Golem, Carrion

Carrion Golem Creature4

Uncommon N Medium Construct Golem Mindless

Senses Perception +6; darkvision

Skills Athletics +14

Str +4, Dex -2, Con +3, Int -5, Wis +0, Cha -5

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AC 19; Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +10

HP 60; Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, electricity, fatigued, healing, magic (see Golem Antimagic below), mental, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine or slashing)

Golem Antimagic harmed by fire (4d6, 1d8 from areas or persistent damage); healed by electricity (area 1d6 HP); slowed by cold

Stench (aura, olfactory) 40 feet. A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 19 Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 for as long as it’s sickened on a critical failure). While within the aura, affected creatures take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.

Vulnerable to Gentle Repose Casting a gentle repose spell on a carrion golem causes it to grow stiff. The golem attempts a DC 19 Fortitude save. It’s unaffected on a critical success, slowed 1 for 1d4 rounds on a success, and on a failure is immobilized and slowed for 1d4 rounds.

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Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] jaws +14 (magical), Damage 2d10+4 piercing plus filth fever

Melee [one-action] claw +14 (agile, magical), Damage 2d6+4 slashing plus filth fever

Filth Fever (disease) The sickened and unconscious conditions from filth fever can’t end or be reduced until the disease is cured; Saving Throw DC 19 Fortitude; Stage 1 carrier with no ill effect (1d4 hours); Stage 2 sickened 1 (1 day); Stage 3 sickened 1 and slowed 1 as long as it remains sickened (1 day); Stage 4 unconscious (1 day); Stage 5 dead

About

Carrion golems are foul-smelling and fly– swarmed amalgams of putrefied parts stitched together from many different creatures. Unlike most golems, carrion golems only rarely are given a humanoid form, instead appearing more twisted and bestial in frame. As a result, some students of golem crafting claim that the carrion golem isn’t a “true golem,” but regardless of those claims these foul constructs certainly share other golem-like traits, including their significant immunities. What is true is that most who craft carrion golems don’t do so out of true interest in the technique of golem crafting, but for the golem’s ability to spread disease. The crafters of carrion golems send their mindless minions to cause immediate destruction and leave wakes of illness and death behind them.

The decaying body parts that make up a carrion golem are of little value in most cultures. However, the magic used to preserve them and infuse them with disease can still be harnessed by unscrupulous necromancers and other practitioners of foul arts. Such creatures may be willing to purchase a destroyed carrion golem, but the processes used to extract the power within the pieces are difficult and inefficient, so they won’t pay much.