Garnfellow's World [Updated 12.26.05]

[Garnfellow]

Laconic Centurion 2.0

After some experimenting, I decided I wanted to make Hecatesseus’s Laconic Centurion a little tougher. A lesson learned here might be that Monte Cook’s Construct Creature template really shouldn’t be used on a creature with class levels -- without Intelligence you lose all the feats, skills, and abilities that make class levels dangerous.

So using the first attempt as inspiration, I took a second crack at designing a construct warrior from the ground up, adding HD, the Wounding special attack, and the Fast Healing and Hardness special qualities.

Which makes me wonder, shouldn’t all constructs have Hardness instead of Damage Reduction, like animated objects or caryatid columns?

=====

Laconic Centurion of Hecatesseus: CR 10; Medium Construct; HD 15d10+20; hp 102; Init -1; Spd 20 ft; AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23; BAB +10; Grp +16; Atk +18 melee (1d8+7/19–20 plus wounding, longsword); Full Atk +18/+13 melee (1d8+7/19–20 plus wounding, longsword); SA breath weapon, wounding; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, fast healing 10, hardness 5, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4; Str 24, Dex 8, Con –, Int –, Wis 8, Cha 2.

Breath Weapon (Su): Sleep gas cone, 60 feet, every 1d4 rounds (but no more than five times per day); DC 21 Fortitude save or fall asleep for 1d10 minutes. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.

Wounding (Su): Any living creature damaged by the Centurion’s longsword continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing magic. The wounding is a supernatural ability of the Centurion, not of the weapon.

Construct Traits: The Centurion is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). The Centurion is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Not at risk of death from massive damage, and is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. Since it was never alive, the Centurion cannot be raised or resurrected.

Hardness (Ex): Whenever the Centurion takes damage, subtract 5 from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the Centurion's hit points. Acid, force, and sonic attacks ignore hardness.

Physical Description: A Laconic Centurion appears to be a stylized metal sculpture of an ancient warrior. The figure and its equipment are all made of bronze. The Centurion is depicted as wearing an antique cuirass, leg armor, and a plumed helmet that covers its entire face. A Centurion carries a large, rectangular shield and a heavy sword.

 

[Garnfellow]

The Refulgent Scourge of Hecatesseus

I was a big fan of the 3e Fiend Folio, if only for introducing the extremely useful Swarm subtype. It’s the sort of new mechanic so clever you wonder why it was never thought of before. And in the Tome of Horrors II, EnWorld’s own Boz introduces his warden jacks, which are a swarm of little constructs.

I really liked the concept of a construct swarm, so I developed the following little critter. The Reflexive Spell Resistance and Penetration abilities were stolen from other monsters in the Fiend Folio.

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The Refulgent Scourge of Hecatesseus: CR 12; Tiny Construct (Swarm); HD 30d10; hp 165; Init +2; Spd 5 ft, fly 30 ft (poor); AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 17; BAB +20; Grp —; Atk/Full Atk swarm (5d6 and 1d4 Int, swarm); Space/Reach 10 ft/0 ft; SA distraction, Intelligence damage, penetration; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, half damage from slashing and piercing, reflective spell resistance 23, swarm traits; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5; Str 8, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to the Scourge’s damage that begins its turn with the Scourge in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a DC 25 Fortitude save negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check.

Intelligence Damage (Su): The swirling, bedazzling mass of the Scourge’s swarm attack deals 1d4 points of Intelligence damage to a living foe. A creature reduced to Intelligence 0 by the swarm cannot think and is helpless, unconscious in a coma-like stupor. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Penetration (Su): The swarm attack of the Scourge penetrates damage reduction as if it were an adamantine weapon.

Construct Traits: The Scourge is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). The Scourge is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Not at risk of death from massive damage, and is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. Since it was never alive, the Scourge cannot be raised or resurrected.

Reflective Spell Resistance (Sp): The Scourge has a special type of spell resistance that causes any targeted spell it successfully resists to bounce off and reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s effect, as appropriate.

Swarm Traits: The Scourge has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. Reducing the Scourge to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. The Scourge is never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, the Scourge cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and it cannot grapple an opponent.

The Scourge is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate). The Scourge takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.

Physical Appearance: A swarm of bejeweled, copper dragonflies, with foot-and-a-half wingspans.

 

[Garnfellow]

Laconic Centurion, Mark III

Owie.

So my PCs ran into 4 updated Centurions last weekend. The combat went something like this: round 1, players win initiative, start to spell up and move into position. Then one of the Centurions breathes sleepy gas and half the party fails their saves, including all the guys who could possibly dispel the effect. Round 2 through 232 (or so, I lost count at some point in the second hour): while players with snoozing characters nap, gossip, and drink beer, the awake PCs attack the Centurions, do some damage, fall back, then the Centurions attack, heal their wounds, press forward. Not only was the encounter much, much tougher than I had anticipated, but far worse, it was pretty boring.

A few lessons to be learned here. Now, having half the party fail their saves was considerably a bit worse luck than could have reasonably been anticipated. And having an incapacitated character for most of an important combat is a pretty frustrating and boring experience, but these things happen.

But the fundamental design of these constructs was flawed in a couple of ways.

First, when I did a playtest to check the Challenge Rating, I ran a series of encounters with one Centurion against a standard group of four adventurers. CR 10 seemed to work out just fine. Now, normally 4 CR 10 creatures equals an EL 14 encounter, which was my target. However, the Centurions have two abilities that act as force-multipliers: fast healing effectively gives them a lot more hit points, and wounding allows them to do a lot more damage. When you combine monsters with these two force-multiplying abilities, you get a lot more challenge per monster than would be expected. A whole lot more. In addition, each one of these things has a sleep gas breath weapon, which could take out a character in one round. If I had had one of these Centurions breath each round, I could have easily had a TPK on my hands. As it was, one use of that ability was plenty.

Second, the specific combination of fast healing + hardness = a very hard to kill monster. Multiply this by four, and subtract half the party, and you get a lethal encounter. One could reduce the fast healing rate, but really you’re better off choosing one memorable concept and running with that, rather than have two ho-hum abilities.

So, with all this in mind I’ve gone back to the drawing board again. The concept behind this monster is a tough soldier robot that is encountered in numbers. So I’ve reduced the HD, dropped hardness, and added fire and cold resistance. I’ve also reduced the DC of the sleep gas.

=====

Laconic Centurion of Hecatesseus: CR 9; Medium Construct; HD 12d10+20; hp 86; Init -1; Spd 20 ft; AC 23, touch 9, flat-footed 23; BAB +9; Grp +16; Atk +17 melee (1d8+7/19–20 plus wounding, masterwork longsword); Full Atk +17/+12 melee (1d8+7/19–20 plus wounding, masterwork longsword); SA breath weapon, wounding; SQ cold resistance 10, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, fast healing 10, fire resistance 10, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 24, Dex 8, Con –, Int –, Wis 8, Cha 2.

Breath Weapon (Su): Sleep gas cone, 60 feet, every 1d4 rounds (but no more than five times per day); DC 16 Fortitude save or fall asleep for 1d10 minutes.

Wounding (Su): Any living creature damaged by the Centurion’s longsword continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks result in cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing magic. The wounding is a supernatural ability of the Centurion, not of the weapon.

Construct Traits: The Centurion is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). The Centurion is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Not at risk of death from massive damage, and is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. Since it was never alive, the Centurion cannot be raised or resurrected.

Physical Description: A Laconic Centurion appears to be a stylized metal sculpture of an ancient warrior. The figure and its equipment are all made of bronze. The Centurion is depicted as wearing an antique cuirass, leg armor, and a plumed helmet that covers its entire face. A Centurion carries a large, rectangular shield and a heavy sword.

 

[Garnfellow]

Some Unique Animated Objects

So my PCs made a very unsuccessful foray into the mountain fastness of Hecatesseus. They had hoped to take the wizard by surprise, and were pretty discouraged to have utterly lost that advantage. However, their boldness rattled their enemy so much that he has abandoned his laboratory, taking what equipment he could, and leaving behind his simulacrum to give the intruders a nasty welcome.

Hectasseus has laid a powerful incantation onto his workshop that will animate several large features once the PCs enter. I had looked at using animated objects right out of the Monster Manual, but their Challenge Ratings were much too low for my purposes (I’m shooting for an EL 15 encounter, and really didn’t want to use six Colossal animated objects.)

So I designed some unique animated objects from scratch, with some inspiration from my fellow EnWorlders. My conclusion? There’s something really wacky with the CRs of MM animated objects. Now granted, unintelligent constructs don’t give one much monster bang for the buck. But what with hardness, these things can absorb a lot of freaking damage before they go boom. So while these things lumber after the PCs, the simulacrum will be blasting them with spells. I could see some deaths here...

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Great Crucible: unique animated object; CR 8; Large Construct; HD 14d10+30; hp 107; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21; BAB +10; Grp +17; Atk/Full Atk +12 melee (1d8+4 and 1d6 fire, slam); Space/Reach 10 ft/10 ft; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 10, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will -1; Str 16, Dex 10, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Physical Description: A heavy, iron crucible almost 8 feet across, still burning from the fire, rolling along the floor.

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Heavy Oaken Cabinet: unique animated object; CR 8; Large Construct; HD 14d10+30; hp 107; Init +0; Spd 20 ft; AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21; BAB +10; Grp +17; Atk +12 melee (1d8+3, slam); Full Atk +12 melee (1d8+3, 2 slams); Space/Reach 10 ft/10 ft; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 5, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will -1; Str 16, Dex 10, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Physical Description: A tall, wide work-cabinet, its drawers filled with metalworking tools.

=====

Marble Table: unique animated object; CR 8; Large Construct; HD 14d10+30; hp 107; Init +0; Spd 40 ft; AC 21, touch -1, flat-footed 21; BAB +10; Grp +17; Atk +12 melee (1d8+3, slam); Full Atk +12 melee (1d8+3, 2 slams); Space/Reach 10 ft/10 ft; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 8, improved speed, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will -1; Str 16, Dex 10, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Physical Description: A heavy, marble-topped table with thick oak legs.

=====

Large Chain: unique animated object; CR 8; Large Construct; HD 14d10+30; hp 107; Init +0; Spd 20 ft, climb 10 ft; AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 21; BAB +10; Grp +17; Atk/Full Atk +12 melee (1d8+4, slam); Space/Reach 10 ft/10 ft; SA constrict; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 10, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will -1; Str 16, Dex 10, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Constrict (Ex): With a successful grapple check the chain does 1d8+4 damage against a creature up to Huge size.

Physical Description: A heavy iron chain, over 20 feet long.

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Furnace: unique animated object; CR 12; Huge Construct; HD 17d10+40; hp 133; Init -1; Spd 20 ft; AC 22, touch 7, flat-footed 22; BAB +12; Grp +25; Atk/Full Atk +15 melee (2d6+7 and 1d8 fire, slam); Space/Reach 15 ft/10 ft; SA breath weapon; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 8, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 20, Dex 8, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Breath Weapon (Su): 50-ft cone of superheated air, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 8d6 fire, Reflex DC 18 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Physical Description: A monstrous brick furnace, with great iron doors and a roaring fire burning in its belly.

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Stone Derrick: unique animated object; CR 12; Huge Construct; HD 17d10+40; hp 133; Init -1; Spd 60 ft; AC 22, touch 7, flat-footed 22; BAB +12; Grp +25; Atk +15 melee (2d6+5, slam); Full Atk +15 melee (2d6+5, 2 slams); Space/Reach 15 ft/10 ft; SA trample; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, hardness 10, improved speed, low-light vision; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 20, Dex 8, Con –, Int –, Wis 1, Cha 1.

Trample (Ex): The Derrick can trample Medium or smaller creatures, dealing 2d6+7 damage. Opponents who do not make attacks of opportunity against the Derrick can attempt DC 23 Reflex saves to halve the damage.

Physical Description: A towering square derrick on stone rollers, supporting a stone crane designed like a muscular arm.

 

[Garnfellow]

The Simulacrum

The Simulacrum of Hecatesseus: male Wiz8; CR 8; HD 8d4+8; hp 30; Init +5; Spd 30 ft; AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10; BAB +4; Grp +4; Atk/Full Atk +5 (1d6, quarterstaff); SA spells; SQ simulacrum traits; AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 6.

Skills: Bluff +3, Concentration +11, Craft (alchemy) +7, Craft (bronzeworking) +7, Decipher Script +7, Disguise +2 (+4 when being observed), Escape Artist +3, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +7, Listen +0, Spellcraft +13, Spot +0.

Feats: Craft Wondrous Item, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Spell Focus (evocation).

Simulacrum Traits: A simulacrum has no ability to become more powerful. It cannot increase its level or abilities. If reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise destroyed, it reverts to snow and melts instantly into nothingness.

Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/4/4/2): 0—detect magic, flare (DC 14), mage hand, prestidigitation; 1—burning hands (DC 15), ray of enfeeblement (+4 ranged touch), sleep (DC 14); 2—arcane lock, darkness, invisibility, web (DC 15); 3—lightning bolt (DC 17), slow (DC 16); 4—shout (DC 18).

Possessions: wand of magic missile (5th), scroll of dimension door.

Tactics: Prior to combat, the simulacrum will have already cast the following spells: stoneskin, protection from good, shield, cat’s grace, and blink. With these spells in effect, the simulacrum gains the following adjustments: (Init +7; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 AC against good creatures); SQ damage reduction 10/adamantine, +2 bonus on saves against good creatures; Reflex save +5.)

The blinking effect lasts for 8 rounds, during which physical attacks and spells targeted against the simulacrum have a 50% chance of failure. (20% if the attack is capable of striking ethereal creatures, or if the attacker can see invisible creatures.) Area attacks only do half damage (those that extend onto the Ethereal Plane do full damage).

The simulacrum’s own spells and attack have a 20% chance of failure. It strikes as an invisible creature (with a +2 bonus on attack rolls), denying its target any Dexterity bonus to AC.

Once the characters enter the room the animated objects spring to life and march forward to attack. The simulacrum takes the following actions:

• Round 1: Move to the doorway of the living chamber and cast slow (DC 16 Will save) on the strongest-looking fighter, affecting up to 7 other targets with 30 ft of each other. A slowed creature can take only a single move action or standard action each turn, but not both (nor may it take full-round actions). Additionally, it takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. A slowed creature moves at half its normal speed (round down to the next 5-foot increment), which affects the creature’s jumping distance as normal for decreased speed.
  
• Round 2: Cast lightning bolt (DC 17 Reflex save) against strongest-looking spell user, doing 8d6 electricity damage. The simulacrum draws its wand.
  
• Round 3: Use the wand to fire all 3 magic missiles (1d4+1 damage) at the weakest-looking character. The simulacrum continues to do this until its target dies or a better target presents itself.

If any opponent appears to break through the ranks of animated objects, the simulacrum will cast shout on the interloper (30 ft cone shaped burst, 5d6 sonic and deafened, DC 17 Fort save negates deafness.)

If the simulacrum takes any damage it will close the door and cast arcane lock. It will then attempt to use the scroll of dimension door to escape.

Physical Description: The simulacrum appears as Hecatesseus, a tall, bald man with a jet black beard and mustache. He has a sneering, homely face and dresses in purple and gold robes. A creature familiar with Hecatesseus might detect the ruse with a successful DC 22 Spot check or a DC 20 Sense Motive check.

 

[Garnfellow]

The Colossus Revived

Should Hecatesseus succeed in reviving the Colossus of the Limites, his product will be significantly weaker than the original, as his considerable skill and knowledge cannot hope to match the lost craft of the Tynan Adepts.

Silverthorne Games's excellent Book of Templates includes several interesting spells and other rules associated with constructs, not to mention the ablative template, which models either an imperfectly forged or resurrected construct.

====

The Colossus Revived: ablative bronze colossus; CR 20; Colossal Construct (Fire); HD 64d10+190; hp 446; Init +2; Spd 45 ft; AC 40, touch 0, flat-footed 40; BAB +48; Grp +87; Atk +37 melee (9d8+50/19–20 (+1d6 on critical hit) plus 3d8 heat, slam); Full Atk +37 melee (9d8+50/19–20 (+1d6 on critical hit) plus 3d8 heat, 2 slams); Space/Reach 30 ft/30 ft; SA berserk, heat; SQ ablative armor, antimagic field, construct traits, damage reduction 7/magic and adamantine, darkvision 60 ft, fiery blood, immunity to fire, immunity to magic, low-light vision, vulnerability to cold; AL N; SV Fort +21, Ref +23, Will +25; Str 57, Dex 6, Con —, Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 1.

Skills: Jump +56, Spot +34.

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Crush, Devastating Critical (slam), Epic Reflexes*, Epic Toughness*, Epic Will*, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam)*, Improved Initiative*, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Toughness*, Mighty Blow, Overwhelming Critical (slam)*, Power Attack*, Powerful Charge, Pushback, Snatch, Stand Still, Weapon Focus (slam)*. *Factored into statistics above.

Berserk (Ex): When the colossus enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its elemental spirit breaks free and the colossus goes berserk. The uncontrolled colossus goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction.

Heat (Su): Those hit by the colossus’s slam attack take 3d8 points of heat damage. Creatures hitting the colossus with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take heat damage as though hit by the colossus’s slam attack.

Ablative Armor (Ex): For each multiple of five that an attack roll exceeds the colossus's Armor Class, its natural armor class is reduced permanently by one. The colossus's natural armor bonus cannot be reduced below +1.

Antimagic Field (Ex): The colossus constantly generates an antimagic field in a 100-foot-radius. The field is an invisible barrier that is impervious to most magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Likewise, it prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells within its confines, except for the colossus’s own supernatural abilities. This effect is otherwise as an antimagic field cast by a 25th-level caster.

Fiery Blood (Su): Anyone scoring damage on the colossus with a piercing or slashing melee weapon must make a DC 42 Reflex save or take 4d6 points of damage and catch fire from the fiery “blood” spurting out of the wound. The save DC is Constitution-based. The flame burns for 3d6 rounds if not extinguished sooner. A burning creature can use a full-round action to put out the flame.

Magic Immunity (Ex): The colossus is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows. A polar ray spell slows it (as the slow spell) for 1 round, with no saving throw. A fire effect restores 1 hit point to the bronze colossus for each 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal.

Physical Description: A gigantic bronze figure, over 50 feet high, and fashioned as an ancient warrior in antique armor. The air around its metal form shimmers and blurs as if heated by an incredible fire.

 

[Olive]

Garnfellow,

not sure if you've been looking at the threads about the Black Company setting, but it looks to me as if there might be a lot in that book that is useful for you, including classes etc. It seems based around a 'high magic, but low item' concept, which I quite like the sound of, to the point where the iconic character they have for download on their website is epic levels with no magic items at all.

 

[Garnfellow]

Garnfellow,

not sure if you've been looking at the threads about the Black Company setting, but it looks to me as if there might be a lot in that book that is useful for you, including classes etc. It seems based around a 'high magic, but low item' concept, which I quite like the sound of, to the point where the iconic character they have for download on their website is epic levels with no magic items at all.

Great -- thanks for the heads up! I'd like to see how Green Ronin handles the magic issue.

I read the first Black Company book years and years ago. Liked it well enough, but a good friend (who was a superfan of the series) had told me the book got steadily worse and worse, so I never read any further. I've been thinking of getting the Green Ronin book for his January birthday, but maybe I'll take a long look myself before . . .

 

[Garnfellow]

Revised Mighty Servant

I tinkered with the feat selection on this advanced brass golem, based on some new insights from working on the colossus. One of the best innovations to the MMIII appears to be factoring Power Attack bonuses and penalties right into the stat line -- I always forget to use PA when running a big melee. The Powerful Charge feat is from the Miniatures Handbook.

=====

The Mighty Servant of Hecatesseus: advanced brass golem; CR 15; Huge Construct; HD 33d10+73; hp 254; Init +5; Spd 30 ft (can't run); AC 24, touch 9, flat-footed 23; BAB +24; Grp +44; Atk +25 melee (4d6+45 plus 1 Con/19–20 x3, +3 wounding greataxe) or +24 melee (2d6+38, butt); Full Atk +25/+20/+15/+10 melee (4d6+45 plus 1 Con/19–20 x3, +3 wounding greataxe) or +24 melee (2d6+38, butt); Space/Reach 15 ft/15 ft; SA maze; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/adamantine, magic immunity, scent; AL N; SV Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +15; Str 34, Dex 13, Con –, Int 3, Wis 18, Cha 7.

Skills: Survival +40 (+60 tracking a foe designated by its creator, in connection with any other goal set by its creator, or when tracking a foe through its own maze).

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (greataxe)*, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative*, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Toughness, Power Attack*, Powerful Charge, Track. * Factored into statistics above.

Maze (Sp): Once per day the Mighty Servant can target a maze effect (caster level 16th) against a single target. The Mighty Servant is immune to the effects of its own maze ability and that of others of its kind, and it can freely enter it own maze to track a target.

Magic Immunity (Ex): The Mighty Servant is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as follows. An electricity effect slows it (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. A fire effect breaks any slow effect on the Mighty Servant and cures 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. The Mighty Servant does not get a saving throw against fire effects.

Construct Traits: The Mighty Servant is immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. It cannot heal damage, but it is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. It is not at risk of death from massive damage but is destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. The Mighty Servant cannot be raised or resurrected.

Scent (Ex): The Mighty Servant can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.

Possessions: +3 wounding greataxe.

Physical Description: A gleaming bull-headed giant of brass, twenty-four feet tall.

 

[Garnfellow]

Mighty Servant, Mark II

After a brief playtest, it's clear that the Challenge Rating for the 33 HD advanced brass golem is a just wee bit... low. Holy TPK! Here's a retooled version that uses fighter levels instead of construct HD. I think this is a lot closer to my target CR of 15–16. (One primary advantage of having so much downtime between sessions is you have the leisure to really kick the tires on your fiendish creations.)

=====

The Mighty Servant of Hecatesseus: brass golem Ftr5; CR 16; Large Construct; HD 16d10+46 plus 5d10+5; hp 166; Init +6; Spd 30 ft (can't run); AC 33, touch 11, flat-footed 31; BAB +17; Grp +29; Atk +19 melee (3d6+31 plus 1 Con/19–20 x3, +3 wounding greataxe) or +16 melee (1d8+28, butt); Full Atk +19/+14/+9/+4 melee (3d6+31 plus 1 Con/19–20 x3, +3 wounding greataxe) or +16 melee (1d8+28, butt); Space/Reach 10 ft/10 ft; SA maze; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/adamantine, magic immunity, scent; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +8; Str 26, Dex 14, Con –, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 7.

Skills: Climb +11, Jump +10, Survival +21 (+41 tracking a foe designated by its creator, in connection with any other goal set by its creator, or when tracking a foe through its own maze).

Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (greataxe)*, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative*, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Toughness, Power Attack*, Track. * Factored into statistics above.

Maze (Sp): Once per day the Mighty Servant can target a maze effect (caster level 16th) against a single target. The Mighty Servant is immune to the effects of its own maze ability and that of others of its kind, and it can freely enter it own maze to track a target.

Magic Immunity (Ex): The Mighty Servant is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as follows. An electricity effect slows it (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw. A fire effect breaks any slow effect on the Mighty Servant and cures 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. The Mighty Servant does not get a saving throw against fire effects.

Construct Traits: The Mighty Servant is immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. It cannot heal damage, but it is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. It is not at risk of death from massive damage but is destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less. The Mighty Servant cannot be raised or resurrected.

Scent (Ex): The Mighty Servant can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.

Possessions: +3 wounding greataxe.

Physical Description: A gleaming bull-headed giant of brass, nearly sixteen feet tall.