Are there any golems that are not overpriced?

[Tvtyrant]

Take the Stone Golem for instance. Minimum 50,000 GP and a large chunk of XP for a massively over CR'd monster (11? Really? Warforged Titan is CR 8 and has almost identical stats.)

An Iron Golem costs more then twice what a staff of Summon Elemental Monolith does, and gets a much weaker creature (that I cannot just allow to die in a fight.)

Are there any golems that are not ludicrously over priced?

[Phelix-Mu]

There are actually a complicated, but rather extensive, series of tricks that can be employed by players in any campaign with a tolerant DM, that allow one to chisel the price down to a pittance of what it normally is. I think over 60% discount was achievable, but I can't really recall the exact number. I think a search for "cost reducers" or "cost/price reduction" and "constructs" on the forum will turn up a couple threads. The member Skysaber (one word, IIRC) had a number of threads on this topic, and unseenmage also has posted extensively on the topic of making many constructs.

I'm sure someone will be along momentarily with a link, if you are too busy to search yourself.

[ryu]

Take the Stone Golem for instance. Minimum 50,000 GP and a large chunk of XP for a massively over CR'd monster (11? Really? Warforged Titan is CR 8 and has almost identical stats.)

An Iron Golem costs more then twice what a staff of Summon Elemental Monolith does, and gets a much weaker creature (that I cannot just allow to die in a fight.)

Are there any golems that are not ludicrously over priced?

Try looking up shadowsteel golems. They're some of the best bang for your golem getting buck.

[Darrin]

Are there any golems that are not ludicrously over priced?

Stained Glass Golem (MM2): 10K
Fang Golem (MM4): 15K
Brass Steed (Heroes of Battle): 19K
Equine Golem (A&EG): 20K
Serpentflesh Golem (Serpent Kingdoms): 20K

The last one might be the stand-out. Same price as a flesh golem, but no Berserk (Ex) to worry about. 11HD (90 hp) instead of 9HD (79 hp). Slams average 11 damage instead of 14, but it has an additional bite attack + poison (DC 15, 1d6 Str/1d6 Str). Speed 40' instead of 30', better DR, and fire resistance 20.

[Gildedragon]

Paper golems are pretty cheap (dr mag)
As are plush golems
And swarm golems are quite cheap as you only need to make one figurine and then double it (and then double those two, and those four) via any of the item replication shenanigans like mirror of opposition quintessence trap

[John Longarrow]

CAr has Effegy Creatures for a very reasonable amount. Not as good as higher level golems, but definitely worth the price.
9HD Green Hag effegy works out to be something like 15K.

[thethird]

Personally for cost reducers warforged artificer 20

lvl 1 feat apprentice craftsman (10% gold discount)
lvl 3 feat grell alchemy (items harder to dispel)
lvl 4 bonus feat extraordinary artisan (25% gold discount)
lvl 6 feat magical artisan (extraordinary artisan) (25% gold, XP discount)
lvl 8 bonus feat legendary artisan (25% XP discount)
lvl 9 feat magical artisan (legendary artisan) (25% gold, XP discount)
lvl 12 bonus feat exceptional artisan (25% time discount)
lvl 12 feat magical artisan (exceptional artisan) (25% gold, XP discount)
lvl 15 feat magical artisan (grell alchemy) (25% gold, XP discount)
lvl 16 bonus feat craft construct (can craft constructs)
lvl 18 feat magical artisan (craft construct) (25% gold, XP discount)

If you can somehow squeeze 2 more fit bind elemental (up to 80% gold discount) and magical artisan (bind elemental) (25% gold, XP discount)

This gives you a gold cost of:
=.9*.75*.75*.75*.75*.75*.75 = 0.160
of the normal gold cost of the golem (which is half the market price)

And an xp cost:
=.75*.75*.75*.75*.75*.75 = 0.177
of the normal XP cost of the golem (which is 1/25 the market price)

i.e. almost nothing

For example an iron golem which is a highly prized golem would cost you:
50000/2*.160 = 4000 gp
50000/25*.177 = 354 xp

Add to that a craft reserve of 5000 (at lvl 20) which can be expend at 2 to 1 due to the warforged sub lvl) and you have in effect 10000 xp to craft and you can craft 27 iron golems.

Personally though I'm partial to scouring stanchions that cost 105,000 gp; having a crafting cost of 525000 gp and 3000 xp; using the discounts mentioned above you can create up to 18 scouring stanchions for 151200 gp.