Magic Jar

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• Level: 6
• School: Necromancy
• Class: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: Self
• Components: V, S, M (a gem, crystal, or reliquary worth 500+ GP)
• Duration: Until dispelled

Your body falls into a catatonic state as your soul leaves it and enters the container you used for the spell's Material component. While your soul inhabits the container, you are aware of your surroundings as if you were in the container's space. You can't move or take Reactions. The only action you can take is to project your soul up to 100 feet out of the container, either returning to your living body (and ending the spell) or attempting to possess a Humanoid's body.

You can attempt to possess any Humanoid within 100 feet of you that you can see (creatures warded by a Protection from Evil and Good or Magic Circle spell can't be possessed). The target makes a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, your soul enters the target's body, and the target's soul becomes trapped in the container. On a successful save, the target resists your efforts to possess it, and you can't attempt to possess it again for 24 hours.

Once you possess a creature's body, you control it. Your Hit Points, Hit Point Dice, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Speed, and senses are replaced by the creature's. You otherwise keep your game statistics.

Meanwhile, the possessed creature's soul can perceive from the container using its own senses, but it can't move and it is Incapacitated.

While possessing a body, you can take a Magic action to return from the host body to the container if it is within 100 feet of you, returning the host creature's soul to its body. If the host body dies while you're in it, the creature dies, and you make a Charisma saving throw against your own spellcasting DC. On a success, you return to the container if it is within 100 feet of you. Otherwise, you die.

If the container is destroyed or the spell ends, your soul returns to your body. If your body is more than 100 feet away from you or if your body is dead, you die. If another creature's soul is in the container when it is destroyed, the creature's soul returns to its body if the body is alive and within 100 feet. Otherwise, that creature dies.

When the spell ends, the container is destroyed.

Tactical Usage

Magic Jar represents one of the most powerful and dangerous spells available, requiring meticulous planning and risk assessment before use. The spell excels in infiltration scenarios where possessing specific individuals provides access to restricted areas, information, or resources. Use it to assume the identity of key NPCs for intelligence gathering, though the 1-minute casting time requires secure preparation space. The spell provides incredible versatility by allowing access to different creature capabilities, potentially gaining superior physical statistics, special abilities, or social positions. Position the container in an extremely secure location, as its destruction means instant death. The 100-foot tether range requires careful positioning to maintain operational flexibility while ensuring container security. Consider using the spell to escape certain death situations by transferring to a healthier body, though this represents an extreme tactical decision with severe moral implications.

Spell Combinations

Magic Jar synergizes powerfully with divination spells used to identify optimal possession targets with useful abilities or strategic positions. Combine with scrying or clairvoyance to scout potential hosts from safety before committing to the spell. Use invisibility or etherealness to position yourself and the container without detection during the lengthy casting process. The spell works well with charm or suggestion effects applied before possession attempts, potentially reducing target resistance. Pair with contingency spells that activate upon death to prevent permanent loss if possession goes wrong. Combine with simulacrum or clone spells to provide backup bodies in case the original is lost. Use alongside mind blank or similar protections to prevent mental detection while possessing others. The spell benefits from dimensional anchor effects preventing possessed creatures from using teleportation to escape your influence range.

Material Component Details

The spell requires a gem, crystal, or reliquary worth at least 500 gold pieces, representing a significant financial investment that becomes permanently consumed when the spell ends. The container must be of exceptional quality, typically a flawless gem with perfect clarity or a masterwork reliquary crafted with precious metals and religious significance. Many practitioners prefer gems with historical significance or magical properties, believing they provide better soul containment. The container serves as both a phylactery for the caster's soul and a prison for displaced souls, requiring careful selection based on both monetary value and symbolic appropriateness. Some wizards commission custom containers designed specifically for this spell, incorporating protective wards and emergency release mechanisms. The container's physical properties might influence the possession experience, with different materials providing varying levels of sensory clarity or magical resonance.

Creator Notes

Magic Jar presents significant narrative and ethical challenges that require careful consideration in campaign integration, as it fundamentally involves stealing another creature's body and agency. The spell's power level demands serious consequences and limitations to prevent campaign disruption or player abuse. Consider the legal, social, and religious implications of possession within your campaign world, as most societies would consider this among the most heinous magical crimes. The spell creates complex identity questions when possessed creatures take actions or make decisions that affect their reputation or relationships. Be prepared for moral debates about consent, identity, and the nature of the soul within your narrative framework. The spell's failure conditions provide natural dramatic tension, but ensure players understand the genuine risk of permanent character death. Consider how detection magic, religious authorities, or other magical protections might identify or prevent possession attempts.

Environmental Interactions

The container's physical security becomes paramount, as environmental hazards that might destroy it represent lethal threats to the caster regardless of their current body. Areas with intense magical fields might interfere with the soul's tether to the container, potentially causing disconnection or communication disruption. Planar boundaries or dimensional instabilities can complicate the spell's function, possibly preventing return to the container or causing unpredictable side effects. Anti-magic fields immediately end the spell, forcing soul return to the original body if possible. The possessed body must operate within normal environmental limitations, but the caster retains their mental faculties and knowledge even in unfamiliar physical forms. Extreme environments that would damage the container, such as intense heat, cold, or corrosive atmospheres, create additional tactical considerations. The spell's function might be affected by areas of strong divine or necromantic influence that interfere with soul manipulation magic.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Possession attempts against creatures protected by Protection from Evil and Good or Magic Circle automatically fail without allowing saving throws or triggering the 24-hour prohibition. The target must be a humanoid specifically; other creature types cannot be possessed regardless of intelligence or magical nature. Once possessing a body, the caster uses their own mental statistics, skills, and spellcasting abilities while adopting the host's physical capabilities and senses. The possessed creature remains conscious and aware within the container but cannot take any actions or communicate except through magical means that don't require physical interaction. Death of the possessed body requires a Charisma saving throw against the caster's own spell save DC, creating interesting mechanical interaction where higher-level casters are more likely to survive. The 100-foot range applies to all aspects of the spell: initial possession attempts, maintaining control, and returning to the container.

Alternative Applications

Beyond direct possession for infiltration, Magic Jar serves various strategic purposes in complex magical scenarios. Use it as an escape mechanism from dying or severely damaged bodies, transferring to healthier forms when facing certain death. The spell provides unique opportunities for experiencing different physical capabilities, potentially learning about creature abilities or testing theoretical magical applications. Apply it to interrogation scenarios where possessing enemies provides direct access to their knowledge and memories, though this raises severe ethical concerns. The spell can serve diplomatic purposes in extreme situations where assuming another's identity is necessary for preventing greater catastrophes. Use it to protect important allies by temporarily housing their souls in the container while their bodies recover from otherwise fatal conditions. The spell provides research opportunities for wizards studying the nature of consciousness, identity, and the relationship between soul and body.

Related Spells

Magic Jar belongs to the highest tier of necromantic magic focused on soul manipulation, sharing thematic elements with spells like Clone, Soul Cage, and Imprisonment. Compare it to possession-based effects like Dominate Person or Geas, which control behavior without transferring consciousness. The spell relates to body-swapping effects and magical identity changes found in high-level transmutation magic. Consider it alongside protective spells like Protection from Evil and Good, which specifically defend against possession attempts. The spell connects to planar magic that deals with soul travel and extraplanar consciousness, such as Astral Projection or Etherealness. Contingency spells often pair with Magic Jar to provide safety mechanisms for its dangerous applications. The spell shares conceptual space with other high-level spells that provide alternative forms of existence or consciousness transfer.

Scaling Analysis

Magic Jar does not scale with higher spell slots, maintaining its base effects regardless of the spell slot level used to cast it. The spell's power level is already at the peak of what mortal magic can achieve in terms of consciousness manipulation, making additional scaling potentially game-breaking. Its effectiveness scales with the caster's tactical preparation, target selection, and understanding of the risks involved rather than raw magical power. At the level where this spell becomes available, characters typically face threats that justify its extreme nature and significant costs. The spell's utility increases with character level as access to more powerful potential hosts and better magical defenses for the container become available. The spell remains relevant throughout high-level play because its unique capabilities cannot be replicated by other magic, regardless of power level. Consider the spell's strategic value in relation to other 6th-level options, as its specialized nature makes it situation-dependent despite its incredible power.

Narrative Flavor

When cast, Magic Jar begins with an elaborate ritual where the caster's life force slowly separates from their physical form, causing their body to collapse into a peaceful, death-like state while their consciousness flows into the chosen container. The container begins to glow with an inner light that pulses in rhythm with the caster's heartbeat, becoming a mystical anchor point for their disembodied soul. As the possession attempt begins, ethereal tendrils of consciousness extend from the container toward the target, creating visible distortions in the air as two souls struggle for dominance over a single physical form. Successful possession manifests as a brief moment where the target's eyes flash with otherworldly light before settling into an expression that, while familiar, carries subtle differences that hint at the foreign consciousness within. The displaced soul creates a faint reflection or shadow within the container, visible to those who look closely as a ghostly impression of the original personality trapped within the mystical prison. Throughout the possession, the container continues to pulse with life energy, serving as both anchor and potential death sentence for the consciousness that dares to use such forbidden magic.