VoP Druid vs Golem

[aeauseth]

Most golem's are largely immune to spells and require an adamentine weapon to overcome their damage reduction. I'm playing a VoP druid and at some point I'm bound to fight a golem.

With Vow of Poverty I am unable to own anthing of great value, including masterwork items. I'm quite certain my DM would consider an adamentine weapon both valuable and masterwork, thus I can't have one. It also ruins the flavor of VoP.

So are there any spells that make my claws or staff adamentine? Most animal forms just don't do that much damage in a single hit to make much of a dent in a golem's DR. I'd appreciate suggestions.

[Gavinfoxx]

Actually, they are immune to any spells that are SR: Yes.

They most definitely aren't immune to spells! Druid has LOTS of things that don't care one way if you have SR: Infinite, which is what 'spell immunity' means. So lots of druid spells work, notably:

Buffs
Summons
Battlefield control spells with SR: No
A good amount of damaging spells.
Power attack

So the Druid does what he does for all encounters: Battlefield Controls half of the golems, buffs himself and his animal companion, summons an army of animals, and kicks ass in melee with a huge amount of strength and buffs to just power through DR by dealing more damage, with a bunch of summoned animals (perhaps some aiding another? maybe with enlarge animal?), and his animal companion, and then once the first half is done, does the same to the other half that were tied down for half the fight in the battlefield control.

Alternately, fly above them and deal direct damage spells that are SR: No.

[eggs]

Cast Control Winds and Quickened Entangle. The Golem's saves are awful; it doesn't have a chance.
Watch the Iron Golem writhe.
Maybe turn into a Treant and huck boulders at it, if pointing and laughing isn't good enough fun.

Or Transmute Rock to Mud/Mud to Rock on whatever the golem's standing on. Or get some air or storm elementals to whirlwind/blast-plink it to death. Or an Ooze Paraelemental to just burn through the thing.

EDIT: On DR/Adamantine, I'm not sure. I suspect there may be a form with an (Ex) ability to overcome that with its natural attacks, but it'll take a bit of searching.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

There's actually a spell in BoED called Touch of Adamantine, which allows a weapon to overcome DR/Adamantine for its duration.

Wild Shape into a Dire/Legendary Ape, use a Quarterstaff with Shillelagh, Spikes, and Touch of Adamantine cast on it, and you'll do just fine.

[Vizzerdrix]

I remember seeing some feats in a Dragon Mag that let you tame aberrations and use them as animal companions. Go get a rust monster. :smallbiggrin:

[aeauseth]

Cast Control Winds and Quickened Entangle. The Golem's saves are awful; it doesn't have a chance.

Interesting idea, and good Druid flavor. The entangle has no SR but most golems have enough STR to get free, golems also have a terrible movement, so entangle definately has possibilities.

Control Winds is interesting, but appears problematic. If I push or knock down the golem, how does my party deal damage? You can't shoot thru the wind. Hopefully the fighter has a good Fort save. Ahh, the golem has a crappy fort save, so that might work! I never notice that a golem has all poor saves.

[aeauseth]

There's actually a spell in BoED called Touch of Adamantine, which allows a weapon to overcome DR/Adamantine for its duration.

I got excited for a moment because I thought it was a sanctified spell, thus spontaneous, but it isn't. This becomes situational as a 6th level spell.

[Cespenar]

I'm of the belief that a Druid can simply whittle away a Golem using nothing but spamming Earth/Fire Elementals via Summon Nature's Ally X.

But if you're in a group, just attack the golem's special weakness (lightning for Iron Golem, Transmute RtM for Stone Golem) and your group can probably beat the slowed golem. If ever in doubt, spam a couple more elementals.

[gallagher]

I got excited for a moment because I thought it was a sanctified spell, thus spontaneous, but it isn't. This becomes situational as a 6th level spell.
yeah, situational for when you have to fight golems. you wont need it any other time, but you have a wide array of options for every other situation

[Gavinfoxx]

Is Arc of Lightning from Spell Compendium SR: No?
Blast of Sand, from Sandstorm, is SR: No and doesnt deal typed damage, so it should bypass DR, and it should work even to spell immune creatures.
Fire Seeds are SR: No, right? Those should work.
Haboob from Sandstorm should work, as should Arctic Haze from Frostburn.
Hurling Stone from Heroes of Battle should work.
I believe Ice Flowers from Spell Compendium are SR No.
I think Venomfire's SR is only for the creature you are buffing... the acid should work on creatures that are magic immune, right?
Lava Missiles and Lava Splash from Serpent Kingdoms are SR: No.
Murderous Mist from Spell Compendium is SR: No...

Need I go on?? Just fly above it and sling sr: no direct damage, or have your fleshraker bite it with venomfire up...

[Psyren]

I got excited for a moment because I thought it was a sanctified spell, thus spontaneous, but it isn't. This becomes situational as a 6th level spell.

Actually, even if it were Sanctified, he would still have to prepare it. Only Clerics can spontaneously cast Sanctified Spells.

[Tytalus]

So the Druid [...] kicks ass in melee with a huge amount of strength and buffs to just power through DR by dealing more damage

Yes, a beatdown approach should work:



Wild Shape into a Dire/Legendary Ape, use a Quarterstaff with Shillelagh, Spikes, and Touch of Adamantine cast on it, and you'll do just fine.

Or even simpler: Wildshape + Animal Companion + shared buffs (ideally with Companion Spellbond, PHB2) is usually sufficient to rip golems apart.

A capable dire/legendary animal form, Greater Magic Fang (should be active anyway) plus Bite of the WereWhatever [SC] and other random, long-term buffs should do the trick regardless of the max. DR 10/adamantine that MM1 golems have. The similarly buffed companion makes it even easier.

[Karoht]

Aqueous Orb
SR = No
Reflex to avoid.

The Orb picks up the Golem if he fails the save. You can pick up 4 medium creatures or 1 large creature. Keeps the Golem out of the fight for a number of rounds, though every round the Golem gets to make a new Reflex save to escape. Golems usually aren't that good with Reflex saves.

Worst comes to worst, roll the Golem into another room and cast Wall of Stone over the door.

If possible, roll the Golem off a cliff or steep drop. Or cast Create Pit/Acid Pit/Spiked Pit, roll them into the pit. You could Wall of Stone over the Pit as well.

[Psyren]

Aqueous Orb
SR = No
Reflex to avoid.

The Orb picks up the Golem if he fails the save. You can pick up 4 medium creatures or 1 large creature. Keeps the Golem out of the fight for a number of rounds, though every round the Golem gets to make a new Reflex save to escape. Golems usually aren't that good with Reflex saves.

Worst comes to worst, roll the Golem into another room and cast Wall of Stone over the door.

If possible, roll the Golem off a cliff or steep drop. Or cast Create Pit/Acid Pit/Spiked Pit, roll them into the pit. You could Wall of Stone over the Pit as well.

This is worth it for the visual alone.
(Do not {scrubbed} with druids)

[Treblain]

Strength Devotion makes all your attacks be treated adamantine and bypass hardness for a minute 1/day, and you can take it multiple times.

[Karoht]

Sleetstorm tends to shut out Golems pretty good as well.
It's a conjuration effect, and blocks line of sight completely. Golem can't hit you if it can't see you. Cast it over the Golem.
In Pathfinder it has to make acrobatics checks just to move, in 3.5 it's balance. I don't recall seeing Golems be any good at those. If it fails it falls over.
Combo it up with a casting of Grease just for laughs.
You can pretty much keep a Golem out of a fight for as long as you want if you use the right spells. They aren't even that high level either.

And someone mentioned Fire Seeds. It is SR = No.

[Gavinfoxx]

Sleetstorm + Arctic Haze = LOL Golem.