Category:Dread Construct

This section contains canon info from officially published sources

A dread construct is either a golem created with the dread golem template or a less elaborate dread construct such as the carrionette, the figurine, the living wall, or the wishing imp. It is not a mindless creature, usually having at least a measure of both consciousness and self-consciousness. For example a necrophidius is a not dread construct but rather a construct. Constructs are dread constructs are in fact only superificially related in many respect, both being members of the the Constructed however. The maker of a dread construct is a dread constructcrafter who is engaged, whether he or she realises it or not, in dread crafting and dread creation. The competences of constructcrafting are not necessarily presupposed. The dread construct is created with at least a dash of dark desire and at least a smidgeon of assistance from the Dark Powers. One need not be even so much as a novice at magic to create a dread construct. Equally, one can be the most gifted scientific mind in the Land of Mists but the construct will not animate save by the fiat of the Dark Powers. Making a dread construct is usually will to the creation of life and as such is hubris and transgression. The creation of a dread construct is usually Powers Check worthy, but such a check may be unnecessary as the dread construct itself may be "reward" enough as was Maligno for Guiseppe. Dread constructs do not necessarily wish their makers dead (figurines, living walls and golems do), but they certainly wish them ill (the wishing imp being archetypical of this).

The maker of a dread construct is a bit like a cyclist. The cyclist knows how to ride his or her bicycle. But he or she cannot explain the physics involved. Dread constructs are crafted by individuals who do not truly know the "how" of "what" they are doing. They do not understand the role of dark desire in their creation and they do not recognise the hand of the Dark Powers in its animation.

Knowledge of dread constructs is Ravenloft Lore and Knowledge (Ravenloft). Arcane Lore and Knowledge (arcana) are useful, but afford no information about the ways in which dread golems differ from constructs, and so may even offer information that is, in certain points, dangerously inaccurate.