Rules question-negative energy and constructs.

[Grand Arbiter]

While working on a homebrew project, a rules question came up. I am aware that constructs are unaffected by energy drain, but are they harmed by inflict spells and similar effects that cause damage directly by negative energy?

My understanding is that constructs wouldn't be harmed, since positive energy has no effect, but I would like to hear others' opinions.

[Septimus]

Constructs are immune to necromancy effects, such as inflict spells. So they are also immune to these damage.

[AslanCross]

Okay wow. I never noticed that. The Cure line specifies LIVING creatures, but the Inflict line only says CREATURE. (Constructs, lacking a CON score, are not living; hence the Warforged needing the living construct tag.)

I guess it would be reasonable to houserule that. Note that there are a few constructs that are powered by negative energy (shadesteel golems, gloom golems, etc).

EDIT: The above poster is right. They have blanket immunity to Necromancy.

[illyahr]

I don't know why they changed cure spells from Necromancy to Conjuration anyway. It's manipulation of life energy.

[DrMotives]

I don't know why they changed cure spells from Necromancy to Conjuration anyway. It's manipulation of life energy.

No one knows. That comes up here from time to time, and the answer is always "that's weird and makes no sense, why'd they do it?"

[inuyasha]

No one knows. That comes up here from time to time, and the answer is always "that's weird and makes no sense, why'd they do it?"

Does anyone know if they changed it back in fifth edition? I've always thought that didn't make sense...

[DrMotives]

Does anyone know if they changed it back in fifth edition? I've always thought that didn't make sense...

Just checked the 5e SRD, cure is evocation & inflict is necromancy. So no, they didn't fix it, just made it make no sense in a different way.

[trikkydik]

I don't care what anyone says, i treat healing and damage effects as transmutation spells. Being able to affect the biological structure of organic compounds. no different from stoneskin

(LOL just read stone skin is abjuration, ROFL. Not by my rules. transmutation, just like haste, fabricate, control water, flesh to stone.)

[erok0809]

My reasoning for why Cure spells can be conjuration is that they have to conjure up the energy from the Positive Energy Plane to do the healing. Why Inflict would still be necromancy when that's basically the exact same thing but with the Negative Energy Plane is beyond me, but that's what I think for how to explain that cure is under conjuration.

[Sliver]

If that reasoning applies to positive energy, why not apply the same to all Evocation spells and pile them into the Conjuration school?


Evocation spells manipulate energy or tap an unseen source of power to produce a desired end.

It's less about whether you can find a reason to why things are that way, and more about things making more sense if you put the healing spells under the school that deals with manipulation of life force:


Necromancy spells manipulate the power of death, unlife, and the life force.

[KillianHawkeye]

I don't know why they changed cure spells from Necromancy to Conjuration anyway. It's manipulation of life energy.


No one knows. That comes up here from time to time, and the answer is always "that's weird and makes no sense, why'd they do it?"

I'm 96% sure it's because the designers equated "necromancy" with "bad, evil, naughty things" and then came to the conclusion that healing spells didn't belong in that school. It's also why, for example, mindless undead usually have a NE alignment despite other mindless creatures rightfully being True Neutral, or why the deathwatch spell has the Evil descriptor even though all it does is tell you who is alive, dead, almost dead, undead, or neither alive nor dead... but it does it using necromancy, so EEEEEVIL!

:smallsigh::smallsigh::smallsigh:

I mean, that would be a super useful spell for the party's healer to use so they don't have to rely on the party's ability to communicate their metagame hit point totals, but NO... a Good-aligned Cleric cannot ever cast this spell. And even a Neutral Cleric who uses this spell too much will eventually turn Evil for monstrously wanting to know his friends health levels! How dare you?!?!! :smallsigh::smallannoyed:

[Necroticplague]

This kind of vagueness is why Conjuration is already the most bloated, versatile school. You can justify a whole lot of crap under it, including entire other schools!

[illyahr]

This kind of vagueness is why Conjuration is already the most bloated, versatile school. You can justify a whole lot of crap under it, including entire other schools!

Looking at you, "Orb of" spell line. :smallannoyed: