Cure Wounds

Cure Wounds is the big heal, if you can get your hands on the patient

At the table. Cure Wounds heals 2d8 plus your spellcasting modifier, 12 on average with a +3 modifier, and it upcasts by 2d8 (9 average) per slot level. That is half again what Healing Word gives from the same slot. The 2024 rules doubled it: SRD 5.1 had 1d8. Five classes cast it: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin and Ranger.

The choice that matters is action or Bonus Action. Cure Wounds takes your action and needs a touch, so you must walk to the patient and give up your attack or spell that turn. It is the right pick when the fight has paused, when your ally is about to take another beating, or when a Paladin or Ranger stands next to the wounded anyway. When the ally is on 0 Hit Points and far away, Healing Word gets them up for less.

The common mistake is healing in the open. Walking into reach to touch a fallen friend can leave the healer next to the same monster that dropped them. Check who is standing in the square next to the patient before you move.

The human angle. Healers rarely top the damage charts, yet many players pick the role on purpose and love it. Dunn, Aknin and Norton found people who spent money on others reported more happiness than people who spent it on themselves. Cure Wounds is a resource you spend on someone else, face to face, with your hand on their shoulder. DMs, describe the moment the wound closes, not only the number.

Source: Dunn, E. W., Aknin, L. B., & Norton, M. I. (2008). Spending money on others promotes happiness. Science, 319(5870), 1687–1688. doi:10.1126/science.1150952