Golem, Sentient Wax GolemSentient Wax Golem CR 4Source Pathfinder #47: Ashes at Dawn pg. 90
XP 1,200
Commoner 1
N Medium construct
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +6DefenseAC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (-1 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 47 (5 HD; 4d10+1d6+21)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1
Immune construct traits, magic
Weaknesses vulnerable to fireOffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee slam +6 (1d6+3)StatisticsStr 14, Dex 9, Con —, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 15
Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Appraise +6, Craft (carpentry) +7, Disguise +7 (+17 to appear as the individual it was crafted to resemble), Perception +6; Racial Modifiers +12 Disguise
Languages Common
SQ conditional sentienceEcologyEnvironment any
Organization solitary
Treasure noneSpecial AbilitiesConditional Sentience (Su) A wax golem constructed to look like a humanoid (whether a particular individual or not) has a small chance of gaining sentience, genuinely believing it is actually a living creature. Each week, such a wax golem has a cumulative 1% chance of becoming sentient (so the second week the chance is 2%, the third week 3%, and so on, to a maximum of 5%). If this occurs, the golem gains an Intelligence score of 10, retroactive skill points, feats dependent on its Hit Dice, and 1 class level with the potential to gain more. It also gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to impersonate the specific individual it was crafted to appear as. A sentient wax golem ventures into the world and tries to live a life similar to that of the person (or type of person) it resembles. However, if the sentient wax golem ever encounters the person it is modeled after, it attempts to stealthily kill that person and take his place. The only way for a sentient wax golem to lose its sentience is either to take an amount of fire damage equal to half its hit points (which melts its features away) or to be destroyed.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) A wax golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance, with the exception of spells and spell-like abilities that have the fire descriptor. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.- A magical attack that deals fire damage slows a wax golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds (no save). In addition, for 3 rounds after being afflicted with fire damage, every time a wax golem uses its slam attack, it deals an additional 1d4 points of fire damage due to the molten wax.
- A magical attack that deals cold damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack 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. A wax golem gets no saving throw against cold effects.
DescriptionA wax golem is an exact replica of a particular person, composed completely of wax. While skilled artists pride themselves on their ability to make wax sculptures look lifelike, builders of wax golems go one step further and actually bring their art to life. Though eerily silent and unblinking, well-built wax golems bear such striking similarity to the subjects they are modeled after that some golems begin to think they are in fact that person.
A wax golem can be constructed to resemble any person or creature, though they typically look like human subjects, standing at the same height and weighing about three times as much.EcologyWax golems are often constructed by artistic spellcasters who fancy making their work a little more authentic- looking. Though these golems can look like anything from faceless, colorless drones to finely detailed reconstructions, they all share the commonality of being formed purely from hard wax. Most wax golem crafters choose to create these lifelike statues not for aesthetic purposes, however, but to undertake devious chores such as infiltration, espionage, or assassination.Habitat & SocietyWax golems possess the mysterious ability of possibly gaining self-awareness, an attribute almost exclusively reserved for humanoid creatures born of natural means. By resembling a subject so greatly, wax golems have a small chance of gaining conscious thought and higher-level thinking, effectively manifesting their own sentience.
This extraordinary ability has no logical explanation, though some constructors of these beings who have witnessed this transformation theorize that wax golems obtain self-awareness by watching humanoids over an extended period of time. Wax golems that spend a significant amount of time around people who mistake them for the subjects they resemble (such as golems sent to perform espionage) have an even greater chance of gaining sentience.
Oddly, wax golems that gain sentience also develop the genuine belief that they are who they are modeled after. This notion is so strong that if such a wax golem were to encounter the individual it is modeled after, it would go to great lengths to exterminate the person and take his or her place in society, even adopting a code of morals and principles similar to those of the murdered subject. In this way, wax golems stealthily inject themselves into roles as diplomats, leaders, and authority figures, often to the detriment of people close to the usurped individual.
So meticulously designed are wax golems, however, that few can identify a wax golem as a fraud, even when in close proximity. Along with sentience, wax golems achieve moderate intelligence, as well as the ability to communicate and speak. In order to mask the glossy sheen associated with their wax bodies, deceptive golems take special care to garb themselves in clothes that hide their peculiar complexions. They still do not eat, sleep, or breathe, but crafty golems easily avoid the complications associated with these trivialities. The only definitive clue a well-built wax golem cannot easily hide is the distinct texture of its skin, which, even to the most unobservant individual, does not feel anything like flesh. Because of this, wax golems tend to be aloof and secretive, never allowing any one person to get too close, a trait that does not go unnoticed by those well-acquainted with the original individual, who tend to pick up on the rather sudden shift in demeanor.
Environmental hazards such as heat from the sun or cold precipitation have little effect on wax golems, though constant exposure to temperatures over 100 degrees for more than an hour does produce a rather odd sheen, and spending longer than a day in such weather begins to take its toll on the golem, dealing 1d4 points of fire damage every hour spent in the elements after the first.ConstructionThe construction of a wax golem requires a block of solid wax the size of whatever individual it is to be molded after, typically weighing over 1,000 pounds. The wax is treated with dyes and magical unguents worth at least 500 gp. The simplest wax golems require the creator to make a Craft (sculptures) check, with wax golems resembling specific races or individuals requiring higher DCs. While wax golems that look like living creatures possess greater versatility, they also have the potential of gaining a strange sort of sentience.
CL 9th; Price 14,000 gp
Craft Requirements Craft Construct, animate objects, geas/quest, limited wish, silent image, creator must be caster level 9th; Skill Craft (sculptures) DC 18 (DC 25 if the creator wants the golem to look like a member of a particular race; DC 30 if the creator wants the golem to look like a specific individual); Cost 7,000 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.
|