Crafting Constructs With no listed Market Price?

[Amfini]

Hello everyone.

I'm a budding Artificer player and I have stumbled upon the Craft Construct feat and I simply love it!

However. by ploughing through all the monster manuals, there is lots and LOTS of straight out sexy constructs with no market price and no requirements or specifications on how to make.

I'd just assume that those are too sexy to be handed to any PC, but I come here to seek knowledge that is beyond me.

Is there any way to craft, DM-fiated or otherwise, those constructs? Or any method that could serve as a guideline to creating constructs without a listed market price or requirements?

In advance, thanks for any feedback in this situation.

[unseenmage]

Pathfinder has rules for creating constructs using just their CR (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/magic/buildingAndModifyingConstructs.html). Even generates a price fr the body.

Just be warned, constructs that don't usually follow the commands of their creator are likely to get up and do whatever is in their natures instead of what you command.
Eg. building an Inevitable or Warforged is likely to result in a free-willed construct as neither of their races are subject to Golem-esque command structures.

[theIrkin]

some of then, like the ones from the mechanical plane (i forget the name of their race) are not constructed by mortals. there's no price because, while they are contructs, they are not "constructed" in the traditional sense.

[unseenmage]

some of then, like the ones from the mechanical plane (i forget the name of their race) are not constructed by mortals. there's no price because, while they are contructs, they are not "constructed" in the traditional sense.

Those are the Inevitables I mentioned. Modrons too I suppose but they're before my time.


For the OP, I suggest asking your DM before crafting anything without a listed price, especially construct swarms. However, one fun use is to combine the construct swarm with the Golem Armor. :smallwink:

[Amfini]

Pathfinder has rules for creating constructs using just their CR (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/magic/buildingAndModifyingConstructs.html). Even generates a price fr the body.

Just be warned, constructs that don't usually follow the commands of their creator are likely to get up and do whatever is in their natures instead of what you command.
Eg. building an Inevitable or Warforged is likely to result in a free-willed construct as neither of their races are subject to Golem-esque command structures.

Thanks alot! I didn't know that Paizo had a tool like that. I'm fairly new to this, so thanks alot for the pointers!

[unseenmage]

Thanks alot! I didn't know that Paizo had a tool like that. I'm fairly new to this, so thanks alot for the pointers!

No problem. I have been relearning D&D 3.5 after quite an absence so I've been searching and gathering all the magic item and construct creation stuff I can get my hands on. Especially as my first character back is an Artificer with nigh-infinite funds!

Another fun trick, with express DM approval of course, is to reinterpret constructs as just another kind of Magic Item and build onto them using the Custom Magic Item rules. This allows for hilarious interactions like 1-use golems built like potions or scrolls, and immobile/room golems built like Magic Traps or Wondrous Architecture (SBG).

Check out the Effigy Template (CA152), the Elder Eidolon Template (LoM146), and the Sacred Guardian Template (DL:BoK84) for additional construct-ey goodness.

Lately my character has been going around drawing blueprints that double as portraits of important NPCs and local monsters so he can build a future Effigy showroom showcasing them later. :smallcool:

[Amfini]

No problem. I have been relearning D&D 3.5 after quite an absence so I've been searching and gathering all the magic item and construct creation stuff I can get my hands on. Especially as my first character back is an Artificer with nigh-infinite funds!

Another fun trick, with express DM approval of course, is to reinterpret constructs as just another kind of Magic Item and build onto them using the Custom Magic Item rules. This allows for hilarious interactions like 1-use golems built like potions or scrolls, and immobile/room golems built like Magic Traps or Wondrous Architecture (SBG).

Check out the Effigy Template (CA152), the Elder Eidolon Template (LoM146), and the Sacred Guardian Template (DL:BoK84) for additional construct-ey goodness.

Lately my character has been going around drawing blueprints that double as portraits of important NPCs and local monsters so he can build a future Effigy showroom showcasing them later. :smallcool:

I simply just love the idea of a golem "Room."
Would you mind giving me a sample of what you've thought up using golems as traps or room!

But another thing I've been thinking about. How does Effigies compare to the Artificer's own Homonculi? Both with and without the Improved Homunculi feat. I mean, The effigies can be whatever creature, as long as you drop the non-combat abillities and whatever supernatural ones they got. And they only cost 1000 gp per HD to improve.
Wheras Homonculi only get +2 AC every third level and a special abillity, for 2000, double the price of effigies, per HD.

Homonculus are mind controlled, Effigies are Verbal controlled.
Homonculus gets skills and armor, Effigies get DR and armor.
Homonculus have 7-8 different varieties. Effigies can be insane outer planar things with 11 natural attack and/or simple Hydras.

When does switching over to homunculi get beneficient? Assuming you have the feat for it. Or should one just stick with different effigies?

Also; Is there other feats that automatically improves your constructs? Like the Corpsecrafter for the Necromantically inclined?

[unseenmage]

I simply just love the idea of a golem "Room."
Would you mind giving me a sample of what you've thought up using golems as traps or room!

But another thing I've been thinking about. How does Effigies compare to the Artificer's own Homonculi? Both with and without the Improved Homunculi feat. I mean, The effigies can be whatever creature, as long as you drop the non-combat abillities and whatever supernatural ones they got. And they only cost 1000 gp per HD to improve.
Wheras Homonculi only get +2 AC every third level and a special abillity, for 2000, double the price of effigies, per HD.

Homonculus are mind controlled, Effigies are Verbal controlled.
Homonculus gets skills and armor, Effigies get DR and armor.
Homonculus have 7-8 different varieties. Effigies can be insane outer planar things with 11 natural attack and/or simple Hydras.

When does switching over to homunculi get beneficient? Assuming you have the feat for it. Or should one just stick with different effigies?

Also; Is there other feats that automatically improves your constructs? Like the Corpsecrafter for the Necromantically inclined?


You become telepathic with all constructs within a certain radius if you dip into Techsmith of Gond from Faiths and Pantheons page 206. Very useful.

As to Effigies vs Homunculus, Homunculus can potentially be upgraded forever. Effigies cannot IIRC. However, Homunculus suck when compared to Effigies of things like the 2 creatures from Fiend Folio that have way too many natural attacks.

That Pathfinder Modifying Constructs page has rules for adding HD to constructs too at the same price it cost to build them not surprisingly.

There's a feat for Psions to improve their Astral Constructs and there's a feat in Magic of Eberron called Improved Homunculus. IIRC you and your Homunculus can have a hugenormous range Telepathy and the Homunculus can even fly eventually. Hope that helps.

Potentially, you could try researching some new feats or spells in conjunction with your DM that mimic the Undead boosting stuff only for Constructs.
The Greater Humanoid Essence infusion can come in quite handy too for making your constructs targetable by living-only buff spells.

I didn't get around to building any of the room, trap, or one-use golems myself yet. My time got prioritized elsewhere.
(For our game custom magic items and constructs have to be researched like custom spells, replacing Spell level with Caster Level. It's been eating away at my custom crafting potential.)

For custom golems you'd have to reverse engineer and rebuild their price just like with Custom Magic Items. This can be easier for some than others. Most of the time all you get is one cost for the body and another for the animation. My guess would be that it's the cost for the animation that would get modified by the Custom Magic Item rules.

[Gavinfoxx]

Have you read the Mechonomocon? It only lists the types you can actually craft, but it certainly lists all of them, and that is very, very useful; you can generally find suitable replacements!

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19870786/Mechonomicon