The Golem

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The Golem

A cleric works in his lab, carefully treating the clay he gathered earlier so that it will act as a suitable vessel for a spirit. Every den of knowledge needs a guardian. A wizard carefully etches runes into an iron form in the likeness of her lost love. When it is finished, she will return his soul to it. A vengeful alchemist collects a series of cadavers, stitching them together in a mad fever. When he awakens his creation with a bolt of electricity, he finds that it has vengeance of its own in mind. A town calls for aid from a nearby demigod. He answers their plea in the form of a man made from stone, who guards them against all threats.

Sturdy Bodies

Whatever they are crafted from and by whichever means they are animated, all golems share one thing in common, and that is sturdiness. Even a golem crafted from otherwise flimsy materials such as unfired clay or wood or even cloth finds itself imbued with a strength born only by the fusion of spirit and matter. For the most part, golems find service, whether willingly or through compulsion, as guardians. They guard people, places, objects of power, or simply themselves, but they almost always work as guardians, putting their supernatural durability to its greatest effect. At other times, they might work as laborers, drawing on impossible strength, or as soldiers who make up for increased cost to hire with the ability to go without food or drink indefinitely.

Crafted, not Born

Golems are crafted from a variety of materials using a variety of methods, but the end result is always the same: a humanoid figure inhabited by a spirit, whether the spirit of a fallen comrade, a hated enemy, or as is most common, the spirit of an elemental being of earth or fire. Many golems, when initially created, are bound magically to their builder, forced to obey their commands and serve them to the best of their ability. Golems created from elemental spirits know little else, at first, while golems created from deceased retain their memories of their former life. However, though all golems are spirits inhabiting artificial bodies, they are not without individuality. Indeed, many of them adopt the characteristics of their body's apparent shape, such that a golem crafted in the likeness of a halfling will embrace the halfling culture and language, within the limits of their creator's commands. And if eventually they find freedom, whether granted deliberately or through circumstance, golems will choose most often to make their own way, finding work in whatever skills they may possess, including combat.

Creating a Golem

Golems can have myriad reasons for adventuring. Maybe they are in the service of a wizard who is already adventuring, and are compelled to follow his or her orders to some degree. Maybe they earned their freedom but found that the jobs they were qualified to work were too restricting after their former servitude. Some are the spirits of former adventurers, while others find themselves unwelcome in cities as their intimidating and unnatural appearance causes unjustified fear. Consider how your golem came to be built. Often, this will give a justification for why they travel into unknown wilds and fight monsters. If that is not enough, consider your golems aspirations, which they held so dearly in their servitude. Did they wish for fame? Perhaps money? Did they want to see exciting places? The golem class is not for all campaigns. Work with your DM and the other players of your group to determine whether a golem can find welcome in an adventuring party, and under what terms.

Becoming a Golem

It is possible for characters who did not start their careers as golems to become one later on. For the purposes of multiclassing, a character must possess a Strength and Constitution of at least 13 in order to multiclass into or out of golem, and if they are not already a golem, they must willingly undergo the transfer of their spirit, whether living or dead, into a golem's body.

Treat the process of transferring into a golem body as a reincarnate spell with the following changes: The material component's cost is increased to 2500 gp. The actual process must be done by any spellcaster possessing 5th level or higher spell slots and takes one hour, but does not consume spell slots (as if it were a ritual). The body must be created any time before the ritual starts, rather than being created by the ritual (its cost is included in the material component cost of the ritual). The creation of the body takes 24 hours. Finally, the race of the target always matches the apparent race of the constructed body.

Quick Build

You can make a Golem quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability scores in Strength and Constitution. Second, choose the Soldier background.




















The Golem
Level Proficiency
Bonus
Unarmored
Defense
Slam Features
1st +2 11 -- Unarmored Defense, Temper, Golem Resilience
2nd +2 11 2d6 Slam, Temper Feature
3rd +2 11 2d6 Artificial, Parry
4th +2 11 2d6 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 12 3d6 Hardened Form, Slam Improvement
6th +3 12 3d6 Temper Feature
7th +3 12 3d6 Immutable Form, Magic Weapons
8th +3 12 3d8 Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 12 3d8 Golem Resilience Improvement
10th +4 13 3d8 Temper Feature
11th +4 13 4d8 Colossus, Slam Improvement
12th +4 13 4d8 Ability Score Improvement
13th +5 13 4d8 Golem Absorption
14th +5 13 4d10 Temper Feature
15th +5 14 4d10 Artificial Improvement
16th +5 14 4d10 Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 14 5d10 Hardened Form Improvement
18th +6 14 5d10 Slam Improvement
19th +6 14 5d10 Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 15 5d12 Temper Feature

Class Features

As a Golem, you gain the following features

Hit Points


  • Hit Dice: 1d10
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Golem level after 1st.

Proficiencies


  • Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
  • Weapons: Simple and martial weapons
  • Tools: One type of artisan's tools

  • Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
  • Skills: 2 chosen from Arcana, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

  • (a) a martial weapon and a shield or (b) two martial weapons
  • (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor and a heavy crossbow with 20 bolts
  • (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
  • One set of artisan's tools

Unarmored Defense

Regardless of what material your body is formed of, you are more difficult to wound than normal creatures. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 11 + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

This ability improves as you gain levels, as indicated in table: The Golem.

GM Notes: Golems in Play

For the purposes of playability, this class is designed as though the Golem were a humanoid instead of a construct. Healing or resurrection magic works on them in the same fashion as it would other party members, and they still need to consume sustenance, breathe, sleep, and age (until noted otherwise). If you wish to have your players use this class to represent golems as constructs, you may add the conversion to the Construct type to level one. If you do so, it is recommended that you also improve their defensive abilities to compensate for the fact that healing magic no longer works on them or introduce healing spells specifically for constructs.

Temper

At first level, your body is forged from a specific material which is known as your Temper. Four Tempers are described at the end of this class description: the Temper of Clay, the Temper of Flesh, the Temper of Iron, and the Temper of Stone. Your choice gives you features when you choose it and again at your 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 20th level in this class.

Golem Resilience

Also at 1st level, your spirit bonds more fully with the material of your artificial body, taking on some of its characteristics. You gain resistance to poison damage and immunity to the poisoned condition. You also get an additional resistance based on your Temper.

  • Clay: Acid damage
  • Flesh: Lightning damage
  • Iron: Fire damage
  • Stone: Psychic damage

At 9th level, this feature improves. The damage resistances become damage immunities. Additionally, you have resistance to damage dealt by any spell whose level is equal to or less than one fourth your Golem level (rounded down). Spells cast at a higher level count as the level they are cast at for the purposes of this feature.

Slam

At 2nd level, you learn to use the heavy material of your arms as deadly bludgeoning weapons. Once on your turn, when you could make a melee weapon attack, you can replace it with a slam attack. This attack deals bludgeoning damage as indicated in table: The Golem, plus your Strength modifier. You must have at least one hand free to make a slam attack.

At 5th level, your slam attack improves. After rolling your damage dice, you may choose to replace the value of one of your dice with your Strength modifier. At 11th level, you may replace up to two dice in this way. At 18th level, you may replace any number of dice in this way.

Artificial

Though crafted in the likeness of a person, you are made of non-living matter and can sustain yourself through just about any source of energy. Beginning at 3rd level, you do not need to eat, drink, or breathe, and if you choose to do so you do not suffer any ill effects for consuming spoiled food or drink. Your body continues to decay in a fashion consistent with your Temper, which has equivalent effects to aging.

At 15th level, this ability improves. Your body ceases decaying as it is now supported fully by your spirit. You no longer age and any consequences which you had already accumulated related to age are lost.

Parry

Also at 3rd level, you learn to guard yourself against attacks more ably. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself a +2 bonus to armor class against the next attack targeting you before the start of your next turn.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat (see Chapter 6 for a list of feats).

Hardened Flesh

Beginning at 5th level, when you take bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage, you can use your Reaction to give yourself resistance to that damage type until the start of your next turn. Hardened Flesh has no effect on damage dealt by adamantine weapons.

At 17th level, this feature improves. You now have resistance to any non-magical bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage at all times, and when you use your Reaction in response to taking one of those damage types, you give yourself immunity to that damage type until the start of your next turn (including magical damage of that type). Neither the passive resistance nor the active immunity has any effect on damage dealt by adamantine weapons.

Immutable Form

Beginning at 7th level, your artificial body resists attempts to change its shape. You have advantage on any saving throw made against an effect which would alter your form. As an action on your turn, you can reattempt a saving throw against one effect which is currently altering your form. If your save succeeds, that effect ends.

Magic Weapons

Also at 7th level, your weapon attacks and Slam attacks are treated as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity.

Colossus

At 11th level, you have improved your artificial body's construction to the point that it seems larger than life. You are treated as one size category larger whenever doing so would be convenient for you, and you have advantage on Strength checks made to grapple and shove and on Strength saving throws against effects which would move or knock you prone. Finally, your melee attacks gain a 10 foot reach if they did not already possess a greater reach.

Golem Absorption

At 13th level, you learn to convert damage you would normally resist into improved vitality. When your Golem Resilience feature prevents damage of the type associated with your Temper, you may use your Reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to half of the damage prevented. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have completed a short rest.

If the source of that damage allows a saving throw to reduce the damage, you can choose to fail that saving throw.

Golem Tempers

In order to craft a golem, a combination of alchemy, name magic, and transmutation is applied to a body crafted of a specific material, which becomes known as that golem's Temper. This allows the body, though not made of living flesh, to host the spirit of an elemental or even of a person. The material determines many properties of the resulting golem. Described here are four possible Tempers: Clay, Iron, Flesh, and Stone.

Clay Temper

Clay golems are formed of unfired clay, then allowed to sun-harden into solid earthenware bodies. Of all Tempers, clay is considered the least lucky, as their attacks carry the ability to curse the wounded, an ability believed to be a form of divine retribution passed down from the original clay golem who was crafted by the world's first priest.

Face of Clay

At 1st level, your body is formed of semi-hardened clay, and you learn how to readily reshape yourself as needs must. You can sculpt your facial features into any form you see fit, allowing you to hide your identity. Casual observers do not notice anything unusual about you, but your body is still made of clay, and a creature can discern that by using their action to make an Intelligence (Investigation) check with a DC of 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Constitution modifier.

Berserk

At 2nd level, you can enter a berserk state as a bonus action after taking the Attack action. The berserk state lasts until the end of your next turn. While the berserk state lasts, you have advantage on attacks against the last creature which dealt damage to you. If your health is below half your maximum, you also deal additional damage on attacks against that creature equal to your Constitution bonus.

Cursed Blows

At 6th level, the cursed nature of your body manifests. Whenever you deal damage with a melee weapon attack or with a slam attack, those wounds become cursed, making them more difficult to heal. The next source of healing or regeneration your target receives within one minute is reduced by half of the damage dealt by your attack, to a minimum of zero.

Mutable

At 10th level your body may resist changes to its shape from outside forces, but you can draw on the malleability of clay to become more flexible. You can now fit through any space small enough to admit your hand, though doing so takes one minute for every five feet of travel. While you are moving through narrow spaces in this fashion, you are considered restrained, with the exception that you can move five feet each minute.

Haste

At 14th level, you learn to accelerate your body in combat. When you use your berserk ability, you make additionally make a single slam attack and grant yourself a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws until you start your turn and are not berserk. Once you have used this feature, you cannot use it again until you have completed a short or a long rest.

Divine Berserk

At 20th level, your berserker spirit is under your complete control. While you are berserk, you can apply the benefits to any creature which has damaged you since the start of your last turn, rather than just the most recent creature. Additionally, the bonus damage for being below half health while berserk is increased to twice your Constitution bonus.

Iron Temper

Iron golems are considered the epitome of the golem crafter's art, though in truth the quality of the spirit bound to the body has more to do with the worth of the resulting golem than the materials needed. More than any other Temper, the Iron Temper is suited for combat. Many Iron Golems are created to serve as guards, and free-thinking golems often choose mercenary work in order to best use their talents.

Iron Body

At 1st level, your flesh is even more resistant to blows than other golems. Your HP maximum increases by 1 when you choose this Temper and again each time you gain a level in this class.

Guardian

At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to protect an ally. Designate an ally that you can see. While that ally is within 5 feet of you, attack rolls against them have disadvantage and they have advantage on Dexterity saving throws. If an enemy you can see within 5 feet of you attempts to attack the ally you are guarding, you can use your Reaction to make a slam attack against that enemy.

Steel Edge

At 6th level, your weapon attacks improve. When you make a slam attack, you may do so with a melee weapon you are wielding, using the slam's normal damage but the weapon's damage type and applying any other effects associated with the weapon. Additionally, you deal +2 damage with any melee weapon or slam attack.

Tireless Sentinel

At 10th level, you no longer need to sleep. You must still limit yourself to light activity in order to gain the benefits of a rest.

Poison Breath

At 14th level, you can expel a toxic blast of corroded iron. As an action on your turn, you can force all creatures in a 20-foot cone centered on you to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency modifier + your Constitution bonus). On a failed save, creatures take poison damage equal to your slam dice plus your Constitution bonus. On a successful save, they only take damage equal to your Constitution bonus. Once you have used this feature, you must wait one minute before using it again.

Adamantine Golem

Through a combination of alchemical processes and transmutation magic, you have replaced all of the iron in your body with adamantine. Your Hardened Form feature now functions even against adamantine weapons, and your melee weapon and slam attacks now ignore any resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Finally, whenever you roll initiative, you gain 20 temporary hit points.

Flesh Temper

Few things are as horrific to the casual observer as a newly-crafted flesh golem, the only Temper formed of once-living matter. In order to craft such a body, the creator stitches together the body parts of several deceased humanoids, which need not even be of the same race. Eventually, the spirit bonded to this horror causes the parts to heal as though they were all one body, and the flesh golem is the most adept at hiding their true nature, but they still remember and can draw on their macabre origins.

Diverse Background

The clever stitching together of body parts from multiple donors gives you greater flexibility than others. When you choose this Temper at level 1, choose an ability score to which your race does not give a bonus (if your race gives a bonus to all ability scores as with human, you may choose any one ability score, so long as the racial bonus for that score is less than 2). You gain a +1 in that ability score. You also speak an additional language of your choice (typically the language of a race which gives a bonus to your chosen score).

Berserk

At 2nd level, you can enter a berserk state as a bonus action after taking the Attack action. The berserk state lasts until the end of your next turn. While the berserk state lasts, you have advantage on attacks against the last creature which dealt damage to you. If your health is below half your maximum, you also deal additional damage on attacks against that creature equal to your Constitution bonus.

Fire Averse

At 6th level, your body becomes more flammable as it continues to dry out and you replace more of its fluids with flammable preservatives. Your berserk applies to any target which dealt you fire damage since the start of your last turn, even if they are not the most recent source of damage. Further, if you strike the source of the fire damage with the berserk attack, you deal additional damage to them equal to half of the fire damage you took.

While you are berserk, you automatically fail saving throws against effects which deal fire damage.

Fleshy Guise

At 10th level, your unliving body has been restored by the spirit bonded to it. You now appear to any outside observer as a member of whatever race your body was primarily crafted from.

Supercharged

At 14th level, you are not only restored but enhanced by electric attacks. When you use your Golem Absorption ability to convert lightning damage into temporary hit points, you may also move up to your speed and make a single slam attack as part of the same Reaction. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. You can also choose to supercharge yourself deliberately, but doing so is draining. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move up to your speed without provoking opportunity attacks and make a single slam attack. After you do so, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or a long rest.

Regenerative Form

At 20th level, your spirit can restore your body so rapidly that even the most grievous of wounds can't incapacitate you for long. You have advantage on death saving throws. Whenever you succeed on three death saving throws in order to stabilize, you return to consciousness with one hit point. Finally, you gain 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of your turns.

Stone Temper

Stone is a durable and stoic material, and that nature passes down on to golems crafted from it. Stone golems are among the hardest to persuade, the hardest to move, and the hardest to harm. They carry with them a weight that lends strength, even if they sometimes lack grace.

Heavy Construction

At 1st level when you select this temper, your carrying capacity is doubled and you gain proficiency in Athletics. You may add twice your proficiency bonus to Strength checks made to shove and Strength saving throws made to resist effects which would move you or knock you prone.

Mighty Blow

At level 2, your slam attacks are so powerful that you can attempt to knock foes back when you strike them. When you strike an enemy with a slam attack, you may use a bonus action to shove that enemy. If your shove attempt succeeds, the creature is knocked back an additional 5 feet (if you chose to knock them prone, they are knocked back 5 feet in addition to being knocked prone).

Sturdy

Starting at 6th level, when you use your Hardened Flesh feature, you reduce the damage of the triggering attack by an additional amount equal to your Constitution bonus after resistance is calculated. This has no effect on damage dealt by adamantine weapons and does not improve your resistance to subsequent attacks.

When your Hardened Flesh feature improves at level 17, this feature also improves. You now choose two damage types when you use Hardened Flesh, instead of one.

Immutable Mind

At level 10, your mind is as resolute as your body. You have advantage on any saving throw made against an effect which would alter your mind, and you may use your action on your turn to remove the charmed and frightened conditions from yourself.

Slow

At level 14, you can draw on your metaphysical weight to slow enemies around you. You can cast the spell slow without expending a spell slot. Once you have done so, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or a long rest.

Unstoppable

At level 20, you are immune to the restrained, grappled, and stunned conditions.

 

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