D&D 5E Healed by Necrotic Energy

[LordEntrails]

Can anyone think of any WotC 5E creatures that are healed by necrotic energy/damage? It seems like most/all of the undead I've checked are immune to necrotic damage, but I don't see any with traits that are healed by it.
Thanks in Advance.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

After a Curse of Strahd campaign, in which my wizard spent most of his time trying to poke things to death with Chill Touch, I can say that a lot of undead are only resistant to necrotic damage rather than immune.
(This makes sense when you remember that necrotic damage isn't the same as negative energy, and will still rot unloving matter and such.)

I think some undead have abilities that inflict necrotic damage and heal themselves based on the damage done, but I can't think of any undead or other creatures that are healed by general necrotic damage.

 

[Coroc]

In 3.5 cure wounds=healing = radiance = damage undead cause wounds = negative = heals undead

All of that was scaling pretty symetric.

In 5e this idea would not work well because inflict wounds is 3d10 (Btw a hefty attack spell for mob evil cleric) but cure wounds is 1d8+3 in (spells at their lowest Level)

So that is not very feasable, and besides it would lead to a huge disadvantage for necromant like characters (casting necrotic spells) versus undead, although given their knowledge they should have an edge on thiese Mobs instead.

 

[LordEntrails]

Thanks both of you. I get the scaling issues. What about those possible examples of creatures that are healed when they deal necrotic damage? Can anyone think of what one of those might be?

 

[LordEntrails]

I think I'm going to take the Lightning Absorption trait from the shambling mound/flesh golem and re-word it for necrotic absorption.

The only example of dealing damage and healing from it I could find was the vampire, and that's not what I'm looking for.

Thanks.

 

[toucanbuzz]

For your homebrew, the lightning absorption conversion is a great idea. I'd just avoid a way for the creature to "touch itself" to gain infinite healing (e.g. by having an inherent necrotic-based attack).

Otherwise, there shouldn't be any necrotic heals in a MM creature (or Volo), as touched upon for design issues. You can always house-rule, if you liked the 3rd edition comparison, that the undead receive the minimum amount per "heal" or something similar. Given, there are necrotic cantrips you'd have to balance the idea of an infinite heal for an undead caster.

 

[LordEntrails]

For your homebrew, the lightning absorption conversion is a great idea. I'd just avoid a way for the creature to "touch itself" to gain infinite healing (e.g. by having an inherent necrotic-based attack).

Otherwise, there shouldn't be any necrotic heals in a MM creature (or Volo), as touched upon for design issues. You can always house-rule, if you liked the 3rd edition comparison, that the undead receive the minimum amount per "heal" or something similar. Given, there are necrotic cantrips you'd have to balance the idea of an infinite heal for an undead caster.

I never would have thought that a creature could attack itself. Would any DM try to do that or allow it?

What are the design issues around necrotic healing as a specific ability/trait for an NPC? Sure I wouldn't say necrotic heals all undead etc, but I don't see why a single creature couldn't have such a trait (and not just in Homebrew). Certainly not for a PC, but as a design tool for an appropriate NPC.

 

[Yaarel]

Heh. Is there something wrong if I misread the title as ’healed by neurotic energy’?