Crumbling Construct - A Template for Ancient Golems

First off, wow, I am way behind on my posts.  Sorry about that.  Things are pretty hectic at d20 Despot HQ right now (currently a hotel room down the street from Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesey).

Moat may contain otyughs

I know I said recently that you would be seeing a new PC class here soon, but that has been delayed due to technical difficulties.  As soon as Kent sends me the awesome illustration, I'll post that new class for you, no matter what day of the week it is (there is a complete PDF of the new class, minus illustrations, on my Patreon available for $1+ patrons).  Updates over the next few weeks will be sporadic or entirely absent, as they have been for most of this month.  I happen to be moving to a different continent soon, so please forgive my irregular schedule.

For today's update, inspired by a recent trip to the British Museum, I've created a 'Crumbling' template that you can apply to any constructs to nerf their power, making them appropriate for lower-level parties, and giving them that ancient feel which you might expect them to have from waiting around in an eroding tomb for 3000 years or so.  Due to my aforementioned hectic schedule, I've only been able to test this new template on the stone golem and caryatid column, so the CR adjustments might need some tweaking (determining Challenge Ratings is an inexact science in any case, especially so when working with templates).

The following material given in gold text is available as Open Game Content under the OGL.  Open Game Content is (C)2014 Jonah Bomgaars.  Crumbling stone golem and crumbling caryatid column are based on material published in Pathfinder Bestiary 1 & 3, (c) Paizo.

Crumbling (CR -1 or -3)

Constructs are built to last, but the ravages of time spare no work of man, not even golems.  Stone crumbles, iron rusts, wood rots away, and constructs, over time, lose not only their shape but their deadly prowess in combat.  Crumbling constructs continue to act as they were last ordered as best as they can, often going through the motions of an action they can no longer perform in their current state. 

Becoming a Crumbling construct:

Crumbling is an acquired template that can be added to any construct that does not have the ability to heal itself.  A crumbling construct retains all of the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. 

   CR: Medium of smaller constructs: -1; Large or larger constructs: -3

   Armor Class: Crumbling constructs reduce their natural armor bonus by 2. 

   Attacks: A crumbling construct loses all ranged and melee attacks except its slam attacks.  Constructs without slam attacks gain a single slam attack which deals damage as if the construct were one size category larger. 

   Damage Reduction: The construct’s DR is reduced by 5 (minimum 5).

   Abilities: STR -4, DEX -4

Crumbling constructs, like all constructs, have no Constitution score.  However, where constructs are treated as having a Con score of 10 for the purposes of calculating DCs and other statistics, constructs with the crumbling template are treated as having a Con score of 6.

   Skills: A crumbling construct loses any skills it may have had. 

   Special Abilities: If the construct lost any attacks through the application of the Crumbling template (see Attacks above), it also loses any special abilities or attacks associated with those attacks (for example, a Crumbling Graven Guardian would lose its Magic Weapon special ability, since it would lose its weapon, but a Crumbling Iron Golem would retain its Powerful Blows special ability since it retains its slam attacks). 

   Special Qualities: Crumbling constructs gain the following special qualities:

   Broken (Ex): Crumbling constructs targeted by spells or abilities which repair damage to objects are healed by such spells.  Any amount healed over their maximum HP is added as temporary HP.  If the crumbling construct gains enough temporary HP to equal its maximum HP before the Crumbling template was applied, it loses the Crumbling template. 

   Critical Hit Vulnerability (Ex): Crumbling constructs are riddled with cracks and weak spots that they never had in their prime.  All critical hits confirmed against a construct with the Crumbling template are treated as one step stronger (e.g.: a x2 crit becomes a x3 crit, etc.). 

Examples:

For best results, make it constantly shout, "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"

Crumbling Stone Golem            CR 8

XP 4,800

N Large construct

Init -3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 22, touch 6, flat-footed 22 (-3 Dex, +16 natural, -1 size)

hp 79 (14d10+2)

Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4

DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic

Vulnerability critical hit vulnerability

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.

Melee 2 slams +20 (2d10+7)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks slow

STATISTICS

Str 24, Dex 5, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1

Base Atk +14; CMB +22; CMD 29

SQ broken

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Broken (Ex): Crumbling stone golems targeted by spells or abilities which repair damage to objects are healed by such spells.  Any amount healed over their maximum HP is added as temporary HP.  If the crumbling stone golem gains enough temporary HP to raise its HP to 107, it loses the Crumbling template. 

Critical Hit Vulnerability (Ex): Crumbling stone golems are riddled with cracks and weak spots that they never had in their prime.  All critical hits confirmed against a crumbling stone golem are treated as one step stronger (e.g.: a x2 crit becomes a x3 crit, etc.). 

Immunity to Magic (Ex)

A crumbling stone golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance.  In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

• A transmute rock to mud spell slows a stone golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all of its lost hit points.
• A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the golem’s structure but negates its damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 full round. 

Slow (Su)

A crumbling stone golem can use a slow effect, as the spell, as a free action once every 2 rounds.  The effect has a range of 10 feet in a burst centered on the golem and a duration of 7 rounds, requiring a DC 15 Will save to negate.  The save DC is Constitution-based. 

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary or gang (2-4)

Treasure none

This stone golem has succumbed to the wear of time, its features worn away and its face reduced to a crumbling mockery.  With every move, it grinds audibly like a millstone and unleashes a shower of rock dust. 

British Museum

Crumbling Caryatid Column  CR 2

XP 600

N Medium construct

Init -3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 10, touch 7, flat-footed 10 (-3 Dex, +3 natural)

hp 30 (3d10+14)

Fort -1, Ref -2, Will +1

DR 5/-; Immune construct traits, magic

Vulnerability critical hit vulnerability

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.

Melee slam +5 (1d6+3)

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 5, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1

Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 12

SQ statue

Gear stuff

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Broken (Ex): Crumbling caryatid columns targeted by spells or abilities which repair damage to objects are healed by such spells.  Any amount healed over their maximum HP is added as temporary HP.  If the crumbling caryatid column gains enough temporary HP to raise its HP to 36, it loses the Crumbling template. 

Critical Hit Vulnerability (Ex): Crumbling caryatid columns are riddled with cracks and weak spots that they never had in their prime.  All critical hits confirmed against a crumbling caryatid column are treated as one step stronger (e.g.: a x2 crit becomes a x3 crit, etc.). 

Immunity to Magic (Ex)

A crumbling caryatid column is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance.  In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

• A transmute rock to mud spell deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level to a crumbling caryatid column, with no saving throw.
• Transmute mud to rock immediately heals any and all damage currently suffered by a crumbling caryatid column.
• A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the crumbling caryatid column’s structure but negates its damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 round. 

Shatter Weapons (Ex)

Whenever a character strikes a crumbling caryatid column with a weapon (magical or nonmagical), the weapon takes 3d6 points of damage.  Apply the weapon’s hardness normally.  Weapons that take any amount of damage in excess of their hardness gain the broken condition. 

Statue (Ex)

A crumbling caryatid column can stand perfectly still, emulating a crumbling statue (usually one that is holding up the ceiling, like a carved column).  An observer must succeed at a DC 20 Perception check to notice the crumbling caryatid column is alive.  If a crumbling caryatid column initiates combat from this pose, it gains a +6 bonus on its initiative check. 

ECOLOGY

Environment any

Organization solitary, pair, or colonnade (6-11)

Treasure standard

This column appears to have been originally carved into the shape of a beautiful woman, but all that remains are the vague impressions of femininity in age-worn stone.  She once held something in her outstretched arms, but whatever it was it - along with her hands - has been lost to the scourge of time.  

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As a 'nerf' template, the primary function of the crumbling template is to allow parties to fight weaker versions of cool monsters earlier, thus allowing GMs more flexibility in designing dungeons and encounters.  I know there are a lot of times in past games where I would have used this template to let me throw weaker versions of stone or iron golems at my party.

Remember, a construct doesn't have to be made of stone to be crumbling.  An iron golem could be rusting to pieces, a wood golem could be rotting, a necrophidius might be disintegrating and cracking with age... even an adamantine golem might become pitted with age after floating in the astral plane for 10,000 years.

Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.

-your Ozymandian d20 despot