Summon Construct: Made to Order
Spell Level: 4
School: Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Components: V, S, M (an ornate stone and metal lockbox worth at least 400 gp)
You call forth the spirit of a construct. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. This corporeal form uses the Construct Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose a material: Clay, Metal, or Stone. The creature resembles a golem or a modron (your choice) made of the chosen material, which determines certain traits in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.
The creature is an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, use the higher level wherever the spell’s level appears in the stat block.
Construct Spirit
Medium construct
Armor Class: 13 + the level of the spell (natural armor)
Hit Points: 40 + 15 for each spell level above 4th
Speed: 30 ft.
STR: 18 (+4) DEX: 10 (+0) CON: 18 (+4) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 11 (+0) CHA: 5 (−3)
Damage Resistances: poison
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages: understands the languages you speak
Challenge: —
Proficiency Bonus: equals your bonus
Heated Body (Metal Only). A creature that touches the construct or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 1d10 fire damage.
Stony Lethargy (Stone Only). When a creature the construct can see starts its turn within 10 feet of the construct, the construct can force it to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the target can’t use reactions and its speed is halved until the start of its next turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The construct makes a number of attacks equal to half this spell’s level (rounded down).
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 4 + the spell’s level bludgeoning damage.
Reactions
Berserk Lashing (Clay Only). When the construct takes damage, it makes a slam attack against a random creature within 5 feet of it. If no creature is within reach, the construct moves up to half its speed toward an enemy it can see, without provoking opportunity attacks.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything introduced a new way to handle summoning magic that looks like it’ll be the new way D&D handles summoned monsters. This is one of, if not THE best quality of life update it opened up. Each varies in spell level from 2nd to 6th level, but all of them share a common mechanic that makes them feel streamlined and easy to use while maintaining a bit of the flexibility the original conjure spells like Conjure Minor Elementals had. Because you’re getting just one, and it requires your concentration, immediately a lot of the problems bulk low CR summoning magic created vanishes. Instead, each offers you a unique set of tools you can somewhat tailor by situation that reflects the strength of the summoned creature type. If you love casting and using your spirit friend, the up-casting benefits scale pretty well, and can be major threats even in the upper tiers. If you’re just curious as to if they’re powerful or useful, the answer, regardless of summon, is absolutely. Some more than others based on their spell level, but you will consistently find they open up new ways to navigate encounters in a big way.
Summon Construct gives you three materials to create a golem or modron out of: Stone, Clay, or Metal. All have a laundry list of conditions they ignore and a basic slam attack. Where they differ is in some passive abilities, or in clay’s case a reaction, that narrows them into specific lanes.
Metal gets heated body, dealing 1d10 fire damage to things that touch the construct or things the construct hits. This specific mechanic is a bit finicky, as some creatures' attacks will bring them in contact with the heated body for the potential 1d10 bonus damage, but there will be some questions needing answers to navigate it. Claws are part of the body, right? What about a slam attack made covered in heavy metal armor, does that count? Does the creature need to touch its flesh or substance to metal, or is equipment fine? Normally it’ll be fairly apparent what attacks do and don’t receive bonus damage, but it’ll be something you’ll want to work with your DM to find a happy consistency. Also, just dealing a bonus d10 damage on hit is great; upping the slam to 1d8+1d10+8 twice or more a turn is a lot of damage.
Stone has this neat mechanic where it can slow everything down around it by forcing Wisdom saves while also denying them their reactions. If you’re in a fight to the death, this is almost a non-feature. If you’re trying to flee, though, it can turn off larger amounts of attacks of opportunity and tie up a group of monsters enough to give you a chance to bail WHILE ALSO still being a multi-attacking buddy. I think this option will be chosen least, but if you’re skeptical going into a fight, or going to try some kind of smash and grab and want some more muscle, maybe you pick stone!
Clay gets a reaction that is VERY good; it just randomly moves towards an enemy, then attacks a random creature within 5 feet of it whenever it's damaged. Assuming you throw it at enemies, and they try to kill it, you’re getting a bonus attack roll out of it every round. A free extra attack, even when made at random, is solid, and probably worth about as much as the heated body metal gets. Where metal outclasses it is against things that need to punch it, whereas clay is better against ranged enemies that it needs to sprint at.
When in doubt, metal is the option you’ll probably want. It's easy, and deals a lot of damage. These golems are also robust too, getting a bonus 15 HP per spell level as opposed to the typical +5 or +10 of many of the other summon spells. If you’re a wizard, you need to really like golems and constructs to justify this version over some of the higher complexity summoning options I think, especially in the higher tiers, but it’ll still do its job admirably, even if it's mostly just smacking stuff with a bunch of hit points and fire.
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