d20 Ways To Hide A Golem

Dragon Magazine #139 offered great ways to hide a golem in a room. I love animated objects and golems as monsters. They need no air, water, or food, so make perfect dungeon foes. But if we serve up such obstacles and enemies the same way each time, it gets boring fast. So here are 20 ways to hide such creatures inspired by that article, with my own ideas added in.

d20 Ways to Hide a Golem

  1. It stands in front of a large painting or mural, blending in because it’s painted the same way.
  2. The creature stands face-forward in a wall recess. It has a flat back with the same texture as the wall.
  3. It can shapeshift. That umbrella rack will Decepticon into a whirling Mary Poppins monstrosity.
  4. It’s disguised with skin and clothes.
  5. The golem hides in a pool or well.
  6. It can hide in shadows. A great challenge for the thief to detect or outmaneuver.
  7. It hides within another container such as a barrel, garderobe, or closet.
  8. It bursts through a mirror, or it is the mirror.
  9. Mimic: It takes on an innocuous form, such as a tree, tall lamp, or chandelier.
  10. It has a magical disguise, such as illusion or invisibility. Or it could stand behind an illusion.
  11. Its nature is actually obvious, but it seems far away such as decorating the ceiling or on a balcony…and it can blink or teleport.
  12. It poses as something benign and good, such as a statue of a goddess with hands out for a small offering.
  13. The golem is recessed in the floor. It’s limbs might be furniture.
  14. It hides in the center of a treasure pile.
  15. It looks like a stalagmite or stalactite.
  16. The foe hides behind a concealed or secret door.
  17. It’s silly and doesn’t seem threatening, such as a naked statue trying to be modest.
  18. The monster hides among dozens of mundane versions of itself.
  19. The golem has gold or silver plating, making characters think its treasure.
  20. It leaps from a perch above the entrance.

Hopefully, these tricks fuel your Room III ideas and keep the game exciting for your players.