I'm working on a School of Golemancy subclass for Wizards and would really appreciate any input to further improve this class. This is a work in progress, still working on creating a subclass specific spell list, but the features below occur at the normal intervals. I also made 3 homebrewed golem types to fit the class (based on the steel guardian).
"The School of Golemancy will allow you to hone your magical abilities to shape ordinary materials into work of arcane genius. Sculpting materials, such as clay, stone, metals, etc, allow you to bring worth a golem of unique design able to help in combat or in general tasks.
Golem Creation
Upon taking this subclass you are able to spend 3 hours to create a golem, you must have access to at least a 5 foot cube of raw materials (clay, stone, metal, etc.) Your golem will be of Medium size but can take any any humanoid or beast shape you wish. if your golem is destroyed you can use the same process to recreate it.
**Note: The golem's hit points 3d8 + your INT modifier with an AC of 15. In combat, the golem shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours.**
Bigger, Badder Golem
Your golem's melee attacks now count as magical in order to overcome resistances.
As an action, you can channel magic into your golem to double it's size (this is similar to the Enlarge/Reduce spell) and grant temporary hit points equal to twice your INT modifier (minimum of 1).
Elemental Infusement
During a long you are able to infuse your golem with magical runes granting new elemental properties and abilities. Choose one of the following elemental properties: Air, Water, Fire, Earth. Once you have inscribed the elemental runes on your golem, you may spend a short rest to change them to another element.
Air
You inscribe elemental runes representing air, allowing your golem to attack with a burst of strong winds (30 mph) in a 30ft line dealing 4d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature that fails a STR save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the STR save are also pushed back 10 ft.
Earth
You inscribe elemental runes representing earth, allowing your golem to create an earthquake in a 10ft cube in front of it 4d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature that fails a STR save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the STR save are also knocked prone.
Fire
You inscribe elemental runes representing fire, allowing your golem to attack enemies with a 15ft line dealing 4d6 fire damage to any creature that fails a DEX save, or half as much if the creature saves.
Water
You inscribe elemental runes representing water, allowing your golem to attack enemies with a 15ft cone dealing 4d6 cold damage to any creature that fails a CON save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the CON save also have their movement reduced by 10ft for the next turn.
Divide and Conquer
The magic you now possess is able to keep your golem fighting even when times get rough. Once per long rest when your golem hits 0 hit points instead of being destroyed it will now split into 2 smaller golems with hit points equal to 1/4 of the golem's original maximum hit points."
If you made it to the end thank you for taking the time to read!
Looking pretty good, but are there no restrictions on the elemental infusions? The way they're worded makes it so that you can keep spamming the attacks if you want, and that sounds too powerful. You should also specify the time it takes to cast them (which I'm guessing is 1 Action). Saying "it allows you to attack with this" makes it sound like it can substitute each swing from it's multiattack for one of these effects (if it has multiattack).
Also, with a static HP of 3d8 + INT Modifier and AC 15, that guy is getting oneshot regularly beyond lvl 10 or so.
These might be part of the design though, I don't know. Maybe you want the golem to be a super annoying and expendable glass canon, and that's why you gave it unlimited use of the infusions but little HP?
I will definitely go and reword the elemental infusion sections, the intent is not to use it to replace regular attacks lol.
Also, the golem is intended to, hopefully, always be around and not die after every battle. I have never played a campaign past level 6-7, do you have an suggestions for HP? I wanted to keep it balanced for larger parties that decide to pick this class but still beefy enough to make an impact.
I will definitely go and reword the elemental infusion sections, the intent is not to use it to replace regular attacks lol.
Also, the golem is intended to, hopefully, always be around and not die after every battle. I have never played a campaign past level 6-7, do you have an suggestions for HP? I wanted to keep it balanced for larger parties that decide to pick this class but still beefy enough to make an impact.
Don't use dice. Use something like the summon spells in TCoE.
Another note, this wouldn’t be a “school” since there is no “Golemancy” school of Magic. This subclass would have to be like War Mage or Bladesinger in name.
I am not a fan of the name. It was originally due to the term "Golemancy" but another commenter reminded that "school" doesn't fit either. I'd recommend that you replace "school" with "order" and golemancy with a term that represents construction/cultivation.
Well, I see two main ways you could go about this:
You could do it like the UA Beast Conclave Ranger, whose animal companion adds the character's Proficiency Bonus to pretty much everything (AC=X+Prof. and adding Prof. to attack rolls, damage rolls, Saves it's proficient with and Skills it's proficient with. It's HP increases by 1 Hit Die whenever you level up in this class), meaning that the golem this character is able to create gets progressively stronger as does it's master.
You could require the wizard to spend a Spell Slot when creating the golem and give it bonuses based on the level of the slot used, like in the new summoning spells from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (The Summon Construct spell seems perfect for this, and also serves as guidelines for how powerful this thing should be). Another thing you'd have to add in this case would be making it so that the wizard has to re-spend that same level spell slot at the end of a Long Rest to "keep the golem alive" or "refuel the golem". If you don't implement that, they could just spend a 9th lvl slot to make a super golem, sleep, and then have their slot back, which is far too trong.
There may be some other homebrew methods out there, but these are the two only fitting official examples I know of. (there's also stuff like the Circle of Wildfire Druid, but their companion is supposed to be easily expendable, and therefore very squishy)
Oh yeah, another rewording I forgot to comment on regarding Bigger, Badder Golem:
When I read "this is similar to the Enlarge/Reduce spell" that makes me wonder "Ok, but does he get the benefits of Enlarge/Reduce as well as these other things or is that just flavouring?".
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Hey everyone!
I'm working on a School of Golemancy subclass for Wizards and would really appreciate any input to further improve this class. This is a work in progress, still working on creating a subclass specific spell list, but the features below occur at the normal intervals. I also made 3 homebrewed golem types to fit the class (based on the steel guardian).
"The School of Golemancy will allow you to hone your magical abilities to shape ordinary materials into work of arcane genius. Sculpting materials, such as clay, stone, metals, etc, allow you to bring worth a golem of unique design able to help in combat or in general tasks.
Golem Creation
Upon taking this subclass you are able to spend 3 hours to create a golem, you must have access to at least a 5 foot cube of raw materials (clay, stone, metal, etc.) Your golem will be of Medium size but can take any any humanoid or beast shape you wish. if your golem is destroyed you can use the same process to recreate it.
**Note: The golem's hit points 3d8 + your INT modifier with an AC of 15. In combat, the golem shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours.**
Bigger, Badder Golem
Your golem's melee attacks now count as magical in order to overcome resistances.
As an action, you can channel magic into your golem to double it's size (this is similar to the Enlarge/Reduce spell) and grant temporary hit points equal to twice your INT modifier (minimum of 1).
Elemental Infusement
During a long you are able to infuse your golem with magical runes granting new elemental properties and abilities. Choose one of the following elemental properties: Air, Water, Fire, Earth. Once you have inscribed the elemental runes on your golem, you may spend a short rest to change them to another element.
Air
You inscribe elemental runes representing air, allowing your golem to attack with a burst of strong winds (30 mph) in a 30ft line dealing 4d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature that fails a STR save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the STR save are also pushed back 10 ft.
Earth
You inscribe elemental runes representing earth, allowing your golem to create an earthquake in a 10ft cube in front of it 4d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature that fails a STR save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the STR save are also knocked prone.
Fire
You inscribe elemental runes representing fire, allowing your golem to attack enemies with a 15ft line dealing 4d6 fire damage to any creature that fails a DEX save, or half as much if the creature saves.
Water
You inscribe elemental runes representing water, allowing your golem to attack enemies with a 15ft cone dealing 4d6 cold damage to any creature that fails a CON save, half as much if the creature saves. Creatures that fail the CON save also have their movement reduced by 10ft for the next turn.
Divide and Conquer
The magic you now possess is able to keep your golem fighting even when times get rough. Once per long rest when your golem hits 0 hit points instead of being destroyed it will now split into 2 smaller golems with hit points equal to 1/4 of the golem's original maximum hit points."
If you made it to the end thank you for taking the time to read!
Looking pretty good, but are there no restrictions on the elemental infusions? The way they're worded makes it so that you can keep spamming the attacks if you want, and that sounds too powerful. You should also specify the time it takes to cast them (which I'm guessing is 1 Action). Saying "it allows you to attack with this" makes it sound like it can substitute each swing from it's multiattack for one of these effects (if it has multiattack).
Also, with a static HP of 3d8 + INT Modifier and AC 15, that guy is getting oneshot regularly beyond lvl 10 or so.
These might be part of the design though, I don't know. Maybe you want the golem to be a super annoying and expendable glass canon, and that's why you gave it unlimited use of the infusions but little HP?
I really appreciate the feedback!
I will definitely go and reword the elemental infusion sections, the intent is not to use it to replace regular attacks lol.
Also, the golem is intended to, hopefully, always be around and not die after every battle. I have never played a campaign past level 6-7, do you have an suggestions for HP? I wanted to keep it balanced for larger parties that decide to pick this class but still beefy enough to make an impact.
Don't use dice. Use something like the summon spells in TCoE.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Another note, this wouldn’t be a “school” since there is no “Golemancy” school of Magic. This subclass would have to be like War Mage or Bladesinger in name.
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I am not a fan of the name. It was originally due to the term "Golemancy" but another commenter reminded that "school" doesn't fit either. I'd recommend that you replace "school" with "order" and golemancy with a term that represents construction/cultivation.
Well, I see two main ways you could go about this:
There may be some other homebrew methods out there, but these are the two only fitting official examples I know of. (there's also stuff like the Circle of Wildfire Druid, but their companion is supposed to be easily expendable, and therefore very squishy)
Oh yeah, another rewording I forgot to comment on regarding Bigger, Badder Golem:
When I read "this is similar to the Enlarge/Reduce spell" that makes me wonder "Ok, but does he get the benefits of Enlarge/Reduce as well as these other things or is that just flavouring?".