Choosing the right class to play as and picking the right skills and equipment is important for building characters in an MMO like Elder Scrolls Online. This is especially true for healer characters. In RPGs, healers have always been an important part of a party, as they keep their allies alive in combat by curing wounds. Naturally, this pivotal role extended to multiplayer games.
Elder Scrolls Online offers its player base a wide variety of options when building characters. Players can unlock new skills based on their character's race, choose which weapons and armor they specialize in, and of course, specify a combat class. There are many combinations to consider and choose from, so here are some of the ones players should check out if they want to make an optimal healer build in Elder Scrolls Online.
Two Elder Scrolls Online classes are best suited for a traditional healer build: Templars and Wardens. Both have designated skill trees that include healing abilities. Players looking to create a healer character in character customization should begin with one of those classes in mind.
The Best Classes for an Elder Scrolls Online Healer
Templar
The Templar is the first of the two classes that can specialize in healing in Elder Scrolls Online, thanks to their Restoring Light skill tree. They can learn helpful passive skills such as Mending, which will improve their healing when targeting allies with lower health, or Master Ritualist, which increases the speed of resurrecting fallen comrades. Whatever path is chosen, Templars are a great way to get the party back on its feet and an excellent choice for a character build.
Warden
The other class with a designated healing tree is the Warden. Wardens use the power of nature to mend wounds. Several of their skills, such as Healing Seed and Fungal Growth, plant flora that heal allies in a large radius after the plants have grown. Their Living Vines skill can also heal allies the moment they’re hurt, mitigating the damage they take.
The Best Skills for an Elder Scrolls Online Healer
While several class-specific skills can be useful when building a healer in Elder Scrolls Online, there are a few additional abilities players should prioritize. These include the following:
Combat Prayer
This skill, a morph of the Blessing of Protection skill unlocked by reaching level 14 of the Restoration Staff skill tree, is an excellent healing spell. While there are many healing skills in the game, including Breath of Life, Combat Prayer stands out by increasing the damage dealt and decreasing damage received for all allies healed by the skill. This will not only help improve their survivability, but also ensure they’ll take down foes quicker while restoring their health at the same time.
Evocation
Healers need to keep an eye on their magic resource, known as Magicka in Elder Scrolls Online, because they won’t be able to cast any more healing spells if they run out. Enter Evocation, a passive skill unlocked after reaching level 18 for light armor, which increases Magicka recovery and decreases Magicka consumption the more light armor the player’s character is wearing. This skill is especially good for Templars, as their instant heals can dry up their Magicka quickly.
The Best Gear for an Elder Scrolls Online Healer
Certain gear sets in Elder Scrolls Online include buffs that can increase a healer's Magicka reserves or the amount of HP they can heal at a time. The best gear sets to prioritize as a healer character include:
Spell Power Cure Set
This equipment set will boost the wearer’s maximum Magicka if they have two or three pieces from the set equipped. However, if five matching items are worn, it will grant a temporary but significant combat buff to over-healed targets. Healers able to get their hands on this equipment set will be a major asset to their team if they find themselves consistently healing targets beyond maximum health.
Hollowfang Thirst Set
The Hollowfang Thirst set has a unique side-effect that will aid healers in their endeavors. Every time they critically heal or damage a target, a Hemoglobin ball appears nearby. This magic sphere explodes after a few seconds, restoring Magicka and also increasing the incoming healing of those hit by the blast. Healers who have equipment and skills boosting their critical spell rate will get a lot of mileage out of this set, as it will activate more often and keep their Magicka supply replenished.
Elder Scrolls Online is available for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One.