Stone Golem

Stone Golem (Heavy; CR 12)

Neutral - Large - Construct (Golem)

Lore:	Know (Arcana)
22		39
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

19

Perception:
29	+19
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

32

Man Def

31

Monster Health
578	289	22
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+9
Refl:	+9
Will:	+9

Strong Against:

• DR 15/Adamantine
• (Heavy Role) Immunity (partial 3): Heavies are immune to the first three conditions applied to them during an encounter. If a fourth condition is applied to a heavy, it is resolved normally. A 'condition' is defined as any non-instantaneous harmful effect applied to the monster, other than damage, but is most commonly one of the defined Status Conditions (but it doesn't have to be). Statuses related to damage (such as injured, bloodied, staggered, dying, or dead) are not 'conditions', and cannot be negated or avoided with this ability.
• (Construct 1) Immune (no effect): diseases (infected, diseased, blighted), poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), and essence damage (suppression, omission, destruction)
• (Construct 2) Immune (no effect): bleeds (bruised, bleed, ruptured), fatigued, exhausted
• (Construct 3) Immune (no effect): magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned
• (Construct 4) Immune (no effect): any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)

Weak Against:

• * Can also be healed by Transmute Rock to Mud.

Offense

Size:	Large
10 ft.		10 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+19

Man Off

+19

Action

1

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Stone Stomp +19 (3d10+24/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  + Bleed

Full Attack (Melee):

• 2x Stone Stomp +19 (3d10+24/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  + Bleed

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 2x Stone Javelin +19 (3d10+24/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 4x Stone Javelin +19 (3d10+24/x2)
  as undefined damage type
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)

Siege Damage:

• 1x ''''' +19 (1d6)
  

Statistics

28

STR

14

DEX

—

CON

6

INT

16

WIS

18

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 19
• All other skills: 14 (no ranks)

Languages: Fluent in the language of its creator, rarely speaks unless commanded to or to answer questions posed by its creator

Feats:

• Combat Reflexes (EFFECT: Monsters with this feat make up to 4 attacks of opportunity per round instead of one.)

Special Abilities

Avalanche (Ex)

Once per round, as a standard action, a Stone Golem may move up to its speed while stamping hugely and furiously. While using Avalanche, a Stone Golem may move through enemy spaces but it may never enter the same space twice and must end the Avalanche in a clear space large enough to allow it without squeezing. Any enemy creature whose space it overlaps (even if not completely) during this movement is attacked once with Stone Stomp (see above). Avalanche does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Smashing Kicks (Ex)

Once per encounter, as a swift action, the Stone Golem may attack one, two, or three enemies that are both adjacent to it and each other. It makes a touch attack against them at to hit. If it hits, it does no damage, but instead Pushes them directly away from it for 2d6 squares as forced movement. If the Pushed victims hit a solid obstacle (wall, pillar, generally any object large enough to block a square) then the victims take a number of d6's of physical bludgeoning damage equal to the number of squares of forced movement they have left when they reached the obstacle, and the obstacle suffers a number of Sunders equal to the squares of remaining movement. For example, if a pesky Fighter is adjacent to a Stone Golem, blocking its advance upon the rest of the party, the Stone Golem may use Smashing Kick to Push the fighter away. If the Smashing Kick rolled eight squares of movement, then the Fighter would be Pushed eight squares away, as forced movement. If the Fighter was Pushed into a square filled by a solid wall after five squares of this Push, then she would take 3d6 of bludgeoning physical damage and inflict three Sunders to the wall. If an obstacle is Broken by these Sunders, the victim continues moving! It is possible to get cannoned completely through several walls and buildings this way. Note that as always, a character may elect to fall prone to end forced movement.

Shatter (Su)

When a Stone Golem is reduced to zero hitpoints for the first time, it is not destroyed. Instead, the magics which form its body are briefly disrupted, so that its stony body bursts into fragments. All enemies within three squares of the Stone Golem take points of damage and are Pushed three squares, as the Golem flies into fragments. A Fort save against a DC of reduces this damage by half, but the Push is not reduced. Any further damage inflicted upon the Golem is ignored until the beginning of its next turn, when the disrupted magics re-assert themselves. The Stone Golem re-forms out of its debris, has its hit points re-set to half its normal value and it fights on. If the space the Golem was formerly occupying is now blocked by opponents or otherwise rendered hazardous(such as people with held actions waiting to strike), the Golem will reform in a place anywhere on the battlefield which grants it an advantageous position, typically to perform another Avalanche or a full attack. Note that after Shatter has been triggered, the magic which empowers the Golem is unstable and erratic. This makes the Golem considerably less durable, but lots faster. After using Shatter, the Stone Golem loses its DR and SR, but its Walk speed is doubled ft, it gains a point of Armor Class (see above), and it gains an additional Stone Stomp attack (see above) during full attack actions.

Reversal of Fortune (Ex; Heavy Role) Auto Upon Death

The first time in an encounter that a Heavy is reduced to zero or fewer hit points, it falls prone, apparently dead. But this is a ruse. When this occurs, the Heavy becomes immune to all damage and effects. However, it may not perform any actions (such as attacks of opportunity) until this immunity expires. At the beginning of its next turn, any conditions the Heavy is currently suffering under (such as Prone) are immediately cleared, and its hit points are set to half its normal maximum (289 hit points). Furthermore, the Heavy may immediately Slide up to 8 squares (40 feet) as a free action, after which its immunity to damage expires. As forced movement, this Slide does not provoke attacks of opportunity, but even if it did, the Heavy is immune to all damage and effects until after the slide is completed. It must perform this Slide before any other actions during its turn, and the immunity expires at the beginning of its turn even if it chooses not to Slide first. The Heavy is killed for good the second time its hit points are reduced to zero or less.

Stone Golem

This creature possesses the Heavy role, and therefore counts as 2 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure.

Stone golems are constructs, magically animated killing engines with a surprisingly capable, albeit limited, form of intelligence. Given the massive stone construction of a Stone Golem, you might expect these deadly devices to be slow and ungainly. In fact, a Stone Golem is certainly a bulky contraption, but it is freakishly mobile and maneuvers around the battlefield as if it was expressly designed to be there.

Which is actually true. Lesser Golems are primarily guardians, and with their uncanny senses, Stone Golems are fantastic guardians in their own right. But Stone Golems are usually built to serve as battlefield implements, siege-breakers and storming engines, meant to win battles while enduring the most brutal combat conditions imaginable. As a result of this expanded role, Stone Golems are able to make limited decisions, like deciding if a foe is a combatant or not, based upon appearance and behavior. Most Stone Golems are given a comprehensive list of orders, and they are able to sort through these varied commands to perform in ways almost scarily capable.

Of course, like all Golems, a Stone Golem is perfectly obedient to its creator or owner, and will follow rules it is given. Unlike lesser grades of Golems, a Stone Golem is actually able to grasp in some dim way the spirit of any orders it is given, rather than simply following the letter of the command. This grasp makes a Stone Golem a much more dangerous opponent, and its incredible combat abilities simply serves to drive that point home.

Combat Tactics

Stone Golems have tremorsense, and are used as guards for that reason. However, Stone Golems are even better as massive heavy attackers. They are able to maneuver around the battlefield with impunity using their Avalanche ability. Even better, every Stone Stomp attack that lands, on top of terrible damage, inflicts a 1 point per round Bleed condition. This is only minor damage, but it hampers the ability of opponents to grant healing during the combat.

Typically a Stone Golem will move up as close as possible to their enemies, then use Avalanche to move right over top of them, forcing them to adapt their tactics to a foe suddenly 'in the backfield'. Stone Golems will always spend their action point to get off a second Avalanche at some point in the battle, often in the first or second round. Stone Golems will work to give as many foes a bleed condition as possible, and will typically keep using Avalanche until at least one Bleed is running.

Stone Golems will usually target their Smashing Kick ability at the most heavily armored foes on the battlefield, looking to knock them out of position or simply inflict damage. Stone Golems will deliberately aim Smashing Kicks to drive tough foes into walls or other hazardous terrain if they are able to. Once they have used Avalanche at least twice, Stone Golems will usually switch tactics and start taking full attacks on foes, targeting prone, flanked, and lightly armored foes in preference, unless no foes have a Bleed. Once they switch to melee mode, a Stone Golem will use five foot steps to keep as many foes as possible at a distance and attack with their reach, forcing foes to close in and suffer attacks of opportunity with Stone Stomp. If a party manages to shed all Bleed conditions, the Stone Golem will immediately start using Avalanche again to land as many Stone Stomps and Bleeds as possible.

After a Stone Golem has used their Shatter ability, they lose their Damage Reduction and Spell Resistance as the magics that bind them together start to disintegrate. However, they become MUCH faster as a result. They will alternate between using Avalanche's with their new sixty feet of move and taking full attacks with an extra Stone Stomp bonus attack until they are destroyed. While they seem to have a limited form of sentience when it comes to picking among their various orders, Stone Golems are quite mindless and have no fear or any other emotions, and will fight to destruction without hesitation.

Out of Combat

Stone Golems are the real deal, and are the first serious construct muscle that is both reliable and not made out of dead people. As a result, Stone Golems are found in a lot of places, such as heavy artillery for a town garrison, guards in a warlord's stronghold, a bodyguard for the mayor, a child's really dangerous toy, etc. Stone golems can also be found 'in the wild', typically being ancient things made for a duty long, long forgotten. Such 'wild' stone golems can be completely unpredictable, as they seek to obey commands that may refer to landmarks or buildings that are long ago destroyed.

Military commanders treasure stone golems for their reliability, durability, and ability to break seiges. If a commander can maneuver a stone golem into contact with a foes' defenses, that can be the end of the matter, and stone golems are even durable enough to take a few hits from countering seige weapons.

Rewards

XP: 38,400 (Heavy role included.)

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 25,750 gp.

Weight: 240 lbs.     Volume: 9.6 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 8	Nothing Found
9 - 12	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
13 - 15	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
16 - 18	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
19 - 20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 3	4 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
4 - 7	4 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
8 - 11	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
12 - 15	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
16 - 18	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
19 - 20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 3	4 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
4 - 5	4 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
6 - 8	4 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
9 - 11	4 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
12 - 15	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
16 - 18	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
19 - 20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)