Golem, Carrion

Medium construct, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	7 (-2)	16 (+3)	2 (-4)	11 (+0)	1 (-5)

Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Damage Immunities lightning, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Understands Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Aversion to Fire. If the golem takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
• Disease Carrier. If the golem deals damage with its bite or its claws, it exposes its victims to a horrific version of filth fever. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw against disease or become poisoned until the disease is cured. Every 24 hours that elapse, the target must repeat the saving throw, reducing its hit point maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. The disease is cured on a success. The target dies if the disease reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction to the target’s hit point maximum lasts until the disease is cured.
• Lightning Absorption. Whenever the golem is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The carrion golem makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage plus disease carrier.
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage plus disease carrier.

ABOUT

A lurching mash-up of rotting flesh, jagged bone, and coarse hair, this monstrosity reeks of death and decay.

Carrion golems are foul-smelling and fly-swarmed amalgams of putrefied parts stitched together from many different creatures. Unlike most golems, carrion golems only rarely are given a humanoid form, instead appearing more twisted and bestial in frame. As a result, some students of golem crafting claim that the carrion golem isn’t a “true golem,” but regardless of those claims these foul constructs certainly share other golem-like traits, including their significant immunities. What is true is that most who craft carrion golems don’t do so out of true interest in the technique of golem crafting, but for the golem’s ability to spread disease. The crafters of carrion golems send their mindless minions to cause immediate destruction and leave wakes of illness and death behind them.