Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 avigor2010 Jun 29, 2010 6:21:43	This is an idea for an alternative take on Skeletons, Zombies, and Flesh Golems: The Macabre Construct. This variant assumes that other constructs, like stone or iron for example, either can or do use similar magic to what's explained below, instead of always enslaving elemental spirits or such into the body of the construct. Macabre Constructs would be a sub-type to the Construct base type, like the 3.5 canon Living Construct sub-type. Some effects would be hindered when targeting MC's, some would have greater effect on MC's, and some would hit MC's exclusively. I imagine the Repair spells would do less on a Macabre Construct (as it is made of once living matter), both Inflict and (especially) Cure would have little to no impact, they might be vulnerable to strong Dispel Magic style spells or rituals, and they would be far easier to create in terms of the magical energy required to actually animate them (i.e. much lower component, XP, or whatever cost to build an animated skeleton compared to an iron golem). Allow me to further define them to explain why. Instead of mindless animated corpses channeling negative energy in order to move, they are simply animated with arcane force and controlled by simple, computer-programish arcane formulae embedded into the animating energies. These energies would have an easier time animating a corpse over animating a construct of stone, iron, mud, or wood (for the larger wood golem designs at least): a corpse is lighter (requiring far less force to move than an iron golem), it has built in joints (unlike a mud golem or an animated statue style stone golem), and all its parts are innately connected (unlike a Thardus-style* stone golem, being a collection of separate rocks held together by arcane energies). Many of the gods wouldn't like the Macabre Constructs, so many clerics would be able to affect them with Turn Undead and similar prayers, however with an often-times diminished impact compared to a true undead such as a ghost, vampire, or lich. Clerics of some deities or philosophies however would have little to no ability to zap any MC's they come across. So what do you think? *Yes, this is a Metroid Prime reference; I'm not sure what else to call a stone golem made up of a bunch of separate rocks which float next to each other in a coherent shape.
#2 Johnathan_Vagabond Jun 29, 2010 15:55:57	I think they already have their own category.  "Animates"
#3 avigor2010 Jul 01, 2010 17:18:16	I think they already have their own category.  "Animates" They do? shrug must be new to 4th ed, I haven't gotten my hands on a monster manual for 4th yet.