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I first thought that the answer to this question was a definite 'yes.' The target is "A creature of your choice that you can see within range" (PHB 250). Presumably the caster is a creature, can be seen by him/herself, and is within range of 60' of him/herself.

Then I read the description for Greater Invisibility which specifies "You or a creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends" (PHB 246). It seems that Wizards have emphasized that Greater Invisibility can be applied to oneself while the same option is not emphasized for Healing Word.

Am I to interpret the lack of a specific option to heal oneself as meaning Healing Word cannot target self?

Bonus question: does this apply to Cure Wounds (PHB 230) as well?

KRyan
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Besty
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    This means if you are invisible you can't use it on yourself, right? – Paŭlo Ebermann Dec 07 '14 at 20:42
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    I don't know. I guess RAW the answer is no, but if you're willing to look past RAW it would depend on how you interpret it. Do you need to see the target because you need to know where they are? In this case you already know where you are, so maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe you need to see them for some unexplainable magical reason, which I guess would imply that if you're invisible you can't cast it on yourself. The ruling would essentially be the same as one for casting it on an invisible target that you know exactly where they are. Maybe you should ask this as a separate question? – Besty Dec 07 '14 at 23:25

1 Answers1

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Yes

Targeting Yourself

If a spell targets a creature of your choice, you can choose yourself, unless the creature must be hostile or specifically a creature other than you.

(Player's Handbook p204)

In the case of Greater Invisibility, the caster is specified as an additional target to clarify that the caster is a valid target even when the caster cannot be touched (if she were manacled against a wall, for instance). Ordinarily, a spell which only targets "a creature you touch" (such as Cure Wounds or the standard Invisibility spell) cannot be used on any creature that cannot be touched.

What exactly qualifies as "touch" is not precisely defined in the rules; however, the text of Greater Invisibility in particular suggests that touch is not automatic against oneself.

Grubermensch
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    Clearly, there are many social situations where it is not appropriate to touch yourself :-) – Dale M Dec 08 '14 at 02:49
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    Shouldn't that mean that if you can't see yourself you can't target yourself? And are you normally able to see yourself? – GMNoob Nov 11 '15 at 10:39