Golem Rot (3.5e Disease)

Golem rot is a rare supernatural disease which has adapted to feed off the artificial life forces of constructs and subsequently erode both their animating potential and the material which makes them up. This disease ignores the typical racial immunity to disease of the construct type (though immunity via other methods still prevents it). It only functions on constructs, as neither undead nor the living possess the required essence to process.

Golem rot is a two-stage disease. Initially, golems take 1d3 Str damage (ignoring their typical immunity) and becomes vulnerable to damage. Iron rusts, stone softens, and other materials show sign of age and corrosion as if by acid. Creatures effected become vulnerable to critical hits, or if already vulnerable creatures making critical hits against them gain a +4 bonus to confirm critical hits against the golem. Any damage reduction the golem has also is reduced by 1d4 points to a minimum of 0. The strength damage and loss of damage reduction are restored at the rate of 1 point per day naturally or by typical ability score restoring effects such as restoration. If the save is failed twice, golem rot moves onto stage 2.

The second stage of golem rot continues previous effects (but only takes 1 Str damage instead of 1d3 each day), but has visible spores and fungi growths on the construct's body. These spores release a cloud of entropic decay which rapidly breaks down even non-animated constructions. Constructs coming within 10 feet of the afflicted creature must make a Fortitude save vs Golem Rot, and manufactured weapons of all sorts (wood, stone, metal, and otherwise) must also make a DC 18 Reflex save or be dissolved as if by a rust monster's touch.

Golem Rot can be contracted by exposure to stage 2's spores, or by contact with tainted liquids which carry it. Golem Rot usually forms in spoiled liquid remains of various alchemical and magical reagents used in golem construction, usually hidden in tainted potions or old stagnant pools of water used in forging items.