Barnyard Golem

Family: Golems

Medium construct, unaligned

Armor Class 9
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	8 (–1)	16 (+3)	1 (–5)	10 (+0)	4 (–3)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons
Damage Immunities lightning, poison
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 3 (700 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Construct Nature. The barnyard golem doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Easily Distracted. The barnyard golem has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks. In addition, a creature that the barnyard golem can see or hear and that is within 30 feet of it can attempt to distract the golem as a bonus action. The golem must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or spend its next turn moving up to its speed toward the creature, using its available actions on that creature.
• Immutable Form. The barnyard golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
• Lightning Absorption. Whenever the barnyard golem is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hp equal to the lightning damage dealt.
• Magic Resistance. The barnyard golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The barnyard golem makes one Bite attack and one Wing Slap attack.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
• Wing Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be forced prone.
• Chymus Expulsion (Recharge 5–6). The barnyard golem exhales semi-digested, decayed meat and vegetation in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

ABOUT

The flesh of a dozen birds has been sewn together into an unsightly amalgam bird with several sections plucked of feathers.

A barnyard golem is a foul amalgamation of domesticated and farmland birds. Wings, legs, breasts and thighs of chickens, turkeys, ducks, ravens, geese, and even vultures are knit together into a warped form.

Flesh-Eating Fowl. Unlike its component parts, the barnyard golem is carnivorous, though it doesn’t eat to sustain itself. The creatures it consumes are stored in a hollow organ within the golem and ground into a ghastly paste that it later ejects in a blast of decayed, poisonous goop.

Poor Man’s Flesh Golem. Barnyard golems are relatively inexpensive for wizards to create, as poultry is much easier to obtain than humanoid flesh. Hardier than lesser golems, barnyard golems don’t fall apart within days of their creation, but the use of birds instead of humanoids leaves them more unpredictable. A barnyard golem might complete its creator’s assigned task, or it might peck at the ground, hunting worms as if it was still a living bird. Similarly, the golems can become easily distracted. Still, for wizards on a budget or who live in remote areas where a few missing people would be noticed much faster than missing birds, the barnyard golem is the most favorable option.

Harbingers of Starvation. Barnyard golems cause of local food shortages as their creators collect and use a significant portion of the local poultry population. Fortunately, fresh barnyard golems can often be cooked and consumed after being defeated, solving the same hunger problems their creation causes.