How dumb are golems?

[dagger]

Maybe he was in a little eye in the middle of the zone that only started 5' away from him or something...I don't know, he was a 'boss' monster that the DM put together. Oh yea, we never killed the damn thing, we just bypassed it. It is still in that room, waiting for some poor fool to walk in.....

 

[iwatt]

I play non-intelligent creatures like undead and golems as if they can only understand simple rules. Like "wail into pulp anything that comes into this room". I then make them hit the same creature (first one into the room for example), then move on to the next one once it's pulp, etc..

 

[Nail]

Um, no. I don't have a 20 intelligence, but even I wouldn't need more than a day to go through various scenarios my golem is most likely to come across.

But that just begs the question: "How many instructions can you give to a golem?"

I'd argue the answer is: One. All of the examples given in core books and materials indicate that the "command list" of the golems are limited. Usually something like: "When the PCs do X, the golem attacks."

Moreover, we're not talking about a computer here, or even a clockwork machine. I don't see a complex list of instructions.

...However, some Golems do have an Int score (shrug). MMII has some like that, I believe.

Still: golems are easy for a determined party to defeat; I've seen this as both a player and a DM. (There are always exceptions.) Fun, but easy.

 

[Nail]

I disagree. Recognition requires only that, recognition. Since a wizard capable of creating a golem most likely has a killer Spellcraft skill, it can impart the golem with the knowledge of what gestures, sounds, and materials indicate a summoning spell.

That's patently false.

Golems do not have a Spellcraft skill. Moreover, they have no Int, and thus no ability to reason or solve problems. They cannot tell if a creature is summoned or not. Full stop.

 

[Piratecat]

Golems do not have a Spellcraft skill. Moreover, they have no Int, and thus no ability to reason or solve problems. They cannot tell if a creature is summoned or not. Full stop.

I think it all depends on how you phrase it. "Do not attack any creature that appears in this room without entering through the doorway" would be a legitimate instruction in my opinion, and it would mean that the golem ignores summoned creatures. . . it also means that he'd ignore anyone who teleports or dimension doors in. Them's the breaks.

 

[Storm Raven]

I think it all depends on how you phrase it. "Do not attack any creature that appears in this room without entering through the doorway" would be a legitimate instruction in my opinion, and it would mean that the golem ignores summoned creatures. . . it also means that he'd ignore anyone who teleports or dimension doors in. Them's the breaks.

How about "Attack all intruders who enter this room. If intruders are already in this room, do not attack any creature that appears in this room without entering through the doorway unless all other intruders have been eliminated." You could still have an opponent dimension door or teleport in during combat (which the golem will ignore until every other intruder is dealt with), but that seems like a relatively small issue.

 

[Nail]

I think it all depends on how you phrase it. "Do not attack any creature that appears in this room without entering through the doorway" would be a legitimate instruction in my opinion, and it would mean that the golem ignores summoned creatures. . . it also means that he'd ignore anyone who teleports or dimension doors in. Them's the breaks.

Ooooh. Got me!

I'm not sure about other DMs, but I never have a complicated set of conditions by which a golem acts. If I'm prepared/clever enough, I write a simple generalized statement down. Most published adventures have such a generalized statement.....and none of them call out "oh yeah => and don't attack summoned creatures. And while yer up, get me a Coke from the fridge, okay?"

Golems are meant to be stupid, frankly. It goes with the mythos that surrounds them. For the most part, this means that a golem will attack whatever is in front of them...once they've been activated.


....BTW: what would a golem do if confronted by an illusion? Say, of a non-existant bridge covering a very real pit? Surely the golem would simply try to walk across.....

YMMV.

 

[dshai527]

I have always treated Golems like robots where they can have complicated instruction sets.

How do you others run the special abilities? DO they just use them as soon as they are available? What about one use abilities?

 

[Voadam]

how dumb are they?

So dumb the orcs feel bright.

So dumb they would choose to multiclass into several types of spellcasting classes if they could.

So dumb they would attack a gazebo.

So dumb that they would try to use the head of Vecna.

 

[RigaMortus]

To attack someone means doing damage to an opponent.

An attack means an successful hit of an opponent. If the summoned monster will hit the golem but doing no damage the golem will attack them.

This is not correct actually...

Casting an offensive, non-damaging spell on someone (such as Charm Person for example) is also considered an attack. Also, if I strike at someone and miss completely, that too is considered an attack.

Otherwise, you would remain Invisible if you strike at someone but miss, or cast non-damaging spells on them (Daze, Hold Person, etc.)