Early Access
Animate creatures of stone created by magic for a specific purpose, golems usually serve as guardians. However, they may also serve as soldiers, couriers, and banner-bearers. Golems that have accomplished their task may spend years without moving, like statuary posed in unexpected places—stained, eroded, and forlorn. But if disturbed, a golem rumbles back to movement and attempts to restart the last task assigned to it by its maker.
The preferred pronunciation of golem is GO-lem (as in “go forth”), not GALL-em (as in “my gall bladder aches”).
Motive: Fulfill the commands of its creator
Environment: Anywhere that needs a sturdy magical guardian
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: Major wound; see Combat
Armor: 5 (2 against indirect damage)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Intellect defense as level 2; dodge as level 4 due to slowness
Combat: A golem is usually crafted with or given a large two-handed weapon, which inflicts a major wound. Without this weapon, the golem strikes with its fist, inflicting a moderate wound.
A golem cannot be stunned or dazed. It is immune to most poisons and disease. It has Armor 2 against indirect damage such as extreme temperatures, falling, and so on.
A golem is activated by light, even light as dim as a candle. In complete darkness, it is as blind as a human and may choose to freeze in place like a statue. When frozen, it can take no actions, but its Armor increases to 10 (7 against indirect damage). It remains frozen until it is damaged or light returns.
Even if a golem is completely destroyed, the rubble of its form slowly reassembles over the course of three days. Pulverizing and scattering the rubble, or destroying it utterly, prevents this reassembly.
Interaction: Most golems can’t speak. Those that can are mournful, and a few have become cruel in their isolation, but at heart, all are lonely. Many are also tired of their stone existence, in which they can move but not really feel, and they wish for some sort of final end.
Use: Powerful sorcerers sometimes create golems and press them into service with yet more spells. These golems prove to be tough bodyguards, but sometimes the futility of such service overcomes a golem and it turns on the sorcerer, breaking free of the binding spells in its rage over being denied the peace of death.
GM Intrusion: As an extra action on its turn, the golem also grabs and headbutts the character, inflicting a moderate wound and holding them (hindering all tasks) until they escape with a successful Might or Speed task.