Do Undead Take Extra Radiant Damage? A Comprehensive Guide
The simple answer is: generally no, undead do not inherently take extra damage from radiant sources. While many players might assume that radiant damage, with its holy connotations, would be devastating to the unholy undead, the reality is more nuanced. While they aren’t typically vulnerable to radiant damage, it’s crucial to understand the actual interactions and unique scenarios where radiant damage can be particularly effective against undead. Let’s delve into the specifics, dispel common misconceptions, and explore the real effectiveness of radiant damage against the undead.
The Truth About Radiant Damage and Undead
Undead Resistances and Immunities
Undead creatures in many tabletop roleplaying systems like D&D are defined by a set of traits that make them resistant or immune to many common forms of harm. These include immunities to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless it also affects objects or is harmless). However, radiant damage is generally not among these resistances or immunities. This means that, most of the time, radiant damage will deal standard damage to an undead creature.
The Misconception of Radiant Vulnerability
The common confusion likely stems from the nature of radiant damage. It’s often associated with holy or divine power, intuitively suggesting it should be incredibly effective against the unholy nature of undead. However, in most game mechanics, this isn’t automatically the case. While there aren’t many undead with outright vulnerability to radiant damage, there are situations where radiant is much more effective and sometimes even crucial.
Exceptions and Nuances
Vampires and Regeneration
While vampires don’t have a vulnerability to radiant damage, it is still quite effective against them. The critical thing here is that radiant damage and holy water prevent a vampire from regenerating. Many vampires have a powerful regeneration ability, often restoring a significant number of hit points each turn. Radiant damage can, therefore, act as a key strategy to truly defeat them.
Specific Abilities and Spells
Some specific spells or abilities that deal radiant damage can be more effective against undead than others. For example, a paladin’s Divine Smite often specifies that it does an extra dice of damage against undead. These rules are usually specific to the ability and might not apply to all forms of radiant damage.
Strahd’s Weakness
Specific, powerful undead, like Strahd in Curse of Strahd, have unique vulnerabilities. Strahd takes 20 radiant damage at the start of his turn if he is exposed to sunlight; this severe damage also prevents his regeneration. This demonstrates that while most undead lack a specific radiant weakness, some have unique interactions with the damage type.
The Strategic Advantage of Radiant
The fact that few creatures resist radiant damage and that no creatures are immune gives it a strategic advantage. While most undead do not have vulnerabilities, they also do not have resistance to it either, meaning it can often be a more reliable source of damage than others, especially in campaigns with many undead. In addition, many undead creatures are often resistant to necrotic damage, making radiant an optimal alternative.
FAQs: Radiant Damage and Undead
1. Are all undead weak to radiant damage?
No, most undead are not specifically weak to radiant damage. They typically take normal damage from it. However, certain exceptions exist, like vampires needing radiant damage to prevent regeneration and creatures like Strahd having specific radiant vulnerabilities.
2. What are some examples of undead with vulnerabilities to radiant damage?
While it’s uncommon for undead to be explicitly vulnerable to radiant damage, Strahd takes damage from direct sunlight, which deals radiant damage. Other undead may have specific abilities or spells that make them vulnerable.
3. Is radiant damage better than necrotic damage against undead?
Generally, yes. Many undead have resistances to necrotic damage, and fewer have resistances to radiant. Furthermore, some undead suffer increased effects from radiant damage and radiant can prevent regeneration.
4. Do skeletons take extra damage from radiant sources?
No, skeletons do not inherently take extra damage from radiant sources. They are not vulnerable to it. Divine smite might do more, but it is not because of radiant damage.
5. Does radiant damage stop all undead regeneration?
No, radiant damage only stops the regeneration of specific undead creatures. The most common example is that of vampires.
6. Does the source of radiant damage matter when fighting undead?
Yes, it can matter. The way radiant damage affects undead can vary based on the source. A spell or ability may have unique interactions with undead, as is the case with Divine Smite.
7. Are there any undead immune to radiant damage?
No, no undead creatures are immune to radiant damage in most systems. There are, however, creatures with radiant damage resistance.
8. How does holy water interact with undead?
Holy water generally does radiant damage. It can prevent vampires from regenerating and can have additional effects on specific types of undead.
9. Does radiant damage affect objects?
Yes, radiant damage affects objects because objects don’t have a specific resistance to it.
10. Are angels resistant to radiant damage?
Yes, many angels are resistant to radiant damage as well as physical damage from mundane weapons.
11. Does radiant damage look like light?
Yes, radiant damage often manifests as light, but it’s more accurately described as holy power, with light being a byproduct.
12. Can “Cure Wounds” hurt undead?
No, “Cure Wounds” does not work on undead; it specifically heals living creatures and cannot damage them.
13. Can undead be blinded?
Yes, undead can be blinded, though the effects that cause blindness may need to work on creatures that are not living to affect them.
14. Are undead immune to critical hits and sneak attacks?
No, undead are not immune to critical hits or sneak attacks. This rule was in some older editions of tabletop games, but it doesn’t apply to current editions.
15. Does radiant damage increase damage by a flat amount or a percentage?
Radiant damage does not usually increase damage. Some abilities might increase your damage while using radiant damage, with the percentage depending on the specific spell or ability used.
Conclusion
While the notion that all undead are inherently weak to radiant damage is a common misconception, the truth is more complicated. Undead are not generally vulnerable to radiant damage, but they often lack resistance to it, making it a reliable source of damage. More importantly, certain types of undead, like vampires, have their regeneration abilities suppressed by radiant damage, highlighting its tactical significance. Understanding these nuances allows players to use radiant damage strategically against undead threats in their adventures.