Golem

Golems are magically created automatons of great power. Constructing one involves the use of mighty magic and elemental forces.

Normally, the animating force for a golem is a spirit from the Elemental Plane of Earth. However, the three golems presented here⁠—​the dragonbone golem, the drakestone golem, and the ironwyrm golem⁠—​are instead imbued with the life force of a mighty dragon. The process of creation binds the unwilling spirit to the artificial body and subjects it to the will of the golem’s creator.

In all three cases, these golems are constructed in forms traditionally associated with dragons⁠—​quadrupedal creatures with long necks and tails, claws, and wings. Though these constructs are built with wings, they are incapable of flight (but the golems can use their wings for attacks).

Golems have no language of their own, but they can understand simple instructions from their creators.

Combat

Golems are tenacious in combat and prodigiously strong as well. Despite their former existence as highly intelligent dragons, these golems are mindless and thus can do nothing in the absence of orders from their creators. They always follow instructions explicitly and are incapable of any strategy or tactics. They are emotionless in combat and cannot be provoked.

If a golem’s creator is within 60 feet of it and both visible and audible to it, he or she can command the creature directly. An uncommanded golem usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though it returns any attacks made against it. The creator can give the golem a simple program (such as “Remain in this area and attack all creatures or creatures of a specific kind that enter,” or “Ring a gong and attack,” or the like) to govern its actions in his or her absence.

Since golems do not need to breathe and are immune to most forms of energy, they can press an attack against an opponent almost anywhere, from the bottom of the sea to the frigid top of the tallest mountain.

Construct Traits: A golem has immunity to poison, magic sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. It cannot heal damage, but it can be repaired. It has darkvision out to 60 feet and low-light vision.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): Golems have immunity to magical and supernatural effects, except when otherwise noted.

Dragonbone Golem

A dragonbone golem is crafted from the skeletons of one or more dragons, wired together into a gruesome whole. It typically measures about 10 feet in length and stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder. It is easily mistaken for a skeletal dragon or a dracolich⁠—​and, in fact, is often built by necromancers⁠—​but it is a construct, not an undead creature.

Combat

A dragonbone golem wades into combat without hesitation, weakening opponents’ resolve with its fear aura.

Fear Aura (Su): A dragonbone golem radiates an aura of fear in a 60-foot-radius burst. Any creature with fewer HD than the dragonbone golem is shaken (Will DC 20 negates). The effect lasts for as long as the creature remains within range and for 2d6 rounds afterward. A creature that succeeds on the Will save to resist is immune to that dragonbone golem’s fear aura for 24 hours.

Magic Immunity (Ex): A dragonbone golem has immunity to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects and abilities.

Construction

A dragonbone golem’s body must be crafted from the skeletons of one or more dragons, strung together with adamantine wire worth 5,000 gp. Creating the body requires a DC 20 Heal check.

Prerequisites: Craft Construct, animate dead, cause fear, geas/quest, caster must be at least 13th level.

Cost to Create: 60,000 gp + 4,400 XP, 115 days (not counting the crafting time for the body).

Source: Draconomicon, page 164.

Drakestone Golem

A drakestone golem appears at first glance to be a beautifully crafted statue of a dragon, 12 feet long and 6 feet tall at the shoulder. Only when it animates, its stone scales rippling like muscled flesh and its eyes gleaming with amber light, do its enemies realize their danger.

Combat

A drakestone golem opens any combat with its petrifying breath, but otherwise relies on its devastating physical attacks to reduce foes to a pulp.

Petrifying Breath (Su): Once every 1d4 rounds, a drakestone golem can exhale a 30-foot cone of petrifying gas (Fortitude DC 27 negates).

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A drakestone golem is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows. A transmute rock to mud spell slows it (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all its lost hit points.

Construction

A drakestone golem’s body is intricately chiseled from a single block of high-quality stone, usually granite, weighing at least 3,000 pounds and costing 5,000 gp. It must also be polished with rare oils worth 10,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 25 Craft (sculpting or masonry) check.

Prerequisites: Craft Construct, animate objects, antimagic field, flesh to stone, geas/quest, caster must be at least 16th level.

Cost to Create: 95,000 gp, 6,400 XP, 175 days (not counting time crafting the body).

Source: Draconomicon, page 164.

Ironwyrm Golem

An ironwyrm golem is an animated, self-contained furnace built into the shape of a dragon. It measures up to 15 feet in length and typically stands 7 to 8 feet high at the shoulder. Smoke trails from its nostrils except when the creature is at rest, and when animate, it exudes a palpable heat.

Combat

The ironwyrm golem softens up foes with its fiery breath and then uses its formidable strength to destroy its foes in melee. It can even use this breath weapon on itself, in order to restore hit points or negate slow effects.

Breath Weapon (Su): 60-ft. cone, every 1d4 rounds, 20d10 fire, Reflex DC 30 half. The breath weapon type remains the same regardless of the dragon spirit contained within.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): An ironwyrm golem is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows. A cold effect slows it (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. A fire effect breaks any slow effect on the golem and cures 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. For example, an ironwyrm golem hit by a delayed blast fireball cast by a 15th-level wizard that would normally deal 52 points of damage instead gains back 17 hit points. The golem gets no saving throw against fire effects.

Immunity to Rust (Ex): An ironwyrm golem is immune to rust attacks, whether magical or not.

Construction

An ironwyrm golem is sculpted from 5,000 pounds of pure iron, smelted with other rare components and elixirs costing at least 25,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 30 Craft (armorsmithing or weaponsmithing) check.

Prerequisites: Craft Construct, animate objects, antimagic field, geas/quest, incendiary cloud, limited wish, caster must be at least 18th level.

Cost to Create: Cost 125,000 gp, 8,000 XP, 225 days (not counting crafting time of body.

Source: Draconomicon, page 165.