Fossil Golem (PEACH)

[LOTRfan]

Hey, so I made this Fossil Golem, but I am not good with the Construction part of the description. So, if there are any glaring mistakes (which I am sure there are), please mention it so I can fix it. Also, this monster is currently a generic golem, and rather bland. So, if anyone has any suggestions for background information/mechanical additions, please feel free to mention it. Thanks in advance...

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Fossil Golem
Large Construct
Hit Die: 20d10+30 (140 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, -2 Dex, +15 natural), touch 7, flat footed 22
Base attack/Grapple: +15/+25
Attack: Claw +20 melee (2d8+9 damage)
Full Attack: 3 Claws +20 melee (2d8+9 damage)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Petrifying touch, berserk
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 20/adamantine, Immunity to magic, darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision, construct traits, immunity to cold
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 7, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -----
Feats: -----
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 21-40 (Huge); 41-60 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -----

A massive, shambling mound of remnants comes walking forward. The bones this creature is composed of seem almost rock-like in appearance. It seems to be made of the fossils of various creatures, with multiple heads and many, many limbs.

Fossil Golems are similar to bone golems, except the bones have become hardened with the fossilization process. Fossil Golems are generally used by those excavating areas deep in the Underdark. Since fossils are generally common as workers go deeper and deeper underground, they may higher powerful spellcasters to create powerful construct guardians out of the supplies available.

Fossil Golems are animated by an earth elemental power source. Fossil Golems are considered very dangerous, because they have a petrifying touch that induces the fossilization process, which acts similarly to a flesh to stone spell.

Combat
Fossil Golems enter combat when commanded to. They try to attack with their petrifying touch first, and try to mop up the rest with their claw attacks.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A fossil golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A transmute rock to mud spell slows a stone golem (as the slow spell) for 1d6 rounds, with no saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals half of its lost hit points. A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the golem’s structure but negates its damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 full round.

Berserk (Ex): When a fossil golem enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its elemental spirit breaks free and the golem goes berserk. The uncontrolled golem goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet, can try to regain control by speaking firmly and persuasively to the golem, which requires a DC 19 Charisma check. It takes 1 minute of inactivity by the golem to reset the golem’s berserk chance to 0%.

Petrifying Touch (Sp): At will, a Fossil Golem can perform a touch attack to magically morph an enemy into stone. This is similar to the flesh to stone spell, and has the same effects. Caster Level 10th.

Construction
Fossil Golems are constructed out of various bones and rocks, the remnants of creatures long dead. The exact body shape varies, but they usually have two-four arms (the example above uses three), skull fragments from three different creatures, and is usually a quadruped. The construction needs at least eight fossilized corpses. It costs 8,000 gp to excavate and prepare the fossils. Special unguents and bindings worth 1,000 gp are required.

Assembling the body requires a DC 18 Craft (stonemasonry) check.

Caster level 13th;Craft Construct, antimagic field, geas/quest, flesh to stone, limited wish animate dead; Price 21,000 gp; Cost 10,500 gp+420 XP.

[Debihuman]

If it has many limbs, why can it only attack with 3 claws?


Debby

[LOTRfan]

These things vary when it comes to exactly how many limbs they have. I just used three as an example above. For a non-metagame reason, the Fossil Golem is composed of the fossilized pieces of various parts of many creatures, which leaves some of the arms and legs ahalf-formed, while other lack natural weapons altogether.

[Debihuman]

I like the half-formed limbs. That's the sort of thing that should be in the description. Can it do anything with those limbs? I think that would be what would set it apart from other golems and prevent it from being "bland."

Also, its hit points are off--should be 140. 5.5 x 20 = 110 +30 = 140.

I'd recommend increasing the size when it advances so that a 21-40 HD golem is Huge and a 41-60 is Gargantuan. A good rule of thumb is that a creature increases its size when it doubles its hit dice. Otherwise, you will have a lot of HD but too few hit points to make this a challenging creature.

Normally the petrifying touch should have a saving throw. For spell-like abilities the DC is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier. The DC would be 10 + 6 -5 or DC 11. That's hardly sporting for CR 12. If there is no saving throw, you should state so.

Debby

[LOTRfan]

I like the half-formed limbs. That's the sort of thing that should be in the description. Can it do anything with those limbs? I think that would be what would set it apart from other golems and prevent it from being "bland."
Sure. Do you have any suggestions (otherwise, I think I might add them as an additional five bludgeoning weapons)?

Also, its hit points are off--should be 140. 5.5 x 20 = 110 +30 = 140.
That will be corrected.

I'd recommend increasing the size when it advances so that a 21-40 HD golem is Huge and a 41-60 is Gargantuan. A good rule of thumb is that a creature increases its size when it doubles its hit dice. Otherwise, you will have a lot of HD but too few hit points to make this a challenging creature.
I shall change that, thanks for the advice.

Normally the petrifying touch should have a saving throw. For spell-like abilities the DC is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier. The DC would be 10 + 6 -5 or DC 11. That's hardly sporting for CR 12. If there is no saving throw, you should state so.

I'm not exactly sure how to fix that, then. Any suggestions?

Debby

Thanks for the advice. :smallsmile:

Does the construction section look good, or could that use some work as well?