So, In the campaign I'm playing I made a Warforged Cleric with a neat backstory that made him technically undead as well as a construct. In the last battle we had I got rather messed up and when to use Cure Wounds on myself; however the wording says I can't heal undead or constructs with that OR healing word. My DM looked up the ruling on such an event and it was at his discretion; and since this was a campaign that he wasn't going to go easy on us, so he ruled I can't heal myself. Luckily the NPC that was with us was a blacksmith that did repair me a bit, but he won't be there all the time.
So, I ask the hivemind, How can I heal myself as an undead construct?
Bonus question; on a scale from 1 to boned, how screwed am I?
You've become undead as well though .... which is a different thing, as the curing spells of a cleric specifically don't work on undead, as you noted. Here's some options:
I agree with Stormknight. The war-forged race does count as the race of your character though, and in no other circumstance does it allow the race of a character to escape the effects of a spell (hold person for example affects humanoids, and all player characters, regardless of race, are considered to be humanoid). This is done to balance the game.
The construct as a race, other than the racial abilities, is mostly flavor text. It's mean as a story/role-playing element, not a game mechanic. The same could be said for your undead nature. So that being said, you should be able to heal yourself as an undead construct, and have any and all spells/effects that don't normally affect a construct or undead in this case DO affect you because you're a player character.
If your DM decides to rule that you are counted as an undead and a construct then you may indeed be screwed. The four options listed at the bottom of Stormknight's post won't affect you:
a short/long rest... good for constructs but not undead
a potion of healing... no good for undead
healer feat and regenerate spell... well nothing says they won't work on an undead construct, but the unspoken intent of each is that they work on natural living things (not constructs or undead)... so your DM may rule they also don't affect you
in this case though I would suggest you ask your DM to adopt a version of an older rule from earlier games of D&D, where healing spells actually cause you damage and any necrotic damage instead heals you... plus you could always spend 1 gold per day to hire a skilled laborer (blacksmith) to make repairs
FWIW: As types, I feel like you cannot be both undead and a construct. In order to be "undead" you have to be able to be "dead" and constructs can't die, they're just destroyed.
Best example to point to is a Flesh Golem. They're made up of dead body parts brought back together. Their type is "construct" even though they're composed of flesh. Zombies are Undead type, not "Undead Humanoids". Once you switch types, that's your type, with all the pros and cons of that type.
With that said, I agree with Brian_Avery, your type should probably have been "Humanoid" since that what warforged are under normal circumstance. After your change, you may have become Undead.
Well, the reason i'm both undead and a construct is cause of my backstory. My PC dead in a blood battle with undead and the death god Kelevmor gave him a second chance to live, but his body was destroyed in the battle, so his spirit was put in a dead warforged.
And my DM (who's also a good friend) knows I can roll with the punches, so he wants to see how far I can get with such a drawback.
So really, the answer to this question is that the character is neither Undead nor Construct. Just a spirit resurrected in the form of a Humanoid warforged.
So really, the answer to this question is that the character is neither Undead nor Construct. Just a spirit resurrected in the form of a Humanoid warforged.
Yea, but that's not how OP WANTS to play. RAW, you're correct. That's what I would have done at my table. It makes sense based on my understanding of the game.
OP wants some homebrew stuff. That's fine. At that point, it's just whatever you and your DM agree on and he's looking for suggestions from the masses to help. This is a whole bunch of RP fluffy stuff that they're trying to make crunchy rules for.
If your Cleric is from either the Death or Grave domain then you can use Vampiric Touch to heal yourself.
I'm not sure what level you're starting at but a Wizard or Warlock in your party could heal you with Negative Energy Flood from Xanathar's.
In addition, if the DM is letting a Blacksmith heal you then perhaps he might allow the Mending cantrip to do the same, as it heals normal constructs.
I like using necrotic damage to heal yourself, so long as that doesn't mean enemy necrotic damage heals you, too. Not sure how you'd RP that. I would definitely avoid any healing cantrips. You're asking to break your game with that.
From what I can gather, the mending spell heals constructs be 2d6.
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So, In the campaign I'm playing I made a Warforged Cleric with a neat backstory that made him technically undead as well as a construct. In the last battle we had I got rather messed up and when to use Cure Wounds on myself; however the wording says I can't heal undead or constructs with that OR healing word. My DM looked up the ruling on such an event and it was at his discretion; and since this was a campaign that he wasn't going to go easy on us, so he ruled I can't heal myself. Luckily the NPC that was with us was a blacksmith that did repair me a bit, but he won't be there all the time.
So, I ask the hivemind, How can I heal myself as an undead construct?
Bonus question; on a scale from 1 to boned, how screwed am I?
The Warforged race have no rules that say healing spells don't work on them.
https://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/UA_Eberron_v1.pdf
You've become undead as well though .... which is a different thing, as the curing spells of a cleric specifically don't work on undead, as you noted. Here's some options:
https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/04/19/healing-options-for-undead/
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If your Cleric is from either the Death or Grave domain then you can use Vampiric Touch to heal yourself.
I'm not sure what level you're starting at but a Wizard or Warlock in your party could heal you with Negative Energy Flood from Xanathar's.
In addition, if the DM is letting a Blacksmith heal you then perhaps he might allow the Mending cantrip to do the same, as it heals normal constructs.
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I agree with Stormknight. The war-forged race does count as the race of your character though, and in no other circumstance does it allow the race of a character to escape the effects of a spell (hold person for example affects humanoids, and all player characters, regardless of race, are considered to be humanoid). This is done to balance the game.
The construct as a race, other than the racial abilities, is mostly flavor text. It's mean as a story/role-playing element, not a game mechanic. The same could be said for your undead nature. So that being said, you should be able to heal yourself as an undead construct, and have any and all spells/effects that don't normally affect a construct or undead in this case DO affect you because you're a player character.
If your DM decides to rule that you are counted as an undead and a construct then you may indeed be screwed. The four options listed at the bottom of Stormknight's post won't affect you:
a short/long rest... good for constructs but not undead
a potion of healing... no good for undead
healer feat and regenerate spell... well nothing says they won't work on an undead construct, but the unspoken intent of each is that they work on natural living things (not constructs or undead)... so your DM may rule they also don't affect you
in this case though I would suggest you ask your DM to adopt a version of an older rule from earlier games of D&D, where healing spells actually cause you damage and any necrotic damage instead heals you... plus you could always spend 1 gold per day to hire a skilled laborer (blacksmith) to make repairs
Thanks for all the help guys!
Hopefully I can live long enough to get to level 3 to fix my issue.
FWIW:
As types, I feel like you cannot be both undead and a construct. In order to be "undead" you have to be able to be "dead" and constructs can't die, they're just destroyed.
Best example to point to is a Flesh Golem. They're made up of dead body parts brought back together. Their type is "construct" even though they're composed of flesh. Zombies are Undead type, not "Undead Humanoids". Once you switch types, that's your type, with all the pros and cons of that type.
With that said, I agree with Brian_Avery, your type should probably have been "Humanoid" since that what warforged are under normal circumstance. After your change, you may have become Undead.
Well, the reason i'm both undead and a construct is cause of my backstory. My PC dead in a blood battle with undead and the death god Kelevmor gave him a second chance to live, but his body was destroyed in the battle, so his spirit was put in a dead warforged.
And my DM (who's also a good friend) knows I can roll with the punches, so he wants to see how far I can get with such a drawback.
So really, the answer to this question is that the character is neither Undead nor Construct. Just a spirit resurrected in the form of a Humanoid warforged.
Yea, but that's not how OP WANTS to play. RAW, you're correct. That's what I would have done at my table. It makes sense based on my understanding of the game.
OP wants some homebrew stuff. That's fine. At that point, it's just whatever you and your DM agree on and he's looking for suggestions from the masses to help. This is a whole bunch of RP fluffy stuff that they're trying to make crunchy rules for.
I like using necrotic damage to heal yourself, so long as that doesn't mean enemy necrotic damage heals you, too. Not sure how you'd RP that. I would definitely avoid any healing cantrips. You're asking to break your game with that.
From what I can gather, the mending spell heals constructs be 2d6.
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