Healing Word 5e D&D Guide

In 5e, healing is vital. This is especially true if you live on a planet where everything wants you dead. 

Faerun, which is a land of healing magic and a place where people can heal by touching or speaking, is a blessing. 

The healing word spell is a lifesaver both for veterans and novice adventurers.

This guide will show you how to use one of the most powerful healing spells in 5e.

What is the Healing Word?

These are the statistics for the healing word as per the Player’s Handbook.

The Healing Word

Healing Word
  • Level: 1st
  • Casting time: 1 bonus act
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V
  • Duration: Instantaneous
  • Classes: Bard, Cleric, and Druid
  • School: Evocation
  • Attack/Save: None
  • Healing/Damage

You can see any creature you choose within your range, and it will regain hit points equal to 1d4 + the spellcasting ability modifier. This spell does not affect undead or constructed creatures.

Higher Levels: The healing of this spell increases by 1d4 each time you cast it using a slot level of 2nd or higher.

It is the first-level spell. This means that the Bard and Cleric classes can obtain it very quickly. 

Because it requires a voice component, you don’t need to use any other vocal components to cast it. 

You don’t have to touch your target to heal them, unlike other healing abilities found in the early games.

You can heal 1d4 points of damage and increase your spellcasting modifier. This is a great way to bring people back from near death at the beginning of the game. 

You get more d4 dice as the game progresses. 

You will receive 2d4, 3d4, and 4d4 dice for each level of spell slots. 

You can also burn spell slots to restore health at higher levels.

This spell is very useful and an excellent option for bards, druids, and clerics to add to their arsenal of spells. 

It only requires a bonus action to cast, so it teleports up its usefulness.

What makes the Healing Word so good?

Everyone loves the healing word because of the 5e economy. The game’s actions are almost all actionable. 

You get two actions per turn: attacking takes action, moving takes action, and casting spells takes action. 

You can get bonus actions at no cost.

Read Also:  Aura of Vitality 5e D&D Guide

Action economy refers to how you make your actions work during combat. 

If you cast the spell to heal the fighter and do 10 damage, but the insect enemy does 15 damage the next turn, that’s a bad action economy. 

Because a bugbear that is dead won’t wound anyone, you could have used the spell slot to damage them.

The healing word now uses a bonus action, and, while it still takes up a spell slot, you can move about the battlefield and attack an enemy as well as heal. 

Your bard or druid may use cantrips. Your cleric can also attack with his weapons, deal damage to the enemy, or apply debuffs.

You can stop fights faster if you do not cause damage but also heal your allies. 

Your party can take less risk if you end fights quickly.

What is the Best Time to Use a Healing Word?

You need to be cautious when using healing words, as they can eat up spell slots. 

In combat, there are two ways to heal: in combat and out of combat. But before we get into that, let’s look at an adventuring day.

Some adventuring groups and DMs love the combat aspects of D&D.

They may have many encounters each day or slog through dungeons every single week. While that’s great, other DMs prefer to concentrate more on roleplaying or social encounters. 

Combat in these games can be rare or even avoided completely by the clever use of skills and spells.

It’s easy to identify the type of group that you are in. This will impact how often your healer or you do any healing. 

If you’re the kind of person who has many encounters per day, you might choose to heal only when you have to deal with very large threats. 

A few goblins might come at you and cause some scratch damage, but not enough to merit a healing word. 

The party may be attacked by beholders, which requires all healing spells.

It all depends on the group you are in and how your DM sets up their encounters. 

Because not everyone needs healing, good DMs can tailor encounters to the party’s requirements. 

However, you should use it as often as possible. 

Healing can still be beneficial even if you take advantage of both the short and long-rest mechanisms.

Healing in Combat

If a battle drags on, or a party member is in danger of dying, then you should be focusing on healing. 

By using healing words, you can save your life if combat with skeletons or a lich lord is getting progressively worse and your frontline fighters have fallen to half their health.

Read Also:  Firbolg 5e D&D Guide

You can still move and participate in the fight with melee strikes or damaging cantrips, especially since Healing Word is a bonus ability. 

While long fights against boss monsters are the best way to heal D&D, it is important to be careful as even goblins can sometimes get lucky with their rolls.

Healing Outside of Combat

These are great for healing outside of combat. A short rest is a great way for your heroes to recover their strength and breath after a few fights, or a mishap in a dungeon.

As long as they are safe and have an hour to spend, it’s possible to take a brief rest. 

A quick healing word is a good way to get the injured back on their feet if a brief rest has been taken, or if it is not recommended.

Most people recommend that you use the higher-level healing spells in combat if there are many of them.

They can be used for healing purposes outside of combat.

What is a ‘Healing’ word?

Some healing spells can be used to help you get into the magic realm of roleplaying. 

Your character will focus on the injury and then restore the body to its original state. 

Your character will lay a hand on an injured person to allow healing magic to flow from their hands. 

How does a healing word work? It is simply a verbal component. What is the word in healing words?

It can be anything you want. If they add flair to their spells, it can give your character depth and add depth to roleplaying. 

It can be a word that commands the body’s healing power. This is a great option for serious characters. 

Sometimes it could be a prayer or the name or symbol of a god or goddess to a paladin

You can also have a sillier character say ‘Stop dying’, ‘Get up!’

It is possible to change the healing word to whatever you like, or simply say, “My character casts healing words at 3rd level.”

However, it is much more fun to add some flavor to your spells.

Do I need to use Mass Healing Word?

If you’re a cleric who wants to be the MVP of healing, you should learn Mass Healing Word.

Mass Healing Word

3rd Level Evocation

  • Casting Times: 1 Bonus Action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V
  • Duration: Instantaneous
  • Classes: Cleric

You can call out words for restoration to up to six creatures you choose. They will gain hit points equal to 1d4 + the spellcasting ability modifier. 

This spell does not affect undead or constructed creatures. At higher levels: This spell increases the healing by 1d4 each level above 3.

Read Also:  D&D 5e: Grease 5e Guide

The mass healing world works in the same way as the healing word but can affect up to six creatures. 

These creatures can be your party members, allies, NPCs, or NPCs provided they aren’t undead or constructed. 

This spell is great for saving lives if your party is involved in many fights, or locked in combat against a boss or very tough enemy. 

You can also save your AoE healing spells if you have bards or druids with you. They can use their single-use healing words for smaller wounds, while you save the rest.

FAQ Healing Word

What Do I Need to Be a Healbot?

Most clerics function as heal bots. This means that they are characters who have no offensive or defensive abilities but can heal quite a bit. 

This can make it tedious to play and can also trivialize encounters. If the cleric is down, but the rest of the party is still up, they have no healer.

Although it may seem sensible to have healing words and potions on hand, it is not necessary as often as you might think.

There are many options for healing, including the rest mechanic and healing from NPCs. You can heal your entire party, but you also have the option to get offensive and defensive skills that will help you in other ways.

Do I Need to Be a Cleric?

Clerics are the best healers in the game. However, bards and druids can also use the healing word. 

Even though you may not be the greatest healer, a timely healing word can save the day regardless of who it comes from. Bards are also a great option.

The abilities of Druids include the ability to heal and boost their allies. You don’t have to be from one of the religious faiths to heal. Anyone can heal.

Is the healing word the best option for low-level healing?

Cure wounds and healing words are two of the most popular spells for low-level characters. But which one is better? 

Cure wounds heal more than the Healing words, but you must also touch your target to cure them. You must also take action.

This means you have to first move towards your target, then touch him. The healing word is less effective but more versatile.

The healing word can be used to cast a few healing spells but still allows you to attack and do other actions. 

While the healing word is a battle spell and cure wounds is an excellent spell for use outside of combat, where everyone can rest, it is faster and more effective than other options for healing wounds.