Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bilbo Maggins 05-02-05, 02:24 PM	You're never too old to have a potentially stupid question. It's never come up before and someone wanted to try a Dispel on an iron Golem. I kind of winged it but wasn't sure if there was a technical result of Dispel on a construct...
calypso 05-02-05, 02:31 PM	It works just like against any other target. If the golem has spells affecting it, you make a dispel check against each one, and any for which the check succeeds are dispelled. Just because golems have infinite SR doesn't mean they can't be affected by ongoing spells. They can voluntarily lower their SR, so that their wizard creator (or whoever) can cast spells on them. Of course, once the golems SR comes back up the following round, the spells disappear... Calypso
stamhaven 05-02-05, 02:36 PM	I'd say it simply had a chance to cancel any slow effect from a lightning spell, otherwise none. Targeting a non summoned creature desults in a debuff, nothing more. Golems and other constructs are creatures and not affected by the targeting magic items aspect of dispel magic without a house rule (or more liberal interpretation of item than I'm willing to grant).
Bilbo Maggins 05-02-05, 02:37 PM	The question in effect was weather or not a Dispel level could shut a Golem down with a high enough caste check... In theory it should be possible but in terms of mechanics I wasn't sure if the spells keeping a golem animate would just be too strong.
Bilbo Maggins 05-02-05, 02:39 PM	My improvisation resulted in his Dispel magic spell temporarily negating the Iron Golems poison breath attack... Better thatn nothing but I felt shutting the thing down with it made little sense.
calypso 05-02-05, 02:41 PM	The question in effect was weather or not a Dispel level could shut a Golem down with a high enough caste check... In theory it should be possible but in terms of mechanics I wasn't sure if the spells keeping a golem animate would just be too strong. The magic involved in constructing a golem is instantaneous. Once created, there is no targetable permanent magic. I mean, you could house rule that a dispel magic could destroy a golem, but I would advise against it. Calypso
Seeker95 05-02-05, 03:38 PM	The question in effect was weather or not a Dispel level could shut a Golem down with a high enough caste check.The answer in effect is no. :D
tiercel 05-02-05, 06:50 PM	A golem is a creature and not an item, so a targetted dispel on it would only affect any magical effects upon it, not the golem directly, no matter how high the dispel check. Allowing a dispel to temporarily (d4 rounds) suppress (Sp) [or possibly even (Su)?] abilities of a golem on a successful caster level check is a house ruling, though possibly not unreasonable for constructs. (Just be careful of setting precedent for dispelling abilities -- once you let it work for constructs, does it also work on magical beasts? outsiders? etc) Note that constructs can chug along just fine even inside an antimagic field (though, obviously, they can't use their (Sp) and (Su) abilities inside said field).
Mahali Audran 05-03-05, 06:40 PM	It depends on the construct. tiercel is correct about golems. Summoned constructs would go poof like other summoned creatures.
Seeker95 05-03-05, 07:28 PM	Summoned constructs would go poof like other summoned creatures.Just so nobody takes this sentence and runs in the wrong direction... It has nothing to do with the target being a construct, and everything to do with it being summoned.
Patrick Draken-Korin 05-04-05, 01:29 AM	don't forget animated objects (whether permanent or not). an animated object, is animated by a non-instantaneous magical effect. they can be dispelled. most construct's can't be (otherwise why not undead?, or even elementals, fey, and outsiders- the other crteatures fueled more by magic than physics)
Wyrd Bearer 05-04-05, 01:36 AM	Dispel magic, greater dispel magic and even the dreaded anti-magic field have no effect whatsoever on golems unless it explicitly states in a specific golem entry that they have some effect on them. Spell cast on the golems to augment them would be dispelled or suppresed, but the golems themselves would be fine. Just like creating an undead creature, the magic that animated a golem is used and instantaneously gone at the moment of animation. The elemental spirit is bound to the frame lives independant of magic.
TheMagister 05-04-05, 02:01 AM	Just because golems have infinite SR doesn't mean they can't be affected by ongoing spells. They can voluntarily lower their SR, so that their wizard creator (or whoever) can cast spells on them. Of course, once the golems SR comes back up the following round, the spells disappear... I don't think that golems CAN lower their SR (being mindless). I seem to remember that they CAN wear magical items, like a cloak of resistance or a ring of bull's strength. I may be wrong, but I don't think so...(no sarcasm). TM
smrtgmp 05-04-05, 02:17 AM	I would say they can benefit from a continuous magical item. I've never seen anything that states such items are subject to the SR of the wearer.
PhaedrusXY 05-04-05, 02:22 AM	I would say they can benefit from a continuous magical item. I've never seen anything that states such items are subject to the SR of the wearer.Neither are spells they "cast" on themselves affected by SR. So if you command your golem to use an Oil of Greater Magic Fang on it's own fists, the spell would affect it.
TheMagister 05-04-05, 02:39 AM	Anyone remember the 2nd Edition goodness of an Oil of Speed? Holy Hustling Iron Golem, Batman! TM
The WarOverlord 05-04-05, 09:34 AM	You're never too old to have a potentially stupid question. It's never come up before and someone wanted to try a Dispel on an iron Golem. I kind of winged it but wasn't sure if there was a technical result of Dispel on a construct... The "life force" powering a typical Golem was stuck in there by the Magic and isn't magical itself persay, so no. Same for automations whose presence Physical and not magical. A animated object, or construct on the other hand could be.