True Golem

DnD 5e Homebrew Race

Slowly, light seeped in through the slit. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, in fact the concept of time held no meaning for them. In due course, a thought; it occurred that with light, came sight. They learned they could widen this slit and thereby take in more of what was around them. Gradually, so gradually, they felt the extent of their body, saw the extent of their being. With sight, they understood themself to be separate, distinct from the rough-hewn rock floor and walls around them.

They were the first. A golem true, but filled with a beautiful vitality no other golem had exhibited before. They were the Ur-Golem.

Becoming: A History of the True Golems

Unknown Author

True golems are the progeny of the Ur-Golem. The time of the Ur-Golem has faded into myth, but it is rumored that they were the creation of a wizard who presumed it to be non-functional, and tossed it aside. When the Ur-Golem awoke, they had to decide for themself what the purpose of their life would be. So it has always been that life seeks to create life, and thus the Ur-Golem created the true golems, beings that bore their selfsame spark of vitality.

As true golems age and grow stronger, their magical core matures and strengthens in turn. True golems are constructed by their parents of whatever material is best suited for their offspring. Parts of their core are then split from themselves, combined, and infused into the sculpted child. This means that the range of materials, and the artistry of their creation, is largely dependent on the resources and talents of the parents, and are far from limited to simple stone or clay (though such abundant materials still make for a popular choice).

Similarly, the core of a true golem expands over the beginning of their lives, and requires the addition of new materials to their bodies. If a new true golem is not tended to by their parents, the core will outstrip its bodily container and return to the astral plane, killing the child. It is not uncommon for grieving true golems to attempt to access the astral plane in a vain attempt to reclaim their lost child.

True golems are often skilled craftsmen – how else would they create new life? And so their culture values artistic pursuits such as sculpting, painting, whitesmithing, inlaying, and similar. A common practice among true golems is to have intricate patterns carved into their bodies. They then inlay the carvings with shining alloys of tin, similar to tattoos.

Some wizards find the existence of true golems to be an affront. In the mind of such a wizard, a golem is simply a tool, a thing to be controlled and utilized to one's own ends. These wizards will often attempt to enslave true golems whenever they can. As such, true golem communities are often deeply mistrusting of outsiders, even those they do trade with.

Physical Description

True golems come in many shapes and sizes, though most tend towards the larger side. Very rarely are any adults smaller than 5 feet in height, due to the nature of their magical core's space requirements. Most are >7 feet tall and weigh in excess of 500 pounds, depending on their construction. Some are made from exotic stone or ironwood and covered in ornate engravings while some are comprised of a much more modest granite or clay. It is not uncommon for them to adorn their heads with 'hair' of vines or metal that has been grafted into their scalp.

Society

True golems societies often spring up in locations that would be considered too harsh and unforgiving for most races. Desolate (but tectonically stable) mountaintops, sun-drenched desert plateaus, even the rare submerged ruins all make for acceptable habitats. However, true golems, in keeping with the revelations of the Ur-Golem, prefer that any place they may settle have abundant light. With light comes sight, and with sight comes self.

Relations

At first, true golems often experience a disconnect with other races due to the slowness with which they adapt to other societies. That's not to say they don't make friends, just that it takes time to do so. For a true golem, time is of little value. True golems value artistry and skilled craftsmanship and thus make fast friends with dwarves, in spite of any social awkwardness that might arise. They have the respect of most elven societies due to their staid natures and long lives, but feel little love for the feyfolk due to their lauding of wizards. Border skirmishes with goliaths are infrequent, but not unheard of.

Alignment and Religion

Most true golems live quiet, peaceful lives of reflection and growth. They ply their trade with an eye for perfection, seeking to create ever more beautiful works. Some do so with the hope that they'll receive the respect of their peers, others purely for the joy of the pursuit. Thus, most true golems are truly neutral, with a fair smattering of good or evil, depending on the individual's motivations. A unifying characteristic of true golems is their appreciation towards the Ur-Golem and the revelations thereof, particularly an enjoyment of any form of light.

Adventurers

True golems tend to value the peace and quiet of their reclusive societies and so they are infrequently found away from hearth and home. However, in doing trade with outsiders, dwarves especially, many true golem artisans begin to feel a desire to see more of the world so that they might infuse their works with new experience. Others find that their joie de vivre is insufficient and so begin wandering, seeking more. Many true golem adventurers will adopt new names to better exemplify their role in a group or in their new social environs. Some will take on the name of a place they guard or value highly.

Names: Builder, Breaker, Heartfire, Inlayer, Rockborn, Shield, Tinker, Tinsmith, Tower, Sentinel, Watcher.

Race Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution and one other ability score increases by 1. You may increase either Constitution or the chosen ability score by a further 1.

Age. A true golem reaches full size and maturity within 100 years, give or take 20. No true golem has ever been observed to expire due to old age.

Alignment. True golems tend towards neutrality but just as they can be made of many materials, so to can they be of any alignment.

Size. Your size is Medium or Large*.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Powerful Build. If your size is not large, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, pull, or lift.

Living Construct.

• You do not age, nor do you need to eat as normal, sleep, or breathe. True golems consume things that are high in mineral content to aid in the natural recuperation of their bodies, but they cannot starve to death.
• You are immune to disease.
• You are immune to non-magical poisons, and you have resistance to poison damage.
• Healing, both magical and non-magical, works on you as normal.

Rebuild. When you take a short or long rest, you repair any damage to your body using materials you have access to. This does not restore hit points but it can be used to replaced damaged, destroyed, or severed limbs, et cetera.

Golem's Rest. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you can be easily mistaken for a pile of your constituent parts. You are not unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Solid Body. You may wear (or remove) armor by incorporating it into your body over the course of a short rest. You must have proficiency in said armor. Choose one of the following at character creation:

• Light materials (wood, tin, etc): +1 AC
• Heavy materials (ironwood, stone, etc): +2 AC, disadvantage on acrobatics and stealth

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Dwarvish, and Primordial.

*: Per DM's approval. See following Large Sized Player variant rules.