Golem Rider

[missmvicious]

Ok... this is freaking vile, but a friend of mine wants to bring back one of his former evil PCs as an NPC recurring villain in a campaign he's running.

He's a CE Gnome Cleric of Vecna. He's a sociopath who kills people and takes a trophy from their body and applies it to his armor. At first, it was just Exoskeleton Armor from MIC pg 18... but he wants this guy to have come back after years of adventuring. He's all grown up and twice as insane in the membrane.

He has now created a steam-punk inspired Bone Golem or Flesh Golem that is large enough that he could ride inside of. It does all the Hulk SMASH! fighting for him while he casts all the buff spells from inside his hulking abomination. He wants to know what level and feat requirements would be needed (multi-classing? I assume Wizard or Artificer would have to be in there somewhere) to make it feasible that his pet could be created by Melvin, his PC, from the bodies of those he has slain.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Well you could just create a normal cadaver collector golem(MMIII pg 22) and modify it via the appropriate pathfinder rules (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/building-and-modifying-constructs) so that it can be worn as armour. Sadly the rules for the collector's construction are lacking, but he'd probably need at least the craft construct feat and the ability to cast animate object.

[missmvicious]

Wow... That's what I told him, but I assumed I was wrong, because of my limited knowledge of build mechanics.

Cool! Thanks Demonic_Spoon. I'll let him know under the condition that he doesn't spring that awful thing on me next time he DMs one of our sessions.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Actually, after reading that neato fleshwarping handbook, the Cadaver Golem(Heroes of Horror page 149) seems to more in line with what he wants, and as a bonus it has instructions for construction at the end of the monster entry.

[missmvicious]

I don't have that book, but based on what it says here,
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20051007a&page=6

I don't think that would work. He wants to ride inside the golem. Imagine this:

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/057/0/f/mech_pilot_redux_final_by_bdpatton-d3agixt.jpg

but with this:

http://www.toxicpond.com/Media/drawings/TZ_Sketch_FleshGolem2.jpg

I suppose he's going to hollow out the chest cavity to make a sort of cockpit out of it. Being a Gnome, I think he's small enough to fit inside a Large or Huge creature's chest that way. Sitting... comfortably?... inside his creations chest, he can issue commands, then sit back, drink his tea, and enjoy the carnage from whatever magic he'd use to view the world from his constructs eyes.

Would that be scrying? Would scrying do that? Of course, you'd need a Holy Water Font to scry as a Cleric... which would burn the bajeezus out of the Golem if it spilled, so that's definitely where Wizard world come in. All they need is a mirror and access to 4th level spells.

So we're talking, minimum build, L1 Cleric of Vecna/ L6(?) Wizard with at least the following feats:
Craft: Wondrous Item (at L3)
Craft: Magic Arms and Armor (at L5)
Craft: Construct (at L6)

[DoctorGlock]

What about the effigy master class and the PF feat? Then you get a nasty templated monster that isn't immune to your buff spells

[GnomeGninjas]

Holy water wouldn't burn the golem because golems aren't evil outsiders or undead. They are constructs.

[chainer1216]

maybe modify the siege crab (from MM3, i think) to be less crab-like and more zombie giant-like?

the shielded compartment (Ex) ability and the coral circlet seem to be what he'd need. slap those on an undead of some sort and he's done.

[Prime32]

If you're using PF there's summoner (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner), with the synthesist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/archetypes/paizo---summoner-archetypes/synthesist) archetype. Or Dreamscarred Press's Aegis, which has fewer rules ambiguities (and a hilarious picture (http://www.dreamscarredpress.com/dragonfly/modules/Store/images/DSP_PsiExpand-Unlimited_v1.jpg)).

[missmvicious]

What about the effigy master class and the PF feat? Then you get a nasty templated monster that isn't immune to your buff spells

Where do I find this "Effigy Master"? And what is a PF Feat?

I like where you are going with this. It sounds exactly like what he is going for, as long as he can he ride inside the templated monster.

[DoctorGlock]

Where do I find this "Effigy Master"? And what is a PF Feat?

I like where you are going with this. It sounds exactly like what he is going for, as long as he can he ride inside the templated monster.

Effigy Master is Complete Arcane page 30
The PF feat is what the second poster mentioned. Or I thought someone in the thread mentioned a feat. Either it was edited or it come out of nowhere.

[missmvicious]

Oh! Hurr durr... Pathfinder Feat.

Sorry... I failed at interpreting PF. I'm pretty sure Pathfinder materials are off his list.

Effigy Master looks great though! It's full-relevant, and since the constructs are mechanical, it would be easy enough to toss a cockpit in there. I'll definitely present this as an option to his build. Thanks, DoctorGlock! May your next session come up 20s!

[missmvicious]

I'm looking at the build here and it requires that you have simulacrum as part of your spell list. Would a magic domain Cloistered Cleric count, or would it have to be a Sorc/Wizard dip? I think it would require the dip.

I'm looking at

Cloistered Cleric L(X) (for access to all domains, and he really doesn't need martial prowess, since he spends his days inside his effigy)

Wizard L1 (for technical requirement: Simulacrum)

Effigy Master L5.

I'm guessing he could be any level Cloistered Cleric that would be appropriate for the encounter level.

[Talionis]

Effigy Master just says it needs to be in your class spell list. You can do it with a Cleric that has Simalacrum in the Domain spells; I thought I had read where someone had gotten in with a cleric, but I can't think of a domain though.

[legomaster00156]

If this is 3.5 and PF resources, point him towards the Synthesist Summoner. Give his Eidolon abilities reminescent of a golem, and give it the Construct type instead of the Outsider type. The type conversion is not supported by the rules, but I would see nothing wrong with it, myself.

[IdleMuse]

I'm pretty sure Pathfinder materials are off his list.



If this is 3.5 and PF resources,

Read the thread.

A Cleric with the Envy domain can qualify for Effigy Master. That said, I'm not sure what Effigy Master really does for you over simply ruling that you can sit inside a Cadaver Golem, which seems more the fluff you're looking for.