[RPG] Are Androids considered “living creatures” in terms of beneficial spell effects

starfinder

Core Rulebook, page 272 says there are spell effects targeting "living creatures" only:

Some effects restrict which targets can be selected. If an
effect targets living creatures, it affects all creatures other
than constructs and undead — in other words, biological or
technobiological creatures that are alive.

So RAW "all creatures other than constructs and undead" means that if the creature is a construct, it is not considered a "living creature".

Androids are "both constructs and humanoids", therefore, they are constructs, therefore, they are not "living creatures":

For effects targeting creatures by type,
androids count as both humanoids and
constructs (whichever effect is worse).

Or are they? The rules are ambiguous:

  • Androids are living creatures, because they are humanoids, and humanoids are "creatures other than constructs and undead"
  • Androids are not living creatures, because they are constructs, so they are not "creatures other than constructs and undead"

The second ruling doesn't seem plausible. There are many beneficial effects that target living creatures only. For example, the Mystic Cure spell has "Targets one living creature" in its stat block. If androids are not "living creatures", how are they supposed to restore their Hit Points? Other means, for example, the Regeneration Table, means mention "living creatures" as well:

A living creature using a regeneration table is affected as if a
6th-level mystic cure spell as well as the remove affliction and
restoration spells were cast on it

Best Answer

They are not constructs

According to the Core Rulebook, page 42, androids has the "humanoid (android)" creature type, not "construct" neither "humanoid/construct":

Androids are Medium humanoids with the android subtype

They also have "Constructed" race feature, that gives them +2 racial bonus to some saving throws and allows them to operate in a vacuum, but as a downside, lets them to be targeted with some harmful spells that affect only constructs normally:

For effects targeting creatures by type, androids count as both humanoids and constructs (whichever effect is worse). They receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and sleep, unless those effects specifically target constructs. In addition, androids do not breathe or suffer the normal environmental effects of being in a vacuum.

That feature doesn't turn their creature type to "construct" though - they are humanoids, therefore, they are living creatures.

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