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The Neoclassic
2009-09-28, 12:28 PM
My friend helped me come up with an idea for a golem created by demons using fragments of humanoid souls- specifically the "outer layer" of the soul which primarily consists of memories from one's mortal life, as well as personality (especially as influenced by one's mortal life) to an extent. I also imagine [Evil] energies being used to help fuel the creation.

The issue is I don't have much experience coming up with homebrew monsters. I don't really know where to start or how to pick abilities... Nor do I even know precisely what I want them to look like. As far as fluff, I pretty much just have the above. The demons may be creating them to help them with a big rebellion against another group of fiends, however, or for a suicidal mission to taunt the deity they are being forced to work for. So... any help/suggestions?

Fako
2009-09-28, 03:09 PM
I'd like to help... I love working with "undead" monsters :smallsmile:

However, there's a bunch of questions to ask... the answers would help me (or another homebrewer) to make the monster so that it works for your goals...

1) Being made of souls, is this going to be an incorporeal creature? I can imagine the [evil] energies adding some sort of "shell" to trap the souls in place, so this could go either way...

2) What's the rough CR you're shooting for?

3) Do you have any specific special abilities you want them to have?

4) Do you have a preferred size?

5) Are they going to bind an elemental into the golem in order to animate it, or is it going to be the souls that animate it? If it's the souls, then it'd be undead, but have no chance of berserking...

...I'll probably come up with more later, but these 5 will help to at least make the basic framework...

Amadi
2009-09-28, 03:41 PM
Make it really powerful, but have it act at random because each soul is trying to control it in turn. So, one round it might bo in berserk, and the next round it might opt for 5 points into combat expertise. Remember to give it a lot of different attack options for this purpose. :smallamused:

Fako
2009-09-28, 03:55 PM
Make it really powerful, but have it act at random because each soul is trying to control it in turn. So, one round it might bo in berserk, and the next round it might opt for 5 points into combat expertise. Remember to give it a lot of different attack options for this purpose. :smallamused:

The problem with this is, while cool, it would make this hazardous to use in any sort of group. You also have no guarantee that it could finish any particular task it was set to, as you don't know how it will react from minute to minute...

Based on the OP, it looks like Neoclassic is looking for a dangerous "machine" to put against the PCs... one that will wreak massive havoc before going down...

Then again, I could be wrong...

PinkysBrain
2009-09-28, 04:22 PM
Golems are generally mindless. You could do something like the wall of the Faithless, with faces emerging and submerging over it's body. Use trapped souls as a material component for it's creation and give it Trap the Soul as an ability (maybe allowing it to increase it's HD, but this needs some restrictions ... perhaps it needs to consume sentient creatures of the same or more HD to actually get a HD increase or something).

hamishspence
2009-09-28, 04:52 PM
Generally. But there are exceptions- the demonflesh golem and hellfire golem, in Fiend Folio are both intelligent.

The Gloom Golem in Monster Manual III, while mindless, looks like it is covered in souls, even if it in fact isn't (the tormented faces all over it are actually manefestations of the emotions of woe of its last victims). So while they aren't souls, the golem certainly has that "feel"

It is chunky, humanoid, and has a massive circular maw for a head, that is a bit like a black hole in looks- a circular void, with a blur around the edges a bit like an accretion disc.

Xefas
2009-09-28, 05:00 PM
I happened to have this already homebrewed and on my hard drive. It sounds somewhat like what you want, so I figured I'd post it.

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad91/bluejanus/AmalgamofImpurity.jpg

Amalgam of Impurity
Large Construct (Evil)
HD 12d10+30 (96hp)
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Init: +0
AC 21; touch 9; flat-footed 21
(-1 size, +12 Natural Armor)
BAB +9; Grp +19
Attack Greatsword +14 (2d6+9 +2d6 unholy) [19-20/x2]
Full-Attack Greatsword +14/+9 (2d6+9 +2d6 unholy) [19-20/x2]
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Aura of Impurity, Defiling Gaze
Special Qualities Construct Traits, Corrupt Vision, Damage Reduction 10/Good, Quench Morality, Unholy Grasp
Saves Fort +4 Ref +4 Will +4
Abilities Str 22, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Any
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 8
Treasure -
Alignment Always Neutral Evil
Advancement 16-24 HD (Large), 25-45 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment -

Amalgams of Impurity are creatures stitched together from souls damned to the Lower Planes. They are literally evil essence made flesh, and want for nothing more than to spread more evil throughout the Multiverse. Despite their lack of intelligence, if left unattended without direction, they will take every opportunity to seek out and corrupt as many living things as they can.

Even powerful champions of Good are always hesitant to engage them in combat, as it is said that not even the purest soul can come away from a confrontation with one without being sullied.

Aura of Impurity (Su)
An Amalgam of Impurity is a creature that radiates pure, corrupting evil essence drawn from the damned souls that compose its flesh. Those who linger in its presence are tainted by it, and slowly sink into madness.

Any non-Evil creature that begins its turn within 30 feet of an Amalgam of Impurity must make a DC 20 Will save or contract a Supernatural Disease known as Moral Blight.

Unlike normal diseases, Moral Blight requires Will Saves to resist its effects, and cannot be removed by a Remove Disease affect until the target has also received a Remove Curse, and then Atonement spell. The incubation time is 1 minute, and the damage is 1d6 Wisdom damage due to the victim slowly sinking into nightmarish despair. Should the target be reduced to 0 Wisdom, the disease dissipates, and all Wisdom damage dealt by the disease is removed, but the victim's moral alignment component becomes Evil, and their personality is changed to reflect this. They want to be Evil, will perform acts in accordance to their new alignment, and will not seek redemption.

Defiling Gaze (Su)
As a standard action, an Amalgam of Impurity can gaze at a creature within 60 feet. The Amalgam looks into their soul and finds every trace of evil potential in that person, and suddenly brings it to the surface of their mind. Non-Evil creatures are wracked with guilt, and must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or be Dazed and take a -4 penalty on all saving throws for 1 round.

Corrupt Vision (Ex)
Amalgams of Impurity can see perfectly in normal and magical darkness, and instinctively know the alignment of any creature they look upon. Since this is not a magical effect, spells or supernatural abilities that mask or alter perceived alignment in some way have no affect.

Quench Morality (Su)
Within the area of an Amalgam's Aura of Impurity, the power of Good is substantially weakened. Creatures in the Aura (including the Amalgam) gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against spells with the [Good] Descriptor, a +4 Profane bonus to Armor Class against Smite Evil, maneuvers with the [Good] Descriptor, or other effects that have an increased effectiveness against Evil creatures, and [Good] Spells are cast at -4 Caster Level.

Unholy Grasp (Su)
Any weapon held by an Amalgam of Impurity gains the Unholy property and ignores all Damage Reduction possessed by Good-aligned creatures.

Solaris
2009-09-28, 05:06 PM
Clay golem with death giant abilities is the way to go, if you don't want to use the Amalgam.

EDIT: To make sense outside my head.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-09-28, 05:26 PM
My friend helped me come up with an idea for a golem created by demons using fragments of humanoid souls- specifically the "outer layer" of the soul which primarily consists of memories from one's mortal life, as well as personality (especially as influenced by one's mortal life) to an extent. I also imagine [Evil] energies being used to help fuel the creation.

The issue is I don't have much experience coming up with homebrew monsters. I don't really know where to start or how to pick abilities... Nor do I even know precisely what I want them to look like. As far as fluff, I pretty much just have the above. The demons may be creating them to help them with a big rebellion against another group of fiends, however, or for a suicidal mission to taunt the deity they are being forced to work for. So... any help/suggestions?

Hmmm...let me think...

The figure before you is like nothing you have ever seen before. Vaguely humanoid, its hulking, hunched frame is forged of pitted iron, glistening slightly with secretions to vile to even consider, let alone name. Massive glass globes jut from the monstrous form, and a pair of similar orbs rest in its armored head, glowing faintly as the creature takes in the world around it.

Closer inspection reveals that something unspeakable stirs within the tubes and globes covering the creatures body. Some ethereal vapor, carrying a quiet whisper and the occasional glimpse of a face or faces within the eerie mists...and a vaguely disturbing thought rises to the forefront of your mind: these phantom glimpses belong to another, and perhaps...just perhaps...these ghostly visages are fragments of human soul.

Abilities to consider:

Tortured Mind: Any creature using Divination or telepathy near the golem or targeting it with mind-affecting attacks must make a Will save or take Wisdom damage/drain (as appropriate for the level), and possibly be rendered insane.

Soul Collecting: Inflicts negative levels with melee attacks, or threatens to use trap the soul, or both (level dependent). A creature killed in this manner cannot be revived until the monster is slain, and comes back with an altered personality (from mixing with other souls). Up to DM/Player discretion.

The Neoclassic
2009-09-29, 02:21 PM
Oh boy! So many excellent suggestions. You guys never cease to amaze me with your awesomeness. :smallcool:

As to Fako's questions...

1. I'm thinking more along the lines of a "shell" to trap the souls in, yup. Just like usual humanoids, outsiders, golems, etc. have bodies but they also have the less tangible elements like their soul, taint of evil, whatever in them.

2. Ideally, CR 11-14, but anything 10 or above but 16 or lower could work.

3. Not yet!

4. Medium or large, though huge might be cool too, with the right fluff.

5. Creature type... I dunno yet. It certainly won't be an elemental bound to it; I was thinking of some combination of the soul fragments, elemental chaos, and elemental evil powering it.

I think I do want the creation to be mindless. It is fueled by bits of souls, but it doesn't have the key component for a mind (that is, consciousness- this is tied into my setting's fluff about what comprises a fully functioning humanoid soul [or even any cognizant being's soul, including outsiders and sentient undead, but not say constructs or zombies]).

I also should specify: Full, whole souls aren't included in this monster. What the demons are using in its creation are the outer layers of souls they've tortured. Memories and bits of personality, but not the full self or consciousness or being in any way. So, somewhat different than if you grabbed a regular person's full & functioning soul out of them and popped the whole thing into your evil creation. :smallsmile:

Xefas: That is quite a nifty monster! It's not precisely what I'm looking for, but I actually may have use for it elsewhere in my campaign...

Djinn: I think I'm going to use a variant on your tortured mind. Essentially, since all these memories are kind of attached to this haphazard construct, any divination or telepathy spells cast within 30 ft. will accidentally encounter them- causing the effects you describe (will decide for certain when I pick CR). Your description rocks too!

OK, time to do a bit more thinking and then come back with a few more details. If you have any more suggestions, go right ahead!

The Neoclassic
2009-09-30, 09:19 AM
Ugh, forums lost three paragraphs of work. :smallsigh:

Basically, I'm seeing these made by mariliths with the body parts of lesser demons (particularly hezrou) and some glass appendages and bits. Elemental evil and chaos help animate the body and power many of its abilities. A particularly disturbing, traitorous memory is chosen from the soul fragments and serves to make the golem slightly unique in its abilities and mannerisms (despite its lack of sentinece). An illusion placed on the glass globe which serves as the head appears to have many tortured souls within it, though this is actually not the case and some magic can show this isn't the case. Finally, the other fragments of souls are haphazardly tacked onto the final creation, creating an unpleasant atmosphere around the golem which penalizes one's morale.

What've I decided on?
Type: Construct
CR: 15
Size: Huge
Attacks: Disturbing/demoralizing aura (plus insanity risk for any casters of divination spells nearby), natural weapons (both unholy & chaotic)

Cieyrin
2009-09-30, 11:40 AM
Since it's powered by souls, why not make use of the rest of the material left over? I mean, have the golem 'eat' the corpses to add to its mass. Kinda like a WC3 Abomination, basically.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GRdgxlF70gk/Sd3UAgeZ5oI/AAAAAAAABzs/DB80F9_3mbk/s400/320px-ScourgeHulk.jpg

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.