Crafting Constructs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Crafting Constructs [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
squingynaut
04-28-08, 05:05 AM I'm going to use a normal Stone Golem for my examples. Now, what I'm confused about is:

The Monster Manual states that to create a Stone Golem's body, the price is 5000 gold and the Craft DC is 17. Between the Monster Manual and the Rules of the Game article on Constructs (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050816a), the rules seem to imply that you would have to make the body separately via Craft checks and then enchant it afterward. As far as I can tell this could work in a couple of different ways, but I'm not sure which is right.

1. You have to create the body with pure craft checks. Week by week you roll Craft and multiply by the DC to get SP completed in that week. In a situation where, let's say, the creator has +10 on his Craft (sculpting) and takes 10 every week, it would take almost three YEARS for the body alone to be completed. This seems absurd so I would hope that it's not correct.

2. The market price of 5000 gold for the body would instead take 5 days (1 day per 1000gp in the market price) and is simply included in the total "time to create" of the magic item as a whole. If this is even close to correct, when would the Craft checks be made? Once at the beginning? Once per day for the 5 days spent on the body? Once per week over the course of the entire item's creation? Once at the end?

A lot of the details of this seem pretty vague everywhere I look and I could just be overlooking something. Opinions welcome if the facts are simply lacking :)
blade265
04-28-08, 07:13 AM The Stone Golem cost to construct is 50,000gp + 3400xp and you must have the craft construct feat and a caster level of 14.
it would take 50 days to create and I think that you cast each spell(3) each day.

Sorry can't help much as I'm trying to work out how to craft things myself.
jaelis
04-28-08, 10:32 PM The body itself costs 5000 gp. You could just buy it for that price (or more realistically, commission one to be made), or you could craft it yourself for 1/3 that price via the Craft skill.

Enchanting the body to become a golem would then cost another 45,000 gp and 3,400 XP, and would require 90 days work.
risner
04-29-08, 12:39 AM 1. You have to create the body with pure craft checks. Week by week you roll Craft and multiply by the DC to get SP completed in that week. This seems absurd so I would hope that it's not correct.

2. The market price of 5000 gold for the body would instead take 5 days (1 day per 1000gp in the market price) and is simply included in the total "time to create" of the magic item as a whole. If this is even close to correct, when would the Craft checks be made? Once at the beginning? Once per day for the 5 days spent on the body? Once per week over the course of the entire item's creation? Once at the end?

1) If you are taking 10 and getting 20 on a craft, you have no business making a Golem. Make your check 30-50 on a take 10, increase the DC by 10 until you get as high as you can without failing.

2) You must make it with craft skill first, then use the feats from MM to make the magic version. So the craft checks are made week by week until you make 50000 in silver. I'd say your goal should be 20 weeks to make the body (DC50 ish with Craft take 10 of 50.)
squingynaut
04-29-08, 02:07 AM What if I was trying to use the Fabricate spell to aid my Crafting? Let's say that I have a Wizard at the minimum CL needed for the Stone Golem: 14. Would I have to cast Fabricate enough times to account for the total volume of the Golem? If it's Large size, it's 10 x 10, and Stone Golems are 9 feet tall making the total volume 900 cubic feet. At CL 14, you would have to cast Fabricate 65 times to complete the full 900 cubic feet. At 14th level, with minimum INT, no feats, scrolls, or other stuff, you could cast it up to 8 times per day, making the entire process take about 9 days. This method seems MUCH more efficient as it would take 9 days rather than 20 weeks like you mentioned. Also, you would have to have very little skill. Correct me if I'm wrong please, but would you only need to make the minimum DC 17 check to automatically succeed on the Craft check for each casting if done this way? The time and skill required if this is all correct seems MUCH easier. But I could be crazy, too :P
risner
04-29-08, 03:23 PM At CL 14, you would have to cast Fabricate 65 times to complete the full 900 cubic feet.

Requires your DM adjudicating that you can use fabricate multiple times to make the golem's body. If so, then yes it is more efficient.
Suspect_Unusual
04-29-08, 04:44 PM A stone golem is NOT a 10' by 10' by 9' rectangle; you do not need to manipulate 900 cubic feet.

Stone Shape (on a 2500 gp block of stone) to get the basics of the shape then 1 or two Fabricates for craft-check based finishing touches should really be all you need for the base.

Crafting constructs is already painful enough... players shouldn't be punished with 2 years of crafting just to make the frickin' statue.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
squingynaut 04-28-08, 05:05 AM	I'm going to use a normal Stone Golem for my examples. Now, what I'm confused about is: The Monster Manual states that to create a Stone Golem's body, the price is 5000 gold and the Craft DC is 17. Between the Monster Manual and the Rules of the Game article on Constructs (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050816a), the rules seem to imply that you would have to make the body separately via Craft checks and then enchant it afterward. As far as I can tell this could work in a couple of different ways, but I'm not sure which is right. 1. You have to create the body with pure craft checks. Week by week you roll Craft and multiply by the DC to get SP completed in that week. In a situation where, let's say, the creator has +10 on his Craft (sculpting) and takes 10 every week, it would take almost three YEARS for the body alone to be completed. This seems absurd so I would hope that it's not correct. 2. The market price of 5000 gold for the body would instead take 5 days (1 day per 1000gp in the market price) and is simply included in the total "time to create" of the magic item as a whole. If this is even close to correct, when would the Craft checks be made? Once at the beginning? Once per day for the 5 days spent on the body? Once per week over the course of the entire item's creation? Once at the end? A lot of the details of this seem pretty vague everywhere I look and I could just be overlooking something. Opinions welcome if the facts are simply lacking :)
blade265 04-28-08, 07:13 AM	The Stone Golem cost to construct is 50,000gp + 3400xp and you must have the craft construct feat and a caster level of 14. it would take 50 days to create and I think that you cast each spell(3) each day. Sorry can't help much as I'm trying to work out how to craft things myself.
jaelis 04-28-08, 10:32 PM	The body itself costs 5000 gp. You could just buy it for that price (or more realistically, commission one to be made), or you could craft it yourself for 1/3 that price via the Craft skill. Enchanting the body to become a golem would then cost another 45,000 gp and 3,400 XP, and would require 90 days work.
risner 04-29-08, 12:39 AM	1. You have to create the body with pure craft checks. Week by week you roll Craft and multiply by the DC to get SP completed in that week. This seems absurd so I would hope that it's not correct. 2. The market price of 5000 gold for the body would instead take 5 days (1 day per 1000gp in the market price) and is simply included in the total "time to create" of the magic item as a whole. If this is even close to correct, when would the Craft checks be made? Once at the beginning? Once per day for the 5 days spent on the body? Once per week over the course of the entire item's creation? Once at the end? 1) If you are taking 10 and getting 20 on a craft, you have no business making a Golem. Make your check 30-50 on a take 10, increase the DC by 10 until you get as high as you can without failing. 2) You must make it with craft skill first, then use the feats from MM to make the magic version. So the craft checks are made week by week until you make 50000 in silver. I'd say your goal should be 20 weeks to make the body (DC50 ish with Craft take 10 of 50.)
squingynaut 04-29-08, 02:07 AM	What if I was trying to use the Fabricate spell to aid my Crafting? Let's say that I have a Wizard at the minimum CL needed for the Stone Golem: 14. Would I have to cast Fabricate enough times to account for the total volume of the Golem? If it's Large size, it's 10 x 10, and Stone Golems are 9 feet tall making the total volume 900 cubic feet. At CL 14, you would have to cast Fabricate 65 times to complete the full 900 cubic feet. At 14th level, with minimum INT, no feats, scrolls, or other stuff, you could cast it up to 8 times per day, making the entire process take about 9 days. This method seems MUCH more efficient as it would take 9 days rather than 20 weeks like you mentioned. Also, you would have to have very little skill. Correct me if I'm wrong please, but would you only need to make the minimum DC 17 check to automatically succeed on the Craft check for each casting if done this way? The time and skill required if this is all correct seems MUCH easier. But I could be crazy, too :P
risner 04-29-08, 03:23 PM	At CL 14, you would have to cast Fabricate 65 times to complete the full 900 cubic feet. Requires your DM adjudicating that you can use fabricate multiple times to make the golem's body. If so, then yes it is more efficient.
Suspect_Unusual 04-29-08, 04:44 PM	A stone golem is NOT a 10' by 10' by 9' rectangle; you do not need to manipulate 900 cubic feet. Stone Shape (on a 2500 gp block of stone) to get the basics of the shape then 1 or two Fabricates for craft-check based finishing touches should really be all you need for the base. Crafting constructs is already painful enough... players shouldn't be punished with 2 years of crafting just to make the frickin' statue.