Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com

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Whatever their construction,
golems are immune to spells
affecting the mind (charm, sleep,
hold, etc.). They are also immune
to spells affecting the respiratory
system and other life functions that
are alien to golems. Exceptions are
noted in appropriate MONSTROUS
MANUAL entries. Remember that all
members of the Created gain a +4
saving throw bonus against any
spell causing physical damage.
keeping you and your companions
alive. Thanks for much of this material
are due to several mages and priests-
brave folk who generously shared their
expertise in hope of aiding others
embroiled in the war against evil.
spell Fffecfs
Due to the impenetrable nature of their
minds and bodies, golems are immune
to many spells. In particular, they
resist all efforts to bend their will; they
cannot be charmed or lulled to sleep.
As they do not need to breathe, they
cannot be harmed by magic affecting
the respiratory system. And since they
do not age, they are immune to most
life-altering spells, including those
which ordinarily cause disease. Finally,
they sustain far less damage in combat
than we mortals do, and are
completely immune to cold-based and
electrical spell attacks.
Nonetheless, magic is one of the
foremost weapons in the golem
hunter’s arsenal. Certain familiar spells
have particularly devastating results
when used against the Created.
In the following section, I shall
discuss selected spells that function in
perhaps unexpected ways (or not at
all) when applied to the Created.
WiZRFd Spells
It seems that “heavy duty” spells,
especially flame-based castings, offer
the most certain means of damaging
the Created. However, spells should
always be selected with care: the best
magical arsenal includes a broad range
of physically damaging effects.
The reasons for the caution above
by now may seem obvious, but I would
rather repeat myself than gloss over
important information too readily. Ail
golems are different. Although the
details I shall impart here are given in
good faith, dear reader, and seem to
be generally true, this by no means
indicates that the golem you face will
not have capabilities, defenses, and
even vulnerabilities different from
those I explicate herein. Simply put,
when faced with a specific threat,
generalities do not make the strongest
of shields.
Illusion/Phantasm: Magic spells
relying directly on tricking the mind
normally do not work on the Created.
So spells such as hypnotic pattern,
spook, and the like are utterly
worthless against these foes. However,
illusions that affect an area and are
not cast directly upon the mind of the
golem (phantasmal force or
phantasmal killer, for example) do
fool the Created.
Another exception to this rule
seems to be spells causing inuisibility.
Although it is not exactly clear why
such magic spells are effective against
the Created when other illusions are
not, I theorize that these spells in
some way physically act upon the
subject turned invisible, not the mind
of the viewer. Or it may be-as the
great mage Hermaine Gingold
suggests-that the inuisibility spell
acts as a filter, physically enveloping
the invisible subject and directing the
viewer’s attention around and away
from it. Whatever the truth, golems
cannot see invisible opponents any
better than we do ourselves-which is
to say, not at all.
Charm Spells: As with the illusion
spells above, charm spells such as
sleep, hold monster, charm monster,
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