How can a Construct have Fast Healing?

[Sims]

I saw the Retrievers had it. But they are non-living matter. How can they heal/repair themselves, but Golems and other constructs can't.

[tonberrian]

Magic.

Alternatively, nanites.

Alternatively alternatively, magic nanites.

[Asheram]

The Monster manual is a bit unsure if it should call it a demon or not.
It's mindless, but it've got an alignment of always evil.

[MeeposFire]

Just because non-organic matter in our universe does not self heal automatically does not mean that magically animated non-organic matter from another universe cannot.

[John Campbell]

Two words: T-1000.

[TroubleBrewing]

Also, magic. And, just in case that doesn't cover it, magic. Alternately, "a wizard did it". See also: "quit trying to impose our universes restrictions and laws to a universe where a line of ordinary people can accelerate a projectile to beyond light speed with no training or tools aside from a 10ft long piece of timber".

[Flickerdart]

Each Retriever has a sassy Quasit mechanic inside. Whenever the Retriever gets damaged, the Quasit pulls out its little Quasit wrench, makes a crack about how it can't work miracles but wishes it could and gets to work tightening all the bolts and welding on missing bits.

[Runestar]

Is it me, or does Sims seem to ask the weirdest (and irrelevant) questions ever?

Out of curiosity, I was reviewing his history of questions posted, and well, you have to see it for yourself. :smallannoyed:

[NEO|Phyte]

I saw the Retrievers had it. But they are non-living matter. How can they heal/repair themselves, but Golems and other constructs can't.

The exact same way that vampires have fast healing, while skeletons and zombies don't. Not every creature of the same type is the same.

[The Glyphstone]

Is it me, or does Sims seem to ask the weirdest (and irrelevant) questions ever?

Out of curiosity, I was reviewing his history of questions posted, and well, you have to see it for yourself. :smallannoyed:

You call them weird. Others call them thought-provoking.:smallbiggrin:

[Tanuki Tales]

The exact same way that vampires have fast healing, while skeletons and zombies don't. Not every creature of the same type is the same.

Until you look at the variant Skeletons and Zombies from both 3.x and Pathfinder. :smalltongue:

[TroubleBrewing]

Thought-provoking, perhaps. Head-scratch-inducing, almost always.

[LOTRfan]

I saw the Retrievers had it. But they are non-living matter. How can they heal/repair themselves, but Golems and other constructs can't.

I usually fluff it as enchanted metallurgy. For example, Aurorum from Mount Celestia is a metal that repairs itself if cracked. Perhaps Retrievers are made with the fiendish variety. Or maybe the Abyss channels power into it that grants it abilities live Fast Healing.


Is it me, or does Sims seem to ask the weirdest (and irrelevant) questions ever?

Out of curiosity, I was reviewing his history of questions posted, and well, you have to see it for yourself. :smallannoyed:

What Glyphstone said. I, for one, find them rather interesting.

[dsmiles]

Here's a thought:

Maugs do it too. :smallbiggrin:

[LOTRfan]

Here's a thought:

Maugs do it too. :smallbiggrin:

That's because, pre-Warforged, Maugs were the best Construct player characters ever. :smallsmile:

[KillianHawkeye]

I saw the Retrievers had it. But they are non-living matter. How can they heal/repair themselves, but Golems and other constructs can't.

Fast Healing has no requirement that it must be on a living creature. You're thinking of Regeneration.

[Sims]

Is it me, or does Sims seem to ask the weirdest (and irrelevant) questions ever?

Out of curiosity, I was reviewing his history of questions posted, and well, you have to see it for yourself. :smallannoyed:

If they bother you, don't post in the thread. :|

[Ravens_cry]

Each Retriever has a sassy Quasit mechanic inside. Whenever the Retriever gets damaged, the Quasit pulls out its little Quasit wrench, makes a crack about how it can't work miracles but wishes it could and gets to work tightening all the bolts and welding on missing bits.

That answer is so adorable, it has to be true.:smallbiggrin:

[ericgrau]

Fast Healing has no requirement that it must be on a living creature. You're thinking of Regeneration.

The little detail that it is like natural healing but faster is a bit of a problem, when most constructs don't heal naturally. Normally they must be repaired.

[Urpriest]

If they bother you, don't post in the thread. :|

What bothers us is your tendency to ask them. As people who like D&D, we're worried that these questions are symptoms of a greater problem, and that there's some essential part of the mentality that you're missing. It feels like it would be more productive to address that than to answer your questions.

[KillianHawkeye]

I think this pretty much sums it up:

Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.

If the objection is "But how does it work considering constructs aren't alive?" well I'm afraid the answer is "Nobody knows how it works for living creatures either, it just does."

[John Campbell]

Each Retriever has a sassy Quasit mechanic inside. Whenever the Retriever gets damaged, the Quasit pulls out its little Quasit wrench, makes a crack about how it can't work miracles but wishes it could and gets to work tightening all the bolts and welding on missing bits.

You win the thread.

[mikau013]

I think this pretty much sums it up:


If the objection is "But how does it work considering constructs aren't alive?" well I'm afraid the answer is "Nobody knows how it works for living creatures either, it just does."

Nah it is obvious, a wizard did it! :smallwink:

Well actually I'd say the magic that made the construct alive and is still keeping him alive is just healing him. Sure it might not make 100% sense, but hitpoints in d&d don't really make sense in the first place.

[cZak]

The Shield Guardian (MM 223), which has Fast healing, has a construction requirement of Limited wish. Although the Flesh & Iron golem also have this requirement, they do not have Fast healing, but for the Shield Guardian this seems a logical 'cover' for the ability.

The DMG (pg 35) does have (vague) recommendations for researching spells, even divine to arcane and vice versa. So a caster could research a spell, using the Vigor line as a base, to affect non-organic creatures; constructs et al.
It would be somewhat specific and liimited, but then so is the Repair line for Artificers and Wizards.