Healing and Recovery
HP recovery methods: healing spells, hit dice on short rests, stabilization ([[compendium:skill:Medicine]] DC 10 or healer's kit), potions, and exhaustion removal via long rest.
Characters have several ways to regain hit points and recover from injuries.
Healing Spells
Spells like cure wounds, healing word, and mass cure wounds restore hit points immediately. Any healing received while at 0 HP restores consciousness, resets death saving throws, and allows the creature to act on its next turn. Healing word is particularly valuable because it is a bonus action with 60-foot range, enabling a caster to revive a fallen ally and still take their action.
Hit Dice Recovery
During a short rest (at least 1 hour), a character can spend one or more hit dice to regain HP. Roll each hit die and add your Constitution modifier — the result is the HP recovered. After a long rest (8 hours), you recover half your total hit dice (minimum 1), in addition to all HP being restored.
Stabilizing
A creature at 0 HP that is not dead is dying and must make death saving throws. An ally can stabilize them in two ways:
- Medicine check (DC 10): Uses an action. On success, the creature is stable (no longer making death saves) but remains unconscious at 0 HP.
- Healer's kit: Uses an action and one charge. Automatically stabilizes the creature without a check.
A stable creature regains 1 HP after 1d4 hours.
The most common magic item. Drinking it (an action) restores 2d4 + 2 HP. Greater, superior, and supreme healing potions restore more. Administering a potion to an unconscious creature also takes an action.
Exhaustion Recovery
Finishing a long rest reduces your exhaustion level by 1, provided you have had food and water. The greater restoration spell also removes one level of exhaustion.