Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[freyar]

That all looks good! Update away...

I feel like an ankheg is an odd but appropriate comparison for CR. The chocolate golem is probably not quite as good offensively and has much lower AC but has more hp to make up for it. Stick with the same CR 3?

 

[Cleon]

That all looks good! Update away...

I feel like an ankheg is an odd but appropriate comparison for CR. The chocolate golem is probably not quite as good offensively and has much lower AC but has more hp to make up for it. Stick with the same CR 3?

Yes, if it did decent damage or wasn't so slow & low-AC I'd probably go for CR 4 but CR 3 seems in the right ballpark.

That also has the advantage that the Variant Filling versions would be CR 4 when they'd be CR 5 if the base golem was 4, which doesn't seem right.

Updating the Chocolate Golem Working Draft.

Advancement 7-9 HD; 10-12 HD?

 

[freyar]

That advancement will do nicely.

Tactics: Chocolate golems can follow only rudimentary instructions, attacking according to their creator's commands. Usually, they are ordered to spew their filling on heavily armored combatants in an attempt to blind those opponents and take them out of a fight.

How's that?

 

[Cleon]

That advancement will do nicely.

Tactics: Chocolate golems can follow only rudimentary instructions, attacking according to their creator's commands. Usually, they are ordered to spew their filling on heavily armored combatants in an attempt to blind those opponents and take them out of a fight.

How's that?

No no no, you always go for the spellcasters first!

How about:

Chocolate golems can follow only rudimentary instructions, attacking according to their creator's commands. They are usually ordered to spew their filling at obvious spellcasters first in an attempt to blind them, thereby thwarting spells that rely on line of sight. They will normally be ordered to spew filling at other combatants too, with slow melee opponents typically having lower priority than fast ranged ones.

 

[freyar]

No one said these things have smart orders --- I mean, who would build a combat weapon from chocolate?

Very good, though!

Background: Chocolate golems are often created as guardians for young children... ?? Not sure there's much else to say here.

 

[Cleon]

No one said these things have smart orders --- I mean, who would build a combat weapon from chocolate?

There's a reason they were in a "Worstiary" rather than a "Bestiary" you know.

Very good, though!

Updating the Chocolate Golem Working Draft.

Background: Chocolate golems are often created as guardians for young children... ?? Not sure there's much else to say here.

We ought to be able to do something with the original's "[FONT=&quot]typically serves similar purposes as other golems – as sentry or guard. They are sometimes used as security for large parties thrown by kings and other royalty. They appear to be nothing more than edible room decorations but can be ordered to attack. Thus, the golems offer a more innocuous presence than armed guards[/FONT]."

Regarding children, we have "[FONT=&quot]The lesser chocolate golems (1 HD), often called “party golems,” are typically commissioned at great expense for children’s parties by royalty.[/FONT]" That's a matter for the Lesser Chocolate Golem entry though.

 

[freyar]

Hmmmm.

Background: Chocolate golems are a specialized form of guard employed mostly by the very wealthy. They often provide security at social gatherings, appearing merely to be extravagant desserts. In some cases, they are even ordered to allow guests to slice off small bites of chocolate.

 

[Cleon]

Hmmmm.

Background: Chocolate golems are a specialized form of guard employed mostly by the very wealthy. They often provide security at social gatherings, appearing merely to be extravagant desserts. In some cases, they are even ordered to allow guests to slice off small bites of chocolate.

These constructs are simply what their name indicates – golems made out of edible chocolate. They are sometimes used as guard for parties thrown by the extravagantly wealthy, but are more novelty than a practical form of security. A chocolate golem "security guard" may even be ordered to allow guests to break off and eat portions of its body.

An average chocolate golem is 7 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds.

I guess that just leaves the construction entry. The original has:

Like all golems, the chocolate golem is a manufactured creature and has no place in nature. They are created only through magical means.

A wizard of at least 14th level must cast fabricate, geas, and limited wish following the construction of the chocolate figure and extensive preparatory rituals.

A priest of at least 11th level can create a chocolate golem through extensive ritual, preparation of the chocolate figure, and use of the following spells: purify food & drink, prayer, commune, and animate object.

*SNIP*

Anyone wishing to purchase a chocolate golem can expect to pay a minimum of 700 gp for a hollow golem, 1,000 gp for a solid golem, and 1,200 gp for a filled golem. The wizard’s labor costs and additional 2,000–3,000 gp.

The price of 2,700 to 4,200 gp seems in the right ballpark, but the caster level requirements of 14th level wizard plus 11th level cleric and spell prereqs look way too high for such a feeble creature.

 

[freyar]

That background sounds good to me.

The spells are a bit tricky, since there aren't really great lower-level equivalents for some of them, either. We could do something like lesser geas or prayer, bull's strength, and greater magic weapon perhaps, CL 7. How's that sound?

 

[Cleon]

That background sounds good to me.

Updating the Chocolate Golem Working Draft.

Hold on a mo, we forgot the description!

Let's see:

A figure larger and far bulkier than a human. It appears to have been molded out of a smooth glossy brown material, and its features are outlined with what looks very much like sugar frosting.

The spells are a bit tricky, since there aren't really great lower-level equivalents for some of them, either. We could do something like lesser geas or prayer, bull's strength, and greater magic weapon perhaps, CL 7. How's that sound?

Well fabricate is an SRD spell so I suppose we could include that, although at 5th level it's too high-level for a 7th level caster.

Since a 7th-level wizard can cast 4 level-spells, I guess we should use some of those.

How about bull's strength, lesser geas and minor creation and prayer?

Something like this:

Construction
To create a chocolate golem 500 pounds of the finest chocolate must be melted, mixed with special spices and flavorings, and then cast into a mold carved into the shape of the golem's body. The materials cost 600 gold pieces. The mold is broken to remove the golem so cannot be reused. Creating the body requires a DC 13 Craft (sculpting) or Craft (cooking) check.

The materials cost includes 12 shots of sticky filling for the chocolate golem's Spew Filling attack. A chocolate golem can be created with fewer shots to reduce the initial expense. The sticky filling costs 20 gold pieces per shot, so creating an unloaded chocolate golem would save 240 gp from the materials cost.

Variant chocolate golems require expensive filling ingredients and special coatings on their hollow interior. These increase the materials cost to 1,100 gold pieces. Their variant filling costs 50 gold pieces per shot, or 600 gp for a full reload.

CL 7th; Craft Construct, bull's strength, lesser geas, minor creation, prayer, caster must be at least 7th level; Price 3,600 gp (3,360 gp unloaded); Cost 2,100 gp (1,860 gp unloaded) + 120 XP.

Variant Chocolate Golems: Price 5,100 gp (4,500 unloaded); Cost 3,100 (2,500 unloaded) + 160 XP.