Golem (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
A golem is a type of construct
, a magically created monster in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing
game.
s of Jewish mythology.
supplement (1975). The clay golem first appeared in The Strategic Review
#4 (November 1975).
(1977).
(1981, 1983); the drolem, mud golem, the obsidian golem appeared in the Companion Rules
set (1984); all of thes types of golems appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
(1991). The iron gargoyle, the rock golem, the silver golem appeared in the Creature Catalogue
(1986), and the Creature Catalog (1993).
The furnace golem and the radiant golem appeared for the Spelljammer
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix (1990). The lightning golem appeared for the Forgotten Realms
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix II (1991). The bone golem, the doll golem, the gargoyle golem, and the glass golem appeared for the Ravenloft
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991); these appeared again later in the Monstrous Manual (1993) and the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II compilation (1996). The ash golem, the chitin golem, the obsidian golem, the rock golem, the sand golem, and the wood golem appeared for the Dark Sun
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Dark Sun Appendix (1992). The amber golem, the drolem, the iron gargoyle, the mud golem, the rock golem, the silver golem, and the skeletal golem appeared for the Mystara
setting in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994). The gemstone golems (the diamond golem, the emerald golem, and the ruby golem) appeared in the Forgotten Realms boxed set Spellbound (1995) and then the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998).
(2000), and they all appear with the greater stone golem in the revised 3.5 Monster Manual (2003) . The gemstone golems (the diamond golem, the emerald golem, and the ruby golem), and the Thayan golem appeared in Monsters of Faerûn
(2001). The adamantine golem and the mithril golem appeared in the Epic Level Handbook
(2002). The spiderstone golem appeared for the Forgotten Realms
setting in the adventure module City of the Spider Queen
(2002). The alchemical golem, the mud golem, the rope golem, the puzzle golem (including the tiny puzzle piece, the small puzzle piece, and the medium puzzle piece), and the web golem, as well as and the minogon, the old one guardian for the Forgotten Realms setting appear in Dragon #302 (December 2002). The brass golem, the chain golem, the dragonflesh golem, and the stained glass golem appeared in the third edition Monster Manual II (2002). The flesh golem appeared as a player character
race in Savage Species
(2003). The equine golem appeared in the Arms and Equipment Guide
(2003). The blood golem of Hextor, the brain golem, the demonflesh golem, and the hellfire golem appeared in the third edition Fiend Folio
(2003).
The dragonbone golem, the drakestone golem, and the ironwyrm golem appeared in the third edition Draconomicon
(2003). The alchemical golem, the planar golems (including the gloom golem, the prismatic golem, the amorphion, the ash golem, the battleglory, the gear golem, the mindstrike golem, the perfector, the sentinel of Mithardir, the shacklelock golem, the valorhammer, and the woodwrath golem), the hangman golem, the mud golem, the shadesteel golem and the greater shadesteel golem, and the web golem appeared in Monster Manual III (2004). The ice golem appeared in Frostburn
(2004). The grave dirt golem and the tombstone golem appeared in Libris Mortis
(2004). The sand golem appeared in Sandstorm
(2005). The brain golem appeared in Lords of Madness
(2005). The coral golem appeared in Stormwrack
(2005). The incarnum golem appeared in Magic of Incarnum
(2005). The cadaver golem appeared in Heroes of Horror
(2005). The fang golem appeared in Monster Manual IV (2006).
, stone
and iron
respectively. The flesh golem is created from human remains
. In addition to these four types of golems, many other types exist (see below).
The creator of a golem (typically a wizard
or cleric
) has control over the golem. The control of flesh golems and clay golems has a chance of being voided proportional to the length of time the golem is used in combat.
All golems have a neutral alignment.
In the discontinued Basic Dungeons & Dragons, there were similar enemies known as Living Statues, which included Crystal, Iron, and Rock types. Crystal statues were the weakest but could be made to appear as anything, including human. Iron statues were perilous to attack, as non-magical metal weapons had a chance of being stuck in them and could only be removed upon the statue's death. Rock statues were the toughest and could shoot lava balls.
. In addition to these, many other Golems made from all kinds of materials have appeared in supplement books and older editions and such. Below is a list of the known Golems appearing in 3rd edition sorted by source.
. If control over the Flesh Golem is lost it goes berserk, attacking friends and enemies indiscriminately.
These colossi of granite
are the largest and most fearsome of stone golem created. They are often used to guard royal tombs, magical armories, and similar places of ancient power.
that created them. An Iron Golem is three times as strong as a Flesh Golem.
, these are created to fulfill one goal, set at the time of their creation, and wait with absolute patience until activated to perform this task.
s, these serve as bodyguards for devils
and as guardians of unholy places. They are composed entirely of shifting chains that vary in size and shape.
, these creatures can remember more complicated commands than most golems can, but because they cannot think, they obey commands to the letter rather than evaluating the intent.
and built to harmoize with a structure's decor so that their presence is not obvious, these are flat, two-dimensional replicas of living beings. When they move, they produce a tinkling sound like that made by delicate crystal.
(Gray waste of Hades): Misshapen brutes with taut flesh on which visages press out from beneath as though trapped within. Its "face" is a gaping orifice from which howls of pain issue. These creatures thrive on the despair they inflict on others. Their aura and touch can crush the personality and life out of an adventurer.
(Blessed fields of Elysium): These appear as a 10 feet (3 m) sphere of scintillating, multicolored light. These constructs of pure light strike with tendrils of prismatic force. Though unintelligent, they are imprinted with the moral code of their creator.
(Ever-changing chaos of limbo): Made up of churning elements and colors, an amorphion emanates a continual aura of chaos that causes spells and spell-like abilities in the affected area to go awry.
(Bleak eternity of Gehenna): Made from the pyroclastic ash of Gehenna. The ash golem looks like a giant skeleton surrounded by blazing hot cloud of cinders.
(Heroic domains of Ysgard): Made from the armor, bones and weapons of a dozen fallen barbarians knitted together to form a shambling mound
that fights relentlessly.
(Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus): a clockwork creature that grinds and ratchets implacably towards foes, grabbing them and grinding and crushing them in its gears.
(Windswept depths of Pandemonium): A 15 feet (4.6 m) worm-like creature appearing to be made of dark blood that feeds on sanity. One bite causes its wounded victims to be deluded, screaming maniacs.
(Peaceable kingdoms of Arcadia): Fashioned from polished silver and gold and made to resemble an archon, formian or other lawful beings. It burns evil creatures with its luminous gaze and its touch is said to lift curses and maladies.
(Olympian glades of Arboria): Resembling an elf made from chalky white dust that was lifted from the endless desert of Mithardir. Electricity plays across the surface of the golem as it walks. In battle, it can channel its electricity to its fist or hurl lightning bolts from afar.
(Tarterian depths of Carceri): Created from a mass of chains, shackles and manacles. Its purpose is to entwine and bind its foes.
(Seven mounting heavens of Celestia): Resembles a winged-dwarf made from purest white alabaster inlaid with mithral filigree. It has the ability to smite evil and its mithral warhammer is treated as a holy merciful weapon in its hands alone.
(Wilderness of the Beastlands): Resembles a rolling mass of rustling leaves, sharpened twigs and wooden spikes that deals piercing damage in addition to trampling its foes to the ground.
s that are twisted and wrapped into a humanoid figure. Their ropes become a dangerous whirlwind when they engage in combat.
, with crude limbs and plain faces.
. They typically have eight eyes about their head and poisonous spiders fangs.
's faith.
, these exist purely for the desires of the illithids and are unswayed from their goals. They appear as a huge, burly humanoid with an oversized brain
for a head. In fact, the whole body is made up of brain tissue. Brain golems are more intelligent than other golems.
The making of demonflesh golems has become close to a sport on some levels of the Nine Hells.
, these appear as towering humanoid creatures that seem to be formed of brilliant lava and crumbling black crust. Most are reasonably intelligent.
and wired together into a gruesome whole, these are easily mistaken for skeletal dragons or dracolich
es. They wade into combat without hesitation as commanded by their creators.
, standing 9 feet tall and weighing around 800 pounds. They appear to be normal ice sculptures when at rest.
and leave trails of the substance in their wake. They are constantly surrounded by dust cloud and their suffocating embrace has felled many opponents.
. They are created by sea druids to guard threatened aquatic regions or to attack the ships of intruders.
. Their steps cause the ground to tremble.
, these golems often resemble sleek humanoids. It moves with agility that belies its size. They are deadly foes, especially to those who expect them to be ponderous like an iron golem.
spirit.
, contrasting it with the fact that a golem is essentially an unthinking machine.
Third-party sources:
Construct (Dungeons & Dragons)
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....
, a magically created monster in the Dungeons & Dragons
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
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
game.
Publication history
The Dungeons & Dragons golems are based upon the GolemGolem
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....
s of Jewish mythology.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The flesh golems, the iron golems, and the stone golems first appeared in the original GreyhawkGreyhawk (supplement)
Greyhawk is a supplementary rulebook written by Gary Gygax and Robert J. Kuntz for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
supplement (1975). The clay golem first appeared in The Strategic Review
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...
#4 (November 1975).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The clay golem, the flesh golem, the iron golem, and the stone golem appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
(1977).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
The amber golem, the bone golem, the bronze golem, the wood golem appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Expert SetDungeons & Dragons Expert Set
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...
(1981, 1983); the drolem, mud golem, the obsidian golem appeared in the Companion Rules
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
set (1984); all of thes types of golems appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia
The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia was published by TSR, Inc. in 1991, as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071...
(1991). The iron gargoyle, the rock golem, the silver golem appeared in the Creature Catalogue
Creature Catalogue
AC9 - Creature Catalogue is an "Official Game Accessory" for Dungeons & Dragons Basic/Expert/Compainon/Master Sets.-Contents:...
(1986), and the Creature Catalog (1993).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The clay golem and the flesh golem appeared as lesser golems, and the iron golem and the stone golem appeared as greater golems in second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The brain golem, the hammer golem, and the spiderstone golem appeared in Dragon #193 (May 1993), and reprinted in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994); the brain golem also appeared in the Illithiad (1998). The Brass Mintoaur, the Burning Man, and the Phantom Flyer appeared in Dragon #209 (September 1994); the Burning Man and the Phantom Flyer appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995), and the Brass Minotaur appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998).The furnace golem and the radiant golem appeared for the Spelljammer
Spelljammer
Spelljammer is a campaign setting for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, which features a fantastical outer space environment....
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix (1990). The lightning golem appeared for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten 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...
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix II (1991). The bone golem, the doll golem, the gargoyle golem, and the glass golem appeared for the Ravenloft
Ravenloft
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called domains brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark...
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991); these appeared again later in the Monstrous Manual (1993) and the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendices I & II compilation (1996). The ash golem, the chitin golem, the obsidian golem, the rock golem, the sand golem, and the wood golem appeared for the Dark Sun
Dark Sun
Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....
setting in the Monstrous Compendium Dark Sun Appendix (1992). The amber golem, the drolem, the iron gargoyle, the mud golem, the rock golem, the silver golem, and the skeletal golem appeared for the Mystara
Mystara
Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Although it has officially been dropped from production by its creators, many fans continue to develop and evolve this fantasy setting jointly, continuing its original theme of group development.-Development:It...
setting in the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994). The gemstone golems (the diamond golem, the emerald golem, and the ruby golem) appeared in the Forgotten Realms boxed set Spellbound (1995) and then the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four (1998).
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
The clay golem, the flesh golem, the iron golem, and the stone golem appeared in the third edition Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
(2000), and they all appear with the greater stone golem in the revised 3.5 Monster Manual (2003) . The gemstone golems (the diamond golem, the emerald golem, and the ruby golem), and the Thayan golem appeared in Monsters of Faerûn
Monsters of Faerûn
Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn is a supplement for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:It features about 150 pages of monsters unique to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting...
(2001). The adamantine golem and the mithril golem appeared in the Epic Level Handbook
Epic Level Handbook
The Epic Level Handbook is a rulebook by Wizards of the Coast for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:This books contained rules for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition characters to attain levels above 20, the limit in the core rulebooks...
(2002). The spiderstone golem appeared for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten 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...
setting in the adventure module City of the Spider Queen
City of the Spider Queen
City of the Spider Queen is an adventure module for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Plot summary:...
(2002). The alchemical golem, the mud golem, the rope golem, the puzzle golem (including the tiny puzzle piece, the small puzzle piece, and the medium puzzle piece), and the web golem, as well as and the minogon, the old one guardian for the Forgotten Realms setting appear in Dragon #302 (December 2002). The brass golem, the chain golem, the dragonflesh golem, and the stained glass golem appeared in the third edition Monster Manual II (2002). The flesh golem appeared as a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
race in Savage Species
Savage Species
Savage Species is a sourcebook for use as a supplement in the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, detailing the use of monstrous races as PC races.-Contents:...
(2003). The equine golem appeared in the Arms and Equipment Guide
Arms and Equipment Guide
The Arms and Equipment Guide is the name of two supplementary rule books for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Each describes various equipment that can be used in a campaign.-2nd edition:...
(2003). The blood golem of Hextor, the brain golem, the demonflesh golem, and the hellfire golem appeared in the third edition Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003).
The dragonbone golem, the drakestone golem, and the ironwyrm golem appeared in the third edition Draconomicon
Draconomicon
The Draconomicon is an optional sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, providing supplementary game material focusing on dragons. Different versions of the Draconomicon have been printed for different editions of Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003). The alchemical golem, the planar golems (including the gloom golem, the prismatic golem, the amorphion, the ash golem, the battleglory, the gear golem, the mindstrike golem, the perfector, the sentinel of Mithardir, the shacklelock golem, the valorhammer, and the woodwrath golem), the hangman golem, the mud golem, the shadesteel golem and the greater shadesteel golem, and the web golem appeared in Monster Manual III (2004). The ice golem appeared in Frostburn
Frostburn
Frostburn is a supplemental book to the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Frostburn provides rules for adventuring in a cold environment as well as an environment known as frostfell, which is a sort of arctic environment with extreme cold.The book contains...
(2004). The grave dirt golem and the tombstone golem appeared in Libris Mortis
Libris Mortis
Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead is a book which is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game...
(2004). The sand golem appeared in Sandstorm
Sandstorm (Dungeons & Dragons)
Sandstorm is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Contents:Sandstorm describes how DMs can create adventures and even campaigns set in a desert or wasteland environment. The book details many hazards that are associated with real-life...
(2005). The brain golem appeared in Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness
Lords of Madness is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:It includes new content for aberrations including new aberration monsters and monsters related to them, and information on how to hunt aberrations.-What Is an...
(2005). The coral golem appeared in Stormwrack
Stormwrack
Stormwrack is a supplemental source-book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The book has detailed information and descriptions on various types of both realistic and fantastical watery environments, including underwater, the open ocean, ships, coral...
(2005). The incarnum golem appeared in Magic of Incarnum
Magic of Incarnum
Magic of Incarnum is a supplemental book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It was first printed in 2005 to be applied to 3.5 D&D rules.-Contents:...
(2005). The cadaver golem appeared in Heroes of Horror
Heroes of Horror
Heroes of Horror is a hardcover supplement to the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game.-Contents:It is intended for use by Dungeon Masters who want to incorporate elements of horror into their game...
(2005). The fang golem appeared in Monster Manual IV (2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The flesh golem and stone golem appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual (2008). The clay golem, iron golem, bone golem, and chain golem appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009).Description
There are four standard types of Golems, these are (from weakest to strongest): flesh golems, clay golems, stone golems and iron golems. All but the flesh golem are created from earthen components: clayClay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
respectively. The flesh golem is created from human remains
Human Remains
Human Remains is a British black comedy television series written by and starring Rob Brydon and Julia Davis. It consisted of six episodes that aired in 2000. Each episode documented the relationship of a different couple, all of whom were played by Brydon and Davis and all but two of whom were...
. In addition to these four types of golems, many other types exist (see below).
The creator of a golem (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:...
or cleric
Cleric (character class)
The Cleric, Priest, or Bishop is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. The cleric is a healer, usually a priest and a holy warrior, originally modeled on or inspired by the Military Orders...
) has control over the golem. The control of flesh golems and clay golems has a chance of being voided proportional to the length of time the golem is used in combat.
All golems have a neutral alignment.
In the discontinued Basic Dungeons & Dragons, there were similar enemies known as Living Statues, which included Crystal, Iron, and Rock types. Crystal statues were the weakest but could be made to appear as anything, including human. Iron statues were perilous to attack, as non-magical metal weapons had a chance of being stuck in them and could only be removed upon the statue's death. Rock statues were the toughest and could shoot lava balls.
Types of Golems
The Clay Golem, Flesh Golem, Iron Golem and Stone Golem are the most common types of Golems, and are those that appear in the 3.5 Edition Monster ManualMonster Manual
The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...
. In addition to these, many other Golems made from all kinds of materials have appeared in supplement books and older editions and such. Below is a list of the known Golems appearing in 3rd edition sorted by source.
Flesh Golems
Flesh Golems are created from various pieces of human remains, similar to Frankenstein's monsterFrankenstein'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...
. If control over the Flesh Golem is lost it goes berserk, attacking friends and enemies indiscriminately.
Clay Golems
Clay Golems are made of clay and created by Clerics. There is a cumulative chance each melee round that a Clay Golem will be possessed by a chaotic evil spirit. If this happens control is lost and the Golem attacks the closest living creature. They may only be harmed with blunt weapons. Given its creative components, and the fact that it must be created by a divine spellcaster, this golem is mostly likely representative of the traditional Jewish golems, including the Golem of Prague.Stone Golems
Stone Golems are made of stone and are twice as strong as Flesh Golems. They are resistant to attacks because of their stone composition. Stone Golems do not revoke their creators control like Flesh and Clay Golems.Greater Stone Golems
These colossi of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
are the largest and most fearsome of stone golem created. They are often used to guard royal tombs, magical armories, and similar places of ancient power.
Iron Golems
Iron Golems are made of iron and are among the strongest type of Golem. They never revoke the control of the wizardWizard (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:...
that created them. An Iron Golem is three times as strong as a Flesh Golem.
Brass Golems
Made of brassBrass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
, these are created to fulfill one goal, set at the time of their creation, and wait with absolute patience until activated to perform this task.
Chain Golems
Creatures of the Kytons made out of chainChain
A chain is a sequence of connected links.Chain may also refer to:Chain may refer to:* Necklace - a jewelry which is worn around the neck* Mail , a type of armor made of interlocking chain links...
s, these serve as bodyguards for devils
Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, devils are a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, devils are locked in a strict and brutal...
and as guardians of unholy places. They are composed entirely of shifting chains that vary in size and shape.
Dragonflesh Golems
Made out of the remains of dead dragonsDragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
, these creatures can remember more complicated commands than most golems can, but because they cannot think, they obey commands to the letter rather than evaluating the intent.
Stained Glass Golems
Made out of stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and built to harmoize with a structure's decor so that their presence is not obvious, these are flat, two-dimensional replicas of living beings. When they move, they produce a tinkling sound like that made by delicate crystal.
Alchemical Golems
Weighing 800 lbs, these are composed from a single tough membrane in the shape of a humanoid and are filled with toxic liquids.Gloom Golem
(Gray waste of Hades): Misshapen brutes with taut flesh on which visages press out from beneath as though trapped within. Its "face" is a gaping orifice from which howls of pain issue. These creatures thrive on the despair they inflict on others. Their aura and touch can crush the personality and life out of an adventurer.
Prismatic Golem
(Blessed fields of Elysium): These appear as a 10 feet (3 m) sphere of scintillating, multicolored light. These constructs of pure light strike with tendrils of prismatic force. Though unintelligent, they are imprinted with the moral code of their creator.
Amorphion
(Ever-changing chaos of limbo): Made up of churning elements and colors, an amorphion emanates a continual aura of chaos that causes spells and spell-like abilities in the affected area to go awry.
Ash Golem
(Bleak eternity of Gehenna): Made from the pyroclastic ash of Gehenna. The ash golem looks like a giant skeleton surrounded by blazing hot cloud of cinders.
Battleglory
(Heroic domains of Ysgard): Made from the armor, bones and weapons of a dozen fallen barbarians knitted together to form a shambling mound
Shambling mound
The shambling mound is a fictional plant-like creature in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The shambling mound is also called shambler, a name which lends itself to the eponymious magic spell.-Publication history:...
that fights relentlessly.
Gear Golem
(Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus): a clockwork creature that grinds and ratchets implacably towards foes, grabbing them and grinding and crushing them in its gears.
Mindstrike Golem
(Windswept depths of Pandemonium): A 15 feet (4.6 m) worm-like creature appearing to be made of dark blood that feeds on sanity. One bite causes its wounded victims to be deluded, screaming maniacs.
Perfector
(Peaceable kingdoms of Arcadia): Fashioned from polished silver and gold and made to resemble an archon, formian or other lawful beings. It burns evil creatures with its luminous gaze and its touch is said to lift curses and maladies.
Sentinel of Mithardir
(Olympian glades of Arboria): Resembling an elf made from chalky white dust that was lifted from the endless desert of Mithardir. Electricity plays across the surface of the golem as it walks. In battle, it can channel its electricity to its fist or hurl lightning bolts from afar.
Shacklelock Golem
(Tarterian depths of Carceri): Created from a mass of chains, shackles and manacles. Its purpose is to entwine and bind its foes.
Valorhammer
(Seven mounting heavens of Celestia): Resembles a winged-dwarf made from purest white alabaster inlaid with mithral filigree. It has the ability to smite evil and its mithral warhammer is treated as a holy merciful weapon in its hands alone.
Woodwrath Golem
(Wilderness of the Beastlands): Resembles a rolling mass of rustling leaves, sharpened twigs and wooden spikes that deals piercing damage in addition to trampling its foes to the ground.
Hangman Golems
Composed of ropeRope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
s that are twisted and wrapped into a humanoid figure. Their ropes become a dangerous whirlwind when they engage in combat.
Mud Golems
Anthropomorphic creatures composed entirely of mudMud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
, with crude limbs and plain faces.
Shadesteel Golems
Crafted from metal mined and forged entirely on the Plane of Shadow, these silent and powerful guardians are sometimes created by necromancers and powerful undead. They are very stealthy creatures which float about.Web Golems
Built by drow sorcerers, these are approximately humanoid and are built from masses of spider webSpider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
. They typically have eight eyes about their head and poisonous spiders fangs.
Fang Golems
The creation of druids, shaped to resemble a wild beast, composed entirely of claws. These are often set to guard druid groves. They are tenacious, strong, and mindless combatants.Blood Golems of Hextor
Made of the coagulated blood of sacrificial victims, girded in magical armor and bearing masterwork weapons, these bring death to enemies of HextorHextor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Hextor is the Oeridian god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny....
's faith.
Brain Golems
A creation of the mind flayersIllithid
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark...
, these exist purely for the desires of the illithids and are unswayed from their goals. They appear as a huge, burly humanoid with an oversized brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
for a head. In fact, the whole body is made up of brain tissue. Brain golems are more intelligent than other golems.
Demonflesh Golems
Demonstrating truly fiendish grafting of demonic body parts assembled into a vile whole. These bear superficial resemblance to flesh golems. Most are reasonably intelligent.The making of demonflesh golems has become close to a sport on some levels of the Nine Hells.
Hellfire Golems
Built by devilsDevil (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, devils are a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, devils are locked in a strict and brutal...
, these appear as towering humanoid creatures that seem to be formed of brilliant lava and crumbling black crust. Most are reasonably intelligent.
Dragonbone Golems
Crafted from the skeletons of one or more dragonsDragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
and wired together into a gruesome whole, these are easily mistaken for skeletal dragons or dracolich
Dracolich
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, a dracolich is an undead dragon that possesses certain abilities of a lich.-Publication history:The dracolich was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons...
es. They wade into combat without hesitation as commanded by their creators.
Drakestone Golems
Appearing as beautiful crafted statues of dragons whose muscles look like rippling stone flesh when they move in motion. Their breath can petrify flesh.Ironwyrm Golems
An animated, self-contained furnace built into the shape of a dragon. Smoke trails from its nostrils except when the creature is at rest, and when animate, it exudes a palpable heat.Grave Dirt Golems
Composed of magically coherent grave earth, these constructs leave soiled wounds which are suffused with negative energy to further harm their foes.Tombstone Golems
Powerful guardians which are constructed from grave headstones. They are able to slay living beings with the negative energy that empowers them through their powerful strike.Ice Golems
A humanoid formed of roughly chiseled iceIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
, standing 9 feet tall and weighing around 800 pounds. They appear to be normal ice sculptures when at rest.
Sand Golems
These golems are human-like in shape and weigh roughly 12,000 pounds. They are entirely constructed of sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
and leave trails of the substance in their wake. They are constantly surrounded by dust cloud and their suffocating embrace has felled many opponents.
Coral Golems
Resembling aquatic sea-creatures in shape, such as fish or crabs, these are made entirely of living coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
. They are created by sea druids to guard threatened aquatic regions or to attack the ships of intruders.
Adamantine Golems
Appearing as a huge iron golem, but with the unique sheen of adamantineAdamantine
Adamantine is a mineral, often referred to as adamantine spar. It is a silky brown form of corundum. It has a Mohs rating of 9.Adamantine is also used as an adjective to refer to non-metallic, brilliant light reflecting and transmitting properties, known as adamantine luster...
. Their steps cause the ground to tremble.
Mithril Golems
Fashioned of mithrilMithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...
, these golems often resemble sleek humanoids. It moves with agility that belies its size. They are deadly foes, especially to those who expect them to be ponderous like an iron golem.
Equine Golems
Golems shaped as heavy warhorses. They are faster and more agile than a regular golem, but less durable. They are crafted from thick hardwoods and an animating air elementalElemental (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an elemental is a type of creature. Elemental creatures are composed of one of the four classical elementals of air, earth, fire, or water.-Publication history:...
spirit.
Incarnum Golems
Towering humanoid forms that resemble smoky glass plates reinforced with shimmering metal bands. Within them is bound spirit energy which allows the golem to adapt its attacks to fit the situation.Cadaver Golems
Misshapened constructs easily mistaken for flesh golems, but they are more intelligent and dangerous, capable of making use of the skills and abilities of those who contributed to its body. These creatures constantly seek out humanoids who boast talents that it wishes to possess.Critical reception
The flesh golem was ranked ninth among the ten best mid-level monsters by the authors of Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies. The authors compare the flesh golem to Frankenstein's monsterFrankenstein'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...
, contrasting it with the fact that a golem is essentially an unthinking machine.
External links
Official sources:- Information about golems at The Hypertext d20D20 SystemThe d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
SRD - “Flesh Golems” by Andy Collins at WizardsWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
.com
Third-party sources:
- Information about iron golems at Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
- Information about iron golems at Dungeons and Dragons Online