Converting "generic setting" Second Edition monsters

[freyar]

You know, all the SRD golems are Dex 9. Let's stick to that.

So Str 27, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1?

 

[Cleon]

You know, all the SRD golems are Dex 9. Let's stick to that.

So Str 27, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1?

Works for me.

What about their natural armour? The original monster had the same AC as an AD&D Iron Golem, but a 3E Iron's NA +22 seems to generous.

Maybe NA +18, like a Stone Golem?

 

[freyar]

Yes, that's generous enough. Let's get a homebrew started and start in on the special abilities.

 

[Cleon]

Clockwork Warrior Golem Working Draft

Clockwork Warrior Golem
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 16d10+30 (118 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 26 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +18 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+24
Attack: Slam +19 melee (2d8+8)
Full Attack: 2 slams +19 melee (2d8+8)
Special Attacks: Reflexive sunder
Special Qualities: Clockwork powered, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., damage resistance 5/adamantine, galvanized movement, repaired by fire
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 17-23 HD (Large); 24-42 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Clockwork Warrior Golem, Lesser
Small Construct
Hit Dice: 4d10+10 (32 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, -1 Dex, +8 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+1
Attack: Heavy pick +6 (1d6+3/×4) or slam +6 melee (1d10+2)
Full Attack: Heavy pick +6 (1d6+3/×4) or slam +6 melee (1d10+2)
Special Attacks: Reflexive sunder
Special Qualities: Clockwork powered, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., damage resistance 5/magic, galvanized movement, repaired by fire
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-4), or team (5-20)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5 HD (Small); 6-11 HD (Medium); 12 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

A hulking black-iron creature shaped like an armored warrior, or rather like an empty suit of full plate. Its body is as thickly proportioned as a dwarf, but at least twice as tall. A constant humming and clicking like countless gears and levers sounds from its body.

Clockwork warrior golems are mechanical constructs that resemble iron golems, but are much more complex and less powerful. The construct consists of an ornate suit or black iron armor, inside which is the golem's clockwork of wonderfully crafted gears, cogs and levers. Some finely crafted clockwork warrior golems have clockwork parts made of precious metal, but this is not a requirement of their design.

A clockwork warrior golem is powered by its clockwork. Normally this is wound by an external power source, but the construct can disengage itself from its power-supply and operate for a few rounds before its clockwork's springs winds down. These creatures are mindless constructs, following their programmed instructions without questions or imagination. Clockwork warriors are normally programmed to defend a location, usually the entrance to a sensitive area. Their guard post is always fitted with a power-supply.

A clockwork warrior golem is 10 feet tall and weighs about 5,000 pounds. It cannot speak or make any vocal noise.

COMBAT

A clockwork warrior fights in whatever manner it was programmed to. It usually moves towards the nearest aggressor and punches with its iron fists until it or its opponents are destroyed. The golem will normally stay as close to its power-supply as possible, although it may have instructions (such as to pursue robbers) that overrule its basic programming to keep itself powered.

Clockwork Powered (Ex): Most of the time, a clockwork warrior golem is powered via a winding-sprocket set in the wall or floor which fits into the golem's back, chest, or one of its feet. Winding-sprockets are driven by some kind of magical or mechanical engine, usually a waterwheel. A winding sprocket has AC 7, hardness 15 and 30 hit points, it can be broken with a DC 30 Str check.

A clockwork warrior golem can function continuously as long as it is powered by a winding sprocket. If a clockwork golem moves out of a square containing a winding-socket it must disconnect itself from its power source and switch to internal springs for power. These springs only hold enough energy for a short period of activity. A clockwork warrior golem will grow slower and weaker as its springs wind down, as indicated in the following table:

Rounds of spring-powered activity
01-10 rounds - Moves and fights normally.
11-20 rounds - Cannot run, -4 Strength penalty.
21-30 rounds - Single action only, -12 Strength penalty.
31-40 rounds - Speed reduced to 5 ft., -20 Strength penalty.
41+ rounds - Helpless and immobile.

A clockwork warrior golem can rewind its springs by reconnecting itself to a winding-sprocket. Engaging with the winding-sprocket usually completely recharges the clockwork warrior in one round, but the rate may vary depending on the power-supply.

It is possible to rewind a clockwork golem using a giant key, but this requires enormous strength (DC 30 Strength check for 1 round's worth of winding). A creature with a Strength of 30 or more can "take 20" to rewind the clockwork at the rate of 1 round duration per 2 minutes of rewinding.

Galvanized Movement (Ex): If a clockwork golem takes electricity damage it must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 or the DC of the attack) or be forced to move its base speed in a random direction at the start of its next turn. This movement is a move action by the golem, so it cannot take a full round action (such as charging or a full attack) in a round it performs galvanized movement. Reroll the direction of the galvanic movement if it would enter an obvious hazard such as a pit or pool of acid. The construct's programming causes it to avoid spaces it registers as unsafe. The construct may move through areas threatened by attacks of opportunities or traps that are not included in its programming.

Reflexive Sunder (Ex): The armor plates and gears that make up a clockwork warrior constantly shift and rotate around each other in combat, creating a grinding sound like scores of millstones crushing gravel. Anyone who strikes the warrior with a melee weapon must succeed at a DC 17 Reflex save or the armor plates crush the weapon for 2d8+8 points of damage; if it is a natural weapon, the attacker takes the damage instead. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

Repaired by Fire (Ex): If a clockwork warrior golem is hit by an attack that deals fire damage (whether magical or mundane) it heals 1 point of damage for every 4 points of fire damage the attack would normally deal.

Construction
Building a clockwork warrior golem requires 10,000 pounds of high quality metals worked into intricate shapes, plus forging equipment, fuel and other tools. These materials are used to create the golem's body, plus the external power-supply and winding-sprocket that gives the golem motive force, and have a total cost of at least 15,000 gold pieces. Assembling these components requires a DC 25 Craft (armorsmithing) check and a DC 30 Craft (trapmaking) check.

Additional winding-sprockets (200 gp) and power-supplies (4000 gp) can be constructed. If such backup power systems are created at the same time as the clockwork warrior golem itself, no additional skill checks are required. Creating backup systems at a later date requires a DC 15 Craft (trapmaking) check and DC 15 Craft (trapmaking) check.

CL 13th; Craft Construct, mass bull's strength, fabricate, caster must be at least 13th level; Price 75,000 gp; Cost 45,000 gp + 2,400 XP.

Lesser Clockwork Warrior Golem

A lesser clockwork warrior golem is 4 feet tall and weighs about 300 pounds.

COMBAT

Clockwork Powered (Ex): A lesser clockwork warrior's clockwork loses power much more rapidly than a standard clockwork warrior, as shown in the table below. Its internal springs are much smaller and weaker, rewinding a lesser clockwork golem with a key requires a DC24 Strength check.

Rounds of spring-powered activity
01-03 rounds - Moves and fights normally.
04-06 rounds - Cannot run, -2 Strength penalty.
07-09 rounds - Single action only, -4 Strength penalty.
10-12 rounds - Speed reduced to 5 ft., -8 Strength penalty.
13+ rounds - Helpless and immobile.

Reflexive Sunder (Ex): DC 11, 1d6+2 damage.

ConstructionA lesser clockwork warrior golem requires 1000 pounds of metal plus other materials costing at least 2000 gold pieces. Assembly requires a DC 20 Craft (armorsmithing) check and a DC 25 Craft (trapmaking) check. Additional winding sprockets cost 200 gold pieces each and additional power-supplies 500 gold pieces each.

Both standard clockwork warriors and lesser clockwork warriors use the same winding-sprocket, so a lesser clockwork golem can be wound by a standard clockwork warrior's power-supply. A lesser warrior's power supply can rewind a standard clockwork warrior golem at the rate of 1 round of rewinding for 1 round of spring-powered activity.

CL 9th; Craft Construct, bull's strength, fabricate, caster must be at least 9th level; Price 18,000 gp; Cost 10,000 gp + 640 XP.

 

[freyar]

Seems like the greater one's DR might have some magic component, too, not sure about that. And the resistance to magic reads a whole lot like "immunity to magic" that most golems have. Definitely needs a winding down SQ, and I think it also needs an ability to auto-sunder weapons that hit it (Ref save to avoid damaging a weapon?).

 

[Cleon]

Seems like the greater one's DR might have some magic component, too, not sure about that. And the resistance to magic reads a whole lot like "immunity to magic" that most golems have. Definitely needs a winding down SQ, and I think it also needs an ability to auto-sunder weapons that hit it (Ref save to avoid damaging a weapon?).

Well AD&D Flesh Golems have immunity to magic weapons, which becomes DR 5/adamantine in 3E. These Clockwork Warriors are tougher than Fleshies, but didn't need +2 or better weapons to hit like AD&D Stone Golems, so I thought DR 5/adamantine was the best match.

The Lesser version is so much weaker it felt wrong to give it DR /adamantine, so I just dropped it to DR /magic.

As for the auto-sunder, we could modify one of these special qualities:

Blunting Field (Su): A serpent griffon golem's scales create a shimmering field of energy that discharge into any sharp point or edge that strike it. Any opponent that strikes the golem with a manufactured piercing or slashing weapon must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or the weapon takes 3d8+13 points of force damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Reflexive Disarm (Ex): The armor plates and body-joints that make up a dwarf crusher golem constantly shift and rotate around each other in combat, creating a grinding sound like scores of millstones crushing gravel. Anyone who strikes a rock crusher with a melee attack must make a DC 16 Reflex save or the armor plates trap the weapon. The armor plates crush the victim's weapon for 3d8+9 points of damage; if it is a natural weapon, the attacker takes the damage instead. If the weapon can be disarmed, it is also trapped in the armor plates. To recover a trapped weapon, an opponent must make a successful Disarm attack against the golem (the golem gets a +23 modifier on its opposed attack roll). The save DC is Dexterity-based.
​

I think Reflexive Disarm repurposed into Reflexive Sunder would be the best approach. Just leave the damage and drop the disarming.

 

[Shade]

And the resistance to magic reads a whole lot like "immunity to magic" that most golems have.

Agreed. Make it so!

 

[Cleon]

Agreed. Make it so!

Anyone care to present a draft, then?

 

[freyar]

If you'll prepare the Reflexive Sunder.

The Iron Golem has

Immunity to Magic (Ex): An iron golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an iron golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw.

A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, an iron golem hit by a fireball gains back 6 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. An iron golem gets no saving throw against fire effects.

An iron golem is affected normally by rust attacks, such as that of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.

which is pretty close to what we want. The original clockwork warrior has

The Clockwork Warrior is immune to all magic that affects organic beings and cannot be influenced in any way. ... Electrical attacks cause the golem to back away from the spellcaster (though it will never leave the mine), but fire attacks repair 1 point of damage for each 8 points inflicted.

Maybe something like

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A clockwork warrior is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A magical attack that deals electricity damage causes the clockwork warrior to flee from the caster on its next turn, using a move action.

A magical attack that deals fire damage heals 1 point of damage for each 8 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the clockwork warrior to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a clockwork warrior hit by a fireball gains back 2 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. A clockwork warrior gets no saving throw against fire effects.

A clockwork warrior is affected normally by rust attacks, such as that of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.



Hmmm, I might like swapping the fleeing bit back into the slow effect of the iron golem.

 

[Cleon]

If you'll prepare the Reflexive Sunder.

The Iron Golem has

which is pretty close to what we want.

Erm, no.

The Clockwork Warrior is affected normally by spells that affect objects - direct damage spells (apart from fire), disintegrate, et cetera. It's only spells that are tailored for living, thinking organisms, like sleep or cause disease that have no effect.

3E Constructs all come with that immunity to living-target spells as standard.

In other words, it doesn't have an Iron Golem's immunity to spells. Heck, it doesn't even have spell resistance, since the original has no MR percentage listed.