Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

Dex 15 is good. How about adding "and magic" to the DR?

freyar said:

Dex 15 is good. How about adding "and magic" to the DR?

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Done and done.

Updated.

Shadow golems are slightly malevolent in their actions and will seek to twist the meaning of their masters wishes. Therefore, care must be used in giving instructions; simple commands (i.e. stop, go, kill, take, etc.) are far more likely to be carried out without incident than are complex chains of instructions.

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Flavor text only or something akin to the berserk ability?

I'd make it flavor text for the RBDM.

CR 13?

Shadow golems can be constructed by illusionists of 14th-level or higher. The process entails the casting of the following spells into an specially-fashioned obsidian statue: continual darkness, summon shadow, shades, and alter reality. Construction of a shadow golem requires two months of time and 60,000 gp.

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Construction
A shadow golem’s body is chiseled from a single block of obsidian, weighing at least 3,000 pounds. The stone must be of exceptional quality, and costs 5,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC X Craft (sculpting) check or a DC X Craft (stonemasonry) check. (Stone golem DCs are 17, so maybe 19 here?)

CL 14th; Craft Construct, deeper darkness, greater shadow conjuration, limited wish, caster must be at least 14th level; Price 60,000 gp; Cost 32,500 gp + 2,400 XP.

Note: I dropped shades and went with greater shadow conjuration so a 14th-level caster could still craft it.

Your suggested CR and craft DCs sound pretty good from where I sit.

Updated.

All that's left is weight.

A greater stone golem is 18 feet tall and weighs around 22,000 pounds.

These guys are two feet shorter and could weigh less due to the shadowstuff that makes up part of their being.

Well, dropping 2 feet would give something like 19,800 lbs, so why don't we drop a bit more and go to 17,000 or 18,000?

Sounds good. I like 18,000.

Updated.

All done?

Shade said:

All done?

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I'd say so, next...

Regards
Mortis

COPPER GOLEM
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 6"
HIT DICE: 40 hit points
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-12/3-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: See below
INTELLIGENCE: Semi
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (7 1/2' tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/2,380

Copper golems can be created by non-good clerics of 14th-level or higher. The process requires the cleric to spend not less than one month praying and fashioning a figure set in copper, then employ bless (or curse if the caster is evil), chant, resist fire, commune, flame strike, and animate object. The entire process costs at least 50,000 gold pieces for materials alone.

The resulting copper golem appears to have skin of red-hot metal, and eyebrows, beard, and hair of flowing flames.

The copper golem will obey its master so long as the cleric keeps a copper talisman, which was made along with the golem, upon his person. The cleric must display the talisman openly to command the golem.

A copper golem attacks as a 9 hit die monster, inflicting 1/2 damage to fire-using creatures or double damage to cold-using creatures. Only +1 or better weapons can damage copper golems, and all non-fire using creatures within 10' must save vs. spells each round or take 1d8 points of damage from the heat unless magically protected from fire.

Magical cold slows the golem by 50% for 2-12 rounds, and a cloudburst inflicts 10 points of damage to a copper golem. Submersion in water will kill a copper golem in 5 rounds. Copper golems are as strong as flesh golems, and they can be healed by magical fire on a 1 hit point for 1 hit point basis like iron golems.

Originally appeared in Polyhedron #30.