Spirit Golem (Apath)
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This is a work in progress.
A combination of magic and craftsmanship, spirit golems are constructs endowed with spirit. Less powerful than other golems, spirit golems are unique in that they are intelligent and have limited free will. The combination of intelligence and their golem natures makes them excellent supervisors of other golems. Created by magic, spirit golems often begin their career indentured to their creator.
Description
Spirit golems are objects animated by spirits. Unlike the simple elemental spirits animating golems, these spirits are intelligent and have a limited degree of autonomy and free will.
Physical Description: Usually made of mechanical clockwork parts, spirit golems are built to resemble humanoid creatures, to be able to act in the same environment and use the same tools as their creators. Most spirit golems are made to resemble dwarfs, but some look like gnomes or humans. The skin of a soul golem is usually sculpted to resemble a clothed creature, making most spirit golems go without regular clothes. Spirit golems are made in both male and female shapes but this is purely cosmetic. With skin of brass and silver, they are unlikely to be mistaken for humanoids.
History: Dwarfs realized long ago that their long lifespans and slow reproduction is a weakness in conflicts with orcs and goblinoids. This made them think up spirit golems as weapons of war, but this project made little headway until other races got involved. Gnomes helped with tinkering and humans with magic. Together, they finally succeeded in imbuing spirits into clockwork mechanisms. This became a part of the great work, the emerging industrialization of the Flaness.
Society: Spirit golems have no society of their own, instead existing in the societies of their creators. Because of the great cost of their creation, spirit golems generally begin their existence indentured to their creators, something few newly made spirit golems protest. In general, such indenture lasts from then to 20 years, and during this time the personality and free will of the spirit golem develops to a degree where it can live on its own.
Relations: Dwarfs see spirit golems as their step-children. A dwarf commander is always reluctant to risk his troops, and even though spirit golems were made to be expendable, they are still treasured. Humans and gnomes find them interesting curiosities and take their free will less than seriously. Elves and other nature lovers dislike spirit golems as sins against the natural order of life, tough the more intellectual among these species find spirit golems fascinating. Orcs, goblinoids, and other traditional enemies of the dwarfs greatly fear these metallic warriors, as they are implacable and their lack of emotion makes a victory over them hollow and unsatisfying.
Alignment and Religion: Followers much more than leaders, spirit golems are usually of lawful neutral alignment, doing what they are told and not questioning orders or objectives. Spirit golems were first made by dwarfs, and have been imbued with much of the dwarf mentality; they are dutiful, hard workers, and dour, rarely speaking up for themselves except when asked or in their personal area of expertise.
Adventurers: A spirit golem that has worked off its indenture often feels an emptiness or lack of objectives. Many simply continue as they were, ignoring the fact that they are now free to chose. Many turn to a life of risk and adventure, some because they have fallen under the sway of an enthusiastic companion, others because they have rationally analyzed the situation and found themselves to be better suited to danger and sacrifice than organic beings.
Names: Spirit golems often begin their existence as a part of a unit of others like themselves, using the name of their squad or work group as a family name and a name or letter as their individual designation. Over time, they might earn themselves nicknames or even honorary names after great deeds. Unlike humanoids, spirit golems have no particular attachment to their names and can effortlessly adjust themselves to a new appellation and take no offense at name calling.
Female Names: Copper First, Dawnforge Gamma, Dragonbane, Dusty, Firefury, Greasball, Red Six, Screechy, White Sword Left.
Standard Racial Traits
- Ability Score Racial Traits: +2 Strenth, -4 Wisdom, -4 Charisma.
- Size: Spirit golems are Medium creatures and gain no special advantages or disadvantages from size.
- Type: Spirit golem are constructs.
- Base Speed: 30 ft.
- Languages: Spirit golem begin play speaking Common and Spirit golem. Spirit golem with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Catfolk, Dwarf, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, Sylvan, and Tengu.
- Random Starting Age: Base age 12 years
Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer +1d4
Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger +1d6
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard +2d6. - Aging Effects: Middle Age 35. Old 60. Venerable 90. Max 90+3d20.
- Even tough they are made of metal and other heavy materials, spirit golems have the same height and weight as the race they are made to resemble. They have hollow space inside for their mechanisms, giving them the same final weight as organic creatures.
Offense and Defensive Racial Traits
- Parting Kick: When doing the withdraw action, a spirit golem can make a trip combat maneuver as a swift action before moving. The trip combat maneuver and withdraw action each triggers attacks of opportunity according to the normal rules for each action.
Movement Racial Traits
- Sprinter: Spirit golem gain a 10-foot racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run, or withdraw actions.
- Jumper Spirit golem are always considered to have a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump.
Skill Racial Traits
- Disarming Humility: Spirit golem are forthright and disarming, which wins them allies in the long run. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks.
Senses Racial Traits
- Limited Tremorsense: Through a combination of scent, hearing, and sensitive paws, spirit golem can sense the presence of creatures and objects in contact with the ground up to 30 ft. away, even if the creatures are invisible or have full concealment. Creatures with cover can still use Stealth against the Spirit golem by threading carefully.
Weakness Racial Traits
- Vulnerable to Water
- Vulnerable to Dirt
Alternate Racial Traits
- Hare These spirit golem has large ears and tall ears that add at least a foot to its total height. Hares have lowlight vision and gain a +2 bonus on Perception checks. This replaces limited tremorsense.
- Burrowing The yatu has a burrow speed of 20 feet. This replaces sprinter and jumper.
- Flee Forward The spirit golem gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun an opponent. This bonus only applies while both the member of this race and its opponent are standing on the ground. This replaces parting kick.
Spirit golem in Greyhawk
Spirit golem are relatively common in Nippon and the Nippon Territories, and exist Zindia and the Celestial empire. Individual spirit golem may travel to other parts of the world in the service of an employer.
Advance Race Guide Design Points
+2 Parting Kick
+1 Sprinter
+2 Jumper
+2 Disarming Humility
+2 Tremorsense
9 points
Racial Trait Options
Spirit golem can choose among the following traits.
Bunny Hop Acrobatics is a class skill for you. When using the Acrobatics skill to jump, you halve DCs based on the length of the jump. This counts as assisted movement and does not stack with the benefits of assisted movement.
Burrower You can burrow through sand and soft earth at a speed of 5 ft., leaving a tunnel behind.
Forager Like your ancient forebears, you can subsist on many kinds of green plants. You gain a +4 trait bonus on Survival checks to find food.
Karumijutsu Acrobatics is a class skill for you. When using the Acrobatics skill to jump, you take only a +2 DC increase per foot you leap upwards, rather than the normal +4. This counts as assisted movement and does not stack with the benefits of assisted movement.
Stomper You can stomp the ground to create vibrations easily picked up with tremorsense, and can send messages to others with such senses up to ten times the range of their tremorsense. The Spirit golem language has special expressions transmitted this way; you can transmit fairly complex messages if both you and the listener knows the language.
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