Help with a Construct

[Greenfield]

Here's an odd challenge.

There's a spell in the Sandstorm book, one specific to the Sandshaper class. It's called Awaken Sand.

In essence, you give life to a pile of sand, creating an intelligent, free-willed, huge Construct of sand.

Strength is 20, Dex is 8, Con is a non-stat,and Int, Cha and Wis are 3D6.

It's a Cr 5 creature, AC 13, about 189 hit points, amorphous, with the Earth subtype.

So here's the challenge: Such a creature is immune to any spell that won't also affect an inanimate object, and has no fixed form, hence no "slots" for items.

How would you go about enhancing it so it can keep up with a party of much higher level? The one in my game has 10s in all three rolled stats, so no caster class advancement is in the cards.

 

[MarkB]

A couple of thoughts:

Build more of them, for strength in numbers.

Have an Artificer in the party. They're built around enhancing objects and constructs, and could probably do a lot to buff this one.

Research higher-level versions of the spell, to create more powerful replacement constructs.

 

[Greenfield]

I suspect that my DM would draw the line at my character leading an army of sand monsters.

We don't have an Artificer, and I'm not entirely sure what he or she could do for an animated pile of sand.

The spell says that the created construct has the basic physical stats of a Huge Animated Object, from the MM. So it's based on an existing creature.

Ultimately, I'm dealing with a creature that already exists, so retroactive suggestions that amount to "Don't do it that way" are a little late. I'm trying to do something for an existing construct.

As a Construct, it can't heal naturally and requires some unusual spells to allow any magical healing. Left to itself, it would simply accumulate minor injuries until it died of them.

 

[RSKennan]

What about advancing it as a fighter? Barbarian would cause issues with Rage/no Con score, so that's probably out.

 

[Greenfield]

I considered that. AC 13.

So let's look at how to get past that: How would you increase the AC of a Huge creature with no slots for items and no consistent form to armor?

 

[RSKennan]

I haven't played 3.0 in years, and have been playing Pathfinder, but my instinct is to look for some sort of an oil that can be applied.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

-Ioun Stones.
Have the creature carry objects inside itself. Choose objects that won't get ground into dust.
-Black Sand (Negative energy damage yeah!)
-A few boulders for hurling. Can boulders be made into Masterwork/enchanted weapons?
-Shapesand if the WIS score is high enough. Since Shapesand can be used to make mundane items, perhaps the Shapesand could be used to make flexible armor for the construct? A large enough amount as a layer that flexes with the creature or a firm curve it holds in front like a shield?
-An Animated tower shield with additional enchantments. See if you can get around the "1 per character" rule.
-Dancing Weapons.
-Defending Weapons. There's really no limit to how many of these you can have (gotta love the "Stacks with all others" line), perhaps 20 Defending daggers all pointing outward from a moving pile of sand? I'd run away from that!
-Dancing Defending Weapons?

Can it take class levels? Ioun Stone could give it the stat bump needed to cast 1st level spells. If it took 1 level of Artificer, Wizard or Sorcerer gets it Repair Light Damage among other things.

 

[Greenfield]

I wonder, can a Construct of animated sand wear chain armor? It's flexible, and it can maintain a Humanoid form.

At least I think it can. Maybe Skill ranks in Disguise?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Such a creature is immune to any spell that won't also affect an inanimate object

Not true. It's immune to any spell that allows a fortitude save and won't affect objects (unless I'm missing something?). Barkskin allows no save. Bull's Strength is a will save. Stoneskin is a will save. There are lots of spells you can use on it as a druid.

 

[Greenfield]

Hmm. You're right. Not sure where I got that from, but while he has a brod general immunity to charms and mind affecting spells, immunity to drains, level loss and necromantic effects, and immune to anything that calls for a Fortitude check.

Let's see, what else can I find: Half damage from ranged attacks, fire, cold, and electricity (See "breaking objects") I wonder what the hardness of Sand is?

Actually, that's a good question. How hard is sand to damage?