Force Golem
HD:d10
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Feature
1 +0 +0 +0 +0 Force Golem Body, +1 Str, Force Power, Broke the Mold
2 +1 +0 +0 +0 +1 Str, Force Power, Warp, Force Vulnerability
3 +2 +1 +1 +1 +1 Str, Force Power, Spell Resistance, Forceful
4 +3 +1 +1 +1 +1 Str, Force Power, Force Affinity, Controller
Class Skills: (2+Int Mod, x4 at first level) A Force Golem's class skills are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).
Proficiencies: A Force Golem is proficient with its natural weapons but gains no other weapon or armor proficiencies.
Features:Force Golem Body: The Force Golem loses all racial traits and features, and gains the construct type and traits. These include:
-No Constitution Score
-Low-light vision
-Darkvision out to 60 feet
-Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)
-Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
-Cannot heal damage naturally
-Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain.
-Immunity to any effect that requires a fortitude save (Unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)
-Not at risk of death from massive damage. Destroyed if reduced to 0 hitpoints, but can be "repaired" if destroyed by spending 24 hours of work and 500 GP of materials per HD.
-Cannot be raised or resurrected unless by a wish, miracle, or true resurrection
-Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe
A Force Golem is medium size and has a land speed of 30ft. A Force Golem also has a natural armor bonus equal to its Strength modifier.
A Force Golem has two slam attacks that do 1d6 damage and threaten a critical hit on a natural 20.
At 1st level and every class level thereafter, a force golem gains +1 strength.
Force Powers: At 1st level and every class level thereafter, a force golem gains a force power of its choice from the following list: Force Burst, Force Field, Force Reactive, Pulse, Feat(for which it must meet the prerequisites). Unless otherwise noticed, each Force Power demands a standard action to use.
-Force Burst (Su): Once every 3 rounds, a force golem can create a 30-foot-radius burst of force centered on its self. Creatures in the area take 1d6 points of damage per two HD the Force Golem possesses (rounded up) and are knocked prone. Those who succeed on a Reflex save take half damage and remain standing. The save DC is equal to 10 + half the Force Golem's HD (rounded up) + the Force Golem's Strength modifier. If a force golem has the Improved Overrun feat, the save DC is increased by 4. Force golems are immune to this ability. This is a force effect.
At 4 HD a force golem gains +10 feet to the potential radius of Force Burst. This additional 10 feet of radius is always optional, and the Force Golem can choose instead to decrease the radius of Force Burst to by up to 10 feet, down to 20 feet which adds +1d6 + the force golem's strength bonus to the damage. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase. Flying opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst are dazed for one round unless they make their reflex save.
At 8 HD a force golem gains +10 feet to the potential radius of Force Burst. This additional 10 feet of radius is always optional, and the Force Golem can choose instead to decrease the radius of Force Burst by up to 20 feet, down to 10 feet which adds +2d6 + the force golem's strength bonus to the damage. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase. Flying opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst are stunned for one round unless they make their reflex save. If they are immune to stunning they are instead dazed for one round on a failed reflex save.
At 12 HD a force golem gains +10 feet to the maximum radius of Force Burst. This additional 10 feet of radius is always optional. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase. Opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst who fail their reflex save are dazed for one round as well as knocked prone.
At 16 HD a force golem gains +10 feet to the maximum radius of Force Burst. This additional 10 feet of radius is always optional. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase. Opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst who fail their reflex save are stunned for one round as well as knocked prone. If they are immune to stunning they are instead dazed for one round and knocked prone on a failed reflex save.
At 20 HD a force golem gains +20 feet to the maximum radius of Force Burst. This additional 20 feet of radius is always optional. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase. Opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst cannot save against its damage, but must make a reflex save with a save DC equal to the damage they take or the normal save DC of Force Burst, whichever is higher. Opponents who fail this reflex save are dazed for one round, stunned for one round, and knocked prone. All opponents caught within the radius of Force Burst must also make a caster level check vs. the force golem's spell resistance or have a random buff dispelled.
The radius on a force golem's Force Burst gains an optional +20 feet every 4th HD after 20. A force golem decides the radius of Force Burst each time it uses the ability, it does not have to choose the radius at the HD at which it gains this increase.
Force Field (Ex): A force golem is surrounded in an invisible sphere that excludes external spells and spell effects of 2nd level and lower. This ability functions like a lesser globe of invulnerability, except it is an extraordinary ability and it does not extend to spells and spell effects created by the force golem. A force golem's Pulse, Force Reactive, and Force Burst abilities are unaffected by the Force Field. A force golem can dismiss or reactivate its Force Field as a free action at any time even if it is not its turn.
At 4th Force Golem level the Force Field excludes spells and spell effects of 3rd level and lower.
Force Reactive (Su): When an opponent attacks and misses a force golem with a melee attack, the force golem can turn the kinetic energy of the attack back on the attacker as an immediate action. The attacker is pushed 5 feet into an empty square of the force golem’s choice. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If the force golem has the Improved Bull Rush feat, it can choose to push an attacker as far as 10 feet into an empty square. If the attacker is flying, the force golem can push it up to 10 feet instead of the normal 5, and up to 20 feet if the force golem possesses the Improved Bull Rush feat.
At 6 HD the distance a force golem can push its attacker is twice the original distance (5 feet becomes 10 feet).
At 12 HD the distance a force golem can push its attacker doubles again (10 feet becomes 20).
At 18 HD the distance a force golem can push its attacker doubles again (20 feet becomes 40), and as part of the same immediate action it can use Pulse on its attacker.
At 20 HD a force golem can use Force Reactive as a free action even if it is not its turn, although if it chooses to use Pulse on an attacker affected by Force Reactive, then it must use its immediate action for the turn to do so.
Pulse (Sp): A force golem can target any opponent within 60 feet with this ability, which functions as a ranged bull rush attempt. The force golem and its target make opposed Strength checks. If the force golem wins the opposed check, the opponent is pushed 10 feet in a direction of the golem’s choice and falls prone in the square it ends up in. For each 5 points the force golem's check result is greater than the defender's check result, the force golem can push the defender an additional 5 feet. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and using this ability does not cause the force golem to provoke an attack of opportunity. If the target is flying, the force golem can push it twice as far. The force golem is not required to move with the pushed opponent.
A force golem can push an opponent only in a straight line, and it cannot push an opponent closer to it than the square that foe started in. If an intervening obstacle prevents the opponent from being pushed 10 feet, the foe and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of damage. If the opponent was flying and the force golem chose to push them straight down, they take falling damage appropriate for the distance traveled before striking the obstacle. The opponent then falls prone in the square it was in before striking the obstacle.
Any feat or special ability that grants a bonus on resisting bull rush attempts (such as a dwarf’s stability) applies to this opposed Strength check. Similarly, if a force golem takes a feat or special ability that improves bull rush attempts, they gain its benefits on this check.
At 4 HD a force golem gains a +2 bonus on bull rush checks, and can use Pulse on any opponent within 90 feet and can force a flying opponent downward three times the normal distance.
At 8 HD a force golem gains a +2 bonus on bull rush checks, and can use Pulse on any opponent within 120 feet and can force a flying opponent downward as if they were falling, dealing full falling damage upon impact with the ground.
At 12 HD a force golem gains a +4 bonus on bull rush checks, and can use Pulse on any opponent within 150 feet and deals and can force a flying opponent downward faster than if they were falling, dealing double falling damage upon impact with the ground. This overpowers spells that decrease falling speed, like feather fall, but does not deactivate them. Non-flying opponents who collide with obstacles suffer additional damage as well. Both the opponent and the obstacle take an additional +1d6 of damage per 10 feet beyond the first that the force golem pushed them with its bull rush check. In addition a force golem adds its strength bonus to any damage dealt through the use of Pulse.
At 16 HD a force golem gains a +4 bonus on bull rush checks, and can use Pulse on any opponent within 200 feet and can force a flying opponent downward faster than if they were falling, dealing triple falling damage + the force golem's strength bonus upon impact with the ground. This overpowers spells that decrease falling speed or allow flight and targets of this ability must make a caster level check vs. the force golem's spell resistance or have relevant transmutation effects dispelled. In addition a force golem adds double its strength bonus to any damage dealt through the use of Pulse.
At 20 HD a force golem gains a +8 bonus on bull rush checks, and can use Pulse on any opponent it can see. It also adds triple its strength bonus to any damage dealt through the use of Pulse. Should the force golem choose, it can use Pulse as a move action instead of as a standard action, it makes this decision anew each time it uses Pulse.
Feat: A force golem may learn a feat in place of a Force Power.
Their intelligence and free will make force golems anomalies amongst golems. In addition to allowing them to make complex tactical analysis, they develop personalities which they express in combat. At 1st level a force golem gains either Power Attack or Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat, even if it does not meet the prerequisites. If it already has one or both of these feats it may select any other feat for which it meets the prerequisites. A force golem must also choose to focus on charisma or intelligence. Whichever ability it chooses immediately increases by 1 and increases by 1 again every class level after 1st.
Warp (Ex): A force golem gains a Deflection bonus to AC equal to its highest mental ability modifier, and gains Sonic Resistance equal to twice its HD. At 5 HD it gains +1 bonus hitpoint per HD, this bonus increases to +2 at 10 HD, +3 at 15 HD, and +4 at 20 HD.
Force Vulnerability (Ex): Force effects deal half again as much damage (50%) to a force golem.
Spell Resistance (SR): A force golem gains Spell Resistance 15 + HD, A force golem can lower or raise its Spell Resistance as a free action at any time should it choose to receive friendly spells. It does not have to be the force golem's turn for it to lower or raise its spell resistance. This Spell Resistance does not extend to force effects.
Forceful (Ex): A force golem learns to put extra energy behind its blows. At 3 HD, its natural weapons increase in damage die size (From 1d6 to 1d8 for a medium size force golem) and gain the force descriptor, making them useful against incorporeal foes. The damage die increases in size again every five HD after the force golem's third HD.
Force Affinity (Ex): For obvious reasons, a force golem is particularly talented with force effects. Any force effect a force golem creates, whether it is a spell, power, or other special ability, is freely empowered. Any force effect a force golem creates, whether it is a spell, power, or other special ability, is freely empowered as though by the Empower Spell metamagic feat. In addition a force golem immediately gains +1 bonus to caster level, manifester level, and other level-dependent force effects. It gains another +1 for every 5 HD it has (So +1 at 5, 10, etc.).
Controller: A force golem becomes a large size creature. It also gains DR/adamantine equal to half its HD.
Comments:
As much as I like the Force Golem in MMV, it was not very well designed.
It's MAD as hell, needing almost all of its stat bonuses just to make its abilities and fluff work. It normally has +8 Strength for Bull Rush attempts (Integral), +6 Dex to make its ranged touch attacks viable (For the pulse ability), +2 Intelligence primarily for fluff (But it's fluff I like), and +4 Charisma for Save DCs and fluff.
I dropped the Dex bonus entirely and chose a route that lets the player choose to be either smart or charismatic, which should allow for choice in character design.
If you drop the fluff support, which is unfortunate but necessary, the creature feels less unique but becomes more functional.
Focusing functionality made me question the power of the certain abilities; normally Pulse requires a ranged touch attack but I removed that part to make it less MAD. I figure the ability to move allies and opponents around the battlefield like chess pawns is pretty good, but nothing that compared to equivalent-level battlefield controllers, so I just let it be as good as possible.
I was also considering giving it tremorsense 5 x HD, to augment its chess board BFC feel.
