Golem, Miscellaneous (4e Creature)
Golem[edit]
Blood Golem[edit]
The blood of sacrifices agglutinates to make a monstrous being known as a blood golem. They are semisolid and require upkeep, meaning fresh blood from prey. To extend their utility, their soft bodies are usually outfitted with armor and weaponry. On its own, it can creep about like a liquid ooze or create a skin of coagulated blood to give itself a solid shape.
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Blood golems lack true intelligence are very straightforward in combat. It simply lashes out at foes and tries to siphon as much blood as it can to replenish itself. It is cruel and malicious and seems to enjoy beating enemies despite being supposedly mindless in all facets.
A character knows the following information with a successful skill check. Dungeoneering DC 15: Blood golems must be provided unconscious or bound victims every few hours to consume their blood or risk running dry. Religion DC 15: Blood golems are usually made by worshippers of dark cults, and they use these only as guardians in places of high traffic. History DC 15: Blood golems are able to be outfitted with plate armor to bolster their defense, as well as retain their blood form better. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Brain Golem[edit]
These fleshy golems are made wholly of brain matter, with the bud of an elder brain for a head. Their creation was solely to serve illithid communities, and they cannot attack illithids. Creatures repugnant to the Far Realm can sense brain golems easily due to their inner psionic field. Brain golems communicate solely via telepathy and always rejoin with the Elder Brain when their purposes are carried out.
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Brain golems often use their mind blast first to knock out stronger enemies. Then they try to batter the weaker ones with their strong arms. They are protected internally with a psionic ward against magic. They never attack mind flayers under any circumstances.
A character knows the following information with a successful Dungeoneering check. DC 15: Brain golems are typically creations of mindflayers, made of many brains of intelligent creatures. They therefore will never attack a mindflayer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ice Golem[edit]
Ice golems are constructs wrought of cold. They are usually found as guardians in frigid wastes where ancient civilizations used to stand. Out of their element, they begin to melt unless reinforced with magic or elemental essence. Some are created as a result of elemental energy leaking into bodies of ice from the outer planes.
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Ice golems move surprisingly fast when in the cold. They are very straightforward sentries that will chase off trespassers, but never stray too far from a preset path they patrol.
The player learns the following lore on a successful skill check. Nature DC 10: The ice golems body is made of ice that does not melt easily despite being susceptible to heat. However, they still avoid sources like flames. History DC 15: Frost giants created many ice golems near their homes at the Spine of the World to monitor often overlooked entryways into their fortresses that were too small to be noticed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Soil Golem[edit]
These golems are a composition of loose particulates. Over half of their body is purely packed dirt, soil, and some rocks and grass. They therefore are masses of a living biome, with things like worms and other critters living in their loose body. Due to their poor making, they usually do not last as long as a sturdier golem like one of stone, nor can they grow as big due to structural problems. It is believed they are created by primal energies occasionally taking form in nature.
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Most golems tend to be solitary beings. However, since soil golems are rather fragile, they are the brutes who band together to overwhelm enemies. Their attacks alone are not too dangerous unless en masse. More often, they will just try to bury opponents in soil to immobilize them before bludgeoning them to death or suffocating them.
A character knows the following information with a successful skill check: Nature DC 10: These golems are commonly manifested in the wilds where they serve as guardians of nature. Dungeoneering DC 15: Due to their body composing mainly of soft loamy materials, these golems are rather weak and therefore tend to attack in large groups. Nature DC 15: Soil golems commonly hide many microcosms of tiny life in their body. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copper Golem[edit]
Copper golems are usually found in the annals of old, abandoned copper mines. They are commonly constructed of copper ore. Being unrefined, these golems appear very stony and rock-like. There are some instances known where one can make a pure copper golem by using refined copper pieces of currency. The method to making this kind of golem is obviously more expensive and very similar to that of a treasure golemDM164,96. Being made of copper, they are not as tough as iron golems, but stronger than clay. Their metallic composition makes them very good conductors.
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Copper golems are more often found in nature than they are as constructed sentinels like other golems. They tend to be solitary and try to first intimidate foes by giving a loud howl from their huge mouths. If the enemy seems stunned and far away, they will lob pieces of their own body like boulders at them. If the enemy is close, they usually just swing their thick arms as a potent weapon.
A player discerns the following information about the monster with a successful skill check. Dungeoneering DC 15: The golem's greatest assets are its arms, which are battering rams in and of themselves unarmed. Dungeoneering DC 10: They are commonly formed of unrefined ore left behind in mines, and guard long unused shafts, using the tunnels as guides. Nature DC 12: They usually wander alone, and are not particularly bright, though they are conductive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rope Golem[edit]
A rope or twine golem has a humanoid wicker core for structure, so it is not totally created of only rope. Within the structural core is usually the source of their animation: a magical talisman with their orders. Coils of rope or twine are then woven through and around the frame over and over, building up the creature’s size and mass. Sometimes they look a bit messy if not a lot of care is put into their making. In places where magic is used by the elite, like in the Thay magiocracy, they commonly constructed these golems as hunters to capture or strangle criminals without leaving blood as a trace. As such, they are not the usual brutes like other golems.
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Rope golems attack by gathering their ropey appendages into “fists” and pummeling a foe with the tight and hard ball. When it hits, it tries to slip its many ropes over the target's head from its hands. If successful, a rope golem often maintains the hold until it is destroyed or its opponent is dead from suffocation. Those given special orders usually play head hunter from the shadows and lunge at their target when close. Otherwise, they usually remain inanimate.
The player knows the following lore about the rope golem with a successful skill check. History DC 10: These golems were made historically to hunt and hang escaped criminals. Dungeoneering DC 15: While inanimate, these golems are indistinguishable from normal coils of rope, and this is how they get the jump on victims. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mud Golem[edit]
Mud golems are naturally formed sometimes in the intersections between the Planes of Earth and Water. They can also be made for purposes of guarding entryways in places like bogs and swamps. They occur in the natural world when large amounts of magic auras concentrate in pools of mud. These particular mud golems tend to be guarding some long-buried magic artifact nearby that is the source of the aura. While they are not very tough in material, their body is more fluid and so allows them to bypass lots of difficult obstacles like grates and fences with ease. As a golem-maker puts it, they are the poor man's clay golem.
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Mud golems attack by hurling mud at their opponents to slow them down. They try to suffocate victims by buffeting them in mud to immobilize or bury them. Their duty as sentries means they will not give chase to those who leave the proximity of their mud pools usually, unless their controller willed otherwise.
A player learns the following lore with a successful skill check. Nature DC 12: Mud golems accrue a good deal of bio-detritus over time, and so rarely have any treasure in their bodies. Dungeoneering DC 15: These golems usually guard something like an artifact or an opening to either the Elemental Plane of Water or Earth, which empowers their creation. Dungeoneering DC 10: Their semisolid bodies don't hit the hardest, so they prefer to drown enemies in mud barrages. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mithral Golem[edit]
Mithral, a prized metal among dwarves, known for its durability and simultaneous mobility potential, is what this golem is made of in its entirety. Thus, while also being incredibly durable, it is also faster than hulking golems of other materials, being able to move and hit fast and hard. Since the occurrence of mithral in such large quantities is almost unheard of, mithral golems are never naturally occurring. They are known to sometimes be projects requested from dwarven forges to be used as sentries and pawns for war. Since they cost so much to make, they are more valuable than the average golem.
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Mithral golems rely on their impeccable speed to outmaneuver opponents. They can move just as well as smaller, nimbler creatures thanks to the magic metal they are made of. Its fists have magical properties like mithral, which it uses to pound opponents after having closed any distance between them.
A player knows the following information with a successful skill check: History DC 10: These rare golems are usually made only as gifts to those who have won the dwarven people's respect due to their expensive crafting process. Dungeoneering DC 15: Being made of mithral, these golems can move faster than others of their ilk, and are just as nimble as any human. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Adamantine Golem[edit]
These huge creatures looked almost like an iron golem, but they gleamed with the sheen of adamantine and were much larger. They could not speak and the weight of adamantine made them move only at half the speed of a human. Up close, victory is nigh impossible due to their immunity to magical effects, and they would easily stomp combatants to death. Even ranged combat had issues due to spells having no effect. The qualities of adamantine made it scarce even for armor, much less a golem, and so these creatures are incredibly rare.
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Adamantine golems pummel their opponents with their fists and feet in a thunderous stomping fit. They are not particularly smart and will cease assault once they think a threat has been removed.
A player knows the following information with a successful dungeoneering check. DC 12: Due to the rarity of adamantine, these golems are rarely encountered or found. DC 15: They look a bit like big iron golems, but they are immune to magic and supernatural effects. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alchemical Golem[edit]
Alchemical golems are beings crafted by those who dabbled in the arts of alchemy, including metallurgy and even life-creation. Their bodies are commonly made of both inorganic and organic material. Most golems of this nature have some sort of brain in the body which acts as a command center, ingrained with orders from the creator. It is commonly suspended in a reinforced artificial skull where the eyes are also placed The rest of the body may have flesh, glass, and metal or even wood implements.
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Due to the many alchemical additions a golem of this nature can house, their attacks often cause painful side effects onto victims. It acts as according to orders codified in a brain implanted by its creator, and is virtually mindless in all other aspects.
A player knows the following information with a successful dungeoneering check. DC 10: The golem receives commands from its brain and follows only those commands. It itself is void of will or thought. DC 15: The various implements on the golem make its attacks have a variety of effects that cause pain to its enemies. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Glass Golem[edit]
The beautiful works of art are made of hardened glass held together with magically treated lead. They protect places of opulence and worship like cathedrals and are as deadly as they are beautiful, particularly the stained glass variety. They are faster than normal golems and can cut deep with their sharpened appendages.
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Using its composition as an advantage, the glass golem tries to dazzle and blind foes with light shimmering through its body. Then, whilst they are helpless, the golem stabs and slashes them to ribbons. They are usually confined to the area where they are meant to stand as sentries and will not pursue beyond the radius.
A player knows the following information with a successful skill check: Arcana DC 15: The nature of the glass and magic holding the golem together makes it reflective of spells as well as light. Religion DC 12: These beautiful golems commonly grace the halls of houses of worship and do not stray from their purpose. Dungeoneering DC 15: If shattered so large pieces remain, the golem's remnants sell for high prices. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Burning Golem[edit]
These golems are extremely humanoid in shape, and so are often called burning men instead of golem. Their bodies are composed of white-hot cinders and burning coals. The extreme heat from their bodies would ignite materials upon touch. Due to their destructive tendencies, they were a risk to construct. They were compelled to obey their creators but those who were not careful in their handling would be consumed by their fire. Their chaotic and destructive nature impels them to pervert the meaning of commands, making them unreliable for everything except battle. They were originally made in war against trolls, who hated fire.
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These golems are hellbent on destruction rather than sentry work. They pummel foes with their powerful burning fists to inflict painful wounds. Damage from plasma does not harm them in the least, and even when extinguished, they would reignite themselves with their intense burning desire. While it does regenerate, it has no sense of self-preservation.
A player knows the following information with a successful skill check: History DC 12: Being made of fire, they were used originally to combat trolls. Dungeoneering DC 10: They burn with great intensity and can ignite almost anything flammable they touch. Dungeoneering DC 15: Lightning and fire does not affect them, and they can easily reignite even when extinguished. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coral Golem[edit]
Coral golems are constructs made of bits of wrinkled stone and coral, with large, clawed hands. They usually are solitary, but sometimes travel in gangs of two or five members. Their construction of living coral from the ocean gives them a variety of shapes, including sharpened claws that are not only useful for martial combat, but also for performing meticulous tasks. They are commonly used by wizards and sorcerers to procure specimens of sea-life, as well as for fishing and even protection of veins of undersea materials.
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Coral golems sometimes are found in gangs rather than being solitary. They are very obedient to their master's orders and seldom deviate from them. In combat, they utilize their claws to poke opponents full of holes. Their bodies are also resistant to charm magic, making them excellent against spellcasters.
A player knows the following information about coral golems with a successful skill check. Nature DC 10: They are constructed out of living corals extracted from the sea. Dungeoneering DC 12: In addition to hunting and foraging, they are used to guard the homes of their masters as well as veins of precious minerals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Magma Golem[edit]
These hulking masses of molten lava and rock are sometimes actually considered elementals due to the possibilities of them occurring naturally. There is a very thin line between them and something like the lava paraelementals. But believe it or not, some wizards are dastardly enough to create such creatures out of destructive materials. In fact, it is said that a fire elemental is necessary to create these beings, by locking them in the golem's body of stone and metal and subjugating it. They are useful for excavating valuable igneous materials from magma sites and such. The fire elemental inside prevents the golem from cooling off and hardening too much, but this also means the elemental is always fighting to get out.
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Most magma golems are slow creatures. Contact alone with them is painful due to their bodies of heated rock. This makes their swings all the more deadly as they pummel and simultaneously cook enemies alive with their fists. Utilizing the captive elemental inside, they can also move with a sudden burst of speed if needed.
A player knows the following information with a successful dungeoneering check: DC 12: These golems are heated to the touch and will burn on contact. DC 15: Their core is commonly that of an imprisoned fire elemental. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wood Golem[edit]
Wood golems are made of super accessible material, making them therefore have a variety of shape and design. Some are ornate and huge, having taken a collective effort to manufacture. Others are cheaply produced and pale in comparison. On average, they are considered lesser golems to materials like stone or metal. These golems sometimes serve as the skeleton for a build, which is then patched with mud or hair. They are used for more mundane tasks like cleaning, feeding fires or even something as trivial as stirring their master's cauldron.
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Wood golems are usually either solitary or in gangs of 2-4 members. They not only pummel creatures with their fists in melee, they also assault with various splinters which burst from their body to pierce anyone nearby.
A player knows the following information with a successful skill check. Nature DC 12: These golems are commonly made of rare woods, making them susceptible to flames. History DC 10: Their structure is often left unfinished by creators, exposing unworked wood and limbs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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