Radiant Golem

Radiant Golem

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 1
SIZE: Large
HD: 16d10+64 (152 hp)
MOVE: 30 ft.
AC: 28
ATTACKS: Slam +16 (6d10+7)
SPECIAL: Construct Nature, Darkvision 120 ft., Telepathy, Radiant Regeneration, Immutable Form, Magic Resistance, Fire Absorption, Lightning Inertia, Weapon Resistance, Death Aura
SAVES: M, P
INT: Low
ALIGNMENT: Neutral, with Good tendencies
TYPE: Construct
TREASURE: Nil
XP: 8,100 + 16/hp

Construct Nature

The radiant golem does not breathe, eat, drink, or sleep.

It is immune to poison, disease, charm, fear, sleep, paralysis, petrification, exhaustion, and other effects that depend upon normal living physiology.

It is also immune to psychic or mind-affecting attacks that require an ordinary living mind, though telepathy and direct communication may still function because the golem possesses awareness and intelligence.

Darkvision

The radiant golem possesses darkvision to 120 feet.

Telepathy

The radiant golem may communicate telepathically with any intelligent creature within 120 feet.

It understands all spoken languages, though it does not normally speak aloud.

Radiant Regeneration

At the beginning of each of its turns, provided it has at least 1 hit point remaining, the radiant golem regenerates 10 hit points.

If the golem suffers cold damage, its regeneration is suppressed until the beginning of its following turn.

If reduced to 0 hit points or below, regeneration ceases.

Immutable Form

The radiant golem is immune to spells and effects that would alter, polymorph, petrify, transmute, or otherwise forcibly change its physical form.

Magic Resistance

The radiant golem possesses SR 12.

In addition, when it successfully saves against a spell or magical effect that would normally inflict half damage on a successful save, it instead suffers no damage.

C&C treats Spell Resistance as essentially an armor class against targeted magic, with the caster needing to equal or exceed the SR on an unmodified d20 roll.

I prefer SR here over simply saying “advantage on saves,” because it is much more native to C&C.

Weapon Resistance

The radiant golem suffers only half damage from magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing weapons.

Nonmagical weapons cannot harm it at all.

I would sharpen the 5e resistance in this way because native C&C golems are substantially more resistant to weaponry than their 5e counterparts. Standard golems require at least +2 weapons, while iron golems require +3.

If you want the radiant golem to be even more explicitly golem-like, an alternative would be:

Weapon Immunity: struck only by +2 or better magical weapons.

But I slightly prefer the half-damage version because it preserves something distinctive about the original conversion.

Fire Absorption

Fire does not harm the radiant golem.

For every 2 points of fire damage that would normally be inflicted, the golem instead heals 1 hit point, to its normal maximum.

This parallels the way C&C golems frequently turn certain magical energies into healing; the Flesh Golem, for example, converts electrical damage into healing.

Lightning Inertia

The radiant golem is immune to electrical damage.

Whenever struck by a lightning or electrical attack, however, its movements become sluggish. It is affected as though by a slow spell for 1 round.

This is very much in line with native C&C golem design: the Iron Golem is immune to magical effects but electrical effects slow it for 3 rounds, while fire heals it.

Death Aura

The radiant golem constantly emits an invisible field of destructive radiant energy. It neither understands nor controls this effect.

Any living creature that remains continuously within 30 feet of the golem for one hour must make a Constitution save, CL 16.

On a failed save, the creature permanently loses 2d6 hit points from its maximum hit point total.

This loss cannot be restored by ordinary healing, restoration, or similar magic. Only exceptionally powerful magic such as wish can restore these lost hit points.

If a creature's maximum hit points are reduced to 0, it dies.

A creature that successfully saves is immune to the Death Aura for 24 hours.

Plants, crops, and ordinary animals exposed to the aura for extended periods gradually sicken and die. Land inhabited by the golem for weeks becomes sterile.

I would absolutely use CL 16 here. This is the creature’s deepest and most dangerous supernatural property, so its full HD is appropriate.

Slam

Attack: +16
Damage: 6d10+7
Range: Melee, 10 ft.

The radiant golem makes one Slam attack per round.

Its immense strength allows it to damage stone, metal, doors, and structures normally.

Gentle Colossus

A radiant golem does not normally initiate combat.

If threatened, it attempts to withdraw while telepathically asking its attackers to stop. It does not understand why lesser creatures fear remaining near it.

Reluctant Defender

If reduced below half its hit points and unable to escape, the radiant golem fights only those creatures actively attacking it.

It does not pursue fleeing opponents unless forced to do so.

Immortal Perspective

The radiant golem possesses intelligence and compassion but little understanding of mortality.

It regards living beings as extremely brief-lived creatures and sees death as regrettable but inevitable.

 

Notes 

• The Radiant Golem is a one of kind construct found in Wild Space on the decaying world of Svalinn. The swathe of destruction to plant and animal life is caused by the unintended actions of the Radiant Golem, who was an iron golem forged from parts iron and a mysterious ore found in the center of a meteor. The metal skin of the radiant golem combined with the spark of life that gives it sentience has created a 'Death Aura' that will kill plant and animal life after a period of exposure.
• The Radiant Golem wanders the region, attempting to find friends among the mortals. While some adventuring groups have tried to adopt the golem, those that have remained long term companionship eventually succumb to the aura. The golem does not understand what is radiating from its body is what is killing its friends, leaving the radiant golem to bemoan that it has yet to maintain a friend that it is desperately searching for.
• The radiant golem has become a project for the Tabor-Armatrak Gnome clan who are using Svalinn for a mining colony. The gnomes have so far been able to develop a series of encased suits that allow them to deal with the radiant golem's gentle nature combined with its unintended death aura. The suits either lessen or block the aura at the cost of being cumbersome and requiring air tanks. The clan continues to test and try to find a method of solving the issue as they recognize the friendly golem could be an asset to the clan.