Healing Hands

School	Restoration
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	25 per second
Casting	Concentration
Delivery	Target Actor
Effect	Heals the target 10 points per second, but not undead, atronachs or machines.
Duration	-
Perk	Apprentice Restoration (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Healing Hands
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Healing Hands is the Apprentice spell for healing others. A steady stream heals the target 10 points per second while the caster holds it. It keeps a follower standing through a long fight. It works on living allies, but not on undead, atronachs or machines.

Healing Hands belongs to the early game, once Restoration reaches the Apprentice rank. Most court wizards sell the tome, and so does Colette Marence at the College of Winterhold.

Spell Tome

Healing Hands is learned by reading Spell Tome: Healing Hands. Calcelmo, Colette Marence, Falion, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Nelacar, Sybille Stentor, Wuunferth the Unliving and Wylandriah sell the tome.

How It Plays

Healing Hands is a concentration spell aimed at another person. A steady stream of light heals the target for as long as the caster holds it.

The spell is made for a caster who travels with a follower. A companion who drops to one knee in a fight can be brought back to their feet in a few seconds. The caster can keep healing between their own attacks.

Necromantic Healing from the Dawnguard DLC is the version for undead allies.

Casting Healing Hands on a stranger can backfire. Some people treat the spell as an attack and turn hostile.

Compared with Heal Other

Heal Other, the Adept spell, heals a target in one burst rather than a stream. It is better in an emergency, when a follower is about to fall. Healing Hands is cheaper to hold for a few seconds and suits steady support. Grand Healing, the Expert spell, heals the caster and every ally nearby at once.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Restoration perk halves the cost of Healing Hands. Regeneration makes every healing spell stronger, and Respite lets healing spells restore stamina too. Recovery speeds up magicka regeneration, which keeps a long stream going.

Training Restoration

Restoration only rises when a healing spell restores health that was really lost. Healing a hurt follower or a horse counts. A common trick pairs Flames and Healing Hands on the same friendly target, which raises Destruction and Restoration together.

Cost and Efficiency

Healing Hands costs 25 magicka for each second it is held at a skill of zero. That is about twice the cost of Healing for the same 10 points per second. The Apprentice Restoration perk halves it.

The spell is best used in the lulls of a fight. A follower who has dropped to one knee is out of the battle until healed. A few seconds of Healing Hands bring the follower back to help while the enemy is busy elsewhere.

Healing a hurt follower is also one of the easiest ways to train Restoration. A follower who takes hits from weak enemies or a resetting trap gives a steady supply of real wounds to heal.

Gameplay Tips

The Regeneration perk raises the healing to 15 points per second.
The Respite perk makes the spell restore stamina as well.

Notes

Faralda may ask to see this spell during First Lessons, cast on her at the gate of the College of Winterhold. She teaches it for 30 gold to anyone who needs it.

Spell Categories

All Restoration Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Healing		12 per second	Concentration	Heals the caster 10 points per second.
Lesser Ward		34 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 40 points and negates up to 40 points of spell damage or effects.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Fast Healing	73	Fire and Forget	Heals the caster 50 points.
Healing Hands	25 per second	Concentration	Heals the target 10 points per second, but not undead, atronachs or machines.
Steadfast Ward	58 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 60 points and negates up to 60 points of spell damage or effects.
Turn Lesser Undead	84	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 6 flee for 30 seconds.
Necromantic Healing	37 per second	Concentration	Heals the undead target 10 points per second, but not the living, atronachs or machines.
Sun Fire	24	Fire and Forget	Ball of sunlight that does 25 points of damage to undead.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Close Wounds	126	Fire and Forget	Heals the caster 100 points.
Greater Ward	86 per second	Concentration	Increases armor rating by 80 points and negates up to 80 points of spell damage or effects.
Heal Other	80	Fire and Forget	Heals the target 75 points, but not undead, atronachs or machines.
Repel Lesser Undead	115	Fire and Forget	All affected undead up to level 8 flee for 30 seconds.
Turn Undead	168	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 13 flee for 30 seconds.
Heal Undead	115	Fire and Forget	Heals the undead target 75 points, but not the living, atronachs or machines.
Stendarr's Aura	248	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, undead in melee range take 10 points sun damage per second.
Vampire's Bane	72	Fire and Forget	Sunlight explosion that does 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius to undead.
Poison Rune	246	Fire and Forget	Targets that fail to resist take 3 points of poison damage per second for 30 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Circle of Protection	171	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 20 entering the circle will flee.
Grand Healing	254	Fire and Forget	Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points.
Repel Undead	353	Fire and Forget	All affected undead up to level 16 flee for 30 seconds.
Turn Greater Undead	267	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 21 flee for 30 seconds.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Image	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bane of the Undead		988	Fire and Forget	Sets undead up to level 30 on fire and makes them flee for 30 seconds.
Guardian Circle		716	Fire and Forget	Undead up to level 35 entering the circle will flee. Caster heals 20 health per second inside it.