A golem manual contains information, incantations and magical power that help a character to craft a golem. The instructions therein grant a +5 competence bonus on skill checks made to craft the golem’s body. Each manual also holds the prerequisite spells needed for a specific golem, effectively grants the builder use of the Craft Construct feat during the construction of the golem, and grants the character an increase to her caster level for the purpose of crafting a golem. Any golem built using a golem manual does not cost the creator any XP, since the requisite XP are “contained” in the book and “expended” by the book during the creation process.
The spells included in a golem manual require a spell trigger activation and can be activated only to assist in the construction of a golem. The cost of the book does not include the cost of constructing the golem’s body. Once the golem is finished, the writing in the manual fades and the book is consumed in flames. When the book’s ashes are sprinkled upon the golem, it becomes fully animated.
The statistics block below contains details for more than one type of golem manual. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that. The name of a particular manual at the top of the column hyperlinks to its description below.
| Clay Golem Manual | Flesh Golem Manual | Iron Golem Manual | Stone Golem Manual | Greater Stone Golem Manual | Dragonbone Golem Manual | Drakestone Golem Manual | Ironwyrm Golem Manual | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (Item Level): | 12,000 gp (13th) | 8,000 gp (11th) | 35,000 gp (16th) | 22,000 gp (15th) | 44,000 gp (17th) | 28,000 gp (16th) | 40,000 gp (17th) | 50,000 gp (18th) |
| Body Slot: | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Caster Level: | 11th | 8th | 16th | 14th | 16th | 12th | 16th | 18th |
| Aura: | Moderate; (DC 20) conjuration, divination, enchantment, and transmutation | Moderate; (DC 19) enchantment, necromancy [evil], and transmutation | Strong; (DC 23) conjuration, enchantment and transmutation | Strong; (DC 22) abjuration and enchantment | Strong; (DC 23) abjuration and enchantment | Strong; (DC 21) enchantment and necromancy [evil] | Strong; (DC 23) abjuration, enchantment, and transmutation | Strong; (DC 24) abjuration, enchantment, evocation, and transmutation |
| Activation: | See text | See text | See text | See text | See text | See text | See text | See text |
| Weight: | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. | 5 lb. |
| Prerequisites: | Craft Construct, animate objects, commune, prayer, resurrection, creator must be caster level 11th. | Craft Construct, animate dead, bull’s strength, geas/quest, limited wish, creator must be caster level 8th. | Craft Construct, cloudkill, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, creator must be caster level 16th. | Craft Construct, antimagic field, geas/quest, slow, symbol of stunning, creator must be caster level 14th. | Craft Construct, antimagic field, geas/quest, slow, symbol of stunning, creator must be caster level 16th. | Craft Construct, animate dead, cause fear, geas/quest, creator must be caster level 12th. | Craft Construct, animate objects, antimagic field, flesh to stone, geas/quest, creator must be caster level 16th. | Craft Construct, animate objects, antimagic field, geas/quest, incendiary cloud, limited wish, creator must be caster level 18th. |
| Cost to Create: | 2,150 gp, 1,712 XP, 12 days. | 2,050 gp, 944 XP, 8 days. | 3,500 gp, 5,880 XP, 35 days. | 2,500 gp, 3,600 XP, 22 days. | 2,900 gp, 7,872 XP, 44 days. | 3,000 gp, 4,640 XP, 28 days. | 4,000 gp, 6,720 XP, 40 days. | 5,000 gp, 8,400 XP, 50 days. |
Golem Manual: Clay • Flesh • Iron • Stone • Greater Stone • Dragonbone • Drakestone • Ironwyrm
Clay Golem Manual: The book contains animate objects, bless, commune, prayer, and resurrection. The reader may treat her caster level as two levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a clay golem. The book supplies 1,540 XP for the creation of a clay golem.
Flesh Golem Manual: The book contains animate dead, bull’s strength, geas/quest, and limited wish. The reader may treat her caster level as one level higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a flesh golem. The book supplies 780 XP for the creation of a flesh golem.
Iron Golem Manual: The book contains cloudkill, geas/quest, limited wish, and polymorph any object. The reader may treat her caster level as four levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting an iron golem. The book supplies 5,600 XP for the creation of an iron golem.
Stone Golem Manual: The book contains antimagic field, geas/quest, slow, and symbol of stunning. The reader may treat her caster level as three levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a stone golem. The book supplies 3,400 XP for the creation of a stone golem.
Stone Golem Manual, Greater: The book contains antimagic field, geas/quest, slow, and symbol of stunning. The reader may treat her caster level as three levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a greater stone golem. The book supplies 7,640 XP for the creation of a greater stone golem.
Dragonbone Golem Manual: This book contains animate dead, cause fear, and geas/quest. The reader may treat her caster level as one level higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a dragonbone golem. The book supplies 4,400 XP for the creation of a dragonbone golem.
Drakestone Golem Manual: This book contains animate objects, antimagic field, flesh to stone, and geas/quest. The reader may treat her caster level as three levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a drakestone golem. The book supplies 6,400 XP for the creation of a drakestone golem.
Ironwyrm Golem Manual: This book contains animate objects, antimagic field, geas/quest, incendiary cloud, and limited wish. The reader may treat her caster level as four levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting an ironwyrm golem. The book supplies 8,000 XP for the creation of an ironwyrm golem.
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide (version 3.5), page 258. The dragonbone, drakestone, and ironwrym golem manuals come from Draconomicon, page 120. Aside from a few grammar errors, added slow to the prerequisite spells for the stone golem manual and the greater stone golem manual.