Goodberry 5e – It’s a Party in your Mouth

Book of Spells and Magical Effects

Bottom Line Up Front

In 5e Dungeons and Dragons, Goodberry is the most underrated of the three 1st level healing spells in the game. It is effective from 1st up to max level because it exploits the Fifth Edition death/healing mechanics and maximizes Action Economy. Your non-cleric healers (bard druid ranger) will love using it.

Incredibly, this 1st level spell is one of the best healing spells in Fifth Edition. It’s definitely worth one of your healer’s spell slots.

Common Goodberry Questions

Can you eat more than one goodberry?

You can eat as many goodberries as you want to recover Hit Points. However, you only need to eat one to satisfy your hunger for a day.

How long do Goodberries last 5e?

Goodberries last 24 hours.

Do you roll for Goodberry?

You don’t need to roll for Goodberry because you always get 10 berries.

Why is Goodberry a good spell?

Goodberry 5e is very flexible spell designed to be cast prior to combat but the berries can be used at any time. It can bring your entire party from 0 HP back into the fight.

In Point Form

School: 1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a sprig of mistletoe)

Duration: Instantaneous

Up to ten berries appear in your hand and are infused with magic for the duration.

A creature can use its action to eat one berry.

Eating a berry restores 1 hit point,

and the berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day.

The berries lose their potency if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell.

Class: Druid, Ranger

Races: Halfling (Mark of Hospitality)

Source: PHB, page 246

5e D&D Goodberries
What do Goodberries look like?

Goodberry 5e – The Breakdown

The 5th Edition basics are that your Bard, Druid or Ranger create ten berries. One berry restores 1 Hit Point.

The components are not consumed so you can use them over and over again.

Spell Slots

Goodberry is a Level 1 spell that maximizes Action Economy. You cast it in advance of combat and hand out ten x 1 hp healing potions.

Eventually even Good Berries Lose their Potency

A 24 hour period is a long time in our games and very few spells last that long.

The Biggest Advantage

Your magic-using characters often have spell slots left over at before you start a long rest. If there’s no sign that your rest will be interrupted, you could spend these slots to create magic healing for your party to be eating over the 24 hour duration. You could end up saving a life the next day. You could have maybe 20 or 30 berries for eating and healing anytime within 24 hours.

In many games, one Level 1 casting, with the 24 hour duration, will allow you to heal a creature (or provide them food) in multiple game sessions. You’d have to search long and hard to find a better example of exploiting the game’s Action Economy.

Possible Points of Contention

I’ve never had a problem with either of these points because most DMs are pretty lenient about the berries. That said, it’s worth speaking to your DM in advance to make sure you’re both on the same page.

Here’s the most common sticking point: “a creature can use its action to eat one berry”. First issue, if a Character is down, they can’t eat so can another character feed them? I say yes and that’s the general consensus.

The second common issue that I see people post about is that it “one berry provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day.” Some people interpret this to say that you can only eat one berry per day but the rule doesn’t look that way to me.

On the other hand, maybe the Goodberry is the size of your fist and it does take a whole action. After one, you might be too full to have another!