Aid 5e: Hit Points, Unconscious Allies, and Upcasting

I’ve always liked support spells that are simple at the table but useful in several different situations, and Aid is one of the best examples. It strengthens three creatures for eight hours without concentration, can bring an unconscious ally back into the fight, and scales predictably with higher spell slots. Its unusual interaction with current and maximum hit points is what makes the details worth understanding.

Aid 5e — Quick Spell Reference

What Does Aid Do in 5e?

The caster chooses up to three creatures within 30 feet. For the next 8 hours, each target’s hit point maximum and current hit points increase by 5. There is no attack roll or saving throw, and the spell does not require concentration.

Aid changes current hit points rather than granting temporary hit points. A target can therefore benefit even if it already has temporary hit points, and the increase is not replaced by another source of temporary hit points.

Because the spell raises current hit points, a creature at 0 hit points rises to 5 and regains consciousness unless another rule prevents it. Aid is not limited to conscious targets, although the caster must still choose a creature within range.

Aid is also not ordinary healing. The spell increases a target’s current hit points and maximum hit points by the same amount; it does not ask the player to roll healing dice. When another feature triggers from restoring hit points, use that feature’s exact wording rather than treating Aid as Cure Wounds with a longer duration.

Can Aid Wake an Unconscious Creature?

Yes. A living creature at 0 hit points is still a creature and can be chosen as one of Aid’s three targets. Increasing its current hit points from 0 to 5 normally makes it conscious immediately and stops its death saving throws. A higher-level casting raises it by the larger amount granted by that slot.

Aid cannot revive a dead creature, and it does not remove conditions that remain after the target regains consciousness. It is nevertheless unusual among 2nd-level spells because one action can bring as many as three nearby allies above 0 hit points without requiring concentration afterward.

What Happens When Aid Ends?

Aid lasts for 8 hours without concentration. That makes it practical to cast before an expedition, dangerous journey, or expected series of encounters. Taking damage and casting another concentration spell do not end it.

When Aid ends, both the target’s maximum and current hit points decrease by the amount the spell granted. Current hit points cannot fall below 0, but a target with 5 or fewer hit points may drop to 0 when the effect expires. The spell does not restore additional hit points at the end of its duration.

Does Aid Stack with Temporary Hit Points or Another Aid?

Temporary hit points and Aid work together because Aid directly increases hit points. A target can have the spell’s increase and temporary hit points at the same time.

Multiple castings of the same spell do not combine under the 2014 rule for combining magical effects. If two Aid spells overlap, only the most potent increase applies while both last; their bonuses are not added together. A higher-level Aid can therefore replace the practical benefit of a weaker one, but two equal castings do not produce a 10-point increase.

Aid can combine with effects that raise a creature’s hit point maximum under a different name, subject to those effects’ own restrictions. Ordinary healing can also restore a target up to its temporarily increased maximum while Aid is active. When Aid ends, however, the maximum drops again and any current hit points above the new maximum are lost.

Casting at Higher Levels

For each slot level above 2nd, every target’s current and maximum hit points increase by an additional 5.

Spell slot	Increase per target
2nd	5 hit points
3rd	10 hit points
4th	15 hit points
5th	20 hit points
6th	25 hit points
7th	30 hit points
8th	35 hit points
9th	40 hit points

The number of targets remains three regardless of the slot used.

Aid: 2014 vs. 2024 Rules

The spell’s effect, target count, duration, range, components, and upcasting are unchanged in the 2024 rules. The material difference is broader core class access.

Rule	2014 Player’s Handbook	2024 Player’s Handbook
Classes	Cleric, Paladin	Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
Hit point increase	5 to current and maximum hit points	Unchanged
Upcasting	+5 per slot level above 2nd	Unchanged

This page’s spelltable uses the original 2014 Player’s Handbook class list.

Tactical Uses and Limitations

Aid can protect three party members before combat, add a buffer to fragile allies, or restore several unconscious creatures with one action if they are all within range. Its long, concentration-free duration also makes an early casting efficient when the group expects multiple encounters.

It does not scale with the number of targets, and its fixed increase may be less valuable than an immediate healing spell when only one badly injured ally needs help. The expiration risk also matters late in the duration if a target has very few hit points remaining.

FAQ

Can Aid revive an unconscious creature?

Aid can raise a living creature from 0 to 5 current hit points, which normally causes it to regain consciousness. It cannot return a dead creature to life.

Are Aid’s hit points temporary hit points?

No. The spell increases both current and maximum hit points, so it can coexist with temporary hit points.

Can Aid target the caster?

Yes. The caster is a creature within range and can be one of the three targets.

Do multiple Aid spells stack?

No. The 2014 rules prevent the effects of the same spell from combining; only the most potent applicable Aid operates while their durations overlap.