Essential Salts

6th-level necromancy (formula)

Casting Time: 1 hour (5 phases of 12 minutes and no penalty for interruptions when cast as a formula)

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, D (an outline of the target, generally filling its space), M (alchemical metal shavings worth 1,500 gp for diagram, which the spell consumes), SC (0 to 9, chanting from text; +1 bonus on formula ability checks for every 3)

Formula Ability Checks: Intelligence with alchemist’s supplies or Wisdom (Yog-Sothothery) DC 20 (diagram), Intelligence (Arcana) or Wisdom (Yog-Sothothery) DC 20, Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Yog-Sothothery) DC 20

Formula Backlash: 5d4 psychic damage to primary caster and 5 psychic damage to secondary casters

Formula Failure: Magically frightened for 8 hours and one level of exhaustion

Duration: Until dispelled

You magically alter one creature or its remains that you can see within range. For the duration, the creature can be reduced to a small amount of finely powdered essential salts. Doing so simply requires reciting an incantation called “dragon descending” as an action. While in salt form, the target can be restored to life by reciting another incantation, “dragon ascending,” within 60 feet of the salts as an action or by spilling a few drops of blood from a creature of the same species as the target on the salts. The creature is revived with hit points equal to half its maximum and a –4 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks. The penalty is reduced by 1 each time it finishes a long rest. Incomplete remains return as a creature whose body is as incomplete as when they were reduced to essential salts (potentially leaving the creature dead, in which case the spell ends) unless the creature succeeds on a Constitution saving throw. The save DC is equal to 10 + half the target’s level or challenge rating. Even ashes and disintegrated dust can be the target of this spell, but the Constitution saving throw has disadvantage if the body had no intact parts. If essential salts is dispelled, the creature or dust returns to the form of a living creature or remains, as it was when essential salts took effect.