How much should be the CR of an awakened Iron Golem?

[Shin Okada]

Awaken Construct spell (Spell Compendium) can give mental ability scores to a non-intelligent construct. Assuming an Iron golem (CR 13) gains 10-11 Int/Wis/Cha, 7 feats & 42 skill points (but no class skills), how much should be the final CR? 13? 14? or maybe 15?

 

[Runestar]

I supposed an awakened golem could be somewhat more challenging in that you have an "excuse" to use more complicated tactics with it. Though unless you can do something about its crappy saves, I think maybe a token +1cr at most.

10 ranks in 2 skills (unless you somehow acquire class skills, such as via the martial study feats) don't really let you do anything meaningful it couldn't do before. Feats are interesting - this will likely be the sole determining factor as to how much tougher the iron golem will be. What are you having it take? Mundane feats such as INA/improved toughness/rapid recovery, or more exotic ones such as martial study/stance?

That said, I have always wondered how awakened construct worked. It is negated by sr, so it shouldn't be possible to cast it on magic immune constructs such as golems (nor do I think that immunity can be voluntarily lowered the same way sr can). But I guess that is a minor technicality in the face of DM fiat (still no less annoying when my wizard was trying to cast it).

 

[Jeff Wilder]

As big a cop-out as it sounds, I honestly think it depends on what feats you select for the iron golem. (At CR 13+, and in consideration of a golem's usual role in-game, the skill points aren't much of a consideration.) Since you're doing an ad hoc CR calculation anyway, maybe it's not even that big a cop-out.

Mostly combat-oriented feats, I'd say CR 15. A mix of combat and non-combat feats, CR 14. Mostly non-combat feats, the CR would stay the same.

 

[Shin Okada]

My current plan is to put all the skill points into Listen and Spot (10 ranks each).

For feats, Alertness, Blind-fight, Improved Natural Attack (slam), Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (Slam) and maybe simple combat feats such as power attack - Cleave tree.

I do not want to make it a complicated monster. My original intention was to give it descent Listen modifier and Blind-Fight. In my current campaign, almost all the golems have been blinded by Glitterdust in round 1.

 

[Shin Okada]

That said, I have always wondered how awakened construct worked. It is negated by sr, so it shouldn't be possible to cast it on magic immune constructs such as golems (nor do I think that immunity can be voluntarily lowered the same way sr can). But I guess that is a minor technicality in the face of DM fiat (still no less annoying when my wizard was trying to cast it).

Oh. I overlooked that part. So that is another spell works only on constructs and cannot bypass SR, like Crumble.

 

[Stormborn]

Oh. I overlooked that part. So that is another spell works only on constructs and cannot bypass SR, like Crumble.

Well, awaken construct could be cast as part of the creation process, along with the other spells needed to animate the previouslly lifeless iron. Yeah, I know its a fine point given the Target of Awaken Construct but one that I think is entirelly fair for a GM to make, especially if we are talking about a single encounter, or just a few.

Probablly the intended use of Awaken Construct is for animated objects. Thus with a were buffalo and a commoner you could have the entire cast of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

 

[Runestar]

In my current campaign, almost all the golems have been blinded by Glitterdust in round 1.

Welcome to the club.

Another was the sorc using cantrips such as acidic splash (damnable conjurations which ignore sr) to slow them.

 

[TheMoogle]

Magic Immunity is technically an SR of ∞. Therefore the creator of a Golem can order it to lower it's SR so that buff spells or Awaken Construct can be cast on it even after creation and activation.

This is a nasty surprise you can pull on your group sometime, throws them off "Oh another iron golem all we have to do is XXXX like the last one."

 

[Runestar]

Magic Immunity is technically an SR of ∞. Therefore the creator of a Golem can order it to lower it's SR so that buff spells or Awaken Construct can be cast on it even after creation and activation.

Technically speaking, won't lowering a SR of infinity by any finite amount still give you SR of infinite?