Guardian, Graven

This jackal-headed, brightly painted clay statue animates and lurches forward, hefting a wickedly hooked sword.

Graven Guardian CR 5

XP 1,600
N Medium construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +1

AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +8 natural)
hp 53 (6d10+20); fast healing 2
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3
DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits; SR 16
Weaknesses faith bound

Speed 40 ft.
Melee +1 keen scimitar +10/+5 (1d6+5/15-20 plus bleed) or slam +9 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks bleed 2, magic weapon, rest eternal
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +0)

1/day—haste (self only)

Str 16, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 1
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 21
SQ guardian domains (Death, Repose)

Faith Bound (Su)

A graven guardian cannot attack any creature that openly wears or displays the holy or unholy symbol of the deity to which the graven guardian is dedicated unless that creature first attacks the graven guardian.

Magic Weapon (Su)

A graven guardian that carries its deity’s favored weapon treats that weapon as a +1 weapon as long as it is wielded by the guardian. If the weapon is a melee weapon, it gains the keen weapon special ability (even if the weapon is a bludgeoning weapon). If it is a thrown weapon, it gains the returning weapon special ability. If it is a ranged weapon, it gains the seeking weapon special ability, and generates new ammunition with each attack (this ammunition is destroyed whether or not it hits).

Environment any land
Organization solitary, band (2-4), or assembly (5-12)
Treasure incidental (masterwork scimitar, other treasure)

Graven guardians are human-sized constructs of clay, stone, wood, or similar materials, crafted and painted to resemble a deity or a deity’s favored servants. When not in motion, a graven guardian appears identical to a temple or crypt’s statue, but while active, graven guardians look extremely lifelike.

Graven guardians are inexorably tied to a specific deity’s faith. While unintelligent and thus lacking any real personality, a graven guardian has the ability to recognize fellow worshipers or minions of its deity and does not treat them as enemies unless they first attack. This recognition does not extend so far as to allow these worshipers (or those cunningly disguised as worshipers) to give a graven guardian new orders. As with all constructs, a graven guardian follows only the orders of its creator.

Guardian Domains

Each graven guardian gains a special ability from two domains assigned during construction. Save DCs for these abilities are Wisdom-based (DC 14 for most guardians). Caster level for these abilities is equal to the graven guardian’s Hit Dice (CL 5th for most graven guardians).

Air: Flight (Su)—The graven guardian gains a fly speed equal to its base speed with average maneuverability and a Fly skill of +6 (this includes a +4 racial bonus).

Animal: Beast Ward (Su)—Animals must make a Will save before they can attack the graven guardian. Any attack on an animal (but not its allies) by the graven guardian breaks this protection. Once the animal makes this Will save, it need not save again against that particular graven guardian on subsequent attacks.

Artifice: Repair (Ex)—The graven guardian’s fast healing increases to 5.

Chaos: Chaotic Weapons (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapon and slam attacks are treated as chaotic-aligned. Its magic weapon deals +1d6 points of damage to lawful targets.

Charm: Command (Su)—The graven guardian can cast command three times per day as a spell-like ability.

Community: Alliance (Su)—Adjacent worshipers and graven guardians dedicated to the same god gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saves.

Darkness: Darkness (Su)—The graven guardian can cast darkness two times per day as a spell-like ability.

Death: Bleed (Ex)—The graven guardian’s weapon deals 2 points of bleed damage on a hit.

Destruction: Shatter (Ex)—The graven guardian can cast shatter two times per day as a spell-like ability.

Earth: Rocky (Ex)—The graven guardian’s natural armor bonus increases by +2.

Evil: Evil Weapons (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapon and slam attacks are treated as evil-aligned. Its magic weapon deals +1d6 points of damage to good targets.

Fire: Flaming (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapon gains the flaming property.

Glory: Glorious (Su)—The graven guardian’s magic weapon and slam attack deal an additional 1d6 points of damage against undead creatures.

Good: Good Weapons (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapon and slam attacks are treated as good-aligned. Its magic weapon deals +1d6 points of damage to evil targets.

Healing: Recovery (Su)—Once per day, when reduced below half hit points, the graven guardian automatically heals 3d10+6 points of damage.

Knowledge: Familiarity (Su)—The graven guardian gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls again any creature it attacked in the past round.

Law: Lawful Weapons (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapons and slam attacks are treated as lawful-aligned. Its magic weapon deals +1d6 points of damage to chaotic targets.

Liberation: Unfettered (Su)—The graven guardian gains a +4 bonus to its CMD.

Luck: Lucky (Su)—Once per day, the graven guardian may roll a saving throw twice and take the better of the two results as the actual result.

Madness: Confusion (Su)—The graven guardian can cast confusion once per day as a spell-like ability.

Magic: Resistant (Su)—The graven guardian’s SR increases by 5.

Nobility: Honored (Su)—The graven guardian gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and combat maneuver checks.

Plant: Entangle (Su)—The graven guardian can cast entangle three times per day as a spell-like ability.

Protection: Protected (Su)—The graven guardian gains a +2 bonus on all saves.

Repose: Rest Eternal (Su)—Damage dealt by the graven guardian resists any magical healing. Attempting to use magical healing to cure this damage requires a successful caster level check against the guardian’s SR. This ability does not affect natural healing or healing provided by extraordinary abilities.

Rune: Rune Carved (Su)—Runes cover the graven guardian. Whenever the graven guardian takes energy damage or energy damage fails to overcome its SR, for the next round, its attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of that energy type. If more than one type of energy attack occurs in a round, roll randomly to determine what kind of extra energy damage it deals.

Strength: Powerful (Ex)—The graven guardian gains Power Attack as a bonus feat.

Sun: Dazzling (Su)—When the graven guardian scores a critical hit with its magic weapon, a bright flash blinds the target for 1d4 rounds (Fortitude save negates).

Travel: Speedy (Su)—The guardian gains Mobility as a bonus feat, and all of its modes of movement increase by +10 feet.

Trickery: Trip (Su)—The graven guardian gains the trip ability with its melee weapon and slam attacks.

War: Enhanced (Su)—The enhancement bonus of the graven guardian’s weapon increases to +2.

Water: Swimmer (Ex)—The guardian gains a swim speed equal to its base speed, and a Swim skill of +11.

Weather: Shocking Weapon (Su)—The graven guardian’s weapon gains the shock special ability.

Construction

A graven guardian’s body must be sculpted from clay, stone, or wood, and adorned with precious stones, rare woods, or metal inlays worth 500 gp. The Hit Dice and size of graven guardians can be increased as though they were golems.

CL 7th; Price 18,500 gp

Feats Craft Construct; Spells greater magic weapon, haste, imbue with spell ability, make whole, stone shape; Special creator must be caster level 7th;
Skill Craft (sculpture) or Craft (pottery) DC 15; Cost 9,500 gp

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.