A Magical 5E Wedding: Multiple Officiants, Unique Ceremony

The Ceremony spell in D&D 5e allows players to perform a wedding ceremony. The spell's description does not specify a maximum number of participants, only that there must be a minimum of two. This has led to discussions among players about the possibility of polygamous marriages in the game. While there may be practical limitations on the number of participants, such as the number of people who can fit within the spell's area of effect, the ultimate decision on the number of people who can be involved in a wedding ceremony is left to the Dungeon Master (DM).

Multiple people can be part of a wedding ceremony in 5e

The "Wedding" rite of the Ceremony spell grants each target a +2 bonus to AC for 7 days while they remain within 30 feet of each other. This bonus can be maintained indefinitely if the participants remain within range of each other, as there is no limit to how many times the spell can be cast. However, a creature can only benefit from this rite again if widowed, which may pose a challenge for polygamous groups wishing to maintain the AC bonus.

The inclusion of polygamy in a campaign is ultimately up to the DM's discretion, as is the determination of the specific rules and cultural context surrounding marriage in their setting. Some DMs may rule that for the AC bonus to be in effect, all participants must be within 30 feet of each other, while others may allow for a congo line effect, where each participant only needs to be within 30 feet of at least one other person in the group.

The Ceremony spell is available to Clerics and Paladins, and can be cast as a ritual by Clerics, preventing the need to expend a spell slot. However, it is not a popular or commonly used spell due to its limited applications and lengthy casting time of 1 hour.

The Wedding spell can be repeated infinitely

Firstly, the spell states that "a creature can benefit from this rite again only if widowed". This has been interpreted by some to mean that a character can only remarry if their previous spouse has died, which would limit the number of times the spell can be repeated. However, others have suggested that if all members of a group marriage were to die, the remaining character could simply remarry another group of people to receive the bonus again.

Additionally, the spell requires that all targets must be within 30 feet of each other to maintain the +2 AC bonus. This means that for a group marriage of three or more people, all members would need to stay very close to each other at all times to maintain the bonus, which could be impractical in combat situations.

The ability to infinitely repeat the Wedding spell has also led to some creative role-playing and strategic discussions. Some players have suggested that a character could marry and then kill their spouse each week to maintain the bonus, or that a group of adventurers could all marry each other to make the bonus more accessible to the party. These strategies could be seen as gamey and may not be well-received by all players or DMs.

It's worth noting that the Wedding spell is not just a mechanical bonus but also adds flavour to a wedding ceremony, whether it's between player characters or NPCs. Ultimately, it is up to the DM to decide how many creatures are allowed to be married using the spell and how the mechanics of the spell will be interpreted in their game.

The spell grants a +2 AC bonus for a week

This bonus can provide a significant advantage in combat, especially for front-line characters who are often the target of attacks. The spell is versatile and can be used on multiple people, making it a valuable tool for a party with diverse compositions.

It's important to note that the spell does not specify a maximum number of participants, only implying that there must be more than one. This flexibility allows for creative role-playing and unique party dynamics.

However, to maintain the bonus, the married characters must stay within range of each other. This can be challenging for larger parties or those with diverse roles and movement patterns.

Additionally, the spell's restriction on remarriage unless widowed adds an interesting layer of strategy and role-playing opportunities. It encourages creative thinking, such as using the Revivify spell to restore a fallen spouse and maintain the bonus.

Overall, the +2 AC bonus for a week provided by the spell is a powerful tool that can be utilised in various ways, adding an extra layer of depth to both combat and role-playing interactions.

The spell can be recast if the target is widowed

The Wedding Ceremony spell in 5e can be repeated infinitely, but only if the target is widowed. This has led to some players finding loopholes to game the system and gain a +2 AC bonus every week. One method is to marry an NPC, kill them, and then revive them, ready to be killed again the following week. Another method is to marry a Zealot barbarian, who can die and be resurrected for free. However, this goes against the spirit of the spell, which is intended to be a rare event.

The spell does not specify a maximum number of participants, but there are practical limitations. All participants must be within 10 feet of the caster and within 30 feet of each other to gain the bonus. This means that, in practice, there is a limit to the number of people who can be included in the spell.

The Wedding Ceremony spell can be used for polygamous marriages, as long as all participants are within range of each other. However, this could be difficult to manage, as all participants would need to stay within 30 feet of each other to maintain the bonus.

Some players have suggested using the Feign Death spell to trick the Wedding Ceremony spell into thinking that one of the spouses is dead, and therefore allowing the surviving spouse to remarry and gain the bonus again. However, this interpretation is not universally accepted, and some DMs may not allow it.

The spell is available to Clerics and Paladins

When cast as a ritual, the casting time increases to one hour and ten minutes. The spell is essentially six mini-spells in one, and when cast, the caster chooses one of the following ceremonies to perform:

• Atonement: The caster touches one willing creature whose alignment has changed and makes a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, the target is restored to its original alignment.
• Bless Water: The caster touches one vial of water and turns it into holy water.
• Coming of Age: The caster touches one humanoid who is a young adult. For the next 24 hours, the target can roll a d4 and add the number to any ability check. Each creature can benefit from this rite only once.
• Dedication: The caster touches one humanoid who wishes to dedicate themselves to the caster's god. For the next 24 hours, the target can roll a d4 and add the number to any saving throw. Each creature can benefit from this rite only once.
• Funeral Rite: The caster touches one corpse, and for the next seven days, the target cannot become undead by any means short of a Wish spell.
• Wedding: The caster touches adult humanoids willing to be bonded together in marriage. For the next seven days, each target gains a +2 bonus to AC while they are within 30 feet of each other. A creature can benefit from this rite again only if widowed.

The Wedding rite has been the subject of much discussion, with players and DMs interpreting the rules in different ways. Some have questioned whether the spell allows for polygamous marriages, as the wording does not specify marriage between only two humanoids. Additionally, there has been debate over the practical limitations on the number of participants, with the main constraint being the number of creatures that can fit within a 10-foot radius sphere of the caster. Ultimately, it is up to the DM to decide how many creatures are allowed to be married in the ceremony.

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