Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com
Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com
Van Richten's Monster Hunter's.pdf - Askadesign.com
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3<br />
I The Golem es NPC<br />
Golems are unquestionably powerful<br />
villains. However, in any roleplaying<br />
game, an NPC is not brought to life<br />
by a simple set of statistics or nifty<br />
abilities. This is particularly true in<br />
the fantasy-horror setting of<br />
Ravenloft.<br />
Golems are creatures of nightmare,<br />
and to fully utilize these monsters the<br />
DM must create an NPC the players<br />
feel is both unpredictable and<br />
dangerous.<br />
When roleplaying the golem NPC,<br />
the DM should try to convey to the<br />
players the relentless intensity of the<br />
creature. For example, you might<br />
answer the PC’s actions by repeating<br />
the same description again and again<br />
I<br />
4 Cwxture Built of H+?<br />
Although it is extremely tempting to<br />
assume that a golem is such a hate-<br />
filled creature that it despises<br />
everything, caring about nothing save<br />
itself, this is perhaps too simple a<br />
position.<br />
I do not believe that any creature<br />
fueled only by such an emotion can<br />
function. It has been suggested by<br />
some that, while a golem does not<br />
hate everything, it at best feels<br />
apathy toward a being or subject.<br />
This too seems inadequate. Both of the<br />
above opinions suggest we may be<br />
incapable of understanding what such<br />
a creature as a golem cares about.<br />
Their concerns are surely different<br />
from our own.<br />
Throughout this chapter I have<br />
attempted to put forth possible<br />
concerns and needs of the Created.<br />
What the psychology of the golem<br />
may most nearly mirror is the<br />
psychology of the sociopath who<br />
suffered trauma or abuse as a child.<br />
Although I feel sympathy for such an<br />
injured youth, I cannot feel the same<br />
for an adult who expresses his needs<br />
I . ,._<br />
(“It iust keeDs <strong>com</strong>ina toward<br />
j I -<br />
you. . . .”). ?his sort of repetition, if<br />
used in an appropriate situation (such<br />
as when the party is trying to flee<br />
from the golem), can add greatly to<br />
the drama. Another unnerving tactic<br />
is to have your golem maintain a<br />
particular expression no matter what.<br />
You might stare impassively for<br />
periods of time, or smile. It is<br />
amazing how unnerved players can<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e when faced with a<br />
continually smiling foe-especially<br />
when they are doing their best to kill<br />
the thing!<br />
Whatever your particular golem’s<br />
goals, never allow anyone or anything<br />
to deter it from its particular task<br />
(unless it is killed, of course).<br />
through violence and pain, placing his<br />
concerns above all others. The golem<br />
may well be such a creature, abused<br />
by its “parent,” shunned by society,<br />
The golem may well wish for<br />
acceptance, may even yearn to please.<br />
So, in some manner 1 grieve for this<br />
creature brought into our world only to<br />
know hate rather than love. But this<br />
does not excuse or lessen the golem’s<br />
evil actions and its basic inability to<br />
truly care about others.<br />
263
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