How dumb are golems?

[RigaMortus]

....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.....

IIRC, golems are not subject to illusions.

 

[RigaMortus]

Here's a question... If golems are so dumb that they do not use tactics, does this mean a Golem would never take an AoO if an opponent provoked it?

 

[iwatt]

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

Hey, my PC is half-golem

 

[Philip]

If uncommanded, a golem usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though if attacked it returns the attack. The creator can give the golem a simple command to govern its actions in his or her absence.

According to the SRD the creator can give the golem only ONE command, and it must be SIMPLE as well. So, giving golems complicated pre-programming, while feasible, does not seem covered by the rules.

I do feel something for Lord Pendragon's argument that Golem's are at least created possessing some basic knowledge of the world, otherwise they could not even follow Piratecat's instructions "Do not attack any creature that appears in this room without entering through the doorway", because the golem would not understand the exact meaning of creature, entering, doorway etc.

All creatures, doorways, rooms are different, and the golem has to have some basic mental schemata of what constitutes a dooway, a room or a creature.

I think giving it the ability to differentiate between summoned and real creatures or spellcasters and non-spellcasters is a bit too much for the golem's preprogrammed instruction set, however. I suppose it is best to treat it as if it had the knowledge of something with animal intelligence. Able to recognize most creatures and objects, but not built to decide if that painting really is a Rembrandt, even if its creator is a master of arts.

 

[shilsen]

IIRC, golems are not subject to illusions.

Do you have a rules reference for that? I would think that non-mind-affecting illusions would work fine.

 

[Philip]

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.

Just don't put any furniture into that room, because if ever a cloud of regular gnats ever flies in through the doorway, all hell will break loose.

 

[Philip]

Here's a question... If golems are so dumb that they do not use tactics, does this mean a Golem would never take an AoO if an opponent provoked it?

If it's already in combat, and the provoking subject is categorized as an enemy, it surely would. Taking an AoO is often not a thinking decision, however NOT taking an AoO when one presents itself probably would be, so Golem's are easily provoked.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Hey, my PC is half-golem

So, you'd only half-use the head of Vecna?

 

[Tortoise]

According to the SRD the creator can give the golem only ONE command, and it must be SIMPLE as well. So, giving golems complicated pre-programming, while feasible, does not seem covered by the rules.

.

I prefer to interpret this to mean "purpose" as opposed to just a few word command. It gives the neceesary flexibility without making it an AI Terminator style machine. Even then you can still give the players that sort of impression as a powerful golem hunts them down through the dungeon or across the wilderness.

When I first began playing D&D, oh those many years ago, another player who had moved on to 1st edition while I was still being weened on Diaglo's favorite version, regailed me with a tale of his Paladin retreating through the halls of a many levelled dungeon being pursued by a golem. That image stuck with me and is why I think the best use for golems is to be that really hard to kill hunting machine. Beware, my players, for something wicked, and well above your level, this way comes.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally I think that most stone golems and all iron golems would be intelligent, at least at a base level. After all - giving 2 mental stats at 12 and one at 10, along with a minor power, only costs you 1000 gold...

Stone golems can only be made by casters of level 14+. Iron by 16+. Minimum for awarding intelligence to an item is 15+.