Discussion:Can golems use magic items?

Can golems use magic items?

Eiji 22:39, 12 December 2007 (MST)

While designing an interesting mech-pilot based concept I came across this idea. Can a golem benefit from magic items? Of course, a magic sword would be fine, but I mean like an Amulet of Natural Armor, or a Ring of Invisibility?

For items which are activated, like wands, could it do it? Even if it had to be told to use it, once instructed could it be told to 'shoot the elves with your wand o' missiles'?

Next up... if so, what if the golem is not of humanoid shape? What about a spider golem? Would it be able to use items that normal spiders could use? Same with dragon golems and etc.

And final question... a light ballista 'takes up a 5 ft space' like a medium human creature in combat. It's stats seem to put in on par with Huge Crossbows too. If you had a huge creature (an inhuman-shaped golem taking up a 15 ft space) could you wield such a thing? What about two?

Yay, questions!

(EDIT: Hmm, nothing at all? Even a little?)

Rakankou 19:17, 8 January 2008 (MST)

Neither the Monster Manual nor the DMG make any mention of golems using magic items. It would make sense that they could, but that many of the effects of magic items would be wasted on them since so much magic has already gone into their creation (for example, an Amulet of Natural Armor might not work for a Flesh Golem which already has a magically enhanced natural armor rating). Moreover, a golem's immunity to magic may play some role in determining whether or not they can use magic items or if the effects of magic items might be scrambled when placed upon a golem (since a spell which deals cold damage normally slows a Flesh Golem, would a Ring of Fire Resistance do the same since it effectively "cools" its wearer?)

There's nothing one way or the other about it that I can find in any sourcebooks, but I would say that they probably can since a wizard can repair his pet golem with magic and the weapons some of the tougher golems use are inherently magical.

Eiji 19:33, 8 January 2008 (MST)

Awesome, but even better when you consider effigies. Those golems lack the immunity to magic commonly associated with constructs of that sort, so I am certain spell effects can affect them.

Mostly I have plans for a effigy I will make. I will eventually use Awaken Construct on it so that it may obtain Int, skill points, and feats. More importantly, skill points which go into UMD and make it able to use wands as well as just carrying and swinging around magic swords and the like.

123098zxcmnb 17:53, 11 January 2008 (MST)

I think that you should be able to use most magic items, however I don't think they would be able to use command word activated magic items. Although they are inherently magical, they are not intelligent enough to "control" a magic item in the way that command words do.

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