Brick Golem - version 1.0

[boothbey]

Was kicking around an idea and here is the result, nothing set in stone just wanted to put out a feeler and see what people thought of the idea...

Brick Golem
Medium Sized Construct

Hit Dice: 10d10
Initiative: -1 (dex)
Speed: 30 (can't run)
AC: 25 (-1 dex, +16 natural)
Attacks: 2 slams +12
Damage: d10 +6
Face / Reach: 5ft by 5ft / 5ft
Special Qualities: Construct traits, DR 5/+1 (piercing, slashing only), fire/electrical/cold resistance 15, petrification, duplication
Saves: Fortitude: +3, Reflex: +2, Will: +3
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 9, Con --, Int --, Wis 11, Cha 1

Brick Golems resemble stone golems on the outside and clay golems inside. The exterior rocky crust varies in color with mottled grays and reds being most common. Lacking the magical immunities of their larger cousins, the brick golems make up for their weaknesses with much greater versatility and ever increasing numbers.

Construct Traits - Immune to mind influencing effects, poisons, diseases, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Duplication - The most feared ability of the brick golem is its ability to reproduce when damaged. Anytime the golem is injured, by weapon or spell, a fully formed brick golem splits off from its "parent" to join in the fight. The newly formed golem has the same hit points as it's "parent's" max. Attacks that bring the golem down in one blow do not trigger the duplication ability (a brick golem with 40hp that is hit by a fireball for 40 points is destroyed without creating a duplicate). Spells which duplicate multiple wounds as part of their effect (the blades from a blade barrier) are treated as inflicting one wound per die of damage and create that number of duplicates.

Petrification - The brick golem can shift its shape and permanently harden itself into that chosen form. Once this ability is used the golem can not shift back and becomes normal stone. Each individual brick golem can create a portion of a stone wall five foot square and one inch thick, or any other similar sized shape.
Multiple brick golems use this ability to create massive stoneworks, bridges, castles etc. They will also use this ability to surround and entomb opponents they can not defeat in battle in solid stone.
A passwall spell cast in an area created by hardened brick golems will free whatever golems are in the area of effect from their locked shape. Once freed the golems are stunned for 2d4 rounds before they are able to act normally.

 

[Devon]

I think the duplication power is pretty scary. I would probably want some more restrictions placed on it -- as it is, it seems very cartoonish, and doesn't really fit into a "brick" idiom.

The petrification ability is pretty creative, however, and I especially like the fact that it can be reversed, freeing the golems for later use. That ability is a keeper. You could also include the hardness and hp for the golem based on its most common material basis, so you don't have to thumb through the sourcebooks for those rules. That said, I would call it something else. Anything else. Petrification is a loaded word. "Construction" comes to mind, as does "Limnomorphosis" or "Brickbuilding."

They will also use this ability to surround and entomb opponents they can not defeat in battle in solid stone.

Just a grammar suggestion:

"They will also use this ability to surround and entomb in solid stone those opponents they cannot defeat in battle."

All in all, a creative idea for a golem that isn't necessarily a combat monster, but is still utilitarian.

- Devon

 

[Cheiromancer]

The DR is described in an ambiguous manner.

Is it

a) 5/bludgeoning

b) 5/+1 and 5/- versus bludgeoning weapons?

If a, then only piercing and slashing weapons need to be +1 to ignore the DR. If b, then only piercing and slashing weapons can ever ignore the DR, and then only if they have at least a +1 enhancement.

I'd limit the golem's duplication ability. Maybe something like the following:

duplication (ex): Any attack which does not destroy a brick golem, but which does at least 5 points of damage, causes a new brick golem to be created. The new brick golem has as many hit points as its injured parent's current total, or as many as the attack that created it, whichever is less.

So, in other words a brick golem has to be destroyed all at once, or brick by brick. Anything in between simply divides the bricks into two piles, each of which forms a new brick golem. The new golems probably have gaps and holes (representing the hit point decrease) but have the same attack bonuses, size, damage, etc. as a regular brick golem.

 

[boothbey]

Thanks for the grammar suggestion Devon.

I like the limit you came up with for the duplication, Cheiromancer. Five points seems a good number for minimum damage and the taking on of the parent's current hit point total makes more sense.

As far as the damage resistance...meant that only slashing and piercing weapons have to be +1 to defeat the damage resistance. Bludgeoning weapons work fine.