charl
2009-04-06, 06:25 PM
I threw this together for use in a personal Planescape campaign. It's a new, LA 0 race: the Rogue Free Modron! (You are perfectly welcome to take levels in the rogue class, so you can still play a rogue Modron.)
Illustration:
http://images.elfwood.com/art/s/p/spalthoff/modron.jpg
I reflavoured the Modrons a little bit for this campaign, so it's not an attempt at converting the 2nd edition Modrons, but rather a new, though fairly similar, interpretation.
The Free Modron is of course a quadrone (cubical Modron), of the winged* variety, since those are the only type that are intelligent enough yet not close enough to Primus to break free from the Modron hive-mind. However, in leaving the hive-mind the Free Modron loses its strong ties to Mechanus, as well as parts of its powers. In effect the Modron is turned into a living construct, rather than an outsider (though Free Modrons are still Planars!) and loses the use of its wings.
I was thinking about making a racial class for the Free Modron to follow. It would gradually return some of the lost powers, including flight. But that's for a later date.
So please, check out the spoiler below, and comments are welcome.
*The four-armed versions can still go Free, but this assumes a winged Modron. I might make a four-armed Free Modron at a later date.
Modrons are painfully lawful, constructed creatures from the plane of Mechanus, where they act as maintenance workers and craftsmen for the plane's gears and mechanics. The Modrons live in the city of Regulus, which spans multiple of Mechanus's gears, where they share a hive-mind of sorts, controlled by the entity known as Primus. Sometimes a Modron is cut off from the collective mind due to different reason. Sometimes it's a magical mishap, other times the Modron has been found faulty and is forcefully ejected, and a few rare times there are Modrons who have managed to somehow form a personality and mind of their own and broken free. These are the Free Modrons.
Personality: Though free from the hive-mind, the Free Modrons are often absurdely organized and controlling. They have a hard time understanding or even having feelings, and naturally come across as very mechanical beings, logical to the extreme.
At times, the Free Modron embraces their new found freedom and seek to experience all feelings to the fullest, and tend to overplay whatever they are or think they are feeling at the moment.
Physical Description: Free Modrons have perfect cubical bodies. One of the faces of the cube sports a pair of eyes and a mouth. Free Modrons have no visible ears or noses, but can still hear and smell fine. The surfaces of the cube are covered in protective plating. Free Modrons have mechanical arms that portrude from the faces on either side of eye-bearing face. The bottom face has two mechanical legs attached to it, and the top face has two small wings, though few Free Modrons have use of those. Free Modron cube faces are between 2x2 ft and 3x3 ft in size, and with their legs they stand between 3-5 ft. tall. The plating on Free Modrons can look like virtually any metal, no matter what metal it actually is.
Relations: Free Modrons have a hard time relating to other races, and reactions from others range from curiousity to outright hostility. Free Modrons are none the less valued for their expertise, even if they tend to make lousy company.
Alignment: Free Modrons have a natural tendency toward lawful alignments, though the process which frees them from the hive-mind also removes the bonds to Mechanus, and some Free Modrons turn to chaotic or neutral alignments as an act of rebellion or liberation. They are most often neutral when it comes to good and evil.
Free Modron Lands: Free Modrons have no lands of their own, instead making their homes in cities across the planes often gathering in collectives. They are valued for their good work by other citizen, and generally have no problems finding a place in the local economy.
Religion: Most Free Modrons do not worship any god. Either because they see no logical reason to or because they wish the greatest possible freedom from cosmic forces. Those that do worship deities tend to chose lawful ones, often trade or craft gods.
Language: Virtually all Free Modrons learn Common. They also speak Axiomatic, the language of Mechanus. Many Free Modrons know other languages from across the planes.
Names: Free Modrons refer to each other by simple names based on physical attributes of some kind, or even numeric designations. When among other races they sometimes adopt a nick name, often chosing one based on a favourite tool or machine part. Some Free Modrons chose a popular name from another race, to further distinguish itself from others and reassert individuality.
Example Free Modron Names: Tri-bolted, Third-Among-Seventh, Weaponmaker, Whitewing
Example Nick Names: Hammer, Spanner, Crossguard, Bolt
Adventurers: Free Modrons are sometimes drawn to adventure simply for the thrill of making their own destiny and throwing caution to the wind, or because they seek experience. They are seldom drawn to promises of riches, even if they find money to have practical use on occasions.
FREE MODRON RACIAL TRAITS:
+2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Free Modrons are small-sized.
Free Modron base speed is 20ft. They can not use their wings to fly.
Living Construct Subtype (Ex): Free Modron are constructs with the living construct subtype. A living construct is a created being given sentience and free will through powerful and complex creation enchantments. Free Modron are living constructs that combine aspects of both constructs and living creatures, as detailed below.
Features: As a living construct, a Free Modron has the following features.
—A Free Modron derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects.
Traits: A Free Modron possesses the following traits.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron has a Constitution score.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron does not have low-light vision or darkvision.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, dis-ease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
—A Free Modron cannot heal damage naturally.
—Unlike other constructs, Free Modron are subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and death effects or necro-mancy effects.
—As living constructs, Free Modron can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs. Damage dealt to a Free Modron can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a Free Modron is vulnerable to disable construct and harm. However, spells from the healing subschool and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage provide only half their normal effect to a Free Modron.
—Free Modron do not need sleep or food. They still require air to breathe.
Plating: The plating that makes up a Free Mordon's skin provides a +2 armor bonus. This plating
is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor). This plating occupies the same space on the body as a suit of armor or a robe, and thus a Free Modron cannot wear armor or magic robes. Free Modron can be enchanted just as armor can be. The character must be present for the entire time it takes to enchant him.
Free Modrons may take Warforged feats that modify the Warforged composite plating, having the same effects on Free Modron plating.
+2 racial bonus to Search, Sense Motive and Spot checks.
+2 to all Craft checks, no matter what type.
Automatic Languages: Common and Axiomatic. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, Terran.
Favoured Class: Artificer
----------------
FREE MODRON, 1-st level Expert
Small Construct (Living Construct)
HD: 1d6 (4 HP)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 13 (+2 plating, +1 small)
Base Attack/Grapple: 0/+1
Attack: Light mace +0 melee (1d4-1) or Light crossbow +1 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full Attack: Light mace +0 melee (1d4-1) or Light crossbow +1 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5/5ft
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Free Modron racial traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Craft (any one) +10, Disable Device +6, Forgery +6, Knowledge (The Planes) +6, Open Lock +4, Search +8, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6
Feats: Skill focus (craft)
Environment: Planar city
Organization: Wanderer (1), Crew (3-5), Workshop (6-12), Collective (20-40), Enclave (50-70)
Challenge rating: 1/5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral
Advancement: By character class
LA: +0
Free Modron speaks Common, Axiomatic and one additional language chosen from the Free Modron bonus language list.
Ability scores before racial adjustment: Str 9, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Illustration:
http://images.elfwood.com/art/s/p/spalthoff/modron.jpg
I reflavoured the Modrons a little bit for this campaign, so it's not an attempt at converting the 2nd edition Modrons, but rather a new, though fairly similar, interpretation.
The Free Modron is of course a quadrone (cubical Modron), of the winged* variety, since those are the only type that are intelligent enough yet not close enough to Primus to break free from the Modron hive-mind. However, in leaving the hive-mind the Free Modron loses its strong ties to Mechanus, as well as parts of its powers. In effect the Modron is turned into a living construct, rather than an outsider (though Free Modrons are still Planars!) and loses the use of its wings.
I was thinking about making a racial class for the Free Modron to follow. It would gradually return some of the lost powers, including flight. But that's for a later date.
So please, check out the spoiler below, and comments are welcome.
*The four-armed versions can still go Free, but this assumes a winged Modron. I might make a four-armed Free Modron at a later date.
Modrons are painfully lawful, constructed creatures from the plane of Mechanus, where they act as maintenance workers and craftsmen for the plane's gears and mechanics. The Modrons live in the city of Regulus, which spans multiple of Mechanus's gears, where they share a hive-mind of sorts, controlled by the entity known as Primus. Sometimes a Modron is cut off from the collective mind due to different reason. Sometimes it's a magical mishap, other times the Modron has been found faulty and is forcefully ejected, and a few rare times there are Modrons who have managed to somehow form a personality and mind of their own and broken free. These are the Free Modrons.
Personality: Though free from the hive-mind, the Free Modrons are often absurdely organized and controlling. They have a hard time understanding or even having feelings, and naturally come across as very mechanical beings, logical to the extreme.
At times, the Free Modron embraces their new found freedom and seek to experience all feelings to the fullest, and tend to overplay whatever they are or think they are feeling at the moment.
Physical Description: Free Modrons have perfect cubical bodies. One of the faces of the cube sports a pair of eyes and a mouth. Free Modrons have no visible ears or noses, but can still hear and smell fine. The surfaces of the cube are covered in protective plating. Free Modrons have mechanical arms that portrude from the faces on either side of eye-bearing face. The bottom face has two mechanical legs attached to it, and the top face has two small wings, though few Free Modrons have use of those. Free Modron cube faces are between 2x2 ft and 3x3 ft in size, and with their legs they stand between 3-5 ft. tall. The plating on Free Modrons can look like virtually any metal, no matter what metal it actually is.
Relations: Free Modrons have a hard time relating to other races, and reactions from others range from curiousity to outright hostility. Free Modrons are none the less valued for their expertise, even if they tend to make lousy company.
Alignment: Free Modrons have a natural tendency toward lawful alignments, though the process which frees them from the hive-mind also removes the bonds to Mechanus, and some Free Modrons turn to chaotic or neutral alignments as an act of rebellion or liberation. They are most often neutral when it comes to good and evil.
Free Modron Lands: Free Modrons have no lands of their own, instead making their homes in cities across the planes often gathering in collectives. They are valued for their good work by other citizen, and generally have no problems finding a place in the local economy.
Religion: Most Free Modrons do not worship any god. Either because they see no logical reason to or because they wish the greatest possible freedom from cosmic forces. Those that do worship deities tend to chose lawful ones, often trade or craft gods.
Language: Virtually all Free Modrons learn Common. They also speak Axiomatic, the language of Mechanus. Many Free Modrons know other languages from across the planes.
Names: Free Modrons refer to each other by simple names based on physical attributes of some kind, or even numeric designations. When among other races they sometimes adopt a nick name, often chosing one based on a favourite tool or machine part. Some Free Modrons chose a popular name from another race, to further distinguish itself from others and reassert individuality.
Example Free Modron Names: Tri-bolted, Third-Among-Seventh, Weaponmaker, Whitewing
Example Nick Names: Hammer, Spanner, Crossguard, Bolt
Adventurers: Free Modrons are sometimes drawn to adventure simply for the thrill of making their own destiny and throwing caution to the wind, or because they seek experience. They are seldom drawn to promises of riches, even if they find money to have practical use on occasions.
FREE MODRON RACIAL TRAITS:
+2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Free Modrons are small-sized.
Free Modron base speed is 20ft. They can not use their wings to fly.
Living Construct Subtype (Ex): Free Modron are constructs with the living construct subtype. A living construct is a created being given sentience and free will through powerful and complex creation enchantments. Free Modron are living constructs that combine aspects of both constructs and living creatures, as detailed below.
Features: As a living construct, a Free Modron has the following features.
—A Free Modron derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects.
Traits: A Free Modron possesses the following traits.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron has a Constitution score.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron does not have low-light vision or darkvision.
—Unlike other constructs, a Free Modron is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, dis-ease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
—A Free Modron cannot heal damage naturally.
—Unlike other constructs, Free Modron are subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and death effects or necro-mancy effects.
—As living constructs, Free Modron can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs. Damage dealt to a Free Modron can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a Free Modron is vulnerable to disable construct and harm. However, spells from the healing subschool and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage provide only half their normal effect to a Free Modron.
—Free Modron do not need sleep or food. They still require air to breathe.
Plating: The plating that makes up a Free Mordon's skin provides a +2 armor bonus. This plating
is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor). This plating occupies the same space on the body as a suit of armor or a robe, and thus a Free Modron cannot wear armor or magic robes. Free Modron can be enchanted just as armor can be. The character must be present for the entire time it takes to enchant him.
Free Modrons may take Warforged feats that modify the Warforged composite plating, having the same effects on Free Modron plating.
+2 racial bonus to Search, Sense Motive and Spot checks.
+2 to all Craft checks, no matter what type.
Automatic Languages: Common and Axiomatic. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, Terran.
Favoured Class: Artificer
----------------
FREE MODRON, 1-st level Expert
Small Construct (Living Construct)
HD: 1d6 (4 HP)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 13 (+2 plating, +1 small)
Base Attack/Grapple: 0/+1
Attack: Light mace +0 melee (1d4-1) or Light crossbow +1 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Full Attack: Light mace +0 melee (1d4-1) or Light crossbow +1 ranged (1d6/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5/5ft
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Free Modron racial traits
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +2
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Craft (any one) +10, Disable Device +6, Forgery +6, Knowledge (The Planes) +6, Open Lock +4, Search +8, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6
Feats: Skill focus (craft)
Environment: Planar city
Organization: Wanderer (1), Crew (3-5), Workshop (6-12), Collective (20-40), Enclave (50-70)
Challenge rating: 1/5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful neutral
Advancement: By character class
LA: +0
Free Modron speaks Common, Axiomatic and one additional language chosen from the Free Modron bonus language list.
Ability scores before racial adjustment: Str 9, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8.