Saturday, January 3, 2015

Converting Fiend Folio Favorites: Caryatid Column

Caryatid columns are created much like stone golems. The column appears to be a column incorporating the form of a slim woman bearing a narrow, old-fashioned sword, about 7' tall.

Defensive functions. A caryatid column will always have a specific defensive function such as guarding a treasure-chest or preventing intrusion into a particular area. This task will have been set by the creator.

The caryatid column will 'activate' as soon as any act is committed which its task specifically prohibits — the approach of a potential thief towards the treasure the column has been set to guard, an intrusion into a 'forbidden' area and so on. When it does animate, the caryatid column takes on a fleshy appearance, the sword, becomes steel and it is this weapon that the caryatid column will use in melee if necessary.

However the caryatid column will not necessarily enter into combat; its main task is to guard the treasure, prevent intrusion into a particular area or another similar task and if it can carry out this task without combat it will attempt to do so. Its behaviour will depend a great deal on the circumstances and the instructions given by its creator but it might, for example, attempt to divert the attention of intruding adventurers from the forbidden area and lead them to a place where they will be trapped or attacked by a monster.

If combat is inevitable, however, the caryatid column will initiate it. When the caryatid column's task is complete — intruders killed, treasure no longer vulnerable, for example — it will return to its original position and revert to its original stone shape, the sword becoming stone as well. If the column is killed, it returns to stone (as does the sword) on the spot.

Medium Construct, Unaligned

Armor Class:    15
Hit Points:         37 (5d8+15)
Speed:             30 ft, climb 30 ft

STR 16 (+3); DEX 14 (+2); CON 16 (+3); INT 3 (-4); WIS 10 (+0); CHA 10 (+0)

Damage Immunities: Psychic, poison.
Condition Immunities: Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned.
Damage Reduction: Bludgeoning, Piercing or Slashing damage from non-magical weapons that are not adamantine. Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages: Understands the languages of its creator, but does not speak.

Immutable form: The caryatid column is immune to any spell that or effect that would alter its form.

Magic resistance: The caryatid column has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Weapon breakage: Any nonmagical weapon that strikes the caryatid column has a 25% chance (not cumulative) per strike of breaking.

ACTIONS

Sword: +5 melee weapon, reach 5 feet, 8 (2d4+3) slashing damage.

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