Golem

Golem
General Information
Homeland(s)	Prime Material Plane

Golems are an amalgam of several types of magically created constructs. They are tough, fearsome combatants with incredible defenses. Although they move like living creatures, they are merely animated objects, giving them several advantages and disadvantages in battle. As constructs, golems are innately immune to a number of attacks; among these are mind-altering, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease and death effects as well as most spells. They never tire, get confused or distracted and possess both low-light and darkvision. Because they are mindless, golems lack much in the way of creativity and initiative.

The creator of a Golem is typically a wizard or a cleric), both of whom have control over the creature. Due to the process involved in creating a Golem, in which an elemental from the Plane of earth is bound against its will into the Golem's body, the control of certain golems has a chance of being voided in proportion to the length of time that it is used in combat.

When a golem of a more expensive material is made - such as adamantine or mithral - it is originally made using a cheaper metal - usually iron - and then polymorphed, usually via a Wish spell.

Types of Golems

• Brain golem: Brain golems are created by mind flayers as guardians and are made from brain tissue
• Clay golem: Clay golems are created by clerics. While in combat, there is a cumulative chance as the battle progresses that a the golem will be possessed by a chaotic evil spirit. If this happens, control over the golem is lost and it will attack the closest living creature.
• Crystal golem: Crystal golems are constructed from dagger-like shards of purple crystal and are surprisingly resilient given their fragile appearance. They can throw these crystals at their foes as missile weapons.
• Flesh golem: These golems are created from human remains. If control over the Flesh Golem is lost, it goes berserk, attacking allies and enemies both.
• Iron golem: Iron golems are among the strongest type of golem and never revoke the control of those who created them.
• Rimefire golem: Rimefire golems are powerful beings made of living ice that are thuggish and have little regard for their own well-being.
• Sand golem: Sand golems are incredibly evasive constructs that are more intelligent than most golems and can transform into storms of sand.
• Stone golem: Golems of stone are twice as powerful as those of flesh. They are highly resistant to attacks because of their stone composition. They do not revoke their creators control like Flesh and Clay Golems.
• Mithral golem: Relatively lightweight golems that move with astounding agility, frequently surprising would-be adversaries.
• Adamantine golem: Incredibly resilient golems that are frequently found in the Underdark, usually in the service of Drow, Duergar or Svirfneblin masters. Possibly one of the more powerful variants.
• Brass golem: Made of brass, these are created to fulfill one goal, set at the time of their creation, and wait with absolute patience until activated to perform this task.
• Chain golem: Creatures of the Kytons made out of chains, these serve as bodyguards for devils and as guardians of unholy places. They are composed entirely of shifting chains that vary in size and shape.
• Dragonflesh golem: Made out of the remains of dead dragons, these creatures can remember more complicated commands than most golems can, but because they cannot think, they obey commands to the letter rather than evaluating the intent.
• Stained glass golem: Made out of stained glass and built to harmonize with a structure's decor so that their presence is not obvious, these are flat, two-dimensional replicas of living beings. When they move, they produce a tinkling sound like that made by delicate crystal.
• Alchemical golem: Weighing 800lbs, these are composed from a single tough membrane in the shape of a humanoid and are filled with toxic liquids.
• Hangman golem: Composed of ropes that are twisted and wrapped into a humanoid figure. Their ropes become a dangerous whirlwind when they engage in combat.
• Shadesteel golem: Crafted from metal mined and forged entirely on the Plane of Shadow, these silent and powerful guardians are sometimes created by necromancers and powerful undead. They are very stealthy creatures which float about.
• Web golem: Built by drow sorcerers, these are approximately humanoid and are built from masses of spider web. They typically have eight eyes about their head and poisonous spiders fangs.
• Fang golem: The creation of druids, shaped to resemble a wild beast, composed entirely of claws. These are often set to guard druid groves. They are tenacious, strong, and mindless combatants.
• Blood golem of Hextor: Made of the coagulated blood of sacrificial victims, girded in magical armor and bearing masterwork weapons, these bring death to enemies of Hextor's faith.
• Brain golem: A creation of the mind flayers, these exist purely for the desires of the illithids and are unswayed from their goals. The appear as a huge, burly humanoid with an oversized brain for a head. In fact, the whole body is made up of brain tissue. Brain golems are more intelligent than other golems.
• Demonflesh golem: Demonstrating truly fiendish grafting of demonic body parts assembled into a vile whole. These bear superficial resemblance to flesh golems. Most are reasonably intelligent.

The making of demonflesh golems has become close to a sport on some levels of the Nine Hells.

• Hellfire golem: Built by devils, these appear as towering humanoid creatures that seem to be formed of brilliant lava and crumbling black crust. Most are reasonably intelligent.
• Dragonbone golem: Crafted from the skeletons of one or more dragons and wired together into a gruesome whole, these are easily mistaken for skeletal dragons or dracoliches. They wade into combat without hesitation as commanded by their creators.
• Drakestone golem: Appearing as beautiful crafted statues of dragons whose muscles look like rippling stone flesh when they move in motion. Their breath can petrify flesh.
• Ironwyrm golem: An animated, self-contained furnace built into the shape of a dragon. Smoke trails from its nostrils except when the creature is at rest, and when animate, it exudes a palpable heat.
• Grave dirt golem: Composed of magically coherent grave earth, these constructs leave soiled wounds which are suffused with negative energy to further harm their foes.
• Tombstone golem: Powerful guardians which are constructed from grave headstones. They are able to slay living beings with the negative energy that empowers them through their powerful strike.
• Ice golem: A humanoid formed of roughly chiseled ice, standing 9 feet tall and weighing around 800 pounds. They appear to be normal ice sculptures when at rest.
• Coral golem: Resembling aquatic sea-creatures in shape, such as fish or crabs, these are made entirely of living coral. They are created by sea druids to guard threatened aquatic regions or to attack the ships of intruders.
• Equine golem: Golems shaped as heavy warhorses. They are faster and more agile than a regular golem, but less durable. They are crafted from thick hardwoods and an animating air elemental spirit.
• Incarnum golem: Towering humanoid forms that resemble smoky glass plates reinforced with shimmering metal bands. Within them is bound spirit energy which allows the golem to adapt its attacks to fit the situation.
• Cadaver golem: Misshapened constructs easily mistaken for flesh golems, but they are more intelligent and dangerous, capable of making use of the skills and abilities of those who contributed to its body. These creatures constantly seek out humanoids who boast talents that it wishes to possess.
• Puppet (Doll) Golem: A living toy that is usually created for protecting or killing children. Normally, it looks mottled, beautiful and colorful, but, in battle, looks dirty, scary and stitched.

External Links

• Eric Cagle (2005-11-08). Winning Tactics against Golems. Tactics and Tips. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.

References

• Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-935696-00-8.