Half-Golem (5e Race)
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Half-Golem[edit]
| “ | There are things which don't stay dead. They come back in the weirdest of way. Some strike a jackpot. A body which no longer ages... | ” |
| —Arenfen Dorent, gravekeeper | ||
Physical Description[edit]
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| By Wayne Reynolds |
Half-golems have an incredibly wide range of appearances. Their nature is typically that of a humanoid merged with a construct. The human parts of a half-golem vary the same way a normal human would. Some have their golem parts crudely bolted on with their flesh and stretched over them before being roughly stitched or stapled in place. Others are more elegantly put together with their golem parts attached carefully with the human and golem parts being cleanly meshed or melted together. Often times, the human part seems deteriorated or decaying due to the necessity of a dying or dead mortal to create a half-golem. The golem part, on the other hand, varies with the materials used to create them. Clay, stone, and iron were the most common, but other variants exist.
History[edit]
Traditional half-golems were created as forays into the research of artificial life. Arcane practitioners came to the realization that combining necromancy with construct creations resulted in a servant that was just as efficient, if not even easier to control. The creation of half-golems spiked after this, and they were often employed in shadier sides of the deal. However, half-golems allegedly can also spawn without machination. Supposedly, dead or dying humans with a strong will can be merged with golems. Usually, it has to have been a healthy person to survive this ordeal at all and retain a soul. It is sometimes the same mad wizards who made these half-golems that end up using the magic to save their own lives. This magical practice has thankfully died down as other constructs came into vogue.
Society[edit]
Half-golems are outcasts, seen as abominations that should not be. They are not like the warforged, which are living constructs. The taint of necromancy on their origin is not easily overlooked, and they usually are treated horribly in the hard labor work they can find. While half-golems are neither too rare nor too common a sight, they are sometimes conflated with the common zombie. Their numbers have never grouped together to form a significant community, as many are drifters in society.
Personality[edit]
Due to the hardships they incur as a result solely by existing, half-golems themselves tend to be bitter and skeptical of magic, the force of their creation. Many will spurn it, as well as those who practice or study it. Some abandon all sense of humanity to escape pain, taking on the cold and unfeeling demeanor of a true golem. It is unknown if this actually inures them to all emotional senses. These tend to be rather dangerous half-golems, as they have little sense of morals or self-governance. Half-golems are usually on the move, as they do not fit in anywhere. Perhaps that is what they search for in their adventure.
Half-Golem Names[edit]
Half-golems usually try to hold onto their prior identities by using their old names. If they have become detached, they usually make some corruption of it.
Male: Devon, Grargus, Telo, Piney
Female: Rella, Ylash, Helen, Dashi
Half-Golem Traits[edit]
Tragic results from necromancy and golem magic
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age. Thanks to the construct nature of your body, you live a little longer than a human, going beyond 100 to about 125 years on average.
Alignment. Half-golems retain that obedient lawful mindset of a golem, but they can be of any alignment, honestly.
Size. They have heights a bit taller than humans usually, with a heftier frame. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Hybrid Form. You are not entirely dead or living. Your creature type is both humanoid and construct. You can be affected by any spells or effects which target at least one of those types, like cure wounds or dominate person. You are immune to poison damage, being poisoned, and diseases. You do not need to eat, drink or breathe, though you may do so if you wish. Rather than sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 6 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Slam. Your limbs are modified to strike harder than average. Your unarmed strikes deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write common and one other language of your choice, usually that of your creator. If you were not created, it could be a language from your past life.
Subrace. Choose either the clay, stone, or iron subrace.
Clay[edit]
Clay golems are less sturdy than their cousins, being made partially of hardened and soft clay. They encompass also porcelain and terracotta half-golems. On average, they can move faster thans to their construction.
Burst Movement. You can move quickly with a burst of speed when in a pinch. You can use a bonus action to Dash. Once you use this trait, you must finish a short or long rest before doing so again.
Disguise. Your body is a moldable medium. If you spend at least 10 minutes sculpting the clay of your body, you can make yourself look different as per the disguise self spell. However, it does not affect your clothing, weapons, or other belongings. To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC of 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus.
Stone[edit]
Stone half-golems are one of the more common types, being both sturdy and inexpensive to make. Sometimes, they are known to have the bones of the person more than the flesh.
Stoneskin. You have reinforced skin thanks to the stone in your being. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Stalwart Memory. Like a stone, these half-golems have seen a lot and they remember it well, even if they aren't the brightest bunch. You can recall anything you have seen or heard within the last month.
Iron[edit]
These half-golems are possibly the hardiest of their bunch, and rather rare. They were commonly used to do dangerous work in mines and the like.
Armored Body. Your very body is a suit of armor, but it makes it hard for you to wear other armaments. You have a base AC of 16 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Immutable Form. You are immune to any spell or effect that would alter your form.
Snow[edit]
Usually designed for prolonged work in the coldest environments, half-snow golems are nothing if not hardy.
Bitter Resilience. Your body is certainly well accustomed to blizzards and such. You have resistance to cold damage.
Frosty Camoflauge. Due to mostly being made up of it, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in snowy environments.
Stained Glass[edit]
Of all half-golems, the stained glass variety is probably the most separate. Due to their shiny forms, they tend toward entertainers over labourers.
Jagged Form. Your unarmed strikes, instead of dealing bludgeoning, deals slashing damage. Additionally, when you hit with an unarmed attack, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your Proficiency bonus, or take the damage they took from the unarmed attack again. You can do this once, and regain the use on a short or long rest.
Glamorous Shape. The artistic depictions that cover your body lend you towards certain things. You have proficiency in one Charisma-based skill of your choice.
Adamantine[edit]
Some of the rarest of the rare, financed by some of the richest sponsors to the greatest necromancers. They are durable beyond compare, and simple labour is generally much beyond their paygrade, taking duties in militaries.
Armored Body. Your very body is a suit of armor, but it makes it hard for you to wear other armaments. You have a base AC of 16 (your Dexterity modifier doesn't affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield's bonus as normal.
Vibration Burst. As an action, you can emit a thunderous boom. Every creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 thunder damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use this trait, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Adamantine Strong. When you are targeted by an attack, and the attack is critical, you may choose to become resistant to the damage of that attack. You can do this once, and regain the use on a long rest.
Level Adjustment +1. After gaining your first level, you must gain 300 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.
Arcane[edit]
A much more magically capable version, half-arcane golems are often utilized by their wizard creators as servants.
Arcane Infusion. Choose one 1st level spell from the wizard spell list. You can cast this spell once, and regain the use after a short or long rest. Constitution is your casting modifier for this spell.
Magic Diffusion. When you take damage from a spell, you may count as resistant to the damage. You can do this once, and regain the use after a long rest.
Mithral[edit]
About as rare as the adamantine version, these half-golems are more agile than they are strong.
Ability Score Increase. Instead of your Strength being increased by 1 by the base racial traits, your Dexterity increases by 1.
Light Metal. Due to being made up of some of the world’s lightest metal, you are defensive, but still remarkably agile. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Alacrity. When you are subjected to a Dexterity saving throw, you may grant yourself advantage on the roll. You can do this once, and regain the use after a long rest.
Quicksilver[edit]
More dexterous than their other solid counterparts, half-quicksilver golems are as slippery as they are deadly.
Ability Score Increase. Instead of your Strength being increased by 1 by the base racial traits, your Dexterity increases by 1.
Mercury Slash. Your unarmed strikes from Slam deal 1d6 slashing damage, instead of 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Like Water. You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. However, if you take cold or fire damage, your speed is reduced by 10 until the start of your next turn.
Wood[edit]
A much more natural alternative, half-wood golems are a favorite construct around more nature-friendly necromancers.
Rage of the Trees. Wood golems are prone to terrible rages, as are you. While you are below half your maximum hitpoints, when you deal damage with a weapon attack, you may add your level to the damage. You may do this once, and regain the use after a long rest.
Gaia Touched. Your inherent connection to nature leaves you with some abilities unheard of for other half-golems. You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Constitution is your casting modifier for this spell.
Lava[edit]
An extremely rare golem is one formed of laval essence, giving them heated bodies that are semi-solid, yet formed hard enough to move properly. Lava half-golems are almost nonexistent due to the high costs of creation, maintenance, and overall pain that the humanoid portion of the body must endure to ever reach a stable, working state.
Living Magma. You are resistant to fire damage.
Flame Body. If a creature hits you with a natural weapon or unarmed attack (i.e bites, claws, kicks, etc), they take 1 fire damage. If a creature successfully grapples you, they take 1d4 fire damage, and do so again at the start of their next turn while they're still grappling you. Additionally, you cannot benefit from this trait while wearing armor. Armor made to fit you costs twice as much, as it must have layered protection against your heated body. Finally, your unarmed strikes deal fire damage instead of bludgeoning.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5'2" | +2d12 inches | 140 lb. | × 2d6 lb. |
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