tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post3858971533125549582..comments2024-03-23T08:21:07.075-07:00Comments on Points of Light: Dungeons & Delvers: GolemsDavid Guyllhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16299128722345607123noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post-91043293413146876562019-05-23T13:38:38.457-07:002019-05-23T13:38:38.457-07:00@Svafa,
“For flesh and blood golems, you've ...@Svafa, <br /><br />“For flesh and blood golems, you've always got the precedent of Frankenstein's monster.”<br /><br />Yeah, it’s partly why I backpedaled on my initial reaction (also why D&D flesh golems have fear of fire). I don’t think Frankenstein’s monster is technically a golem though, as there’s no divine prayer or ritual in action, it’s just like he somehow revived it using electricity, but if you’re using dead flesh I think a golem would still work.<br /><br />“I don't think I've ever seen it done, but I think it'd be interesting to see a system where necromancy was just building/creating golems from flesh and blood. I've always felt like there's a lot of cross over, but haven't seen it treated the same that I remember. Why can't a skeleton just be a bone golem or a zombie a flesh golem?”<br /><br />A skeleton can be made into a golem, as can a corpse, but you wouldn’t call your typical skeleton or zombie a golem because they almost always lack free will and self-awareness. They’re also usually created through different means (the Death Domain would grant access to a divine version of Animate Dead).<br /><br />I mean you COULD call a skeleton or zombie a golem, and people might not know the difference at first, but a skeleton or zombie doesn’t care what it’s doing, doesn’t have the capacity to know what caring even is, and will always do precisely what you say without hesitation at all.<br /><br />I’m thinking that one other possible restriction is that you must hand-craft a golem. Like you can’t just grab a random skeleton or corpse and use Awaken Golem on it. Taking the time and care to do it yourself leaves an emotional impression, instills it with purpose, like a god carefully, deliberately forming mankind out of dust or clay.<br /><br />Not to say I’m trying to find a way to circumvent what you’re saying, just something I thought of because while reading and responding I was reminded of The Cat Returns.<br /><br />“The only difference tends to be the nature and origin of the spirit inhabiting it…”<br /><br />I mostly agree, just that the key difference is that method and magic used: golems are awakened via divine miracles, undead stuff is sheer willpower (and has a Sustain cost). The former would require no further investment, at the expense of time and money to make it, time to care and tend to it, and the risk (and inevitability) that you’ll need to destroy it.<br /><br />I do think that with clever thinking, rituals, special materials, etc a wizard could make something that is very similar, possibly indistinguishable from a golem in may respects though, it just would ultimately not be technically a golem. I should point out that you can make a homunculus via Alchemy, but they’re always quite small, linked to you in some way, and there’s virtually no chance it will betray you.<br />David Guyllhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299128722345607123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1790030420507335953.post-65083847595042550232019-05-20T10:53:54.193-07:002019-05-20T10:53:54.193-07:00For flesh and blood golems, you've always got ...For flesh and blood golems, you've always got the precedent of Frankenstein's monster.<br /><br />I don't think I've ever seen it done, but I think it'd be interesting to see a system where necromancy was just building/creating golems from flesh and blood. I've always felt like there's a lot of cross over, but haven't seen it treated the same that I remember. Why can't a skeleton just be a bone golem or a zombie a flesh golem?<br /><br />The only difference tends to be the nature and origin of the spirit inhabiting it, but I've seen stone and iron golems (and you even mention the possibility) inhabited by the spirits of the deceased (or even living), as well as skeletons that are little more than magical automata with no real spirit or will of their own. So perhaps the difference between necromancy and golemancy should be the origin/nature of its spirit/operation, rather than its material.Svafahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12237691554328991393noreply@blogger.com