Scarab of Golembane? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Scarab of Golembane? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
beyowulf
09-11-06, 07:43 PM Anyone know how often these turn up? Anyone have one, and how useful are they? Lastly, what slot do they take up?
DuctShuiTengu
09-11-06, 08:11 PM like all scarabs, they take up the amulet slot. (I was somewhat disappointed by this, but sold my amulet of health and bought one anyway). Haven't had much use for it yet (only played one mod since then) but I expect it to be great for my archer when I start running into constructs again.

Hate fighting things with hardness.
beyowulf
09-11-06, 09:15 PM If you wear two amulets, only the top one counts correct? So if you wear an Amulet of Health, and a Golembane Scarab on the bottom, if you take off the Amulet of Health, the Scarab kicks in?
Lupo
09-12-06, 09:28 AM Anyone know how often these turn up? Anyone have one, and how useful are they? Lastly, what slot do they take up?

great item, especcially for those who never stumbled across adamantine or starmetal weapons or for archers, as adamantine arrows in quantities an archer can get in the air during an encounter are definitely a costly luxury.

unless, like in a nasty module some author comes up with " SQ: immune to scarab of golembane effect" for a nasty big piece of golem.

in another module, we managed fine to tear apart an "you are not supposed to stay here" encounter, due to "scarab of golembane".

dm: overwhelming masses of critters, including some nasty looking golems march in your direction, what do you do???

one round later,

dm: ok, the golems are down, the remaining critters . . . . .HECK, YOU SHOULD LEAVE, PERIOD!

just switch the amulets when you suspect golems or ask around, who is not using his amulet slot. in a golem encounter any fighter should definitely take the action to switch amulets, even from his pricy con +4 to golembane, when he lacks an adamantine weapon.

it is a kind of overcrowded slot, the neck :)

even the shield brooch and the scarab of protection go to the neck slot. theys should have at least allowed brooches and scarabs to get their own slot.

ciao

martin m.
Reylance
09-12-06, 01:27 PM The Scarab is an item I've seen frequently. It's an inexpensive item, good for low level fighter characters, prior to the availability of adamantine weapons. You can use it when you face golems, or give it to the archer.

At higher levels, when you get access to a good periapt or amulet, you won't be wearing it anymore. However, the detection function can still be useful. If you see a suspicious statue ahead, swap your amulet for the scarab and detect.
Prochytes
09-13-06, 04:44 AM The Scarab is an item I've seen frequently. It's an inexpensive item, good for low level fighter characters, prior to the availability of adamantine weapons. You can use it when you face golems, or give it to the archer.

I think that I have seen two of them in more than 100 ARs. This does not include the one I put into one of my own modules. It must be that pesky "regional variation" thing again...
JosephKell
09-14-06, 11:47 PM Scarabs of Golembane only apply against Golems. Not Animiated Objects or other things with Hardness.

So Animiated Objects (golem light) are still the same Low AC, hi Hardness pains in the butts. But at least they are mindless (always attack the same target until it drops), so if there is a super tank with Combat Expertise in the party, it is time for a lame fight...

Everyone that gets access to an Adamantite weapon should consider buying it (if money allows for it). Especially if it is a common weapon. Sure it is 3,000 gp, but being able to cut straight through DR/Hardness is kind of huge.
solbergb
09-15-06, 03:48 PM Yeah. Adamantine is also useful on doors and such.

That said, my cat-girl build is going to put off getting her magic greatsword to pick up the golembane scarab she found. If she isn't using it herself when wildshaped, she can always put it on the animal companion (and they can swap amulets of heath back and forth too).

She's got the power attack to punch through DR adamantine if she has to bus she's built to do better in animal form after level 6ish.

Some golems have really annoying DR too. I've more than once had to resort to splash weapons with my archer to deal with "adamantine and bludgeon" (clay golems and half clay golems) and in certain recent mods I prepped recently, the golems had even stranger DR.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
beyowulf 09-11-06, 07:43 PM	Anyone know how often these turn up? Anyone have one, and how useful are they? Lastly, what slot do they take up?
DuctShuiTengu 09-11-06, 08:11 PM	like all scarabs, they take up the amulet slot. (I was somewhat disappointed by this, but sold my amulet of health and bought one anyway). Haven't had much use for it yet (only played one mod since then) but I expect it to be great for my archer when I start running into constructs again. Hate fighting things with hardness.
beyowulf 09-11-06, 09:15 PM	If you wear two amulets, only the top one counts correct? So if you wear an Amulet of Health, and a Golembane Scarab on the bottom, if you take off the Amulet of Health, the Scarab kicks in?
Lupo 09-12-06, 09:28 AM	Anyone know how often these turn up? Anyone have one, and how useful are they? Lastly, what slot do they take up? great item, especcially for those who never stumbled across adamantine or starmetal weapons or for archers, as adamantine arrows in quantities an archer can get in the air during an encounter are definitely a costly luxury. unless, like in a nasty module some author comes up with " SQ: immune to scarab of golembane effect" for a nasty big piece of golem. in another module, we managed fine to tear apart an "you are not supposed to stay here" encounter, due to "scarab of golembane". dm: overwhelming masses of critters, including some nasty looking golems march in your direction, what do you do??? one round later, dm: ok, the golems are down, the remaining critters . . . . .HECK, YOU SHOULD LEAVE, PERIOD! just switch the amulets when you suspect golems or ask around, who is not using his amulet slot. in a golem encounter any fighter should definitely take the action to switch amulets, even from his pricy con +4 to golembane, when he lacks an adamantine weapon. it is a kind of overcrowded slot, the neck :) even the shield brooch and the scarab of protection go to the neck slot. theys should have at least allowed brooches and scarabs to get their own slot. ciao martin m.
Reylance 09-12-06, 01:27 PM	The Scarab is an item I've seen frequently. It's an inexpensive item, good for low level fighter characters, prior to the availability of adamantine weapons. You can use it when you face golems, or give it to the archer. At higher levels, when you get access to a good periapt or amulet, you won't be wearing it anymore. However, the detection function can still be useful. If you see a suspicious statue ahead, swap your amulet for the scarab and detect.
Prochytes 09-13-06, 04:44 AM	The Scarab is an item I've seen frequently. It's an inexpensive item, good for low level fighter characters, prior to the availability of adamantine weapons. You can use it when you face golems, or give it to the archer. I think that I have seen two of them in more than 100 ARs. This does not include the one I put into one of my own modules. It must be that pesky "regional variation" thing again...
JosephKell 09-14-06, 11:47 PM	Scarabs of Golembane only apply against Golems. Not Animiated Objects or other things with Hardness. So Animiated Objects (golem light) are still the same Low AC, hi Hardness pains in the butts. But at least they are mindless (always attack the same target until it drops), so if there is a super tank with Combat Expertise in the party, it is time for a lame fight... Everyone that gets access to an Adamantite weapon should consider buying it (if money allows for it). Especially if it is a common weapon. Sure it is 3,000 gp, but being able to cut straight through DR/Hardness is kind of huge.
solbergb 09-15-06, 03:48 PM	Yeah. Adamantine is also useful on doors and such. That said, my cat-girl build is going to put off getting her magic greatsword to pick up the golembane scarab she found. If she isn't using it herself when wildshaped, she can always put it on the animal companion (and they can swap amulets of heath back and forth too). She's got the power attack to punch through DR adamantine if she has to bus she's built to do better in animal form after level 6ish. Some golems have really annoying DR too. I've more than once had to resort to splash weapons with my archer to deal with "adamantine and bludgeon" (clay golems and half clay golems) and in certain recent mods I prepped recently, the golems had even stranger DR.