Vitalized Livemetal Golem (3.5e Monster)

''Oh my god... its... eating her!''

Grown from vitalized livemetal, this golem takes on a very organic and sleek appearance. It resembles a human, with somewhat exagerated features such as a thin waist, broad shoulders, and muscular frame with a skull-like "mask" grown into its face, complete with all too realistic teeth and eyes which burn with a white light. Crossing the body like veins are traces of white flame, positive energy which criss-cross its body and collect in the chest slightly to the left where a heart should be, but instead is a solid sphere of radiant light. It even possesses organic behaviors such as breathing, idle motions, and producing gutteral noises in combat such as roars and growls. In spite of this is it neither a living construct nor sentient, though there have been... incidents (see Awaken).

Some versions of livemetal golems come equipped with armor or weapons, which they can become proficient in by trading out one of its bonus feats for the appropriate weapon or armor proficiency on creation.

Vitalized Livemetal Golems are 15 feet tall, though slightly hunched over in their usual stance, and weight about 5000 lbs. The golem cannot speak but it is known to make a wide variety of vocalizations, and moves with a terrifyingly organic gait.

Combat
In battle a vitalized livemetal golem fights more like a raging ape than anything, roaring as a show of force and charging creatures, knocking them down and beating them to a pulp with pummel. It even shows a limited amount of self-preservation, retreating to advantageous positions to heal, though not at the expense of following orders. They are capable of tracking down prey, making running from a vitalized livemetal golem a tricky issue.

Adaptation : Attacking the golem lets it adapt to its surroundings. If struck with the same damage type as it took last round, it halves the damage dealt. If struck with multiple damage types last round, it chooses one of the damage types at random.

For example, if in the first round it is hit with a club, a sword, then a fireball, the next round it can choose to halve all fire damage, or halve all bludgeoning, or half all slashing. This also applies to environmental effects, such as lava. Its physical appearance shifts as it adopts new adaptations. Adaptations only last for 1 round.

Awaken : The vitalized livemetal golem is neither sentient, nor capable of berserking in the method of certain clay and flesh golems. However when a vitalized livemetal golem is left unowned and uncommanded for a long time (1% chance for every year left idle to a maximum of 20%) there is a change the golem might awaken with its own intellect. It gains an Intelligence and Charisma of +3d6, +2 Wisdom, and its vital body score increases by +4. It remains unable to speak, but gains the personality and behavior of a wild beast, going so far in its mimicry as to make a lair, hunt, and devour other creatures for a sustenance it does not need. These things are by and large wild, if not insane, though conceivably such things could have their own motives and schemes. Raise the CR by +1, and give it skill points and feats as appropriate. All skills are class skills for the awakened vitalized livemetal golem.

Berserk Point : If the vitalized livemetal golem takes more than 50 damage from a single attack, it goes berserk. It gains +4 Strength and Dexterity, gains 2 temp hp per level, +2 Will saves, an extra attack (as per haste), and -2 AC for a number of rounds equal to its effective Con (5 rounds). In this state, it will even ignore commands in favor of trying to murder its attackers, going so far as to eat its prey if the situation permits. The owner, if within 60 feet, can attempt to calm the golem with a Charisma check against DC 20 as a full round action. Once the golem has berserked it cannot do so again for at least 5 rounds.

Healing Surge : As a standard action the vitalized livemetal golem can focus on recovering. It heals 1d6 hp per two HD (10d6).

Immunity to Magic : A vitalized livemetal golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

Positive energy heals the golem as if it were a living creature.

Negative energy harms the golem as if it were a living creature.

An enervation spell causes it to be slowed for as many rounds as it would have had negative levels, were it not already immune by being a construct.

Raise dead and other ressurection spells operate normally, being a destroyed golem back to life as if it were a living creature.

Maneuver-Like Abilities: aldrenaline burst (counter, bonus is enhancement), comet throw (strike), crimson moon fang (strike), leaping dragon stance (stance)

Quasi-Regeneration : Though normally a creature without a Con score cannot have regeneration, the vitalized livemetal golem effectively does. The nonlethal damage it takes as a result of this regeneration bypasses the usual immunity to nonlethal damage. It is still immune to other forms of nonlethal damage. Its regeneration is bypassed by negative energy, and by poisoned weapons (though it is immune to the poison itself).

Because of its regeneration, it is capable of regrowing lost body parts. Regrows new parts in 3d6 rounds, or can re-attach a lost body part as a full round action.

Pummel : On a charge attack the vitalized livemetal golem can make a slam attack and a grapple check. If the grapple check is successful, it knocks the creature prone and is grappling them. The next round, if it succeeds on a grapple check as a standard action it can make a full attack with an extra attack at its full attack bonus and maintain the grapple. This stacks with the extra attack from berserk point for a total of four attacks for a berserking, pummeling attack.

Vital Body : Though not alive, the golem is full of positive energy. It has an effective Con score for the purposes of hp and Fortitude saves. It also grants the golem a good Fortitude and Reflex save instead of poor. It is also able to be healed by positive energy, and harmed by negative energy as if it were a living creature, as well as being able to be repaired like a normal construct.

Construction
A vitalized livemetal golem’s body must be grown and reshaped from a vat of molten vitalized livemetal weighing at least 5000 lbs, mixed with various organic materials and positive energy. Creating the body requires a DC 20 Craft (metalwork) check or a DC 25 Heal check.

CL 11th; Craft Construct, animate objects, heal, rage, caster must be at least 11th level; Price 40,000 gp; Cost 21,500 gp gp + 1,540 XP.