Class Archetype · Beta

Golem Master

“A golem does not obey you because it fears you. It obeys because you understand it — its nature, its limits, and the fire that keeps it moving. Master that, and you master everything.” —Attributed to Corvus Ashmark, Golem Master of the Ivory Collegium

Every artificer who has ever animated a construct understands the gulf between making something move and making it endure. A Golem Master has crossed that gulf. Through years of study, refinement, and an almost intuitive bond with construct matter, the Golem Master has learned that golems are not merely magical machines — they are expressions of a specific philosophy of material, each lineage carrying its own logic, its own strengths, and its own relationship with magic. The Golem Master internalizes that philosophy until it becomes part of them.

What distinguishes the Golem Master from other construct crafters is the Bound Construct: a lesser golem shaped entirely by the master’s will, growing stronger — and larger — as its creator grows wiser. It is not bought or bartered — it is built, rebuilt, and refined over the course of a lifetime. In return it guards, fights, and if necessary, absorbs the blows meant for the one who made it.

Becoming a Golem Master

Golem Masters most commonly emerge from arcane traditions — wizards, arcanists, or artificers who have moved beyond spell theory into the physical craft of construct creation. Clerics of forge or creation deities occasionally walk this path, as do some alchemists who find the line between chemistry and construct animation thinner than expected. The class demands both magical depth and hands-on craft skill; theorists who never touch the materials rarely qualify.

Entry Requirements

Feats: Craft Construct.
Skills: Craft (any golem-related subtype) 5 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks.
Spells: Ability to cast arcane or divine spells of 3rd level or higher.
Special: Must have personally crafted at least one construct.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The Golem Master’s class skills are Craft (any), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Progression

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Spellcasting
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Bound Construct (Small), Golem Type I, Craft Cost –25%	+1 level
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Damage Link (30 ft), Repair Construct	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Craft Time Halved	+1 level
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Craft Cost –50%, Bound Construct Type Ability II	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Golem Type II, Upgrade Discount I	+1 level
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Damage Link (120 ft), Bound Construct grows to Medium	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Craft Cost –75%	+1 level
8th	+6	+6	+2	+6	Upgrade Discount II, Bound Construct Type Ability III	—
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Golem Mastery, Damage Link (300 ft)	+1 level
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Golem Type III or Fortify, Bound Construct grows to Large, Master Crafter	—

Class Features

The following are the class features of the Golem Master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

The Golem Master gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting

At levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, the Golem Master gains +1 effective caster level in an existing arcane or divine spellcasting class of their choice. This increases caster level only — it does not grant new spells known or additional spell slots.

Golem Type (Ex)

The Golem Master studies specific material lineages, learning to craft, bond with, and internalize the animating principles of particular golem traditions. Each lineage chosen unlocks crafting benefits for that golem type and grants a passive benefit to the master from years of working with that material.

At 1st level, the Golem Master selects their Primary Golem Type. This determines the form of their Bound Construct and grants the first master passive benefit.

At 5th level, the Golem Master selects a Secondary Golem Type. This does not alter the Bound Construct. It unlocks full crafting discounts, Golem Mastery benefits, and Upgrade Discounts for constructs of that type, and grants the master the second lineage’s passive benefit.

At 10th level (as part of the capstone), the Golem Master may select a Tertiary Golem Type, gaining its passive benefit and full crafting unlocks — or instead choose the Fortify option (see Capstone).

The six lineages presented here — Clay, Stone, Iron, Flesh, Brass, and Bone — represent the most widely studied traditions. Other golem types exist throughout the world. Ancient materials, stranger magics, and forgotten traditions may produce constructs unlike those described here. At the GM’s discretion, additional lineages may be made available using these rules as a framework.

Golem Lineages

Each lineage provides a Master Passive (gained immediately upon selecting the type) and four Type Abilities (I through IV) that unlock on the Bound Construct at class levels 1, 4, 8, and 10.

Clay

The Golem Master works clay with patient hands, learning the cursed resistance to change that lies at the heart of animated earthen matter. That same resistance begins to settle into the master’s own body.

Master Passive: Immunity to slow and haste effects applied against the master’s will; +2 bonus to all Fortitude saving throws.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Cursed Wound	1st	Damage dealt by the construct cannot be healed naturally. A damaged creature must receive a remove curse spell or succeed at a DC 15 Heal check before natural or magical healing can restore that damage.
II — Haste	4th	Once per day as a free action, the construct gains the benefits of haste for 3 rounds, functioning identically to the base clay golem’s haste ability.
III — Slow Aura	8th	Any creature that strikes the construct in melee must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s primary casting ability modifier) or be slowed for 1 round.
IV — Clay Mastery	10th	The construct’s DR improves to 10/adamantine and bludgeoning. If this construct is Fortified, it gains immunity to all spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, rather than SR.

Stone

Working stone teaches endurance above all else — the patience of mountains, the immovability of bedrock. Masters of the stone lineage become harder to move and harder to stop.

Master Passive: +2 natural armor bonus to AC; +4 bonus to CMD against bull rush, reposition, and trip. The natural armor bonus from Stone does not stack with the natural armor bonus from Iron — use the higher value if both are held.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Slow Strike	1st	Any creature damaged by the construct’s slam attacks must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s casting ability modifier) or be slowed for 1 round.
II — Stone Grasp	4th	The construct is treated as one size category larger for grapple checks. A creature successfully grappled is automatically slowed for the duration of the grapple.
III — Shockwave	8th	Once per day as a standard action, the construct slams the ground with devastating force. All creatures within 15 feet (excluding the construct itself) must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s casting ability modifier) or take 1d6 damage per Golem Master class level and be knocked prone. Creatures that succeed take half damage and are not knocked prone.
IV — Unmovable	10th	The construct becomes immune to bull rush, trip, reposition, and overrun combat maneuvers. If Fortified, the construct gains full spell immunity rather than SR, and its DR improves to 10/adamantine.

Iron

Iron golems are monuments to permanence and fire. Masters who work the iron tradition absorb some of that fire-tolerance, their skin taking on a faint metallic warmth.

Master Passive: Fire resistance 5 (increases to 10 when a second golem type is chosen, and 15 when a third type is chosen); +1 natural armor bonus to AC.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Fire Body	1st	The construct is immune to fire. Its slam attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage.
II — Poison Breath	4th	Once per day per 3 Golem Master class levels (maximum 3/day at level 9), the construct exhales a 30-foot cone of toxic vapor as a standard action. Creatures in the area must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s casting ability modifier) or take 1d4 Con damage initially and 1d4 Con damage 1 minute later.
III — Electricity Absorption	8th	The construct gains electricity absorption. Electricity damage dealt to the construct heals it rather than causing harm, restoring hit points equal to the damage that would have been dealt. If the construct is already at maximum hit points, the excess has no effect.
IV — Iron Fortress	10th	The construct’s DR improves to 15/adamantine. If Fortified, the construct gains full spell immunity rather than SR.

Flesh

Flesh golems straddle the line between construct and corpse. Masters who work with stitched matter develop a closer relationship with death — enough to blunt its edge.

Master Passive: +2 bonus to saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and negative energy damage; once per day as a standard action the master may stabilize a dying creature (at −1 to −9 HP) by touch.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Elemental Immunity	1st	The construct is immune to cold and electricity damage.
II — Rage	4th	When the construct is reduced below half its maximum hit points, it enters a rage (as the barbarian class feature, using the Golem Master’s class level as its effective barbarian level for bonuses and duration). While raging the construct cannot receive new commands — it fights until all visible enemies are defeated or the rage expires. The master may end the rage as a move action.
III — Overwhelming Charge	8th	When the construct charges, it may attempt a free bull rush combat maneuver against the target. This bull rush does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If it succeeds, the target is knocked prone in addition to being pushed back.
IV — Stable Mind	10th	The master may end the construct’s rage as an immediate action rather than a move action. If Fortified, the construct gains electricity absorption — electricity damage heals the construct rather than harming it.

Brass

Brass golems are built for heat and reflection — polished surfaces that catch and throw back light with dangerous precision. Masters of this lineage develop an immunity to the dazzle and fascination of reflected light.

Master Passive: Immunity to the dazzled and blinded conditions caused by light-based effects; fire resistance 5.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Heat Aura	1st	The construct is immune to fire. Any creature that begins its turn adjacent to the construct takes 1d6 fire damage (no save).
II — Blinding Flash	4th	Three times per day as a standard action, the construct catches and reflects ambient light. All creatures within 30 feet must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s casting ability modifier) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.
III — Fire Absorption	8th	The construct gains fire absorption. Fire damage dealt to the construct heals it rather than causing harm, restoring hit points equal to the damage that would have been dealt. If the construct is already at maximum hit points, the excess has no effect.
IV — Reflective Carapace	10th	Targeted spells and spell-like abilities aimed at the construct have a 20% chance of being reflected back at the caster (rolled before SR). If Fortified, this chance increases to 50% and the construct gains complete immunity to fire damage.

Bone

Bone golems are assembled from death itself — a reminder that the line between construct and undead is a matter of will and method. Masters of this lineage develop a coldness in their bearing that enemies find unsettling.

Master Passive: +4 bonus to saving throws against death effects and negative energy damage; +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.

Ability	Class Level	Effect
I — Bone Shards	1st	Three times per day as a standard action, the construct expels a spray of bone fragments in a 30-foot cone. Creatures in the area take 3d6 piercing damage (Reflex DC 10 + Golem Master class level + master’s casting ability modifier for half).
II — Rend	4th	If the construct hits the same target with both slam attacks in a single full attack, it rends for an additional 2d6 + 1½ × the construct’s Str modifier. Applied once per full attack.
III — Ossified Shell	8th	The construct’s DR improves by +5 (cumulative with standard scaling). The construct gains immunity to cold damage.
IV — Death Knell Aura	10th	Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer HP within 10 feet of the construct automatically fails its stabilization check each round. If Fortified, the master may expend the fallen creature’s final vitality as an immediate action (once per round) to gain 1d8 temporary HP and +2 Str for 10 minutes (as death knell). These temporary HP stack up to twice the Golem Master’s class level.

Bound Construct (Ex)

At 1st level, the Golem Master creates and bonds with a Bound Construct — a lesser construct companion that grows in power alongside its master. The Bound Construct is not a true golem. It requires no standard material components to maintain, does not count against wealth-by-level budgets, and does not consume the master’s crafting resources.

The Bound Construct begins at Small size. It grows to Medium at 6th level and Large at 10th level. Each size increase happens automatically as the master advances and reflects the deepening of the bond, not additional crafting cost. Slam damage scales with size as shown in the Base Statistics table below.

The Bound Construct’s lineage matches the master’s Primary Golem Type and cannot be changed. A new Bound Construct must be built if the master wishes to change lineage — but doing so voids the previous bond permanently.

Unlike standard golems, Bound Constructs possess a Constitution score. They are living expressions of the master’s craft rather than purely inanimate matter, and this distinction is intentional.

Base Statistics by Lineage

All Bound Constructs share the following unless noted: Type (Construct), Alignment (N), Senses (Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision), Languages (none; understands commands from bonded master only), and standard construct immunities (immune to bleed, death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stun; not subject to ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, negative levels, or nonlethal damage). All Bound Constructs attack with 2 slams using the damage value for their current size.

Lineage	Speed	Base Str	Base Con	Slam (Sm)	Slam (Med)	Slam (Lg)	Starting DR
Clay	30 ft	18	16	1d4	1d6	1d8	5/adamantine and bludgeoning
Stone	20 ft	18	18	1d6	1d8	2d6	5/adamantine
Iron	20 ft	18	18	1d6	1d8	2d6	5/adamantine
Flesh	30 ft	18	16	1d4	1d6	1d8	5/adamantine
Brass	30 ft	16	14	1d4	1d6	1d8	5/adamantine
Bone	30 ft	16	14	1d4	1d6	1d8	5/bludgeoning and magic

Bound Construct Scaling Table

Bonuses to Strength are cumulative and added to the base statistics above. Natural armor values are total bonuses. SR = 10 + Golem Master class level (updates automatically; milestone values shown for reference). Size increases at 6th and 10th level are noted in the Special column.

Class Level	HD	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Natural Armor	+Str	Size	Special
1st	4d10	+3	+3	+1	+3	+4	—	Small	Type Ability I, SR 11
2nd	4d10	+3	+3	+1	+3	+5	+2	Small	Damage Link recipient
3rd	5d10	+3	+3	+1	+3	+5	+2	Small	—
4th	6d10	+4	+4	+1	+4	+6	+4	Small	Type Ability II, SR 14
5th	6d10	+4	+4	+1	+4	+7	+4	Small	—
6th	7d10	+5	+4	+2	+4	+8	+6	Medium	DR +5, grows to Medium
7th	8d10	+6	+5	+2	+5	+8	+6	Medium	SR 17
8th	9d10	+6	+5	+2	+5	+9	+8	Medium	Type Ability III
9th	10d10	+7	+6	+3	+6	+10	+8	Medium	SR 19
10th	12d10	+9	+6	+3	+6	+12	+10	Large	Type Ability IV (or Fortify), grows to Large

Leash Range

The Bound Construct must remain within its leash range of its master at all times or it shuts down immediately, collapsing into inert material. It reactivates automatically when the master returns within range.

Class Levels	Leash Range
1st–2nd	30 feet
3rd–5th	60 feet
6th–8th	120 feet
9th–10th	300 feet

Rebuilding the Bound Construct: If the Bound Construct is destroyed, the master may rebuild it over 24 hours at a cost of 500 gp × Golem Master class level. The Master Crafter ability (10th level) allows one free rebuild per month.

Guardian Protocol (Ex)

When the Golem Master is rendered unconscious, dying, or otherwise incapacitated, the Bound Construct immediately enters Guardian Protocol:

The construct moves to stand over the master’s body and takes the total defense action each round.
It treats any creature that moves within melee reach as a hostile threat and attacks, regardless of allegiance.
It does not pursue — it holds position over the master’s body at all times.
It cannot distinguish ally from enemy without prior programming (see Ally Programming).
If the Flesh lineage’s Rage ability is also active, the construct is simultaneously raging and guarding — it will attack anything within reach with full ferocity and cannot be commanded until the rage expires.

Guardian Protocol ends when the master regains consciousness, is raised from the dead, or the construct is destroyed or drawn outside leash range.

Recovering an incapacitated master’s body without ally programming requires destroying the construct, dragging it outside its leash range, or successfully dispelling it (SR applies).

Ally Programming (Ex)

The Golem Master may spend 1 hour in a bonding ritual with the Bound Construct and succeed at a Craft check (DC 15 + the construct’s current HD, using the Craft skill most appropriate to the construct’s lineage) to imprint up to 6 creatures as recognized allies. Programmed allies may approach and handle the master’s body without triggering Guardian Protocol.

This ritual must be performed while the master is conscious and the construct is active. The ally list may be updated at any time the master can perform the 1-hour ritual.

Damage Link (Su)

At 2nd level, the Golem Master may spend 1 hour crafting and attuning a bonding amulet linked to the Bound Construct. While the master wears this amulet and the Bound Construct is within leash range, the two share damage as per the shield other spell — 50% of all damage dealt to the master is instead dealt to the Bound Construct.

The Damage Link is active at all times while the conditions above are met. It may be suppressed as a free action and reactivated as a swift action. If the Bound Construct is destroyed, the amulet becomes inert until a new construct is built and attuned.

Repair Construct (Ex)

At 2nd level, the Golem Master may repair any construct — including those built by others — as a full-round action requiring physical contact. The master makes a Craft check (DC 15, using the Craft skill most appropriate to the construct’s lineage or material). On a success, the construct is healed according to the table below.

Class Level	Healing	Uses per Day
2nd–5th	1d6 + Golem Master class level	3/day
6th–9th	2d6 + Golem Master class level	5/day
10th	3d6 + Golem Master class level	At will

Craft Cost Reduction (Ex)

The Golem Master’s mastery reduces the gold piece cost of crafting golems and constructs of all mastered types (those selected via the Golem Type class feature). Each threshold replaces the previous.

Class Level	GP Cost Reduction
1st	–25%
4th	–50%
7th	–75% (maximum)

Craft Time Reduction (Ex)

At 3rd level, construction time for all golems and constructs of mastered types is halved.

Upgrade Discount (Ex)

The Golem Master applies the principles of Craft Construct to magical upgrades as described in Ultimate Magic. This discount applies only to constructs of mastered types.

Class Level	Upgrade Cost Reduction
5th	–25%
8th	–50%

Golem Mastery (Ex)

At 9th level, the Golem Master has learned to reduce the magical prerequisites required to animate constructs of mastered types. For each mastered lineage, the spell level requirements for crafting that golem type are reduced by 2 levels (minimum 1st level). This reduction applies to all spells listed in the golem’s construction requirements.

Example: A flesh golem normally requires geas/quest (6th level). Under Golem Mastery, the Golem Master may substitute a functionally equivalent 4th-level spell at the GM’s discretion.

Capstone — Golem Type III or Fortify (Ex)

At 10th level, the Golem Master reaches the apex of their craft and chooses one of the following options:

Option A — Golem Type III: The master selects a third Golem Type, gaining its master passive and full crafting unlocks. This does not alter the Bound Construct.

Option B — Fortify: The master spends 30 days in intensive work (no gold cost beyond standard rebuild cost) to fundamentally upgrade the Bound Construct. A Fortified Bound Construct gains +4 Hit Dice, +4 Strength, +4 natural armor, and its Type Ability IV activates in its enhanced Fortified version (replacing SR with full spell immunity and gaining the additional effect described in the lineage entry).

A Fortified Bound Construct cannot be reverted to a standard Bound Construct.

Master Crafter (Ex)

At 10th level, the –75% gold piece cost reduction becomes permanent and applies to all constructs the Golem Master builds, regardless of type. In addition, the master may rebuild their Bound Construct from scratch once per month at no gold cost, completing the work in 24 hours.

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