Echo of the Departed

You call forth the lingering spirit of a creature that died within a 60-foot radius of the point where you perform this ritual and that has been dead for no more than 10 years.

Choose a dead creature you know died within the area. If you don't know the identity of a qualifying creature, you can instead describe it using information known to you, such as “the most recent person to die here” or “the guard who was killed in this room.” If more than one creature matches your description, the DM determines which spirit appears. If no creature qualifies, the spell fails.

The spirit appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you as a spectral likeness of the creature as it appeared near the time of its death. The spirit is conscious and retains the memories, personality, languages, and knowledge it possessed in life up to the moment of its death.

You can ask the spirit up to five questions during the spell's duration. The spirit understands any language it knew in life and answers in such a language. It isn't compelled to answer truthfully and can be evasive, hostile, misleading, or silent according to its personality and disposition toward you.

The spirit can't know anything that occurred after its death unless it knew or anticipated that information while alive.

The spirit is intangible and can't attack, cast spells, manipulate objects, or otherwise physically affect creatures or objects. It can move through creatures and objects and has a Fly Speed of 30 feet (Hover), but it can't move more than 30 feet from the point where the ritual was completed.

The spirit can't be damaged or affected by other creatures unless an effect specifically affects spirits or incorporeal undead.

When the spirit answers the fifth question, when the spell ends, or when you dismiss it (no action required), it disappears.

This manifestation isn't a return to life and doesn't interfere with the creature being restored to life.

Material Components: A fistful of salt, incense, and at least 25 GP in gold coins, all of which the spell consumes.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of level 4 or higher, the maximum time since the creature's death increases: 50 years with a level 4 slot, 100 years with a level 5 slot, 500 years with a level 6 slot, and any amount of time with a level 7 or higher slot.