User:AndrewTall/Bronze Dragon of Gyrdyr

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Gyrdyr was a karamhul wizard of ancient times who was famed for both her magical skill and her artistic ability as a sculptor. She is remembered most of all however for her final and most magnificent creation, a great bronze dragon of exquisite fine construction made to honor her father Fafnir. When orogs attacked Gyrdyr’s clan she was badly injured and almost killed, left with no other way to live Gerdyr transferred her spirit from her shattered body into the dragon. Digging her way out of her collapsed workshop Gyrdyr drove the orogs from the captured clan-hall and then tracked down her clansmen and guided them to safety.

Gyrdyr the dragon was lost in deep caverns beneath Baruk Azhik in a battle against orogs when her spirit was driven from the dragon’s body and destroyed by an orog priest. The fate of the dragon is unknown, but it remains famed in dwarven myth as a symbol of dwarven craftsmanship and their indomitable spirit both.

This golem has a humanoid body made from bronze shaped in the form of a dragon, unlike most golems it is finely articulated (much like an iron cobra) giving it significant agility. A bronze dragon golem has no distinguishable odor and moves with a fluid gait, however no amount of grace can ignore the golem's mass and each step causes the floor to tremble unless it is on a thick, solid foundation. The bronze dragon golem cannot swim due to its mass, but it is quite capable of running along the bottom of a mass of water.

The bronze golem can speak a series of programmed messages (up to 25 words each, typically 5-10 messages are implanted). If inhabited by a spirit it can speak in the spirit's former voice without word limits.

COMBAT

Breath Weapon (Su): 80 ft long lightning bolt once every 1d4 rounds for 6d6 damage. If the bronze dragon can consume some flammable material (coal is a favorite) it can breath a ball of fire instead of a lightning bolt, fireballs are have an identical effect to the spell when cast by a L6 caster. Typically the dragon has enough fuel for 3 fireballs before it must consume more fuel.

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A bronze dragon golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.

A magical attack that deals cold damage slows a bronze dragon golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw as the chill causes its fine internal mechanisms to stick instead of moving easily.

A magical attack that deals fire or electricity damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a bronze dragon hit by a fireball gains back 6 hit points if the damage total is 18 points. A bronze dragon gets no saving throw against fire effects.

A bronze dragon has only mild vulnerability to rust attacks as bronze is less vulnerable to rust than iron. Rust attacks reduce the armor class of the golem by 2 per level and cause 1d6 damage per level of the rust attack, unless the attack description indicates that it usually has a lesser effect.

A bronze golem is vulnerable to magic jar attacks as noted below, if inhabited by a spirit then the normal construct immunities to mind-affecting magic do not protect the spirit controlling the golem.

Construction

A bronze dragon golem’s body is sculpted from 4,000 pounds of bronze and silver, smelted with rare tinctures and admixtures costing at least 10,000 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 24 Craft (armorsmithing) check or a DC 24 Craft (weaponsmithing) check.

CL 16th; Craft Construct, Lightning Bolt, Fireball, geas/quest, limited wish, Magic Jar, Magic mouth, caster must be at least 16th level; Price 150,000 gp; Cost 80,000 gp + 5,600 XP.

Inhabiting spirit

Inside the bronze dragons head is a gemstone that can contain an inhabiting spirit. If someone casts magic jar on the bronze dragon golem their spirit is transferred to the gem and gains control of the golem. If a spirit already inhabits the golem then the two spirits must make contested will checks against the others will save, if the spellcaster succeeds by a higher margin than the defending spirit they can take control of the dragon – although the body they left behind is inevitably occupied by the displaced spirit. Unlike the normal spell effect the inhabiting spirit can remain in the dragon indefinitely, and make full use of its own abilities, skills, feats, etc and also the dragon golem's abilities.

The golem body is agile, but does not have the fine fingers to cast spells with exacting somatic components or fine material components, as such an inhabiting spirit that can cast spells is usually quite limited in the use of any of their native spells.

Adventure hooks

Grey defiance

Fearing another orog attack an elderly dwarven sage wishes to track down the legendary Dragon of Gyrdyr and transfer their spirit into the dragon so they can defend their clan. The PCs must escort the elderly dwarf through the tunnels following the faded map created by a survivor of the ancient battle in which Gyrdyr was lost, the wizard then plans to use a scroll to magic jar into the dragon. The sage is extremely frail, and the orogs who control the old tunnels do not welcome guests - and what dwells in the eternal gloom of the dark and bathes in the magical aura of the dragon is more deadly still.

Redemption

Rumors come that the orogs have a new champion, a dragon that leads them into battle - from the descriptions it can be none other than the legendary bronze dragon of Gyrdyr...