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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Old Fezziwig" data-source="post: 957501" data-attributes="member: 59">Yes, if we're going to argue about violations of the "natural order," then we can probably throw golems into a rather hazy moral area, but I'd say that (excepting flesh golems), it's not evil.  Part of what makes the animation of the dead evil, IMO, is the violation of a rather strong and fairly universal cultural taboo—no respect for the dead and what not.  By creating a flesh golem, you're essentially doing the same thing—those body parts have to come from somewhere.  So I'd agree that animating dead bodies and creating flesh golems are both reasonably evil acts.On the other hand, the binding of a spirit to a different (non-flesh) golem may be against the natural order, but it doesn't necessarily violate any sort of taboo.  It might be sketchy, dodgy, reprehensible, whatever—and, no, the elemental spirit probably isn't too excited about it, but it's not evil in the same way raising Uncle Jed as a zombie is.  That's taking things a bit too far, I think.  (My bit about the natural order was directed specifically at animating the dead, but you and Coik are both right in that it tends to muddy the waters and make things less clear than I would ideally have them.) But here's a question—why is animating the dead not evil if you need permanent guards?  I think the act of the animation is evil, regardless of intent.  I mean, you can animate zombies and have them give out flowers to little girls and groom puppies, but it doesn't change the fact that you're screwing around on the wrong side of the tracks from the start—it's still a major no-no.  As for whether or not the animation is evil if the participation is willing, I'd say that it is if the culture deems it so (and the default D&D setting does).  It'd be less evil, but the problem's not with permission or lack thereof, it's with the actual deed.  Best,tKLEdit: Changed a "they're" to an "it's."</blockquote>

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