Guardian of Ages
The Guardian of Ages were created years ago, as a sect of monks and clerics were called to duty on the far side of the globe, so far away from their beloved stone temple that they would surely never see it again in their lifetime. Fearing that some evil creature might come in and deconsecrate their hallowed home, they forged these guardians. They created twelve of these guardians to protect their place of worship, and left them there with a command; protect this place against any intruders, let only those who speak the password go through. And with that the group left, and have not yet returned. No one knows exactly what happened to them, though many say that the password is still handed down through their descendants, and that the guardians still wait there for their masters to return.
In the time since then, the formula has gotten out, courtesy of a daring raid on the temple itself by an expert, and now very wealthy, thief. Only a handful know of it, and even fewer have the skill to create a Guardian of Ages, but some newer ones have been made since their invention. A Guardian of Ages is made to last forever, to never decay, to carry on in its task long past the death of its master. As such, it is common for the creator of a Guardian of Ages to die, with all his treasure and still in his tower, and for it to remain undisturbed for decades because of this creature’s vigilant protection. There are occasions where a dungeon is seized by forces of evil, and are able to bypass the guardian through some knowledge of its commands, and essentially use it to protect their new base of operations.
A Guardian of Ages is a large creature, made entirely from rigorously hammered bronze. Its thick arms have razors attached to them, and were originally covered in scripture, though some makers find this a tedious and unnecessary component. A diamond, about as large as an open, human palm, sits on its enormous chest. This diamond is the actual key point on the guardian; its head is only for show. Through this diamond the guardian can see and hear, and all of its spell-like effects originate from it. If a Guardian of Ages is destroyed, its diamond becomes a clear crystal, worthless.
Guardians or Ages are creatures of law, and obey their creators completely. While they are capable of independent thought, they are only so capable in the event that it helps them complete their orders. For example, if a guardian was ordered to “stay here and attack anyone who enters” it would stay inert until someone came by. Then it would use its ability to think solely for defending that chamber, and once its task was completed it would become inert again. Similarly, a guardian can prioritize. For example, if a guardian was given the command to kill a specific person, it would do so. However, if it was injured and needed to repair itself, it would also do so, arguing that it needs to be fixed in order to complete its given task. A specific command by its master may override this, for example, the command, “Kill that man. Do not stop attacking for any reason,” would stop the guardian from repairing itself. A Guardian of Ages is willing to die for its master, but will never kill or harm him, even if directly commanded to do so. A guardian always, unless commanded otherwise by its master, protects itself upon attack.
Guardian of Ages
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 15d10+45 (120)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 23 (-1 size, -2 dex, +16 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+24
Attack: 2 Slams +24
Damage: Slam (2d10+13+(1d4 slashing))
Space/Reach: 20ft/20ft
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Spell-Like Abilities, Repair, Bound to Master, Magic Immunity, Damage Reduction 10/adamantine, construct traits, Detect Chaos, Protection from Chaos
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 6, Con -, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills:-
Feats:-
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 14
Alignment: Always Lawful Neutral
Advancement: None
Spell-Like Abilities: A Guardian of Ages has the following spell- like abilities. All have a DC of 16 plus the spell level. All spell-like abilities originate from its chest. All spells are cast as a fifteenth level caster. 3/day: Dictum, Disintegrate, 1/day: Order’s Wrath, Dismissal.
Repair: If a Guardian of Ages takes no other action except to repair itself, it can heal 2 points of damage per a minute.
Bound to Master: A Guardian of Ages always knows its master and always obeys completely. It cannot be fooled and it cannot change masters. Even after its master’s death it does not obey anyone else, and simply continues to obey his last orders. If it completes all of the tasks assigned by a dead master, it simple becomes inert, waiting for orders that will never come. It will still defend itself if attacked. The master is always the one who made the guardian, and they can have no help in creating it.
Magic Immunity: A Guardian of Ages is immune to all magic that allows spell resistance.
Detect Chaos: A Guardian of Ages has a constant “detect chaos” effect, like the spell.
Protection From Chaos: A Guardian of ages has a constant “Protection From Chaos” effect, like the spell.