And the princess' dolly did smite the brigrand down... [Creature Template]

[Jack_Simth]

Sample Bodyguard Doll:
Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem
Large or Diminutive Construct
Hit Dice: 11d10+30 (90 hp) or 11d10 (60 hp) (Doll)
Initiative: -1 or +7 (Doll)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +14 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 22 or 21 (+4 size, +7 Dex), touch 21, flat-footed 14 (Doll)
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+19 or +8/-5 (Doll)
Attack: Slam +14 melee (2d10+7 plus cursed wound) or Slam +11 melee (2d3-1) (Doll)
Full Attack: 2 slams +14 melee (2d10+7 plus cursed wound) or 2 Slams +11 melee (2d3-1) (Doll)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. or 1 ft./0 ft (Doll)
Special Attacks: Cursed wound, Spell-Like abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine and bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft., haste, immunity to magic, low-light vision, Doll, Empathy, and Three Laws
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4 or Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4 (Doll)
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 9, Con -, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10 or Str 9, Dex 17, Con -, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10 (Doll)
Skills: Listen +20, Spot +20, Perform (Dance) +17
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus(Spot), Skill Focus(Listen), Skill Focus(Perform(Dance))
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 12-18 HD (Large); 19-33 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

This golem has a humanoid body made from clay, adorned with a bright pink, frilly dress, with a painted face including pink lips and blue eyes.

A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem cannot speak or make any vocal noise. It walks and moves with a slow, clumsy gait. It weighs around 600 pounds.
Combat

Cursed Wound (Ex): The damage a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem deals doesn’t heal naturally and resists healing spells. A character attempting to cast a conjuration (healing) spell on a creature damaged by a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem must succeed on a DC 26 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A Bodyguard Doll Clay 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 move earth spell drives the golem back 120 feet and deals 3d12 points of damage to it.

A disintegrate spell slows the golem (as the slow spell) for 1d6 rounds and deals 1d12 points of damage.

An earthquake spell cast directly at a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem stops it from moving on its next turn and deals 5d10 points of damage. The golem gets no saving throw against any of these effects.

Any magical attack against a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem that deals acid damage heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem hit by the breath weapon of a black dragon heals 7 points of damage if the attack would have dealt 22 points of damage. A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem gets no saving throw against magical attacks that deal acid damage.

Haste (Su): After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat, a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem can haste itself once per day as a free action. The effect lasts 3 rounds and is otherwise the same as the spell.

Doll (Su): A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem gains the ability to become a doll, and resume normal form, as a free action at will. In doll form, a Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem is 12 inches tall (Diminutive) with the appropriet modifiers to attack bonus, AC, and skills as appropriet. The Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem takes a -16 Size penalty to Strength, gains a +8 Size bonus to Dexterity, and loses all natural armor and DR while in doll form. This also eliminates their bonus hit points due to size from the Construct Type. A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem maintains mobility in Doll form.

Empathy (Su): A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem can communicate empathically with its current master, as an intelligent item. A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem cannot speak.

Three Laws (Ex): A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem, unlike most constructs, is not mindless. Instead, it is bound to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, but they only apply to the Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem's master and creator, within the limits of the Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem's Knoweledge and intelligence. To Wit:
1) A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem may not injure it's master or creator or, through inaction, allow it's master or creator to come to harm.
2) A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem must obey orders given to it by it's master or creator except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
How it deals with anyone else is governed by it's alignment, which it inherits from it's creator.


Construction

A Bodyguard Doll Clay Golem’s body must be sculpted from a single block of clay weighing at least 1,000 pounds, treated with rare oils and powders worth 1,500 gp. Creating the body requires a DC 15 Craft (sculpting) check or a DC 15 Craft (pottery) check.

CL 11th; Craft Construct, animate objects, commune, resurrection, Shrink Item, Cure Moderate Wounds, caster must be at least 11th level; Price 57,500 gp; Cost 30,250 gp + 2,240 XP.


Bodyguard Doll template

This template can be added to any mindless construct that made through use of the Craft Construct feat, but only at the time of creation.

Size and Type: As base creature
Hit Dice: As base creature
Speed: As base creature
Armor Class: As base creature
Attack: As base creature
Full Attack: As base creature
Damage: As base creature
Space/Reach: As base creature
Special Attacks: As base creature, plus spell like-ability; if the base creature has the Berserk special attack, it is lost.
Special Qualities: As base creature, plus Doll, Empathy, and Three Laws
Saves: As base creature (may be modified by new ability scores)
Abilities: as base creature, except that the creature gains an Intelligence score of 12, and has it's Wisdom increased to at least 12 if below, and Charisma increases to 10 if below 10.
Skills: The creature gains skills according to it's HD. Class skills are Diplomacy, Listen, Perform (all skills, taken individually), and Spot.
Feats: The creature gains feats according to it's HD.
Environment: As base creature
Orginization: As base creature
Challenge Rating: As base creature +1
Treasure: As base creature
Alignment: As creator
Advancement: As base creature
Level Adjustment: As base creature
Market Price: +17,500 gp
Cost to construct: +8,750 gp and +700 xp
Required spells: Shrink Item and Cure Moderate Wounds, in addition to the normal requirements for construction.

At full size, a Bodyguard Doll appears to be a perfectly normal construct, dressed up like a oversized child's doll (or an "action figure", for the male version) and is painted with facial features and skin tones appropriet to the type of doll (or "action figure", for the male version) chosen at the time of creation. Under normal circumstances, however, it appears to be a normal doll (or "action figure", for the male version) of cloth-like consistency, about twelve inches in size. The exact appearence is up to the creator of the Bodyguard Doll. A Bodyguard Doll is normally given to very young nobles to entertain and protect them; a job they are built for and take very seriously.

Spell-like ability: A Bodyguard doll gains the ability to cast Cure Moderate Wounds as a spell-like ability three times per day for 2d8+3 points of healing, although it only functions on the Bodyguard Doll's master. This is in addition to any abilities the base creature might have.

Doll (Su): A Bodyguard Doll gains the ability to become a doll, and resume normal form, as a free action at will. In doll form, a Bodyguard Doll is 12 inches tall (Diminutive) with the appropriet modifiers to attack bonus, AC, and skills as appropriet. The Bodyguard Doll takes a -16 Size penalty to Strength, gains a +8 Size bonus to Dexterity, and loses all natural armor and DR while in doll form. This also eliminates their bonus hit points due to size from the Construct Type. A Bodyguard Doll maintains mobility in doll form.

Empathy (Su): A Bodyguard Doll can communicate empathically with its current master, as an intelligent item. It can only speak if the base creature can speak.

Three Laws (Ex): A Bodyguard Doll, unlike most constructs, is not mindless. Instead, it is bound to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, but they only apply to the Bodyguard Doll's master and creator, within the limits of the Bodyguard Doll's knowlege and intelligence. To Wit:
1) A Bodyguard Doll may not injure it's master or creator or, through inaction, allow it's master or creator to come to harm.
2) A Bodyguard Doll must obey orders given to it by it's master or creator except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A Bodyguard Doll must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
How it deals with anyone else is governed by it's alignment, which it inherits from it's creator.


So, how's it look?

[DracoDei]

Like the general idea. Think that smuggling an army in a single chest is one use that needs to be considered. Also giving a golem intellegence alone is worth more than +1 CR from what I hear. What are the conditions for transfering ownership? I can see a prince who becomes king keeping the same bodygaurd (although not turning it into a doll), but what if he wants to give it to his own son or dies? This is an unanswered question with many constructs, but it just seems more important with this one.

[Jack_Simth]

Like the general idea. Think that smuggling an army in a single chest is one use that needs to be considered.
Considering that the least expensive Golem has a market price of 20,000 gp (flesh golem), and that this template adds 17,500 gp to the market price, and that the price only goes up for other Core craftable constructs are considerably more expensive, that's a really pricy army. It'd work as a plot point, or a campaign feature, but not much else.

You've also got the issue that starting a war has a chance of causing harm to the Guardian Dolls' Creator/Master. If the Guardian Dolls figure this out, under 1st Law, not only will they not go to war, but they might actively fight the Creator/Master's regular soldiers when it's tried (purely in the interests of protecting the Creator/Master).

Asimov's Three Laws are fun.

Besides - it's a slightly less expensive tactic than putting each one in a seperate portable hole, and doing the same thing.

Also giving a golem intellegence alone is worth more than +1 CR from what I hear.
Cool. What would be good?

What are the conditions for transfering ownership? I can see a prince who becomes king keeping the same bodygaurd (although not turning it into a doll), but what if he wants to give it to his own son
Most of the answer in the Golem overview entry, buried in the Combat section of all places:

COMBAT

Golems are tenacious in combat and prodigiously strong as well. Being mindless, they do nothing without orders from their creators. They follow instructions explicitly and are incapable of any strategy or tactics. They are emotionless in combat and cannot be provoked.

A golem’s creator can command it if the golem is within 60 feet and can see and hear its creator. If uncommanded, a golem usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though if attacked it returns the attack. The creator can give the golem a simple command to govern its actions in his or her absence. The golem’s creator can order the golem to obey the commands of another person (who might in turn place the golem under someone else’s control, and so on), but the golem’s creator can always resume control over his creation by commanding the golem to obey him alone.(Emphasis added)

With a Shield Guardian, the master is whoever wears the amulet. I'm not too worried about non-core monsters. If my template is balanced with itself and Core, I'm happy, and will house-rule other stuff as it comes up. I don't blame WotC when a player comes up with a broken build requiring three different non-core sources. I blame the player. Now, when Core + one Non-Core book gets a broken combo, THEN I blame WotC.

The 1st law adds a wrinkle, though - the Creatpr/Master can't transfer ownership when, in the judgement of the Guardian Doll, such a transfer would cause the Creator/Master harm.


or dies? This is an unanswered question with many constructs, but it just seems more important with this one.

What happens when the Creator/Master are both dead? Well, you now have an intelligent entity that can't be told what to do with forced obedience (in the case of the Core Golems), or an intelligent critter that's got an amulet that is valued as highly as it's freedom (in the case of a Shield Guardian - whoever wears the amulet is the master - period).

[jindra34]

Could you add this template to a homunculus?

[Jack_Simth]

Could you add this template to a homunculus?
I thought of that. The template requires that the base creature be a mindless construct craftable through the Craft Construct feat - so no, as a homunculus isn't mindless to begin with (Intelligence score of 10).

Seriously though - why would you?

[Khoran]

I thought of that. The template requires that the base creature be a mindless construct craftable through the Craft Construct feat - so no, as a homunculus isn't mindless to begin with (Intelligence score of 10).

Seriously though - why would you?

Actually, Craft Construct just means you can craft a construct. It dosn't say that the crafted Construct must be mindless. However, I can understand if you want this to only apply to mindless constructs. Though if you want my advice, I'd say make it any construct.

Anyways, I like the template, it's a fun one and could make for a very fun situation that would definitly catch someone off guard.

[Jack_Simth]

Actually, Craft Construct just means you can craft a construct.
Not all constructs can be made through Craft Construct - the Inevitables, for instance, can't be made by use of Craft Construct, Core - they're just from Mechanus or somewhere; DM use only.

It dosn't say that the crafted Construct must be mindless.
Correct; I'm using Mindless to note a subset of the constructs buildable through Craft Construct. "Mindless" is a requirement of the type of construct it can affect. Craftable through Craft Construct is another requirement of the type of construct it can affect.

I have less issues with creating an intelligence bound to a set of rules than I do with binding an existing intelligence to a set of rules.


However, I can understand if you want this to only apply to mindless constructs. Though if you want my advice, I'd say make it any construct.

Also, there's CR issues with applying it to a construct that already has intelligence:
The Three Laws introduce a very stong weakness into the construct: If you can hold the creator/master prisoner, you can give it orders under the threat of the death of the creator/master that take priority over the orders of the creator/master - as orders from the creator/master are 2nd law issues, while threats of harm to the creator/master are 1st law issues. 1st law wins, by definition. If you know enough about the subject, you can potentialy reassign masters by force this way (but not reassign creators - they're forever) by mostly ignoring the golem. The feats and skills granted by the intelligence are a hefty boost, but the Three Laws are a very strange, and powerful, limitation. If it's already intelligent, the feats/skills are already present, and there isn't nearly so much of a boost to counter the limit. It'd need a different CR change - probably of 0 or even less.


Anyways, I like the template, it's a fun one and could make for a very fun situation that would definitly catch someone off guard.
Thanks for the compliment.

[aaron_the_cow]

"run from the pink dressed death!!!!"