Golems are constructed creatures, built to carry out a certain purpose intended by their creators. They are often used as guards.[3]
Description[]
To make a golem, the creature must sculpt them from a given material - typically clay, flesh, iron, or stone though other metals are at times used. They then must infuse it with an elemental "spark of life" to animate it. Once animated, the golem will follow the commands of the creator. Alternately, during creation, the creator can make an item tied to the golem that permits the bearer to give commands, rather than the creator.[3]
All golems share the following traits: no need for food or sleep; immunity to charm, exhaustion, fear, paralysis, petrification, and poison; immunity to attacks nonmagical weapons not created out of adamantine; immunity to poison damage and to any effects that would change its form; and resistance to magical effects. All but flesh golems are additionally immune to psychic damage. Attacks from a golem, typically made without weapons with the exception of iron golems, are themselves considered magical.[1]
Adamantine golem[]
The adamantine golem encountered in Pandemonium was 15 feet tall[4] and carried a long blade, with which it could attack creatures within its 10-foot reach.[5] It dislodged itself from a wall to protect Shanak,[6] a githzerai who resided in ruins of an unfinished, adamantine-reinforced embassy there.[7]
In Halas Lutagran's golem workshop, the Mighty Nein built a much smaller golem out of adamantine. Willi was a squat, rotund construct with heavy fists. Where the eyes would be, the face had divots that sparked to life when the enchantments were completed.[8]
Chain golem[]
Screenshot of the chain golem guarding Hotis and other regenerating fiends in the Nine Hells.[art 2]
The chain golem guarding regeneration chambers in the Mentiri started its encounter as a sea of roiling chains on the ceiling. In combat, it was 20 feet tall, hunched over, and chains kept it attached to the walls and eventually fed its growing form. Its eyes resembled two red, beady points of light that freely shifted around its body and grew progressively brighter.[9] Simply moving through the chains snaking and whipping around its vicinity was difficult and caused crushing, grinding damage.[10] The golem was amorphous, and could form arms out of chains to slam nearby enemies, only to let the arm dwindle after it had served that momentary purpose.[11]
Clay golem[]
Clay golems are large and have a misproportioned humanoid shape. They are immune to acid damage, and indeed are bolstered by acid attacks. When seriously injured, they are liable to attack indiscriminately until destroyed or healed.[12]
Cobalt golem[]
Cobalt golems are mighty armored servitors made by arcanists. Meteorites are the primary sources of raw cobalt ore, smelted by way of ferromagnetic alchemy into finished silver-gray cobalt. The final step is to mold and twist it into armored skin, surrounding the central lodestone that fuels the life of a cobalt golem. Most notably, cobalt golems are utilized by Cobalt Soul library to guard their restricted archives.[2]
Flesh golem[]
Official art of a forge guardian, by Nguyen Minh Hieu.[art 3]
Flesh golems are about the size of a human, but are made from pieced-together body parts. It is slightly more intelligent than other golems, capable of responding to simple reasoning from its creator. They are immune to lightning damage and heal when struck by lightning instead, but they are afraid of fire. Like clay golems, they can become indiscriminately violent when they are quite injured.[13]
Forge guardian[]
Forge guardians are the most gargantuan of their type. They were moulded by the All-Hammer to guard the divine furnaces and hearths that designed the first dwarves. Forge guardians are shaped from marble fused with adamantine and filled lava, floating through their veins. These rare and massive constructs exemplify one of the highest forms of artistry known to Exandria. Together with fearsome fighting skills, the golem is also able to assist a blacksmith creating new golems.[2]
Iron golem[]
Screenshot of Vox Machina retrieving the arcane cortex from a defeated iron golem, by Wendy Sullivan Green.[art 4]
Iron golems are large and heavily armored, and as beings of the forge are immune to any damage from fire, instead healing when hit with it. They can wield a simple weapon, such as a sword, and their breath is poisonous.[14] Vox Machina encountered an iron golem in the Shadebarrow during their pre-streamed adventures.
Mage hunter golem[]
Official art of a mage hunter golem, by BlackSalander.[art 5]
Mage hunter golems were created by gods to manage the arcane ambitions of mortals. They are able to temporarily disrupt magic in certain radius, absorb medium level spells, or collar a mage with its claw, which prevents all spellcasting.[2] Several mage hunter golems were encountered by the Mighty Nein within the Happy Fun Ball.[15] The one that appeared at the Tishtan excavation site was about 12 feet tall, with blue-streaked armor, one massive iron fist, and a man-catcher claw.[16]
Platinum golem[]
At their creation, platinum golems are fused with the spirits of indomitable warriors, fueling them with the need to execute their masters' orders to perfection. Temples of the Platinum Dragon craft these golems using divine rituals and imbue them with the unflinching devotion to justice epitomized by their god.[2] Six platinum golems were present in the Platinum Sanctuary of Vasselheim during the meeting of the Exandrian Accord there.[17]
Ruidium golem[]
In the Netherdeep, one can encounter Alyxian the Hunter, a slender sculpture made out of ruidium that can animate. It operates much like a smaller stone golem, but it can swim, it can track enemies throughout the Netherdeep unerringly, and it can conjure ruidium darts that strike without fail. Also, if brought to zero hit points, it can turn into a red haze that reforms into a golem one minute later.[18]
Stone golem[]
Stone golems are nearly immune to the ravages of time, and can indeed slow down those around it. They are often used as guards.[14]
History[]
During the Age of Arcanum, mortal races, empowered with gods' arcane gifts, began to experiment with manufacturing "life". The dwarves succeeded first, animating autonomous wardens to protect their domain. However, their knowledge was quickly stolen and scattered throughout Exandria.[2]
Known golems[]
Campaign One: Vox Machina[]
Official mini of the cobalt golem, by WizKids.[art 6]
- An iron golem who guarded the Shadebarrow until Vox Machina needed to retrieve its arcane cortex for Drez Vina.[19]
- A platinum golem who would guard the Horn of Orcus in Vasselheim.[20]
- Fassbender, a stone golem Vox Machina retrieved and controlled while in Westruun.[21]
- A cobalt golem controlled by J'mon Sa Ord and fought by Vox Machina as a test of worth.[22]
- A chain golem in the prisons of the Nine Hells, fought by Vox Machina as they attempted to permanently kill Hotis.[23]
- Metal golems, possibly iron, guarding the entrance to the Core Anvil.[24]
- A forge guardian at the Core Anvil itself.[25]
- An adamantine golem in Pandemonium.[26][27]
Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein[]
Fan art of Little Willi, by BlackSalander.[art 7]
- Willi, an adamantine golem the Mighty Nein, helmed by Caleb, created while in the Folding Halls of Halas.[28]
- The Centurion Automaton, an Aeorian guard mechanically similar to a stone golem.[29][30]
- Halas relied heavily on golems as servants in his demiplane, having an entire workshop available to create and maintain them.[31] There were several within the folding halls:
- The mage hunter golem,[32] a mostly metal, and partially stone golem, guarding the tower machine, who attacked the Mighty Nein.[33][34] Halas later told the Mighty Nein that the mage hunter golems take intruders to the Prison of Soot.[35]
- An adamantine golem in the golem workshop.[36]
- A flesh golem created from failed clones of Halas, with regenerative abilities similar to trolls.[37]
- A clay golem who attacks Beau, Yasha, and Fjord when they begin looking at the remaining books.[38]
Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]
- A very expensive golem who belonged to Jiana Hexum, stolen (using the golem itself) by guards who were supposed to protect its caravan, leaving other hired guard, Cyrus Wyvernwind, as the one to blame for the incident.[39]
- In the Tishtan excavation site there are several operative constructs, including mage hunter golems.[40]
- Six platinum golems were present at the Platinum Sanctuary in Vasselheim during the meeting of the Exandrian Accord there.[41]
Other[]
- Alyxian the Hunter, the ruidium golem that stalks the Netherdeep.[18]
- The Black King, an unusually intelligent mounted stone golem who will defend Westruun when the city is threatened.[42]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., pp. 168–170.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 239.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., p. 167.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 1:58:03.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 2:54:41.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 1:58:03.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 3:44:17.
- ↑ See "From Door to Door" (2x81) from 3:49:33 through 4:02:24. See especially 3:58:41 and 4:01:22 for the outer physical description.
- ↑ See "Bats Out of Hell" (1x93) at 3:51:56. See also 3:59:50, 4:04:05, and 4:19:45.
- ↑ See "Bats Out of Hell" (1x93) at 3:57:23. See also 4:06:14 and 4:11:09.
- ↑ See "Bats Out of Hell" (1x93) from 3:58:27 through 3:59:47. See also 4:02:38.
- ↑ See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., pp. 167–168.
- ↑ See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., p. 167, 169.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 See D&D: Monster Manual, 5th ed., p. 167, 170.
- ↑ See "The Folding Halls" (2x80) at 3:36:53. See also "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 3:16:24.
- ↑ See "The Apogee Solstice" (3x51) at 2:58:56.
- ↑ See "Collecting Legends" (3x105) at 0:48:26.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 160.
- ↑ See "The Story of Vox Machina" (Sx06) at 3:52.
- ↑ See "Enter Vasselheim" (1x16) at 2:38:06.
- ↑ See "At Dawn, We Plan!" (1x53) at 1:34:50.
- ↑ See "A Traveler's Gamble" (1x66) at 36:00.
- ↑ See "Bats Out of Hell" (1x93) at 3:52:22.
- ↑ See "The Core Anvil" (1x108) at 55:13.
- ↑ See "The Core Anvil" (1x108) at 1:32:09. This was confirmed as a forge guardian in "The Ominous March" (1x109) at 0:18:42.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 2:06:30.
- ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 2:54:38. Specifies it is adamantine.
- ↑ See "From Door to Door" (2x81) at 4:01:18.
- ↑ See "Contentious Company" (2x120) at 38:00.
- ↑ See "Contentious Company" (2x120) at 1:01:14. The golem is capable of slowing its foes, as can a stone golem.
- ↑ See "The Folding Halls" (2x80) at 3:35:08.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) at 9:46.
- ↑ See "The Folding Halls" (2x80) at 3:37:11.
- ↑ See "From Door to Door" (2x81) at 1:35:09. It reacts to fire as an iron golem would.
- ↑ See "Dark Bargains" (2x83) at 2:36:36.
- ↑ See "From Door to Door" (2x81) at 3:37:24.
- ↑ See "The Beat of the Permaheart" (2x82) at 38:03. The creature's weapon attacks were magical, as a golem's typically are, and thus able to damage Willi.
- ↑ See "Between a Ball and a Hot Place" (2x129) at 37:45.
- ↑ See "A Woodworker's Quandary" (3x08) at 1:30:00.
- ↑ See "Red Moon Rising" (3x50) at 3:24:03.
- ↑ See "Collecting Legends" (3x105) at 0:48:26.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 61.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Keyleth standing in front of Fassbender, a stone golem, by Thomas Brin (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of the chain golem guarding Hotis and other regenerating fiends in the Nine Hells (source). This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
- ↑ Official art of a forge guardian, by Nguyen Minh Hieu (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Screenshot of Vox Machina retrieving the arcane cortex from a defeated iron golem, by Wendy Sullivan Green (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Official art of a mage hunter golem, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
- ↑ Cobalt Golem at Minis Gallery.
- ↑ Fan art of Little Willi, by BlackSalander (source). Used with permission.
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