The end of the year is nigh and it is up to me to close the door on the 2016 Know Direction blogs. I’m up for the challenge! The only way to close out the year is with something big. I have just the thing! It’s time for a big hitter, the biggest hitter in fact. CR 30. I present to you, the Chrono-Golem!
This massive construct towers with an unnerving presence about it. The air surrounding the creature feels heavy and life around it seems to slow.
Chrono-Golem CR 30
XP 9,830,400
N Colossal construct
Init +10; Senses darkvision 120 ft., time sight; Perception +48
DEFENSE
AC 50, touch 40, flat-footed 44 (+14 deflection, +6 Dex, +18 insight, +10 natural, –8 size)
hp 801 (37d10+598); fast healing 20
Fort +28, Ref +20, Will +25
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, time locked; DR 20/epic; Immune construct traits, immortality; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30, force 30, electricity 30, sonic 30; SR 41
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +46 (6d12+31/19–20), 2 claws +46 (4d12+31 plus grab/19–20)
Ranged chrono-cannon (15d12 plus time drain)
Space 40 ft.; Reach 40 ft.
Special Attacks time drain
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 37th; concentration +51)
At will—dominate monster (DC 33), energy drain (DC 33), greater teleport, imprisonment (DC 33), mage’s disjunction (DC 33), mass hold monster (DC 33), meteor swarm (DC 33), plane shift (DC 31), power word: kill, prismatic sphere, shapechange, summon monster IX, wail of the banshee (DC 33), weird (DC 33)
STATISTICS
Str 45, Dex 23, Con —, Int 30, Wis 32, Cha 39
Base Atk +37; CMB +62 (+64 grapple); CMD 73
Feats Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Greater Vital Strike, Hover, Improved Critical (claws, slam), Improved Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Lightning Reflexes, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Vital Strike
Skills Diplomacy +51, Fly +43, Knowledge (arcana) +47, Knowledge (geography) +47, Knowledge (history) +47, Knowledge (nature) +47, Knowledge (planes) +47, Knowledge (religion) +47, Perception +48, Sense Motive +48, Spellcraft +47, Use Magic Device +51
Languages All languages; telepathy 1 mile
SQ chrono-casting, chrono-zone, first will
ECOLOGY
Environment Any
Organization solitary
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Chrono-Casting (Ex) The chrono-golem’s immense force of will allows it to tap into the primal energies of existence, albeit at a limited scope. The chrono-golem has access to a spell-like ability it can cast at-will, but the ability changes depending on the hour of the day. The spells available are as follows: 12—wail of the banshee, 1—weird, 2—imprisonment, 3—summon monster IX, 4—shapechange, 5—prismatic sphere, 6—mass hold monster, 7—energy drain, 8—meteor swarm, 9—power word: kill, 10—dominate monster, 11—mage’s disjunction.
Chrono-Cannon (Ex) The chrono-golem can shoot a cannon of time energy from its chest as a standard action. The chrono-golem can choose to fire the cannon as a 120-foot line or a 90-foot cone. A successful DC 38 Reflex save halves the damage from this attack. A creature that fails its Reflex save must succeed on a Fortitude save or be affected by the chrono-golem’s time drain ability. The save DC is Wisdom-based.
Chrono-Zone (Ex) The chrono-golem generates a bubble of time-altering energy that slows existence around it. All of existence within 500 feet of it is paused from reality, allowing the chrono-golem to act instantaneously relative to the reality outside of this area. All of reality within the bubble progresses as normal, allowing combat, exploration, and general life to continue normally. From an outsider view, this is perceived as all of the events within happening quicker than an instant and usually missed by outside creatures. All creatures within the chrono-zone receive a –10 penalty to AC, ability checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. Mythic creatures are immune to these penalties.
First Will (Ex) As the first golem, the chrono-golem was created with its own resolve and determination. This volition fuels the golem, allowing it to act independently as well as granting it extra power. The chrono-golem treats its Charisma score as its Constitution score for the purpose of saves and calculating hit points and add its Charisma bonus as a bonus to damage on its melee attacks.
Immortality (Ex) The chrono-golem always was and forever will be. So long as time continues to flow, the golem cannot truly be destroyed. If it is destroyed, another instance of the golem from elsewhere in time replaces itself. The golem can replace itself instantly, but it always chooses to wait at least 1 week to study its attackers before it chooses to reappear.
Time Drain (Ex) The chrono-golem can drain the years away from creatures, fueling its own existence. When it succeeds on a grapple check, its target must succeed on a DC 38 Fortitude save or receive 1d4 permanent negative levels. The chrono-golem recover 50 hit points for every negative level granted in this way. The save DC is Wisdom-based.
Time Locked (Ex) The chrono-golem exists outside of the typical flow of time, allowing it to ignore many of time’s effects. The chrono-golem is immune to the effects of slow, but can willingly choose to be affected by the spell. Additionally, any time that a haste or time stop spell is cast within 500 feet of the chrono-golem, it can choose to be affected by the spell as well.
Time Shift (Ex) When the chrono-golem uses greater teleport or plane shift, it can arrive precisely at any location on any plane at any time in history. The chrono-golem can also use to send other creatures to different points in time.
Time Sight (Ex) The chrono-golem is aware of any nearby creatures affected by the flow of time. The chrono-golem is aware of any creatures within 1 mile and can see any creatures within 500 feet of it as if under the effects of true seeing. Additionally, this awareness grants the chrono-golem an insight bonus to AC equal to half its hit dice and its Charisma bonus as a deflection bonus to AC.
Old when the universe was young, the Chrono-Golem is a fabled defender of time, intent on keeping time’s flow constant and unhindered. Said to be created by the energies of time itself, the golem travels up and down the time stream to locate any that dare disrupt the flow of time. Legends tell of hundreds of sightings of the golem throughout history, but most note that the golem is seen for only the briefest of moments before disappearing. The Chrono-Golem always was and ever will be, silently defending against tampering with time, but this common knowledge has been used by individuals attempting to harness the golem’s abilities. Every known attempt to intentionally call the golem has ended in the destruction of the person.
In Your Game
Heroes of Time
The chrono-golem is in dire straits and pulls the PCs from their time to the beginning of existence. The golem leaves them with a nascent version of the construct, still mid-construction. Creatures from beyond time and space threaten to destroy the golem before it is ever created and the chrono-golem cannot stop them without causing a reality unmaking paradox. The PCs must fight in a place before time, magic, or reality to defend all of existence.
Time Disruptor
Someone or something is causing disruptions to time near the PCs home base. The chrono-golem appears, laying waste to the entire area in the search for the culprit. The PCs must carefully navigate the region to find the cause of the disruptions while avoiding the wrath of the chrono-golem.
Time Locked
The PCs get removed from time by the golem, unaware as to why. Here, the PCs encounter all manner of time-locked creatures and objects, including lost chronomancers and cities thought long destroyed. The PCs must travel in the place outside of time to find others like them and work together to escape into the clutches of time once more.
Monstrous Origins
Confession time: I like time travel and I like constructs. That’s really all I needed to get the chrono-golem created. With the end of the year, I though it would be fitting for a creature related to time be created. Additionally, the end of the year felt like it called for something big. Thus, a CR 30 time traveling construct. Constructs are a funny thing to construct (eh, eh) due to the fact that they have no Constitution scores. This means that in order to match up with recommended values for a monster based on its CR, a construct usually needs a lot of hit dice to bring its HP and saves up to acceptable values. However, this tends to skew its attack rolls heavily towards the outrageous category. To combat that, I gave the chrono-golem the First Will ability to treat its Charisma like its Constitution, much like undead do. One ability I absolutely wanted the golem to have is the ability to join in on time stop castings. Inspired by a post by James Jacobs in regards to Demogorgon using the Stowaway Spell epic feat for some time stop trickery, this golem does the exact same. I then added a lot more time trickery just to make sure this guys was properly scary. Overall, this is just a big, scary monster that really isn’t meant to be fought by PCs and instead is to be used as a force that hangs over campaigns to instill fear, mystery, or awe into players. (Also, in case you’re wondering, the artwork is Huitzul from the Darkstalkers series.)
That’s it for this week! Please let me know if you the chrono-golem makes it into your campaign or if you would like more high-level/mythic challenges. If the chrono-golem makes it in to your campaign, or you have any request for a future Monstrous Physique, please drop me a line at KnowDirection@hotmail.com. And with that, we close the book on this year’s weekly blogs. From all of us here at the Know Direction network, we wish everyone a happy new year and hope that 2017 can be the best year yet. See you next year with even more monsters!
