Category:Skeletal Golem

The skeletal golem is a magical animated construct and as such lacks the dread golem template. It is a mindless automaton that obeys in the most straightforward way possible the orders of its maker, drawing no conclusions and taking no initiative. The creature will not resort spontaneously to special actions such as tripping or disarming, but it may either be given a specific instruction to make one such attack or may be directed as necessary by a maker who is immediately at hand. When issuing instructions to the animate thing, its maker is wise to error on the side of simplicity. The large creature is constructed out of the bones of medium or large creatures, is humanoid in shape, and is readily enough distinguishable from a skeleton by virtue possessing four arms. When inactive there are grounds for suspecting that it more than mere bones. The bones retain a skeletal form, they may bear the weight of armour, and the each skeletal hand may be clenched about a weapon. The skeletal golem was introduced into the Land of Mists from Mystara by Meredoth. He is not the creature's inventor, although he did undertake ground-breaking research in his youth into a variant of the thing. Knowledge of the existence of the creature has leaked out gradually and the creature may be encountered elsewhere than Todstein.

Construction

A bone golem is constructed from the bone of not less than four medium or large sentient creatures. The successful maker of a bone golem is usually an arcane spellcaster of at least the 8th level. He or she pours 18,000 gp (or its equivalent) into bringing his or her idea to "life". Of this total, 200 gp are spent on special bindings and substances for the lashing together of the bones and the preparation of the whole, which together require a successful Rope Use check (DC 15). The ultimate animation of the thing requires 712 XP from the caster and the casting of the following spells: animate dead, geas/quest, limited wish and stoneskin. The act of doing so is worthy of a Powers checks.

References

Nocturnal Sea Gazetteer, p. 270-3.