I know as a GM I can make them any level I want. What I'm asking is how low can it go before people have difficulty accepting it? In the "level 1 ancient dragons, and level 20 mundane horses" kind of problem way.
There are golems as low as Level 4 (Carrion Golem), so you can go fairly low. Golems seem to mostly be levelled depending on how resilient the material that constitutes them is (The weakest being made of rotten corpses, and the strongest of pure adamantine). You could easily justify an even weaker Golem by having them be made of an even less resilient material. I wouldn't go all the way down to level 1 or 2, but something like a golem that is made of carefully folded paper or flowing cloth (or any similar weak material) could make for an interesting level 3 enemy.
In 1st edition, Wax was 3rd level.
Wood is 6, Flesh is 8, so it's not entirely based on hardness. It might be mystical desirability or nobility (or stinkyness?) instead of physical strength.
I was thinking of starting at 4, but with something non-Stinky unlike rotten meat. I may convert the Wax one over to 2E.
A Staypuff marshmallow golem, size tiny, shouldn't be too high in levels. ;)
Size is one factor you can manipulate to drop your difficulty: I'm sure it one reason the Carrion Golem is as low a level as it is. Think Clockwork Spy but a golem.
In 1st edition, Wax was 3rd level.
Wood is 6, Flesh is 8, so it's not entirely based on hardness. It might be mystical desirability or nobility (or stinkyness?) instead of physical strength.
I was thinking of starting at 4, but with something non-Stinky unlike rotten meat. I may convert the Wax one over to 2E.
You can use softer/thinner metals [leaving it mostly hollow], like tin or copper. Papier-mâché is also a good material that can be made to look good but is going to have a low hardness. Pottery, snow, dirt/sand, ect are alternatives too. Heck, even balsa wood can work.
PS: I've also seen in past d&d's, golems made out of food items like pastry and candy.
What about a purple one that throws addictive but confusing books at you? Actually that started as a joke but I think it has potential.
Straw Golem
Resistant to Bludgeoning and Piercing damage. (Resistance 5)
If they take any fire damage they acquire persistent fire damage 1d4, and the roll for any straw golem to stop the fire damage itself or for another straw golem is always DC20. However, any persistent fire damage done to a straw golem is added (as fire damage) to any fist strikes it makes the following round, assuming it survived.
They automatically attack creatures at least 2 sizes smaller than themselves that come within 100 ft of their pole and stay nearby, but ignore anything larger unless the large creature attacks them. A straw golem will defend itself and attack any creature that attacks it. Some Straw Golems have a favored enemy that they will always attack no matter the size of the creature. When striking a favored enemy their attacks are magically no longer non-lethal, and increase a die size. (and in cases where the creature is resistant to bludgeoning damage, may change to a more damaging type of damage, generally slashing or piercing)
They regenerate 1 HP per HD a day if they hang themselves from the magical pole they were constructed on if that pole is in ground that has grass or other agricultural plants growing around it.
Probably 10 HP, and their fist attack does 1d4 non-lethal bludgeoning damage.
For 2 actions a Straw Golem can consume a small hay bale, and restore 1d6 HP to itself.
The more basic Straw Golems can be inactivated by stealing their floppy hat off their head, via a Difficult trickery roll for the Golems level.
In many cases if the hat is placed back on the Golem, it will follow commands from the person putting the had on its head as long as the person remains within sight of the golem, and the golem stays within 100ft of its pole. After either of those occur, the golem reverts back to normal behavior, which includes returning to its pole or attacking smaller creatures around it/within the area around its pole.
I'm not certain, for instance, that the above would need to be more than perhaps a level 2 creature, yet is a perhaps believable golem.
Might make a coin golem. Coin golem might also be an animated treasure horde. It guards itself?
Dice golem.
I liked the idea of a cloth golem. It would basically be an animate suit of clothes stuffed with rags. Highly resistant to bludgeoning damage, but vulnerable to slashing and fire, with perhaps the ability to do damage to itself in exchange for entangling an opponent in shed clothing.
LOL A build a bear golem! ;)
I liked the idea of a cloth golem. It would basically be an animate suit of clothes stuffed with rags. Highly resistant to bludgeoning damage, but vulnerable to slashing and fire, with perhaps the ability to do damage to itself in exchange for entangling an opponent in shed clothing.
Oooo... inspiring...
they could have a touch ability/attack that uses a couple actions but animates the person's own clothing to start strangling its wearer. If the target fails a will save their clothing/worn items start doing damage to the target each round vs a fortitude save.The damage done is determined by general type of clothing. Normally around 1d4 nonlethal bludgeoning damage. However significant metal armor/clothing can make it become 1d6 lethal damage, and might get piecing or slashing damage if appropriate. (imagine a spiked collar turning inside out on its wearer.)
Clothe golems would only heal naturally if they have a supply of new clothing to rest upon.
One sign of a cloth golem being nearby would be stripped bodes of foes lain around their lair. Clothing would be gone, but tools and other items scattered around near them.
I liked the idea of a cloth golem. It would basically be an animate suit of clothes stuffed with rags. Highly resistant to bludgeoning damage, but vulnerable to slashing and fire, with perhaps the ability to do damage to itself in exchange for entangling an opponent in shed clothing.LOL A build a bear golem! ;)
Build a Bear golem:
Somewhat like Voodoo stories... the stuffed animal is built from clothing/material which was once owned/worn by a target. The bear is sewn together and stuffed. Once built, designated, and enchanted it hunts its designated owner and is the essence of loyalty. Either, following it incessantly and trying to be near it. Or trying to dismember the target... depending of course how it was designated by the creator, and how successful the creator was at their ritual.Loyal/Kind build-a-bear golems will defend their target with their own life. Loyal/Hunter build-a-bear golems will hunt down and try to dismember their target. Lost Build-a-bear golems are known to frequently, for some unknown reason, seem to adopt various patches of ground growing cabbage for some reason, and can become unstable there, either becoming widely loving and helpful to any sentients, or potentially driven by an insatiable thirst to find new targets to hunt, only returning to the patch after successfully hunting any new target down.
I liked the idea of a cloth golem. It would basically be an animate suit of clothes stuffed with rags. Highly resistant to bludgeoning damage, but vulnerable to slashing and fire, with perhaps the ability to do damage to itself in exchange for entangling an opponent in shed clothing.LOL A build a bear golem! ;)"I call this one Paddington, and this one's name is Teddy, and this one is Eviscerator, and this one is Cuddles!"
"Wait, what was that middle one?"
"Teddy?"
Mine is named Boomer: the special ingredient is black powder and nails in the stuffing! Lets see someone try to use it's weakness to fire. [insert evil laughter]
In 2E, would a Caryatid Column be a golem?
https://www.aonprd.com/MonsterDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Caryatid%20Column
I feel it has enough weird magic resistance to qualify.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Go ahead with your bad self and make your own with whatever level you want, shoot at level -1 you could easily lift all the stats you need for something like a Paper Golem.
Tiny size, copy the stats from Severed Head, ditch the Undead style flavor and Traits, add the Construct Traits, give it Weakness to Fire 5, and MAYBE reflavor the Gnash into "Papercut" with exact same mechanical function and you're good to go.