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When it comes to healing in Dungeons & Dragons, spells like Cure Wounds or Healing Word are always going to come in clutch. But, what happens when you’ve run out of spell slots, or, your main healer is knocked unconscious? Well, that means it’s time to get creative.
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So, how can you increase your healing without spells? There are a handful of different methods, and luckily, most of these are available to every single class, meaning you don’t just have to be playing a support class to heal. Here’s everything you need to know to maximize your healing in D&D without spells.
How To Heal Without Spells
Across the world of Dungeons & Dragons, there are a number of different ways you can heal people without using healing spells. Here’s a breakdown of each method.
|
Healing Ability |
Type |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Healing Potions |
Crafting & Items |
The primary way to heal your allies in Dungeons & Dragons is to use healing potions. These items can be found, bought, or crafted, and subsequently used to bring your team back from the brink. |
|
Features & Traits |
Abilities |
Some features might allow you to heal without using a spell, as well as some general feats. |
|
Magic Items |
Crafting & Items |
Finding magical items that restore health, but don’t necessarily cast spells, can be immensely helpful. This is great for non-spellcasters, who may be able to attune to items like this, even though they’re technically magic. |
|
Tools |
Equipment |
Certain tool sets and equipment can help heal allies who have fallen on the battlefield. Just be careful to keep proficiency and other abilities in mind when employing tools to help heal allies. |
|
Medicine |
Abilities |
Every player can make Medicine checks to attempt to administer first aid on the field of play. |
All of the above methods are your best bet when it comes to acting as a healer without needing to use spells. Any character of any class can employ one of the above methods.
Don’t be afraid to get creative when it comes to healing. Even if you don’t have exactly the right item at your disposal, talk to your DM in the moment and see if you can contrive a creative solution if you’re trying to stabilize a fallen compatriot.
Healing Potions
Healing Potions come in many different shapes and sizes in Dungeons & Dragons. Depending on the tier of potion, you’ll produce more healing.
|
Potion Type |
HP Healed |
Item Rarity |
|---|---|---|
|
Potion of Healing |
2d4 + 2 |
Common |
|
Potion of Healing (Greater) |
4d4 + 4 |
Uncommon |
|
Potion of Healing (Superior) |
8d4 + 8 |
Rare |
|
Potion of Healing (Supreme) |
10d4 + 20 |
Very Rare |
While these items can be bought in magic shops or even found during adventures, you can also craft these items for yourself. This is your best bet for making sure you can maximize your healing output without the need for spells.
However, crafting healing potions takes time. A regular Potion of Healing, for example, takes a full day and eight hours of work.
One thing some DMs will allow is for you to split your healing potion among multiple allies. While this isn’t always allowed, you can maximize your healing output greatly in this way.
For example, you could ask to split a Potion of Superior Healing among two party members, giving them each 4d4 + 4 healing each.
Because Potions of Healing will always get your ally conscious again, sometimes splitting them up, or using a minor one just to get your friend back up is worth it.
Features And Traits
Another great way to maximize your healing output without using spells is to use species features, class features, or even general/origin feats from the Player’s Handbook.
While some of these are magical, all of these abilities do not use specific spells.
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Magic Items
In addition to standard use items like Potions of Healing, you can also help heal your team with magic items that offer healing abilities.
Some magic items may offer healing, but usually through the use of casting spells. For this section, we’re looking at magic items that offer healing without spells.
Here are just a few examples of magic items that can offer healing boons without using spells.
|
Magic Item |
Rarity |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Cauldron of Rebirth |
Very Rare (Requires Attunement) |
You can use this item to create a Potion of Greater Healing, taking only one minute. |
|
Periapt of Wound Closure |
Uncommon (Requires Attunement) |
While wearing this pendant, whenever you roll a Hit Point Die, you can double the number of Hit Points it restores. |
|
Mariner’s Armor |
Uncommon |
While wearing this armor, if you start your turn underwater with zero Hit Points, you immediately regain 1d4 Hit Points. |
|
Periapt of Health |
Uncommon (Requires Attunement) |
While wearing this pendant, you can take a Magic action and regain 2d4 +2 Hit Points once per day. |
Another way you can maximize your healing output without the use of spells is through tools and equipment sets.
Similar to magic items, you should also talk to your DM about crafting nonmagical items that might be able to restore help through homebrew.
These tools not only allow you to craft items that can help you heal, but can heal in their own right. Here’s a breakdown of both of them.
|
Tool/Equipment |
Type |
Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Herbalism Kit |
Tools |
By using an Herbalism Kit, you can craft Antitoxins or Potions of Healing. |
|
Healer’s Kit |
Adventuring Gear |
By taking the Utilize action, you can expend one of ten uses to stabilize an unconscious creature. |
Medicine
Lastly, you can also use the Help action to make a DC 10 Medicine check to try to stabilize a creature. This is similar to the use of a Healer’s Kit, but you must roll to see if you are successful.
Keep in mind that stabilizing a creature also resets their Death Save tracker. Though simply keeping a creature may not seem like a huge deal, it can make the difference between life and death.
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