A scattering of metal ball bearings coalesces into a constantly shifting humanoid shape.
Made up of thousands of ball bearings, a bearing golem can assume nearly any shape it chooses, though it always remains an amalgamation of metal pellets.
Thievish Inspiration. The first bearing golem was created when a wizard saw a thief foiling the traps in its tower with ball bearings. After disposing of the thief, the wizard collected the metal balls and realized their purpose could be improved if the bearings spread themselves. A later variant used caltrops instead creating the caltrop golem.
Natural Ambushers. Bearing golems regularly lie in wait for hours, days, even weeks, hiding as an innocuous, scattered pile of bearings. When travelers move through the bearings, the golem springs back together and attacks.
Construct Nature. The bearing golem doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Bearing Golem
Medium construct, unalignedArmor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 (-1) | 18 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 8 (-1) | 12 (+1) | 3 (-4) |
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Ambusher. In the first round of combat, the golem has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.
False Appearance. While the bearing golem is scattered, it is indistinguishable from a normal pile of ball bearings.
Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical.
Reform. If the golem is scattered and has at least 1 hit point, it can reform as a bonus action in any space containing at least one of its ball bearings without provoking an opportunity attack. If it reforms within 5 feet of a prone creature, it can make one slam attack against that creature as part of this bonus action.
Scatter. As a bonus action, the bearing golem can disperse, scattering its ball bearings in a 15-foot cube, centered on the space it previously occupied. A creature moving through a space containing any of the golem’s ball bearings must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn’t need to make the save. While scattered, the bearing golem can’t attack or move, except to reform, and it can’t be targeted by attacks or spells. It can still take damage from spells that deal damage in an area.
Actions
Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks. Alternatively, it uses its Steel Shot twice.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Steel Shot. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Scattershot (Recharge 5-6). The golem’s body explodes. Each creature within 15 feet of the golem must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 36 (8d8) bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t knocked prone. The golem immediately scatters.
Variant: Caltrop Golem
Some particularly devious wizards create bearing golems out of caltrops instead of ball bearings. These caltrop golems deal piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage, and, when the golem uses its Scatter trait, the area is covered with caltrops instead of ball bearings.