Incarnum Dragon

[kitep]

Incarnum Dragon (MOI, p173)

Breath Weapon (Su): An incarnum dragon’s breath weapon is a cone of resonating energy that separates incarnum from living matter and deals damage to creatures (but not to objects). Every creature within the area must make a Reflex save or be temporarily drained of essentia. This effect reduces the essentia pool of each target by a number of points equal to the dragon’s age category for 1 hour.  A successful Fortitude save halves both the damage dealt and the essentia drained. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Would the damage affect constructs?  Undead?

Also, I had assume it wouldn't harm anything that doesn't need to make FORT-based saving throws, but it would still drain essentia if somehow the creature had it (eg a vampire with incarnum classes).  But then I got to thinking about magic items that store essentia and if it should drain those as well.  Now I'm thinking the breath weapon wouldn't work to seperate constructs/undead from essentia, and the breath weapon would be totally useless against them.

[Agita]

Constructs and undead are immune to any effect that allows a Fortitude save and doesn't affect objects. Since both the damage and the essentia drain are affected by the Fort save, constructs and undead are immune to both.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

hmm ... I'd still make them do the Fort save for Damage.
The essentia part Reflex save = doesn't do squat to undead.

I vaguely recall Charisma for Undead, however
I am very Not sure about this.  Must get book out.
Maybe this was a dreamscarred thing, idk.

[ketaro]

Brings up a point in that there is a feat in MoI that lets Undead use Cha for determining Essentia and all that Incarnum stuff so you can have an Undead with an incarnum class.
As well there are Incarnum Zombies which are Undead with Essentia.

Can the dragon still not drain the Essentia from an Undead that actually has Essentia?
While the text does say "living matter", living matter isn't a mechanical thing per rules but what is is the immediately following mention of the breath weapon affecting "creatures" and Undead and Constructs are Creatures by rules.

Weird though how the Breath Weapon states "Reflex save or be temp. drained of essentia" but then says "Fort Save for half effects" in the next line.

[kitep]

Thanks everyone!