The role of a healer is paramount in the multifaceted realm of Dungeons & Dragons, where adventurers consistently navigate treacherous dungeons and face formidable foes. Beyond the flashy spells of destruction and the strategic maneuvers of combat, healers are the backbone of any adventuring party, ensuring their comrades stay standing in the face of adversity. Certain incantations stand out as the pinnacle of healing prowess within the expansive repertoire of spells available to spellcasters.
20 Regenerate
| 7th-Level Transmutation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Minute |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature you touch |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: A prayer wheel and holy water |
| Duration: | 1 Hour |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid |
Regenerate is one of the most potent 5e spells. When the spell begins, the target regains as much as 4d8+15 HP. They may regain up to 10 HP each minute throughout the hour-long spell. Even more impressive, Regenerate can help creatures regain their severed limbs within two minutes. If the spellcaster has access to the severed limb, holding the part onto the stump will have the limb “tie” itself to the stump before healing. This spell is handy to help Subclasses eager to engage in battle despite the risks.
Regenerate is one of the most potent 5e spells. When the spell begins, the target regains as much as 4d8+15 HP. They may regain up to 10 HP each minute throughout the hour-long spell. Even more impressive, Regenerate can help creatures regain their severed limbs within two minutes. If the spellcaster has access to the severed limb, holding the part onto the stump will have the limb “tie” itself to the stump before healing. This spell is handy to help Subclasses eager to engage in battle despite the risks.
19 Mass Cure Wounds
| 5th-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 60 Feet |
| Target: | A point of your choice within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid |
Mass Cure Wounds has the potential to be an extremely potent healing spell. Using Verbal and Somatic components, players may utilize an action to cast this instantaneous spell with a 60-foot range. When activated, up to six creatures within a 30-foot-radius sphere receive 3d8 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier worth of Hit Points. The amount of healing gets a 1d8 boost for every Spell Slot higher than the standard 5th level.
Despite Mass Cure Wounds’ multi-target nature, its high Spell Slot cost might not make it worth using. It may be a better strategy to reserve 5th-level Spell Slots for damage-dealing Spells and use lower-level Slots for minor healing. This spell can be helpful for a large party, but for a 5th-level spell, its 3d8 healing can feel low. However, it may have redeeming qualities when used with Beacon of Hope, filling up the maximum HP of each creature it affects.
18 Heroes’ Feast
| 6th-Level Conjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 10 Minutes |
| Range: | 30 Feet |
| Target: | A point of your choice within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: A gem-encrusted bowl worth 1,000 GP |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid |
Healers only need 10 minutes to cast this spell with Verbal, Somatic, and Material components. Once they finish, Heroes’ Feast materializes a fantastic feast for up to 12 creatures to enjoy. All participating creatures gain a 2d10 increase in both HP and HP Maximum. They also now roll Wisdom Saves with advantage. Lastly, these creatures gain immunity to being frightened and poisoned. These benefits last 24 hours, which can become enough time for the heroes to outlast a significant encounter or even an entire session.
This spell may not be the best in an emergency. It’s more of a technical healing that visualizes the preparatory feast or an ending celebration. The benefits make it best used as a pre-battle feast. The 2d10 healing on top of the same amount of Temporary Hit Points can make it a beneficial preemptive healing ability.
17 Aura Of Life
| 4th-Level Abjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 30-foot radius from self |
| Target: | Self |
| Components: | Verbal |
| Duration: | Concentration (10 Minutes) |
| Classes: | Cleric, Paladin |
Despite many having the appearance of hulking juggernauts, Paladins in Dungeons & Dragons remain beacons of virtues represented by their convictions. While still usable by Clerics, the Aura of Life remains a popular Spell used by holy warriors. This 4th-level Abjuration Spell releases a 30-foot radius burst of life energy from the caster. Throughout the Spell’s 10-minute radius, the aura moves alongside the caster, granting them and everyone around them Resistance to Necrotic Damage and removing any effects that may reduce Hit Point Maximum.
However, what makes Aura of Life extremely valuable is how non-hostile living creatures inside its radiating light will get 1 Hit Point should they begin their turn at 0 Hit Points. Since a creature at 0 Hit Points will immediately start rolling Death Saves, a caster with Aura of Life can practically stop party members from entering the brink of death. While it’s true that 1 HP party member may still be a liability in combat, other party healers may be able to whip out a potion or alternative healing Spell to get everyone up to speed.
16 Greater Restoration
| 5th-Level Abjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature you touch |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: Diamond dust worth 100 GP |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid |
Resident healers in D&D who seek to cure an ally of a status effect may resort to Lesser Restoration for minor ailments. However, Greater Restoration proves to be a more dependable spell in critical situations. Its designation as a 5th-level Abjuration and its need for Verbal, Somatic, and Material Components reflect the gravity of the conditions it addresses.
When invoked, Greater Restoration can alleviate various afflictions tormenting a target: a level of Exhaustion, an effect like Charm or Petrification, a reduction in Ability Scores or HP, or a curse including those caused by Magic Items. Additionally, Greater Restoration can restore amputated body parts. If a player loses a limb or more in a grueling battle, a caster proficient in Greater Restoration can facilitate the regrowth of their lost appendages.
15 Virtue
| Abjuration Cantrip | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature you touch |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | 1 Round |
| Classes: | Cleric |
Virtue comes to D&D via Unearthed Arcana: Starter Spells, published in 2017. As a nonstandard spell in fifth-edition, players interested in this Abjuration Cantrip should discuss its viability with their DM. Though it lacks magical power, Virtue can emerge as the ideal spell to bolster players during desperate final efforts in an epic encounter.
When activated, a spellcaster channels Virtue to infuse vitality into someone they touch, granting them temporary hit points equal to 1d4 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier for the round’s duration. Despite this spell’s modest healing potential, it could provide just the boost needed for the party to secure the kill or for the stalwart tank to hold the line and facilitate their companions’ escape.
14 Beacon Of Hope
| 3rd-Level Abjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 30 Feet |
| Target: | Any creatures within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Concentration (1 Minute) |
| Classes: | Cleric |
Clerics often embody more than just a healer; they symbolize a pillar of faith amidst adversity. Beacon of Hope captures this essence, requiring only the Cleric’s Verbal and Somatic Components to unleash a radiance of optimism upon selected creatures within a 30-foot radius.
Throughout the spell’s minute-long duration, the Cleric’s concentration sustains continuous buffs, granting advantages to Wisdom Saves and Death Saves while maximizing the potential healing from any hit point recovery spell. Even without a secondary healer, harnessing the most remarkable healing benefits from a simple Potion of Healing within the Beacon of Hope can significantly aid the party in enduring dungeons without opportunities for rest.
13 Healing Spirit
| 2nd-Level Conjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Bonus Action |
| Range: | 60 Feet |
| Target: | A visible point of your choice within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Concentration (1 Minute) |
| Classes: | Druid, Ranger |
Healing Spirit is a crucial spell for Druids and Rangers, offering versatile healing capabilities with its simple casting requirements of Verbal and Somatic components during a Bonus Action. While concentrating for up to a minute, this spell summons a transparent spirit within a five-foot cube that can bestow 1d6 Hit Points of healing to any creature entering its space within a 60-foot range. Additionally, the caster retains the ability to maneuver the spirit up to 30 feet as a Bonus Action, potentially providing substantial healing of up to one plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier worth of hit points before fading away.
Despite its situational nature, Healing Spirit proves indispensable in battles where the healer enjoys ample space to concentrate effectively, functioning as a valuable mass-healing asset for up to 10 rounds. However, the requirement for concentration may pose a challenge to the caster, necessitating support from allies to safeguard their focus and ensure uninterrupted healing throughout the encounter.
12 Healing Word
| 1st-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Bonus Action |
| Range: | 60 feet |
| Target: | A visible creature within range |
| Components: | Verbal |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid |
Players often experience a rapid increase in health as they level up, potentially reducing the perceived impact of spells like Healing Word in later stages of the game. However, this meager spell distinguishes itself with its swift casting time, requiring only a Bonus Action and verbal components to reach allies within a 60-foot range. This versatility makes it a valuable support spell, offering 1d4 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier of healing to targets, though it does not affect constructs or undead. Notably, its healing potency increases by 1d4 for every Spell Slot above 1st Level, enhancing its effectiveness in critical situations.
Despite the availability of spells like Cure Wounds with more significant healing potential, Healing Word excels as a practical choice for emergencies. Its Bonus Action casting enables players to promptly aid incapacitated allies while retaining their Action for other tasks, ensuring swift assistance in dire circumstances.
11 Cure Wounds
| 1st-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature you touch |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger |
Spellcasters proficient in healing often turn to Cure Wounds as a reliable aid to their allies. With its ability to heal a target for 1d8 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier, Cure Wounds becomes a staple healing spell in the early stages of adventuring. Moreover, its potency increases with higher-level Spell Slots, making it adaptable to various situations.
However, it’s important to note that Cure Wounds does not affect constructs or undead. While novice spellcasters may find Cure Wounds invaluable in lower-level encounters, especially when compared to Healing Word, its effectiveness diminishes in later adventures. As enemies become more formidable, the damage they inflict may outpace the healing capabilities of the spell, rendering it less viable in combat scenarios.
10 Mass Healing Word
| 3rd-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Bonus Action |
| Range: | 60 Feet |
| Target: | Up to six visible creatures within range |
| Components: | Verbal |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Cleric |
Some argue that Mass Healing Word offers a more efficient alternative than Mass Cure Wounds, as it leaves room for other crucial emergency healing spells. This instantaneous spell operates swiftly, using a Bonus Action and a verbal component to heal up to six chosen creatures for 1d4 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier. Despite appearing as a replication of Healing Word on a larger scale, its utility proves invaluable, particularly in larger parties where immediate, group-based healing is paramount.
While Mass Healing Word is essential for healers seeking effective batch healing, its relatively high Spell Slot cost compared to its healing output may limit its effectiveness in routine scenarios. However, its ability to swiftly address multiple targets in dire situations makes it crucial to have prepared for emergencies, ensuring that healers can provide timely support to their allies when needed most.
9 Goodberry
| 1st-Level Transmutation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | Self |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: A sprig of mistletoe |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Druid, Ranger |
Goodberry is a valuable spell that offers quick healing for those in need. With a casting time of one action, the spell conjures ten magical berries into the caster’s hand, each capable of restoring 1HP for up to 24 hours. While the healing may seem modest individually, these berries can provide a crucial buffer to prevent party members from being knocked out or aid in post-battle recovery.
Moreover, Goodberry is a practical solution for adventurers embarking on extended journeys, eliminating the need to carry cumbersome rations. Its ability to provide daily sustenance enhances its utility and makes it a valuable asset for resourceful travelers. Despite its seemingly modest healing capacity, Goodberry remains a reliable source of extra HP, particularly in lower-level encounters. It is a prudent choice for both Druids and Rangers seeking self-sustaining options without heavy reliance on traditional healing methods.
8 Spare The Dying
| Necromancy Cantrip | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A living creature that has 0 hit points |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Cleric |
Spare the Dying is one of the most indispensable Cantrips within the Cleric’s repertoire, holding the power to instantly stabilize any living creature at 0 Hit Points with a mere touch. Even non-clerics can access Spare the Dying by choosing the Magic Initiate feat, allowing them to use it once per long rest. This feature can unexpectedly rescue allies from the brink of death in critical moments.
Knowing when to employ Spare the Dying is crucial. While its “free-cast” nature makes it a lifesaver in safe and accessible settings, mainly when other healers are present, players are better off utilizing more efficient healing spells like Healing Word once higher-level Spell Slots become available.
7 Lesser Restoration
| 2nd-Level Abjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature you touch |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Artificer |
Lesser Restoration is a vital asset for any party, especially when facing formidable opponents who rely on debilitating status conditions to hinder combat effectiveness. Despite not being a traditional healing spell, it provides a crucial means of countering conditions like Poisoned, Paralyzed, Deafened, or Blinded, which can render party members ineffective in battle. With its quick activation requiring a single action and a touch to afflicted creatures, Lesser Restoration swiftly neutralizes these hindering effects, ensuring the party can maintain its combat readiness.
Its instantaneous effect enables party members to swiftly return to battle without prolonged incapacitation, reinforcing its importance in ensuring the team remains effective against adversaries. Though it may require the expenditure of a 2nd-level Spell Slot, Lesser Restoration becomes indispensable when maintaining combat efficacy is paramount, offering a vital means to counteract debilitating effects and keep the party functioning at its best.
6 Aid
| 2nd-Level Abjuration | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 30 Feet |
| Target: | Up to three creatures within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: A strip of white cloth |
| Duration: | 8 Hours |
| Classes: | Cleric, Paladin, Artificer |
Aid stands out as one of the most effective support spells in D&D 5e. It offers lasting benefits, extending its effects over eight hours. Casters can activate Aid with a single action, bestowing a +5 boost to the Hit Point maximum of three creatures within 30 feet. This bonus can be further augmented by an additional +5 for each Spell Slot above 2nd Level.
While the initial +5 increase to Hit Point Maximum may seem modest, when coupled with Temporary HP bonuses from feats like Inspiring Leadership, Aid becomes a crucial prelude to long journeys and challenging encounters. It can offer essential buffs before traversing treacherous terrain or confronting powerful adversaries. The spell’s 8-hour duration and three-target limit make it ideal for pre-combat preparation and mid-combat support, and it can provide emergency healing to raise fallen allies or fortify combat-ready party members.
5 Gentle Repose
| 2nd-Level Necromancy | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A corpse or other remains |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: A pinch of salt and a copper piece per eye |
| Duration: | 10 Days |
| Classes: | Cleric, Druid, Wizard |
Spellcasters may initially find it surprising to encounter Gentle Repose in a list of recommended healing spells. While it may lack direct healing capabilities, experienced adventurers recognize its value when contending with powerful adversaries or intricate plotlines involving significant NPCs.
Gentle Repose enables casters to preserve remains, such as a corpse, by protecting them against decay for ten days while preventing the corpse from being reanimated as an undead creature. This spell proves invaluable to parties seeking to extend the window for performing resurrection rituals, such as Raise Dead, particularly when acquiring the necessary components presents a logistical challenge. By thwarting attempts to convert corpses into enemy undead, Gentle Repose is a strategic safeguard against potential threats from major villains seeking to exploit fallen comrades.
4 Life Transference
| 3rd-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 30 Feet |
| Target: | A visible creature within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Cleric, Wizard |
Life Transference presents an unexpected addition to Clerics’ spell repertoire, offering a unique option that demands careful consideration. Though casting the spell requires an action, its effects are immediate: the caster willingly suffers 4d8 necrotic damage to bestow double that amount in healing upon a chosen target. The potency of this spell increases with higher-level Spell Slots, augmenting both the damage inflicted and the potential healing output.
Due to its inherent peril, many players use Life Transference as a last resort. The significant self-inflicted damage, averaging 20 with a maximum potential of 80, poses a substantial risk, particularly for spellcasters with lower hit points. However, the spell’s ability to provide significant healing to tanks or damage dealers in critical moments can drastically shift the momentum of a battle, making it a compelling option when victory hangs in the balance.
3 Revivify
| 3rd-Level Necromancy | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | Touch |
| Target: | A creature that has died within the last minute |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic, Material: Diamonds worth 300gp |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Artificer, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger |
Revivify is vital for healers, overshadowing other healing spells with its versatility. This instantaneous spell, requiring Verbal, Somatic, and Material components, can restore a deceased creature to one hit point if they perished within the last minute. Its swift execution makes it invaluable amid battle, ensuring the party’s resilience and cohesion even in mortal peril.
While Revivify may not address more complex issues like restoring missing limbs or reversing death by old age, it’s immediate impact and quick revival make it indispensable in numerous scenarios. Even in the frantic aftermath of combat, the fleeting moments within the minute offer healers a critical window to revive fallen allies, underscoring the spell’s crucial role in preserving the party’s unity and survival against formidable foes.
2 Prayer of Healing
| 2nd-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 10 Minutes |
| Range: | 30 Feet |
| Target: | Up to six visible creatures within range |
| Components: | Verbal |
| Duration: | Instantaneous |
| Classes: | Cleric, Paladin |
Prayer of Healing emerges as a cornerstone among healing spells in any spellcaster’s repertoire, distinguished by its extensive area of effect. It extends its healing to up to six targets within a 30-foot radius, restoring a substantial 2d8 plus the casting player’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier. Furthermore, its potency increases with higher-level Spell Slots, adding 1d8 of healing for each level beyond 2nd.
Despite its protracted casting time and limited efficacy in combat scenarios, Prayer of Healing proves indispensable during prolonged adventures where access to conventional healing methods may be scarce. In circumstances where retreating to town or establishing a campfire is impractical, the spell offers vital healing that could shield the party from imminent perils, ensuring their continued resilience and preparedness for forthcoming challenges.
1 Heal
| 6th-Level Evocation | |
| Casting Time: | 1 Action |
| Range: | 60 Feet |
| Target: | A visible creature within range |
| Components: | Verbal, Somatic |
| Duration: | Instant |
| Classes: | Cleric, Druid |
Heal may seem daunting due to its high spell level requirement, but its effectiveness surpasses other healing spells available to healers who can cast spells at this level. With a casting time of one action and requiring Verbal and Somatic components, Heal acts instantly, restoring an impressive 70 hit points to any creature within a generous range of 60 feet while curing ailments such as deafness and blindness.
The consistent 70 Hit Points of healing offered by Heal can prove pivotal for the party’s survival, enabling members like Wizards to swiftly return to battle or Barbarians to make a courageous last stand. Despite the considerable investment of a 6th-Level Spell Slot, Heal remains a reliable combat spell, ideal for emergencies and encounters against formidable foes where its immediate healing can turn the tide of battle in the party’s favor.
The role of healers is a linchpin of survival in Dungeons & Dragons. Amidst the myriad spells available to spellcasters, certain incantations become quintessential tools of healing prowess. From the transcendent restoration of Revivify to the life-saving burst of Heal, each spell serves as a pillar of light in the darkest of dungeons and the most harrowing of battles. With their unwavering dedication and mastery of the healing arts, healers uphold the spirit of camaraderie and fortitude, guiding their party through the perils of their adventures with steadfast resolve and boundless compassion.
