Opinions on new feat for undead

[Aust Diamondew]

One of the PCs in a game I'm running wants to play an awakened skeleton. So I said sure why not. As we figured out what sort of modifications it would give his character (and how much the ECL would be) we realized he wouldn't be able to heal naturally like a living creature in D&D. So I told him I'd consider allowing him take a feat that would work something like this:


Unatural Life
Prereqs: Undead, intelegence score
Benefit: You 'heal' hit points by resting in the same manner as a living creature does.


The party doesn't have a cleric (they rely on the party's ranger who has a wand of cure light wounds for healing after battle) so he wouldn't be able to have the cleric prepare inflict light wounds in order to heal him. And he doesn't want to have to rely on just potions in case he runs out.

Underpowered/Overpowered? Good idea? Opinions?

Thanks!
So any

 

[Kalanyr]

If he's awakened he's an intelligent undead so its no longer subject to the "can no longer heal damage on its own" clause of the mindless undead, so he already heals damage on his own, I have no idea how but he does.

 

[Cheiromancer]

What Kalanyr says.

And potions would be problematic, anyways- unless they are potions of cause light wounds?

What might be a good idea is a feat that allows him to be healed by positive energy instead of/in addition to negative energy. It's analogous to a feat that allows evil clerics to spontaneously cast cures- the same feat from the opposite side, as it were.

 

[rkanodia]

The Deathless of Eberron provide a precedent for 'undead, but healed by positive energy'. I would allow an awakened skeleton to be healed by positive energy without spending a feat, but he would then be harmed by negative energy. Alternatively, it could be a reward to him for character development and good works - perhaps a cleric would attempt to heal him.. he recoils from the light, and then it fades, leaving him bewildered but completely removed of injuries. Somehow, he's become a creature powered by positive energy.

If the character wanted to be healed by negative AND positive energy, that would definitely be a feat, at least.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Thanks glad to know he can heal damage on his own already. As for allowing positive energy to heal ehh, no, not in a million years, just rubs me the wrong way and goes against the idea of undead but thanks for the idea anyway.
Anyway he's going to be a wizard so if he really needs to he can vampiric touch on an enemy (or a friend who heals afterward) to get some hits.

 

[rkanodia]

As for allowing positive energy to heal ehh, no, not in a million years, just rubs me the wrong way and goes against the idea of undead but thanks for the idea anyway.

Well, the Deathless aren't really undead. They're more like "Gee, you should have died, but the collective faith, prayer, and goodwill of your community is sustaining you." That being said, I admit that a solitary Deathless doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[Pielorinho]

And potions would be problematic, anyways- unless they are potions of cause light wounds?

Skeleton goes to the cleric, says, "Buddy, give me a potion of Cause Light Wounds, and a mop."

Daniel