The type construct includes this trait:
Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. (MM 307)
Besides the 9th-level Clr spell miracle [evoc] (PH 254), the 9th-level Sor/Wiz spell wish [univ] (PH 302), and similar effects, is there a spell or other effect that can undestroy a construct?
As precedent, the Spell Compendium includes 2 spells that bring back from death or destruction creatures outside the purview of the 5th-level Clr spell raise dead [conj] (PH 268) et al. The 6th-level Clr spell revive outsider [conj] (SpC 175) brings back from the dead a creature of the type outsider, and the 6th-level Sor/Wiz spell revive undead [necro] (SpC 175-6) brings back from destruction an undead creature. Is there an effect like this specifically for constructs?1
Casting the 7th-level Clr spell greater humanoid essence [trans] (Races of Eberron 186) on the remains of a destroyed construct may transform the construct's remains into humanoid remains, permitting the spell raise dead to work on the destroyed construct then, but that seems shady.2 It there a more elegant solution to return from destruction a packmate or shield guardian?
- Bonus: And what about elementals? Everyone forgets about elementals.
- Or the spell may not. Although I believe dead creatures are creatures with the dead condition not objects, there is no destroyed condition. A destroyed construct that's the target of the spell greater humanoid essence may just be a destroyed humanoid with the dead condition–alleviating that combination becomes really tricky.
Best Answer
Since there is no RAW requirement, think about what a construct is: material + magic. Also, a construct is quite literally crafted.
By the reasoning a construct can be crafted, treat it as a magic item. From d20srd.org Magic Item Basics:
So by destroying a construct, you also dispell it, causing it to cease existing, like any other destroyed permanent spell. Even if you reassemble it from it's component parts, and recast the spell that makes it a construct, it's a new construct, not the same as the previous one. You could cast Greater Humaniod Essence on the reassembled item, but you would not be casting it on the actual construct, which has ceased to exist. So you would end up with a humaniod body, but there wouldn't be a soul to return to it.
Also, note how Craft Magic Arms and Armor states:
yet Craft Construct states:
implying that it is impossible to fix a broken construct.