What Happens When You Heal Undead in D&D?
In the world of Dungeons & Dragons, undead creatures are a common sight. From skeletons to zombies, and from vampires to liches, these creatures are a staple of many a campaign. But what happens when you try to heal them? Do they benefit from the healing, or do they just shrug it off? In this article, we’ll explore the answers to these questions and more.
The Basics
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s cover the basics. In D&D, undead creatures are damaged by positive energy and healed by negative energy. This means that spells and abilities that deal positive energy damage to undead creatures will harm them, while spells and abilities that deal negative energy damage will heal them.
Healing Undead
So, what happens when you try to heal an undead creature? The answer is that it depends on the specific undead creature and the type of healing being used. Here are a few examples:
- Cure Wounds: This spell, which is used to heal living creatures, will not affect undead creatures. They will not gain any hit points from the spell.
- Healing Word: This spell, which is used to heal living creatures, will not affect undead creatures. They will not gain any hit points from the spell.
- Raise Dead: This spell, which is used to bring a dead creature back to life, will not work on undead creatures. They are already dead, so there is no need to raise them.
- Vampiric Touch: This spell, which is used to drain the life force of a living creature, will not affect undead creatures. They do not have a life force to drain.
Negative Energy Healing
As mentioned earlier, undead creatures are healed by negative energy. This means that spells and abilities that deal negative energy damage will heal them. Here are a few examples:
- Inflict Wounds: This spell, which is used to deal negative energy damage to a living creature, will heal an undead creature.
- Inflict Serious Wounds: This spell, which is used to deal more negative energy damage to a living creature, will heal an undead creature.
- Vampiric Touch: This spell, which is used to drain the life force of a living creature, will heal an undead creature.
Undead Immunities
Some undead creatures have immunities to certain types of damage. For example, vampires are immune to cold damage, while skeletons are immune to bludgeoning damage. This means that spells and abilities that deal damage in these ways will not affect these creatures.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healing undead creatures in D&D is a complex topic. While some spells and abilities will not affect them, others will. It’s important to understand the specific undead creature and the type of healing being used in order to determine the best course of action.