D&D 5E Best in-combat healer

Blue · Feb 25, 2017

My usual thought on in-combat healing in 5e is that it isn't very efficient, but in my SKT game our life cleric has definitely challenged that. We're fighting giants that do 30-40 a hit, most of us can take 2.5-3 hits to drop, and we do a decent job at not letting all the hate fall on just one PC, so we end up with 2-4 characters down that 30-40 a round. And he just mass cures and brings us back up so we're out of one-hit-drop zone again and again, or stand us back up if luck has been unkind.

This has really inspired me that for my next support character. I've seen discussion about others (especially bards, multiclass sorcerers and paladins) being able to be better healers, but I don't know if that applies to in-combat healing.

So, who would you say are the best in-combat healers? Let me give a little structure to that question - say at levels 5, 8, 11 and 14. I'm not perfectly caring about the levels, a lore bard at 6th for magical secrets would be fine, just trying to focus on levels that I play, and starting high enough for multiclassing and/or more spells. Also assume 2.5 targets for good sized AoE mass heals, not some theoretical how-many-can-we-fit. Also not just one cast per day, but over a day - but in combat where number of actions count. (Though 3-4 hard combats and 1 short rest is more likely adventuring day then the DMG 6-8 with 2 short rests.)

TwoSix · Feb 25, 2017

Life cleric 1/favored soul sorcerer X seems like a candidate. There aren't a whole lot of healing spells, period, but the best in combat ones are all on the cleric list. Use metamagic to twin when possible, or quicken or distant if necessary. And polymorph is a great "oh crap, they need some major hit points quickly" that clerics don't get.

ppaladin123 · Feb 25, 2017

I think probably Life cleric 1/lore bard X with magic secrets: auro of vitality and goodberry.

ppaladin123 · Feb 25, 2017

TwoSix said:
Life cleric 1/favored soul sorcerer X seems like a candidate. There aren't a whole lot of healing spells, period, but the best in combat ones are all on the cleric list. Use metamagic to twin when possible, or quicken or distant if necessary. And polymorph is a great "oh crap, they need some major hit points quickly" that clerics don't get.

Goodberry and aura of vitality...best way to get that is lore bard.

Gladius Legis · Feb 25, 2017

Life Cleric 1/Sorcerer 3/Life Bard X might be a candidate simply for being the best of all worlds here. Quicken Spell and Twinned Spell are very nice things for healers to have.

What might be up for debate, however, is whether the Metamagic would be worth sacrificing Wish and Mass Heal (Bard 18 Magical Secrets) ...

Motorskills · Feb 26, 2017

For a non-specialist, my 14th level Devotion Paladin is pretty useful.

CHA 20 Inspiring Leader = 19 Temp HP
3rd level Aid = + 10 Max HP
(technically not healing, but I think it qualifies.

)

Resilient CON = Concentration hard to break
Aura of Vitality 20d6 healing over ten rounds
60HP single-target flash heal (or less if disease / poison removal required)

Yunru · Feb 26, 2017

Life Cleric 1/Lore Bard X w/ Inspiring Leader.

TwoSix · Feb 26, 2017

ppaladin123 said:
Goodberry and aura of vitality...best way to get that is lore bard.

I question the efficacy of goodberry and aura of vitality for in-combat healing. Goodberry is an action for 1 HP, which is pretty lousy. (Or 4 HP if you use Crawford's ruling about the combination of Goodberry and Life Cleric, which I personally don't use.) And Aura of Vitality eats up a concentration slot. Not that isn't still really good, of course. So, life cleric 1/lore bard X (with Inspiring Leader and Healer) is pretty solid too. Basically the versatility of metamagic versus the constant BA heal from Aura of Vitality.

Blue · Feb 26, 2017

ppaladin123 said:
Goodberry and aura of vitality...best way to get that is lore bard.

The question was specifically about in-combat healing.

Goodberry giving 1 (or 4 with Life cleric) per action at 5-14th level is not worth it. (And the spell is very specific that it's an action to eat a single one, you can't stick a handful of them in your mouth.)

Aura of Vitality is 2d6 per round without a way to upcast. 7HP for a bonus action is slightly better then goodberry, btu also pretty much worthless for in-combat healing at those levels.

Sorry, neither of these fit the need at all. Were you thinking about out-of-combat healing?

Blue · Feb 26, 2017

Gladius Legis said:
Life Cleric 1/Sorcerer 3/Life Bard X might be a candidate simply for being the best of all worlds here. Quicken Spell and Twinned Spell are very nice things for healers to have.

What might be up for debate, however, is whether the Metamagic would be worth sacrificing Wish and Mass Heal (Bard 18 Magical Secrets) ...

The level range was 5, 8, 11 and 14. At 5th you have 1st level spells known for cleric & bard (and 2nd level for sorcerer but I don't think that has any in-combat healing). The first Mass healing spell is Mass Healing Word which not on the bard list so it can be picked up with a magical secret at 6th, which is character level 10. 3 sorcery points doesn't get you very many twins or quickens, though only being a bonus action to break down slots you can get more in-combat.

This doesn't seem to come together until pas the majority of the expected adventuring career. And when it does come together, it doesn't seem that it has healing to deal with the damage being put out by the threats at that level compared to just a straight cleric who will have Mass spells starting at character level 5 and higher level healing spells (plus revivify) sooner because it's not taking the 4 level dip which slows down learning the top level spells.