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Can a cockatrice turn undead to stone?
- Thread starter rrealm
- Start date
(Doh! Caught by necromancy yet again. I always fall for this. Never think to check the dates)
Whatever the OP prefers.
Personally, I'd go with yes, undead generally are affected by any attacks as normal, unless specified otherwise. With case-by-case basis to account for DM's whim.
I don't see why not (based on my own reasoning, mind you); cockatrice turns you to unmoving stone, not the "living" stone that comprises stone golems. Again, DM preference, but personally I'd rule that yes, petrification works just fine on stone golems, earth elemental type creatures, etc.
Again, DM preference. I think of anything that moves under its own power (including animated objects) as no longer being in the "object" category, in game terms. If it can move and attack, it's a "creature" in game terms, IMO. Or, if it's subject to the rules for attacks against objects, it's an object. If it's got saving throws and hit points and a MM (or spell) entry, it's a creature.
Whatever the OP prefers.
Personally, I'd go with yes, undead generally are affected by any attacks as normal, unless specified otherwise. With case-by-case basis to account for DM's whim.
I don't see why not (based on my own reasoning, mind you); cockatrice turns you to unmoving stone, not the "living" stone that comprises stone golems. Again, DM preference, but personally I'd rule that yes, petrification works just fine on stone golems, earth elemental type creatures, etc.
Again, DM preference. I think of anything that moves under its own power (including animated objects) as no longer being in the "object" category, in game terms. If it can move and attack, it's a "creature" in game terms, IMO. Or, if it's subject to the rules for attacks against objects, it's an object. If it's got saving throws and hit points and a MM (or spell) entry, it's a creature.
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Do we have to get all fiddly with the definition of "harm"?
Note that it is not guaranteed that the creature survives the transition back to life. I think blaming that on Stone to Flesh is kind of begging the question, rather than answering it.
Moreover, turning a creature to inanimate stone is equivalent to imprisonment *and* rendering them helpless and unable to defend themselves. That's not generally considered "no harm, no foul".
Voadam
Legend
From a flavor perspective the petrification should probably work. Meeting the gaze of a medusa or basilisk or touching a cocatrice do not seem to be effects dependent on the target being a normally living creature and so making a distinction for creatures without a con score (undead or construct) in the same way that poison or disease attacks would does not make good narrative sense.
This issue is simply based on the description of the mechanics for creatures without a con score and the fact that these attacks use a fortitude save. If the petrification was pure magic and so had to overcome the target creature's will instead of its body to cause the transformation it would clearly affect the undead under the rules.
The flavor can work to say they are unaffected, you just emphasize that the powers do not work on bodies or objects and that undead are actually dead bodies and constructs are actually objects so even though a vampire might meet a medusa's gaze it is essentially like positioning a corpse to meet the gaze and nothing happens.
This issue is simply based on the description of the mechanics for creatures without a con score and the fact that these attacks use a fortitude save. If the petrification was pure magic and so had to overcome the target creature's will instead of its body to cause the transformation it would clearly affect the undead under the rules.
The flavor can work to say they are unaffected, you just emphasize that the powers do not work on bodies or objects and that undead are actually dead bodies and constructs are actually objects so even though a vampire might meet a medusa's gaze it is essentially like positioning a corpse to meet the gaze and nothing happens.
