Golems- How does it work?

[Olfgar]

So a friend of mine was planning on getting into walk of the waste a little while ago, and he brought up that he can make golems. He also mentioned that it takes about a day per 1000gold in its price, and the market price for the (sand?) Golem that the walkers in the waste get the ability to create is around 52K gold....so weve been wondering, does it actually take 52 days to create this single golem, or did we miss read something here, because other wise for a player and not an established NPC whos been around, atleast lore wise, this ability seems pointless.

No party is going to sit around for nearly 2 months, just so you can create one golem to come with them (again, this is from the PC party's perspective).

[Flickerdart]

It only takes 8 hours for each one of those days, though, so you could ostensibly go on field trips. Otherwise, use a Dedicated Wright in a Portable Hole to work on your golem while you run around being heroic and whatnot.

[Olfgar]

I suppose that is possible. But i still cant see why they thought that would be a viable option. It makes me view the Walker in the waste better suited for an NPC class. Then you culd have those Salt Mummies and Golems storlling around your little desert paradise.

[Flickerdart]

The Walker gets more than just the golems as class features.

[Gavinfoxx]

Golems can definitely be viable!

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=177

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19861634/Domo_Arigato_Mr._Roboto.

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7274

If you just choose a good price/performance golem, that thereby does not take much time to make, and you maybe use some of the methods to lower the time, or you have a dedicated wright build it in a portable hole... lots of options!

[Demonic_Spoon]

Couldn't he just craft them during the 8 hours that everyone is sleeping? Since he becomes undead and doesn't need sleep?

[Gavinfoxx]

Well, here is one of my favored 'high price / performance' golems. Good as a shock trooper. Yay templated Effigies!

Lets see here...

Magebred (Eberron Campaign Setting) adds: +4 to natural armor, +4 str, +2 dex, improved natural attack: claw

Woodling (Monster Manual III) adds +7 natural armor

Half-Scrag (Fiend Folio) adds +4 to natural armor, +6 str, +2 dex, -5 land speed, 20' swim speed, changes D4 claws to D8 claws

Half-Dragon Li Lung (dragon magazine #356) adds 4 natural armor, str+8, burrow speed 10', flying (average) at twice groundspeed

Effigy (Complete Arcane) adds +4 str, -2 to dex, adds 2 to natural armor, removes con and int, removes most special abilities, adds dr 5/adamantine, sets wisdom to 11 and charisma to 1

base girallon (Monster Manual/SRD) scores of note are large size, 7HD, 4 claws at 1d4, bite at 1d8, 40' speed, 40' climb speed, natural armor 4, str 22, dex 17, a rend.

New creature, according to my calculations, would have...

Cost 19,000 gp MARKET VALUE

7D10+30 hp (68 hp)
Large, Mindless Construct
44 str (!)
19 dex
con -
int -
wis 11
cha 1
45' land speed
10' burrow speed
40' climb speed
20' swim speed
90' fly speed (average)
dr 5/adamantine
25 points of natural armor (!)
4 1d10 claw attacks (primary)
1 1d8 bite attack (secondary)
1 1d6 slam attack (secondary)
+ 2d6 Girallon Rend
Improved Natural Attack Claw

Of course, that might be too hardcore for most games, especially since you can make this at like level Eight (!). So comparing it to other golems make-able around the ~7-9 hd range, some modifications might be in order. After comparing it to a Flesh golem (srd/mm), serpentflesh golem (sk), a full improved homunculus iron defender (ebcs, moe), and a fang golem (mmiv), some more sane stats might be something like:

+10 natural armor
40 ft move, 40' climb, 40' fly (average), 20' swim, 10' burrow
dr 5/adamantine
7 HD + 30 hp (68 hp)
Large
4 claws at 1d6, 1 bite at 1d8, girallon rend 2d6
str 22
dex 17
Improved Natural Attack Claw

And you'd be able to make this at level 7... :)

[Emperor Tippy]

Bah, the only real good combat construct is an advanced Shadesteel Golem created with Rudimentary Intelligence that has a heightened to 9th level Greater Shadow Evocation Continual Flame spell cast on a plate sovereign glued to it and covered up for effective fast healing 9 and always being hasted.

Remember to hit it with a permanent Telepathic Bond as well and equip it with items.

[Gavinfoxx]

Yea, I suppose that is good.

IF YOU ARE A LEVEL 18 CASTER!

Sheesh. You set your sights too high. You should consider 'good enough', once in a while!

[Hand_of_Vecna]

If you aren't playing in a game that has considerable downtime then you don't need to be mucking about with golems because obviously you don't need guardians for your lair, you're on the move. No need to bend the rules so that a T1 in a solid PrC on his way to a very nice free template can craft extra muscle for the party.

[Hanuman]

constructs can be wonderful around level 10+
Mind you, constructs aren't meant purely for combat, they are a very potent utility for a team that likes a shock and awe approach and doesn't mind the clanking or the heavy extension investment.

I made a tasty and inexpensive combo that provides extreme utility for minimum buck:

Clockwork Mender Familiar
-Build Expeditious Messenger

This combination works really well for a couple reasons:
-Both are Tiny flying creatures
-Both speak common
-Both have an outstanding fly speed
-Expeditious messenger carries a message up to 1 mile away
-Familiar is granted skill ranks equal to the master
-Expeditious messenger is intelligent

What this means, is that you have two AI aerial drones that have a remote distance of 1 mile, at a mere 150-200' up they are as hard to oppose a spot check as an invisible flying creature of medium size.

You may talk though your aerial drone to the other, they can both make knowledge checks on what they see, the mender has your skillranks and has aprox 10-16 int. This means that you get 2 skillchecks on what's observed, they chatter to each other and give you an answer.

You can split the team up at any time, this provides even more versatility.

At any time you may use your exp. messenger to communicate with your teammates over an area of 1 mile.

These drones never sleep or tire.