Golemkin

There are many created beings but not all of them have free will. Golemkin are less sturdy versions of golems, but are much more capable.

Most golemkin are intentionally created, so they are born into lives they did not choose. These golemkin know nothing of the world beyond their creator (who they often treat as a parent) or the tasks they were made for. A rare few are created accidentally, usually a result of divine intervention. These golemkin are much more worldly but less certain of their role in the world.

All golemkin are tempermental spirits, perhaps due to their creation. They perceive sentient humanoids with piercing clarity, includingn all their faults and triumphs. For some, this drives golemkin to resist their creators and strike out on their own. For others, it ends in tragedy; more than one golemkin has killed their creator through accident, misadventure, or outright murder.

Golemkin aren’t a species but rather a collection of constructs given life; even if they share a similar form, each is unique. As a result, they feel little kinship with each other, gravitating toward other beings that resemble their creators. Some have a love/hate relationship with the species that birthed them, seeking their companionship but never truly accepted.

Male Names: Aruch, Brobbohm, Derukh, Dimog, Dunn, Evraim, Gek, Gom, Havia, Ichai, Khugme, Lichai, Neriel, Ovidan, Rhahm, Vom, Yolan

Female Names: Bur, Bhezgan, Charam, Dhok, Drubo, Eilel, Ghozzgun, Ghenkuhk, Hami, Jayahu, Letai, Malad, Pinria, Rela, Shadia, Vaar, Vohm, Yalachi

Although they vary greatly in form and function, golemkin share certain traits.

Racial Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. A typical golemkin is between two and thirty years old. The maximum lifespan of the golemkin remains a mystery; so far, golemkin have shown no signs of deterioration due to age.

Alignment. Golemkin tend to be childlike at first, but they can become quickly jaded and angry if mistreated. New golemkin are usually neutral good, while older golemkin can drift towards chaotic if they are abused, or towards lawful if they are venerated.

Golemkin Resilience. As an inanimate object awakened by magic, you have the following benefits: You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage; You are immune to disease; You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe; You don’t need to sleep and don’t suffer the effects of exhaustion due to lack of rest, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Patient Somnolence. Golemkin don’t rest per se, but they do understand the importance of keeping their minds busy while their mortal companions sleep. 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 appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

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

Subrace/subspecies

Golemkin vary drastically in appearance and function, each created to suite a particular function.

Alchemical Golemkin

Formed of a large mandrake root and animated through alchemy, these small golemkin are created as spies and assassins. As creatures of the elements, they can be as mercurial as they are deadly.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Small.

Alchemical Form. The alchemical golemkin is resistant to poison damage and immune to the poisoned condition. Your type is humanoid as well as plant.

Nimble Escape. You can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Clockwork Golemkin

Assembled from metal and intricate gears, clockwork golemkin are elaborate mannequins capable of considerable calculations thanks to the “thinking machines” in their head. They are thoughtful and pragmatic, often consulted as sages and scholars, assigned to storehouses of knowledge as eternal guardians.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Clockwork Form. The clockwork golemkin is resistant to psychic damage but vulnerable to lightning damage. Your type is humanoid as well as construct.

Quick Computation. You know the guidance cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the identify spell once as a 2nd-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the augury spell once. None of these spells require material components. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Earth Golemkin

Earth golemkin are formed from mud and dirt and inscribed with a holy symbol on their foreheads, breathing a soul into an otherwise inanimate form. Their spiritual nature connects them to the divine, and although they can often be simple folk, they have great wells of wisdom. Depending on the religion that birthed them, they can be treated as avatars of a deity or as slave labor.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Earth Form. The earth golemkin is resistant to acid damage but vulnerable to psychic damage. Your type is humanoid as well as elemental.

Fists. Your fists are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Effigy Golemkin

Carved into the form of beautiful humanoids, these stone beings are quite vain, priding themselves on their appearance. They inspire poets and musicians to greater heights through their own performances, but are deadly if provoked.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Effigy Form. The effigy golemkin is resistant to piercing damage but vulnerable to thunder. Your type is humanoid as well as elemental.

Natural Armor. Due to how you are sculpted, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your stone form provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield‘s bonus as normal.

Fists. Your fists are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Stitched Golemkin

Horrible abominations stitched together by aspiring necromancers and mad scientists, stitched golemkin are formed from the body parts of other corpses and then reanimated with lightning.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Size. Your size is Medium.

Stitched Form. The stitched golemkin is resistant to lightning damage but vulnerable to fire damage. Your type is humanoid as well as undead.

Fists. Your fists are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

5E RPG: Gothic Adventures. Copyright 2021, Mal and Tal Enterprises, LLC; Author Michael Tresca.

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