Golem, Bone

Family: Golems

Medium construct, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 3 (-4) 10 (+0) 1 (-5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

  • Berserk. Whenever the bone golem starts its turn with 30 hp or fewer, roll a d6. On a 6, the golem goes berserk. On each of its turns while berserk, the golem attacks the nearest creature it can see. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, the golem attacks an object, usually an object smaller than itself. Once the golem goes berserk, it continues to attack until it is destroyed or it regains all its hp. The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet of the berserk golem, can calm it by speaking firmly and persuasively. The golem must be able to hear its creator, who must take an action to make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the check succeeds, the golem ceases being berserk. If it takes damage while still at 30 hp or fewer, the golem might go berserk again.
  • False Appearance. While the bone golem remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a pile of bones or ordinary, inanimate skeleton.
  • Immutable Form. The bone golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
  • Magic Resistance. The bone golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Magic Weapons. The bone golem’s weapon attacks are magical.
  • Necrotic Absorption. Whenever the bone golem is subjected to necrotic damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hp equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
  • Construct Nature. A golem doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The bone golem makes two attacks.
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
  • Bone Shard. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.

About

The creature moves with a strange grace despite the motley collection of bones that comprise its form.

A Lesser Golem. Upon seeing the gangly form of a bone golem, even experienced adventurers assume the terrible creature is the work of a necromancer. In reality, however, the creature is a construct, a golem in the same vein as a flesh or clay golem.

Ghoul Servant. The art of crafting a golem from the bones of the fallen has been mastered by advanced clans or even nations of ghouls. After noticing the fragility of their animated skeletons, they undertook the study of construct magic to create the hardier and more resilient bone golems. These constructs are often sent on patrols with ghoul rangers to provide martial support.

Construct in Undead Clothing. The ghoul arcanists who create bone golems do their best to disguise their creations as typical skeletons, hoping to fool wielders of divine might into wasting resources often used against real undead. In battle, a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check is needed to determine the creature is a construct and not an undead.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.

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