Construct (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
Within the world of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, construct is a type of creature, or "creature type
". Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature.
Most construct are mindless automatons, obeying their creator's commands absolutely, which makes them unbribable and absolutely trustworthy, although some of them are very literal-minded about the execution of their duties, obeying orders to the letter without any concern for their intent. There are exceptions to this rule, however. Certain constructs, such as Inevitables, are every bit as intelligent as mortal creatures.
As they lack a metabolism, constructs have a wide array of immunities to frailties and effects that would affect creatures of flesh and blood, such as poison, fatigue, exhaustion, disease or various special attacks and magical effects related to draining a creature's life energy (ability drain, level drain, death effects, etc.). As most constructs lack functional internal organs (their animating force does not require any) they are immune to critical hit
s and forms of damage targeting a creature's weak spots (such as a rogue
's sneak attack).
Constructs are almost always created by an intelligent creator, typically a wizard
, sorcerer
or cleric
, though some are created by other character classes or spellcasting monsters. Creating a specific kind of construct begins with the creation of body, made by either the creator himself or a hired craftsman. Construct bodies can be made from wildly different materials, from clay to copper and bone to cadavers. The next part of the process is a ritual requiring the casting of specific spells to bind a spirit of some kind (typically an elemental drawn from the Inner Planes) into the body and imbuing it motion and special abilities.
The creation methods for certain constructs are unknown, or might require much more stringent requirements. Warforged, for example, can only be created with the help of specific artifacts, the creation forges.
Cadaver collectors dwell in battlegrounds, and typically emerge from dormancy after a great fight has taken place. They are known as cadaver
collectors for a grisly purpose; they pick up the corpses of the recently defeated, and impale them on the spikes on their armor. In other words, they collect cadavers. Older Cadaver collectors become completely covered in corpses, blood, bone, torn clothing and such, and really are a most grotesque sight.
Loosely based on both the famous Jewish legend
and Frankenstein's monster
, golems in D&D are typically man-sized or larger, roughly humanoid and built from one particular kind of material for which they are named, e.g. flesh golem, iron golem, wood golem, etc. They are normally very strong and impervious to most magic. Typically, each kind of golem has special vulnerability to one or more specific spells or kinds of spell, usually reflecting their abilities and the properties of the material they're built from. Many also have the ability to benefit from spells of a certain kind, absorbing particular kinds of energy and using it to heal themselves.
Aside from their brawn, golems often possess special attacks or abilities. These include, for example, the iron golem's ability to spray clouds of poison gas and the stone golem's ability to supernaturally slow its opponents down.
campaign setting
in the module Halls of the High King (1990), by Ed Greenwood
, then in the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), and was later reprinted in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994). In edition 3.0 it appears in Monsters of Faerûn (2000). and in Dragon
#302 (December 2002). In edition 3.5 the helmed horror and battle horror appear in Lost Empires of Faerûn
(2005). In the fourth edition the helmed horror appears in the Monster Manual.
When a zodar chooses to fight, it will do so (usually) without any weapons, preferring to slam and grapple their opponents, rather than punch and/or kick them.
Zodars have many unique powers as well. Three times a day, for a few seconds at a time, a Zodar can increase its strength. Zodars are also immune to many effects such as poison, stunning, and disease. They also can only be damaged by bludgeoning weapons. A zodar's ultimate ability is that once per year it can cast a wish spell to alter reality as it sees fit.
Approximately 5 feet tall, zodars appear as ornate black suits of armor with a life of their own; these "suits" are not actually made of metal, but rather a ceramic material. They are capable of speech which all sentient beings are able to understand, though despite this unique linguistic proficiency, they hardly ever speak more than one sentence every 50 years or so.
Zodars are usually of the chaotic neutral
alignment.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, construct is a type of creature, or "creature type
Creature Type (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, creature types are rough categories of creatures which determine the way game mechanics affect the creature. In the 3rd edition and related games, there are between thirteen and seventeen creature types. Creature type is determined by the...
". Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature.
Most construct are mindless automatons, obeying their creator's commands absolutely, which makes them unbribable and absolutely trustworthy, although some of them are very literal-minded about the execution of their duties, obeying orders to the letter without any concern for their intent. There are exceptions to this rule, however. Certain constructs, such as Inevitables, are every bit as intelligent as mortal creatures.
As they lack a metabolism, constructs have a wide array of immunities to frailties and effects that would affect creatures of flesh and blood, such as poison, fatigue, exhaustion, disease or various special attacks and magical effects related to draining a creature's life energy (ability drain, level drain, death effects, etc.). As most constructs lack functional internal organs (their animating force does not require any) they are immune to critical hit
Critical hit
In many role-playing games and video games, a critical hit is a successful attack that deals more damage than a normal blow.-Origin:The 1975 role-playing game Empire of the Petal Throne introduced the concept of critical hits...
s and forms of damage targeting a creature's weak spots (such as a rogue
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
's sneak attack).
Constructs are almost always created by an intelligent creator, typically a wizard
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, sorcerer
Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)
The sorcerer is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A sorcerer is weak in melee combat, but a master of arcane magic, the most generally powerful form of D&D magic. Sorcerers' magical ability is innate rather than studied...
or cleric
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
, though some are created by other character classes or spellcasting monsters. Creating a specific kind of construct begins with the creation of body, made by either the creator himself or a hired craftsman. Construct bodies can be made from wildly different materials, from clay to copper and bone to cadavers. The next part of the process is a ritual requiring the casting of specific spells to bind a spirit of some kind (typically an elemental drawn from the Inner Planes) into the body and imbuing it motion and special abilities.
The creation methods for certain constructs are unknown, or might require much more stringent requirements. Warforged, for example, can only be created with the help of specific artifacts, the creation forges.
Animated objects
Animated objects come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They owe their existence to spells such as animate objects and similar supernatural abilities.Inevitable
Originating from the neutral plane of Mechanus, an inevitable's sole purpose is to enforce the laws of the universe.Shield Guardian
A massive conglomeration of stone, wood, and metal, shield guardians are the size of an ogre and resemble stick figures with stony appendages. They act as bodyguards to spellcasters, protecting their masters with spells and stamina.Automaton
Automatons are built for labor or war. Superficially similar to a golem, they are built with clockwork parts and animated by means of powerful shadow magic.Bogun
Boguns are small nature servants created by druids. Like a homunculus, it is a direct extension of its creator. It resembles a vaguely humanoid mound of compost.Bronze Serpent
The golem-like bronze serpents were first seen in tropical lands, serving as guardians to temples of the gods they resemble. They appear as 20 feet (6.1 m) serpents made of articulated bronze rings and with impressive fangs armed with electricity instead of venom.Cadaver collector
The Cadaver collector appeared in Monster Manual III. They resemble giants made from stone, with jagged metal armor binding them at such points as the head, the hands, the feet, the knees and the arms. Sharp red spikes protrude from this armor.Cadaver collectors dwell in battlegrounds, and typically emerge from dormancy after a great fight has taken place. They are known as cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
collectors for a grisly purpose; they pick up the corpses of the recently defeated, and impale them on the spikes on their armor. In other words, they collect cadavers. Older Cadaver collectors become completely covered in corpses, blood, bone, torn clothing and such, and really are a most grotesque sight.
Golems
Golems are the perhaps the most archetypal breed of construct, having been a part of the Dungeons & Dragons game from its very earliest incarnation.Loosely based on both the famous Jewish legend
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
and Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
, golems in D&D are typically man-sized or larger, roughly humanoid and built from one particular kind of material for which they are named, e.g. flesh golem, iron golem, wood golem, etc. They are normally very strong and impervious to most magic. Typically, each kind of golem has special vulnerability to one or more specific spells or kinds of spell, usually reflecting their abilities and the properties of the material they're built from. Many also have the ability to benefit from spells of a certain kind, absorbing particular kinds of energy and using it to heal themselves.
Aside from their brawn, golems often possess special attacks or abilities. These include, for example, the iron golem's ability to spray clouds of poison gas and the stone golem's ability to supernaturally slow its opponents down.
Helmed horror
The helmed horror is an ancient construct that resembles an animated suit of plate mail. The helmed horror was introduced in the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The helmed horror along with the battle horror appears first for the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
in the module Halls of the High King (1990), by Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
, then in the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993), and was later reprinted in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994). In edition 3.0 it appears in Monsters of Faerûn (2000). and in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#302 (December 2002). In edition 3.5 the helmed horror and battle horror appear in Lost Empires of Faerûn
Lost Empires of Faerûn (accessory)
Lost Empires of Faerûn is a campaign supplement for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
(2005). In the fourth edition the helmed horror appears in the Monster Manual.
Zodar
The zodar is a fictional humanoid ("medium-sized construct"), which is incredibly powerful and rather enigmatic.When a zodar chooses to fight, it will do so (usually) without any weapons, preferring to slam and grapple their opponents, rather than punch and/or kick them.
Zodars have many unique powers as well. Three times a day, for a few seconds at a time, a Zodar can increase its strength. Zodars are also immune to many effects such as poison, stunning, and disease. They also can only be damaged by bludgeoning weapons. A zodar's ultimate ability is that once per year it can cast a wish spell to alter reality as it sees fit.
Approximately 5 feet tall, zodars appear as ornate black suits of armor with a life of their own; these "suits" are not actually made of metal, but rather a ceramic material. They are capable of speech which all sentient beings are able to understand, though despite this unique linguistic proficiency, they hardly ever speak more than one sentence every 50 years or so.
Zodars are usually of the chaotic neutral
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
alignment.