Golem

Crafted from gems exposed to the glorious light of Elysium, a prismatic golem’s body costs 50,000 gp to construct. Assembling the body requires both a DC 22 Craft (sculpting) check and a DC 22 Knowledge (the planes) check.

Prerequisites: Craft Construct, greater planar binding, polymorph any object, prismatic sphere, wish, caster must be good and at least 17th level.

Cost to Create: 150,000 gp, 8,000 XP, 250 days.

These costs are for a minimum HD prismatic golem. For prismatic advanced golems, see Constructing Advanced Golems.

The statistics block below contains details for more than one shape, size, or type of this creature. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.

Shadesteel Golem • Greater Shadesteel Golem

Crafted from metal mined and forged entirely on the Plane of Shadow, shadesteel golems are silent and powerful guardians. Necromancers, liches, and vampires create these planar golems to defend their crypts from clerics or paladins unlikely to be hampered by undead minions.

Those seeing a shadesteel golem often mistakenly identify it as undead, since it has a dark shadowy appearance and moves as quietly as a wraith. Unlike most constructs, a shadesteel golem is very stealthy, capable of blending into even the faintest of shadows. Their creators use them as hidden guardians in conjunction with more obvious deterrents, such as iron golems or zombies.

A shadesteel golem stands 7 feet tall and weighs about 1,500 pounds, though it usually floats with such ease that it appears to be almost weightless.

A shadesteel golem is mindless and follows whatever orders its master gives it. A golem’s creator can command it if the golem is within 60 feet and can see and hear her. If uncommanded, the golem usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though the golem always returns attacks made against it. The creator can give the golem a simple command to govern its actions in her absence, such as “Attack any living creature that enters this room.” Like most constructs, it fights to the death unless commanded to retreat.

Negative Pulse Wave (Su): The shadesteel golem can radiate a burst of inky black negative energy as a free action every 1d4+1 rounds. The pulse wave drains life from all living creatures within 40 feet of the golem, dealing 12d6 points of negative energy damage. A Fortitude save (DC shown in entry) halves the damage; the save DC is Constitution-based. Undead creatures within the area are healed of 12d6 points of damage instead, and any turning effect they are under is broken. A death ward spell or similar effect protects a creature from a shadesteel golem’s negative pulse wave.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A shadesteel golem is immune to any spell, supernatural ability, or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A magical effect that has the light descriptor (such as continual flame) causes the golem to speed up as if affected by the spell haste for 2d4 rounds. The golem is also hasted whenever it is subject to a positive energy effect, such as the turning attempt of a cleric. This might happen if the cleric has mistakenly identified the creature as a nightwalker or other undead, or if the golem is standing near undead.

If a shadesteel golem is targeted by or within the area of a spell with the darkness or shadow descriptor, the golem is healed of 1 point of damage per level of the spell.

Shadow Blend (Su): In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a shadesteel golem can disappear into the shadows, giving it concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, though a daylight spell does.

Skills: A shadesteel golem has a +16 racial bonus on Move Silently checks and a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks.

A shadesteel golem must be created entirely on the Plane of Shadow, using 1,500 pounds of steel tempered with rare shadow-liquids. This shadow-tempered steel costs 10,000 gp to create. The creator must then make a DC 30 Craft (armorsmithing) check to forge the golem’s body.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Construct, energy drain, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, shades, caster must be at least 17th level.

Cost to Create: 70,000 gp, 4,800 XP, 130 days.

These costs are for a minimum HD shadesteel golem. For advanced shadesteel golems, see Constructing Advanced Golems.

A shadesteel golem is incapable of devising its own tactics, but its master certainly does not suffer the same deficiency. Paired with a few undead, a shadesteel golem can be the perfect sentry, using its pulse wave to heal its allies and weaken its opponents. A savvy master gives the construct instructions to delay the use of its negative pulse wave for a few rounds, so as to maximize its benefit for healing the undead. The following tactics assume the golem is backed up by five greater shadows (an EL 13 encounter).

Prior to combat: Their creators often place shadesteel golems atop a symbol of death. When the golem moves to attack, the symbol is revealed. The golem’s chamber is always dimly lit, to take advantage of the construct’s ability to blend into shadows.

Round 1: Charge the nearest opponent, slamming once. The shadows circle and engage, looking for weak prey but staying within 40 feet of the golem.

Round 2: Slam foe twice. The shadows drain the Strength of nearby enemies.

Round 3: Release negative pulse wave, damaging all foes within 40 feet and healing any injured shadows. Follow up with another two slam attacks (or charge another foe, if the pulse wave killed opponents). The shadows, newly healed, continue their assault.

Round 4: Continue slamming foes. Release another pulse wave every 1d4+1 rounds.

If the golem’s master is present, on the other hand, the fight is very different. While the tactics of a high-level wizard are many and varied, one way in which the master can use the shadesteel golem to best tactical advantage is to cast shadow spells that heal the golem while damaging any enemies. For example, she might cast greater shadow evocation to create an illusory chain lightning spell, targeting the most powerful opponent, then striking the remaining party members before arcing back to hit the golem (and heal it). If the master is a lich, vampire, or other undead creature, she tries to stay within 40 feet of the golem, so that she benefits from the healing properties of the negative pulse wave.

A greater shadesteel golem stands 11 feet tall and weighs about 4,000 pounds.

Greater shadesteel golems use the same techniques and tactics as ordinary shadesteel golems.

Jahakinir the Shadow-Wizard, a lich of terrible power, created the first four shadesteel golems on the plane of Mabar, the Endless Night, and offered them to his vampiric apprentice, Osilvune. He then sent his apprentice forth to raise a kingdom on Eberron. Osilvune became ruler of her own demesne, but her ambition brought her too many enemies. One day, she simply vanished from the face and depths of the world. Her servants claim that she hid her wealth in secret subterranean vaults guarded by Jahakinir’s shadesteel golems, but these sepulchers have never been found. Whether the lich created other shadesteel golems and whether the secrets of their construction have been passed on remain mysteries as well.

The human empire of Imaskar gave rise to the first shadesteel golems, which were built to guard the vast troves of Imaskar’s evil wizard-kings. Other rulers from different realms have sponsored expeditions into Imaskar’s known ruins to unearth the lost knowledge of shadesteel golem construction, but it is not known whether these explorations have borne fruit.

A web golem is a construct entirely composed of thick layers of spider webbing. The body is only the roughest shape of a humanoid, with two arms, two legs, and a stumpy head, but little definition. Its long, powerful arms can reach up to 15 feet. The golem has eight multi faceted eyes and the poisonous fangs of a giant spider.

A web golem stands roughly 8 feet tall, and despite the gossamer nature of its webbing weighs 500 pounds.

A web golem cannot speak and gives off no discernable scent.

Like a spider, a web golem lurks on high ceilings out of reach of its prey, catching as many opponents as possible in its webs before descending to finish them off.

Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude DC 15; initial and secondary damage 1d6 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Web (Sp): A web golem can use a web effect, as the spell (DC 13), three times per day. Caster level 10th.

Adhesive (Ex): A web golem is extremely sticky. Anyone who makes an unsuccessful melee attack against a web golem must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save, or the attacker’s weapon sticks to the web golem and is yanked out of the wielder’s grasp. Creatures using natural weapons are automatically grappled if they fail the save. Pulling a stuck weapon or limb loose from a web golem requires a DC 20 Strength check. The save DC and check DC are Strength-based.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A web golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A grease spell slows it (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.

A web golem’s movement is not inhibited by a web spell.

Spider Climb (Su): A web golem has a continuous spider climb ability, as the spell.

Skills: A web golem’s body allows it to blend in extremely effectively when hiding among other giant spider webs, conferring a +15 circumstance bonus on Hide checks.

A web golem’s body is made from layer upon layer of webbing harvested from monstrous spiders. The material costs 1,000 gp for construction of the body. Creating the body is a complex task that requires a successful DC 20 Craft (weaving) or Profession (silk maker) check.

Prerequisites: Craft Construct, geas/quest, limited wish, poison, polymorph any object, spider climb, web, caster must be at least 14th level.

Cost to Create: 33,000 gp, 2,560 XP, 65 days.

These costs are for a minimum HD web golem. For advanced web golems, see Constructing Advanced Golems.

The giants of Xen’drik used web golems to guard their sealed vaults; some still linger there in ancient ruins.

Planar golems, such as the gloom golem and prismatic golem, are special kinds of constructs made from the matter of an Outer Plane. Building one is a task suited only to those who can control the very essences of the planes.

A planar golem may be constructed only on the plane from which it is crafted. A spirit from the planar matter is trapped by a powerful magic item and then bound to the creator’s will. The matter is extremely difficult to shape, always destroying the expensive item in the process.

Planar golems are notoriously difficult to control, because planes have their own characteristics that override those of the golems’ forgers. A planar golem takes on some traits of the plane it comes from. The creator of the planar golem, as well as anyone who would control it, must be of an alignment matching that of the plane used to create the golem. If the controller’s alignment changes, the golem becomes uncontrolled until the controller returns to the former alignment.

Planar golems have the extraplanar subtype unless on their home plane. Planar golems otherwise follow the normal rules for golems.

Two types of planar golems are introduced here: the gloom golem (from the Gray Waste of Hades) and the prismatic golem (from the Blessed Fields of Elysium). Other types of planar golems can be created from the matter of other planes. They include the following:

Amorphion (Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo): Comprised of churning stone, water, fire, air, and color, an amorphion emanates a continual aura of chaos that causes spells or spell-like abilities in the affected area to go awry, as though affected by the wild magic planar trait.

Ash Golem (Bleak Eternity of Gehenna): Made from the pyroclastic ash of Gehenna, this golem resembles a giant ashen skeleton surrounded by a cloud of blinding hot cinders.

Battleglory (Heroic Domains of Ysgard): This golem is made from the bones, armor, and weapons of a dozen slain barbarians, knitted into a single shambling form that fights relentlessly.

Gear Golem (Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus): A clockwork creature, this precision golem grinds and ratchets implacably toward its foes. It can grab foes and hold them against its whirling gears, grinding and crushing them.

Mindstrike Golem (Windswept Depths of Pandemonium): This hideous golem feeds on sanity and resembles a 15-foot-long worm composed of black blood. Its bite transforms its wounded victims into screaming, deluded maniacs.

Perfector (Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia): This golem is fashioned from polished silver and gold, perfectly formed into the shape of an archon, formian, or other lawful being. It can burn evil creatures with its luminous gaze, and its touch can also lift curses and cure maladies.

Sentinel of Mithardir (Olympian Glades of Arborea): The body of this golem resembles an elf formed out of chalky white dust lifted from the endless desert of Mithardir, Arborea’s third layer. Lightning plays across the surface of the golem as it walks. In battle, the golem can channel this electricity into its dusty fists or hurl lightning bolts at distant foes.

Shacklelock Golem (Tarterian Depths of Carceri): This golem resembles a shambling mass of chains, shackles, and manacles, created to entwine and bind its foes.

Valorhammer (Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia): This golem resembles a winged dwarf fashioned from pure white alabaster and adorned with inlaid mithral filigree. It can smite evil, and the mithral warhammer it wields is treated as a holy merciful weapon in its stony hands alone.

Woodwrath Golem (Wilderness of the Beastlands): A rolling mass of rustling leaves, sharpened twigs, and wooden spikes deals piercing damage in addition to trampling its foes into the ground.