Lesser Restoration — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use This
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes to Avoid
• •Usage Tips
• •Rules Notes
• •Synergies
• •Anti-Patterns
• •Tactical Modules
• •Countermeasures
• •Lesser Restoration in the 2024 Rules
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Lesser Restoration is a 2nd-level abjuration spell for Bards, Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Rangers. You touch a creature and end one disease or one condition on it. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. In the 2024 rules it is a bonus action and only ends one of those four conditions; the disease clause is gone, though the 2024 otyugh and death dog write their diseases as the Poisoned condition.

Overview

Lesser Restoration is the cleanup spell for four conditions: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and poisoned. In the 2014 rules it also cures one disease. There is no save, no attack roll, and no material component.

Most of the time it is an after-the-fight spell: a death dog's diseased bite, or a 2014 erinyes arrow whose poison lasts until magic removes it. Paralysis is when it matters mid-combat. A paralyzed creature can't act, and any hit from within 5 feet is a critical hit, so ending it before the enemy's next turn can be worth more than any healing spell. In 2024 the casting time drops to a bonus action, which makes that rescue much cheaper.

Stat Block

Life Domain clerics get it as a domain spell at 3rd level in both editions. In the 2014 SRD, Oath of Devotion paladins get it as an oath spell at 5th level.

When NOT to Use This

• •The problem is charm, fear, stunning, petrification, or exhaustion. None of those are on the list.
• •The problem is a curse, like mummy rot or lycanthropy. That needs Remove Curse.
• •The condition is about to end on its own. A 2024 ghoul's paralysis lasts only until the end of the target's next turn.
• •The poisoned condition comes from an ongoing source, like a ghast's Stench. The creature may be poisoned again at the start of its next turn.

Spell Slot Efficiency

Upcasting

Lesser Restoration has no higher-level effect. A higher slot still ends one disease or one condition.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Free the paralyzed ally before the enemies act.

Why it works: Attacks against a paralyzed creature have advantage, and hits from within 5 feet are critical hits. Casting before the enemies' turns removes both.

This avoids the mistake of: Healing a paralyzed ally who is about to take double-dice crits.

Tip #2: In 2024, pair it with a cantrip or an attack.

Why it works: It's a bonus action, so you keep your action. The 2024 one-spell-slot-per-turn rule rules out a second leveled spell, but a cantrip, Dodge, or weapon attack is fine.

This avoids the mistake of: Trying to cast it and a leveled spell on the same turn.

Tip #3: Read the duration before spending the slot.

Why it works: A 2014 erinyes arrow's poison lasts until magic removes it. A ghast's Stench poisons only until the start of the creature's next turn.

This avoids the mistake of: Spending a slot on a condition that would have ended in a round anyway.

Tip #4: Cure diseases the same day.

Why it works: Death dog and otyugh diseases cost hit point maximum every 24 hours or after each long rest. Curing early keeps the losses small.

This avoids the mistake of: Letting a character sleep off a disease that gets worse each day.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using it on charm or fear

Why it's bad: Charmed, frightened, and stunned aren't on the list.

Do this instead: Use Protection from Evil and Good or Dispel Evil and Good against charm and fear from the planar creature types, or Greater Restoration for a charm.

Curing a 2024 disease as a disease

Why it's bad: The 2024 spell has no disease clause. It only ends a condition.

Do this instead: Check how the 2024 effect is written. The otyugh's and death dog's diseases give the Poisoned condition, so Lesser Restoration still ends them. A 2024 Contagion spell resists: the target must succeed on a Constitution save, or the Poisoned condition doesn't end.

Ending one condition and expecting all to end

Why it's bad: The spell ends one disease or one condition. A creature that is both blinded and poisoned needs two castings.

Do this instead: End the condition that matters most this round first.

Usage Tips

• •Ghoul paralysis, 2014. A ghoul's Claws (+4) hit a wizard with AC 15 on 11 or higher, 50% of the time. The wizard's DC 10 Constitution save with +1 fails on 8 or lower, 40% of the time. Each claw attack paralyzes about 20% of the time (0.5 × 0.4). The paralysis lasts up to a minute, with a save at the end of each of the wizard's turns. While it lasts, a ghoul's Claws hit with advantage (75% instead of 50%), and every hit is a critical hit: 12 (4d4 + 2) damage instead of 7.
• •When to cast it (2014). If your turn falls between the ghoul's and the wizard's, casting it lets the wizard act this round. Otherwise the wizard loses its turn and has a 60% chance to break free at the end of it.
• •Ghoul paralysis, 2024. The 2024 ghoul paralyzes on a failed DC 10 Constitution save, but only until the end of the target's next turn. Lesser Restoration is still useful when other ghouls will act before that point. As a bonus action, you can cast it and still attack or cast a cantrip. The ghast works the same way.
• •Otyugh disease. An otyugh's Bite is +6. Against AC 18 it hits on 12 or higher, 45% of the time. In 2014, a fighter with a +5 Constitution save then fails the DC 15 save on 9 or lower, 45% of the time, and catches a disease: poisoned until cured, and a daily save that cuts 5 (1d10) maximum hit points on each failure. Lesser Restoration cures it, and the lost maximum returns with the cure. In 2024 there is no initial save. Any hit leaves the target Poisoned, and the target saves after each long rest. Ending Poisoned with Lesser Restoration ends the whole effect.
• •Death dog disease. A death dog makes two +4 bites. Against AC 16 each hits 45% of the time, and a +2 Constitution save fails the DC 12 save 45% of the time. Each bite infects about 20% of the time, so at least one of the two infects about 36% of the time (1 − 0.8 × 0.8). In 2014 it is a disease, poisoned until cured. In 2024 the first failure gives the Poisoned condition. Lesser Restoration ends it in both editions.
• •Diseased giant rat. The 2014 SRD's diseased giant rat variant spreads a disease on a failed DC 10 Constitution save. Until cured, the target can't regain hit points except by magic and loses 3 (1d6) maximum hit points every 24 hours. Lesser Restoration cures it.
• •Erinyes arrows (2014). The 2014 erinyes' longbow poisons on a failed DC 14 Constitution save, and the stat block says the poison lasts until removed by Lesser Restoration or similar magic.
• •Solar's Blinding Gaze (2014). The 2014 solar's gaze blinds on a failed DC 15 Constitution save until magic such as Lesser Restoration removes it. The 2024 version blinds for 1 minute, and Lesser Restoration still ends the condition.
• •Other SRD uses. It ends Dust of Sneezing and Choking in both editions. In 2014 it can rid a character of short-term or long-term madness. In 2024 it removes short-term and long-term effects of mental stress and ends the Sight Rot contagion. The 2014 Contagion spell inflicts a natural disease, and its text says anything that removes a disease works on it.

Rules Notes

• •One casting, one effect. It has no upcast effect.
• •If the condition comes from a spell that is still running, like Hold Person, the text doesn't say whether that spell's effect returns. That is a DM ruling, not rules text.

Lesser Restoration vs. Greater Restoration

The two spells don't overlap. Lesser Restoration doesn't touch charm, petrification, curses, or exhaustion. Greater Restoration doesn't end blindness, deafness, paralysis, or poison.

Synergies

• •Paladin's Lay on Hands: Five points from the pool cure a disease or neutralize a poison (2014) or remove the Poisoned condition (2024), saving a spell slot for paralysis.
• •Cure Wounds and Healing Word: Lesser Restoration ends the condition; they restore the hit points. A diseased giant rat victim can still regain hit points from magic.
• •Remove Curse: Covers the curses Lesser Restoration can't.
• •Life Domain clerics: It is always prepared, so it doesn't cost a prepared spell choice.

Anti-Patterns

• •Casting it on a charmed, frightened, stunned, or mummy-rotted ally.
• •Casting it on a 2024 ghoul victim right before their own turn when no enemy acts in between; the paralysis ends at the end of that turn anyway.

Tactical Modules

• •Ghoul pack (2014): Keep a 2nd-level slot for paralysis. Cast it on whoever is paralyzed next to the most ghouls.
• •Camp cleanup: After a death dog or otyugh fight, cure every infected character before the long rest.

Countermeasures

• •Threat: The ghouls paralyze someone again next round. Response: Kill or block the ghouls near the victim. Fallback: Ward the victim with Protection from Evil and Good so undead claws roll with disadvantage.
• •Threat: You run out of 2nd-level slots. Response: Use Lay on Hands for diseases (2014) and poison. Fallback: Let short conditions run out and save slots for the long ones.
• •Threat: A 2024 Contagion resists the cure. Response: Cast it again; the target gets a new Constitution save each time an effect tries to end Poisoned. Fallback: Save the slot until the target has a better Constitution save, for example with Bless running.

Lesser Restoration in the 2024 Rules

Two things changed. First, the casting time is now a bonus action. Because you can expend only one spell slot per turn in 2024, your action can be a cantrip, attack, or Dodge, but not another leveled spell.

Second, the disease clause is gone. The 2024 spell ends one condition: Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, or Poisoned. The 2024 otyugh and death dog write their diseases as the Poisoned condition, so the spell still ends them. Some 2024 magical contagions name the spell directly: Sight Rot ends when Lesser Restoration or Heal is cast. The 2024 Contagion spell is the exception, because the target must succeed on a Constitution save for the Poisoned condition to end.

The class list is unchanged (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger), and Life Domain clerics still always have it prepared from level 3. The 2024 Oath of Devotion no longer includes it; its level 5 spells are Aid and Zone of Truth. Several 2024 monsters cast it as a bonus action through Divine Aid, including the priest, couatl, deva, planetar, and solar, and the unicorn casts it with Unicorn's Blessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lesser Restoration do in 5e?

You touch a creature and end one condition on it: blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. In the 2014 rules you can end one disease instead.

Does Lesser Restoration cure diseases?

In the 2014 rules, yes, one disease per casting. The 2024 spell has no disease clause, but the 2024 otyugh's and death dog's diseases are written as the Poisoned condition, which it ends.

Does Lesser Restoration end paralysis?

Yes, in both editions. Against a 2014 ghoul, whose paralysis can last a minute, it is the fastest fix.

Is Lesser Restoration a bonus action?

In the 2024 rules, yes; in 2014 it takes an action. In 2024 you can't also expend a spell slot on another spell that turn.

Does Lesser Restoration end charm or fear?

No. Charmed and frightened aren't on its list. Greater Restoration ends a charm, and Protection from Evil and Good or Dispel Evil and Good handle charm and fear from fiends, undead, fey, and the other planar creature types they list.

Does Lesser Restoration cure mummy rot?

No. Mummy rot is a curse. Remove Curse or Greater Restoration ends it.

What is the difference between Lesser and Greater Restoration?

Lesser Restoration ends blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned, plus one disease in 2014. Greater Restoration ends charm, petrification, a curse, an exhaustion level, or an ability score or hit point maximum reduction. They don't overlap.

Who can cast Lesser Restoration in 5e?

Bards, Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Rangers, in both editions. Life Domain clerics always have it prepared from 3rd level. 2014 Oath of Devotion paladins get it at 5th level.

Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)

Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.