It's almost definitely worth the price, but by no means comprehensive. It covers how to make golems from several materials and of different sizes and specific modifications, etc. What's there is quite good, but it would have been much more useful if there had also been:

1. General guidelines for making a golem from almost any material, given it's hardness, hp, and nature (cloth/plant, metal, mineral, etc.).

2. Rules for making golems at very low levels, or a trade-off in required level that balances golem size with toughness.

3. Possibly a relationship between golems and animated objects -- it would have been really nice to include animated objects in here.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Good starter ideas and about a topic that's interesting but hasn't been overdone. Good art and layout; this is an attractive book!<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Not comprehensive enough to do an excellent job on the topic -- this really is a writing sample, and should have been expanded.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>

Standardizes golem manufacturing. I find it useful for advanced magical societies and only some what for more primitive ones. This will make DM's and player's lives easier if constructs are an important part of the campaign.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

What we have with Golemcraft 101 by Dog Soul Publishing is a sleek, colorful guide to building constructs. The major feature of Golemcraft 101 is that the constructs can potentially be built by a character as low as 6th level. This opens the field of construct construction up to many to whom it was previously closed.

The first section of the supplement, also titled ?Golemcraft 101,? details prices in gold and experience of making golems from various materials and how to imbue them with a controlling spirit. It covers with very clear tables how both material and size relate to price, and how size relates to various statistics. The method of imbuing the construct is interesting and makes sense for the power level of the golems to be built.

The second section, ?Golemcraft 201,? covers more advanced additions to constructs. There are clear and easy-to-follow rules for adding all sorts of pretty awesome features to your golem, so you don?t end up with that same old humanoid iron golem that looks the same in the MM and Neverwinter Nights. You can do all kinds of fancy mundane stuff to the golem, and the changes in gp cost and xp cost are explicitly stated. Not to give away too much, but I think my next character is going to build a construct and name him ?Bender.? There are also rules for minor magical modifications to your construct.

The third and final section of the PDF is a detailed breakdown of ?The Order of the Golem,? a new organization that focuses on golemcrafting. The info on the order is exhaustive, with demographic information among other stuff. The order itself is an interesting addition and I feel it adds to the idea that golemcrafting isn?t just for stodgy old epic level wizards anymore. The organization has some new feats, as well as a few new types of golems you can build if you join up. <br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Beautiful presentation. The whole thing is visually arresting. Seriously high-quality digital art here. The text and pictures flow well on the page, and every bit of information you need is there and easy to find. The new ideas and rules open up many new possibilities for your game. The best thing I can say is this: before reading Golemcraft 101, I never gave a second thought to making a construct of my own, in any game, ever. Now I?m chomping at the bit to build the coolest one I possibly can.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Some of the wording is a little confusing occasionally, and I?m willing to chalk that up to typos that were missed in editing. There?s an inset box on page 5 that talks about the nature of the spirit summoned to inhabit the construct, and I?m not sure what it?s trying to say. The rules offered within seem to be at odds with other rules of stat assignment offered. I think it?s missing an ?if? somewhere, but I can?t be sure.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

"Golemcraft 101" takes a more detailed look at one of the more formidable creatures from the "Monster Manual" and not only makes this sometime-staple of fantasy gaming more accessible, but adds a few new layers to the mystery of the golem as well. This supplement, written by Scott Carter, gives more depth to the Craft Construct feat, making golemcraft more appealing to players and GMs alike. Expanding on the rules for creating golems, "Golemcraft 101" practically serves as a manual for players wishing to create their own unique golems.

"Golemcraft 101" begins by detailing the costs for the basic materials used in the creation of a golem; specific cost multipliers are given for specific materials. Want to change the size of your golem? There are modifiers presented here as well to cover these choices.

The section on mundane and magical modifications, though, is where "Golemcraft 101" really shines. Want to create your golem with a bit more staying power? Craft it with additional hit die. Additional speed? Add another pair of legs. The ability to take a feat like Awesome Blow or Quick Draw? There are rules for this as well, but these only cover the mundane modifications available to your new golem. There are also rules given for magical modifications like imbuing your construct with spell-like abilities or even magical enhancements similar to those available to magic weaponry or armor. These rules all seem balanced, and can help to make your construct creations truly unique.

A brief section on how to best utilize these rules as a PC gives suggestions for which character classes can best utilize these rules, and a section on how best to incorporate these expanded construct rules into a campaign follows.

A new organization - The Order of the Golem - is introduced in the second half of this supplement, giving ideas to players, resources to player characters and inspiration to GMs. The Order can be placed in any large city or metropolis, and notable NPCs are described, but not detailed with playable statistics. Fortunately, the portability of The Order of the Golem makes it easy for GMs to use this order in their existing campaigns, where they can create their own NPCs stats.

Three new feats and three new monsters round out this supplement. The feats are specifically available to members of The Order of the Golem, and the new creatures are new constructs ready to be used by either a player or a GM.

"Golemcraft 101" is an attractive package, with only one noticed typo in the text. The artwork complements the material quite well, and Carter's writing introduces the new rules without becoming dry or tedious. This product is also fully bookmarked, taking advantage of the .pdf format.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: A very attractive product<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: This could have easily been a bigger, lengthier product<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br><BR>[THIS REVIEW WAS EDITED]<BR>

Golemcraft 101 is a 18 page bookmarked pdf and presents new d20 rules for creating or adapting constructs that expand and enhance on those found in the core rules. The pdf file comes with a very good-looking cover of a golem construction schematic, and is a well presented and pleasant to read pdf. The interior art is also very good for clipart images, and provides a complete feel to a strong looking pdf on both the written and presentation fronts. The aim of the pdf is to open up crafting of constructs to lower level spellcasters, and it does this by providing rules and mechanics for creating constructs in any shape or form from tiny in size to huge bulky golems of power.

The pdf presents several aspects to crafting and creating golems - construction of the body, performing the ritual to animate the body and infuse it with elemental energy, and adapting constructs and golems beyond the normal structure of their frames, either through magic or additional body enhancements. The body forms the main part of the construct and several different materials can be used to craft golems, including silk, wood, iron, steel, gold and mithral. The structure of the rules is open-ended enough that conceivably any material can be used to craft the construct, although materials play a large part in the golem's ability to resist or avoid damage. Complete tabulated price structures are given for creating golems of all sizes and well-presented examples detail each step in the golem creating process. In addition, full mechanical details are provided so that each construct can be given full combat statistics.

Golems are animated by trapping the elemental force of a summoned creature within the body framework, thereby giving the golem animated, yet mindless life. The ritual relies on the creator having access to the various summon monster spells, which would therefore prohibit certain spellcasting classes from creating these constructs. The system is mechanically sound and logically intuitive and provides a good framework by which to expand on the golems or constructs typically found in any campaign world.

The rules provide the framework for creation any size or shape of golem, from the standard humanoid creatures to four-legged beasts. In addition, several pages of the pdf expand on these rules to allow additional modifications at the time of body creation. These include additional hit dice, additional arms or legs, alchemical additions (constructs that are destroyed by a single strike and release alchemical substances such as alchemist's fire), melee weapons, fins or flippers, special attacks typically found on normal creatures, and a whole host of other additions. Each addition is mechanically detailed with additional cost and challenge rating considerations.

Beyond these mundane modifications (all forming part, as indicated by the chapter designation, of golemcraft 201) there are magical modifications that can be added to these golems. These include various spells that the golems can cast, or by adding modifications on attack and defence as one would for weapons or armor. The magical enhancements complete the solid mechanical work done on this pdf. Within the framework provided by the rules, ample advice and guidance is also given on how to use these constructs within a campaign world or how characters can make the most of the material in this pdf.

The latter half of the pdf details the Construct Cathedral, the home of the Order of the Golem, a large neutral organisation devoted to all things construct and golem. This is a very useful addition to an already good pdf, and provides a background scenario or organisation that can easily be inserted into a campaign world as a means to, for example, introduce these new construct creation rules into your game. The Construct Cathedral is provided on full details on membership, leadership, demographics, size, wealth, activities and other related aspects, and comes with enough flavor to make it instantly useful without any required expansion. Members of the order gain access to different feats, as well as specific research related to special constructs such as the doll golem, soul harness golem and madman's purse. The soul harness golem is a golem template that allows an intelligent being to meld form with the construct blending the abilities of both. Overall the combination of rules and roleplaying makes for a strong pdf.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The golem creation rules and additional flavor text provide a solid and useful framework for creating golems in your campaign world, and offers impressive versatility in creating golems. The Order of the Golem provides an detailed organisation offering good roleplaying material. The pdf provides an excellent balance of crunch and flavor to form a well-rounded and generally excellent course on golem creation.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: I think the pdf would've been well-served to provide complete examples and statistics for a golem showing the end result of the creation process. The doll golem and madman's purse don't provide enough of an example on the full potential of the material contained in the pdf. Some of the pricing schemes, such as those for special attacks, seem arbitrary and do not provide a balanced representation of differing power levels between abilities, hence requiring some DM arbitration in golem construction.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>