Monster: Plague Golem

[BobGhengisKhan]

Just a monster.

Plague Golem
Large Construct
HD: 14D10+30 (107 HP)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 21 (-1 size, -1 Dex +13 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+22
Attack: Slam +17 (2d10+8+disease)
Full attack: 2 Slams +17 (2d10+8+disease)
Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet
Special attacks: Disease, taint water, sickening cloud.
Special qualities: Construct traits, Spell immunity, DR 10/Adamantine and slashing, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision.
Saves: Fort +4 Ref +3 Wil +4
Abilities: Str: 27 Dex: 8 Con:- Int- Wis: 11 Cha: 1
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or gang (2-4)
CR: ?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 15-21(Large) 22-36 (Huge)

A Plague Golem is an almost fiendish device built to spread lethal disease into populated areas, while also functioning as an effective physical combatant. Such golems are generally 10 feet tall, and appears as a mass of plague-ridden bodies bound together through sitiching and heavy chains, secured with irron rods. Their stench is overpowering, and they can usually be detected by smell long before they are actually seen. They commonly have no posessions or weapons. Plague golems are quite rare, as far as golems go, due to their very specific purpose, and the difficulty and danger involved in finding the proper construction materials. Good nations, as a rule, will even have bans on their construction.

Combat:

Disease(Ex): The disease carried by the plague golem is a fast-acting contagion based on filth fever. Its effects are as follows: Infection DC: contact or ingestion 17, incubation: 1d3 hours, Damage: 1d4 Dex, 1d4 Con. Causes vomiting, fever, and sudden, brief bouts of dementia.

Sickening Cloud(Ex): The air within 30 feet of the golem is constantly affected by a nauseating miasma. Characters within the area of effect must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or be sickened for 3d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, the characters may not be affected twice in the same day.

Spell immunity(Ex): The plague golem is immune to all spells and spell-like abilities that require spell resistance, except as follows:

Remove disease will disperse the sickening cloud, as well as negate the golem's Damage Reduction for two rounds.

Contagion restores a number of hit points to the Golem equal to the character's caster level, and Hastes the golem (as the spell) for three rounds.

Taint water(Ex): The mere act of standing in a body of water will foul it with the diseas carried by the golem, affecting it at a rate of 500 cubic feet per minute.

Construction: The construction of a plague golem requires the bodies of at least 20 persons who have died recently of disease, as well as the means by which to secure the body together in a humanoid shape. Special bonding agents and other elixirs must be applied, at a cost of 6,000 gp. Construction the body requires a DC 17 Craft (Blacksmithing) check.

CL 13, Craft Construct, contagion, Stinking Cloud, geas/quest, limited wish, animate dead Price: 80,000 gp; cost 42,000 GP + 1,980 experience.

[TBPBenni]

I really dig the idea (especially the chains and iron rods binding it together), although I have no idea if it's "too good" or not. I've got a Cancer Mage BBEG who needs a handful of those real bad -- do you ship in bulk? =)

I did notice that the Spell Immunities were split up by Taint Water. While I dig the Remove Disease alternate use, were there any other effects that other spells had? (IMO, fire's always been an effectual way to deal with disease, maybe that should affect it?) Also, the saves are really low -- is that normal for constructs?

Although it probably goes against the entire concept and would cause some weird rules questions, it might be intriguing to Animate Dead each of the corpses, so that the shambling monstrosity's materials reach at things and groan unpleasantly.

Regardless, I dig it.

[SpiderMew]

Nifty and cool! And yeah the bodys being anamated would be even freakeyer, perhaps is a cr 10? only for the damage reduction, but with the fort save (for the sickness only 17) mabie its lower... i dont know..

[Orion-the-G]

Low saves affect all golems. Constructs have no good saving throws.

One idea: You might consider what effects can be used to repair it. Contagion would be an obvious choice.

Also, what about more powerful disease-curing effects like Heal? could that be used to actually damage the golem?

I also agree that having fire damage be effective wouldn't be a bad choice.

[BobGhengisKhan]

Well, some changes were made.

To get that goraning effect, animate dead would work well as a spell requirement. I had meant to expand the list of spells, but it was getting rather late when I first posted the thing. Formatting has also been cleared up.

[silverdreamdancer]

Looks funky.

Other Golems only tend to be affected by two spells at most so I don't think any other spell vulnerabilities need to be added it would be needless complexity.

To repair it I would consider a craft (leatherwork or something similar) test, the craft Construct feat and immunity to diseases as the important aspects.

[Minchandre]

Isn't there a Cure Disease spell?

[BobGhengisKhan]

Isn't there a Cure Disease spell?

Yeah. It's called Remove Disease, and it's up there.

[Minchandre]

Yeah. It's called Remove Disease, and it's up there.

Oops. I feel stupid now :'(