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Solaris
2011-02-27, 04:54 PM
A few things to start off with. First and foremost, this is designed to be at-or-around Tier 2 or 3. Hence why it uses the Complex experience table (linky (http://clockwork-avalon.wikispaces.com/Classes+of+Arken), scroll down to where it says Experience Tables). The setting uses a number of variant rules, but I think this class doesn't actually use any directly except for vitality points, action points, and a variant on Weapon Group Proficiencies wherein characters receive a slew of bonus feats for proficiencies or whatever they like, if they're not interested in being good with weapons or armor (Basic Weapons Proficiency + 7 for warrior-types, 2 for spellcaster-types, 4 for everyone else). It also uses the Defense bonus, but it's only about as good as a the primary spellcasters.
Second, I hate coding tables.

Gadgeteer
Not quite spellcasters, gadgeteers work magic through their creations. Where most characters sink their gold into magic items, gadgeteers sink their riches into their creations, building bigger and better automata. Many gadgeteers also create techno-alchemical gadgets to amplify their abilities in battle.

Adventures: Most beginning adventurers are young gadgeteers who've just completed their journeyman training and just recently been inducted into the Alchemist's Guild. Alternatively, they are older gadgeteers who are going through a midlife crisis and decided to take to the adventuring life for a change of pace. They typically hang back, either abstaining from combat completely or using a blastpowder firearm, and let either their companions or their automata deal with the more strenuous threats. Gadgeteers like to have a multitude of their techno-magical gadgets to deal with any imaginable situation.
Characteristics: Though fairly weak combatants on their own, gadgeteers are good at supporting their fellow adventurers by providing automata and gadgets. Though their automata are generally only good for the most simplistic of roles, such as beating on things that the gadgeteer directs them to, the gadgeteer himself is also good at dealing with the traps and mechanical dangers that the party will encounter. If nothing else, gadgeteers are useful for their ability to create new ammunition for blastpowder weapons.
Alignment: Gadgeteers can be of any alignment. Those trained among the Alchemist's Guild tend towards lawful neutral, while those who were apprenticed or self-taught can be of any alignment,
Religion: While not a particularly reverent bunch, many gadgeteers in Fieria pay homage to Prometheus, patron of science and technology.
Background: Most gadgeteers learned their trade in the Alchemist's Guild. They apprenticed to a senior gadgeteer during early childhood, growing up immersed in charts, diagrams, and alchemy. In their early teens they began as journeymen, working in machine shops to put everything they learned to use. Most gadgeteers don't finish their journeyman training until after they've worked off their debt to their master, and many delay completion long enough to earn some money to start themselves off. Once they've finished learning their jobs, gadgeteers are inducted into the Alchemist's Guild. Once full-fledged members of the Guild, they learn the secrets of blastpowder and are geased to prevent their teaching its manufacture to others. The Alchemist's Guild accepts members of almost any race, including goblins and kobolds, so long as they are able to pay their dues and remain upstanding members of society. Those who don't learn from the Guild are freelancers, either apprentices of a lone teacher or self-taught engineers.
Races: There are many gadgeteers among the gnomes, humans, and dwarves. All three races share a penchant for manufacture, technology, and innovation. Gnome gadgeteers are a particularly dangerous lot, as they have an awful tendency to not think things all the way through and leave out key details like safety valves. Dwarven gadgeteers are a foundation of their civilization, and though they excel and manufacture and engineering they rarely create wholly new designs. Humans often make the best craftsemn, as they combine the gnome's creativity with the dwarf's skill for engineering. Curiously, there are also a number of gadgeteers among the more civilized goblins and kobolds. Goblin gadgeteers are much like gnome gadgeteers, except they enjoy the resultant explosions much, much more and tend to make them on purpose. Kobold gadgeteers are skilled and careful engineers with a knack for making traps.
Other Classes: A gadgeteer's best friend is a rune magician who can deal with the magical threats he cannot overcome and patch him up after a fight. Gadgeteers work well with rogues, though there might be a natural friction between the shopkeep and the thief. There are often problems between gadgeteers and druids, shamans, or other wilderness-based, spiritual classes who find themselves on the losing end of the clash between the rising industrial age and the natural, primeval world it consumes.

Game Rule Information
Gadgeteers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for the gadgeteer, as most of his class features are derived from Intelligence-based skills. Constitution and Dexterity are important if the gadgeteer intends to lead his creations into battle.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Gold: 5d4x10 (125 gp).
Starting Age: Complex.
Experience: Complex.

Class Skills
The gadgeteer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Repair (Int), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language, Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier

Gadgeteer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Item Creation, trapfinding

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Bonus feat

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Create Automaton (1st-Level)

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Craftsmaster

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Create Automaton (2nd-Level)

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Bonus feat

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Create Automaton (3th-Level)

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Craftsmaster

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Create Automaton (4th-Level)

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Bonus feat

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Create Automaton (5th-Level)

12th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|Craftsmaster

13th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8|Create Automaton (6th-Level)

14th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+9|Bonus feat

15th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+9|Create Automaton (7th-Level)

16th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|Craftsmaster

17th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10|Create Automaton (8th-Level)

18th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|Bonus feat

19th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|Create Automaton (9th-Level)

20th|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+12|Awaken Construct[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the gadgeteer base class.
Starting Feats: Gadgeteers begin with Basic Weapon Proficiency and two bonus feats at 1st level.
(Standard for a spellcaster, replaces the normal weapon/armor proficiencies.)

Item Creation: The gadgeteer's core focus is the creation of better and more complex designs. Through a combination of alchemy, metallurgy, and clockworks, gadgeteers are able to replicate many spell effects from the sorcerer/wizard list with their devices. A gadgeteer can use his Craft (alchemy) skill to replicate spell effects of 5th level and lower with a caster level equal to his gadgeteer level for item creation and qualifying for item creation feats. The skill check DC for such spell replication is 20 + spell level. The item otherwise follows the rules for magical item creation, but it consumes alchemical fuel distilled from ectoplasm instead of charges and has no experience point cost. Fabricating the fuel costs 1 gp per level of the spell per use - so a fireball-casting cannon costs 3 gp per shot. Experience points increase the fuel per use by 5 gp per 1 xp. Expensive material components, if necessary to cast the spell, must be used in the fuel's creation (and therefore cost the same). These items are generally much bulkier and much finickier than their magical equivalents, requiring a d20 roll with each use. On a 1 the item overloads, expending all of its fuel immediately and erupting in a burst of energy and shattered parts with a 30-foot radius that deals 1d6 points of damage per spell level in the fuel.
This ability can also be used to craft magic items (except wands or scrolls), using the gadgeteer's class level as his caster level and the same Craft (alchemy) DC to replicate a spell.

(Note: This here is the ability that gives me the most concern. It has the potential to be really, really abusable. I don't want to give it ten pages of rules, though.)

Trapfinding: Due to their familiarity with clockworks, machines, and magic, gadgeteers are able to find and disable traps both magic and mundane. They can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well-hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
Gadgeteers can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
A gadgeteer who beats a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with his party) without disarming it.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level and every four levels thereafter, the gadgeteer gains a bonus feat. The gadgeteer qualifies for item creation feats' caster level requirements as a caster of his level.
(As per standard with this setting, it can be any bonus feat the character qualifies for. Most every class receives additional bonus feats, while the fighter gets some shiny class features all for himself.)

Create Automaton: The other core focus of the gadgeteer is the creation of alchemically-driven clockwork automatons. At 3rd level, the gadgeteer is able to design and create a 1st-Level Automaton, increasing at every odd level until 19th level, where the gadgeteer is able to create a 9th-Level Automaton. The automaton acts on the gadgeteer's direction (requiring a free action from the gadgeteer to direct), though its lack of an Intelligence score means it takes directions literally and lacks any sort of reasoning ability.
Automatons have various special abilities based on their type, chosen by the gadgeteer at the time of construction. They're generally crafted in a humanoid shape, but quadrupeds, serpents, and others are all possible. If the creator so desires, he can replace one or more of the automaton's slam attacks with a manufactured weapon (which is considered a natural weapon for the automaton). Similarly, its body can be constructed of special materials such as adamantine or mithril - anything an armor can be made out of, and with the same results. An automaton's natural weapons can be enchanted as magic weapons, while its armored body can enchanted as magic armor. An automaton is proficient with any onboard weapons it is created with, but cannot later gain proficiency with weapons.

Craftsmaster: At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the gadgeteer gains a +2 bonus to two class skills of his choice. He can add this bonus to the same skill multiple times, and the bonuses stack.

Awaken Construct: A 20th-level gadgeteer is able to modify constructs to awake them to humanlike sentience. To succeed, the gadgeteer must make a Will save (DC 10 + the construct's current HD). Activating this ability requires 250 XP and an action point, plus 8 hours of work, 100 gp per HD for the spellstone, ectoplasm, and glass tubules, and a DC 40 Craft (alchemy) check.
The awakened construct is friendly towards the gadgeteer. The gadgeteer has no special empathy or connection with a construct he awakens, though a construct loses no bonds it had previously. A construct bound to another caster finds itself very reluctant to attack the gadgeteer, and it might decide to forsake its bonds if the gadgeteer and the creator become enemies. Should the construct decide to forsake its bonds and free itself from another's command, it must succeed on a Will save against it's master's caster level.
An awakened construct gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD. An awakened construct can speak one language that the awakening gadgeteer knows, plus one additional language that he knows per point of Intelligence bonus (if any) that the awakened construct has. The awakened construct's alignment changes to match the gadgeteer's, which could cause trouble if ordered to do something against its alignment.

Crafting an Automaton
An automaton is created from a metal shell, brass clockworks, and powered by an alchemical steam engine. It requires a Craft (blacksmithing) (DC 20) check to forge the automaton's metal shell, a Craft (clockworks) (DC 25) check to manufacture the clockworks, and a DC 20 Alchemy check to start the steam engine. He can take 10 on all checks save the Alchemy check. An automaton costs 500 gp per HD, so a 1st-Level Automaton costs 500 gp, a 2nd-Level costs 1000 gp, a 3rd-Level costs 1500 gp, a 4th-Level costs 2500 gp, a 5th-Level costs 3500 gp, a 6th-Level costs 5000 gp, a 7th-Level costs 6500 gp , a 8th-Level costs 8000 gp, and a 9th-Level costs 9500 gp. Multiple selections of the same menu choice do not stack unless the ability specifically notes that stacking is allowed. Some menu choices grant an automaton the ability to cast specific powers as spell-like abilities. Unless using the ability is a free action, an automaton using such an ability does so as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. All such powers have a caster level equal to the automaton’s Hit Dice.
The automaton's size and appearance are mutable, to a degree. A gadgeteer can reduce the automaton in size at a price increase of 100 gp and +2 to the DC per step, as reducing the size makes them much more delicate and difficult to work with. While an automaton is ordinarily a simple, perhaps even crude-looking construct of brass, steel, wood, and crystal, some gadgeteers prefer to give them a more sophisticated appearance. Gilding and engraving are simple enough tasks, requiring only the appropriate Craft checks to get the level of detail desired (10 for simple, 20 for complex, 30 and up for really detailed). Creating an automaton that resembles a living animal requires a DC 25 Craft (taxidermy) check to create a passable shell. There are legends of automatons crafted to resemble people, and one of the favorite subjects of such obviously fanciful stories is the head of the Alchemist's Guild, Count Iason Fortescue.
An automaton does not need to meet the prerequisites for a feat granted by a menu choice. For example, an automaton with the cleave ability does not have to meet the prerequisites for the Cleave feat to use the ability.

Automata
Automata are constructs of the clockwork subtype. That basically just means they are vulnerable to critical hits, but are essentially nonmagical and laugh at anti-magic effects. In this setting, magical constructs are vulnerable to anti-magic effects like dispel magic, arcane disjunction, and anti-magic field.
1st-Level Automaton
Small Construct (Clockwork)
Hit Dice: 1d10 (5 vp, 25 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 Dex, +5 armor, +1 size), touch 13, flatfooted 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/–1
Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: Slam +3 melee (1d4+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Ability worth 1 Automata point, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

2nd-Level Automaton
Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 vp, 37 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 Dex, +6 armor), touch 12, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+4
Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Full Attack: Slam +4 melee (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Ability worth 1 Automata point, construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

3rd-Level Automaton
Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 vp, 41 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 armor), touch 12, flatfooted 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+7)
Full Attack: Slam +7 melee (1d6+7)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Ability worth 1 Automata point, construct traits, darkvision, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

4th-Level Automaton
Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 5d10 (27 vp, 45 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+2 Dex, +10 armor), touch 12, flatfooted 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+10
Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+10)
Full Attack: Slam +10 melee (1d6+10)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 3 Automata points, construct traits, darkvision, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

5th-Level Automaton
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 7d10 (38 vp, 59 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+1 Dex, +13 armor, –1 size), touch 10, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+18
Attack: Slam +13 melee (1d8+9)
Full Attack: 2 slams +13 melee (1d8+9)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 3 Automata points, construct traits, damage reduction 5/adamantine, darkvision, lowlight vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

6th-Level Automaton
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 10d10 (55 vp, 63 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 25 (+1 Dex, +15 armor, –1 size), touch 10, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+22
Attack: Slam +17 melee (1d8+11)
Full Attack: 2 slams +17 melee (1d8+11)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 3 Automata points, construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision, lowlight vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 33, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

7th-Level Automaton
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 13d10 (71 vp, 65 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 27 (+1 Dex, +17 armor, –1 size), touch 10, flat-footed 26
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+25
Attack: Slam +20 melee (1d8+12)
Full Attack: 2 slams +20 melee (1d8+12)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 5 Automata points, construct traits, damage reduction 10/adamantine, darkvision, lowlight vision
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +4
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

8th-Level Automaton
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 16d10 (88 vp, 69 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 29 (+1 Dex, +19 armor, –1 size), touch 10, flat-footed 28
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+30
Attack: Slam +25 melee (1d8+14)
Full Attack: 2 slams +25 melee (1d8+14)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 7 Automata points, construct traits, damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision, lowlight vision
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

9th-Level Automaton
Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 19d10 (104 vp, 83 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 33 (+25 armor, –2 size), touch 8, flatfooted 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+38
Attack: Slam +28 melee (2d6+16)
Full Attack: 2 slams +28 melee (2d6+16)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Abilities worth 9 Automata points, construct traits, damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision, lowlight vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 43, Dex 11, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: —
Feats: —
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

Automata Ability Menus
Automaton Menu A
Abilities from this menu only cost 1 Automata point. They cost 50 gp each.
- Buff (Ex): The automaton gains an extra 5 hit points.
- Celerity (Ex): All of the automaton’s speeds increase by 10 feet.
- Cleave (Ex): The automaton gains the Cleave feat.
- Deflection (Ex): The automaton gains a +1 deflection bonus to Armor Class and a +1 resistance bonus to all saves thanks to crystalline emitters that generate a protective field around it.
- Fly (Ex): The automaton has built-in floatstone pods, physical wings and propellers, granting it a fly speed of 20 feet (average).
- Improved Bull Rush (Ex): The automaton gains the Improved Bull Rush feat.
- Improved Slam Attack (Ex): The automaton gains the Improved Natural Attack feat (see page 304 of the Monster Manual).
- Mobility (Ex): The automaton gains the Dodge and Mobility feats.
- Power Attack (Ex): The automaton gains the Power Attack feat.
- Reach (Ex): The automaton's reach doubles thanks to chains linking its fists to its forearms, its fists fired with steam pistons or rockets.
- Resistance (Ex): Choose one of the following energy types: fire, cold, acid, electricity, or sonic. The automaton gains resistance 5 against that energy type.
- Swim (Ex): The automaton is streamlined and sharklike, equipped with propellers and/or mechanized fins, and gains a swim speed of 30 feet.
- Trip (Ex): If the automaton hits with a melee attack, it can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking attacks of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the automaton.

Automaton Menu B
Abilities from this menu cost 2 Automata points. They cost 100 gp each.
- Energy Touch (Ex): The automaton’s physical attacks are wreathed in the selected energy type, dealing an extra 1d6 points of energy damage of an energy type chosen on creation (fire, cold, acid, electricity, or sonic). The cold touch gains +1 point of damage per die and the save to reduce damage is Fortitude instead of Reflex. The electricity touch provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on caster level checks for the purposes of overcoming spell resistance. The fire touch deals +1 point of damage per die. The sonic touch deals -1 point of damage per die (min 1 per die) and ignores an object's hardness.
- Extra Attack: The automata has another pair of arms. If the automaton is Medium or smaller, it gains two slam attacks instead of one when it makes a full attack. If the automaton is Large or larger, it gains three slams instead of two when it makes a full attack. Its bonus on damage rolls for each attack is equal to its Strength modifier, not its Strength modifier × 1-1/2. Its attacks are otherwise unchanged.
- Self-Repairing (Ex): The automaton gains Fast Healing 2, healing 2 vitality points each round. It is still immediately destroyed when it reaches 0 hit points.
- Heavy Deflection (Ex): The automaton gains a +4 deflection bonus to Armor Class and a +4 resistance bonus to saving throws.
- Improved Buff (Ex): The automaton gains an extra 15 hit points.
- Improved Critical (Ex): The automaton gains the Improved Critical feat with its slam attacks.
- Improved Damage Reduction (Ex): The automaton’s surface forms a hard carapace and provides an additional 3 points of damage reduction (or damage reduction 3/adamantine if it does not already have damage reduction).
- Improved Flight (Ex): The automaton has built-in floatstone pods, physical wings and primitive rocket engines, giving it a fly speed of 40 feet (average). It gains Hover as a bonus feat.
- Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the construct must hit with its slam attack. A construct can use this ability only on a target that is at least one size smaller than itself.
- Improved Swim: The automaton is streamlined and sharklike, equipped with water turbines and mechanized fins, and gains a swim speed of 60 feet.
- Pistons (Ex): The automaton gains a +4 bonus to its Strength score.
- Poison Injectors (Ex): If the automaton hits with a melee attack, the target must make an initial Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 automaton’s HD + automaton’s Cha modifier) or take 1 point of Constitution damage. One minute later, the target must save again or take 1d2 points of Constitution damage.
- Pounce (Ex): If the automaton charges a foe, it can make a full attack.
- Smite (Su): Once per day the automaton can make one attack that deals extra damage equal to its Hit Dice.
- Trample (Ex): The automaton has large rollers or wheels. As a standard action during its turn each round, a Large or larger automaton can literally run over an opponent at least one size smaller than itself. It merely has to move over the opponent to deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d8 + its Str modifier (for a Large automaton - scale up accordingly for larger automata). The target can attempt a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 automaton’s Hit Dice + automaton’s Str modifier) to negate the damage, or it can instead choose to make an attack of opportunity at a –4 penalty (see Trample, page 316 of the Monster Manual).
- Tunneling (Ex): The automaton gains a burrow speed of 20 feet thanks to a rotary drill on the nose. It can leave a passable tunnel behind itself or not by command.

Automaton Menu C
Abilities from this menu cost 4 Automata points. They cost 200 gp each.
- Blindsight (Ex): The automaton has blindsight out to 60 feet thanks to an echolocator unit.
- Concussion Blast (Sp): The automaton can fire a blast of force energy from a brass-and-crystal emitter, dealing 1d6 points of force damage per hit die to a single target within 100 feet as a free action once per round. The target must also make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + automaton's HD + Wis) or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. This is a ranged touch attack. The automaton can have this ability deal nonlethal damage instead, useful in cases where the automaton wants to take its targets alive. It does not impart a -4 penalty to the attack roll. This counts as a 7th-level spell.
- Constrict (Ex): The automaton has the improved grab ability with its slam attack. In addition, on a successful grapple check, the automaton deals damage equal to its slam damage. Its fists are equipped with a locking grip, enabling the automaton to crush its opponents to death.
- Dimension Door (Sp): The automaton can cast dimension door (caster level equal to Hit Dice) as a move action once per round utilizing a complex pseudo-magical device to bend time and space.
- Energy Bolt (Sp): The automaton can generate an energy bolt (caster level 8th) as a standard action once per round from a brass-and-crystal emitter. The creator sets the energy type that the automaton can generate when he creates it. This energy bolt deals 5d6 points of cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage to a single target within 120 feet, but the target can make a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + automaton's HD + Wis). The cold bolt gains +1 point of damage per die and the save to reduce damage is Fortitude instead of Reflex. The electricity bolt provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on caster level checks for the purposes of overcoming spell resistance. The fire bolt deals +1 point of damage per die. The sonic bolt deals -1 point of damage per die (min 1 per die) and ignores an object's hardness.
- Extra Buff (Ex): The automaton gains an extra 30 hit points.
- Extreme Damage Reduction (Ex): The automaton’s surface is covered in hard, armored plates and provides an additional 6 points of damage reduction.
- Extreme Deflection (Ex): The automaton gains a +8 deflection bonus to Armor Class and a +8 resistance bonus to saving throws.
- Natural Invisibility (Su): The automaton is constantly invisible, even when attacking. This ability is inherent and not subject to the invisibility purge spell. It bends light around it through pseudo-magical metallurgy techniques.
- Spell Resistance (Ex): The automaton gains spell resistance equal to 10 + its Hit Dice.
- Rend (Ex): The automaton makes claw attacks instead of slam attacks (it deals the same amount of damage as it would with its slam damage, but does slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage). An automaton that hits the same opponent with two claw attacks in the same round rends its foe, which deals extra damage equal to 2d6 + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier.
- Spring Attack (Ex): The automaton gains the Spring Attack feat.
- Whirlwind Attack (Ex): The automaton gains the Whirlwind Attack feat.