Steampunk golem?
Greenfield
Adventurer
Okay, the classic Steampunk setting is the era of Jules Verne, who lived through most of the 19th century (born 1828 died 1905), and did most of the writing he was famous for started with a meeting with Alexandre Dumas in 1848.
So let's call it the latter half of the Industrial Age, or as some call it "The Age of Brass and Steam".
Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein, predated him a bit. Her literary career started in about 1820, about ten years before the Industrial Revolution.
Yet her work, while largely a commentary on the nature of man, defines very much the Flesh Golem as we see it in D&D, right down to it beilg "slowed" by fire and healed by Lightning.
So that one is already Steampunk-ish.
Also note the Pathfinder Clockwork Golem, who is already steampunked, and the Alchemical Golem, also Pathfinder.
So there's an easy start for you.
So let's call it the latter half of the Industrial Age, or as some call it "The Age of Brass and Steam".
Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein, predated him a bit. Her literary career started in about 1820, about ten years before the Industrial Revolution.
Yet her work, while largely a commentary on the nature of man, defines very much the Flesh Golem as we see it in D&D, right down to it beilg "slowed" by fire and healed by Lightning.
So that one is already Steampunk-ish.
Also note the Pathfinder Clockwork Golem, who is already steampunked, and the Alchemical Golem, also Pathfinder.
So there's an easy start for you.
LuisCarlos17f
Legend
Ravenloft AD&D 2nd Ed had got the mechanical golem, and d20 OGL allowed sourcebooks for "Iron Kingdoms" (by Privateer Press) and "Dragonmech" (by Goodman Games and Sword & Sorcery Studios) among other titles by 3rd Parties.
Samloyal23
Adventurer
I like the idea of a steam-powered golem, that would be cool...
D
DQDesign
Guest
Just some inspiration from M:tG...
Samloyal23
Adventurer
Great art in those cards, but how would you stat them in an RPG?
Samloyal23
Adventurer
Hmm. Wouldn't a steam powered construct basically treat coal or wood the way other creatures treat food? They either get their ration of fuel or suffer from exhaustion and end eventually end up immobile. Thoughts?
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
I'm not sure that golems need any changing in order to fit a Steampunk setting, as stated earlier the Flesh Golem is essentially Frankenstein and the Clay Golem is based on Der Golem story which was set in Victorian-era Prague. At most perhaps I'd change the Iron Golems breath weapon from poison to hot burning steam and equip it with a boiler in its chest
I used Train golems in one short lived game, who needed coal to live, and so worked closely with human coal miners. One of the train golems was Ol' Mama Lion, a broken down old rail crane who had helped build the rail but was now stuck down in the canebreak but was still consulted for her wisdom(and thus fed coal)
I used Train golems in one short lived game, who needed coal to live, and so worked closely with human coal miners. One of the train golems was Ol' Mama Lion, a broken down old rail crane who had helped build the rail but was now stuck down in the canebreak but was still consulted for her wisdom(and thus fed coal)
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I’m thinking a steam-powered steampunk golem should have a top hat or stovepipe hat integrated into its design, a steam breath weapon, and an ear-splitting whistle.
Borrowing from the tale of John Henry, they should also be very strong and favor large, 2-handed hammers.
They should probably be size L.
Borrowing from the tale of John Henry, they should also be very strong and favor large, 2-handed hammers.
They should probably be size L.
Voadam
Legend
I would just just reskin the descriptions of an existing construct of the appropriate CR. Modify a few minor abilities to be more thematically appropriate if necessary. There are a ton of 3e monsters so there is no real shortage of existing construct statblocks if you want.
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