| Golem, Rat | by Mark E. Becker |
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| Wood | Stone |  |
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|---|---|---|---|
| CLIMATE/TERRAIN: | Any | Any | |
| FREQUENCY: | Rare | Very rare | |
| ORGANIZATION: | Pack | Pack | |
| ACTIVITY CYCLE: | Any | Any | |
| DIET: | Nil | Nil | |
| INTELLIGENCE: | Animal (1) | Animal (1) | |
| TREASURE: | Nil | Nil | |
| ALIGNMENT: | Neutral | Neutral | |
| NO. APPEARING: | 5-30 (1d6x5) | 5-20 (1d4x5) | |
| ARMOR CLASS: | 5 | 4 | |
| MOVEMENT: | 9 | 6 | |
| HIT DICE: | 2 | 3 | |
| THAC0: | 19 | 17 | |
| NO. OF ATTACKS: | 1 | 1 | |
| DAMAGE/ATTACK: | 2-5 (1d4+1) | 2-7 (1d6+1) | |
| SPECIAL ATTACKS: | Nil | Nil | |
| SPECIAL DEFENSES: | See below | See below | |
| MAGIC RESISTANCE: | Nil | Nil | |
| SIZE: | T (1-2' long) | T (1-2' long) | |
| MORALE: | Fearless (19-20) | Fearless (19-20) | |
| XP VALUE: | 120 | 175 | |
Rat Golems are minor constructs carved from wood, and placed as guards. Unlike regular golems, these are not animated by an elemental spirit, but rather that of an animal (usually a rat). They are created in groups of five, as one rat spirit is sufficient to animate five bodies. They are provided with instructions upon creation (for example, "Attack any creatures entering this room"), and then carry out this command to the best of their ability until destroyed.
Combat: Rat Golems use pack tactics in combat, as they did in life. All five rats bound by one spirit attack the same opponent, as it is difficult for the spirit to divide its attention. Each Rat attacks with a bite, however there is no danger of disease. The rats fight with blatant disregard for their own lives, except when faced with fire (which was a fear in life and can still hurt the wooden bodies). After any kind of fire is displayed against these monsters, their Morale drops to Unsteady (6), and they must make a morale check every round.
Rat Golems are immune to damage from nonmagical weapons. They are similarly immune to mind-affecting spells, such as Sleep and Charm spells. Fire-based magic is more effective against them, doing an extra point per die of damage that it would normally inflict. Cold-based magic slows them for a number of rounds equal to the number of dice of damage that it would do normally. They are immune to Magic Missiles, but other spells affect them normally.
There is no chance of loosing control of the rats, as their spirits are tightly bound to their task. However, the spirits can be dismissed from their servitude by a Dispel Magic spell against 11th level magic.
Habitat/Society: Rat Golems are automatons, artificially created and bound to their orders. They have no society, except perhaps their five-membered packs. They are not associated with any particular habitat, but are usually found in some kind of inhabited (or once-inhabited) locale. They are frequently used as guards for somewhat valuable items or places. They are not usable as servants at all, because of their strict orders.
Ecology: Rat Golems are not natural creatures, and play no part in the world's ecology. They neither eat nor sleep, and "live" until their bodies are destroyed, usually in combat.
A stronger variant on the Rat Golem are those carved out of stone instead of wood. These constructs are tougher than their wooden counterparts, but have the disadvantage of being slower and heavier. They have similar magical resistances as the wooden rats, except that fire-based magic are reduced by one point per die (minimum of one point per die) instead of increased, and cold-based magic has no effect at all. Their fear of fire is still there, but since it is not a significant weakness, their morale does not drop. They still must make a morale check each round, however. These rats may also be Dispelled against 13th level magic. Stone rats are more frequently found in unsettled locales, as they are more resilient to hostile environments.