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Golem, Flesh

A hideous monstrosity crafted from body parts stitched together with thick string, wire, and metal staples lurches to horrific life.

Flesh Golem

CR 7

XP 3,200
N Large construct
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20; (–1 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
hp 79 (9d10+30)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +13 (2d8+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks berserk

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 9, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 24
Languages none

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Berserk (Ex)

When a flesh golem enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its elemental spirit breaks free and the golem goes berserk. The uncontrolled golem goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. The golem's creator, if within 60 feet, can try to regain control by speaking firmly and persuasively to the golem, which requires a DC 19 Charisma check. It takes 1 minute of inactivity by the golem to reset the golem's berserk chance to 0%.

Immunity to Magic (Ex)

A flesh 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 magical attack that deals cold or fire damage slows a flesh golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds (no save).
A magical attack that deals electricity damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A flesh golem gets no saving throw against attacks that deal electricity damage.

Flesh Golem Construction

The pieces of a flesh golem must come from normal humanoid corpses that have not decayed significantly. Assembly requires a minimum of six different bodies—one for each limb, the torso (including head), and the brain. In some cases, more bodies may be necessary. Special unguents and bindings worth 500 gp are also required. Note that creating a flesh golem requires casting a spell with the evil descriptor.

CL 8th; Price 20,500 gp

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Craft Construct, animate dead, bull's strength, geas/quest, limited wish, creator must be caster level 8th; Skill Craft (leather) or Heal DC 13; Cost 10,500 gp

Flesh Golem Variants from Classic Horrors Revisited

The exact methods of creating a flesh golem frequently differ as a result of knowledge, geography, or culture. These variations in the creation process can sometimes result in flesh golems with previously unheard-of powers and abilities.

Electrified Flesh Golem: Through unknown processes, some flesh golems retain some of the electrical power used in their creation, while others are fashioned with implanted electro-thaumaturgical dynamos and capacitors that generate and store electrical energy. Electrified golems are able to channel this electricity into their attacks, as well as absorb electrical attacks to increase their speed. An electrified flesh golem’s melee attacks deal 1d6 points of electricity damage in addition to their normal damage.

The golem has the supernatural ability to generate a blast of electricity that strikes one creature within 60 feet. The golem must make a ranged touch attack; if it hits, the bolt deals 4d6 points of electricity damage. The golem can use this ability once every 1d6 rounds. It cannot use this attack on itself.

Electrical attacks against the golem heal it just like a normal flesh golem and also haste it (as the spell) for 1 round per die of damage the attack normally deals. (+1 CR)

Unholy Flesh Golem: Evil golem creators sometimes infuse their creations with negative energy. Positive channeled energy harms them and negative channeled energy heals them as if they were undead, although they are unaffected by special abilities that use channel energy (such as Command Undead, Turn Undead, or the power of the Sun domain).

Any living creature hit by an unholy flesh golem’s melee attacks also takes 1 point of Strength damage. This is a negative energy effect. An unholy flesh golem has an evil aura. Creating an unholy flesh golem is an evil act. (+0 CR)

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary or gang (2–4)
Treasure none

A flesh golem is a ghoulish collection of stolen humanoid body parts, stitched together into a single composite form. Its cadaverous flesh has a sickly green or yellowish tint. A flesh golem wears whatever clothing its creator desires, usually just a ragged pair of trousers. It has no possessions and no weapons. A flesh golem stands 8 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds.

A flesh golem cannot speak, although it can emit a hoarse roar of sorts. It walks and moves with a stiff-jointed gait, as if not in complete control of its body.

Although most flesh golems are mindless, there are persistent rumors of unusual golems who somehow retain the memories of a previous life. The head (and thus brain) of such flesh golems must be just the right combination of fresh and (in its previous life) strong-willed, and even then luck and chance during the golem's creation seem just as important in retaining the creature's mind. Certainly most who construct flesh golems prefer mindless slaves over free-willed creations, and as a result intelligent flesh golems are rare indeed.

Spark of Consciousness

Through some unknown process, rare berserk golems have been known to spontaneously generate consciousness and intelligence, breaking free of their masters’ control and setting them far above their mindless counterparts. This can only occur if the golem has ever gone berserk.The golem becomes an intelligent, sentient creature. Roll 3d6 for its new Intelligence and Charisma scores. The awakened golem immediately gains skill points equal to 2 + Int modif ier (minimum 1) per Hit Die, as well as feats based on its Hit Dice. A golem has no class skills. The golem also gains the ability to speak the language of its creator and chooses any bonus languages from among those its creator speaks. While the golem retains its immunity to magic and most other construct traits, it loses its immunity to mind-affecting effects.

An awakened golem can advance like any other creature, even taking levels in character classes. An awakened golem has no favored classes. Though intelligent, an awakened golem may still be controlled by its creator, but it can attempt to break free of its master’s control with an opposed Charisma check.

An intelligent golem also has a higher chance of going berserk. An awakened golem has a cumulative 5% chance each round to go berserk during combat. The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet, can try to regain control of the awakened golem, which requires a successful Intimidate check, but the golem gets a Will save (DC equal to creator’s Intimidate result) to resist. It takes 1 minute of inactivity by the golem to reset the golem’s berserk chance to 0%.