Low Level Warlocks and Golems

[subject42]

Is there any way that a low to mid level warlock can contribute in a fight against a golem with Spell Immunity, other than just chucking sling bullets and hoping for a 20?

[arguskos]

Uh, buff the party? Fly above it (Fell Flight) and drop heavy objects on it? Um... use Eldritch Blast to cause environmental hazards (like deadfalls and such)?

[Darrin]

Is there any way that a low to mid level warlock can contribute in a fight against a golem with Spell Immunity, other than just chucking sling bullets and hoping for a 20?

Walk Unseen + Summon Swarm. I don't think golems are immune to swarm damage... and summoning a swarm doesn't count as an attack for invisibility. Usually, the easiest way to shut down a golem is blind it or cut off its vision. Most golems are mindless, so no LOS = no attacking.

Other than that... uh... Breath of Night? Again, compromise its vision. Otherwise, go invisible, and wait until the dust settles.

[Starbuck_II]

Walk Unseen + Summon Swarm. I don't think golems are immune to swarm damage... and summoning a swarm doesn't count as an attack for invisibility. Usually, the easiest way to shut down a golem is blind it or cut off its vision. Most golems are mindless, so no LOS = no attacking.



But most golems have DR, Summoned Swarms usually deal no more than 1d6 damage.
But other than that DR issue, great tactic.

[jiriku]

The default tactic when you have nothing better to do is get behind it and make aid another checks. Between the aid and the flanking bonus, you can give +4 to hit to a melee DPS character.

Now, I'm assuming you don't have any cool stuff on a wand. Assuming your UMD is good, spend some of your cash on a wand of something interesting for use against magic-immune creatures in the future. Good choices include grease, entangle, soften earth and stone (for outdoor use only), haste, and summon monster. If you summon, you want to summon something that hits like a truck, so that it deals enough damage to be effective after DR is subtracted.

[Boci]

The default tactic when you have nothing better to do is get behind it and make aid another checks. Between the aid and the flanking bonus, you can give +4 to hit to a melee DPS character.

Now, I'm assuming you don't have any cool stuff on a wand. Assuming your UMD is good, spend some of your cash on a wand of something interesting for use against magic-immune creatures in the future. Good choices include grease, entangle, soften earth and stone (for outdoor use only), haste, and summon monster. If you summon, you want to summon something that hits like a truck, so that it deals enough damage to be effective after DR is subtracted.

Lesser orb of electricity is also good against an iron golem.

[sombrastewart]

How low level are we talking, here?

[Thurbane]

Does the invocation that turns EB into acid damage mention that it overcomes spell resistance?

[Boci]

Does the invocation that turns EB into acid damage mention that it overcomes spell resistance?

Yes it does. Good thinking.

[Dhavaer]

Does the invocation that turns EB into acid damage mention that it overcomes spell resistance?

IIRC, it's a greater invocation, so not available at low levels.

[subject42]

How low level are we talking, here?

Less than tenth, but mostly in the neighborhood of four to eight.

I like the aid other action. Do that and flanking work while invisible?

[Darrin]

But most golems have DR, Summoned Swarms usually deal no more than 1d6 damage.
But other than that DR issue, great tactic.

Ack. I forgot about DR. Uh... light the swarm on fire, maybe?

At the very least, a mindless golem can't distinguish a swarm (immune to the golem's slam attacks) from squishier allies. (Then again, the swarm isn't too good at this, either.) But if your allies drop back and focus on ranged attacks while the golem flails uselessly at the swarm... that might help some.



I like the aid other action. Do that and flanking work while invisible?

Hmm... aid another involves an attack roll, but on the other hand, you're not actually hitting anything... I dunno, that may be a DM call, but it looks like it would violate the "no attacking" thing. Aid another on a skill check would probably be ok, though.

Invisible attackers can't flank unless the target can see them... which kinda defeats the whole purpose of being invisible.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Lesser orb of electricity is also good against for an iron golem.

Fixed that for ya. Lightning damage has a tendency to put a Haste effect on them... :smallbiggrin:

Now then, a SONIC Orb would work exceedingly well on them.

Baleful Utterance. That will rock a golem's world. 1d6 Sonic damage per caster level. Eat that.

[Tavar]

Baleful Utterance. That will rock a golem's world. 1d6 Sonic damage per caster level. Eat that.

The SR: Yes line seems to make that troublesome.

[Boci]

The SR: Yes line seems to make that troublesome.

Doesn't sonic damage bypass that?


Fixed that for ya. Lightning damage has a tendency to put a Haste effect on them... :smallbiggrin:

Oops. Glad I never had a chance to try and emtagame that technique.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

The SR: Yes line seems to make that troublesome.

Not when it's a specific exemption...

[Darrin]

Doesn't sonic damage bypass that?


Only on certain golems... like Fang Golems, I think.

Try the Swan Boat of Death. Buy some feather tokens of the swan boat variety. Fly up to 10' above the golem. Activate the token, and crush the golem under 20d6 no-save falling object damage. Only 450 GP per token.

(This assumes a 20' x 40' boat weights more than 4000 lbs. However, since a 5' x 10' rowboat weighs 100 lbs, there are a couple different ways to extrapolate a 20' x 40' boat, and they all should give you something upwards of 4000 lbs.)

If you can't get ahold of any feather tokens... well, a Greataxe (12 lbs) or Heavy Steel Shield (15 lbs) dropped from 300' up does 6d6 damage, or about 11 damage on average after DR 10.

Alchemical items might also work well. Stonebreaker Acid (A&EG, 20 GP per flask) for example, can do 5d10 acid damage to a stone golem over 2 rounds.

Iron golems are a little tougher... Rust Cubes (Complete Scoundrel, 100 GP) could work, but only 3d6 damage over 3 rounds.

[Lysander]

Have the party hang back and fly over the golem just out of reach to lure it to a trap.

[tyckspoon]

Iron golems are a little tougher... Rust Cubes (Complete Scoundrel, 100 GP) could work, but only 3d6 damage over 3 rounds.

Iron Golems are CR 13. By the time you are seriously expected to deal with them by your own power (level 11ish) you can have both Vitriolic Blast for no-SR acid damage and sufficient UMDable resources to perform any of a Wizard's usual anti-golem tricks. Iron Golems really shouldn't be a problem; if you run into them before that point, you're not actually expected to be able to handle them, so it's ok if you can't. There's probably something helpful in the area, and if not, run away or sneak around.

[KillianHawkeye]

Lightning damage has a tendency to put a Haste effect on them... :smallbiggrin:

You got that backwards. Electricity slows an iron golem. :smallamused:

[Eldariel]

Just UMD a Wand of Grease. That should make the Golem slightly inconvenienced.

[SoD]

You got that backwards. Electricity slows an iron golem. :smallamused:

No, electricity auto-kills an iron golem. :amused: Top that.

[Foryn Gilnith]

No, electricity auto-kills every iron golem :largeamused: I wish they actually had a largeamused smilie

[Longcat]

You can take 10 on Use Magic Device checks. Just use your imagination (provided you pass the check) :smalltongue: