The False Life spell confuses a lot of DnD players. Our quick FAQ can help.
What is False Life Spell?
The spell’s text from the Basic Rules reads: “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.”
False Life 5e Stats
| Level | 1 |
| Casting Time | 1 Action |
| Range/Area | Self |
| Classes | Sorcerer, Wizard, Artificer |
| Components | Verbal, Somatic, Material* |
| Duration | 1 Hour |
| School | Necromancy |
| Attack/Save | None |
| Damage/Effect | Buff |
How does False Life work?
The point of False Life is to let Wizards or other spellcasting classes tank if they want. False Life gives you a pool of temporary hit points that is removed first when you take damage. At higher-level spell slots, this gives you a big HP buffer to work with as you rush to the front lines.
Can you cast False Life on others in 5e?
No. You can only cast False Life on yourself. However, a Wizard can cast Life Transference to transfer the temporary HP gained by False Life to others.
How many times can you cast False Life?
You can cast False Life as many times as you want as long as you have an action, but the temp HP of False Life doesn’t stack. False life also requires “a small amount of alcohol or distilled spirits” which is fun for roleplaying purposes. If you’re dry, you can’t cast it.
Is False Life in 5e a good spell?
Similar to Aid 5e, False Life is a low-risk HP booster. The invocation Fiendish Vigor lets Warlocks cast False Life at will without expending a spell slot, so False Life is basically free HP for Warlocks and super worth it.
We hope this FAQ clears things up, check out our other guides like Aasimar 5e, Magic Initiate 5e, or Chill Touch 5e if you’re fuzzy.
Kendra has always been a hardcore fantasy nerd. Growing up in the worlds of Tolkien, Sanderson, Jordan, and Abercrombie, DnD & board games just came naturally. She and her husband, Bryan, started GameCows.com in 2018 as a fun passion project that just took over their lives. An avid board gamer since childhood and chronic DnD chronicler for more than two decades, she loves to play, write, travel, and learn dead languages.