It would bob to the surface, since iron is about 1/4 as dense as lava. It's immune to bludgeoning and fire damage (the fire heals it, but you're proposing an undamaged golem, I assume), so it doesn't matter at all whether you drop the golem onto the lava or the lava onto the golem. Unless it had orders to the contrary, it would simply float there in the lava, waiting for orders.
Iron Golem have fire absorption, so it would probably regain max hitpoints very quickly. It also has a strength modifier of +7, so it may just swim or walk back out again.
If the Iron Golem is treated as largely hollow, then it would probably be neutrally buoyant, so it would float. If the Iron Golem is treated as nearly solid iron, then it would sink pretty quickly and would realistically need to travel along the bottom of the reservoir.
It would WALK on the Lava. Slowly sinking, but only when it stopped moving.
Lava is actually more like sand than water. Yes, over time things would sink into it, but you can drive a car on it and the car will not sink appreciably in less than a day, despite weighing more than the sand does.
It would WALK on the Lava. Slowly sinking, but only when it stopped moving.
Lava is actually more like sand than water. Yes, over time things would sink into it, but you can drive a car on it and the car will not sink appreciably in less than a day, despite weighing more than the sand does.
A Honda Accord has a density of 133kg per cubic meters. An Iron Golem would be up to 60 times more dense than a car.
It would sink, and if it were attacking the party when this happened, it would make its way out, being healed, and then continue to fight the party, but now glowing hot.
If I were DMing this, I might make the thematic decision that iron has a melting point lower than lava, so whilst the golem might initially heal from the fire damage, the overwhelming heat might fuse some of its joints up, making it slower, or if it spends long enough, it might turn into some sort of molten iron ooze, which would be very powerful but would only require time before it hardened into a blob of metal.
RAW, it just sinks and heals. Logically, it starts to melt. IT would take at least a minute before it does start to melt, that mass of iron will heat up quickly, but not in 6 seconds!
If you or someone else in your group were thinking it should melt, its unlikely unless it was exceptionally hot lava. Lava is around 2,000 degree F, while the melting point of iron is closer to 2,700 degrees F. So you would get an angry, and very hot iron golem that will now deal additional heat damage on a melee attack.
If you or someone else in your group were thinking it should melt, its unlikely unless it was exceptionally hot lava. Lava is around 2,000 degree F, while the melting point of iron is closer to 2,700 degrees F. So you would get an angry, and very hot iron golem that will now deal additional heat damage on a melee attack.
Also, iron golems aren't just iron. Their melting point is basically infinity, not 2700F.
An iron golem's body is smelted with rare tinctures and admixtures. Though other golems bear weaknesses inherent in their materials or the power of the elemental spirit bound within them, iron golems were designed to be nearly invulnerable. Their iron bodies imprison the spirits that drive them, and are susceptible only to weapons imbued with magic or the strength of adamantine.
If you or someone else in your group were thinking it should melt, its unlikely unless it was exceptionally hot lava. Lava is around 2,000 degree F, while the melting point of iron is closer to 2,700 degrees F. So you would get an angry, and very hot iron golem that will now deal additional heat damage on a melee attack.
Also, iron golems aren't just iron. Their melting point is basically infinity, not 2700F.
An iron golem's body is smelted with rare tinctures and admixtures. Though other golems bear weaknesses inherent in their materials or the power of the elemental spirit bound within them, iron golems were designed to be nearly invulnerable. Their iron bodies imprison the spirits that drive them, and are susceptible only to weapons imbued with magic or the strength of adamantine.
My gut reaction to this was "what about if it was a magical volcano?"
Now I want to make some rules for magical geological features...
People keep saying it sinks. This is wrong. Let me make it clear.
solid/Liquid/gas
Heavier things sink instantly though gas. You put oxygen on top of helium and the oxygen goes down and the hydrogen up. Similarly, stones, water, etc. drop though nitrogen gas. But if you make something like an aerogel it could float above tungsten hexafluroide.
Heavier things CRUSH solids. They do not sink though them, they crush them, but remain on top.
With liquids, it does NOT just depend on weight, but you need to know the VISCOSITY. That is, it's resistance to deformation. Room temperature Water has a viscosity of about 1 mPas Room temperature ketchup has a viscosity of about 5k-2k mPas (or 5 x 10^3 to 2 x 10^4).
Lava has a viscosity of about 100,000 or 10^6, which is similar to cold, thick, peanut butter. You can walk on both fairly easily, as long as you do not stop moving (and survive the temperature). If you fall asleep on it, you would drown in your sleep.
An Iron Golem is heavier than a human, but could at the very least run across a lake of lava, in a manner similar to certain lizards and insects.
An Iron Golem is heavier than a human, but could at the very least run across a lake of lava, in a manner similar to certain lizards and insects.
Small animals running across liquids is because of surface tension, not viscosity; it could likely make its way across lava for a bit, but getting stuck would be a serious risk.
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It would bob to the surface, since iron is about 1/4 as dense as lava. It's immune to bludgeoning and fire damage (the fire heals it, but you're proposing an undamaged golem, I assume), so it doesn't matter at all whether you drop the golem onto the lava or the lava onto the golem. Unless it had orders to the contrary, it would simply float there in the lava, waiting for orders.
Iron Golem have fire absorption, so it would probably regain max hitpoints very quickly. It also has a strength modifier of +7, so it may just swim or walk back out again.
If the Iron Golem is treated as largely hollow, then it would probably be neutrally buoyant, so it would float.
If the Iron Golem is treated as nearly solid iron, then it would sink pretty quickly and would realistically need to travel along the bottom of the reservoir.
Iron has a density of ~7,873 kilogram per cubic meter.
Lava has a density of ~3,100 kilograms per cubic meter.
It would flash a thumbs-up as it slowly sank beneath the surface of the lava.
Than all the other stuff Quin and Memnosyne said.
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It would WALK on the Lava. Slowly sinking, but only when it stopped moving.
Lava is actually more like sand than water. Yes, over time things would sink into it, but you can drive a car on it and the car will not sink appreciably in less than a day, despite weighing more than the sand does.
A Honda Accord has a density of 133kg per cubic meters. An Iron Golem would be up to 60 times more dense than a car.
Quite right, not sure how I was that off.
It would sink, and if it were attacking the party when this happened, it would make its way out, being healed, and then continue to fight the party, but now glowing hot.
If I were DMing this, I might make the thematic decision that iron has a melting point lower than lava, so whilst the golem might initially heal from the fire damage, the overwhelming heat might fuse some of its joints up, making it slower, or if it spends long enough, it might turn into some sort of molten iron ooze, which would be very powerful but would only require time before it hardened into a blob of metal.
RAW, it just sinks and heals. Logically, it starts to melt. IT would take at least a minute before it does start to melt, that mass of iron will heat up quickly, but not in 6 seconds!
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If you or someone else in your group were thinking it should melt, its unlikely unless it was exceptionally hot lava. Lava is around 2,000 degree F, while the melting point of iron is closer to 2,700 degrees F. So you would get an angry, and very hot iron golem that will now deal additional heat damage on a melee attack.
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Also, iron golems aren't just iron. Their melting point is basically infinity, not 2700F.
An iron golem's body is smelted with rare tinctures
and admixtures. Though other golems bear weaknesses
inherent in their materials or the power of the elemental
spirit bound within them, iron golems were designed
to be nearly invulnerable. Their iron bodies imprison
the spirits that drive them, and are susceptible only
to weapons imbued with magic or the strength
of adamantine.
My gut reaction to this was "what about if it was a magical volcano?"
Now I want to make some rules for magical geological features...
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!
This gives me an idea for some kind of golem repair system.
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Two words. Lava golem.
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This thread set my mind whirring, so I've written up the rules for the deeply concerning Furnace Golem:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/homebrew-house-rules/102970-furnace-golems
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On the plus side, you now have a red hot golem that will add fire damage to creatures it hits or that come in contact with it.
And probably has Regenerate until it cools off.
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People keep saying it sinks. This is wrong. Let me make it clear.
solid/Liquid/gas
Heavier things sink instantly though gas. You put oxygen on top of helium and the oxygen goes down and the hydrogen up. Similarly, stones, water, etc. drop though nitrogen gas. But if you make something like an aerogel it could float above tungsten hexafluroide.
Heavier things CRUSH solids. They do not sink though them, they crush them, but remain on top.
With liquids, it does NOT just depend on weight, but you need to know the VISCOSITY. That is, it's resistance to deformation. Room temperature Water has a viscosity of about 1 mPas Room temperature ketchup has a viscosity of about 5k-2k mPas (or 5 x 10^3 to 2 x 10^4).
Lava has a viscosity of about 100,000 or 10^6, which is similar to cold, thick, peanut butter. You can walk on both fairly easily, as long as you do not stop moving (and survive the temperature). If you fall asleep on it, you would drown in your sleep.
An Iron Golem is heavier than a human, but could at the very least run across a lake of lava, in a manner similar to certain lizards and insects.
If you want to see my version of the molten iron golem (which I just made), it is here. Feel free to leave feedback!
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Id assume id just bob in the lava until someone pulled it out
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Small animals running across liquids is because of surface tension, not viscosity; it could likely make its way across lava for a bit, but getting stuck would be a serious risk.