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Cure Wounds

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Cure Wounds
  • Level: 1
  • School: Abjuration
  • Class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Instantaneous

A creature you touch regains a number of Hit Points equal to 2d8 plus your spellcasting ability modifier.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The healing increases by 2d8 for each spell slot level above 1.

Tactical Usage​

Essential Healing Magic: Cure Wounds provides reliable hit point restoration for battlefield medicine and recovery. This 1st-level abjuration spell excels as fundamental healing magic available to multiple classes.

Optimal Timing: Most effective during combat for stabilizing downed allies or between encounters for efficient healing without rest requirements.

Resource Management: Uses a 1st-level spell slot - available from character level 1+. Excellent healing-per-slot ratio makes this core healing option.

Target Selection: Prioritize unconscious allies to restore them to combat effectiveness, or heal heavily wounded party members.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Enhancement Magic: Bless or guidance to improve healing effectiveness through ability modifiers
  • Protection Spells: Shield of faith or similar effects to protect newly healed allies
  • Detection Magic: Detect poison to identify additional healing needs beyond hit points

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Divine Magic: Clerics and paladins gain thematic connection to divine healing power
  • Healing Bonuses: Class features that enhance healing spells improve effectiveness
  • Spell Attack Bonuses: Higher spellcasting modifiers increase healing amounts

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple healers can provide comprehensive medical support for large parties or serious injuries.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.

Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows quick deployment during combat or emergency situations.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different healing styles reflect divine traditions, natural magic, or musical healing techniques.

Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for frequent healing use.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Reliable healing affects encounter difficulty calculations and party endurance through multiple combats.

NPC Usage: Healers in communities provide medical services, while enemy clerics can restore their allies during combat.

Environmental Considerations: Touch range requires proximity but works in most environments and situations.

Campaign Integration: Core healing magic that supports extended adventuring and reduces rest dependency.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Touch range requires reaching the target. Difficult terrain might affect positioning for healing.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable healing regardless of environment.

Structural Interactions: Works in any environment where touch contact can be established.

Elemental Interactions: Pure healing energy unaffected by elemental conditions or magical interference.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time allows healing during combat. Instantaneous effect provides immediate hit point restoration.

Target Limitations: Must touch willing or unconscious creature. Healing cannot exceed maximum hit points.

Duration Interactions: Instantaneous healing with permanent effect until damage is taken again.

Mechanical Interactions: 2d8 + spellcasting modifier base healing. Additional 2d8 per slot level above 1st.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Medical treatment for injured civilians, emergency first aid, or recovery from environmental hazards.

Social Encounters: Demonstrate healing abilities, provide medical services to gain favor, or treat injured NPCs.

Exploration Applications: Recover from environmental damage, treat injuries from traps or hazards, or maintain party health during travel.

Utility Functions: Veterinary care for animal companions, treating exhaustion-related injuries, or general medical practice.

Same School: Other abjuration spells like healing word (1st level ranged healing), cure diseases (healing specific conditions), mass cure wounds (5th level group healing).

Similar Effects: healing word (1st level bonus action), mass cure wounds (5th level multiple targets), heal (6th level major restoration).

Progression Options: cure wounds (1st level single target), mass cure wounds (5th level multiple targets), heal (6th level major healing).

Complementary Magic: lesser restoration (condition removal), protection from poison (prevent damage), detect poison and disease (identify problems).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Remains valuable throughout campaigns as a reliable, efficient healing option.

Upcast Benefits: Additional 2d8 healing per level makes higher-level casting significantly more effective.

Campaign Phases: Essential at all levels for maintaining party health and combat effectiveness.

Comparative Value: Excellent healing efficiency that justifies spell slot investment for immediate hit point restoration.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Healing energy flows through your touch as divine power, natural magic, or musical harmony mends wounds and restores vitality.

Effect Manifestation: Wounds close, bruises fade, and strength returns as magical healing energy suffuses the target's body.

Personal Style: Clerics channel divine grace, druids invoke natural regeneration, bards use harmonic resonance, while paladins radiate righteous healing.

World Integration: Represents fundamental healing magic available to many traditions, associated with divine blessing, natural restoration, or life-affirming magical practices.