Beginner Tips for Healers in D&D

Summary

Choose cleric or paladin for a healing class.
Stock up on essential healing spells.
Always have backup healing options.

Although Dungeons and Dragons typically doesn’t emphasize “min-maxing” during character creation to create an overpowered (OP) character, it’s essential to have a character with some unique abilities that fit a particular role within the party. This could be the charismatic leader who can win over NPCs, the sturdy frontliner ready to lead the charge, or the damage dealer.

In any role-playing game (RPG) scenario, a frequently overlooked yet crucial position is that of the healer. While some may not find the job of nurturer appealing, healers tend to be the most admired characters as players often seek them out for healing after battles, particularly in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).

8. Pick the Right Class

Certain Classes Are Geared to Healing More Than Others

To create any character with a basic idea in place, selecting the suitable class for its role is crucial. For characters focused on healing, this decision becomes easier because there are just two main classes designed for this purpose, although one is often preferred over the other.

In essence, we’re talking about two classes: paladins and clerics. Paladins are essentially divine warriors, shining beacons who can alleviate some of their team’s suffering. Their Lay on Hands ability stands out because it doesn’t require the use of a spell slot. Clerics, on the other hand, are often viewed as the backbone of healing. They possess a wide array of healing spells, and one of their specialties, the Life Domain, is particularly effective at keeping allies in fighting shape during battle. For healers, either class offers an excellent starting point.

7. Pick up Plenty of Relevant Spells

A Healer is Only as Good as Their Spell List

Healers primarily depend on the spells they possess to maintain the health and vitality of their allies. Therefore, when selecting a healer, it’s crucial that they have an adequate number of spells available. Offensive spells should not be ignored entirely, but they shouldn’t overshadow the healing abilities either.

At all stages of a healer’s journey, essential healing spells like “cure wounds” and “healing words” should be easily accessible. This is particularly crucial for beginners who haven’t yet mastered more potent healing spells such as “mass cure wounds” or “mass heal”. However, these basic spells remain valuable even at higher levels, especially in emergencies. A few extra hit points they provide could tip the scale between life and death.

6. Always Have Back-Up Healing

Keep Up the Good Work Even With No Resources Left

An unexpected turn of events has occurred – every member of the team is injured and falling one by one, leaving the group vulnerable. After expending all resources during the previous battle, the healer finds themselves in a precarious situation. For those who weren’t prepared for such an outcome, it might lead to a character’s death or, at its worst, the entire party being wiped out (TPK). However, the healer can avoid this dire situation by having backup strategies available to keep their team fighting fit and able to confront the danger ahead.

In critical situations, items like the healer’s kit and healing potions become indispensable, as they can mean the difference between life and death. However, it’s important for healers to remember that these supplies are not inexhaustible. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep a close eye on used resources and replenish them promptly to prevent finding oneself without any spell slots or usable resources whatsoever.

5. Opt for a Feat to Aid in Healing

Skip the Ability Score Increase for a Healing-Focused Feat

At specific stages, players will have the choice to enhance their skill sets either by boosting their ability scores or by selecting a feat. Typically, players opt for the former since it allows them to strengthen weak areas or maximize the ones they use frequently. However, healers shouldn’t blindly mimic others and should also consider acquiring a few feats that can bolster their healing capabilities.

Skills like “chef” and “inspiring leader” are a handful of abilities that can increase the party’s hit points (HP), thereby enhancing their chances of success in the upcoming battles they may encounter.

4. Healers Must Also Look After Themselves

They Can’t Heal if They Are Dead

In simpler terms, it’s important for healers to stay alive and well-equipped, as their survival is crucial for the team. If a healer were to perish or become incapacitated, especially if they are the only one on the team with healing abilities, it would render them useless in future fights. Therefore, it’s essential for healers to keep their health in check and maintain a good supply of healing potions to avoid being defeated in the next encounter.

Instead of only relying on self-healing by staying back during battles, it’s crucial for them to occasionally cast healing spells on themselves to keep their health up. Additionally, they should not be the party leader, as this role is better suited for characters who can identify potential dangers like traps or handle a few surprise attacks that occur out of turn, such as rogues and barbarians.

3. Save Up Gold

Plenty of Coins are Needed for Resurrection Spells

Occasionally, even skilled healers may fail to revive all the injured, making it crucial to have a good stockpile of gold. This wealth can later be exchanged for valuable diamonds capable of casting potent resurrection spells, thus restoring fallen comrades and continuing the fight.

Healers should ensure they carefully select the appropriate resurrection spell, as some spells may come with specific conditions. For instance, the revivify spell can only be effective if the subject has recently perished, so it’s essential to have a 300gp diamond ready beforehand for its usage.

2. Keep Track of the Party’s Hit Points

Know Who to Heal, and When

In the traditional tabletop version of the game, it might be challenging to decide whom to heal and when, since there’s no immediate way to identify who needs healing or the current state of their character. Players would have to awkwardly peer at their friends’ character sheets or ask out loud who is injured. On platforms like Forge or Roll20, the virtual version of D&D, it becomes much simpler as DMs can show players the health bars of other characters, but not everyone has access to these tools.

For those not managing it, it would be beneficial to maintain a record with each character’s maximum health points (HP) and the damage they receive per turn, if applicable. Although this may seem laborious, being a healer involves diligence in ensuring your party stays alive. Having this information readily available will help you quickly identify characters who are most at risk of collapse, thus avoiding a situation where another turn passes and they fall, potentially leading to an uncontrollable escalation of combat.

1. Prevention is the Best Cure

Occasionally Encourage Avoiding Combat

As a fan, I often find myself contemplating that not every situation necessitates violence. Sometimes, we can dodge a fight and ensure our survival for another day. It’s wise to consider peaceful resolutions whenever possible, as they could potentially save lives and bring about better outcomes.

Here are several strategies for handling this situation:

1. Slip past the enemy group unnoticed.
2. Attempt to talk them out of fighting.
3. Intimidate them into retreating, but this requires a cleric with high charisma or delegating it to another party member who possesses a high charisma score, such as a bard, sorcerer, or warlock.
4. For stealth, the group must simply hope they pass the skill check.
5. Although not every fight should be avoided in this manner because it bypasses some of the Dungeon Master’s design, it is an effective way to prevent the party from needing healing right away.

2025-01-12 00:06