Grogg of the North
Adventurer
I played a wizard that had an iron golem with a special attachment on its back. I rode it around the battlefield and casted spells from its back.
Souping up a construct
- Thread starter Greenfield
- Start date
I played a wizard that had an iron golem with a special attachment on its back. I rode it around the battlefield and casted spells from its back.
Greenfield
Adventurer
Well, this isn't an Iron Golem, it's a Shield Guardian.
I'm trying to imagine trying to swing a sword in melee while being suspended from a harness. As a DM I'd rule that you suffer a penalty, probably base it on the "cramped spaces" issue.
I would expect something similar from any other DM.
Besides, it's 9 feet tall. Hoisting a fighter up onto its shoulders wouldn't take the fighter out of melee range for any Medium sized opponent, it would just deny them their Dex bonus.
As for modifying it with Adamantine plates: As I said in the original post, we have no capacity to change or rebuild it. That calls for feats, spells and caster levels we simply don't have.
Now it has the capacity to Shield Other with the person wearing the amulet. Normally that's used to have the Shield Guardian soak damage for its master. But if the effect can go either way, then we could send the Shield Guardian into combat, and have its master standing in the background soaking damage for it, and healing himself regularly.
Healing the living person is far easier than healing the construct, after all.
So far, giving it magical Mithral Chain Shirt looks like the simplest and most effective way to boost its combat survivability.
If Strength gauntlets work for it, then a pair of those, enchanted to +1, would be a good offensive upgrade.
That leaves us with another aspect we haven't really considered: It can act as a Spell Storing device, up to a single 4th level spell.
So, what spell would you store in there? Add a Fireball, and make him a suicide bomber? Something defensive? A Cure Critical, to cast on it's owner if the master goes down?
Can it even be affected by defensive spells it casts on itself?
Surprisingly, I think the answer is yes. It's immune to any spell that SR applies to, but a lot of defensive spells don't allow SR.
I'm trying to imagine trying to swing a sword in melee while being suspended from a harness. As a DM I'd rule that you suffer a penalty, probably base it on the "cramped spaces" issue.
I would expect something similar from any other DM.
Besides, it's 9 feet tall. Hoisting a fighter up onto its shoulders wouldn't take the fighter out of melee range for any Medium sized opponent, it would just deny them their Dex bonus.
As for modifying it with Adamantine plates: As I said in the original post, we have no capacity to change or rebuild it. That calls for feats, spells and caster levels we simply don't have.
Now it has the capacity to Shield Other with the person wearing the amulet. Normally that's used to have the Shield Guardian soak damage for its master. But if the effect can go either way, then we could send the Shield Guardian into combat, and have its master standing in the background soaking damage for it, and healing himself regularly.
Healing the living person is far easier than healing the construct, after all.
So far, giving it magical Mithral Chain Shirt looks like the simplest and most effective way to boost its combat survivability.
If Strength gauntlets work for it, then a pair of those, enchanted to +1, would be a good offensive upgrade.
That leaves us with another aspect we haven't really considered: It can act as a Spell Storing device, up to a single 4th level spell.
So, what spell would you store in there? Add a Fireball, and make him a suicide bomber? Something defensive? A Cure Critical, to cast on it's owner if the master goes down?
Can it even be affected by defensive spells it casts on itself?
Surprisingly, I think the answer is yes. It's immune to any spell that SR applies to, but a lot of defensive spells don't allow SR.
James the Newbie
First Post
Well, polymorph offers spell resistance no... but it is polymorph, so I don't know how your group feels about that spell.
KerlanRayne
Explorer
Golems do have Spell Immunity but this is not a Golem, it's just a construct. You can cast any buffs you want on it. Unless you are talking about the Pathfinder version.
As said, a mithral chain shirt +1 and a heavy mithral shield +1 would only cost a little over 4k gp but would increace AC by +8. The Skillfull enchantment is +2 and can be found in Complete Arcane. A skillful reach weapon, not necessarily the Spiked Chain, would give the Shield Guardian 20' reach which would help keep him out of harm's way.
As said, a mithral chain shirt +1 and a heavy mithral shield +1 would only cost a little over 4k gp but would increace AC by +8. The Skillfull enchantment is +2 and can be found in Complete Arcane. A skillful reach weapon, not necessarily the Spiked Chain, would give the Shield Guardian 20' reach which would help keep him out of harm's way.
RUMBLETiGER
Adventurer
I'm looking into this very subject, considering including ownership of a Nimblewright into a character I'm making.
Turns out, and I've re-read this over a few times, there's nothing in the rules on symbionts in Fiend Folio or Eberron Campaign Setting stating what creature types are and are not permitted to serve as hosts. Seems "Construct" is a valid creature type to attaching Symbionts.
Silly, but there you go.
Ego score vs. Will save, you might just be giving that symbiont a body to control. Make it a good one then.
additionally....
Oils of Repair X Damage from Eberron Campaign Setting.
additionally....
Would Weapon and Armor augment crystals from MIC be acceptable as Construct components by your DM?
Turns out, and I've re-read this over a few times, there's nothing in the rules on symbionts in Fiend Folio or Eberron Campaign Setting stating what creature types are and are not permitted to serve as hosts. Seems "Construct" is a valid creature type to attaching Symbionts.
Silly, but there you go.
Ego score vs. Will save, you might just be giving that symbiont a body to control. Make it a good one then.
additionally....
Oils of Repair X Damage from Eberron Campaign Setting.
additionally....
Would Weapon and Armor augment crystals from MIC be acceptable as Construct components by your DM?
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Greenfield
Adventurer
Constructs still have a version of spell immunity, in many ways more extensive than that given to Golems.
Specifically, they can't be affected by any spell that can be blocked by Spell Resistance.
Basic buffs like Bear's Endurance are marked as "Spell Resistance: Yes".
The same is true for Bless and it's relatives.
There isn't an Enlarge spell that applies to Constructs, even if the SR rule didn't apply.
Even Endure Elements allows for spell resistance.
You can't protect a Construct with Feather Fall, nor grant it mobility with Fly, though it can be Levitated, if it happens to be within the weight limits.
He can be trapped in an Entangle (no SR applies) but can't be released with Freedom of Movement.
He can't be Hasted, but if the Construct could somehow eat it could benefit from a Heroes' Feast. Except that Constructs don't eat, of course.
It can't be rendered Invisible, though it can be Silenced (in the area, but not affixed to them unless they're willing. That one's weird.)
Not even Wish, Miracle or Limited Wish will help or improve it.
No Protection or Resist energy spells will protect it either.
On the other hand, anything you actually could get to work on it could be made Permanent.
You can't transport Constructs via Shadow Walk, but they can be Teleported or carried on a Floating Disk. Not a Teleport Circle though.
It's an odd assortment, but for the most part, buffs don't work on them.
I have absolutely no idea whether or not buffing items, like a Ring of Fire Resistance will work for a Construct either. The spells don't work, but items are different from spells, so I don't know.
KerlanRayne
Explorer
What you have just described is the Spell Immunity ability as listed under the Golem entries.
I don't see anything under the Shield Guardian or the Construct type entry that is anything like this. The closest I can find is this:Golems in the SRD said:
Do you have some kind of reference that can point me to this Spell Immunity that the Shield Guardian supposedly has?Construct Type said:
Drowbane
First Post
According to what, exactly?
Adimus
First Post
Gild My Golem
I think indirect forms of defense would work the best with an AC that low and that restricted in options. Cloak of Displacement come to mind.
Permanent Reduce Person (Shrink Item? Hmm..) on him and give him mythril armor.
If he can be targeted with spells since he's not a golem, a cleric or paladin follower/cohort/unliked party member with a wand of shield other would be a good investment. Let the shield guardian do his job best: soak damage. But instead of increasing AC or HP you're off-putting the damage absorbed. Being attacked directly he takes half damage. Absorbing damage from defending you it only takes 1/4.
I think indirect forms of defense would work the best with an AC that low and that restricted in options. Cloak of Displacement come to mind.
Permanent Reduce Person (Shrink Item? Hmm..) on him and give him mythril armor.
If he can be targeted with spells since he's not a golem, a cleric or paladin follower/cohort/unliked party member with a wand of shield other would be a good investment. Let the shield guardian do his job best: soak damage. But instead of increasing AC or HP you're off-putting the damage absorbed. Being attacked directly he takes half damage. Absorbing damage from defending you it only takes 1/4.
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Greenfield
Adventurer
Regarding spell immunity: I stand corrected.
Regarding armor: Yeah, mithral chain shirt is a good idea, with as many pluses as I can afford. Getting the original, in his size, may be a bit of an issue, in that I'll either have to have it custom made or hope I meet a really well equipped giant.
Reduce Person wouldn't work, since it isn't a person, and I'm pretty sure the DM (any DM) would disallow Shrink Item for one reason or another. The spell won't affect magic items, if nothing else and I'm pretty sure the DM would count it as one.
Otherwise you have a really cheap way to neutralize constructs. And in any case, that doesn't turn them into half-size versions of themselves, it turns them into one-sixteenth sized versions, or into bits of string or cloth, and pops them into stasis.
No, better just to bite the bullet and pay for the large armor.
Regarding armor: Yeah, mithral chain shirt is a good idea, with as many pluses as I can afford. Getting the original, in his size, may be a bit of an issue, in that I'll either have to have it custom made or hope I meet a really well equipped giant.
Reduce Person wouldn't work, since it isn't a person, and I'm pretty sure the DM (any DM) would disallow Shrink Item for one reason or another. The spell won't affect magic items, if nothing else and I'm pretty sure the DM would count it as one.
Otherwise you have a really cheap way to neutralize constructs. And in any case, that doesn't turn them into half-size versions of themselves, it turns them into one-sixteenth sized versions, or into bits of string or cloth, and pops them into stasis.
No, better just to bite the bullet and pay for the large armor.
