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

[Stormonu]

Most of my players are used to the older editions, and this is the first time I've run a cleric in 5E. To try something different, I went with Healing Word instead of Cure Wounds for my cleric. So far, only have played one session, but my experience sure makes me feel like 5E decided to beat down healing magic and real took a dislike to Cure Wounds.

For quick comparison, Healing Word heals only 1d4 + mod, but it's a bonus action and has a range of 60 feet. It's a great spell for getting fallen allies back up on their feet while still allowing the character to get an attack in (can use a cantrip attack spell or weapon). The downside is the 1d4 hp healed, and +1d4 hp/spell level when upcast means it will quickly get outstripped by Cure Wounds.

Cure Wounds takes an action, is a touch spell and heals 1d8 + mod. It's clearly designed for out-of-combat use. It requires you to be in contact with the target, takes your action and doesn't heal enough to get ahead of monster attacks.

Before I actually implement anything in my own games, I'd like to get thoughts on how the two spells are actually used in your game.

At this time, these are my thoughts for spell changes:

Cure Wounds: change Range 30 (or 15?) feet, in addition to the normal healing, the target can also choose to expend hit dice to heal up to the level of the spell (thus casting it as a 4th level spell would heal the target 4d8+mod, and the target could also use up to 4 hit dice to heal more damage). This lets it scale better to damage dealing magic and abilities, without upsetting overall daily healing too terribly much.

Healing Word: heals 1d6 / spell level + mod, 1d4 is a bit too anemic considering the bump in hit points classes got.

 

[Nixlord]

In my games, I applied the house rule that Cure Wounds heals the full 8 hit points/spell level + mod. This way, it can compete with Healing Word's versatility even during combat (and actually gets better when cast at higher levels).

 

[commandercrud]

Healing word has range, cure wounds is more effective. That's about it.

 

[Flamestrike]

You also need to be able to see the target of your Healing Word to target them.

That is not possible a lot of the time.

Darkness + Devils sight Warlocks Im looking at you.

 

[Voadam]

When I played a life cleric I regularly took both. Healing word was the emergency band aid from range or get them back on their feet spell. Cure wounds was the one you want to use for serious healing, particularly when using higher slots.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Agreed. Also, sometimes you also want to be able to attack and heal in the same round, and that calls for healing word. When you need to do serious healing, especially for a life cleric, an upcast cure wounds really can pull ahead of healing word.

When I played a life cleric I regularly took both. Healing word was the emergency band aid from range or get them back on their feet spell. Cure wounds was the one you want to use for serious healing, particularly when using higher slots.

 

[NotAYakk]

A bonus action spell simply lets you use a cantrip with it. Most clerics damage output with cantrips is not very good. So the gap isn't as much as one might think.

Now, on a swords or valor bard build, or with a warlock 2 dip, it can be a bigger difference (because the non-leveled-spell action has more value). Or if you are tank-dodging or the like.

 

[Voadam]

4e was probably best for healing with a lot of attack plus heal someone for 1/4 of their hp plus some powers.

3e was ok, about half the classes could use a cure light wound wand for out of combat healing or to do static 1d8+1 healing in a combat pinch for a full action.

AD&D was decent, clerics got a few more 1st level CLW spells from wisdom and there was fewer hp to heal.

Basic was rough, nobody got any healing until the cleric gained second level and got their 1 CLW spell.

I'd rate 5e a little above 3e on that scale, you can pop people up from dying at range, lots of spellcasters get the core hp healing spell on their list and it is adjustable on the fly. Its debatable though, the +1/level quickly beats out +1/stat bonus on your cure wounds in most situations.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Those are two different spells for two different uses. For raw healing power, cure wounds is where to go. For healing in dangerous situations, healing word is where it's at. What's more important to you?

 

[jmartkdr2]

I've found that if you're planning on healing, having both Action and Bonus Action options is helpful quite often. more than you'd think until you've played it as few times.

But if you're convinced Cure Wounds isn't strong enough to be worthwhile (a common opinion), then I can also say form experience that adding 2d8 per spell slot does not result in anything game-breakingly powerful.