Golmoid

Golmoids are one of four playable races for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition added in the article "Xenophilia", in Dragon Magazine issue #317.

Perhaps inspired by early teasers of the warforged, golmoids are a race of living constructs - with emphasis on the living. In a nutshell, golmoids arrived from a culture of gnomes steeped in arcane lore, to the point that their civilization had long depended on a labor caste of golems to do all the heavy work that a gnome just wasn't very good as. When one gnome wizard gave his family golem rudimentary sentience at the behest of his beloved daughter, it sparked a competition amongst the gnomes, with each wizard striving to grant more and more sophisticated thought processes to their golems until, quite by accident, they had granted full-fledged sentience to their entire golem labor-force.

This presented the gnomes with a terrible dilemma: could they get along without their big strong constructs to do the heavy work? But, at the same time, could they live with themselves if they became a culture of slavers?

After a day's deliberation, the gnomes came to their decision: they freed the golems, and Garl Glittergold gave them a gift, breathing true life into their once-artificial shells and making them a living humanoid race, with males, females, children and families. Although the golmoids will never allow themselves to be slaves, they remain deeply fond of their gnomish creators, and have been firm allies ever since they were set free.

Their origins still shape golmoid culture; they prefer and enjoy a simple agrarian life, striving to attain self-sufficiency. They are frank and forthright, and rather wary of other races, but around each other or their gnomish friends they show a passionate love of life and a gnomish sense of playfulness.

Golmoids still look very much like the golems they were; towering 7ft tall humanoids with plain, smooth-featured faces, burning red eyes the color of hot magma, stone-like skin, spatulate feet with only a single toe, and clumsy hands consisting of thumb, forefinger, and a wide, inflexible digit where a humanoid would have its middle through pinky fingers. Males sport oversized shoulders and hands, and range in color from sandy tan to black. Females tend to be thinner-limbed and bear a more natural appearance, with skin color ranging from light tan to ruddy brown.

Golmoid faces are not very expressive, and the race, frankly, tends to look alike to outsiders. As such, golmoids possess a caste of sculptors who delicately carve a golmoid's skin to reflect deeds that individual has accomplished - male golmoids often have their skin carved to more closely resemble armor. These "skin carvers" may be functionally tattoo artists, but they are held up with almost religious reverence by the golmoid race.

Golmoid communities tend to be small and isolated, and often fortified, but once they get past their instinctive distrust of strangers, golmoids display a gnome-like open-mindedness and willingness to get on with just about anyone who isn't a threat. They readily trade with and just tend to like dwarves and halflings.

Another gnome-like trait is the tendency of young adult golmoids to go out and explore the world as adventurers. True to their word, and rarely willing to surrender, they make steadfast and true allies, and even those not drawn to the adventuring lifestyle still make gifted and methodical porters and teamsters.

+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -4 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence

Medium

Base speed 30 feet

Dauntless: A golmoid can move at full speed in medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

Natural Armor: +2

+2 racial bonus to all Craft checks

+4 racial bonus on saves against Enchantment spells and effects

Bonus Feat: Endurance

Favored Class: Fighter

Level Adjustment: +1

Strangely, Golmoids have no type or subtype, making it unclear whether they are meant to be considered constructs, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, or living constructs (a type that was not yet published at the time).