Constructs With Special Materials

[Infinite_Kydeem]

What effect {if any} would you give for a Psi-Crystal made from Deep Crystal?

What about a Nimblewright made with Mithral, Adamantine, Cold Iron, or Alchemical Silver?

What if you made different parts out of different materials?

Maybe a Bogun made with Darkwood or Dragonhide?

Hmmm... for that matter, couldn't you use Crystal or even Deep Crystal to make a Shield Guardian? {You can make armor and weapons out of crystal and a shield guardian is just an animated suit of armor, shield, and melee weapon.} What would that do?

 

[TheGogmagog]

Your only limitation is your DM's willingness to calculate costs and mechanic benefits.

I've always thought a 'Fine' iron golem would be cool for keeping watch at night with darkvision and no need for sleep. Or larger sizes designed to be a pack animal of sorts. The probelm for me is it's not published so It's a lot of work to caclulate costs that are balanced. It would be a good idea for a third party book, 101 golems, but still wouldn't make it into any games I play in, maybe one I ran.

 

[mvincent]

Some of this these things could possibly be simulated by giving the construct armor or weapons. There is little difference between a construct wearing a mithral chain shirt and one with the mithral coating his skin.

Similarly, a construct could be given adamantine, cold iron or silver gauntlets which would allow it's attacks to bypass DR, so it would be a small matter if the gauntlets were built in.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

TheGogmagog.. you are soo close!

Check out Golemcraft 101

I am hoping to see a Golemcraft 102 that covers flesh golums and alternate material.. but its a great start!

 

[FoxWander]

I've always thought a 'Fine' iron golem would be cool for keeping watch at night with darkvision and no need for sleep.

This brings up a question I've had- what good are golem (or undead) guards when they have no Spot/Listens skills? And they don't have a Wisdom modifier either, so wouldn't they make really bad guards?

Is there a way to build a golem WITH spot and listen skills so you could pull a 'fine' size golem (or animated imp skeleton) out of your pack for night-watch duty?

 

[Infinite_Kydeem]

I guess I should say where this is coming from.

I have been considering playing an awakened construct. Then I started wondering what if I didn't make it out of steel. If mithral would it have a higher dex and/or move speed? If adamantine higher natural armor, hit die, and/or better damage reduction?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Since I am at home now I can check my pdf.. and yes, GolemCraft 101 covers alternate materials to a degree.

Clay, Wood, Stone, Cloth, Steel, Iron, Silk, Gold, and Mithral are in the base material section.

An awakened Golem will probably come with a decent LA. You other option is to use the Warforged out of Eberron..which have relatively nicely balances options for Mitril or Adamantine construction.

 

[TheGogmagog]

This brings up a question I've had- what good are golem (or undead) guards when they have no Spot/Listens skills? And they don't have a Wisdom modifier either, so wouldn't they make really bad guards?

Is there a way to build a golem WITH spot and listen skills so you could pull a 'fine' size golem (or animated imp skeleton) out of your pack for night-watch duty?

I guess I hadn't given it much thought / didn't notice that. At least they wouldn't be any worse off than the Figher/Barb/Sor/Wiz.

You might be able to build in item bonuses like +5 or +10 to spot. Or the alarm spell (I guess the arlarm spell would make the golem itself a mute point). At this point there are probably less costly options, like a pack of guard dogs.

 

[FoxWander]

I guess I hadn't given it much thought / didn't notice that. At least they wouldn't be any worse off than the Figher/Barb/Sor/Wiz.

You might be able to build in item bonuses like +5 or +10 to spot. Or the alarm spell (I guess the arlarm spell would make the golem itself a mute point). At this point there are probably less costly options, like a pack of guard dogs.

Guard dogs would be cheaper, certainly, but they can also be put to sleep (with spell or poison), Disintegrated from 200+ feet away, killed in one shot by a decent rogue, etc., etc..

If you could find some way to build a specialized "watchman" golem, you'd have an untiring, nigh invulnerable, ever-vigilant sentinel. And if it's size: tiny, you can fit it in your backpack!

To Primitive Screwhead- Does Golemcraft 101 cover adding skills to golems or giving them abilities to specialize them to one job or another?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Golemcraft does cover special additions, such as alternate body parts and a limited range of Feats that can be crafted in.

The piece it missed is Homunculi, those little special purpose built critters with skills.. I adapted a HR that basically uses the 'awaken construct' spell to give the critter 2D6 INT and then give it a level in Expert or Warrior.