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Are they?
On the one hand, it would seem that if they were than any undead with a negative energy attack (which would be a lot of them) could heal his corpse buddies quick and easy like. That seems pretty unbalanced.
On the other hand, we have stuff like the Umbral Dragon who's breath weapon explicitly states it does not heal undead (which would seem to imply that most do).
Add to that the fact that every positive energy effect (that I'm aware of) heals living creatures.
So, anyone got an answer?
Yes, unless the effect specifically says otherwise.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
If it affects hit points the answer is generally yrs but not all negative energy applies to hit point.
The Banshee looks like a particularly nasty example of this if the GM wants to take advantage of its full potential. It can use its 'save or take 140 damage' wail attack once per minute. It can then use its incorporeal nature to hide in a wall and heal itself of any damage taken with its 14d6 negative energy touch attack.
So a Shadow could retreat into a wall and heal itself up with its own touch?
Shadows do strength damage, not hit point damage.
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When a cleric channels negative energy the cleric must choose whether that channel will harm living creatures or heal undead. It will not do both. Thus, when a cleric channels to harm the living it does not heal undead.
A good cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships a good deity) channels positive energy and can choose to deal damage to undead creatures or to heal living creatures. An evil cleric (or a neutral cleric who worships an evil deity) channels negative energy and can choose to deal damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures. ...
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No, negative energy can heal undead but it does not automatically do so.
In fact, a number of negative energy effects grant temporary hitpoints rather than healing.
If a negative energy effect does not state it heals undead then it does not.
OK, so we've got a debate going! Let's see if we can get it up to 300 posts where we eventually just start arguing about arguing.
The rules say negative energy 'can' heal undead creatures.
Option one:
All negative energy damage can heal undead creatures unless it explicitly says it can't. Evidence for this: some negative energy effects say they don't heal undead, which wouldn't be needed unless they could by default.
Option two:
No negative energy damage can heal undead creatures unless it explicitly states it can. Evidence?
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To clarify, I stated negative energy "effects" which is not the same as negative energy "damage". Negative Energy Damage is only one type of negative energy effect and negative energy damage is almost universally stated to heal undead.
I cannot think of a single instance where negative energy damage does not heal undead.
On the other hand, negative energy effects (which is what the OP asked about) is a broad category that as a category does not automatically heal undead.
In short, there is no debate. Negative Energy Damage heals undead, Negative Energy Effects does not automatically do so.
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Negative Energy Damage heals undead with the singular exception of Negative Channel used to harm (which merely has no effect).
Chill Touch is negative energy, but doesn't seem to heal undead. Rather, it forces them to will save or flee.
Is it a special exception (specific overrides general) or is it an example demonstrating that all negative energy damage doesn't necessarily heal undead ?
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Chill Touch is negative energy, but doesn't seem to heal undead. Rather, it forces them to will save or flee.
Is it a special exception (specific overrides general) or is it an example demonstrating that all negative energy damage doesn't necessarily heal undead ?
The first, obviously. The spell explicitly calls out that it does not affect undead in the same way as the living.
yeah, negative energy attacks must be able to be set to heal, if they harm they do not heal undead and simply do nothing to them.
Negative Energy Damage heals undead with the singular exception of Negative Channel used to harm (which merely has no effect).An evil cleric channeling towards undead doesn't heal the undead? (or is "Negative Channel" something else?)When you channel energy (of any kind) you choose to harm or heal. If you choose to heal, then it doesn't harm and if you choose to harm it doesn't heal.
That means if an evil cleric is channeling negative energy and wants to harm living creatures, then he can't ALSO heal undead with the same channel. If he heals undead then he can't harm living creatures.
That means if a good cleric is channeling positive energy and wants to harm undead creatures then you can't also heal living creatures and if he wants to heal living creatures then he can't harm undead creatures.
too many people forget this.
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too many people forget this.Negative Energy Damage heals undead with the singular exception of Negative Channel used to harm (which merely has no effect).An evil cleric channeling towards undead doesn't heal the undead? (or is "Negative Channel" something else?)When you channel energy (of any kind) you choose to harm or heal. If you choose to heal, then it doesn't harm and if you choose to harm it doesn't heal.
That means if an evil cleric is channeling negative energy and wants to harm living creatures, then he can't ALSO heal undead with the same channel. If he heals undead then he can't harm living creatures.
That means if a good cleric is channeling positive energy and wants to harm undead creatures then you can't also heal living creatures and if he wants to heal living creatures then he can't harm undead creatures.
I never forgot that, hence the exact wording of my post.
His post was just confusing and looked it doesn't mean what it's supposed to.
So a Shadow could retreat into a wall and heal itself up with its own touch?
No, but Liches can. A Lich's touch attack deals Hit Point damage, so it can just heal itself (or any undead it controls) whenever it wants. Like an At-Will Lay On Hands.
To be fair, it appears that a shadow COULD heal itself of Strength damage. If it weren't immune to ability damage as an undead and didn't have no Strength score as an incorporeal creature, that is.
Negative Energy Damage heals undead with the singular exception of Negative Channel used to harm (which merely has no effect).
So what about Enervation? Does the undead creature gain levels of cast on it?
Negative Energy Damage heals undead with the singular exception of Negative Channel used to harm (which merely has no effect).So what about Enervation? Does the undead creature gain levels of cast on it?
Enervation actually says what it does to undead in the spell description: It gives 1d4 x 5 temp HP for 1 hour.
As Rynjin said, all negative energy heals undead unless specifically called out as not doing so. Negative Energy channeling is specifically called out as not doing so when it is used to HARM. It just fails to affect them. So, you can freely heal your party without worrying about killing your dhampir friend, as long as you don't try to use Cure X Wounds on them. The Umbral Dragon's breath weapon, Enervation, Chill Touch, these spells all give their exceptions in their description. The shadow also is specifically called as doing Strength damage, so it also is an exception.
And they don't have a strength score.So a Shadow could retreat into a wall and heal itself up with its own touch?Shadows do strength damage, not hit point damage.
Just saw that, doooiii moment. Thanks
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Incidentally, two player examples, which presumably could be exploited with dhampirs or black blood oracles:
* Anatomy Doll: All the healing you could want for 1000g. Give it to the rogue and tell him you like it rough.
* Lesser Spirit Totem rage power. Ask the barbarian to rage and then hit you with spirits. Or, he could maybe even heal himself every round while raging. That could get interesting.
Yeah, I ran the lesser spirit totem thing by the rules forum awhile back. Consensus was 'shouldn't work because of the language about adjacent foes. Also, only try if you want to tick off the GM.'
Anatomy Doll is solid though. Just really slow.