What is Gollum in d&d?

[killem2]

I know he started as a hobbit,but in the current form, what monster or monsters under magical effects could best replicate him?

I need two little beings like this that are basically slaves.

[hamishspence]

There's a Corrupted template in BoVD- turns the being into an aberration.

He's more long-lived than undead- he still needs to eat, breath, etc.

[Razanir]

First off, 3.5 or PF?

Assuming 3.5, I would say either a ghoul or a deep halfling. Deep halflings are the drow of halflings, so it would be a deeper underground version which might work. On the other hand, ghouls would match the flavor, but you'd need to homebrew a small-sized variety (really just means stick a reduce person on it)

[Saidoro]

Halfling with mild taint (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/taint.htm)?

[hamishspence]

Gravetouched Ghoul template can be added to any humanoid- however- I don't see him as a good candidate for being undead.

[mattie_p]

Gravetouched Ghoul template can be added to any humanoid- however- I don't see him as a good candidate for being undead.

Strictly speaking no, he isn't dead. But he does have some ghoulish tendencies (eating raw living flesh - no disease though), unnatural lifespan, and a weird fetish (don't let elfcraft stuff, including food, touch him), but doesn't have a paralyzing attack.

[Shining Wrath]

The One Ring changed him from a halfling into ... something. You're asking what the something might be.

He still eats, and breathes, and can be killed with ordinary weapons, although he's preternaturally tough. He's also insane.

I'd try making him a size small Chaotic Evil Native Outsider. Yes, I know, he's from the Anduin Vale, but the Ring changed him into a creature more like Sauron than like a Hobbit, though Smeagol is still in there somewhere. Mad skill points on the Move Silently / Listen / Hide / Spot / Search / Survival type of stuff. Only simple weapon proficiencies, no armor, and there is a big circumstantial penalty to Will saves if the Ring is involved, or a Ringwraith, or Sauron.

[Lapak]

We're all going way too elaborate here.

He's a reskinned Kobold. Seriously, other than the extended lifespan (which is explicitly a Ring-based effect) what does Gollum do that isn't covered here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/kobold.htm)?

[Ravens_cry]

When did Gollum ever make traps or mine anything?
Light sensitivity yes, I can see that, but, aside from small size, I just ain't seen it.

[hamishspence]

I'd try making him a size small Chaotic Evil Native Outsider.

The Unholy Scion template from Heroes of Horror is this. It even gives him the Evil subtype. Though it's usually used for creatures that were possessed while in the womb- with the fiend merging.

Effectively, it's a slightly boosted half-fiend template without the wings- but the creature is physically almost identical to normal ones.

[Lapak]

When did Gollum ever make traps or mine anything?
Light sensitivity yes, I can see that, but, aside from small size, I just ain't seen it.Bonuses to hide and move silently, small size, darkvision, light sensitivity. He didn't make traps per se but his preferred method of attack was deceit and ambush, he lived in a cavern/mine complex, he hated/feared/preyed upon the goblins who were bigger and stronger, etc.

I could also throw in that he's a reasonably clear parallel to Tolkien's Orcs in terms of origin (Elves:Orcs::Hobbits:Kobolds in this analogy) and thus fits into the world of humanoids rather than outsiders or undead or any other such thing.

[Shining Wrath]

The Unholy Scion template from Heroes of Horror is this. It even gives him the Evil subtype. Though it's usually used for creatures that were possessed while in the womb- with the fiend merging.

Effectively, it's a slightly boosted half-fiend template without the wings- but the creature is physically almost identical to normal ones.

But he has none of the Unholy Magic. And the class skills seem all wrong - Diplomacy? Bluff? Sense Motive?

Not certain it's a better fit than just calling him a Native Outsider.

[Vaz]

Feral template + Halfling (Strongheart?).

[Almagesto]

I've always thought of him as some sort of fur-less meenlock. I mean they get all twisted due to some event, that could very well be the One Ring.

[killem2]

Since this is the DM side of things, I'm ok with PF or 3.5, they aren't crucial npcs, just somethign taht I want to resemble him.

Think a combination of gollum in desires, igor in obediance, and quasimodo/gollum mix in over all looks.

[Yogibear41]

Feral template + Halfling (Strongheart?).

I agree with this^

[Ravenica]

morlock? :smallbiggrin:

edit: with the young template for the size and stat redistribute

[Fyermind]

Halfling based (instead of human based) Skulk.

[HalfQuart]

Feral template + Halfling (Strongheart?).
Yeah, I was thinking a Feral Dark Halfling. The Dark template covers the bonuses to hide and move silently, with just the right fluff.

[Hendel]

He always reminded me of a Boggle from 1st edition, but without the special abilities to reach through dimensional holes.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drdd/20110622

[Tokuhara]

Weird twist, but from Fiend Folio, my call on Gollum would be a:

Dark One with the Dark and Tainted Raver templates.

Gollum is rather strong for a halfling, as sneaky as a Whisper Gnome, and stark raving mad. This gives him loads of "interesting" racials while still keeping him able to be "rational" (Smeagol) and psychotic (Gollum)

[Muktidata]

Class-wise a Cleric of the One Ring with Hunger and Animal Devotion for his domains. He has an item familiar, a ring of invisibility, with a huge ego score that dominates him.

He also kinda looks like a Choker from the PHB/SRD.

[Phelix-Mu]

A slight refluffing of meenlock should work. I believe they are in MM2. Basically, a normal person twisted by a sadistic process of torture by other meenlocks becomes a meenlock. You'd have to alter the appearance of the final product a bit, and make the One Ring the torturer, have the transformation take more time (we have good evidence to indicate that the transformation takes many decades), but I think it fits. The pathology of the final product would have to be more egocentric, in keeping with the ring-obsession, but that is probably best replicated by a bonus feat.

Oooh, I just had an interesting idea. You could refluff a necrotic cyst of some kind into the alternate personality implanted by the One Ring. Hmm, some kind of symbiont might work better. Don't know half as much about those things as I should.

I'd stay away from anything undead-ish, since Gollum has a number of traits that differentiate him from most undead (like his entire personality is built around fear...fear of loss of ring, fear of the Gollum personality that manipulates Smeagol, fear of change, etc). Most undead are portrayed as being emotion-lite, or heavily obsessed with one thing (vampires and their bloodthirst and using sex as a surrogate for feeding, etc). I don't know if this fits the complexity of his emotional state.

Actually, some kind of ageless fey that is warped by enslavement to the One Ring might work. Many fey are presented as embodiments of passion and emotion, and there really is precious little to Gollum besides his obsession (despite Smeagol's best efforts).

Anyway, it is an interesting question.

[awa]

gollums not exceptional strong or durable what do we see him kill? A few goblins he gets the jump on. as far as i know gollum has no claws.

[Medic!]

Jermlaine might suit your purposes pretty well.

[Phelix-Mu]

gollums not exceptional strong or durable what do we see him kill? A few goblins he gets the jump on. as far as i know gollum has no claws.

Indeed, Gollum doesn't really fight in combat much. I would use the term "murder" for most of the killing that he does. Most of the goblins that wandered that far down were probably badly lost in the first place, and most of the killing that he does is beating fish to death against rocks.

But he can definitely bite, scratch, and grapple with the best of unskilled, unarmed combatants. I'd rate him about as dangerous as a small-sized wild animal with a penchant for picking fights and not giving up. Dire badger? The exception is when he gets the drop of defenseless enemies and strangles them. This would let him hit a bit above CR appropriate enemies.

[killem2]

Lots of good stuff here. The npcs don't have to be like gollum exactly, like why he is the way he is, just how to get a similar character in d&d :). So many options.

[ShurikVch]

Jerren from BoVD are corrupted, cannibalistic halflins.
Also, from the same book: Lingering Effects of Evil A GREAT AND POWERFUL MALEVOLENCE
Creatures: Besides suffering psychological trauma, creatures exposed to this degree of evil can be changed physically. Depending on the circumstances, a creature may gain the fiendish or half-fiend template. Other physical changes don’t involve templates, but are still dramatic.
They include the following.
• Creature’s hair turns white.
• Creature’s flesh turns pale.
• Creature’s flesh becomes unnaturally cold.
• Creature’s eyes turn black or red.
• Creature takes on a foul odor.
• Neutral creatures become evil.
• Creatures are possessed. DARKNESS LIKE THE WORLD HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE
Creatures: Severe psychological trauma and physical
changes are likely in the wake of such powerful evil. Possible
changes include the following.
• Creature has a faint greenish glow.
• Creature is sickened.
• Creature takes a –2 inherent penalty to one ability score.
• Creature’s touch causes minor pain, dealing 1 point of damage.
• Animals avoid the presence of the creature if possible.
• Creature gains Evil Brand as a bonus feat, whether desired or not.
• Creature is horribly mutated physically, gaining Willing Deformity as a bonus feat.
• Creature’s blood becomes acidic; it is immune to damage from its own blood.
• Creature’s body breaks out in boils that ooze poison.
• Creature gains the corrupted template

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Gollum is 100% Plot Device, no other explanation is needed.

[ShriekingDrake]

He always reminded me of a Boggle from 1st edition, but without the special abilities to reach through dimensional holes.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drdd/20110622

I agree with this.

[Soranar]

Actually, I'd make Gollum a normal halfling (say stronheart)

BUT

make him worship an Elder Evil (the one Ring, aka Sauron) and give him a bunch of deformity feats

for example

willing deformity: teeth, for the bite attack

willing deformity : eyes, for obvious reasons

[Spuddles]

But he has none of the Unholy Magic. And the class skills seem all wrong - Diplomacy? Bluff? Sense Motive?

Not certain it's a better fit than just calling him a Native Outsider.

"Don't hurts us precious! No, don't hurts us. We know another way, we do precious, we do!"

"The fat hobbit ate it, I saw him! Looks, he has crumbs of nasty, nasty elfs bread on him!"


:smallwink:


But he has none of the Unholy Magic. And the class skills seem all wrong - Diplomacy? Bluff? Sense Motive?

Not certain it's a better fit than just calling him a Native Outsider.


Actually, I'd make Gollum a normal halfling (say stronheart)

BUT

make him worship an Elder Evil (the one Ring, aka Sauron) and give him a bunch of deformity feats

for example

willing deformity: teeth, for the bite attack

willing deformity : eyes, for obvious reasons

Awesome.

[Yora]

I think Gollum is a halfling ghoul.

[awa]

hes not undead.
he has no claws.
he can't paralyze
he does not kill with disease
he does not turn those he kills into ghouls
He does not dig up graves and eat the bodies inside

people keep mentioning ghoul but nothing about a ghoul in any way fits gollum

ugly hafling with dark vision and light sensitivity is all you need give him a level of rogue and your done.

rogue gives him sneak attack which represents how he can kill from ambush but prefers to avoid real fights. lots of skills gives him stealth and climbing

[TheNoodleGod]

wouldnt he just be a ghoul, smothered in fluff with the disease removed?