Healing Word the Bonus Action Level 1 Spell just might be my favorite. Your thoughts?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

It reads:

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on Undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the Healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Range 60 ft

1 Bonus Action

Verbal components. Bard, Cleric, Druid

This one is one of my favorites! At first glance it doesn't appear to do much. What's a stinkin D4 + ability modifier good for you ask?

Well, that is plenty great for a PC rolling death saves I say!

Its borderline broken good. Your buddy is down and out of action, healing word him and you still get to make an attack. Your Cleric is 55 feet away from you and holds the key to opening the gate but she's rolling death saves? Poof, you can heal her and not even have to bother running over there.

The only weakness is if an enemy is doing tons of damage having 5 hit points + your hit points maximum leaves you vulnerable to being one shotted.

A house rule in one of my games has players getting negative hit points. The players seemed to like it so I let it roll. In that game I've actually could see Healing Word upcast a level or two in a pinch. As it is my Bard at another table only upcasts it when she is out of level 1 slots.

There is the sometimes forgotten limitation on spell casting between your action and bonus action. Essentially if you cast a leveled spell in one you can only cast cantrips in the other. To my knowledge this does not affect your reaction.

[solidork]

On my War Cleric the only in-combat healing I almost always prepare is Healing Word and Heal.

[DivisibleByZero]

There is the sometimes forgotten limitation on spell casting between your action and bonus action. Essentially if you cast a leveled spell in one you can only cast cantrips in the other. To my knowledge this does not affect your reaction.

If you cast any spell as a bonus action, you may not cast another spell in the same turn unless that spell is a cantrip.
This has no affect on your reaction.... unless you wanted to cast a reaction spell on your turn, in which case you cannot, because you would be restricted to a cantrip and there are no reaction cantrips.

[sir_argo]

My trickster cleric, who says, "I'm not a healer," carries Healing Word as his only healing spell. He specifically picks people up off the ground from range all the time, saying, "the gods aren't done with you yet."

Tactically, it gets people off the ground without losing your action. I find that very useful.

[Snowbluff]

Healing word is fantastic for keeping your buddies fighting.

Another good spell they get is Spiritual Weapon, which basically gives them a bonus action attack, and makes war cleric look like a value-less joke.

[MrStabby]

Yeah, I have seen people pick healing word with magic initiate a few times. One use per day is still not bad when it comes to saving somebody's life. It just gives a bit more resilience to the party when even the fighter can heal.

[Quoxis]

Definitely one of the spells at least one character per party should have.
It loses somewhat in usefulness when you’re fighting larger groups of enemies because the healing is pretty much negligible in terms of hp, unless you’re lucky with initiative order, but it’s still a great spell.

[MaxWilson]

As an aside: note that whoever you pop back up to 1 HP is still prone until they stand up on their turn, so they don't get to move as far as usual and enemies still have advantage on attacks until they do stand up.

But yes, so-called "pop-up healing" is very powerful in 5E, to the point where many DMs find it unsatisfying and change the rules for what happens at 0 HP.

[Snowbluff]

As an aside: note that whoever you pop back up to 1 HP is still prone until they stand up on their turn, so they don't get to move as far as usual and enemies still have advantage on attacks until they do stand up.

But yes, so-called "pop-up healing" is very powerful in 5E, to the point where many DMs find it unsatisfying and change the rules for what happens at 0 HP.

I’ve had DMs in AL start attacking downed players so there’s at least a threat of them dying. :smalltongue:

[Grear Bylls]

I’ve had DMs in AL start attacking downed players so there’s at least a threat of them dying. :smalltongue:

Yes, in fact that's how Santa Claus died. Legit. My paladin Saint Nick died to a bunch of stone warriors in ToA. Now a Grung with a medical degree is trying to save his butt.

[Willie the Duck]

But yes, so-called "pop-up healing" is very powerful in 5E, to the point where many DMs find it unsatisfying and change the rules for what happens at 0 HP.


I’ve had DMs in AL start attacking downed players so there’s at least a threat of them dying. :smalltongue:

All in all I find Healing Word to be really good right up until I realize what kind of play it incentivizes.
A monster tactically bright in-universe should make IRL tactically stupid actions (attacking downed foes while there are still enemies up and trying to kill you). Mind you, there are other things like that--fireball disincentivizes formation tactics--and the game has come a long way from a low resolution reality emulator, but still, this is one more step in a direction I dislike.

And further down the casual line, attacking downed opponents in turn makes playing dead a suicidal idea, and kills the potential for a character to be 'left for dead' and wake up in on the battlefield, having to crawl back wounded to friendly territory, which is a great concept.

[Edgerunner]

I’ve had DMs in AL start attacking downed players so there’s at least a threat of them dying. :smalltongue:

I had an AL 'Kill Crazy' DM that would do that.
Completely Ignore the Champion that just hit him three times just to kill a downed PC.
Needless to say but I no longer play with that particular DM.

[Snowbluff]

Yeah, attacking helpless opponents is a pretty awful idea. I’ve had it come up in my 3.5 PBP game recently, and it saved the unconscious warlock because the clericzilla and artificer were much greater threats. However, given how optimized my friends and me can be, it’s probably just the GM trying to generate some drama. :smalltongue:

[MaxWilson]

Yeah, attacking helpless opponents is a pretty awful idea. I’ve had it come up in my 3.5 PBP game recently, and it saved the unconscious warlock because the clericzilla and artificer were much greater threats. However, given how optimized my friends and me can be, it’s probably just the GM trying to generate some drama. :smalltongue:

Figure out in advance what the monster's goals are. Are they trying to wipe PCs out as a military force in order to defend their territory against incursion, or just trying to grab a bite to eat, or something else? If they are trying to wipe the PCs out, are they aware of the possibility of healing magic/abilities like Healer? The answer to those questions about monster motivations and knowledge will make it plain what a monster's behavior ought to be w/rt PCs who appear to be dead or dying.

[Grear Bylls]

Well, Nick already had the Death Curse, and had jumped into the pit on his own volition to keep the warlock from having the same happen to him. Nick was the only one there, warlock was teleported, and I had to go early anyway. Besides, the DM was a cool dude, so I wasn't that upset

[PandaPhobia]

It reads:

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on Undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the Healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Range 60 ft

1 Bonus Action

Verbal components. Bard, Cleric, Druid

This one is one of my favorites! At first glance it doesn't appear to do much. What's a stinkin D4 + ability modifier good for you ask?

Well, that is plenty great for a PC rolling death saves I say!

Its borderline broken good. Your buddy is down and out of action, healing word him and you still get to make an attack. Your Cleric is 55 feet away from you and holds the key to opening the gate but she's rolling death saves? Poof, you can heal her and not even have to bother running over there.

The only weakness is if an enemy is doing tons of damage having 5 hit points + your hit points maximum leaves you vulnerable to being one shotted.

A house rule in one of my games has players getting negative hit points. The players seemed to like it so I let it roll. In that game I've actually could see Healing Word upcast a level or two in a pinch. As it is my Bard at another table only upcasts it when she is out of level 1 slots.

There is the sometimes forgotten limitation on spell casting between your action and bonus action. Essentially if you cast a leveled spell in one you can only cast cantrips in the other. To my knowledge this does not affect your reaction.
Nah, man. easily the best multi-purpose spell in the game is wall of force. Our party was running from an army of demons and we all had wall of force, so we just kept casting it. The lead demon kept running into the invisible barriers we were putting up, and we eventually did it so much he died from the blunt force trauma.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Nah, man. easily the best multi-purpose spell in the game is wall of force. Our party was running from an army of demons and we all had wall of force, so we just kept casting it. The lead demon kept running into the invisible barriers we were putting up, and we eventually did it so much he died from the blunt force trauma.

That kicks butt. Neat use of it. A slow death of D4 damage lol.

Wall of Force is a 5th Level spell though. Healing Word might help get my partners to level 9 to cast it.

[Chunkosaurus]

This spell is especially good for the valor and swords bard you get to attack twice and still use your bonus action to give some more health

[Quoxis]

I had an AL 'Kill Crazy' DM that would do that.
Completely Ignore the Champion that just hit him three times just to kill a downed PC.
Needless to say but I no longer play with that particular DM.

Same here, Hill Giant spent 2/3 of his turn curb-stomping my Druidlock while the party barbarian cut his friends into convenient bite sized shreds.
I always have like 5257658 characters built as backup, so it wasn’t THAT dramatic, and i‘ve learned a thing: more con, more AC, and abuse ALL the defensive features you get your hands on.

[Willie the Duck]

This spell is especially good for the valor and swords bard you get to attack twice and still use your bonus action to give some more health

Well, excepting those who wanted to fight with two weapons. But the benefit of bonus-action heals definitely favors the front-liner, whom giving up their regular action to heal someone might be too much sacrifice. I think that, as much as the range or the whack-a-mole effect, makes it seem OP to many.