Help making puppets!

[gallagher]

so i am making a few halloween-themed encounters for my party. the big thing that i need right now is where i might find something like enemy puppets. i would like them to be like, CR3, and have a number of them, as it is a party of four level 7 characters: an archer, a barbarian, a bard, and a gunslinging homebrew that has a few spells. the wizard recently died and they are on a mission to get him back.

also, is there an empty suit of armor-style enemy that i can put in there?

sorry to be brief, but the campaign starts in two and a half hours. i got really behind schedule this week from all the midterms and the suchlike. thanks in advance!

[jiriku]

I'd recommend you apply the effigy template to normal animals, or use the various improved homunculi in the Eberron sourcebook. Alternately, just take low-CR monsters you like and convert them to the construct type.

[gallagher]

I'd recommend you apply the effigy template to normal animals, or use the various improved homunculi in the Eberron sourcebook. Alternately, just take low-CR monsters you like and convert them to the construct type.

yeah, thats what i thought i would end up doing (animal effigies). it looks to actually work very well for what i am going for

what about that suit of armor? i am thinking of having a hallway of them, but i dont want to have them be too strong for the party

[Greenish]

…where i might find something like enemy puppets. i would like them to be like, CR3, and have a number of them…

also, is there an empty suit of armor-style enemy that i can put in there?…

Animated objects?

[gallagher]

Animated objects?

not exactly what i was hoping for, but i can work with that. just have it adjusted to be sets of fullplate for more AC and greataxes for more fun

[doc*sk]

CRs are off, but what about the following?

Inevitables
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/inevitable.htm

Shield Guardian
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/shieldGuardian.htm

Or what about a Warforged?

[Moriato]

Well, I can't seem to find them right now, but I'm absolutely certain that there are "Doll Golems" out there somewhere for your puppets.

As for the armor, how about having a few "Animated Object" suits of armor, and then maybe 1 or 2 Invisible Stalkers wearing full plate? They're large size, so they'll be distinguishable from the animated ones (Unless you make the animated ones large, too, I suppose), but they'll still just look like empty suits of armor, so the players will probably assume they're just larger animated suits, and hilarity may well ensue.

[Dr.Epic]

Golems, animated objects, or other constructs.

[Thurbane]

Dread Guard, MM2, is an animated suit of armor.

[Captainocaptain]

How about Mimics? CR is a little low I think, but still, could be fun.
"Aghh! the Candlesticks are eating my legs!"

[Jastermereel]

Perhaps refluffed Raggamoffyns from MM2? There are challenge ratings for different varieties at 1, 3, 5, and 7 and...as fairly inane as they are, they've got some abilities that might make them interesting.

[druid91]

Helmed Horrors? From Monsters of Faerun? Intelligent walking suits of armor.