A carved rune detaches itself from the wall and floats silently in midair, glowing with arcane energy.
Rune Guardian CR 1
XP 400
N Tiny construct
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 11 (2d10); fast healing 1
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune construct traits; SR 12
Weaknesses school vulnerability
OFFENSE
Speed fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +2 (1d2–2)
Special Attacks sin magic
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +4)
At will—burning hands (DC 12), color spray (DC 12), hold portal, ray of enfeeblement (DC 12), reduce person (DC 12), sleep (DC 12), summon monster I
STATISTICS
Str 6, Dex 15, Con —, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 12
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 10 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Fly +18, Perception +3, Stealth +12
Languages does not speak
SPECIAL ABILITIES
School Vulnerability (Ex)
A rune guardian’s spell resistance does not apply against spells or effects from its opposition schools. Rune guardians of envy are vulnerable to evocation and necromancy spells, rune guardians of gluttony are vulnerable to abjuration and enchantment spells, rune guardians of greed are vulnerable to enchantment and illusion spells, rune guardians of lust are vulnerable to necromancy and transmutation spells, rune guardians of pride are vulnerable to conjuration and transmutation spells, rune guardians of sloth are vulnerable to evocation and illusion spells, and rune guardians of wrath are vulnerable to abjuration and conjuration spells.
Sin Magic (Sp)
A rune guardian has a single spell-like ability, usable at will, from the school of magic associated with the reward of rule it represents. Rune guardians of envy cast hold portal, rune guardians of gluttony cast ray of enfeeblement, rune guardians of greed cast reduce person, rune guardians of lust cast sleep, rune guardians of pride cast color spray, rune guardians of sloth cast summon monster I, and rune guardians of wrath cast burning hands.
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or syllabary (7 rune guardians, 1 of each sin)
Treasure none
Rune guardians are animated constructs created to guard laboratories, ossuaries, and repositories of lore. Each rune guardian is dedicated to one of the seven rewards of rule (now known as the seven sins of the soul), and empowered with that sin’s associated school of magic. As such, there are seven varieties of rune guardian, each recognizable by its shape—that of the rune representing that specific sin and arcane school. Unlike golems, rune guardians are intelligent, able to follow complex orders and pursue intruders. They were built to coordinate with other servants of the rune lords—for example, an envy guardian’s hold portal ability is more dangerous when used to lock someone in a room with a servitor monster.
A rune guardian is approximately 1 foot in diameter and weighs around 10 pounds.
Variants
The statistics presented here represent only the least specimen created by the ancient runelords, with the power of a single 1st-level spell. Other variants exist, with different spell-like abilities or ones of increasing magical power.
Rune guardians are always tied to one school of magic, and all of a rune guardian’s spell-like abilities must come from that school. For example, a rune guardian of wrath might cast magic missile or shocking grasp instead of burning hands. In addition to the spell-like ability listed above, more powerful rune guardians of gluttony might possess the ability to cast blindness/deafness or ray of exhaustion.
Construction
A rune guardian’s body is carved from a single block of semiprecious stone, then polished and treated with rare dusts and oils worth at least 500 gp.
CL 11th; Price 6,500 gp
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Feats Craft Construct, fly, geas/quest, plus burning hands, color spray, hold portal, ray of enfeeblement, reduce person, sleep, or summon monster I; Special creator must be caster level 11th; Skill Craft (stonecarving) DC 16; Cost 3,500 gp
