Lightning Golem

The lightning golem's body is little more than a roughly human frame of gold with working joints, so that it moves its limbs much as a person does. Observers compare it to the posable wooden figures artists use instead of live models. What sets it apart is the constant storm around it: sparks, arcing bolts and a glowing haze of St. Elmo's fire dance over the frame, forming an aura that is eerily human in outline.

It cannot talk. It obeys simple orders from its maker, but its comprehension is limited and complex jobs are beyond it.

It is far quicker than most automatons and adds +2 to every initiative roll. When possible it opens a fight by casting chain lightning, as the 6th-level wizard spell, with a range of 50 yards and 6d6 damage to the first target struck.

Up close it swings its metal arms. A hit deals 4d8 combined impact and electrical damage, halved for anyone who saves vs. spell or has some resistance to electricity. At the DM's option, those who fail the save may need to roll saves for some or all of their gear.

Being inorganic, it ignores magic and psionics that affect living bodies, so sleep and cause disease fail, as do mind-affecting powers. Cold, ice, lightning and electrical attacks do nothing. Fire and heat harm it normally, softening and warping its golden frame, and effects that act on metal, such as crystalbrittle, work as usual.

It counts as a greater golem and so never escapes its creator's control.

An elemental spirit animates it, though it is not truly alive. Powerful spellcasters build it with mighty magic or a manual of golem construction, typically as a guard or ward. Some especially powerful masters keep several, but golems have no society, ranks or customs of their own.

Only a wizard of 18th level or above can make one. The body is fashioned from 2,000 pounds of gold, which with the tools and materials costs 150,000 gp, and takes 10 weeks to build. The enchantment must then be performed outdoors in a raging thunderstorm. At the storm's height, the wizard casts permanency, enchant an item, geas, chain lightning and wish; when the last spell is complete, a lightning bolt strikes the frame and floods it with power.

Manuals for building lightning golems exist but are very rare: any manual of iron golems has a 10% chance to be one instead.