This template is roughly based on the Golems in the SRD, and even there it's kinda loose. Still, if you want to create a Golem for
any material...
Golem Golem is an Inherited template that can be applied to any material with some form of Hardness, created by binding an Elemental to a prepared frame. For the purposes of this template, a Material's "Core Value" is equal to their Hardness, rounded up to the nearest even number.
Size and Type: A Golem is a Construct. They are Medium if their Hardness is 1 or less, Large if their Hardness is greater than 1 but less than 18, Huge if their Hardness is greater than 18 but less than 50 HD, and one with 51+ Hardness is Gargantuan.
Hit Dice: A Golem possesses a number of d10 Hit-Dice equal to the material's Hardness + 6.
Speed: A Golem possesses a 20ft move speed.
Armor Class: A Golem possesses a Natural Armor bonus equal to twice their material's Core Value.
Attacks: A Golem gains two Slams as Primary Natural Weapons; these Slam attacks deal 2d8 damage for a Large Golem.
Special Attacks: None (but see "Creating a Golem").
Special Qualities: A Golem gains Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60ft, Damage Reduction, Immunity to Magic, and Material Properties. If the Golem's material is not metal or stone, it also gains the Berserk Special Quality. Finally, if the Golem's material grants a special benefit to creatures who wear it as armor, the Golem receives the benefits as if they wearing Heavy Armor made of the material.
Berserk (Ex): The Golem possesses an Ego Score equal to its HD + one-fifth of their Damage Reduction. The Golem must make an Ego Contest with itself once per round while in a chaotic situation, such as combat or a b ustling market square. If it succeeds on the Ego Contest, it will continue to follow its orders; if it fails, it will then proceed to violently attack the nearest living creature, or inanimate objects smaller than itself if there aren't any creatures around. The Golem's creator may, if they are within 60ft, take a minute speaking authoritatively to the Golem; if they do, they may make an Ego Contest with the Golem, allowing them to resume control if they succeed.
Damage Reduction (Ex): A Golem receives DR x/Adamantine, where x is equal to their material's Core Value + 1, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A Golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. However, any spells or effects that specifically target the material they are created from bypass this defense. See below for the precise effects of this weakness.
Material Properties (Ex): Golems are entirely constructed out of a particular material. As such, their natural weapons are considered to be made of that material for all intents and purposes, and the Golem receives any benefits that a creature wearing armor made of that material would.
In addition, their material defines how certain types of damage interact with the Golem; if the weapon, tool or energy type would bypass the material's hardness normally (such as using axes or fire against a Golem made of wood), it causes the Golem to become
Slowed for three rounds. This flaw does not extend to special materials such as Adamantine which bypass hardness, or effects which allow a creature to bypass hardness.
If an energy type, tool, or weapon is incorporated into the creation of the Golem or is necessary to reshape the material into a final good (such as fire used on a Golem made of iron, electricity on a Golem made of flesh, or acid with a Golem made of gold), using it against the Golem deals no damage; instead, the Golem recovers 1hp for every 3 damage that would be dealt, and any
Slow effect they are currently suffering from immediately ends.
Saves: As a Construct, a Golem does not possess any Good Saves.
Abilities: A Golem has Dex 9, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1. In addition, their Strength score is 13 + twice their Core Value.
Skills: As they are Mindless, Golems do not receive any skills.
Feats: As they are Mindless, Golems do not receive any feats.
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 4 + one-third of their Hardness (rounded down); add one to their effective Hardness for every 10 HD they have past the first, and lower their effective Hardness by one if they possess the Berserk special quality.
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always TN
Advancement: By HD, to a maximum of 5 + thrice their Hardness; a Golem's with 8 or more HD is Large, one with 24 or more HD is Huge, and one with 56 or more HD is Gargantuan.
Level Adjustment: —
Creating a Golem: A Golem may be constructed by any spellcaster that possesses the Craft Construct feat. A Golem is a humanoid sculpture that is 4ft tall, plus 1ft for every two HD they have; a Golem is constructed out of one cubic foot of material for every foot of height it has. In addition, a Golem requires special unguents and ritual objects that cost 250gp and 10xp for each HD that the Golem possesses. A DC 15 Craft check appropriate to the material must be made to shape the body - Golems made of suitably exotic materials might require a different check from a different skill instead.
For a Golem to be anything more useful than an impressive piece of statuary, the following spells must be cast into the empty vessal:
Geas/Quest,
Lesser Planar Binding, and
Permanency. Divine spellcasters may substitute
Lesser Planar Ally for
Lesser Planar Binding and
Commune for
Permanency. The process of creating a Golem involves calling and binding an elemental spirit to the prepared shell.
It is traditional that certain additional spells are incorporated into vessals made of particular materials; for example,
Slow is traditionally incorporated into Stone Golems and
Cloudkill is traditionally incorporated into Stone Golems. These spells must have a casting time no longer than one Standard action, and cannot have a spell-level higher than one-third of the Golem's HD, rounding up.
The Golem gains the ability to use that spell as a Supernatural ability once every 1d4 + 1 rounds, using one-third of their HD (rounded up) as the caster level and taking a swift action instead of the normal casting time. Golems are unfortunately straightforward - any beneficial spell incorporated this way changes its range to Personal, any harmful spell will be used on the closest available targets, and any spell that isn't directly related to combat, which summons or binds creatures, which creates illusions, or which
charms or
dominates a creature is beyond the Golem's capacity to use or control. Each additional spell incorporated increases the Golem's effective Hardness when determining its CR by the level of the spell.
Finally, a spellcaster with the appropriate feats may enchant a Golem's natural attacks as if they were magic weapons and their natural armor as if it were magic armor. This increases the Golem's market cost accordingly.
Magic Immunity and Specific Effects: Any spell that specifically targets the material a Golem is created from has one of several effects:
- Effects that turn other materials into their material restore all of the Golem's lost hit-points.
- Effects that turn their material into a softer, non-organic material cause the Golem to take 3d10 damage and slows it for 2d6 rounds.
- Effects that turn their material into a harder material improves the Golem's DR and NA for 2d6 rounds, as appropriate for the "new" material's Hardness.
- Effects that turn their material into flesh removes their DR and Immunity to Magic for one round.
- Effects that state that they deal a given amount of damage or which have some specific effect on creatures made of the material bypass the Golem's Immunity to Magic entirely.
