Custom Half-Golem Template - a question of LA.

[Brasswatchman]

I'd say with the changes you've made that it looks pretty good. Definately a step up from the MM2 one.

Thanks!

For curse wound, as written the curse looks like it is an automatic thing as long as it hits the opponent, no save allowed. Also it says that it is an extrodinary ability so it will still effect people within an anit magic area. All the other golem types have supernatural abilities though and can either be negated or reduced. It would seem that the curse is a perfect ability for NPCs while the others seem to be in favor of PCs. Also the curse wound ability says that the curse effect only applies to that single wound which would mean only a portion of a given characters HP can't be healed, I would figure that this could increase book keeping somewhat which in turn can slow down the game.

Understood and fixed. As suggested by Kerrick, I've modified the ability so it basically works like a poison, with the target having to make a Fort save based on a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 half-golem's HD + half-golem's Con.

Thank you very much for your input. Appreciate it.

 

[Brasswatchman]

Composite Materials: Very interesting, and it makes sense - if I've got one or more oversized limbs, wearing armor would be really difficult. Robes, however, would be less so, since they're generally made to accommodate larger body mass. I'm not sure about being able to enchant the golem parts like armor - that's what the natural armor bonus is for, and they get light fort on top of it. Yoinkworthy

Light Fortifcation: Definitely. I'm borrowing this one too.

Wish that I could take credit, but to be honest, I myself yoinked those elements from the warforged race detailed in MM3. That's also where the living construct stuff comes from; it's a new type they came up with for Eberron. I figured that the type fit a half-golem a lot better than a straight construct or humanoid would.

Berserk: I think only clay and flesh half-golems should have this (the prohibitive costs of stone and iron limbs balances this out). I'd rewrite it so... Simple, elegant, and it gives a (small) chance for a living being to keep itself under control. I don't totally agree with the barbarian rage stacking with this one - that's a huge jump - so I ditched it.

Ah, see, but why would a player want to end it? That was what I was struggling with when I started this rewrite. Generally, players look at the rage ability as a plus, thanks to the barbarian. Why would they want to end something that's giving them extra Strength and Con? So I tried to make it a flaw by making the half-golem's actions random while under the influence of the ability. It didn't really work out. So I switched to the current ability, which gives them the equivalent of a barbarian rage once per day. The stacking thing is something I kept over from MM2. I kept it in as an extra perk.

I'll admit that giving Berserk to all half-golems was a result of a personal preference of mine. Whenever I think of golems, I think of the original myth - a thing created by a holy man for protection goes insane and out of control. WOTC tends to use golems as the fantasy equivalent of robots, but I think that element of violent madness from the story makes them a lot more interesting.

Also, I might explain the Berserk quality as being a result of combining living tissue with golem parts; you never know what's gonig to happen...

Giving flesh half-golems a breath weapon is a bit much. They're the weakest of the four, and the flesh golem doesn't get this, so it makes little sense.

I had to give flesh half-golems something, or they'd have a different CR and LA from all the others. Which might be what you're looking for; me, I'm too lazy. To make this template, I essentially combined a warforged with the half-dragon template, with a bit of a half-fiend mixed in (both of which seem pretty standard as templates go). That's where I got some of the attacks from that didn't fit the original; I made the iron half-golem's breath attack acid simply because that's what the half-dragon gets, and I get the feeling that a lot of work went into figuring out those special attacks.

In any case - thank you very much for your time, Kerrick. You've been a big help. If that's all, everyone, I'm going to call this template a wrap. Thanks again, everyone who commented.

 

[Kerrick]

Ah, see, but why would a player want to end it?

You can't - the Will save is to avoid going into an uncontrollable rage. The problem is, there's no downside to it. Having it result from taking damage is closer to the golem; maybe being exhausted after the rage wears off? It doesn't sound quite right to me, since it's a partial construct, but it's the best idea I've got.

Whenever I think of golems, I think of the original myth - a thing created by a holy man for protection goes insane and out of control. WOTC tends to use golems as the fantasy equivalent of robots, but I think that element of violent madness from the story makes them a lot more interesting.

I think flesh and clay are the only ones with the chance to go berserk because they're lesser golems - the greater ones have more magic infused into them, or something, and thus the creator can't lose control.

I had to give flesh half-golems something, or they'd have a different CR and LA from all the others. Which might be what you're looking for; me, I'm too lazy.

It's your template; I'm just offering suggestions.

That's where I got some of the attacks from that didn't fit the original; I made the iron half-golem's breath attack acid simply because that's what the half-dragon gets, and I get the feeling that a lot of work went into figuring out those special attacks.

Half-dragon's breath weapons are based on the parent's color.

In any case - thank you very much for your time, Kerrick. You've been a big help.

Anytime.

 

[Mistah J]

Doesn't it make sense that a creature can take this template more than once? Each time, replacing a new limb with an artifical one and gaining more "golem-like" features and abilities while loosing more of themselves? So that, if a creature took it too many times (say, 5 or 6) they eventually just become a Golem as described by the Monster Manual?

Granted, it would be a bit of work, taking each golem and trying to figure out a progression for its template. But you could include things like more Str but less Int and Cha, eventually, the light fortification becomes moderate, more uses of their special abilites and whatnot.

Just some way late thoughts