Construct Creation?

[der_kluge]

I'm curious.

Have you or someone you know ever created a construct in a game?

Constructs include all the golems (which is specifically what I am interested in), but constructs also include homonculi as well, so that would be applicable to this question.

If so, I'm curious as to how the process was handled in your game, and whether the person in question was pleased with the result, or whether the thing was simply destroyed in the next melee.

Alternatively, was it attempted, but failed, or did the person in question decide against doing it for some reason?

I guess, in general, what I'm really asking for is - what is your experience with the golem creation process?

 

[der_kluge]

As for me, in our first campaign, I finally got the GM to allow me to create a homonculous. At least, I think I did. I can't actually remember. I had a gnome cleric/illusionist, and he had all the spells necessary except arcane eye. And, IIRC, he finally caved in a gave me a scroll for that.

Of course, a humonculous is just a more fancy version of a toad familiar (which I had). Neither of them really do anything, but it was cool to have, nonetheless. I even had the sculptor model the face after the paladin in our party, just to annoy him, because he saw it as unnatural and evil.

 

[Crothian]

It was back in the early days of 3.0 when we did it, but it was a lot of fun and worked out great. Te party ended up creating a few golems of different types to help with some particuliarly nasty encounters inlcluding a high level Lich.

 

[der_kluge]

It was back in the early days of 3.0 when we did it, but it was a lot of fun and worked out great. Te party ended up creating a few golems of different types to help with some particuliarly nasty encounters inlcluding a high level Lich.

So, my questions would be :
- what kind of golems did you create?
- how many were created?
- was the investment worth it? I.e., the same amount of money, magic items could be made, so did the players feel like it was a valuable tradeoff?
- Did they last, or were they all slain by the lich's evil minions?
- What kind of creation rules did the GM come up with? Were special laboratories created?

 

[Crothian]

So, my questions would be :
- what kind of golems did you create?

All four of the types in the monster manual. They thought a mixture of different types would confuse the enemy since their weaknesses vary.

- how many were created?

Just a couple of each, so 8 total.

- was the investment worth it? I.e., the same amount of money, magic items could be made, so did the players feel like it was a valuable tradeoff?

They thought so. It wasn't like they could have just bought or made any magicaitem though. One of them took the create golem feat, and he might have had one or two other create feats. I think they liked the idea of creating the golems over just making more magical items. Magical items get boring.

- Did they last, or were they all slain by the lich's evil minions?

An Iron and both Clay golems survived. The plan worked well, the Lich was unprepared for the magic immunities of the golems. The Lich's minions try to rush the the golems to take them out fast, but the PC spellcasters just dropped area effect spells on them knowing the golems would be immune.

- What kind of creation rules did the GM come up with? Were special laboratories created?

They did have a Wizards workshop, actually one the Lich used to use. I think we just used the rules from the MM.

 

[Furtive Noise]

No I haven't, but the wizard in the group I dm is getting to the point where he is considering it. I think its a cool idea, it certainly takes a lot of resources to do it, and am also curious to hear from those who have done so. My group could've made a flesh golem awhile back for real cheap w/ an item they found, but felt it was too evil-esque stiching dead bodies together. So had anyone made any iron or shield golems and the like? Felt it was too weak for the cost, too powerful, just right? The rules for making them are right in the monster manual. In 3.0 you need craft wondrous item and craft arms & armor, however in 3.5 you need craft construct on top of these 2 feats. I'm not sure if I'll make the wizard have to get that one, but could go either way on the issue- any thoughts?

 

[der_kluge]

Several people are answering yes, and then not elaborating! Let us know what you created, and how it worked out.

 

[arwink]

Yep. A wizard in my first 3e campaign made a shield guardian.

Unforutnately, at the time when it was created, the campaign had already moved past the point where it was useful as a bodyguard. It lasted half a session before it was caught in a meteor swarm, and then it was gone.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

A player in my d20 modern game is currently trying to get the group's occultist to help him make a brain robot. When they're done, it'll be a vampire brain in a jar with treads and a cutting laser attached, as well as compartments for holding things and various sensors and whatnot. To give it actual life, they plan to kill a puppy and (this is where the occultist comes in) give its soul to the creation. They will both have to pay 1 wealth, spend an action point, and 50 XP as well as making a few skill checks (which they'll easily succeed at).

The techie who orchestrated the idea is really keen on it, and I think he wants it for flavor more than anything else.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I answered no.

Now, the priest was talking about creating a golem to watch his bedchamber, and later on, he was fixing his ancestral colossus-mech...but he grumbled about the XP so much that he wasn't going to do it again if he could help it. After all, he had a Ring of Nine Lives to recharge.

Brad