the spell within the hour, or it wears off within the hour.

Wedding

If you find two adult characters that would like the bonds of marriage, you can perform the wedding ceremony. Wedding gives players +2 to AC when they are within 30 feet of each other for the next 7 days. Wedding can only benefit a player once unless they are widowed. 

How Does Ceremony Work in 5e?

The caster takes an hour to perform one of the above ceremonies using the required materials. Each ceremony grants particular benefits to the targets.  

Which Classes Can Use Ceremony? 

Clerics and Paladins will find the Ceremony spell on their spell lists. Bards and Divine Spell Sorcerers also have opportunities to grab this spell. Characters connected with the divine can use this spell to perform certain rites befitting a spiritual leader. 

Is Ceremony a Good Spell?

The spell’s usefulness depends on the DM, the players, and the campaign. If the DM wants to play strictly by the rules, the Paladin and Cleric may think twice before choosing this spell. They must consider the time it takes to cast and the implications of casting. If the DM is more lenient, it may be a valuable addition to a spell list. 

Some rituals are helpful to perform before battles, such as Coming of Age. Blessing water might sound good in a pinch if you need to fight. However, the spell Ceremony costs as much as a vial of holy water at the general store. 

This spell has a lot of potential, however, it won’t fit every campaign. It can be incredible in a long-term multi-session campaign where the characters grow, fulfill their grand destinies, and learn from their adventures.

Paladins can benefit from this spell because preparing it allows them to cast specific rituals. This spell is not so great for a murder hobo whose only goal is chaos. When deciding on any spell, it is important to consider the environment. The same goes for Ceremony.