Flesh Golem

Flesh Golem

Species	construct
No. Appearing	1
Behaviour	servant
Range	rural, subterranean, urban
Size	6 ft. 8 in. tall
Weight	340 lbs.
Intelligence	13
Armour Class	9
Hit Dice	7
Action Points	5
Max. Stride	7
THAC0	17
Hp/Die	2d4
Attack Forms	2: two fists
Damage	fist (2–16)
Special Attacks	magic to hit, natural immunities, resurrection, strength (19)

Flesh golems are constructed, animated beings formed from the corpses of humanoids, most commonly human. The process of their creation is outlined in the sage study, golems. Unlike other constructs, a flesh golem possesses intelligence and independent thought, making it distinct from its mindless counterparts. However, once animated, it lacks knowledge and understanding, requiring education from its creator. This process demands patience and dedication, but if completed successfully, the flesh golem becomes a devoted follower. Over time, the creator can rely on the golem as a trusted ally, capable of independent action while remaining steadfast in its support of its master.

Due to the nature of its construction, a flesh golem is grotesquely hideous, possessing a charisma score ranging from 0 to 2. While its appearance does not directly induce the effects of horror, it provokes instinctive revulsion, causing discomfort and alarm in those who see it clearly. To mitigate this reaction, a flesh golem will almost always shroud itself beneath cloaks or heavy garments, keep its face obscured or engage with others in dimly lit or shadowed settings.

Nature

Despite its dreadful visage, the flesh golem is highly intelligent and articulate. So long as it remains unseen, it is capable of speaking in a commonplace manner, presenting itself as reasoned and composed. However, a lingering odour betrays its presence — a subtle but unsettling scent with the faint undertone of decay. While difficult for most to recognise, those familiar with the dead, such as gravediggers or morticians, will immediately understand its true nature. For those who realise the source, the psychological effect magnifies the perceived stench, making it seem far worse than it truly is.

Interacting with a flesh golem in an open setting, or once its odour is consciously recognised, requires a successful wisdom and intelligence check. If either fails, the individual will instinctively recoil, unable to maintain the conversation long enough to reach a meaningful exchange.

Advantages

Being composed of flesh, flesh golems are vulnerable to many of the same elemental forces that affect humanoids, including fire, acid and petrification. However, their unique construction grants them certain immunities. Lacking nerve endings, they do not experience pain and their minds are fundamentally different from those of living beings. As a result, they are naturally immune to sleep, charm, gas, paralysation and cold-based attacks.

Flesh golems can only be struck by magic weapons with a minimum enchantment of +1. Despite their 19 strength, they typically eschew the use of weapons unless explicitly instructed by their creator. They rely instead on their immense physical power in combat.

A unique property of the flesh golem is its reaction to electricity, which restores half the amount of hit points that would normally be lost as damage. If a flesh golem is destroyed, a sufficient surge of electricity can resurrect it, treating it as if it were at -10 hit points when determining how much healing occurs. This revival is not time-sensitive, as the golem's flesh deteriorates at an extremely slow rate — only 1% per month. If the golem's remains lose more than 50% of their original mass, the creature ceases to be a golem and cannot be revived. If successfully resurrected, it will instinctively seek out and graft additional flesh to restore its mass to 340 lbs., a process it understands innately.

Flesh golems exhibit strong self-preservation instincts. If a battle turns against them, they will retreat rather than risk destruction. They will leap from great heights, submerge themselves in water or find a hidden refuge where they can remain undetected until they are able to restore themselves. During thunderstorms, a flesh golem will actively seek out open areas, wielding a long metal object as an attractor in the hope of being struck by lightning, which will fully restore its health.

Control

Flesh golems cannot be commanded or controlled in the manner of other golems. Once brought to life, they possess full autonomy over their actions and decisions. While they may be reasoned with or persuaded to follow their creator's directives, such loyalty is never absolute. Their continued obedience depends upon the nature of their relationship with their maker and the circumstances of their existence.

The flesh golem's unnatural form ensures that it will never find acceptance in any public setting, leading to profound alienation. Over time, this isolation can fester into deep resentment and even hatred — both toward the world that shuns it and the creator responsible for its wretched existence. As a result, any bond between the flesh golem and its maker is tenuous at best, requiring careful negotiation, appeasement or force to maintain.

There are means by which the creator can circumvent this growing resentment, though none are simple, nor do they offer guarantees. Some makers seek to provide their golem with a purpose beyond servitude, fostering a sense of identity or belonging that mitigates its alienation. Others impose strict controls through magic or psychological manipulation, though such measures rarely hold indefinitely. Ultimately, every creator must discover for themselves the means to manage their creation, learning — often at great cost — how to maintain the fragile balance between authority and the golem's own emerging will.

See Bestiary