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The Best Healer in D&D 5e is a Bard/Warlock?

Updated: Sep 25, 2023

Original Video:



*This article is an edited version of the script for this video


Race:


Custom Lineage:


Feat: Telekinetic +1 Cha


Mark of healing halfling could be a decent choice as well for the expanded spell list


Background:


Strixhaven: Quandrix


Not necessary but would save us a magical secrets pick or could allow this build to take a different main class than bard or use a different bard subclass


Ability Scores(point buy):


Str: 8


Dex: 14


Con: 13


Int: 9


Wis: 13


Cha: 15(+2)(+1)


Ability Score Priorities:


#1 Cha


#2 13 Wis


#3 Con


#4 Dex


Ideal Equipment:


-Best armor you can wear, we will be taking a druid level in this build


-Shield


-Spellcasting Foci


Level 1: Warlock 1


Patron: Genie(Dao), bludgeoning damage on our genies wrath will be important later on. Vessel is a cool utility feature


Spells: Eldritch Blast, Hex


Those spells will be main damage option until about level 10


Level 2: Warlock 2


Invocations: Agonizing Blast and Grasp of Hadar, 1st for damage and 2nd will synergize more later on but forced movement is always good


Level 3: Druid 1


Spells: Goodberry and Absorb Elements


Level 4: Cleric 1


Domain: Life Domain, for Disciple of Life, as I mentioned it the healing spells video it makes most of the best healing spells even better


Spells: Healing Word


Level 5-10: Bard 1-6


College: College of Lore


Spells: Aid, Hypnotic Pattern, maybe Mass Healing Word if you think you’ll need it


Additional Magical Secrets: Aura of Vitality, Spirit Guardians


Aura of Vitality is ok right now but will be extremely strong once we get the extended spell metamagic option


Spirit Guardians will be our new main concentration spell, I’ll explain our new tactics in a moment:


Feat: Crusher: +1 Con


Tactics for level 10+:


Cast Spirit Guardians on round 1 and then use your various forced movement options(Crusher, Telekinetic, Grasp of Hadar) to force enemies into spirit guardians. Since the spell deals damage when they enter and on the start of their turn this will cause them to take damage from spirit guardians twice. You can do this to multiple enemies in one turn though my DPR numbers will assume you are only battling one enemy.


DPR for 2 SG hits: 32.79


DPR for 1 SG hit: 23.49


Both of those numbers assume an 18 AC and a 60% chance to succeed on the SG saving throw


Level 11-12: Bard 7 and 8


Spells: Polymorph


Feat: Metamagic Adept: Twinned and Extended Spell, as discussed in the healing spells video, these two metamagic usually double the effectiveness of our best healing spells. We will be able to make even more use of them after at least 2 levels of Sorcerer.


Level 13-14: Sorcerer 1 and 2


Spells: Shield, Silvery Barbs


Origin: Clockwork Soul is likely best here but any sorcerous origin would work.


Font of Magic: The ability to make more sorcery points to use on metamagics is huge


For the remaining levels there are two good paths I think you could take. If you finish out your levels in bard and eventually reach 7th level spells and 2 more sets of magical secrets for extremely powerful spells like Find Greater Steed, Wall of Force, Contingency, and even Simulacrum if you feel like breaking the game. You could also go with more sorcerer levels to get more sorcery points and metamagic options, this route would likely make you a better healer but you wouldn’t get to the more powerful spells. I would lean more towards the bard route as I think this build reaches insane amounts of healing by level 14 as it is.


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