Build a Golem

 Magic-users are mad bastards right?  But they are bloody good to have on your side, they dominate your enemies, chuck fireballs at giants, and unleash the occasional cloud kill.  Magnificent stuff.  Unfortunately, they ain't much good in a scrap, a few swift kicks to the gonads and that's it, they're done.  Many magic-users have found the best solution to this problem is to get some mug to fight for them.  The most basic form of this is finding some dull-witted fighter-type called Grod, or whatever to act as their smiting machine.  Others summon their own help or bewitch the minds of others to murder their former friends, magic-users are a canny sort.  

There are a few however that feel that even this is not enough and so they lower themselves to pseudo-engineering and make their very own an unstoppable killing machine.  A golem.  These things at heart are a lump of something material int to some a humanoid-like shape that is animated through arcane know-how and follows the master's instructions to the letter.

To build one of these death machines a magic-user will need:

• A place to make their golem
• The Right Tools
• Sufficient amounts of the material required
• Loadsamoney!

Let's do this like a build-a-bear, where we make our golem in a modular fashion.  We are also going to do it so that the magic-user can build a golem at any level, they just need access to the materials and know-how.

Step 1 Determining Hit Dice:

Ultimately choose a method that works for your campaign but here are some suggestions based on how murderous you will allow it to be:

1. Reasonably Murderous:  The maximum hit die of the golem is calculated as half the level of the magic-user.  The hit die maximum is also increased by 1 for each INT modifier.  However, this total may never exceed the level of the magic-user.
2. Pretty Damn Murderous:  The maximum hit die of the golem is calculated as the same level as the magic-user.  The hit die maximum is also increased by 1 for each INT modifier.   However, this total may never exceed twice the level of the magic-user.
3. Unreasonably Murderous:  The maximum hit die of the golem is calculated as twice the level of the magic-user.  The hit die maximum is also increased by 1 for each INT modifier.  

Step 2 Determining Hit Points and Base Cost:

Hit Dice
Hit Dice Value	Cost per hit dice (gp)
1D4	500
1D6	750
1D8	1000
1D10	2000

Step 3 Golem Material:

The material you choose to make your golem out of will affect the cost per hit die, for example:

• 2 hit die (at 1D4 hit points each)
• made of flesh
• (500 - 100) x 2 = 800gp

Material
Material	Armour Class (AC)	Cost per hit dice (gp)
Flesh	12	-100
Wood	13	-75
Bone/Clay	14	-50
Stone	15	0
Soft Metals	16	+100
Hard Metals	17	+250
Crytal/Mystical Alloys	18	+500

Step 4 Form and Function:

Where it says cost in hit dice it simply means to take that form you need to lose one of your hit dice.  The cost however still stays the same.

Form
Body plan	Ability	Cost in hit dice
Humanoid	Can carry weapons/shield.	0HD
Beast-like	+20% land speed.	0HD
Serpent-like	+1 to grapple	0HD
Eldritch	Flight (speed 20ft)	-1HD

Function
Role	Modifications
Melee	+1 Attack Bonus (melee) per hit dice +1 Attack Bonus (ranged) 5 Inventory Slots
Ranged	+1 Attack Bonus (melee) +1 Attack Bonus (ranged) per hit dice 5 Inventory Slots.
Labour	+1 Attack Bonus (melee) +1 Attack Bonus (ranged) 15 Inventory Slots

Step 5 Special Abilities:

Now it's time to give your golem a bit of flavor!  Feel free to add any kind of ideas to augment it.

Where it says +1 hit dice as a cost that means you gain an additional hit dice for your golem!  Exciting stuff!  Despite getting extra hit dice from this table you still pay the original cost!

Abilities and Weaknesses
Modification	Description	Cost in Hit Dice
Brittle	-1AC	+ 1 Hit Dice
Weakness to X	Takes double damage from one of the following: elemental damage (one type) Sharp Blunt	+ 1 Hit Dice
Arcane Metabolism	Requires a number of spell levels equal to the golem's hit dice expended by the magic-user to power the golem for 24 hours.	+ 1 Hit Dice
Structural Flaws	Any critical hit against the golem automatically stuns it for 1D3 +1 rounds.	+ 1 Hit Dice
Shoddy Arcane Insulation	If affected by a dispelling affect the golem must save Vs magic or become inert for 1 turn.	+ 1 Hit Dice
Prismatic Lens	The golem gains a ranged attack which fires a beam of energy out of the prismatic lens. Range:30ft Damage: 1d6 (choose the type)	-1 Hit Dice
Disruptive Attacks	When struck by the golem's melee or ranged attacks the target must save Vs. paralysis or be stunned for 1 round.	-1 Hit Dice
Obscene Strength	Can use a two-handed weapon in one hand.	-1 Hit Dice
Toxic Gas	Once per day per 3 hit dice. The golem releases toxic gas from its body. Everyone within 10ft must save Vs. poison or suffer 1D6 poison damage. In addition they will suffer a -1 to ALL rolls. Lasts 1D6 +1 rounds. Does stack with itself.	-1 Hit Dice
Resistance to X	Takes half damage from one of the following: elemental damage (one type) Sharp Blunt	-1 Hit Dice
Precise Construction	Inflicts a critical hit on a 19 or 20	-1 Hit Dice

A Worked Example:

Zog the magnificent is a bit broke so he's gonna try and get as stompy a golem as possible for as cheap as possible.

• 4 hit dice (of D6) at 750gp a hit dice.
• Made out of bone reducing the price per hit dice by 50 per hit dice.
• 4 x 700 = 2,800Gp in total.
• He is going to have it in humanoid form and make it a melee golem.
• To give his golem a bit more hit points he chooses to give his golem a weakness to water and cut some corners, which leads to shoddy arcane insulation.

The result is as below:

Zog's Bone Golem

AC: 14

HD: 6

HP: 18

Damage: By weapon type

Notes:

Has a weakness to the water (x2 damage from water-based attacks.  Suffers x2 the of any non-beneficial water-based spell/ability).

If subject to any kind of dispelling effect it is stunned for 1D3 + 1 rounds.