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VikingLegion
Senior Scribe
USA
483 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 05:03:00
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I don't have my old MM books handy, but I do recall the golem entries each having very specific spell requirements during their creation process. I want to say most of these were of the Transmutation/Alteration school, as one is taking a raw, inert material and changing it to the desired product. But are you not also imbuing it with life, or some semblance of it? While constructs are not truly "alive" in the manner most define it, there has to be some kind of animating force behind them. What school specialist would be the most prolific golem creator? Is this too generalized a question? Would you break it down into specific golem types?
For example, a Flesh Golem screams Necromancer to me, as it is stitched together from organic material that already knew life and animation, and therefore needs no transmuting to achieve the end effect. I know a Flesh Golem is a vastly different creature than a zombie, but in essence is it not just a zombie made from an amalgamation of several corpses, rather than just one whole body?
The more standard golems - Clay, Stone, Iron feel like they would be the purview of the Alterer/Transmuters. But what about Shield Guardians and the upgrade Runic Guardians? These guys have a lot of defensive warding magic baked into them, so maybe Abjurers would be better suited to their creation.
In short, if you had to associate the act of golem creation with one particular school or magical specialist, who would you assign as the "Master Golem Creator"? Or would you spread it around as I did in the previous examples?
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Edited by - VikingLegion on 31 Jul 2015 05:08:31
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VikingLegion
Senior Scribe
USA
483 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2015 : 05:03:40
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While jumping around the web I happened across a forum called Giant in the Playground, where I came across this write-up of the various golem manuals, which lists the magical schools associated with each specific type:
Originally Posted by SRD, Magic Items, Wondrous Items
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?46979-Shield-Guardian-Worth-it
quote:
Golem Manual: A golem manual contains information, incantations and magical power that help a character to craft a golem. The instructions therein grant a +5 competence bonus on skill checks made to craft the golem’s body. Each manual also holds the prerequisite spells needed for a specific golem, effectively grants the builder use of the Craft Construct feat during the construction of the golem, and grants the character an increase to her caster level for the purpose of crafting a golem. Any golem built using a golem manual does not cost the creator any XP, since the requisite XP are “contained” in the book and “expended” by the book during the creation process.
The spells included in a golem manual require a spell trigger activation and can be activated only to assist in the construction of a golem. The cost of the book does not include the cost of constructing the golem’s body. Once the golem is finished, the writing in the manual fades and the book is consumed in flames. When the book’s ashes are sprinkled upon the golem, it becomes fully animated.
Clay Golem Manual: The book contains animate objects, bless, commune, and resurrection. The reader may treat her caster level as two levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a clay golem. The book supplies 1,540 XP for the creation of a clay golem.
Moderate conjuration, divination, enchantment, and transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Construct, creator must be caster level 11th, animate objects, commune, resurrection; Price 12,000 gp; Cost 2,150 gp + 1,712 XP; Weight 5 lb.
Flesh Golem Manual: The book contains animate dead, bull’s strength, geas/quest, and limited wish. The reader may treat her caster level as one level higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a flesh golem. The book supplies 780 XP for the creation of a flesh golem.
Moderate enchantment, necromancy [evil], and transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Construct, creator must be caster level 8th, animate dead, bull’s strength, geas/quest, limited wish; Price 8,000 gp; Cost 2,050 gp + 944 XP; Weight 5 lb.
Iron Golem Manual: The book contains cloudkill, geas/quest, limited wish, and polymorph any object. The reader may treat her caster level as four levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a iron golem. The book supplies 5,600 XP for the creation of a iron golem.
Strong conjuration, enchantment and transmutation; CL 16th; Craft Construct, creator must be caster level 16th, cloudkill, geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object; Price 35,000 gp; Cost 3,500 gp + 5,880 XP; Weight 5 lb.
Stone Golem Manual: The book contains geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, and slow. The reader may treat her caster level as three levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a stone golem. The book supplies 3,400 XP for the creation of a stone golem.
Strong abjuration and enchantment; CL 14th; Craft Construct, creator must be caster level 14th, antimagic field, geas/quest, symbol of stunning; Price 22,000 gp; Cost 2,500 gp + 3,600 XP; Weight 5 lb.
Stone Golem Manual, Greater: The book contains geas/quest, limited wish, polymorph any object, and slow. The reader may treat her caster level as three levels higher than normal for the purpose of crafting a stone golem. The book supplies 7,640 XP for the creation of a greater stone golem.
Strong abjuration and enchantment; CL 16th; Craft Construct, creator must be caster level 16th, antimagic field, geas/quest, symbol of stunning; Price 44,000 gp; Cost 2,900 gp + 7,872 XP; Weight 5 lb. |
Edited by - VikingLegion on 03 Aug 2015 05:35:03 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36814 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2015 : 04:11:30
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Viking, if you could, please provide the source for the material you quoted.  |
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VikingLegion
Senior Scribe
USA
483 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2015 : 05:37:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Viking, if you could, please provide the source for the material you quoted.
Well I had about 10 different tabs of searches going on that night, so I didn't think I'd be able to find where I pulled that from. But I was able to track it down because I'm not good at clearing my browser history, which I hope doesn't get me in trouble some day.... I edited the post to include more details. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2434 Posts |
Posted - 03 Aug 2015 : 23:45:23
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quote:
Originally posted by VikingLegion
I don't have my old MM books handy, but I do recall the golem entries each having very specific spell requirements during their creation process. I want to say most of these were of the Transmutation/Alteration school, as one is taking a raw, inert material and changing it to the desired product. But are you not also imbuing it with life, or some semblance of it?
While constructs are not truly "alive" in the manner most define it, there has to be some kind of animating force behind them. What school specialist would be the most prolific golem creator?
That part is Conjuration. Some variations plainly say they involve a bound Earth elemental.
Which, yes, opens possibilities.
Others may involve e.g. an enhanced version of Unseen Servant - many golems aren't smarter than this. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36814 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2015 : 21:42:26
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quote:
Originally posted by VikingLegion
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Viking, if you could, please provide the source for the material you quoted.
Well I had about 10 different tabs of searches going on that night, so I didn't think I'd be able to find where I pulled that from. But I was able to track it down because I'm not good at clearing my browser history, which I hope doesn't get me in trouble some day.... I edited the post to include more details.
Thankee. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2015 : 22:58:16
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Well, in my 3.5 games, the master golem maker was the Artificer class from the Eberron Campaign Setting. They have a construct companion (a homunculus); can get Craft Construct as a bonus feat and are able to mimic all spell requirements for creating magical objects.
I fashioned the lore as them being part of an ancient tradition that began with ancient Imaskar and survived mostly in Deep Imaskar. A very similar tradition also had a following in Netheril after the study of the Nether Scrolls but fell out of vogue with the development and use of mythallars. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
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Golem Creation Specialists
