Proteum Golem (3.5e Monster)

''A great rotating sphere of metal criss-crossed in arcane marks and runes rotates before you, held in place by a cage of rotating rings and another larger cage of fixed rings. Four powerful arms and two thick legs are connected along the outer rings, and where they cross in the front is a single glowing red eye.''

A proteum golem is a nearly indestructable machine which houses a massive 5 radius foot sphere of proteum, an unthinkable amount of the substance. They are only crafted by the strongest gods as engines of destruction, especially against magical societies. They drain an area of magic and release it as powerful blasts or intense spell effects, while at the same time amplifying magic all around it which only serves to feed its engine. Its core composes half of its body, with a complex series of rings forming the rest of the bulk. It is not actually armor, it is the containment system for the powerful center core. If the core is overloaded, the results are catastrophic!

The main component is a 5 foot sphere of crystalized proteum weighing in at 2,095,200 lbs alone (or 12,571 casts of wish if one was attempting to create that much proteum). The rest is weaker and more common materials laced with trace proteum for strength and heavily enhanced with magic. It has four beefy arms, two trunk-like legs, and a single mono-eye in the center of its spherical body. The eye is also the source of its powerful arcana blast and the source of its quasi-intellect.

The proteum golem stands at 15 feet tall and over 1500 tons.

Combat
Unlike most golems, the proteum golem is equipped with a quasi-intellect in the form of its Limited Programming. As a result it may use tactics and react intelligently, though it does not typically form complex plans other than plans commanded to it, and cannot think of any on its own.

Typically the golem goes after sources of magic, including casters, first and drains them of their power. It drains off excess charges if it starts getting above 80. Ultimately, it is still a golem and will continue to complete its assigned task regardless of self-preservation.

Absorption of Magic : The proteum golem isn't merely immune to magic, it absorbs magic. Whenever affected by a spell which grants spell resistance, it heals the amount of damage it would have taken from the spell, or the caster level of the spell, in hp (whichever is greater). It also adds a number of points to its charge pool equal to the level of the spell (or half the caster level if absorbing something which does not have a spell level).

It can absorb nearly every spell except wish (and subsequently miracle). Wish can be used to immediately disrupt the golem's Invulnerable Stance for 9 rounds, which alerts the golem and typically causes them to target said caster immediately. On the other hand, if the golem is defeated in this state its death throes does not activate, and the golem instead crumbles into a strange silvery powder when destroyed.

Arcana Blast :  As a standard action the golem can release either a 300 foot cone or a 600 foot line of arcane energy which deals 2d6 points of damage for every charge from its charge capacitor expended (to a maximum of 60d6 at 30 points expended). It is a DC 55 Reflex save for half, and the save is Constitution-based.

Charge Capacitor : The golem acts as a giant magic battery, storing up spell levels via its absorption of magic and disrupting strike. It can hold up to 100 spell levels, though it typically starts with 50, and use these spell levels to power its arcane blast and generate spell powers. If it obtains more than 100 charges, it begins to overload (see Invulnerable Stance), and if it hits 0 charges it is staggered (also see Invulnerable Stance) until it obtains charges.

Composite Fists : The natural weapons of the proteum golem bypass all material based damage reduction, DR/magic, and DR/epic.

Death Throes : The proteum golem has two seperate death throes, depending on what mode it was in when it was vulnerable.

If the golem was destroyed when leaking due to physical damage, the magical degenerancy pressure of its core becomes too weak and the golem implodes into an extraordinary singularity effect which doubles the radius each round to a maximum of 5 rounds (480 ft radius), DC 55. The save DC is Constitution-based.

If the golem was destroyed while overloading, it becomes unable to hold all its magic and explodes into an extraordinary widened megaton effect, DC 55. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Disrupting Strike : Creatures struck with the natural weapons of a proteum golem are subject to greater dispel magic (1d20 + 20). Unlike normal greater dispel magic, it is capable of removing curses, force effects, and other things normally immune to dispel checks. Artifacts have a 1% chance of being destroyed as per mage's disjunction. It can also do this as a standard action with a touch attack.

Spells successfully dispelled add to its charge capacitor, granting a number of charges equal to the spell level, or half the caster level for magical effects not based on spells.

Generate Spell :  A proteum golem can generate any spell (except miracle or wish) as a spell-like ability. Doing so expends a number of charges equal to twice the spell level from its charge capacitor. Because of its limited intelligence, unless commanded otherwise the golem will use spells as needed, and does not pre-plan buff spells. It's effective caster level is 30th, and the save DCs for all spells is 10 + 1/2 HD + Con, or DC 55.

Invulnerable Stance : The proteum golem is completely invincible, so how do you destroy it? In order to even begin to start dealing damage, it must be disrupted from its typical defensive position. There are two ways of achieving this:


 * Extreme Physical Damage: Damage in excess of 300 points from a single attack force the golem to make a Fortitude save, with a DC equal to the damage - 300. Do not apply damage reduction, as the attack is simply out to make it vulnerable.  If it fails, it starts leaking (see below) and becomes vulnerable to damage for 1d4+1 rounds.


 * Overload the Core: Filling the golem's charge capacitor beyond 100 forces it to make a Fortitude save DC equal to the number of charges - 100. If it fails the save it starts overloading (see below) and is vulnerable to damage for 1d4+1 rounds.

If its stance is broken through physical damage, the core will begin to leak, dealing 20d6 damage to all creatures in a 20 foot radius around the golem each round as if using its Arcana Blast (Reflex for half damage) and it loses 10 points from its charge capacitor each round. This continues as long as it is vulnerable. If the charge capacitor reaches 0, the leaking stops and the golem is staggered until it regains a charge.

If its stance is broken through overloading, the core will begin to absorb magic at a dangerous rate. It projects an antimagic field in a 20 foot radius around the golem, and each round any spellcasters within 1000 feet the golem has line of effect to lose their highest spell slot each round, as if they had cast the spell. The spell expended is random. When the golem recovers its invulnerable stance its charge capacitor is reset to 100 (if it held a greater amount).

Limited Programming : The proteum golem uses its Wisdom score as a stand-in intelligence score, though it does not gain skills or feats. It is capable of thinking and acting tactically, but has no free will and will follow its orders to the best of its ability, using its intelligence to reach the goal with the greatest chance of success. Short term planning and reacting is allowed, but long term planning is usually beyond it.

As a result of its superior intellect, it is capable of taking complex orders up to one paragraph, with multiple exceptions, exclusions, and up to 5 contingencies or if/than statements.

Metamagic Aura :  All magic within 1000 ft of the proteum golem is automatically empowered with no increase in spell level or casting time. This includes its own spells.

Construction
A proteum golem’s is almost impossible to create, and nearly all are found as ancient relics or special servents of the gods. It requires coming upon 523 cubic feet of proteum, an absurd amount to be sure, with a much more paltry 500 tons of iron, adamantine, mithral, and other odd elements. The animating magic itself is fairly cheap afterward, as the material readily absorbs magic. Creating the body requires a DC 180 Craft (metalwork) check.

CL 30th; Craft Construct, animate objects, wish, caster must be at least 30th level; Price 209,620,000,000 gp; Cost 209,570,000,000 gp + 40,000 XP.