Construct (Dungeons & Dragons)
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This D&D-related article or section describes an aspect of Dungeons & Dragons in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article or section to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. |
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, construct is a type of creature, or "creature type". Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature.
Most construct are mindless automatons, obeying their creator's commands absolutely, which makes them unbribable and absolutely trustworthy, although some of them are very literal-minded about the execution of their duties, obeying orders to the letter without any concern for their intent. There are exceptions to this rule, however. Certain constructs, such as Inevitables, are every bit as intelligent as mortal creatures.
As they lack a metabolism, constructs have a wide array of immunities to frailties and effects that would affect creatures of flesh and blood, such as poison, fatigue, exhaustion, disease or various special attacks and magical effects related to draining a creature's life energy (ability drain, level drain, death effects, etc). As most constructs lack functional internal organs (their animating force does not require any) they are immune to critical hits and forms of damage targeting a creature's weak spots (such as a rogue's sneak attack).
Constructs are almost always created by an intelligent creator, typically a wizard, sorcerer or cleric, though some are created by other character classes or spellcasting monsters. Creating a specific kind of construct begins with the creation of body, made by either the creator himself or a hired craftsman. Construct bodies can be made from wildly different materials, from clay to copper and bone to cadavers. The next part of the process is a ritual requiring the casting of specific spells to bind a spirit of some kind (typically an elemental drawn from the Inner Planes) into the body and imbuing it motion and special abilities.
The creation methods for certain constructs are unknown, or might require much more stringent requirements. Warforged, for example, can only be created with the help of specific artifacts, the creation forges.
[edit] Golems
Golems are the perhaps the most archetypal breed of construct, having been a part of the Dungeons & Dragons game from its very earliest incarnation. Loosely based on both the famous Jewish legend and Frankenstein's monster, golems in D&D are typically man-sized or larger, roughly humanoid and built from one particular kind of material for which they are named, e.g. flesh golem, iron golem, wood golem, etc.
As monsters, golems are typically very strong physically and nigh-impervious to magic. Typically, each kind of golem has special vulnerability to one or more specific spells or kinds of spell, usually reflecting their abilities and the properties of the material they're built from. Many also have the ability to benefit from spells of a certain kind, absorbing particular kinds of energy and using it to heal themselves.
Aside from their brawn, golems also often possess special attacks or abilities that make them more deadly as opponents. These include, for example, the iron golem's ability to spray clouds of poison gas and the stone golem's ability to supernaturally slow its opponents down.
[edit] References
- Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
