As far as I know, the ability to heal during a short rest is from the application of bandages, medicine, and light healing magics. So obviously all humanoids should be able to take short rests and heal from physical healing. But what about non-humanoids, a wolf cannot apply bandages, a gelatinous cube cannot take medicine. So should a monster that is not humanoid be able to heal from taking short rests? And if so, what allows them to do that?
I ask because a recent scenario in one of my games, we faced off against a young green dragon and almost killed it, it was very injured and it flew away from us before we could kill it. Unfortunately we had lost a party member and we wanted to pay our respects and so-on so the rogue offered to follow the dragon into the forest and kill it so we could get the bounty. It only took an hour for the rogue to make it to where the green dragon had landed and the rogue was planning on sneak attacking the dragon and finishing it off. But when the rogue did 40 damage in one turn the dragon was still alive, very alive in fact, it turned around and after 2 rounds of combat the rogue was dead. The DM says that the dragon was down to 23 hit points but it took a short rest and used 8 hit die to regain around 50 hit points.
So is this an ability that non-humanoid monsters should have?
Monsters already have the ability to heal by spending hit dice per the rules.
Don't think too hard about it. The way the game describes hit points and combat, it's not until someone is below half their hit points that they've even actually taken a wound. Above that level, hit point loss is representative of expended effort in AVOIDING wounds (dodging, turning aside, etc.). How does a wolf recover those hit points? Literally just by resting, maybe eating, and getting some energy back.
In the case of a Dragon, I would say yes. They are intelligent and capable of using tools and magic items. As far as animals are concerned, I have no idea. I have not see any rule that would says that they can't.
Even beasts have a self-preservation instinct to run, hide, and rest when injured. The only creatures I would rule would not attempt to rest and heal (and therefore not use hit dice) would be Undead (possibly too dumb or regular healing likely doesn’t help them) oozes (too dumb) and non-intelligent constructs (too dumb and/or not able to benefit from traditional healing).
intelligent undead would probably have to use a special ability/spell to heal if they have one, so even then they might not be at the same level of health you left them at
Even beasts have a self-preservation instinct to run, hide, and rest when injured. The only creatures I would rule would not attempt to rest and heal (and therefore not use hit dice) would be Undead (possibly too dumb or regular healing likely doesn’t help them) oozes (too dumb) and non-intelligent constructs (too dumb and/or not able to benefit from traditional healing).
intelligent undead would probably have to use a special ability/spell to heal if they have one, so even then they might not be at the same level of health you left them at
The "healing" that a monster can achieve by spending hit die is not attached to a specific source, type of energy, etc. It is just resting, and the recuperative effects that come with not being engaged in tiring activity. There's no reason an undead/ooze/construct would not be able to restore HP with their own natural capabilities (HD).
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Indeed, if the dragon had an hour to rest what your DM did is completely fair. Any and all creatures have and can spend hit die.
As SagaTympana said, it's best not to think too much about it, but if you really feel the need to have reasons for their ability to heal you can always make something up. Perhaps the dragon spent this time literally licking its wounds, and their saliva has numbing/antibacterial/sealing/restorative properties.
For Undead, you could say the necrotic magic that animates them has been knitting their injuries back together while they sit around doing nothing; they don't need to bandage and heal, the magic that sustains them accomplishes it given time and inactivity. Oozes could spend the time feasting on a carcass and regaining their mass (and thus vitality) through that.
I agree with most of what said. I would say that any creature immune to exhaustion does not use hid dice like PCs . Since they don't tire, resting is useless for them. They need another way (such as magic).
I agree with most of what said. I would say that any creature immune to exhaustion does not use hid dice like PCs . Since they don't tire, resting is useless for them. They need another way (such as magic).
Irrelevant, but you are certainly free to run your own games with a house rule.
This conversation, however, is rules & game mechanics. If a creature has HDs, they can be used in the same manner as every other creature.
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You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
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As far as I know, the ability to heal during a short rest is from the application of bandages, medicine, and light healing magics. So obviously all humanoids should be able to take short rests and heal from physical healing. But what about non-humanoids, a wolf cannot apply bandages, a gelatinous cube cannot take medicine. So should a monster that is not humanoid be able to heal from taking short rests? And if so, what allows them to do that?
I ask because a recent scenario in one of my games, we faced off against a young green dragon and almost killed it, it was very injured and it flew away from us before we could kill it. Unfortunately we had lost a party member and we wanted to pay our respects and so-on so the rogue offered to follow the dragon into the forest and kill it so we could get the bounty. It only took an hour for the rogue to make it to where the green dragon had landed and the rogue was planning on sneak attacking the dragon and finishing it off. But when the rogue did 40 damage in one turn the dragon was still alive, very alive in fact, it turned around and after 2 rounds of combat the rogue was dead. The DM says that the dragon was down to 23 hit points but it took a short rest and used 8 hit die to regain around 50 hit points.
So is this an ability that non-humanoid monsters should have?
Monsters already have the ability to heal by spending hit dice per the rules.
Don't think too hard about it. The way the game describes hit points and combat, it's not until someone is below half their hit points that they've even actually taken a wound. Above that level, hit point loss is representative of expended effort in AVOIDING wounds (dodging, turning aside, etc.). How does a wolf recover those hit points? Literally just by resting, maybe eating, and getting some energy back.
In the case of a Dragon, I would say yes. They are intelligent and capable of using tools and magic items. As far as animals are concerned, I have no idea. I have not see any rule that would says that they can't.
She/Her College Student Player and Dungeon Master
Thank you for the info that makes a lot more sense
Even beasts have a self-preservation instinct to run, hide, and rest when injured. The only creatures I would rule would not attempt to rest and heal (and therefore not use hit dice) would be Undead (possibly too dumb or regular healing likely doesn’t help them) oozes (too dumb) and non-intelligent constructs (too dumb and/or not able to benefit from traditional healing).
intelligent undead would probably have to use a special ability/spell to heal if they have one, so even then they might not be at the same level of health you left them at
The "healing" that a monster can achieve by spending hit die is not attached to a specific source, type of energy, etc. It is just resting, and the recuperative effects that come with not being engaged in tiring activity. There's no reason an undead/ooze/construct would not be able to restore HP with their own natural capabilities (HD).
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Indeed, if the dragon had an hour to rest what your DM did is completely fair. Any and all creatures have and can spend hit die.
As SagaTympana said, it's best not to think too much about it, but if you really feel the need to have reasons for their ability to heal you can always make something up. Perhaps the dragon spent this time literally licking its wounds, and their saliva has numbing/antibacterial/sealing/restorative properties.
For Undead, you could say the necrotic magic that animates them has been knitting their injuries back together while they sit around doing nothing; they don't need to bandage and heal, the magic that sustains them accomplishes it given time and inactivity. Oozes could spend the time feasting on a carcass and regaining their mass (and thus vitality) through that.
I agree with most of what said. I would say that any creature immune to exhaustion does not use hid dice like PCs . Since they don't tire, resting is useless for them. They need another way (such as magic).
Irrelevant, but you are certainly free to run your own games with a house rule.
This conversation, however, is rules & game mechanics. If a creature has HDs, they can be used in the same manner as every other creature.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.