Flesh GolemCreature 8
Source Pathfinder Bestiary
Perception +12 (darkvision)
Languages none
Skills Athletics +19
Str +5, Dex -1, Con +3, Int -5, Wis +0, Cha -5
AC 26; Fort +18; Reflex +14; Will +15;
HP 140
Speed 25 feet
Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, electricity, fatigued, healing, mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious
Resistances Physical 5
Fist +20 (+15, +10) to hit (magical, reach 10) 2d10+7 Bludgeoning
Darkvision
A monster with darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. Some forms of magical darkness, such as a 4th-level Darkness spell, block normal darkvision. A monster with Greater Darkvision, however, can see through even these forms of magical darkness.
BerserkA severely damaged flesh golem has a chance of going berserk. If it has 40 or fewer HP at the start of its turn, the golem must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or go berserk. A berserk golem wildly attacks the nearest living creature, or the nearest object if no creatures are nearby.
Electric ReflexesTrigger The golem takes electricity damage and a creature is adjacent to it.
Effect The golem lashes out and tries to grab a nearby creature. The golem attempts an Athletics check to Grapple an adjacent creature. The creature also takes 3d6 electricity damage on a success, or 6d6 electricity damage on a critical success.
Golem Antimagicharmed by fire (5d8 damage, 3d4 damage from areas or persistent damage); healed by electricity (area 2d4 Hit Points); slowed by cold
A golem is immune to spells and magical abilities other than its own, but each type of golem is affected by a few types of magic in special ways. These exceptions are listed in shortened form in the golem's stat block, with the full rules appearing here. If an entry lists multiple types (such as "cold and water"), either type of spell can affect the golem.
- Harmed By Any magic of this type that targets the golem causes it to take the listed amount of damage (this damage has no type) instead of the usual effect. If the golem starts its turn in an area of magic of this type or is affected by a persistent effect of the appropriate type, it takes the damage listed in the parenthetical.
- Healed By Any magic of this type that targets the golem makes the golem lose the slowed condition and gain HP equal to half the damage the spell would have dealt. If the golem starts its turn in an area of this type of magic, it gains the HP listed in the parenthetical.
- Slowed By Any magic of this type that targets the golem causes it to be Slowed 1 for 2d6 rounds instead of the usual effect. If the golem starts its turn in an area of this type of magic, it's slowed 1 for that round.
- Vulnerable To Each golem is vulnerable to one or more specific spells, with the effects described in its stat block.
Casting a Flesh to Stone spell on the flesh golem affects the golem normally.
Berserk SlamRequirements The flesh golem is berserk.
Effect The flesh golem Strikes with its fist at a -1 circumstance penalty. If it hits, it deals an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage and knocks the target Prone.
Made of odd scraps of skin and muscle, a flesh golem is a grotesque parody of life. Though it has no mind, it can still go into a berserk rage when harmed, giving it a faint semblance of emotion. Flesh golems guard the laboratories and charnel houses of fleshwarpers and necromancers who feel no compunctions about desecrating corpses for their own ends. Though the first flesh golem is believed to have been a misguided attempt to create from simple base elements, these monstrosities are far from human. In isolated cases, echoes of a personality might rise in a flesh golem if the brain used as part of its construction belonged to a particularly powerful personality, but such tragic instances are (thankfully) rare in the extreme.
Crafted of base materials and then magically animated into a powerful guardian, the legendary golem is a living construct that mindlessly obeys its creator's commands-often continuing to do so for years or even centuries after its creator's death. There exist two known methods of animating a golem. The traditional method involves harvesting and implanting an elemental soul or essence within the newly crafted host statue, a procedure seen as vile and blasphemous to those who value the sanctity of the soul; evil or amoral golem crafters tend to prefer this method. The other, less disreputable technique involves siphoning pure positive energy into the statue to artificially imitate the creation of a soul. The result does not give the golem a true soul and is generally a more costly and time-consuming method of creation. Regardless of the method used, the resulting golem functions the same. A golem's unique animating force leaves it susceptible to certain forms of magic, but apart from these few weaknesses, it is impervious to magic and difficult to damage with weapons.
Golems work best in play as foes to vanquish rather than allies to accompany player characters on adventures. The process of creating a golem is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult, and only the most talented spellcasters or artisans can even hope to accomplish such an undertaking. While certain magical texts-so-called "golem manuals"-are said to aid golems crafters, for the most part the creation of a golem should be something left in the hands of the Game Master.
Golems have components that can be harvested as trophies or magical components; the value depends on the golem in question. Examples of components that can be harvested from golems are listed in the sidebars.
Traits
Something of uncommon rarity requires special training or comes from a particular culture or part of the world. Some character choices give access to uncommon options, and the GM can choose to allow access for anyone. Less is known about uncommon creatures than common creatures. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creature is increased by 2.
ConstructA construct is an artificial creature empowered by a force other than necromancy. Constructs are often mindless; they are immune to bleed damage, death effects, disease, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, poison, and the doomed, drained, fatigued, paralyzed, sickened, and unconscious conditions; and they may have Hardness based on the materials used to construct their bodies. Constructs are not living creatures, nor are they undead. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a construct creature is destroyed.
MindlessA mindless creature has either programmed or rudimentary mental attributes. Most, if not all, of their mental ability modifiers are -5. They are immune to all mental effects.