Talisman Servant Overview

Long ago, as a proud magical empire neared its peak, a brotherhood of arcane smiths invented a new kind of construct. Each mixed two or more materials, stone with iron for example, and did whatever its owner needed, from hauling freight to murdering a rival. Owners commanded them through a linked charm, the talisman, which gave them their name.

Their edge over true golems was that they could be built from nearly anything, old wagons or minor magical items included, saving time and money. In some regions of the empire they outnumbered golems.

Three weaknesses doomed them. Servant and talisman could never be more than a mile apart; beyond that range, or once the talisman was lost or broken, the servant ignored all orders, a lesson owners often learned at mortal risk. They also had more awareness than ordinary constructs, and some woke on their own and ran amok until recaptured. Worst of all, scraps of the maker's personality rubbed off: a mage who hated water might get a servant that balked at every river crossing.

When the empire fell, many wizards grudgingly destroyed or hid their servants so enemies could not turn them against their makers. Bards still tell of rogue automatons, and mages still hunt for lost texts on building them. The best-known types are the caravan, gladiator and spellward servants.

Wild magic effects can strike talisman servants, as they do other constructs. If you prefer not to use wild magic, build magical items into a servant's body instead and roll 1d100 for each. On 01-50, the servant uses the item as a character would; a cloak of flying lets it fly. On 51-00, each item adds 5% magic resistance, to a maximum of 90%. If the servant is destroyed, its built-in items are destroyed with it.