Candle of Invocation icon: a candle in a holder
Icon by Lorc, CC BY 3.0

Candle of Invocation 5e magic item

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement) · 2024 version below

Type
Wondrous Items
Rarity
Very Rare
Attunement
Required
Price (2014)
5,001–50,000 gp (DMG value range)
Price (2024)
20,000 gp

This slender taper is dedicated to a deity and shares that deity's alignment. The candle's alignment can be detected with the detect evil and good spell. The GM chooses the god and associated alignment or determines the alignment randomly.

d20Alignment
1-2Chaotic evil
3-4Chaotic neutral
5-7Chaotic good
8-9Neutral evil
10-11Neutral
12-13Neutral good
14-15Lawful evil
16-17Lawful neutral
18-20Lawful good

The candle's magic is activated when the candle is lit, which requires an action. After burning for 4 hours, the candle is destroyed. You can snuff it out early for use at a later time. Deduct the time it burned in increments of 1 minute from the candle's total burn time.

While lit, the candle sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius. Any creature within that light whose alignment matches that of the candle makes attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks with advantage. In addition, a cleric or druid in the light whose alignment matches the candle's can cast 1st-level spells he or she has prepared without expending spell slots, though the spell's effect is as if cast with a 1st-level slot.

Alternatively, when you light the candle for the first time, you can cast the gate spell with it. Doing so destroys the candle.

Candle of Invocation in the 2024 rules

The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide revised the magic items, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed:

Same rarity and attunement; the text is reworded for the 2024 rules glossary.

Type
Wondrous Item
Rarity
Very Rare
Attunement
Required

This candle's magic is activated when the candle is lit, which requires a Magic action. After burning for 4 hours, the candle is destroyed. You can snuff it out early for use at a later time. Deduct the time it burned in increments of 1 minute from its total burn time.

While lit, the candle sheds Dim Light in a 30-foot radius. While you are within that light, you have Advantage on D20 Tests. In addition, a Cleric or Druid in the light can cast level 1 spells they have prepared without expending spell slots.

Alternatively, when you light the candle for the first time, you can cast Gate with it. Doing so destroys the candle. The portal created by the spell links to a particular Outer Plane chosen by the GM or determined by rolling on the following table.

1d100Outer Plane1d100Outer Plane
01–05Abyss55–59Gehenna
06–10Acheron60–64Hades
11–17Arborea65–69Limbo
18–25Arcadia70–77Mechanus
26–33Beastlands78–85Mount Celestia
34–41Bytopia86–90Nine Hells
42–46Carceri91–95Pandemonium
47–54Elysium96–00Ysgard

Other very rare wondrous items

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