So I am looking for some insights into some specificities of a Simulacrum. I have a vague understanding of how the D&D rules interact with Creature types (which is that they are rarely important). So does the Simulacrum being a construct mean it no longer needs the same maintenance as the Humanoid or Beast it copies? Or would I now need to double my ration stocks to maintain the Simulacrum's prolonged existence?
Simulacrum says this (emphasis mine)
You shape an illusory duplicate of one beast or humanoid that is within range for the entire casting time of the spell. The duplicate is a creature, partially real and formed from ice or snow, and it can take actions and otherwise be affected as a normal creature. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has half the creature's hit point maximum and is formed without any equipment. Otherwise, the illusion uses all the statistics of the creature it duplicates, except that it is a construct.
The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat. The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other abilities, nor can it regain expended spell slots.
If the simulacrum is damaged, you can repair it in an alchemical laboratory, using rare herbs and minerals worth 100 gp per hit point it regains. The simulacrum lasts until it drops to 0 hit points, at which point it reverts to snow and melts instantly.
If you cast this spell again, any duplicate you created with this spell is instantly destroyed.
In my head it seems like the Simulacrum would need the same maintenance as the creature that's being duplicated. As it makes no special additive to the Simulacrum save that it is now a Construct and is unable to regain HP except through a specified process. Would I be correct in thinking this or is there something I could be missing?
Best Answer
Yes, if the original creature needs to eat, drink, breathe and sleep
The creature types in 5e do not have automatic attached rules. They only act as a label that allows other game elements like spells or abilities that name them to interact with them, MM p. 6:
Therefore, there is no general rule that all constructs do not need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep. In the absence of this, the creature will need to do all these things.
The description of each construct must call out what is true or not true for it. Compare this to other constructs, like for example Animated Object, which has the following text in its lore write up:
Simulacrum copies a creature, so it will copy all its attributes. I am not aware of any humanoids or beasts that have a similar exception, but if there was one, then that simulacrum would not need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep.