Warden of Vitality

Level 3 Evocation spell available to Paladins. Sets up an aura that lets you heal 2d6 as a Bonus Action, every turn, for ten turns, without spending another slot. One slot buys you an entire fight’s worth of healing.

Spell description: While this aura lasts, you can cast Restore Vitality as a Bonus Action to heal yourself or nearby allies.

Spell properties

• Range: Self
• Duration: 10 turns
• Healing: 2d6 per Restore Vitality
• Conditions applied: Warden of Vitality
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Warden of Vitality at higher levels provides no additional benefits.

How to obtain Warden of Vitality

• Paladin at Class level 9

Source item: None. No item in the game grants Warden of Vitality.

When to cast Warden of Vitality

It is not Concentration, and the healing is a Bonus Action. Both of those matter more than the 2d6. Your Paladin can heal every single turn while still attacking at full strength, and nothing you do can break it.

Compare it to Lay on Hands, which is a finite pool you will run dry. This is ten turns of healing from one slot, and in a long fight it comfortably out-heals everything else a Paladin has.

It also saves the Paladin from the usual dilemma, which is choosing between smiting and keeping someone alive. With Warden of Vitality up, you do both, every turn.

The catch is Class level 9 and the Action to set it up. Cast it on turn one of a fight you expect to grind, and do not bother in a fight that will be over in three rounds.