Heat Metal and Constructs

[Osrogue]

How would you rule the heat metal spell to interact with constructs?

Say, animated armor, (a non-sentient inorganic construct)

A modron (sentient inorganic(?) construct)

And flesh golem (nonsentient organic construct)

Edit: heat metal targets a sword they hold.

[Plaguescarred]

I'd rule that it doesn't work on construct since they're creatures not object, which is what Heat Metal target.


Target: A spell's description tells you whether the spell targets creatures, objects, or a point of origin for an area o f effect

[Osrogue]

I'd rule that it doesn't work on construct since they're creatures not object, which is what Heat Metal target.

Sorry. Edited the OP.

[Plaguescarred]

Oh then Heat Metal should deal damage to any creature in physical contact with the object, construct included.

[JackPhoenix]

Modron would drop the hot weapon ASAP (because it's not stupid), animated armor would hold it and take damage unless instructed otherwise. Flesh golem is edge case: it's stupid, but not mindless, and its averse to fire. It can be reasoned with (see berserk description), so my guess is that it would also drop it.

[Yagyujubei]

so you think that targeting the breastplate of an animated armor isn't something that should be legal RAW? sure it's part of the creature, but I would argue that animated armor is a creature made up of objects.

[JackPhoenix]

so you think that targeting the breastplate of an animated armor isn't something that should be legal RAW? sure it's part of the creature, but I would argue that animated armor is a creature made up of objects.

The creature IS the object in this case... I would allow to target animated armor with Heat Metal, but it would be a waste of a spell, the object itself isn't damaged by the spell, only creatures in contact with it... I can see it being used as a buff, red-hot animated armor grappling an enemy who slowly burns to death in its embrace...

Hm, I must put this into an encounter. Don't mess with bards with construct bodyguards.

[Osrogue]

Cool. I guess that answers whether or not they could be targeted by the spell without a metal held item.

What I'm mostly curious about though is the rider, which forces a creature to drop an object or gives it disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks if the metal can't be dropped. I wouldn't think that animated armor would even care that its sword was red hot, and I don't know if modrons would be forced to drop the weapon from the pain, even if they are smart enough to understand that it is hurting them. I was thinking of just ruling that constructs automatically pass the heat metal con save, since they wouldn't feel the pain of the heated metal, only take the damage, but then I remembered that flesh golems have an aversion to fire, and thus do feel pain, and I'm not sure whether or not modrons feel anything, so I'm looking for a second opinion.

[Breaklance]

I'd say it doesn't hurt animated armor atleast. It makes the metal glow red hot which would certainly burn an organic material (like a person inside that armor) but unless the metal is being heated to the point of melting (as per spell description it isn't) it wouldn't hurt animated armor

Though explained that way I could allow casting heat metal at a higher spell slot to do so and reason that your making the metal even hotter to the point of melting. Cause that'd be cool and cost the player more

[Kadzar]

I'd rule the damage as working animated armor and swords and the like, since the spell works on objects, and the Monster Manual lists them under Animated Objects and refers to them as objects, so I don't think also technically being creatures changes that. Also, I don't know how you can say that a creature made of metal is not in physical contact with metal. Finally, metal that is red-hot, while not melted, is structurally in a weakened state. So it makes sense that, while maybe not destroying it outright, heating metal up should make it more susceptible to damage, so it should take less hammer blows after that to do it in.

[Douche]

You are a construct

Your entire body is made of metal

Someone heats you up

The idea of the spell is to microwave the organic matter whoever is wearing armor

But you have no organic matter inside your metal

Therefore, you're just toasty warm

But, now anyone that grapples you takes 2d8 fire damage, and has disadvantage on their ability checks if they try to continue grappling

Also, you can now grapple people and do the same effect, and they have disadvantage to escape your grapple


Woah dude, you just discovered a way that constructs can buff themselves! Nice one!

[SillyPopeNachos]

You are a construct

Your entire body is made of metal

Someone heats you up

The idea of the spell is to microwave the organic matter whoever is wearing armor

But you have no organic matter inside your metal

Therefore, you're just toasty warm

But, now anyone that grapples you takes 2d8 fire damage, and has disadvantage on their ability checks if they try to continue grappling

Also, you can now grapple people and do the same effect, and they have disadvantage to escape your grapple


Woah dude, you just discovered a way that constructs can buff themselves! Nice one!
Throwing this at my group one day, when they get overly arrogant.

[JAL_1138]

Red-hot metal is very soft. That's how it was shaped in the first place--a smith heated it to red-hot then hit it with a hammer when it was malleable. Something that won't even dent from a hammerblow when it's been cooled and hardened can be bent into a pretzel with relatively little force when it's sufficiently hot.

[Plaguescarred]

FWIW Mike Mearls was asked this very question on twitter https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/708328105895550976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw


@Mazoshi1987 Heat Metal lets you target a manufactured metal object, Do constructs made of metal?
‏@mikemearls technically, a construct is a creature rather than an object, but I'd allow it in my game.

[BiPolar]

Unless it's immune to fire damage, I'd rule it'd take the damage.

[dejarnjc]

You are a construct

Your entire body is made of metal

Someone heats you up

The idea of the spell is to microwave the organic matter whoever is wearing armor

But you have no organic matter inside your metal

Therefore, you're just toasty warm

But, now anyone that grapples you takes 2d8 fire damage, and has disadvantage on their ability checks if they try to continue grappling

Also, you can now grapple people and do the same effect, and they have disadvantage to escape your grapple


Woah dude, you just discovered a way that constructs can buff themselves! Nice one!


By that logic you wouldn't let any fire spell hurt a construct... Consistency is key here.


I say let the spell target constructs, give it a con save to reduce damage, and remove the disadvantage penalty.

[FunSize]

Only thing I have to add here is in the description of Helmed Horrors in the Monster Manual. It lists Heat Metal as one of the spells they're routinely made immune to. That, to me, suggests they would normally be made susceptible. They're constructs that are essentially animated armor. So I say it works.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Our stand in DM let me use heat metal on a construct. Thank goodness. It was a tough encounter.

[Spellbreaker26]

I suspect Constructs have runes and whatnot that make them work and heat metal might damage these and therefore the construct itself, not to mention might compromise the integrity of the metal itself.

[Knaight]

Red-hot metal is very soft. That's how it was shaped in the first place--a smith heated it to red-hot then hit it with a hammer when it was malleable. Something that won't even dent from a hammerblow when it's been cooled and hardened can be bent into a pretzel with relatively little force when it's sufficiently hot.

On the other hand, the threshold at which it severely burns someone in it is way under the red hot level, and it's not like heat metal causes armor's AC to drop.