In Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, the Soul Cage is a powerful necromantic tool that allows spellcasters to capture and harness the essence of souls. It is a dark and intricate artifact that holds great potential for those who are willing to delve into the forbidden art of soul manipulation.
The Soul Cage appears as an ornate, often macabre, object crafted from various materials such as bone, obsidian, or blackened metal. It is designed with intricate carvings and symbols that signify its connection to the realm of death and the afterlife. The object itself can take many forms, including a reliquary, a jeweled amulet, or a darkly enchanted container.
The primary function of the Soul Cage is to capture and store the souls of deceased creatures. When activated, it creates a metaphysical link with the soul of a dying or recently deceased creature, allowing the wielder to imprison the soul within the artifact. The soul becomes trapped and contained within the Soul Cage, unable to move on to its final resting place or be reincarnated.
Once a soul is captured within the Soul Cage, the wielder gains control over its essence and can harness its power. This captured energy can be used for various purposes, such as fueling necromantic spells, enhancing magical abilities, or even granting temporary life to constructs or undead minions.
The Soul Cage also grants the wielder the ability to communicate with and extract knowledge from the captured soul. This allows for the potential acquisition of forgotten secrets, lost lore, or even personal information that the soul possessed in life.
However, the use of the Soul Cage is not without its consequences. The act of imprisoning souls is considered highly unethical and morally ambiguous, often regarded as a dark and forbidden practice. It is an act that goes against the natural order of life and death, and those who wield the Soul Cage may attract the attention of divine entities, righteous adventurers, or even vengeful spirits seeking justice.
Check also: Invulnerability 5e
Ultimately, the Soul Cage serves as a potent tool for those who are willing to explore the forbidden arts of necromancy and soul manipulation. It presents both opportunities and risks, offering great power at the cost of one’s morality and potentially attracting dire consequences from the forces that govern the balance between life and death.
Soul cage was a necromancy spell that temporarily trapped the soul of a recently deceased humanoid, allowing the caster to take advantage of it in several alternative ways
The spell, cast at the instant of death of a humanoid within a variety of 60 feet (18 meters), trapped the creature’s soul in a tiny cage for up to eight hours, or until the cage was destroyed. The creature whose soul was trapped couldn’t be revived while the spell was in effect.
Soul Cage 5e
- Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when a humanoid you can see within 60 feet of you dies
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M
- Duration: 8 hours
- Scales: No
- Casters: Warlock, Wizard
This spell snatches the soul of a humanoid because it dies and traps it inside the small cage you utilize for the material component. A stolen soul remains inside the cage until the spell ends or until you destroy the cage, which ends the spell. While you’ve got a soul inside the cage, you’ll exploit it in any of the ways described below. You’ll use a trapped soul up to 6 times. Once you exploit a soul
This spell snatches the soul of a humanoid because it dies and traps it inside the small cage you utilize for the fabric component. A stolen soul remains inside the cage until the spell ends or until you destroy the cage, which ends the spell. While you’ve got a soul inside the cage, you’ll exploit it in any of the ways described below. You’ll use a trapped soul up to 6 times. Once you exploit a soul for the sixth time, it’s released, and therefore the spell ends. While a soul is trapped, the dead humanoid it came from can’t be revived.
- Steal Life: You’ll use a bonus action to drain vigor from the soul and regain 2d8 hit points.
- Query Soul: You ask the soul an issue (no action required) and receive a short telepathic answer, which you’ll understand no matter the language used. The soul knows only what it knew in life, but it must answer you truthfully and to the best of its ability. The solution is not any quite a sentence or two and could be cryptic.
- Borrow Experience: You’ll use a bonus action to bolster yourself with the soul’s life experience, making your next attack roll, ability check or saving throw with advantage. If you don’t use this benefit before the beginning of your next turn, it’s lost.
- Eyes of the Dead: You’ll use an action to call an area the humanoid saw in life, which creates an invisible sensor somewhere therein place if it’s on the plane of existence you’re currently on. The sensor remains for as long as you concentrate, up to 10 minutes (as if you were concentrating on a spell). You receive visual and auditory information from the sensor as if you were in its space using your senses.
A creature that will see the sensor (such together using see invisibility or true sight) sees a translucent image of the tormented humanoid whose soul you caged.
The Soul Cage may be a block added by Soul Shards Respawn. Right-clicking it with a Soul Shard will insert it. It can then be retrieved by shift-right-clicking the Soul Cage.
Check also: Paladin Spells 5e
FAQs
Q: How does the Soul Cage work in D&D 5th Edition?
A: The Soul Cage in D&D 5th Edition is a magical item that allows spellcasters to capture and store the souls of deceased creatures. When activated, it forms a link with a dying or recently deceased creature’s soul, imprisoning it within the artifact. The wielder gains control over the captured soul’s essence, which can be used to power necromantic spells, enhance magical abilities, or animate undead minions. The Soul Cage also enables communication with the trapped soul, allowing the user to extract knowledge or information.
Q: Can the Soul Cage capture any soul?
A: The Soul Cage typically has limitations on the types of souls it can capture. Generally, it can only capture the souls of creatures that meet specific criteria, such as being within a certain distance or having a certain level of power. Dungeon Masters have the flexibility to determine these limitations based on the campaign setting or specific plot requirements.
Q: Are there any risks or consequences associated with using the Soul Cage?
A: Yes, using the Soul Cage carries significant risks and consequences. The act of imprisoning souls is widely regarded as morally questionable and may attract unwanted attention from divine entities, righteous adventurers, or vengeful spirits. Additionally, tampering with the natural order of life and death can have far-reaching consequences in the campaign world, potentially upsetting the balance and causing unforeseen repercussions.
Q: Can the Soul Cage release captured souls?
A: The ability to release captured souls depends on the specific mechanics of the Soul Cage established by the Dungeon Master. Some versions of the Soul Cage may allow the release of souls under certain conditions, while others may permanently bind the souls until destroyed or dispelled.
Q: Can characters use the Soul Cage to resurrect dead individuals?
A: No, the Soul Cage is not typically used for resurrection purposes. It is primarily a tool for capturing and harnessing the power of souls, rather than restoring life to deceased individuals. Spells like “Revivify” or “Raise Dead” is more appropriate for resurrection magic in D&D 5th Edition.
Q: Can the Soul Cage be destroyed or disrupted?
A: Yes, like any magical item, the Soul Cage can be destroyed or disrupted. Its durability and resistance to destruction depend on the specific details established by the Dungeon Master. It may require specific conditions or methods to destroy the Soul Cage, which could serve as a plot point or quest objective in a campaign.
Q: Can player characters obtain and use the Soul Cage?
A: The acquisition and use of a Soul Cage by player characters is subject to the discretion of the Dungeon Master. It may involve a unique quest, storyline, or moral dilemma. DMs can tailor the availability and consequences of the Soul Cage based on the campaign’s themes and the character’s choices and alignment.