Gemstone Golem

Three main kinds of gemstone golem are known on a prime world: ruby, emerald and diamond. All of them are held by the slaver-wizards, and only their master of invocation magic knows how to build them. The god-kings of an old desert kingdom built the first of them in ages past. They are tremendously durable and, once on the move, almost impossible to halt. Some claim the 'walking statues' rumored in that kingdom share their methods and enchantments; others insist they are unrelated.

Ruby golem: An 8-foot figure weighing over 3,000 pounds, like a glossy dark red statue of a robed or armored person, often given the head of a fantastic monster or a helmed warrior. Its surface is hard and slick.

Emerald golem: A tall, powerfully built man carved from sparkling green stone, usually modeled as a flawless human specimen.

Diamond golem: The strongest known type, a tall armored figure cut from faceted diamond. Many carry swords or shields, which are only ornaments and grant no benefit in battle.

All of them punch with rock-hard fists and are mindless, acting only as their controlling circle directs.

The ruby golem has Strength 20 for lifting, breaking and throwing. Only magic or weapons of +1 or better harm it. It has 25% resistance to priest spells from the sun, weather, plant, elemental and animal spheres, to all druid spells, and to the magic of the hill-folk witches and nature spirits of a cold eastern land; when that resistance fails it still takes only half damage. Electric and heat spells cannot hurt it. Rock to mud immobilizes it for 2d4 rounds; crystalbrittle makes it vulnerable to normal weapons and strips its heat and electricity immunity; shatter deals 5d6; mending heals it completely.

The emerald golem has Strength 22 and is immune to weapons below +2, to acid and to heat, takes half damage from electricity, and has 50% immunity to nature magic. Three times a day it hurls a flickering green lightning bolt for 8d8, and once a day it exhales a green vapor that works as cloudkill. Shatter deals 4d6; crystalbrittle removes its magic immunity and lets +1 weapons hit it; mending restores 2d6 hit points and glassteel heals it fully.

The diamond golem strikes for 5d10 and has Strength 24. Acid, electricity and heat cannot harm it, nor can weapons below +3, and it is 75% resistant to nature magic and to creatures of that cold eastern land. Three times a day it blasts out a spray of tiny diamond shards dealing 10d8 to everyone within a 25-foot radius, and three times a day it can flare with blinding light equal to the 7th-level priest spell sunray. A shatter spell deals it 3d6. Crystalbrittle cuts its resistance to nature magic to 25% and its acid, electricity and heat immunity to 50%, and lets +2 weapons harm it. Mending restores 2d6 and glassteel heals all damage.

Directing these golems in battle requires twelve or more wizards working as a circle under a caster of 12th level or higher. The members can do nothing else while maintaining control, and if the circle is broken the golems stop fighting and drift aimlessly. A circle commands only the golems within 1 mile when it is formed; it cannot pick up more later or seize those of another circle. When not needed, the golems are switched off by their circle. Battle and guard duty are their usual jobs, though some are used as servants.

A destroyed gemstone golem crumbles into a heap of rough stones of its own type: 10d10 precious gems, valued on the standard gem table, plus a mass of powder that is mostly worthless, though certain wizards and alchemists may find use for it as spell components.