https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/3f8j9o/what_do_you_do_when_the_group_has_no_healer/ https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/93152/will-my-party-function-without-a-healer https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/6sivq7/5e_dms_how_do_you_help_a_party_without_a_healer/ https://levelupcorner.com/not-having-a-healer-in-5e-how-to-make-it-work https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/2f9au3/5e_healing_options_for_nonhealer_party/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/91vb57/can_a_party_get_by_without_a_healer/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/qcsktz/party_with_no_healer_what_are_ways_to_give/ https://www.cbr.com/dungeons-dragons-no-healers-dm-tools/

https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/165023/what-happens-when-an-unconscious-but-stabilised-character-is-hit

https://blackcitadelrpg.com/death-saving-throws-5e/

Healing Surge Optional Rule https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/72132/how-does-the-optional-healing-surge-rule-interact-with-other-uses-of-hit-dice

How can a party with no healers return a character from the unconscious/dying condition? https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/9286/how-can-a-party-with-no-healers-return-a-character-from-the-unconscious-dying-co

Tools for the DM

Digging through the rules for "Damage and Healing," I stumbled across an option for knocking out a creature. While this not be useful for preventinga total party kill (TPK), it can be useful if you don't want to kill a character that made a mistake (e.g. split from the party and got caught).

Knocking a Creature Out
Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a foe, rather than deal a killing blow. When an attacker reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the attacker can knock the creature out. The attacker can make this choice the instant the damage is dealt. The creature falls unconscious and is stable.

Did the player wander into a bandit encampment and get knocked unconscious? Great, the bandits decided to stablize the fallen player and sent a ransom note to the party. Let the party decide how they want to try to save their friend? Do they want to take a diplomatic stance and pay the random? What about attacking the camp instead?

https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/164063/save-a-dying-pc-without-being-too-obvious

The Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) also has an optional rule (p. 266-267) called "Healing Surges."

Healing Surge

As an action, a character can use a healing surge and spend up to half his or her Hit Dice. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the character's Constitution modifier. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll.

A character who uses a healing surge can't do so again until he or she finishes a short or long rest.

Under this optional rule, a character regains all spent Hit Dice at the end of a long rest. With a short rest, a character regains Hit Dice equal to his or her level divided by four (minimum of one die).

Should being knocked unconscious add a point of exhaustion? https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/5qhltk/5e_a_simple_rule_change_for_falling_unconscious/

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/combat#Droppingto0HitPoints https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/60066/how-does-knocked-out-work-in-5e

Stabilizing a Creature
The best way to save a creature with 0 hit points is to heal it. If healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed death saving throw.

You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

A stable creature doesn't make death saving throws, even though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious. The creature stops being stable, and must start making death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4 hours.

Instant Death
Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.

For example, a cleric with a maximum of 12 hit points currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18 damage from an attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 12 damage remains. Because the remaining damage equals her hit point maximum, the cleric dies.

Other optional healing rules: https://www.hipstersanddragons.com/better-healing-rules-5e-dnd/