Petrification and animating statues

[MickJay]

Hi, I was wondering if this gets discussed in any set of D&D rules: can a petrified/turned to stone creature or person be consequently animated as a statue or golem? If so, how would that affect possibilities of returning the original creature/person back to life?

[Jimp]

I suppose you could use the spell Animate Objects on it? I'm not sure really.

[Wizzardman]

Sure, you can animate a stone statue made from someone. It would be exactly the same as animating a normal stone statue, although if it gets destroyed, that person will also be destroyed.

Note that if you ever cast Stone to Flesh on it, its no longer a statue, and is in fact the person again.

...You know, this actually sounds like the start to a very interesting BBEG battle. The BBEG turns all of the PCs low level friends and loved ones into statues, animates them, and uses them to protect himself if the party ever comes after him. The party can't destroy the golems without killing the people, and probably won't have enough Dispel Magic and Stone to Flesh spells available to restore all of them.

This should, at the very least, distract the party long enough for the BBEG to escape.

[Jack_Simth]

I suppose you could use the spell Animate Objects on it? I'm not sure really.

Golem:
No, because the creation of a golem requires that the statue be made to a certain set of specifications.

Animate Objects spell:
No, because while petrified, the target is still considered a creature, even though it does not detect as alive, and is unable to act.

Effects on Restoration:
Unspecified in RAW, thus up to the DM.

[Devils_Advocate]

while petrified, the target is still considered a creature

It is? What's your basis for that ruling?

It seems intuitive to me that statues, corpses, ect. should count as objects. They're devoid of mind and animating force.

There's no rule that being animated by means other than necromancy prevents resurrection in any way, so I'd say that it wouldn't. The animating magic ceases to operate upon a creature's return to life, since it's no longer a valid target. (Unless the relevant magic can also move a creature around against its will.)

If petrified again, does the character become an animated statue again? In general, does turning something into an invalid target for a spell dispel it or suppress it? If the latter, could you get a spell to work on something by making the thing into a valid target after the spell was cast, but before the duration expires?

Heck, I dunno.

[Jack_Simth]

It is? What's your basis for that ruling?

They're still referred to as creatures or characters, per the status condition description:

Petrified: A petrified character has been turned to stone and is considered unconscious. If a petrified character cracks or breaks, but the broken pieces are joined with the body as he returns to flesh, he is unharmed. If the character’s petrified body is incomplete when it returns to flesh, the body is likewise incomplete and there is some amount of permanent hit point loss and/or debilitation.

Additionally, the Stone to Flesh spell has a target line of "One petrified creature" - again, referring to the victim as a creature, not an object. Plus, they're merely "considered unconscious" rather than "dead" or "an object". Can you use Animate Objects on someone who's sleeping?

Moreover, the Stone to Flesh spell also includes the line "The spell also can convert a mass of stone into a fleshy substance. Such flesh is inert and lacking a vital life force unless a life force or magical energy is available. (For example, this spell would turn a stone golem into a flesh golem, but an ordinary statue would become a corpse.)" That is, there's a notable distinction between a statue that you carved with Fabricate or Craft(Statuary), and a person who's been afflicted with the Petrified condition. One becomes a blob of meat, the other, a person. When a person is petrified, their life is still all right there.

[Wizzardman]

Yes, but as you mentioned in the description of Flesh to Stone's alternate use, casting this spell onto a statue creates a corpse. Not a person-shaped blob of meat, a corpse.

To me, this indicates that the only thing preventing you from animating a petrified person is their "life force"--as their status as (formerly) a creature is the only thing keeping them from being just like a statue. As such, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that you can animate a petrified dead person--or, potentially, a petrified person whose head you cut off post-petrification.

Of course, as a DM, I'd probably let you get away with animating a petrified person even before they are dead, because it makes sense, and is only prevented by the presence of the word "character" in that description. A description which doesn't clarify this particular instance, and leaves either option fairly clear. I think they purposefully left this sort of thing up to the DM involved.

[Bassikpoet]

...You know, this actually sounds like the start to a very interesting BBEG battle. The BBEG turns all of the PCs low level friends and loved ones into statues, animates them, and uses them to protect himself if the party ever comes after him. The party can't destroy the golems without killing the people, and probably won't have enough Dispel Magic and Stone to Flesh spells available to restore all of them.

This should, at the very least, distract the party long enough for the BBEG to escape.

Mind if I yoink this?

EDIT: Great Idea!

[MickJay]

Thanks for the replies, you've been very helpful :)

[BobVosh]

Actually sounds like a kickass BBEG.

Anyway, if a player did this a DM would probably allow it...but it doesn't seem too effective.

If a DM does this...it sounds fun and flavored well so are you really going to let a little thing like RAW get in the way? Espically when you aren't even sure if it is againist raw?