4 min read · Jul 4, 2022
Healing is a critical resource for any Dungeons and Dragons party. You might get it from items, you might get it from some combination of feats and racial abilities, or you might have a dedicated healer or two on hand. There’s no shortage of options
But I wondered, as I’m wont to do, how accessible healing is to each class. Not counting feats or items or racial abilities, how many classes have some form of healing at their disposal? Specifically, who can heal allies — let’s not be selfish, here.
The Obvious Ones
First, to get it out of the way, we’ll establish which classes have very easy access to healing, especially healing spells: Clerics, Paladins, Druids, Bards, Rangers, and Artificers. With this roster, you have everything from Healing Word to Lay on Hands to Mass Cure Wounds. There may technically be specific subclasses that are better or more varied healers (Circle of Dreams Druids, Spirits Bards, Life Domain Clerics, etc.), but the base of these classes are all perfectly capable healers in their own right.
Barbarian
Probably the quintessential “kill first, ask questions later” class, this isn’t where you would typically expect to find much in the way of a healing touch. But it is possible!
By choosing Storm Herald as your Primal Path, you gain an ability called Storm Aura, with a number of different effects. This includes the Tundra effect, allowing each creature of your choice within the 10-foot aura to gain two temporary hit points. These temporary hit points increase gradually as you level.
It’s not much, but for our purposes, it counts.
Fighter
Despite people joking about this being the most basic, beginner-friendly class, Fighters still have a few tricks up their sleeves — specifically, two ways to heal.
The first is Rally, a Maneuver you can learn either as a Battle Master archetype, or under the Superior Technique Fighting Style. This allows you to grant a friendly creature temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier plus whatever you roll on your superiority die.
The second option, Rallying Cry, is under the Banneret archetype. Three allies regain hit points equal to your Fighter level when you use your Second Wind feature. And if you really want, you can combine the Banneret archetype with the Superior Technique Fighting Style for double the rallying!
Monk
To heal your allies as a Monk, you’re going to want to follow the Way of Mercy. This gives you three related means of healing: Hands of Healing, Flurry of Healing, and Hand of Ultimate Mercy. Healing Hands allows you to touch an ally and restore hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier plus whatever you roll on a Martial Arts die. Flurry of Healing allows you to use Healing Hands multiple times in a row as part of the Flurry of Blows ability. Lastly, Hands of Ultimate Mercy allows you to revive a creature that has died within the last 24 hours, and also restores hit points of 4d10 + your Wisdom modifier. Pretty handy.
Sorcerer
The easiest choice (and the one with the most options) would be a Divine Soul sorcerer, which can use Cleric spells as part of their normal spell list. Basically, you get to play a Cleric without Channel Divinity or Divine Inspiration, instead beefing up, stretching, and generally breaking Cleric spells with Meta Magic.
The other option is a Clockwork Soul Sorcerer, giving you two means of healing. Clockwork Souls gain access to a few bonus spells outside the Sorcerer spell list, including Aid, which heals and increases the hit point maximum for three creatures of your choice for the next eight hours. Additionally, at level 18, Clockwork Souls gain the feature Clockwork Cavalcade, allowing them to restore up to 100 hit points divided across any number of chosen creatures.
Warlock
If you want to heal as a Warlock, you gotta go with the Celestial patron. Not only do you get Cure Wounds and Revivify as extra spell options, but the Healing Light feature gives you a small pool of healing magic to dole out as a bonus action. This pool of healing increases as you level.
Wizard
The key here is the School of Transmutation, more specifically the Transmuter’s Stone. At level 14, you gain a number of powerful uses for this stone, though it will be destroyed in the process of using any of them. One option is Panacea, which fully restores a creature’s hit points, along with curing them of diseases, curses, and poisons. The other option is Restore Life, which does exactly what it says on the tin.
Is Anyone Unable to Heal?
As far as I can tell, the only class that doesn’t provide any options for healing allies is Rogues. Which is a shame, because the speed and relatively untouchable nature of Rogues (Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, bonus action Disengage, etc.) would make for an awesome, shady, leather-clad paramedic.
And who knows: Maybe a new Rogue subclass will come out that’s stuffed to the gills with healing options. Until then, we’re spoiled for choice with all the other classes.
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