The Sand Golem (PEACH)

[Aleolus]

OK, here's a creature I just came up with while figuring out something else. It's a golem, made entirely out of sand. What do you all think?

Sand Golem
Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative:+0
Speed: 20 feet
AC: 23 (+0 dex, +13 natural) touch 10, Flat footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+12
Attack: Slam +12 melee (1d4+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +12 melee (1d4+5)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Engulf
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Damage Reduction 10/bludgeoning, tremorsense 60 feet, Immunity to magic, Low-Light vision, Regenerative
Saves Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 13, Cha 1
Skills-
Feats-
Environment: Any
Organization:
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-12 HD (medium), 13-20 (large)

Sand golems are magically created creatures who can assume any humanoid form the creator desires, though they are always at least medium size, regardless of the form they are emulating, and are clearly made of sand, unless magically disguised.

Combat
Sand golems are a threatening opponent, despite the fact that they lack the size of other types of golems. Calmer than many, they possess enough strength to take down more than their share of foes, and their regenerative ability makes them difficult to put down.
Sand golems do not have the "Berserk" quality possessed by most golems.
Engulf: When a Sand Golem succeeds on a full attack action, it may attempt a grapple as a free action, without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it's grapple check succeeds, then it begins to pull its opponent into itself, dealing 2d6 crushing damage every round, and forcing its victim to make the usual saves against suffocation
Regenerative: As a full-round action, a Sand Golem may bring any sand or fine soil to their bodies, allowing them to regrow any severed limbs, and regain 1d6 hp. All limbs are regrown after the first round, and they continue to regain 1d6 hit points for every round that they do nothing but gather sand.
In addition, while in an environment where sand is the prevalent ground type (such as a beach or desert), a Sand Golem automatically gains Fast Healing 1, or Fast Healing 3 if created in conjunction with a Haste spell.
Immunity to magic: Sand golems are immune to all magic, except as noted below.
Dousing a Sand Golem with a minimum of 4 gallons of water, magically created or otherwise, slows the Sand Golem, as the spell, for 1d6 rounds. Any spell that deals fire damage removes any slow effect on a Sand Golem, and adds 1d6 fire damage to their slam attack for 1d4 rounds. A Dispel Magic or similar spell causes the Sand Golem to collapse into a pile of inert sand for as long as the effect lasts and 1d4 rounds afterwards. While a pile of sand, they are considered prone, helpless, and stunned, while their damage reduction changes from DR 10/bludgeoning to DR 20/-.
Vulnerability: Whenever a Sand Golem takes damage from a nonmagical Acid attack, it takes an additional 50% damage.

Construction
Sand golems are possibly the easiest golem to create. The only materials you need to create one is at least 2000 pounds of sand. No crafting of it is required, as once animated, the golem rises up and forms itself out of the sand.
CL 10; Craft Construct, Animate Objects, Haste (optional), Caster must be at least 10th level, and must expend 1000 XP.

[tesral]

OK, here's a creature I just came up with while figuring out something else. It's a golem, made entirely out of sand. What do you all think?

Engulf: When a Sand Golem succeeds on a full attack action, it may attempt a grapple as a free action, without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it's grapple check succeeds, then it begins to pull its opponent into itself, dealing 2d6 crushing damage every round, and forcing its victim to make the usual saves against suffocation.

Question here. They are a medium sized creature. What are the limits to this ability? Can thye engluf a large sized creature? If they do engluf a medium sized creature (Their own size) can they do anything else? Can they engluf more than one creature at a time?

Regenerative: As a full-round action, a Sand Golem may bring any sand or fine soil to their bodies, allowing them to regrow any severed limbs, and regain 1d6 hp. All limbs are regrown after the first round, and they continue to regain 1d6 hit points for every round that they do nothing but gather sand.
By adding Haste to the spells cast to animate the golem, and adding 50 pounds of sand to the amount required, the time required to start this ability is reduced to a standard action.

I would ditch the hasted regeneration. As the DM are you ever constrained from not using this? Whould any reason exist to not include it in every monster of this type? Not that I can think of. Leave it out.

Construction

Sand golems are possibly the easiest golem to create. The only materials you need to create one is at least 200 pounds of sand. No crafting of it is required, as once animated, the golem rises up and forms itself out of the sand.
CL 10; Craft Construct, Animate Objects, Haste (optional), Caster must be at least 10th level, and must expend 3000 XP.

I would put in a crafting requirement, can you say "Sand castle"? You can sculpt sand. And I would make it 300 pounds of sand. Having moved a few 50 pound sand bags around they do not have that much volume.

It's an interesting variant to find in a desert environment or some such. You might add that in a sand environment they can dissipate into a pile of sand until the conditions for them to act are met. Great guard for the desert King's tomb. The PCs start messing with the seals and sand starts forming into golems, it's going to be a bad day.

[cplmac]

I thought that if enough heat was applied to sand that it would turn it into glass. With this in mind, I would think that a strong enough fire attack would cause this change.

[spotlight]

I do not see how Air based majic (or other wind stuff) would cause HASTE. As an opposite element of a sand golems make up, it should at least cause SLOW instead of HASTE. Sheesh!

Also, to be a medium sized monster, the amount os sand should be closer to 600 lbs. When you have mixed as much concrete as I have, it would be obvious.
As far as engulfing goes. another Sheesh! Only one at a time, and only SMALLER than medium. Think about, friend.

[Aleolus]

I thought that if enough heat was applied to sand that it would turn it into glass. With this in mind, I would think that a strong enough fire attack would cause this change.

There was a big, long discussion about that very issue here. If you go there and read through it, you'll find out why I settled on it the way I did.

They never did give an appropriate CR for it, though.

[rabkala]

I thought there was a sand golem somewhere, though I can't remember where.
Well , off the top of my head... The regenerative ability is way off, engulf needs to be reigned in to the usual parameters, the construction cost is out of tolerance, why low light vision, etc. Look at some of the golems in the MM3 (like the Mud golem) for better reference.

P.S. I know it is hard to have people rip apart your hard work, you should know that we appreciate your hard work and creativity!

[DrAwkward]

That is an awful lot of hit dice for such a cheap meduim-sized contruct.

There's a Mud golem in MMIII that can be used for comparison.

[rabkala]

Regenerative ability: If you look at the craft construct feat, it cost a creator 50 gp per point of damage to repair a golem. Your golem can heal itself for free which is way out of line. If it has such an ability, it will have a huge cost on the front end during creation. (An example, The alchemical golem has to have a specially prepared mixture waiting for him so he can heal himself that already was paid for by somebody.)
Engulf: As per the books is an easy fix. A medium golem could engulf 1 small, 4 tiny, 16 diminutive, or 64 fine creatures (I think). Attacks against an engulfing golem would deal half damage to the golem and half to the trapped victim. (I would make it a large golem so it can at least engulf a medium creature)
Cost: While the body itself costs very little, there is still a great cost from alchemical supplies, spells, special components, research, the best raw materials,etc. written into the rules. For a 3000 exp (not that 3000 is right in this case) cost in creation there would be a 75,000 gold piece price and a cost of 37,500 gp per the rules. You can't get around it and stay balanced.

Keep the low light vision, apparently they are giving it away for free for golems now days.

[upidstay]

I'd replace the Darkvision with a Tremorsense ability. Why can it see heat? Makes more sense that it can feel vibrations through the sand from which it's made.


Definitely needs more sand to make it. 200lbs of sand really isn't very much. I'd say closer to a ton. One cubic yard of road sand weighs close to 1000lbs.

All in all, I like it. Haven't run a desert adventure in years, might just have to now and use your new critter.