Buy me a coffeeClockwork, Clockwork Goliath
“Unleash the unstoppable might of the Clockwork Goliath: a towering mechanical behemoth ready to crush anything in its path!”
The Clockwork Goliath stands at an astonishing 45 feet tall, its massive frame constructed from gleaming brass and tempered steel that reflects light with a golden sheen. The surface is intricately adorned with arcane symbols and filigree designs, suggesting a blend of artistry and engineering. Its four muscular arms, equipped with claw-like hands, are designed for both delicate maneuvers and devastating slams. The Goliath’s head resembles a knight’s helmet, featuring a smooth, rounded top and a flat, expressionless faceplate, with piercing blue eyes that glow ominously. Each eye is surrounded by mechanical shutters that can adjust their intensity. Along its back, smaller plates act as a protective crest, embedded with glowing gemstones that pulse rhythmically.
Behavior:
The Clockwork Goliath exhibits a single-minded, relentless drive to fulfill its programmed objectives. It moves with a slow but powerful gait, each step echoing through the environment. Its mechanical joints produce a cacophony of grinding gears and whirring pistons, a sound that instills fear in those who hear it. Although lacking in sentience, it reacts swiftly to perceived threats, executing complex movements with surprising agility for its size.
Habitat:
Clockwork Goliaths are typically found in ruins of ancient cities or battlefields, where they serve as guardians or remnants of a bygone era of magical and technological prowess. They may also be encountered in industrial areas, where their creator once forged them for war. Their surroundings often reflect the decay of civilization, filled with crumbling buildings, overgrown vegetation, and remnants of past conflicts.
Modus Operandi:
In combat, the Clockwork Goliath employs brute force as its primary tactic, using its powerful slam attacks to crush foes. It also possesses a cannon in one of its arms, allowing it to unleash devastating ranged attacks. When damaged significantly, the Goliath can initiate self-destruction, releasing a catastrophic explosion to eliminate nearby enemies. Its methodical approach to battle makes it a formidable opponent, as it relies on sheer strength and resilience rather than strategy.
Motivation:
While the Clockwork Goliath lacks personal motivation or emotion, it is driven by its programming and directives from its creator. Typically, it serves to protect a specific location or artifact, or to eliminate threats to its domain. In some cases, it may act as a tool of revenge, programmed to seek out and destroy those who harmed its creators or violated its territory. Its relentless nature makes it a symbol of technological wrath, standing as a guardian of forgotten power amidst the ruins of the past.
Clockwork Goliath 5e
Clockwork Goliath Pathfinder
Clockwork Goliath
Gargantuan construct (clockwork), unaligned
Armor Class 23 (natural armor)
Hit Points 455 (35d20 + 120)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 (+13) | 12 (+1) | 24 (+7) | 1 (-5) | 12 (+1) | 1 (-5) |
Saving Throws
STR +21, DEX +9, CON +15
Damage Resistances force, necrotic, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities lightning, poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands Common but cannot speak
Challenge 24 (62,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +7
Lore & Role
Created as the ultimate war machine, the Clockwork Goliath represents the pinnacle of mechanized destruction. Towering at 45 feet tall and weighing over 100 tons, this massive construct is built to raze entire cities and stand against armies. Powered by intricate arcane engineering, it combines advanced technology with ancient magic, marking its presence with thunderous movements and deafening clanking. It is often controlled by artificers, ancient wizard kings, or powerful factions seeking unparalleled force in battle.
Traits
Immutable Form. The Clockwork Goliath is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Magic Resistance. The Clockwork Goliath has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The Clockwork Goliath’s weapon attacks are magical.
Overclock (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, the Goliath can push its gears and mechanisms to their limits, doubling its movement speed and giving it advantage on melee attack rolls until the start of its next turn.
Self-Destruction. When reduced to 50 hit points or fewer, the Goliath begins a self-destruct sequence. At the start of its next turn, it explodes, forcing all creatures within a 60-foot radius to make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, creatures take 100 (20d10) slashing damage and 40 (8d8) fire damage. On a successful save, creatures take half damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Clockwork Goliath makes three melee attacks: two with its Slam and one with its Cannon Arm.
Slam.
Melee Weapon Attack: +21 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target.
Hit: 45 (6d10 + 13) bludgeoning damage.
Cannon Arm.
Ranged Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, range 150 ft., one target.
Hit: 55 (10d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Trample.
If the Clockwork Goliath moves at least 20 feet in a straight line toward a creature and then hits it with a Slam attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take an additional 40 (8d8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Arcane Pulse (Recharge 5-6).
The Clockwork Goliath releases a burst of arcane energy from its internal core. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking 70 (15d8) force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Legendary Actions
The Clockwork Goliath can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Goliath regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Detect. The Goliath makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
- Move. The Goliath moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Slam Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The Goliath makes one Slam attack.
- Cannon Arm (Costs 3 Actions). The Goliath fires its Cannon Arm.
Lair Actions
If the Clockwork Goliath is encountered in its lair, such as a colossal factory or ancient mechanical fortress, it can take lair actions on initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties). It can’t use the same lair action two rounds in a row.
- Crushing Walls. The Goliath activates gears in its lair, causing walls or machinery to close in. All creatures within a 30-foot radius must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 30 (6d10) bludgeoning damage as the walls crush inward.
- Repair Drones. Mechanical drones appear from hidden compartments and heal the Goliath for 30 hit points.
- Magnetic Field. The Goliath triggers a powerful magnetic pulse. All creatures wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons within 60 feet must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled 20 feet toward the Goliath, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage from the force.
Regional Effects
A region containing a Clockwork Goliath’s lair is affected by its magical engineering:
- Metal Distortion. Metal objects within 1 mile of the lair start to behave erratically, vibrating or becoming magnetized.
- Toxic Fumes. Polluted smoke rises from the lair, creating an area of light obscurement within 5 miles.
- Mechanical Resonance. The ground trembles slightly within 1 mile of the lair, and faint grinding sounds can be heard constantly, disorienting creatures that rely on sound.
Magic Items
Gears of the Titan (Wondrous Item, Very Rare).
A small, intricately carved gear retrieved from the Clockwork Goliath’s core. When worn or attuned, it grants the wearer +2 to Strength and the ability to use Overclock once per day.
Arcane Stabilizer (Weapon, Legendary).
One of the Goliath’s inner components, usable as a magical focus. While attuned to this focus, the user gains advantage on saving throws against spells, and once per long rest, the user can unleash an Arcane Pulse similar to the Goliath’s ability.
Unique Weaknesses
- Vulnerability to Lightning. The Goliath is vulnerable to lightning damage, which shorts its gears and magical core, causing it to be stunned for 1 round if hit by a lightning-based spell or attack that deals 20 or more lightning damage in a single hit.
- Winding Down. After 10 consecutive rounds of combat, the Clockwork Goliath starts to slow down unless it is recharged by external sources (such as a controller or energy field). Its movement speed and attack damage are halved.
Tactics & Relationships
The Clockwork Goliath is a siege engine used primarily by warlords, artificers, or powerful nations to destroy fortified cities or armies. Due to its extreme cost and magical complexity, it is often deployed sparingly and typically remains dormant in fortified lairs, waiting to be unleashed in times of great need.
Its relationship with creators is purely functional; the Goliath is an obedient, tireless servant, devoid of personality but carrying out its master’s will with methodical destruction.
Clockwork Goliath
The gears of this enormous, four-armed mechanical giant shriek and grind in a deafening cacophony as it lumbers forth.
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 1
The thunderous clockwork goliath is easily recognized as the epitome of technology created to destroy. The exact nature of a clockwork goliath’s ‘hands’ varies’ they all resolve as slam attacks in melee combat, though.
The clockwork goliath towers over most creatures and buildings; standing at a height of 45 feet, it weighs over 100 tons.
| Clockwork Goliath CR 19 |
| XP 204,800 N Gargantuan construct (clockwork) Init +9; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +0 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 35, touch 13, flat-footed 28 (+5 Dexterity, +2 dodge, +22 natural, 4 size)hp 214 (28d10+60)Fort +9, Ref +16, Will +9 DR 15/adamantine; Immune construct traits Weaknesses vulnerable to electricity |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 40 ft. Melee 4 slams +41 (3d6+17) Ranged cannon +29/+24/+19/+14 (6d6/×4) Space 20 ft., Reach 20 ft. Special Attacks self-destruction, trample (3d6+25, DC 41) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 45, Dexterity 20, Constitution -, Intelligence -, Wisdom 11, Charisma 1 Base Atk +28; CMB +49; CMD 66 Feats Improved InitiativeB, Lightning ReflexesB SQ swift reactions, winding |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Cannon (Ex) One of a goliath’s arms ends in a cannon. The goliath may use this as one of its four slam attacks, or it can use it to fire cannonballs. A cannon has a range increment of 100 feet, and deals 6d6 points of bludgeoning and piercing damage on a hit with a ×4 critical modifier. A clockwork goliath’s cannon can hold up to 12 cannonballs – reloading a single cannonball is a standard action. Self-Destruction (Su) When a goliath’s hit points are reduced to 10% its total (21 hp for most clockwork goliaths) or less but still above 0, it self-destructs on its next turn, bursting in an explosion of metal scraps and steam that deals 12d6 points of slashing damage plus 12d6 points of fire damage to all creatures within a 20-foot-radius burst. A successful DC 24 Reflex save halves the damage. The save is Constitution-based. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment any Organization solitary, pair, or siege (36) Treasure none |
Construction
The clockwork goliath is one of the most difficult of its kind to create. The creator must start with crafted clockwork pieces worth 20,000 gp.
Clockwork Goliath
CL 18th; Price 300,000 gp
Construction Requirements Craft Construct, Gunsmithing (Ultimate Combat 103), animate objects, geas/quest, and limited wish, creator must be at least caster level 18th; Skill Craft (clockwork) DC 25; Cost 160,000 gp