The origins of this monster lie in my childhood. I distinctly recall walking through the neighborhood at night and hearing loud scraping and clanking sounds coming from the neighbor's garage, like someone was shaking a sack full of scissors. Obviously, it was just the neighbor digging through his toolbox or something, but because it was dark out (I lived in a wooded area with no streetlights) and because I was young and easily spooked, I imagined a terrible monster whose body was made out of hundreds of swords and blades, all of them scraping rustily together as it moved. The image stuck with me somehow through the succeeding decades, eventually manifesting itself in this monster.
The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2017 Jonah Bomgaars.
A hulking humanoid figure crudely fashioned
from a thousand blades rattles to life
Sword Golem CR 13
XP 25,600
N Large construct
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60
ft.; Perception +0
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 12, flat-footed 25 (+3
Dex, +16 natural, -1 size)
hp 129 (18d10+30)
Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +6
DR 15/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee 2 slams +27 (4d8+10/19-20)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Ranged 3 flying swords +20 (1d8+10/19-20)
30ft.
Special Attacks sword burst (30-ft. radius,
6d8 piercing and slashing, Reflex DC 19 for half, useable once every 1d4 rounds)
STATISTICS
Str 30, Dex 16, Con --, Int --, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +18; CMB +29; CMD 42
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Flying Swords (Ex)
The sword
golem can throw one or more of its swords as a ranged attack with a range
increment of 30 feet. Each sword deals 1d8 points of piercing damage, has a
19-20 crit range, and returns to the sword golem’s body at the beginning of the
sword golem’s next turn, as if it had the returning magic weapon property. If a
sword is somehow prevented from returning, the sword golem takes 1 point of
damage.
Immunity to Magic (Ex)
The sword
golem is immune to spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance.
Certain spells and effects function differently against it, as noted below.
·
A magical attack that deals fire damage slows a
sword golem (as the slow spell) for 3
rounds, with no saving throw.
·
A magical attack that deals electricity damage
hastes a sword golem (as the haste
spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw.
·
Magic
weapon and greater magic weapon applies
its effects to all of the sword golem’s attacks for 2d6 rounds.
·
A sword golem is affected normally by rust
attacks, such as those of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.
Sword Body (Ex)
The sword
golem’s slam attacks deal slashing and piercing damage and have a 19-20 crit
range. A creature that is grappled by or that grapples a sword golem or that
hits it with a natural attack or unarmed strike takes 2d6 points of slashing
and piercing damage.
Sword Burst (Ex)
As a
standard action every 1d4 rounds, a sword golem can unleash a blast of flying
swords, filling a 30-foot radius around the golem. Creatures caught in this
attack take 6d8 points of piercing and slashing damage. A DC 19 Reflex save
reduces this damage by half. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Sword Wall (Ex)
As a
full-round action, a sword golem can disperse into a barrier of whirling
blades. When it does so, it becomes a swarm, filling up to eight contiguous
squares to a height of 20 feet. The sword golem’s swarm attack deals 6d8 points
of slashing and piercing damage. In this form, the sword golem takes half
damage from physical weapons (after applying damage reduction), and retains all
its other immunities. Its move speed is reduced to 5 ft. It can still make
ranged attacks in this form. Returning to its normal form is a full-round
action during which it deals no damage; it can reform in any square occupied by
the swarm. A sword golem can remain in its sword wall form for up to six
rounds, not including the final round of reforming.
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, assembly (2-4)
Treasure none
Centuries
ago, a sorcerous warlord forged the swords of defeated armies into mighty
golems that stood guard over conquered cities. These sword golems fight very
differently to the more familiar iron golems, launching flying swords at
distant enemies and even bursting apart into a whirling blade barrier.
Construction
A sword
golem’s body is sculpted from 5,000 swords, treated with rare tinctures costing
at least 10,000 gp.
CL 17th; Price 160,000 gp
Construction
Requirements
Feats Craft Construct; Spells blade barrier, geas/quest,
greater magic weapon, limited wish;
Skill Craft (weapons) DC 21; Cost 85,000 gp
Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas
- An ancient king's tomb is guarded by a golem forged from the swords of his defeated enemies.
- A master swordsmith forged the spirits of his ancestors into magical katanas to arm the samurai of an evil, despotic daimyo. Now the blades, steeped in the blood of innocents and powered by betrayed ancestral spirits, have formed together into a single creature to haunt the swordsmith's descendants.
- A rebel warlord discovered an ancient crown that let him control a sword golem. He armed his men with the golem's constituent swords. Now he plans to intentionally lose a battle so that the sultan will take the swords into his palace as trophies, only for the warlord to animate them and use the sword golem to assassinate the sultan.
- A sword of great sentimental value has been incorporated into a sword golem, and the PCs are tasked with retrieving it.
-your whirling d20 despot
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