Ravenloft Golem Books (Magic Book)

According to rumor, there are magical volumes that detail the procedures used in the creation of Ravenloft golems. Like the traditional golem manuals found in other realms, each of these books describes how to fashion and animate one type of golem. In addition, the dark powers of Ravenloft favor the creation of these golems over their more mundane cousins, so that any manual of golems brought into Ravenloft has a 75% chance of transforming into a Book of Ravenloft Golems when it enters the demiplane. Such books do not revert to normal when removed from the demiplane, but the creation of the golems they describe is not possible outside of that domain, making these tomes all but worthless in other lands. When a Book of Golems is found in Ravenloft, roll percentile dice on the following table to determine the type of golem it can create: 
Roll 	Golem 	Type ofCreator1	ConstructTime	GPCost
01-20	Clay 	P17 	1 month 	65,000
21-40	Doll 	P15 	2 months 	20,000
41-60	Gargoyle 	P16 	4 months 	100,000
61-80	Glass 	P14 	6 months 	125,000
81-00	Mechanical	Any 	18 months 	125,000
: Under creator, the following nomenclature is used: P-Priest
The creation of any kind of Ravenloft golem is a dark and dangerous process for the creator. The creature must be created with loving care and special magical spells woven over the body to bring it to life.
Like traditional golems, those fashioned with the aid of the dark powers of Ravenloft have a great hatred for all living things. They are kept in check only by the will of their creators, who face death at their hands if they ever escape and become free willed creatures. While the spells used to create a golem usually enslave it so that it cannot refuse to obey its creator, there is a 10% chance that any Ravenloft golem will break free of that control. After that, it devotes all of its time and energy to the destruction of its creator. Once a golem is created, it is entitled to a saving throw vs. spell once per month, on the full moon. Failure indicates that it must serve for another month, while success indicates that it has become free-willed.
The rituals to animate the body (once it has been built) require one full month (from full moon to full moon) and cannot be interrupted in any way or the entire enchantment process must start anew. In all cases, the spells used may come from any source (including devices or scrolls). If a spell is cast on behalf of the golem's creator by a second individual, that spell must contain special alterations to make it sympathetic to the creature's would-be master. There is no additional cost for these alterations.
Doll Golem: Only a priest of at least 15th level can create a doll golem. These creatures resemble a child's toy-often a baby doll or stuffed animal. Bone golems can serve as either the guardians of children or as murdering creations too foul to contemplate. Construction of the doll's body takes only two weeks, but the cost of components and enchanted elements of the golem reaches 15,000gp. The spells needed to complete the animation are imbue with spell ability, Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter, (un)holy word, bless, and prayer. The first known examples of this type of golem turned up in the land of Sanguinia, in the hands of a traveling priest While his name has been lost to memory, it is believed that he researched and built the doll to protect his wife and daughter as they traveled around this dark land. History does not record the final fate of that pilgrimage. It is rumored that the doll survived and still haunts the domains of Ravenloft today, but there is no solid evidence that this is the case.
Gargoyle Golem: This creature is fashioned in the image of a real gargoyle and is often placed as a warden atop buildings, cathedrals, or tombs. It is most similar to the stone golem, save that can be built only by priests of at least 16th level. The body must be carved from a single slab of granite (weighing 3,000 pounds and taking two months to complete) and prepared with components costing 75,000 gp. Of this money, 15,000 gp is used to create vestments that can be reused, so a second golem could he created for only 60,000 gp. The spells required to complete the process are bless, exaction, (un)holy word, stone shape, conjure earth elemental, and prayer. The first gargoyle golem was fashioned at the command of Vlad Drakov, Lord of Falkovnia, as a means of defending his castle. Eventually, the secret of their construction leaked out and others began to build them. It is rumored that none of these creatures can attack Drakov, and even that they may all secretly serve him-this may or may not be true. Although none can report ever having seen Drakov challenged by such a creature, it does seem unlikely.
Glass Golem; Fashioned by either priests or wizards of at least 14th level, the glass golem is composed entirely of stained glass. Perhaps the most artistic of all known Ravenloft golems, its creation takes three months and requires an out lay of 100,000 gp. In addition to the materials required, the following spells must be used: glassteel, animate object, prismatic spray, rainbow, and wish. Because of the mixture of spells, this type of golem is usually built by multi- or dual-classed characters or with the aid of a powerful assistant. While the origins of some types of Ravenloft golems are firmly established, the first appearance of glass golems is not recorded with certainty in any known record. It is believed that they were created by a spell caster who fancied himself an artist (hence their eerie beauty), but the identity of that sorry man cannot be guessed. Some say it was the lord of a small domain (one of the so-called Islands of Terror) who died at the hands of a brave band of adventurers.
Mechanical Golem: A nightmare of technology and magic, the mechanical golem is an intricate device that depends on both magic and machinery to operate. It is the only known manner of golem that can be built by any class of character, even those without spell casting abilities, if they meet the requirements listed below. Construction of the body requires a full year of work (with no more than two interruptions, each no longer than 30 days, permitted) and an outlay of 125,000 gp. Almost half of that money (60,000 gp) is spent on the creation of a properly equipped laboratory, and additional golems may be built for only 65,000 gp using this existing equipment. The person building the body must have an Intelligence score of not less than 16 and either experience with fine craftsman ship (trained as a watchmaker) or a Dexterity score of not less than 17. The animation of the golem requires the following spells: animate object, fabricate, grease, chain lightning, and either major creation or wish. The first of these horrors was created at the order of Easan the Mad, Lord of Vechor. A twisted man who has always been fascinated by technological devices, Easan is said to have foreseen the elements of this creature in a study of a falling star. While most doubt that this is anything but more proof of Easan's dementia, few can challenge the obvious conclusion that these evil creatures are a mix of magic and technology that must surely have come from the mind of a lunatic.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Books