Send In The Clowns… (or, Converting the Oddballs)
- Thread starter BOZ
- Start date
Shade
Monster Junkie
BOZ has given his blessings for us to proceed, so it shall be!
Chia Golem
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Soil, water, compost
INTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 8
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4/2d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (6’–8’ tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19)
XP VALUE: 1,400
Chia golems span the full range from beautiful, elegant topiary creations to hideous, diseased, overgrown plantings. On royal estates, one might detect chia golems in the form of giant rabbits, mice, lions, camels, dragons, or even uniformed armed guards. Near an abandoned wizard’s tower or in the courtyards of evil temples, chia golems may be present in the form of vampires, werebeasts, minotaurs, various giants, insects, or other horrid creatures.
A chia golem is a terra cotta or other baked stone sculpture that serves as a surface for plant growth. The chia golem is typically soaked in water and spread with seeds to await sprouting. They have a truly bizarre appearance until the plants have fully matured.
Chia golems may be planted with nearly any type of seeds, such as grass, resulting in a thick green coat; a creeping flowering plant such as phlox or alyssum, resulting in a fluffy pastel mat; a poisonous plant such as poison ivy or oxalis; or a vine plant such as morning glory, ivy, or grape (vines may cause damage in melee; see Combat). A combination of plants may be used to achieve a particular aesthetic effect.
No one has ever been known to have created a chia golem for himself; all known examples have been received as gifts.
Chia golems typically range in size from 6’–8’. Smaller golems are somehow unable to maintain the enchantments.
The creation of a chia golem begins with a sculpture in the form of the desired creature. The sculpture requires at least 1,000 Ibs. of material. The material must be porous when it is
hard to allow for rooting and water seepage; thus, a golem could not be sculpted of granite, but it could be sculpted of limestone or of clay and then baked.
Combat: Chia golems act primarily as sentries. They may be stationed in a particular place to stand guard or they may be ordered to creep slowly around the perimeter of an estate to
keep watch. Their lack of intelligence and capability for imperceptibly slow movement makes them ideal for this type of watch duty.
A chia golem attacks with both fists for 2d4 hp damage each. If the golem is planted with a vine whose tendrils might slap at an opponent, +1 hp is added to each fist strike. If the
creator of the golem chose to plant it with a thorny or otherwise noxious plant, other bonuses may be assessed as well.
Chia golems are immune to sleep, hold, and paralysis spells. Cold-based and heat-based spells may wither the foliage of a chia golem but cause normal damage. Spells such as entangle, warp wood, and plant growth have no effect. Hold plant and antiplant shell work on chia golems as per the spell descriptions. Transmute rock to mud destroys a chia golem, but the plants will live in the resulting mud as long as conditions are right.
Habitat/Society: Chia golems may be planted with perennial plants and kept outdoors year round or, if planted with more tender plants, may be moved indoors with the onset of cold
weather. Chia golems may also live indoors year round. The golems, which are hollow, must contain a small amount of soil at all times, and they must be watered according to the
requirements of the particular plant. A quantity of compost must also be added to the golem about once per month.
Ecology: Like all golems, the chia golem is a manufactured creature and has no place in nature. They are created only through magical means.
A priest of at least 11th level can create a chia golem through extensive ritual, preparation of the terra cotta figure, and use of the following spells: plant growth, prayer, commune,
and animate object.
A wizard of at least 14th level must cast fabricate, geas, charm plants, and limited wish following the construction of the baked clay figure and extensive preparatory rituals.
A druid of at least 14th level may create a chia golem using animate rock and plant growth and a month-long process of fertility and other rituals that must culminate on the eve of the
winter solstice.
Originally appeared in Dragon #228, "The Dragon's Worstiary: Golems", Anne Brown, April 1996.
Chia Golem
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Soil, water, compost
INTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVEMENT: 6
HIT DICE: 8
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4/2d4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: L (6’–8’ tall)
MORALE: Fearless (19)
XP VALUE: 1,400
Chia golems span the full range from beautiful, elegant topiary creations to hideous, diseased, overgrown plantings. On royal estates, one might detect chia golems in the form of giant rabbits, mice, lions, camels, dragons, or even uniformed armed guards. Near an abandoned wizard’s tower or in the courtyards of evil temples, chia golems may be present in the form of vampires, werebeasts, minotaurs, various giants, insects, or other horrid creatures.
A chia golem is a terra cotta or other baked stone sculpture that serves as a surface for plant growth. The chia golem is typically soaked in water and spread with seeds to await sprouting. They have a truly bizarre appearance until the plants have fully matured.
Chia golems may be planted with nearly any type of seeds, such as grass, resulting in a thick green coat; a creeping flowering plant such as phlox or alyssum, resulting in a fluffy pastel mat; a poisonous plant such as poison ivy or oxalis; or a vine plant such as morning glory, ivy, or grape (vines may cause damage in melee; see Combat). A combination of plants may be used to achieve a particular aesthetic effect.
No one has ever been known to have created a chia golem for himself; all known examples have been received as gifts.
Chia golems typically range in size from 6’–8’. Smaller golems are somehow unable to maintain the enchantments.
The creation of a chia golem begins with a sculpture in the form of the desired creature. The sculpture requires at least 1,000 Ibs. of material. The material must be porous when it is
hard to allow for rooting and water seepage; thus, a golem could not be sculpted of granite, but it could be sculpted of limestone or of clay and then baked.
Combat: Chia golems act primarily as sentries. They may be stationed in a particular place to stand guard or they may be ordered to creep slowly around the perimeter of an estate to
keep watch. Their lack of intelligence and capability for imperceptibly slow movement makes them ideal for this type of watch duty.
A chia golem attacks with both fists for 2d4 hp damage each. If the golem is planted with a vine whose tendrils might slap at an opponent, +1 hp is added to each fist strike. If the
creator of the golem chose to plant it with a thorny or otherwise noxious plant, other bonuses may be assessed as well.
Chia golems are immune to sleep, hold, and paralysis spells. Cold-based and heat-based spells may wither the foliage of a chia golem but cause normal damage. Spells such as entangle, warp wood, and plant growth have no effect. Hold plant and antiplant shell work on chia golems as per the spell descriptions. Transmute rock to mud destroys a chia golem, but the plants will live in the resulting mud as long as conditions are right.
Habitat/Society: Chia golems may be planted with perennial plants and kept outdoors year round or, if planted with more tender plants, may be moved indoors with the onset of cold
weather. Chia golems may also live indoors year round. The golems, which are hollow, must contain a small amount of soil at all times, and they must be watered according to the
requirements of the particular plant. A quantity of compost must also be added to the golem about once per month.
Ecology: Like all golems, the chia golem is a manufactured creature and has no place in nature. They are created only through magical means.
A priest of at least 11th level can create a chia golem through extensive ritual, preparation of the terra cotta figure, and use of the following spells: plant growth, prayer, commune,
and animate object.
A wizard of at least 14th level must cast fabricate, geas, charm plants, and limited wish following the construction of the baked clay figure and extensive preparatory rituals.
A druid of at least 14th level may create a chia golem using animate rock and plant growth and a month-long process of fertility and other rituals that must culminate on the eve of the
winter solstice.
Originally appeared in Dragon #228, "The Dragon's Worstiary: Golems", Anne Brown, April 1996.
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Do you think we should use the new stat block for these guys, since it's pretty much a joke? 
Shade
Monster Junkie
GrayLinnorm said:Do you think we should use the new stat block for these guys, since it's pretty much a joke?
No, because we actually might put them in the CC, and it's easier to enter them if they have the same format. They might be usable in some way. Heck, we put the blink wooly mammoth and duckbunny in there!
Shade
Monster Junkie
Shroomy said:
Hmmm...to me, it looks more like a template that could be applied to plants. It seems the core construct needs to be composed of "material must be porous when it is hard to allow for rooting and water seepage; thus, a golem could not be sculpted of granite, but it could be sculpted of limestone or of clay and then baked". The different plants used have different effects.
Other opinions?
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Chia golem as a template added to plants has possibilities... tendriculos chia golem, anyone?
Seriously (is it possible to be serious about this?) though, how many mundane plants are there (like grass, ivy, etc) that we could apply this to? Maybe it makes more sense to list the particular bonuses that some number of plants give to a basic chia golem.
Seriously (is it possible to be serious about this?) though, how many mundane plants are there (like grass, ivy, etc) that we could apply this to? Maybe it makes more sense to list the particular bonuses that some number of plants give to a basic chia golem.
Shade
Monster Junkie
freyar said:Chia golem as a template added to plants has possibilities... tendriculos chia golem, anyone?
Seriously (is it possible to be serious about this?) though, how many mundane plants are there (like grass, ivy, etc) that we could apply this to? Maybe it makes more sense to list the particular bonuses that some number of plants give to a basic chia golem.
Good point. I think we should just stat it up as a standard golem, and allow for variants for different component plants (and possibly materials).
Getting started....
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 8d10+30 (54 hp)
Initiative: X
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
AC: 16 (–1 size, X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+X
Attack: Slam +X melee (X+X)
Full Attack: 2 slams +X melee (X+X)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Component plants
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction ?, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, low-light vision, plant-reliant
Saves: Fort +X, Ref +X, Will +3
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9–16 HD (Large); 17–24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -
I went with Large since the flesh golem is only 8 feet tall. If you'd prefer to start at Medium, we can do so.
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