Golem Concept

The Construct that Just Gets Stronger the More You Kill It

No matter it’s origin, the construct is quite unimposing. It’s grey stone material is dull and the only features on its face are two simple black eyes. When it falls to the first attack, it seems that the victory was almost trivial. However, the nanomagics that power it will have rebuilt it within a day using what materials lie around it. Most dangerously though, the construct is now immune to whatever killed it. If it was struck down by a sword, swords now bounce off it. If it was shattered by a magic missile, they now dissipate harmlessly. Power words won’t work twice and acid only melts it once. Such a construct could appear in several forms.

A Strange Prototype

This is probably the strangest fight the arena in Shamboli has ever seen. Standing against the characters is an unarmed construct , waiting with its hands by its sides. The alchemists who made it are paying the party a lot of gold coins for this fight. The seven of them are pretty much the only audience, so early is it in the morning. The fight is over almost immediately with the construct shattering from the first attack but instead of being disappointed or embarrassed, the alchemists seem quite pleased, are taking lots of notes, and asking odd questions about trajectories and angles of impact. They pay the party and go on their way, leaving the construct to be tidied away by the arena custodians. The next morning however, the construct reappears where the party is staying. The damage from the first fight has been patched with materials from the arena floor and it seems to have acquired a hat. 

“Hello” it cheerfully says “I am prototype unit Hx4. I am here to fight you for science.” The alchemists reveal that there’s a really interesting feature (bug) in the nanomagics that power then construct. It seems it’s become unending. They offer the characters more money to carry on killing it so that they can gather more data. They don’t have to stay in town, just keep fighting it and killing it. Hx4 greets it repeating death in good humour, though it does seem to be protective of the hat.

A Security Device

It’s been 2 weeks since the characters fled from the collapsing tomb of Xezxrt with as much treasure as their packs could hold and they’ve only just made it back to town. But their much needed rest in a proper bed is unpleasantly interrupted by a two foot tall construct barging into their room at midnight. It stands in the doorway and yells “You have stolen the compass of Xezxrt from the tomb of my master Xezxrt!” it then proceeds to try to search the party’s belongings for the compass, whilst still yelling about the characters’ crime. Weak and harmless it is easily silenced but will return and return and return, each time screaming and loudly proclaiming when it appears. If given the compass, it will giggle inanely and then run off in the direction of the tomb. Quite some time later it will return and yell “You have stolen the amulet of Xezxrt from the tomb of my master Xezxrt!” This cycle will continue until all the magical artefacts the party took are returned. 

A Curse of Reclamation

The Que Focus Gem needs to be taken to the top of Thren tower before the next solar eclipse so that it can be used during the continental millennial festival. The journey will be difficult and must be undertaken in secret to keep the gem safe and intact. But soon after the party start their journey, they find themselves being unerringly followed by an ancient construct standing 8 foot tall, it’s stone work battered and in poor repair. It lacks a voice but is covered in old writing that declares it to be the original guardian of the focus gem. The construct always goes directly for the gem, attempting to place it back into the socket in the centre of its chest. It is slow moving but immensely strong, easily moving aside or breaking anything put in its way. With each death it becomes more mismatched, ungainly and incoherent. The construct ’s constant presence and pursuit makes stealth increasingly difficult for the party.

A Wizard’s Grudge

Wandergast, Wizard of the Shaped Stones is not only quick to anger but also holds a grudge. But being a busy mage, he prefers to delegate hunting down and killing those who have offended him. The first and often only sign that someone is being pursued by one of Wandergast’s Grudge Constructs is an unnatural crack in the air as a supersonic magic missile hits its target. Quickly relocating after the shot is a construct of highly unusual design. Part feliform, part weapons platform it resembles a leopard but it has a set of magic rods where its spine would be. It is most deadly at long range because the design has sacrificed toughness for accuracy and stealth. If someone does get close, it will attempt to claw at them but it has very little strength to inflict any meaningful harm. When defeated the construct shatters to prevent recovery of the magic rods.


Golem Concept by Carj2s CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0