Flesh Golem — 5e stats
Medium construct (golem), neutral
- Armor Class: 9
- Hit Points: 93 (11d8+44)
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Proficiency Bonus: +3
- Proficiency Bonus +5 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 9 (-1) | 18 (+4) | 6 (-2) | 10 (+0) | 5 (-3) |
- Damage Immunities: lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical Attacks that aren’t adamantine
- Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages: Understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
- Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)
Berserk. Whenever the golem starts its turn with 40 hit points or fewer, roll a d6. On a 6, the golem goes berserk. On each of its turns while berserk, the golem attacks the nearest creature it can see. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, the golem attacks an object, with preference for an object smaller than itself. Once the golem goes berserk, it continues to do so until it is destroyed or regains all its hit points. The golem’s creator, if within 60 feet of the berserk golem, can try to calm it by speaking firmly and persuasively. The golem must be able to hear its creator, who must take an action to make a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the check succeeds, the golem ceases being berserk. If it takes damage while still at 40 hit points or fewer, the golem might go berserk again.
Aversion of Fire. If the golem takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.
Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever the golem is subjected to lightning damage, it takes no damage and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the lightning damage dealt.
Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks.
- Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
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DESCRIPTION
A flesh golem is a horrifying masterpiece of necromantic engineering. It is not merely a corpse reanimated, but a composite entity stitched from at least six distinct humanoids. Typically, a creator selects limbs for their muscular density and a torso for its structural integrity. Furthermore, the skin is often treated with alchemical preservatives that turn it a sickly, translucent yellow or ghastly green.
The creature emits a faint, rhythmic humming—a vibration caused by the Elemental Spirit of Earth trapped within its dense, non-porous tissues. Although it possesses a lumbering gait, this is a deceptive mask for its true agility. When the golem’s primary directive is triggered, its stiff-jointed movements snap into a fluid, relentless pursuit. It stands roughly 8 feet tall and weighs a solid 500 pounds, smelling perpetually of ozone, formaldehyde, and freshly turned earth.
COMBAT
In combat, a flesh golem acts with a cold, mechanical efficiency that borders on the alien. It does not feel pain or fatigue; therefore, it will strike until its own limbs are reduced to pulp. It prioritizes targets that pose the greatest “magical” threat, often attempting to crush the life out of spellcasters first. Because its flesh is violently fused, it possesses a unique Superhuman Resiliency, allowing it to shrug off blades that are not enchanted.
The golem’s greatest tactical flaw is its fear of fire. Even a small flame can trigger a “Zeitgeber”—a stimulus that overrides its programming—causing it to retreat in a blind panic. However, its Lightning Absorption makes it a nightmare in stormy environments. Instead of being harmed by electricity, the golem’s internal spirit feeds on the charge, instantly sealing wounds and knitting torn muscle back together.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
Flesh golems have no society of their own; they are the ultimate solitary “orphans” of the arcane world. They are most commonly found in the secluded towers of Karameikan wizards or the hidden laboratories of Glantrian necro-alchemists. Because they are rejected by all natural life, they often develop a dormant, deep-seated hatred for living creatures.
Interestingly, older lore suggests that some golems experience Milestones of Development. Over decades, a golem may move from simple “Dependence” on its creator to “Contempt” or even “Hatred.” In rare cases, a golem hidden in the mountains of Rockhome or the forests of Traladara has been known to “perform surveys” of its own body, staring at its stitched hands for hours as if trying to comprehend its own unnatural existence.
ECOLOGY
The ecology of a flesh golem is an affront to the natural order. It is an unnatural aberration that occupies no niche in the food chain. It does not eat, breathe, or sleep, though it may go through the motions of “consuming” if commanded by a mad master. The animating force is an unwilling spirit from the Elemental Plane of Earth, bound into the flesh by a Manual of Golems and high-level geas magic.
This spirit is perpetually hostile to the Prime Material Plane, which is why the golem is prone to Berserk rages. The spirit’s tether to the body is tenuous; when the golem is severely damaged, the spirit attempts to violently tear itself free, resulting in a mindless rampage. Because they do not age, a flesh golem can stand guard for centuries, its alchemically hardened skin slowly becoming as tough and weather-beaten as old leather.