Lay on Hands in 5e is a powerful ability. Imagine your character using it. They touch a target, which can be one creature. The skin-to-skin contact is key. Then, they pray. This prayer helps with healing and well-being. How often can they do this? It depends on their CHA (Charisma) and Wisdom. If these are higher, they can use it more.

In my experience, it’s like a special, divine gift. I’ve used it in games. It feels great to heal a friend’s character. You roll a 1d8 to see how much you heal. And it’s not just for healing damage. You can also remove disease. This power is transferred through your touch. It’s a melee action, meaning close up.

What makes it unique? It’s At-Will. No need for special tools. Your character decides to use it, and it happens. It’s a game-changer. In one round, you can turn a dire situation around. You become a hero, not just in the game, but in the eyes of your fellow players.

What is Lay on Hands?

Lay on Hands is a unique feature for paladins in the game. It’s like a blessed touch. A paladin can heal wounds using it. How does it work? At Level 1, a paladin gets a pool of healing power. This pool is big. It’s as big as the paladin level times x 5. After a long rest, this pool replenishes.

With Lay on Hands, a paladin can restore hit points. They use an action to touch a creature. Then they draw power from their pool. They can use a maximum amount from their pool at once. Want to heal? They can expend 5 hit points from the pool. It can cure a target of a disease or neutralize poison. You can use it for multiple problems or a single use.

Using Lay on Hands

Using Lay on Hands means expending hit points from the pool. This feature has a special effect on undead and constructs. It’s an at-will power, granted to paladins who select the Lay on Hands class feature. Some call it ardent vow or virtue’s touch. If you have the Healing Hands feat, you get an additional amount. This extra is based on your Charisma modifier.

It’s like having a resource pool. Think of it as something you can discard when needed. When I play as a paladin, using Lay on Hands feels powerful. It’s like sharing a bit of my character’s inner light. Helping teammates in battle with this skill is a game-changer. It makes the paladin not just a fighter, but a lifeline for the team.

Class Guide for 5e

In 5e, when you play a paladin, at the first level, you get a d10 hit die. This is your health dice. Paladins are proficient with many things. They can wear light armor, heavy armor, and use shields. They can also handle simple weapons and martial weapons well. For saving from danger, they have wisdom saving and charisma saving throws. They choose two skills from a list. Good choices are athletics, insight, or persuasion.

One cool ability at first level is divine sense. It’s an action you can do. You sense if there are celestial beings, undead, or other things within 60 feet. You can tell if the surrounding area is hollowed or desecrated too.

When you reach the second level, things get more exciting. You start spell casting. As a paladin, you cast spells using your charisma. You’re a prepared spell caster. This means you pick and swap out spells each day. It gives you lots of versatility in what spells you throw at the start of your day.

As someone who has played a paladin, I can tell you, these abilities make the game fun. You feel strong and ready to face challenges. Your skills in fighting and magic give you many ways to help your team and be a hero.

How to Lay Hands Effectively

When playing D&D, Lay on Hands is a key skill for paladins. This skill uses spells to heal or cure diseases. Imagine you are a paladin. You have points to spend on Lay on Hands. Let’s say you are at level 8. You get 5 points for each paladin level. So, you have 40 points.

Lay on Hands is like a spell-like ability. It can heal or neutralize poisons. Think of it as a balance. You can use it to cure a disease or heal someone. It’s a powerful healing spell. You can self-heal or decide to heal another player. It can be used as an action. In game terms, it’s not an attack. You can’t use it with bonus actions or cast it as bonus action spells in 5e.

For Lay on Hands, you need a free hand. This lets you heal up your allies. They might be injured in the game. It can bring a character from low health to full. But, it can’t raise or cure a dead character. You can use it to help your buddies in battle. With 40 points, you can spend it in many ways. Maybe 40 times in small amounts. Or all at once in a big fight. It’s about how you move and keep your points for when they are urgently needed.

Spellcasting Basics

Spellcasting in D&D is like dipping your toes into magic. It’s the basis of using divine magic. Think of a cleric or a druid. They have a wild array of spells to access. Every day, they prepare what spells to use. It’s like setting up your tools at the top of the day.

When you lay hands on someone, it’s close and personal. You cast spells to help. But, there’s a thing called spell slots. These are like tracks for your spells. Using them is mentally and physically taxing. You can throw powerful spells, but only a fewer times. It’s like easy digestion. Start with simple spells at level 1, the first and most common level. Then, as you go up, spells get more complex but more powerful.

To expend a spell slot means using up that power level. For example, imagine Balthazar, a second-grade wizard. He has three, 1st level slots. If he meets a hurt barbarian, he’s capable of casting a spell to help. But he’s bound by how many slots he has. If he uses up two, he has more to replenish.

Cure wounds is a spell often used in many classes. The class chart shows how many spells you get per level. There’s an opportunity to gain power as you reach high level spells like 7, 8, and 9. It’s like going up a ladder. The higher you go, the more you can do. But always remember, the more powerful the spell, the more slots you’ll need to expend.

D&D 5e Paladin Spell Guide

Nowadays, people often disagree on which spells are best for Lay on Hands 5e. This paladin guide covers all related things. Paladins are half casters, like a ranger. They have unique spells that fit their intended flavor. It’s all about finesse and what the class’s doing list includes.

At the nightingale level, a paladin has to rely on concentration spells. Think of hunters mark. It’s a spell that makes paladins blush with pride. They can smite, heal, and use sensory abilities. These are heroic perceptions and are fantastic. Paladins need to maintain concentration. It’s like being a spirit second and a fighter first.

A paladin has a big heart and can blast enemies. But they’re in a weird spot as a half-speller. Their healing powers get higher as they level up. But there’s an opportunity cost. Being a healer takes from their ability to fight. It’s like a kid’s account; they can’t do everything.

Using Lay on Hands gives a boost to a teammate’s total health. It’s a key skill for paladins. You can turn the tide of a battle with it. In my games, it’s always a lifesaver. It’s more than just healing. It’s about keeping the team together and fighting on.

Read for more related Blog: Eldritch Blast 5e D&D Guide

Can a Paladin Use Lay On Hands on Themselves Twice in a Round?

A paladin at 2nd level gets the ability to heal wounds with Lay on Hands. They can use it a number of times equal to 1/2 their paladin level plus their Charisma modifier. Each use can heal 1d6 hit points of damage.

Using Lay on Hands is a standard action. If a paladin has a swift action available and a free hand, they can use this healing power. But, they can’t use it to deal damage to undead creatures like a melee touch attack. That would provoke an attack of opportunity and need a saving throw.

There’s contention about using Lay on Hands twice in one round. Under normal circumstances, a paladin can’t use two standard actions in a round. They can target themselves with Lay on Hands as a standard action, but not as a swift action. The clause in the rules about expending actions makes it clear. You can heal once per round, not twice in the same round.

In my experience, this makes strategic planning important. Knowing when and how to use Lay on Hands can change the course of a game. It’s not just about healing; it’s about timing and making each action count.
Here is the tutorial of the video.

Feats

Feats in D&D 5e are like special skills. They help a player’s character do extra things. For Lay on Hands, some feats are really useful. Each feat has prerequisites. This means you need certain things before you can use them.

One feat is Angelic Protection. You need to be at 11th level to use it. It gives temporary hit points when you’re healing damage. Another one is Devoted Paladin. This helps an ally get additional hit points. It adds your charisma modifier plus +1 healing surge.

Enshrouding Touch is cool. It gives targets of your virtue’s touch concealment until the end of your next turn. Healing Hands is a must-have. It increases your Lay on Hands power.

If you’re a Tiefling, check out Infernal Touch of Warding. It gives fire resistance equal to half your level each encounter. Lend Health is another powerful feat. It uses your healing surge to let another character regain hit points.

For high-level players, Pious Champion is great at 21st level. It lets you heal two creatures for the value of one surge. Radiant Touch has a Radiant Touch power that inflicts damage but at a cost.

Strength of Stone is for Goliath characters. It gives resistance to all damage based on your strength modifier. Touch of Salvation requires Cha 15 but gives a bonus on saving throws. Lastly, Untiring Virtue gives you an additional use of Lay on Hands after each milestone.

Using these feats smartly can really boost your Lay on Hands ability. It’s like having extra tools in your belt. They make your character stronger and more helpful to your team.

Feat Name	Level Requirement	Effect	Additional Notes
Angelic Protection	11th level	Grants temporary hit points when healing damage.
Devoted Paladin	–	Allows healing of an ally with additional hit points based on charisma modifier +1 healing surge.
Enshrouding Touch	–	Provides concealment to targets of virtue’s touch until the end of the next turn.
Healing Hands	–	Increases the power of Lay on Hands.
Infernal Touch of Warding	– (Tiefling)	Gives fire resistance equal to half level each encounter.	Specifically for Tiefling characters.
Lend Health	–	Uses a healing surge to allow another character to regain hit points.
Pious Champion	21st level	Heals two creatures for the value of one surge.	For high-level characters.
Radiant Touch	–	Radiant Touch power that inflicts damage.	Has a cost associated with its use.
Strength of Stone	– (Goliath)	Provides resistance to all damage based on strength modifier.	Specifically for Goliath characters.
Touch of Salvation	Cha 15	Grants a bonus on saving throws.	Requires Charisma 15.
Untiring Virtue	–	Offers an additional use of Lay on Hands after each milestone.

FAQ’s Lay on Hands 5e

How does Lay on Hands work in D&D?

Lay on Hands is a blessed touch. A paladin uses it to heal wounds. They have a pool of healing power. This pool replenishes after a long rest. They can restore hit points. The amount? It’s the paladin level times x 5.

How does Lay on Hands work?

A paladin has this ability, Lay on Hands. It heals a friendly target. How much? Up to 10 plus the Paladin level and Charisma modifier in hit points. It also deals damage to an undead target. The amount healed turns into damage. For Warforged, it works 100% of the total.

Is Lay on Hands an action or bonus?

You plan to use Lay on Hands as an action. It works normally this way. Not a bonus action. You need 2 points to heal 1HP. For 10 points of LoH, you heal 5HP.

How many times can you use Lay on Hands?

Lay on Hands is like an action die. A cleric can use it once per round.

How many Lay on Hands does a paladin get?

In the player’s handbook, a paladin gets Lay on Hands as an ability. It can cure wounds. It heals 2 hit points of damage for each level of experience attained. They can use it once per day.

Can you use Lay on Hands multiple times?

Yes, special. A character can use Lay on Hands a number of times a day. It depends on their Wisdom modifier, usually 1 or higher. But, they can’t use it more than once per round.