D&D 5E Cure Wounds needs help or Healing Word needs a nerf...

[werecorpse]

Cure wounds could be Level x (1d8+stat) which would boost it when used at higher levels?

I play that when cure wounds is cast at 3rd level or higher it has a range of 30’ and does double stat bonus so it’s a more substantial boost. I also play that hit point go to -10 and, like Hellditch, intelligent enemies murder unconscious PCs if they keep getting up so healing word is less useful to restore consciousness.

 

[Var]

Didn't see it mentioned yet (but maybe I'm blind?). Using your Action for more healing usually works better if you can keep your Bonus Action busy, i.e. if you're in the thick of it as one of the Plate Clerics and have Spiritual Weapon running. That and Grave Clerics healing downed targets will appreciate the noticeable bigger bang for their buck.

Healing Word generally has better Action economy for most casters, since Bonus Actions aren't regularly occupied with things like PAM or Cunning Action on Casters. It's also by far the better utility Spell to make sure you can bring someone back from rolling Death Saves. Since healing can be a bit lackluster before that.
The choice is generally going to be - do I want to prepare just Healing Word or do I want both?

 

[Helldritch]

I don't know for you, but in my games, clerics usually use their bonus action for spiritual weapon. This open the main action for either a catrip attack or a CW or any other spell. They are usually close to melee characters so healing the with a CW is not a problem.

 

[Asisreo]

I don't know for you, but in my games, clerics usually use their bonus action for spiritual weapon. This open the main action for either a catrip attack ou a CW ou any other spell. They are usually close to melee characters so healing the with a CW is not a problem.

Before anyone says you can't use SW and CW on the same turn, you can if you casted SW on the previous turn.


On a related note, A character actually died because the druid tried to undo wildshape and healing word the monk, but undoing a wildshape costs a bonus action. The druid didn't prepare CW and the monk died where he would've lived.

 

[Guest 6801328]

On a related note, A character actually died because the druid tried to undo wildshape and healing word the monk, but undoing a wildshape costs a bonus action. The druid didn't prepare CW and the monk died where he would've lived.

I know a firefighter who responded to an accident in which a motorcyclist slid across the street, bounced off the curb, hooked the edge of his helmet on the curb, and died from a broken neck.

He cited this as evidence that it’s safer to ride without a helmet.

 

[Asisreo]

I know a firefighter who responded to an accident in which a motorcyclist slid across the street, bounced off the curb, hooked the edge of his helmet on the curb, and died from a broken neck.

He cited this as evidence that it’s safer to ride without a helmet.

Lol, c'mon you. I'm just saying that if you plan to be a druid that wildshapes often and would like to heal without delaying your turn, CW would probably be more effective.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Lol, c'mon you. I'm just saying that if you plan to be a druid that wildshapes often and would like to heal without delaying your turn, CW would probably be more effective.

Ha. Ok, fair ‘nuff.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

In the absence of dedication by one character to being a healbot, damage in combat will always exceed healing in combat.

The purpose of 1st level healing spells is to bring an unconscious ally back into the fight. Whether that ally has 1d4 + spell modifier hit points or 1d8 + spell modifier hit points is largely irrelevant past a certain level; they will go unconscious on the next hit anyway. You're casting a spell to get another set of actions in a round for the good guy team, in the hope those actions will help you win the fight. And you're casting it at 1st level, if you can. So the good guy team can choose to spend either an action and probably a move (Cure Wounds) or a bonus action (Healing Word) in order to get an action and hopefully a bonus action.

Healing Word is the obvious tactical choice, and Cure Wounds is the red-headed stepchild.

Out of combat, Prayer of Healing is the sensible choice for party healing (unless you've got access to Aura of Vitality).

No cleric I've seen has prepared both Cure Wounds and Healing Word past 3rd level.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Mistwell]

The best out of combat healing spell remains Leomunds Tiny Hut.

 

[Helldritch]

Come to my games then. Both spells are used up to the point where Heal is available. My players will avoid the whack a mole syndrome at all cost since their enemies will react to this tactic by slaying the falling character should he fall again. So the higher the spell level the better and the most hp gained the better. The player wants to be as far as falling again as possible. Very often, players will a character as soon as he is within falling damage potential by a critical. This prevent the whack a mole too. The bonus action is often used for the Siritual weapon but not always.