Home/Spells/Utility & Control/Simulacrum

Simulacrum

You shape an illusory duplicate of one beast or humanoid that is within range for the entire casting time. The duplicate is a creature, partially real and formed from ice or snow, and it can take actions and otherwise be affected as a normal creature. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has half the creature's hit point maximum and is formed without any equipment. Otherwise, the illusion uses all the statistics of the creature it duplicates. The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat. The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots. If the simulacrum is damaged, you can repair it in an alchemical laboratory, using rare herbs and minerals worth 100 gp per hit point it regains. The simulacrum lasts until it drops to 0 hit points, at which point it reverts to snow and melts instantly. If you cast this spell again, any currently active duplicates you created with this spell are instantly destroyed.

At a Glance

Level
7th
School
Illusion
Casting Time
12 hours
Range
Touch
Duration
Until dispelled
Concentration
No

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MechanicsCommon MistakesDM TipsSources

How Simulacrum Works

Casting Time12 hours
RangeTouch
ComponentsV, S, M (snow or ice in quantity sufficient to make a life-size copy of the duplicated creature; some hair, fingernail clippings, or other piece of that creature's body placed inside the snow or ice; and powdered ruby worth 1,500 gp, sprinkled over the duplicate and consumed by the spell)
DurationUntil dispelled

Available to:

Wizard

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake
Allowing simulacrums to cast simulacrum to create infinite copies (this doesn't work - the duplicate lacks the spell slot)
Common Mistake
Not enforcing the 1,500 gp ruby cost
Common Mistake
Forgetting the simulacrum can't regain spell slots or level up
Common Mistake
Allowing multiple simulacrums at once - creating a new one destroys the old one

DM Tips

DM Tip
This is a powerful but expensive spell primarily used for utility and backup
DM Tip
The 12-hour casting time means it's preparation, not combat magic
DM Tip
Consider the roleplay implications of creating a duplicate of yourself or an ally
DM Tip
The spell is often used to create a duplicate of the caster to cast spells while the real caster is safe

Sources & Further Reading