Commune with Ghosts

You perform a ritual that gathers any spirits lingering within range. The spirits appear as faint apparitions surrounding you in a circle. Other creatures can only see these apparitions if they possess Truesight or are under the effects of the See Invisibility spell or similar magic. The voices of the spirits can only be heard by creatures who possess a deep connection with death (including yourself), such as creatures who have died and been revived.

Until the spell ends, you may speak directly with the spirits. The spirits cannot communicate in any language they did not know in life, and they are not compelled to speak or tell the truth. Even helpful spirits often behave irrationally and are somewhat disconnected from reality. Recently deceased spirits may still be recognizable and maintain aspects of their personality. Older spirits appear more blurred and may only be able to speak in fragments or not at all.

Becoming a conduit for wayward souls takes a toll on your mind and your life force. At the end of the ritual (or when you lose concentration while communing with the dead), make a WIS saving throw with the DC determined at your DM's discretion. On a failure, you take 2d6 necrotic damage and become temporarily overwhelmed by the wills of the spirits. Roll on the Short-Term Madness table to determine what action you take. This effect lasts 1 minute or until cured. On a success, you take half damage and suffer no other ill effects.

Attempting this ritual too frequently can make you more vulnerable to the corruption of the undead. Failing the WIS saving throw a second time before a long rest increases the necrotic damage to 4d6 and the duration of the Short-Term Madness effect increases to 10 minutes (or until cured). Failing the WIS saving throw a third time before a long rest increases the necrotic damage to 6d6 and you must roll on the Long-Term Madness table instead. This madness lasts until cured or until you complete a long rest. You cannot concentrate on this ritual while under the effects of madness.