Golem, Magnetitie Golem vs Freedom of Movement


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


Hi everyone, looking for advice, how would you handle a Magnetitie Golems supernatural abilities vs freedom of movement? I have my own ideas as do my players, we are all experienced players and DM’s with many decades experience and unfortunately things like this grind the game to a halt arguing over game mechanics. Thanks for the help!

Shadow Lodge

imflynt wrote:
Hi everyone, looking for advice, how would you handle a Magnetitie Golems supernatural abilities vs freedom of movement? I have my own ideas as do my players, we are all experienced players and DM’s with many decades experience and unfortunately things like this grind the game to a halt arguing over game mechanics. Thanks for the help!

Description

This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.

The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, grant water breathing.

Inescapable Grip (Ex) wrote:
Whenever a magnetite golem hits a metallic creature or a creature wearing metal armor with its slam attack, it attempts to grapple the creature as a free action that doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. If a magnetite golem successfully grapples such a creature, it partially adheres to the golem’s body, and the golem needs only one arm to maintain the grapple. In these instances, a magnetite golem may still make a single slam attack on its turn with its remaining arm.

RAW, Grapple checks automatically fail vs a target with Freedom of Movement, so this ability is completely negated.

Magnetic Disarm (Su) wrote:
Whenever a magnetite golem hits a creature wielding a metal weapon with its slam attack, it attempts to disarm the weapon as a free action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. If the golem successfully disarms a metal weapon, the weapon sticks to the golem’s magnetic body rather than dropping to the ground. The golem is considered to have possession of the weapon, and the weapon must be retrieved using a disarm combat maneuver.

RAW, Freedom of Movement provides no protection against being disarmed, so this should still work normally.

Magnetic Field (Su) wrote:
A magnetite golem is surrounded by a magnetic field, which pulls all metallic creatures and objects toward it. At the start of a magnetite golem’s turn, as a free action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, the golem attempts a combat maneuver check against every creature within 30 feet that is connected to a piece of metal. Affected creatures include (but are not limited to) metallic creatures, creatures wearing metal armor, and creatures wielding metal weapons. If the golem succeeds at its combat maneuver against a creature, the affected creature is pulled 10 feet closer to the golem, and can’t move away from the golem during its next round. The magnetic field is stronger than gravity, and can pull creatures off the ground. This movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. Unattended Large or smaller metal objects automatically travel toward magnetite golem at a rate of 10 feet per round. This magnetism is supernatural in nature and affects all metal objects.

RAW, Freedom of Movement only protects against effects that impede movement, so I think this ability should be able to pull protected characters closer, but won't prevent them from moving away on their own turn.


Thanks for following up with the details, appreciate it and your clear logic! I would agree!


I agree with Taja the Barbarian on these. Only on the Magnetic Field do I want to add something.

Taja the Barbarian wrote:

[Magnetic Field (Su) ...]

RAW, Freedom of Movement only protects against effects that impede movement, so I think this ability should be able to pull protected characters closer, but won't prevent them from moving away on their own turn.

Only if you consider this a gravity or similar effect would they be unable to move against it. Similar to how a character with freedom of movement could still be drawn upwards by a reverse gravity effect.

So with this ruling, you have to understand that such a protected character will also not be able to prevent themselves from immediately falling back down if pulled off the ground.

That means that a strategically placed golem, say 30 feet above a PC, flying or up a steep cliff or balcony, could continually pull such a character into the air (with a successful CMB check) 10 feet, and have them immediately drop back down. Yes, 1d6 falling damage is piddling at the levels you're probably facing a golem, but if you take any falling damage you also fall prone, though there's always tumbling attempts to reduce the damage, boots of the cat, or other methods to negate the damage (and thus falling prone). So that's a tactic to consider if there are other enemies ready to take advantage of a suddenly prone foe and them having to spend a move action to stand back up every round.


Thanks Pizza Lord, that actually give me a few ideas, it is a paladin with a ring of Freedom of Movement which also happens to have a Golembane scarab we are arguing over the whole freedom of movement thing, not sure why she will shred the golem(s) either way. I am using these golems in RotRL last chapter, my players did a 180 detour and they are currently working their way through the Shahalara in Xin SHalast, I had a major rewrite to do.

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