Classes that focus on constructs as cohorts?

[killem2]

Are there any that dedicate their focus to this? Pathfinder or D&D.

[Arcane_Snowman]

The Artificer from Ebberon can focus on construct creation should you so choose and is pretty damn good at it.

[JaronK]

Effigy Master definitely counts.

JaronK

[ArqArturo]

Not quite, but the flavor I built on a BBEG was pretty much spot on. Basically it was a Transmuter wizard with the Craft Golem feat that had a bunch of grafted/half-flesh golem minions, as well as flesh golems from failed experiments.

Basically, he was the D&D version of Dr. Mengele.

[Fouredged Sword]

Pathfinder third party has a class that does this.

I can't remember the name though.

[unseenmage]

A wizard, cleric, or psion could focus expressly on making bigger and better Animated Objects and Astral Constructs through careful class, feat, and spell selection. CL/ML boosting tricks come to mind as the most bang for your buck here.
Wizards and psions get construct familiars and psicrystals, there are a lot of ways to boost their effectiveness as well.

Literally taking Leadership and the few Leadership specific Cohort boosting feats could be nice too.
There's an exploit where you give your Psicrystal/Familiar Leadership, give them the better Cohort feat(s), their cohort takes Leadership and does the same and so on and so forth. The end result is a chain of Cohorts and Psicrystals all of whom are stronger than your character but who answer to some one who answers to someone who eventually answers to you.

[Deadline]

There's one in one of the Faerun books. Techsmith of Gond, from Faiths and Pantheons.

[Phelix-Mu]

I can't recall which book it appears in, but the Urban Druid class can pick an animated object as it's Animal Companion-ish thing, which would make it a construct-as-a-class-feature. Pretty sure the type doesn't change, but I think it gains abilities as a familiar, so not as cool as extra-HD.

It would be pretty easy to re-skin some classes/PrC as "x plus construct ally." A paladin of god of crafting with a construct/special mount. A Master of Shadow PrC adaptation that grants a construct instead of a shadow elemental companion. Elemental Scion of Zilargo that is based on some kind of nanomachine tech grafts instead of elemental grafts. Stuff that uses elementals are probably better, as elementals' traits are closer to construct traits, and would need less re-balancing than an construct/Special Mount.

[Rubik]

Check the thrallherd in the SRD. Note that the thrallherd ability is not mind-affecting, and can therefore be used on anything from constructs to vermin to undead.

[unseenmage]

Check the thrallherd in the SRD. Note that the thrallherd ability is not mind-affecting, and can therefore be used on anything from constructs to vermin to undead.

The only hitch in this one might be that Leadership (which Thrallherd refers to) says any class, race, alignment combination. And your DM may interpret the "race" bit to mean only starting races or creatures with a listed level adjustment.

[Rubik]

The only hitch in this one might be that Leadership (which Thrallherd refers to) says any class, race, alignment combination. And your DM may interpret the "race" bit to mean only starting races or creatures with a listed level adjustment.In this case, feel free to use warforged. They're LA 0, after all.

[The Viscount]

I can't recall which book it appears in, but the Urban Druid class can pick an animated object as it's Animal Companion-ish thing, which would make it a construct-as-a-class-feature. Pretty sure the type doesn't change, but I think it gains abilities as a familiar, so not as cool as extra-HD.

Urban Druid is from Dragon Compendium. The urban companion actually does advance as an animal companion, so that's pretty neat.

[killem2]

any thing with leadership is banned anyway :( DM banned leadership.

[Drachasor]

Well, if your DM is ok with house-ruling stuff, I'd try to get him to ok altering the Dread Necromancer or something like that. Wouldn't be too hard to turn undead control/creation into construct control/creation. Constructs and undead are fairly similar. True, you can't turn constructs, but they are also harder to heal.

Granted you'd need to alter some of the abilities (a lot of it is fairly straightforward) and the spell list (a bit more difficult), but I think it is doable.

[unseenmage]

Well, if your DM is ok with house-ruling stuff, I'd try to get him to ok altering the Dread Necromancer or something like that. Wouldn't be too hard to turn undead control/creation into construct control/creation. Constructs and undead are fairly similar. True, you can't turn constructs, but they are also harder to heal.

Granted you'd need to alter some of the abilities (a lot of it is fairly straightforward) and the spell list (a bit more difficult), but I think it is doable.

The Warforged Domain from Eberron allows you to turn etc constructs.
There's also a Dragon magazine feat, Master's Voice, that allows you to command a construct whose master is absent but only briefly. Dragon 354.

[Drachasor]

The Warforged Domain from Eberron allows you to turn etc constructs.
There's also a Dragon magazine feat, Master's Voice, that allows you to command a construct whose master is absent but only briefly. Dragon 354.

Well, I know there are some rare exceptions to the general rule, but I didn't think they were worth mentioning.

[unseenmage]

Well, I know there are some rare exceptions to the general rule, but I didn't think they were worth mentioning.

Ah.

For my part the Warforged Domain was a lifesend for my construct commanding character so I figured I'd mention it. Though I guess in retrospect I suppose it is a bit of a niche case even if it also is an entire Domain.

[Drachasor]

Ah.

For my part the Warforged Domain was a lifesend for my construct commanding character so I figured I'd mention it. Though I guess in retrospect I suppose it is a bit of a niche case even if it also is an entire Domain.

It can be useful. However, the problem with construct-based characters in the game is the resources you have to spend on constructs. Resources that are completely lost if a construct is destroyed. Converting something like the Dread Necromancer into a Construct Commander should properly grant you the ability to make basic constructs for free* (up to your limit).

*Or nearly so

[unseenmage]

It can be useful. However, the problem with construct-based characters in the game is the resources you have to spend on constructs. Resources that are completely lost if a construct is destroyed. Converting something like the Dread Necromancer into a Construct Commander should properly grant you the ability to make basic constructs for free* (up to your limit).

*Or nearly so

Ah again.
I see your point.

I wonder though, are constructs and undead near enough in power for such a straight conversion to work?

The most powerful construct ability I can think of off the top of my head that undead may not have would be Magic Immunity. Are there Undead with an equivalent or at least proportional quality?

There is at least one template I can think of, the Elder Eidolon, which grants Magic Immune. So it's not just a Golems-whose-HD-are-too-high-for-Turn-attempts issue.

[Drachasor]

Ah again.
I see your point.

I wonder though, are constructs and undead near enough in power for such a straight conversion to work?

The most powerful construct ability I can think of off the top of my head that undead may not have would be Magic Immunity. Are there Undead with an equivalent or at least proportional quality?

There is at least one template I can think of, the Elder Eidolon, which grants Magic Immune. So it's not just a Golems-whose-HD-are-too-high-for-Turn-attempts issue.

You'll be getting incorporeal undead before you could possibly pick up a golem with magic immunity. Incorporeal is really nice. They are also far easier to replace (and some make more of themselves). Also, you can balance the cheap construct creation abilities to avoid things like that.

The types themselves are pretty comparable. I think it should work pretty well.

[Talionis]

I am away from books, but isn't there some way to turn people into constructs. I remember each graft provides them bonuses and gives them construct sub type. Each graft also makes them make a Will Save or go crazy and become evil.

If you have the person dominated like a Thrallherd would or possibly if they were already undead and you controlled them? Like Incarnate with Necrocarnum Zombies. You can get necrocarnum zombie of your level online at a really low level.

[unseenmage]

I am away from books, but isn't there some way to turn people into constructs. I remember each graft provides them bonuses and gives them construct sub type. Each graft also makes them make a Will Save or go crazy and become evil.

If you have the person dominated like a Thrallherd would or possibly if they were already undead and you controlled them? Like Incarnate with Necrocarnum Zombies. You can get necrocarnum zombie of your level online at a really low level.

You could use a forced application of the Half Golem template from the MM2. Shouldn't take too many new Golem limbs for your minion to fail their save and gain a host of new immunities.

[ArqArturo]

I am away from books, but isn't there some way to turn people into constructs. I remember each graft provides them bonuses and gives them construct sub type. Each graft also makes them make a Will Save or go crazy and become evil.

That is if they get the half-golem template. Grafts usually don't do that on your own, unless you're using a demonic graft machine, then it either gives them insanity (if they're good) or they turn evil (if they're neutral).

[Nightraiderx]

A dread necromancer - construct conversion sounds nice, I think I'm going to work on a homebrew of that.

[Talionis]

You may or may not be a Naruto fan, but this thread has some different ideas on how to make this type of construct, just look for the references to the character Sasori that kills people and turns them into puppets that he can control. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122580