Mechanical Creatures

[LadyLexi]

I'm running a campaign for 5-6 players (Lv 6) right now that has been going okay. As part of the plot progression I'm trying to put together mechanical creatures that will work together to invade.

The Clockwork Horors from MM2 are exactly the kind of monster I wanted to send against the group, the only problem is that they top off at CR9. I've been looking through other books and considering things like Inevitables for a bit higher level.

So what else is out there for mechanical creatures, preferably if extraplanar then from Mechanus.

[Invader]

I seem to remember a half inevitable template somewhere but it was only for warforged I think. You might be able to adjust that to fit other creatures.

[Admiral Squish]

I've had construct armies made up of warforged soldiers. I gave them different feats and different class levels to create some variability. Worked very well.

If you want more options, there are a bunch of nice options in MM3. Cadaver Collector, Shredstorm, and the Slaughterstone Behemoth/Eviscerator.

[Jessica1990]

I also want to know the answer to this question, thanks for your reply.

[Deophaun]

I seem to recall the clockwork horrors in MM2 being the poster-childs for how off the wall the CR values were. So, be careful with them.

There's the effigy creature template in Complete Arcane which can be applied to any animal.

[Mithril Leaf]

The online web enhancement to manual of the planes had a bunch of the citizens of mechanus, including the best planar shepherd form ever.
http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Product.aspx?x=dnd/products/dndacc/218937200

[LeshLush]

Yeah, that whole clockwork horrors top off at CR 9 is bogus. Whatever you do, don't throw something with at will disjunction at a level nine party.

[LadyLexi]

Thank you all for your replies.

@Mithril, you seem to have liinked to a 4e book.

@Admiral Squish- Thanks for the recommends, some of those really fill the upper CR range (especially with some tweaking). I'm avoiding Warforged though.

@invaderk2- Do you know where that template might be?

@Deophaun- I will definitely be careful about what I send, but my players have smashed apart most things I have sent at them. They are good at coming up with strategies. Also the Adamantine Horror serves sort of like a queen bee might, there is one to the collective.

Does anyone recall seeing any sort of mechanical spider group from somewhere? It might have been a 3.0 book.

[Mithril Leaf]

That's what I get for not checking the link first. CURSE YOU FOR DECEIVING ME GOOGLE.
Anyway, here's the 3.5 one http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20010921a

[Little Brother]

Yeah, that whole clockwork horrors top off at CR 9 is bogus. Whatever you do, don't throw something with at will Implosion and Disintegrate at a level nine party.Fixed.

Seriously. Yeah, they only have 88 HP, but they're INT 17. WIS and CHA are both in the low 20s. They can be smart enough to last for 4 turns, which should kill most of a four-man party.

If you just go Copper(Dr350, CR2-ish) through Platinum(Weak end of CR 7), you can have a decent campaign. The Platinum Horror does not exist. I mean, a mob of those could easily butcher a high-level party.

[Invader]

Thank you all for your replies.

@Mithril, you seem to have liinked to a 4e book.

@Admiral Squish- Thanks for the recommends, some of those really fill the upper CR range (especially with some tweaking). I'm avoiding Warforged though.

@invaderk2- Do you know where that template might be?

@Deophaun- I will definitely be careful about what I send, but my players have smashed apart most things I have sent at them. They are good at coming up with strategies. Also the Adamantine Horror serves sort of like a queen bee might, there is one to the collective.

Does anyone recall seeing any sort of mechanical spider group from somewhere? It might have been a 3.0 book.

I looked it up and it's actually a homebrew template so you might want to steer clear of it. If not its here http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Half-Inevitable_%283.5e_Template%29

[Solaris]

If you have access to Dragon Magazine, Dr 270 and 258 have some mechanical monsters. They're AD&D monsters, but converting them isn't all that hard.

[ngilop]

i might be wrong here, but couldn't the OP just take existing constucts and refluff them.

i.e. take animated objects (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm)

and just refluff them to be 'clockwork/mechanical' monstrosities?

maybe even toss in a couple pf special abilities and adjust CR?

[DarkestKnight]

Effigy creatures (complete arcane) give you what ever you want as mechanical critters without that pesky gold cost.

[Zonugal]

I approached this type of situation as well as my campaign features an invading army beyond the planes comprised of mechanical beings.

* The ordinary citizens of this force were Modrons (features found in Dragon & Crystal Keep). They performed the every-day functions.
* The warriors of this force were Warforged.
* The super-soldiers of this force were Maugs (found in Fiend Folio). They typically lead small groups of Warforged by themselves.
* The ruling class of this force were the Mechantrix (found in Fiend Folio as well). While they aren't constructs (they are outsiders) I played it up as they are the natural evolution of a former construct-base. Possessing greater-immunity to electricity (they are healed by it) I had them be composed of nano-tech & other sci-fi stuff.

[Thurbane]

After a quick scan though the books:


Blood Golem of Hextor (FF)
Inevitable Quarut (FF)
Inevitable, Varakhut (FF)
Iron Cobra (FF)
Steel Predator (FF)
Zodar (FF)
Automaton, Pulverizer (MM2)
Automaton, Hammerer (MM2)
Bronze Serpent (MM2)
Chain Golem (MM2)
Clockwork Horror, various (MM2)
Dread Guard (MM2)
Nimblewright (MM2)
Swarm, Bronze Locust (BoED)
Golem, Siege (Cty)
Effigy Creature (CAr)
Guardian Familiar, Spark (CW)
Guardian Familiar, Gauntlet (CW)
Guardian Familiar, Blade (CW)
Adamantine Spider (DotU)
Brass Steed (HoB)
Inevitable, Kolyarut (MM)
Inevitable, Marut (MM)
Inevitable, Zelekhut (MM)
Shield Guardian (MM)
Clockroach (MM4)
Clockwork Mender (MM4)
Clockwork Steed (MM4)
Thoon Soldier (MM5)
Scyther of Thoon (MM5)
Stormcloud of Thoon (MM5)
Shardsoul Slayer (MM5)
Waste Crawler (Sa)

[Doorhandle]

Pathfinder's clockwork creatures (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/clockwork)could work, as could the young templated applied several times to a bigger golem, like a clockwork golem.

Also consider construct modifications for added fun: Try adamantine golem armour, or The bioconstuct (brain) mod.