Golem Theory 101

[Dark Angel]

So here is a theory concerning flesh golem creation. If six bodies have to be used (minimum) for general construction, could one technically cheat by having six fully intact bodies and mixing and matching the parts so they all share with each other (assuming cold storage/embalming magics, etc to keep everything "fresh").

Purely speculation (it has nothing to do with my game/campaign plans), but merely a fun little scenario to see if there are any holes to poke. Could always have the 6 confront each other (after ripping apart the creator) for an ultimate King of the Mountain game. Or it could be the worst Brady Bunch reunion ever!

What do we all think?

[Tobias Blackburn]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't make 6 golems out of 6 bodies. Strictly speaking at least.

I could see a scenario where six dread golems made from the same six people are driven to attack one another. The golem that wins incorporates the loser to himself in its entirety as the bodies all try to be whole again.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

I like Tobias' idea. Thematically, its great.

While using 6 bodies to create 6 golems violates the spirit of the rule, golem making is by definition an experimental science. Wizards, scientists and madmen of all stripes are continuously pushing the boundaries of abominations. Of course, in Ravenloft of all places such expediencies are bound to lead to initial successes, and inevitable consequences.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I think the idea behind the "6 people" rules is that a golem maker would necessarily be obsessed with details, and that only the most perfect parts would do. So you won't find a corpse that's completely perfect enough to use all of it. (If it was that perfect, you could just hook him up to your jacob's ladder or hoist him up into your lightning storm sunroof, yell "clear!" and zap! the heart restarts and the guy's alive.) So your typical mad scientist golem creator isn't going to say, I'll put the head on golem #1 and the left arm on golem #2, etc." Instead he'll say, "ah, this is the perfect right arm... pity the rest of the body is useless to me..."

YMMV, and if you've got a good story for taking six people and shuffling their parts like a deck of cards, go for it.

(I actually play a PC with a similar backstory outside of RL. He/She/It/They is mechanically a changeling (doppleganger variety, not hag or fey variety), created by a twisted experiment in which a group called the Scarlet Magi basically put a whole town in a blender (figuratively speaking) and mixed the inhabitants at a cellular level into a group of enslaved infiltrator "Agents" who each have bits and pieces of the memories and skills of everyone in town, and can shapeshift into guises made of mixed together features of the townsfolk. The campaign uses the "Buy the Numbers" classless point-buy system, so I can pick and choose abilities as needed for my guises. It's a fun character(s) to play. )