Golem, Sand GolemThis towering creature appears to be made entirely of sand, with pockets of soft earth and rock reinforcing its tall, humanoid form.Sand Golem CR 9Source Construct Handbook pg. 46
XP 6,400
N Large construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0DefenseAC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +12 natural, -1 size)
hp 96 (12d10+30)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +4
Defensive Abilities amorphous; DR 10/bludgeoning; Immune construct traits, magic
Weaknesses vulnerable to electricityOffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +18 (2d6+7 plus grab)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks clutching sands, constrict (2d6+10), sand blastStatisticsStr 24, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Base Atk +12; CMB +20 (+24 grapple); CMD 32
SQ compressionEcologyEnvironment any
Organization solitary or gang (2-4)
Treasure noneSpecial AbilitiesClutching Sands (Ex) When a creature hits a sand golem with a manufactured melee weapon, the sand golem can make a disarm attempt as an immediate action. This disarm attempt doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. If the combat maneuver check is a success, the weapon is caught in the golem’s churning sands. A sand golem’s body can contain any number of weapons. A sand golem can make an attack with one captured weapon of its choice as a standard action or as part of its full attack, although attack rolls made with captured weapons take a –4 penalty. After attacking twice with a weapon, the weapon falls to the ground, landing 1d4 squares away from the sand golem.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) A sand golem is immune to spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. - An aqueous orb spell deals lethal damage instead of nonlethal damage to a sand golem
- A hydraulic torrent spell gains a +5 bonus on its combat maneuver check as the torrent surges through a sand golem.
- Soften earth and stone causes a sand golem to lose its damage reduction for 3 rounds.
- A transmute mud to rock spell slows a sand golem (as per slow) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.
- A transmute rock to mud spell restores 1d6 hit points per level of the caster to a sand golem (maximum 10d6).
Sand Blast (Su) As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, a sand golem can expel a 15-foot cone of fiery sand from its chest. Creatures struck by the blast take 4d6 points of fire damage and 4d6 points of bludgeoning damage and become blinded for 1 round. A creature that succeeds at a DC 16 Reflex save takes half damage and negates the blindness. The save DC is Constitution-based.DescriptionA sand golem is an animate mass of living sand, soft earth, and rocks first employed during the early period of the Jistka Imperium as the original defenders of the city’s many golemwork factories. Given the readily available crafting resources and plentiful artificers, the golems made effective and inexpensive additions to the Jistkans’ menagerie of creations. As time went on, Jistkan golem crafters also found that these golems proved equally useful on the front lines of battle. However, as Jistkan enemies began utilizing creatures from beyond the Material Plane, sand golems were eventually phased out in favor of bigger, more dangerous beings with far greater abilities. As conflicts with their neighbors eventually broke and scattered the Jistka Imperium, the knowledge of how to create these golems was lost to the sands of time.
Hundreds of years later, Osiriani golem crafters delving into uncovered Jistkan catacombs eventually stumbled upon the knowledge of creating sand golems. Though the process was archaic, these crafters were able to once more produce new sand golems. When the time came to put their newly found treasure to the test, the artificers knew the perfect trial for their unearthed creations: defensive sentries in the scorching desert surrounding many of Osirion’s cities. When enemies approached, the sand golems coalesced from the nearby sand and made quick work of trespassers and potential invaders, proving a brilliant success.
Enterprising sorcerers and wizards have come into great fortune by utilizing sand golems to collect ancient relics from hidden tombs and newly discovered ruins deep in the parched desert dunes. With their ability to withstand the blazing temperatures of the desert sun, these golems are perfect scouts and retrievers. Additionally, sand golems make for stalwart sentinels of precious locations such as a master’s lair or curious locales that require in-person research from their masters.
Sand golems, like other constructs, obey their creators’ commands to the best of their ability. Should the creator die, or should the golem’s commands be unattainable, the sand golem goes rogue. The creature is still completely functional, but it follows no commands or orders from anyone. Over the course of time, many sand golems have gone rogue, and plenty still roam the harsh deserts of northern Garund.
Though sand golems are usually encountered alone, particularly demanding tasks might cause their masters to send a gang of sand golems to complete the mission. A sand golem is 10 feet tall and weighs 3,000 pounds.Variant Sand GolemsThe following are a couple of variations of sand golems spotted on Golarion.
Gravel Golem (+2 CR): Golem crafters in places lacking fine sand used similar techniques to create a golem formed from larger particles. These golems are often bulkier and more devastating than sand golems. A gravel golem gains the advanced simple template, but its Intelligence score isn’t increased. In addition, its slams deal 2d10 points of damage and its sand blast special attack deals 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage in addition to the fire damage. A gravel golem costs an additional 5,000 gp to create.
Quicksand Golem (+0 CR): Designed for nondesert climates and specifically for dealing with large areas of people, a quicksand golem loses its blistering sand blast attack. Instead, every 1d6 rounds the golem can create a 10-foot-square area of quicksand within 50 feet of itself. The quicksand golem can create quicksand only in natural, unworked terrain, and created patches of quicksand remain active for 10 minutes before vanishing. Creatures still stuck in the quicksand after this duration are immediately shunted to the normal surface of the terrain in which the quicksand was created. The quicksand golem can maintain only three active patches of quicksand at a time. A quicksand golem costs an additional 2,500 gp to create.ConstructionThe construction of a sand golem requires soft earth and sand that weighs at least 1,500 pounds, as well as rare magical minerals worth 3,500 gp. Sand Golem CL 12th; Price 53,500 gp Construction Requirements Craft Construct, geas/quest, limited wish, move earth, creator must be caster level 12th; Skill Craft (stonemasonry) DC 20; Cost 28,500 gpCreatures in "Golem" CategorySource Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 159
Golems are magically created automatons of great power. They stand apart from other constructs in the nature of their animating force—golems are granted their magical life via an elemental spirit, typically that of an earth elemental. The process of creating a golem binds the spirit to the artificial body, merging it with this specially prepared vessel and subjecting it to the will of the golem's creator.
Being mindless, golems do nothing without orders from their creators. They follow instructions explicitly and are incapable of complex strategy or tactics. 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 absence, or can order the golem to obey the commands of another, but the golem's creator can always resume control by commanding the golem to obey him alone.
Constructing a Golem The cost to create a golem includes the cost of the physical body and all the materials and spell components used in its creation. Each golem entry gives specific details on the materials required and the total cost for its creation.
Note: The market price of a golem with more Hit Dice than the typical golem described in each entry is increased by 5,000 gp for each additional Hit Die it possesses beyond the standard for its kind, and increases by an additional 50,000 gp if the golem's size increases. Building a golem with the advanced simple template increases its cost by 15,000 gp.
Shield Guardians A spellcaster with enough talent, resources, and inspiration can create a special variant of a golem known as a shield guardian. Any true golem can be created as a shield guardian, but the choice to do so must be made during the golem's construction—a completed golem cannot later be “upgraded” to function as a shield guardian.
Shield guardians are designed to serve as bodyguards. When created, a shield guardian is keyed to a magical amulet that is constructed at the same time as (and as part of the cost of) the guardian. Henceforth, it regards the wearer of that amulet as its master, protecting and following that individual everywhere (unless specifically commanded not to do so). If a shield guardian's amulet is destroyed, the guardian ceases to function until a new one is created. If the wearer dies but the amulet is intact, the shield guardian carries out the last command it was given.
A shield guardian obeys its master's verbal commands to the best of its ability, although it is not good for much beyond combat, protection, and simple manual labor. It can also be keyed to perform specific tasks at specific times or when certain conditions are met. The wearer of the amulet can call the shield guardian from any distance, and it will come as long as it is on the same plane.
Shield guardians have the same statistics as the base golem, but with the following additional special qualities. A shield guardian's CR is equal to the base golem's CR + 2.
Controlled (Ex) A shield guardian that has the berserk special attack cannot go berserk as long as the wearer of its amulet is within 30 feet.
Fast Healing (Ex) A shield guardian has fast healing 5.
Find Master (Su) As long as a shield guardian and its amulet are on the same plane, the shield guardian can locate the amulet's wearer (or just the amulet, if it is removed after the guardian is called).
Guard (Ex) If ordered to do so, a shield guardian moves to defend the wearer of its amulet. All attacks against the amulet wearer take a –2 penalty when the shield guardian is adjacent to its master.
Shield Other (Sp) The wearer of a shield guardian's amulet can activate this defensive ability as a standard action if within 100 feet of the shield guardian. Just as the spell of the same name, this ability transfers to the shield guardian half the damage that would be dealt to the amulet wearer (note that this ability does not provide the spell's AC or save bonuses). Damage transferred in this manner bypasses any defensive abilities (such as immunity or damage reduction) the golem possesses.
Spell Storing (Sp) A shield guardian can store one spell of 4th level or lower that is cast into it by another creature. It “casts” this spell when commanded to do so or when a predefined situation arises. Once this spell is used, the shield guardian can store another spell (or the same spell again).
Construction: A shield guardian's base materials cost an additional 25,000 gp above the base golem's cost. The creature's master may assemble the body or hire someone else to do the job. The Craft check required to make the body is 4 higher than normal for the base golem's kind. The keyed amulet is fashioned at the same time—it costs 20,000 gp above and beyond the shield guardian's total cost. After the body is sculpted, the shield guardian is animated through an extended magical ritual that requires a specially prepared laboratory or workroom, similar to an alchemist's laboratory and costing 500 gp to establish. If the creator is personally constructing the creature's body, the building and the ritual can be performed together. The creator must have a minimum caster level of 2 higher than the base golem's minimum required caster level. In addition, the following spells are added to the base golem's requirements: discern location and either shield or shield other.
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