So, a petrified creature is unaware of its surroundings. However, could said creature hear a message from a telepathy effect or sending spell and respond in a like manner?
Tough DM call. It doesn't require any action to do so but you can't speak and you're unaware of your surrounding while petrified. I'm not sure if you are still aware of what goes in your mind. The Unconcious condition has similar wording and no official ruling was made i believe.
I don't see any reason it can't hear it (the message is in its mind, not surroundings), but being able to respond depends on DM's interpretation of the spell.
Sending doesn't say one way or another whether the message is spoken to be sent.
A Petrified creature is Incapacitated and unable to take any actions. Additionally the creature cannot speak, is unaware of its surroundings, attacks against the creature are made with advantage, and the creature automatically fails Dexterity and Strength saving throws.
While none of this explicitly prohibits telepathic communication, to me it signals that the creature likely has a significantly impaired cognition. Especially the lack of awareness of their surroundings.
Strictly by RAW there isn't a clear answer but I would guess the most common interpretation would be 'No'. But possibly I think that because that is how I play it.
Continuing on the topic of the petrified condition, can a petrified creature consciously choose to sleep and thus gain the benefits of a long rest?
I don't see why not.
I don't think it even needs to be a conscious choice. You would probably lose track of time in your dark, numb, silent hell and sleep most of the time. Seriously, have you ever done absolutely nothing (nothing to look at or listen to) for hours on end? Naps are a good way to pass the time when passing time is literally the only thing to do.
I can't seem them choosing to sleep. The question is if they become flesh again, does their time petrified count as a long rest or are they returned exactly as they were?
As a DM, I would do whatever the story made seem cool.
I can't seem them choosing to sleep. The question is if they become flesh again, does their time petrified count as a long rest or are they returned exactly as they were?
As a DM, I would do whatever the story made seem cool.
I mean, if they can't sleep and you use sleep deprivation rules, they would die of exhaustion in a week.
No. Petrified people are inanimate. They do not need sleep:
Petrified. A petrified creature is transformed, along with any nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone). Its weight increases by a factor of ten, and it ceases aging.
Being petrified means you are inanimate and inanimate things do not sleep. Stone objects do not sleep, nor do become exhausted, etc. etc. Technically they are neither dead not alive, they are inanimate. It is a strange state of being. The condition is most similar to being true polymorphed into an object. They should have no memory of the time.
I think it would take a Wish spell to talk with them. If you really wanted to I would try creating a "Speak with Stone" spell, similar to speak with plants, etc.
No. Petrified people are inanimate. They do not need sleep:
Petrified. A petrified creature is transformed, along with any nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone). Its weight increases by a factor of ten, and it ceases aging.
Wait, so what you all are saying is that if a PC is brought to 0 HP they can still communicate via Sending?
Hmm. Okay, yeah, y'all have a point.
Petrified is worded pretty much identically to unconscious. It is basically suspended animation, no brain function, no aging, you just stop.
It is kind of annoying how thematically it wants you to be an object, but mechanically it doesn't make you an object. Like you are no different from a stone statue, except a statue can reattach a limb with mending, but a petrified creature has to reattach a limb with regenerate...
So, a petrified creature is unaware of its surroundings. However, could said creature hear a message from a telepathy effect or sending spell and respond in a like manner?
Tough DM call. It doesn't require any action to do so but you can't speak and you're unaware of your surrounding while petrified. I'm not sure if you are still aware of what goes in your mind. The Unconcious condition has similar wording and no official ruling was made i believe.
I don't see any reason it can't hear it (the message is in its mind, not surroundings), but being able to respond depends on DM's interpretation of the spell.
Sending doesn't say one way or another whether the message is spoken to be sent.
A Petrified creature is Incapacitated and unable to take any actions. Additionally the creature cannot speak, is unaware of its surroundings, attacks against the creature are made with advantage, and the creature automatically fails Dexterity and Strength saving throws.
While none of this explicitly prohibits telepathic communication, to me it signals that the creature likely has a significantly impaired cognition. Especially the lack of awareness of their surroundings.
Strictly by RAW there isn't a clear answer but I would guess the most common interpretation would be 'No'. But possibly I think that because that is how I play it.
I would allow a Wish spell to communicate with them, but not normal telepathy, sending, etc.
Continuing on the topic of the petrified condition, can a petrified creature consciously choose to sleep and thus gain the benefits of a long rest?
I don't see why not.
I don't think it even needs to be a conscious choice. You would probably lose track of time in your dark, numb, silent hell and sleep most of the time. Seriously, have you ever done absolutely nothing (nothing to look at or listen to) for hours on end? Naps are a good way to pass the time when passing time is literally the only thing to do.
I can't seem them choosing to sleep. The question is if they become flesh again, does their time petrified count as a long rest or are they returned exactly as they were?
As a DM, I would do whatever the story made seem cool.
I mean, if they can't sleep and you use sleep deprivation rules, they would die of exhaustion in a week.
No. Petrified people are inanimate. They do not need sleep:
Being petrified means you are inanimate and inanimate things do not sleep. Stone objects do not sleep, nor do become exhausted, etc. etc. Technically they are neither dead not alive, they are inanimate. It is a strange state of being. The condition is most similar to being true polymorphed into an object. They should have no memory of the time.
I think it would take a Wish spell to talk with them. If you really wanted to I would try creating a "Speak with Stone" spell, similar to speak with plants, etc.
Wait, so what you all are saying is that if a PC is brought to 0 HP they can still communicate via Sending?
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Hmm. Okay, yeah, y'all have a point.
Petrified is worded pretty much identically to unconscious. It is basically suspended animation, no brain function, no aging, you just stop.
It is kind of annoying how thematically it wants you to be an object, but mechanically it doesn't make you an object. Like you are no different from a stone statue, except a statue can reattach a limb with mending, but a petrified creature has to reattach a limb with regenerate...
Sure, assuming they haven't outright died yet. A creature that is reduced to 0 hit points becomes Unconscious.
The spell Dream is all about communicating with an Unconscious creature.
*EDIT* I would use Mog_Dracov's reasoning to explain why I would treat Unconscious differently from Petrified
But Dream is specifically designed to interact with sleeping creatures, Sending is not. Like i said, no official ruling was ever made concerning this.