Post/Author/DateTime	Post
jnormandin 11-22-04, 10:01 PM	I've the hankerin' to play a wizard who does quite a bit with constructs (golems, etc.) but aside from the monster manuals, I'm not finding alot of info on them. What are some decent sources for construct creation and use that you could recommend? Thanks in advance, Jason
SpellMaster 11-22-04, 10:22 PM	Encyclopedia Arcane: Constructs or something to the like is a very cool book on constructs. Unfortunately, it's 3.0, but some conversion shouldn't be too hard. Beyond that, just look through all the monster books, and the Eberron book for some constructs to build.
Geomancer 11-22-04, 11:01 PM	SpellMaster is right. 'Encylopedia Arcane: Constructs' (Mongoose Publishing) is a great resource for building golems, constructs, and automatons. They have stock things to build, but give you lots of options for customization. I like the book a lot. My GM and I twiddled the requirements a little bit to mesh w/ 3.5 rules. You need the Create Golem feat from 'Monster Manual' in addition to the various Craft() and Knowledge() skills that 'EA:Construct' requires. Craft Arms & Armor is necessary if your creation has weapon-based limbs or launching fixtures. (For example, I stuck a concealed chakram launcher into the chest of a modified Shield Guardian.) Your GM may require Craft Wounderous Item for some of the other special abilities you can give your creation, but my GM said that kind of thing was covered under Create Golem. The stats don't change a whole lot at all; one or two of the special abilities may need adjusted a little, but that's something you and your GM can hash out in about 5 minutes. FWIW.
MachinaDeus 11-23-04, 05:27 PM	The Craft Construct feat requires you to have both Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and Craft Wonderous Items. Also, in the Complete Arcane, if you have Craft Construct, you can make Effigies. Which are pretty sweet. :)
Geomancer 11-23-04, 07:23 PM	Sorry about some of the confusion. The notes I had in my copy of 'EA:Constructs' weren't the final write-up my GM and I had put together; and since my character already had Craft Wonderous... and Craft Arms... feats, I didn't think to write down that they were prereqs for Create Golem in the rough drafts I had. I've since pulled my copy of our final write-up and put them in 'EA:Constructs' to avoid future confusion. A question that we were discussing (but never resolved since it was a non-issue at the time) was exactly how much a Golem Manual provided the reader feat-wise, specifically in regards to some of the special abilities of the golem being built. That's where I got my notes mixed up on the feat requirements for construction. I haven't seen 'Complete Arcane' yet (although its on my Christmas hit-list). Talk some more about these Effigies...
MachinaDeus 11-23-04, 08:42 PM	As far as the Golem Manuals go, all you need to do is build the body of the golem, and the Manual does *everything* else. Handy, if you're lukcy enough to find one, or more. :) As far as Effigies go, it's a template that you can add to pretty much anything in the Monster Manual. (Think a little more along the lines of a permanently animated object with some extra goodies to go along with it) The best part is they cost very little XP to make. And are overall much cheaper than most other constructs. :)
Kyy'Dakh 11-24-04, 09:19 AM	Cheaper than most other constructs? Guess my scholarly sorc will enjoy that, if he can cheat his way past the prerequisites.
Geomancer 11-24-04, 12:10 PM	Effigies sound a lot like a couple of different kinds of construct you can make in 'EA:Constructs' called "Mimeoi" (sp?) and "Eidolon." They are also a templates you can apply to things out of MM. IIRC, the Mimeoi (?) are essentially very detailed constructs that look exactly like whatever creature they are based on (and can learn to emulate them after a period of study). Beyond that, they are still constructs and can do little else than act like "what they are" and follow their programing. The Eidolon are an upgrade of the Mimeoi (?) in that they are flawless replicants of the base creature and have personality. Literally. They get skill points and have an independent will that is still obedient to their creator. But that independence can run the risk of interfering with their programmed obedience. The rules detail a built-in failsafe that terminates the existance of the personality every d4+1 years to prevent the Eidolon from becoming rebellious or disruptive. How do Effigies stack up to these?
MachinaDeus 11-24-04, 03:28 PM	Cheaper than most other constructs? Guess my scholarly sorc will enjoy that, if he can cheat his way past the prerequisites. Well, if you can't make your way past the pre-requisites of CWI, CMA&A and CC, and you're willing to take a 1 level hit of no spellcasting progression, you can always pick up the first level of Effigy Master in the complete arcane, that allows you to make just Effigies. :) As far as the effigies themselves go, the base creature gains goodies like d10 HD, bonus hitpoints based on size, 3/4 BAB, DR/adamantine based on HD, etc. ;) But they are still mindless constructs.