Golemancy

[MPCampbell]

I have been trying to roll an effective "golemancer" type and came across Ravingdork's Obrist Lang.

I think the rules for wearing constructs are clear, but I don't think I understand the benefit. There also seem to be some aspects uncovered.

From the SRD:

Construct Armor
Requirements: Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects, the construct modified must be the same size as the creator

CR increase: +1

Cost: 35,000 gp

This modification allows the construct to be worn like armor by its creator. So long as the creator wears it, the construct performs no independent actions, remaining under the control of the creator, and any attacks directed at the wearer first damage the construct. When a construct is destroyed while serving as armor, the wearer loses all the benefits, but regains all the hindrances until the armor is removed, which takes the same amount of time that removing breastplate armor does. If the construct is still active, the creator can order the removal of the armor with a swift action, at which point the construct leaves the creator’s space and enters a space adjacent to the creator. Donning construct armor takes a full-round action if the construct is still active. The creator cannot don a construct with this modification if the construct has been destroyed. The construct’s wearer retains his base attacks and saves. Construct armor counts as breastplate armor for purposes of determining AC, weight, Dexterity modifiers to AC, and chance of arcane spell failure.

1. Do you need to be proficient in armor to wear a construct as armor?
2. What armor type does it count as, medium? Can you make a light suit?
3. Do you get the benefit of its damage resistance? Its natural armor?
4. Can we assume that you cannot wear armor under it?
5. Is it affected separately by AoE spells?
6. Can it be targeted separately from it's wearer by spells or attacks?
7. Does its inability to take indirect action keep you from using its modes of movement?
8. Do you get the use of any of its ability scores?
9. Can I assume that it could be enchanted, upping both its AC and yours when wearing it?

This concept seems relatively popular, but I'm having a little trouble understanding its benefit vs its cost.

Benefit: Damage Resistance that can be scaled pretty high
Benefit: You can step out of it to have your own flanking buddy
Benefit: Utilizing its movement mode would be a benefit
Benefit: Getting DR on a wizard would be a benefit if you don't need proficiency

Disadvantage: You'll need to remove it early in combat because you're severely hampered if it's destroyed on you
Disadvantage: It takes three feats to have a suit at a reasonable level
Disadvantage: Creation is very expensive - you must make the construct and pay an additional 35,000 gp - I think. Obrist Lang by Ravingdork is the only premade character I've really seen with this concept, but I'm confused over its cost. The cost is listed as 5k gp. What happened to the 35k listed in the SRD? Does it not apply?
Disadvantage: Once it's removed, you are left unarmored

Unfortunately, RD is not available to answer questions. Please help show me what I'm missing. 8)

[Drachasor]

The Golem Armor stuff is pretty lame if you go by the FAQ on it. It works as breastplate (always, no way to change it from base stats). If the construct armor is immune to damage, then you take the full damage. Granted, that's not how the text reads, but the text is very vague.

It's unclear if you can use the Golem's stats or if you can have it make an attack under your orders. Or if you can use its stats and its attacks. Or if you can use its attacks with your stats. Etc, etc, etc.

A complicated mess.

Might I suggest making a large Animated Object that you can ride in? Theoretically you could get good cover from a properly made object like this. It can have a high hardness (20 if made of adamantine or mostly thereof). And it should be able to provide cover of some sort. It gets all of its actions, and you get your actions.

Basic idea would be like an Adamantine Tank or some such that provides just enough visibility for you to cast spells through (though ideally you could cover that up).

Potentially you could make it Clockwork with Clockwork Servants inside healing it every round.

As for RavingDork's guy. Looks like it is just regular armor that's been animated. There's no reason you can't wear that (e.g. you fit inside). How it works mechanically while you are wearing it....is something the game doesn't cover well.

[MPCampbell]

I agree with you on this unfortunately. RAW doesn't seem very workable unless you've got a lot of money laying around that you really don't want.

[Kazaan]

You want to divine the future using... golem? As in reading the magic threads that hold and animate their form to glean images of things yet to come? Sounds like an interesting idea.

[Drachasor]

Kazaan wrote:

You want to divine the future using... golem? As in reading the magic threads that hold and animate their form to glean images of things yet to come? Sounds like an interesting idea.

Mancing ain't what it used to be.

[Kaisoku]

Yeah, I think that the word works better as Golemurgy. Though it doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same.

I think the problem originates from what Necromancy used to mean, and what we use it for now (Divination via corpses vs creating/using undead/corpses).