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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

Lesser Restoration by Martin Mottet

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 by Conceptopolis

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

Aasimar by Aldo Dominguez

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.

Feature Or Ability

Type

Details

Boon of Fortitude

Epic Boon Feat

Your Hit Point Maximum increases by 40 when you take this feat.

Additionally, when you regain Hit Points, you can regain additional Hit Points equal to your Constitution modifier.

Healer

Origin Feat

If you have a Healer's Kit, you can expend one use of it and tend to a creature within five feet of you.

The creature can then expend one of its Hit Point Dice to regain Hit Points equal to the number rolled plus your Proficiency Bonus.

Healing Hands

Aasimar Trait

As a Magic action, you touch a creature and roll a number of d4s equal to your Proficiency Bonus.

The creature then regains Hit Points equal to the total number rolled.

Warrior of the Gods

Path of the Zealot subclass feature

You have a pool of four d12s you can use to heal yourself as part of your subclass.

Hand of Healing

Warrior of Mercy subclass feature

Monks of the warrior of mercy subclass can use a Focus Point to touch a creature and restore Hit Points equal to a roll of their Martial Arts die plus their Wisdom modifier.

This ability improves as the warrior of mercy monk levels up.

Wholeness of Body

Warrior of the Open Hand subclass feature

Monks who follow the way of the open hand can heal themselves with bonus actions starting at level six.

Lay on Hands

Paladin feature

Paladins can restore Hit Points by laying their hands on their fallen allies and pulling from a predetermined HP pool.

Clockwork Cavalcade

Clockwork sorcery subclass feature

At level 18, clockwork sorcerers can summon spirits that can heal up to 100 HP divided among any amount of creatures you can see within range.

Healing Light

Celestial patron warlock subclass feature

Celestial patron warlocks can heal wounds through celestial energy, granting them a pool of d6s to fuel healing.

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Magic Items

Tasha by Linda Lithen

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.

If you're interested in creating your own magic items that can restore health, talk to your DM about homebrewing a magic item, and crafting it yourself.

Tools

Life In A City by Sam Keiser

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

Candle Keep Mysteries via Wizards of the Coast

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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