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LordOfNarf
2007-06-21, 05:51 PM
Deeptunnel Rover
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 22d10+52 (173)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor Class: 32 (-2 Dex, +15 Natural, +10 Mountain Plate, -1 Size) Touch 7 Flat Footed 32
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+30
Attack: Slam +25 melee (1d8+10)
Full Attack: 2 Slams +25 melee (1d8+10)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /10 ft.
Special Attacks: Oversize Slam
Special Qualities: Construct traits, Impaired Senses, Nonmagical Computer.
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +7
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 6, Con -, Int-, Wis -, Cha -
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Toughness (B)
Environment: Any Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always True Neutral
Advancement: 23-37(Large) 38-50 (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

You hear it before you see it, a massive clanking noise in the hallway. As it comes into your sight range you see a massive stone object coming toward you. It is encased in an intricate and massive set of amour.

Deeptunnel Rovers are created by dwarves to guard their underground holdings from unintelligent monsters. Due to the odd magic effects in many of these, the dwarves created a construct without the use of magic that could react oddly. Using special gears and systems, the dwarves created Deeptunnel rovers. The Deeptunnel Rovers are extensively deployed in the deep tunnels to keep them free of annoyances such as monstrous vermin and other stupid beasts that might be a threat to the loner dwarf that wanders too far from the city. They are almost never deployed against intelegent creatures or other humanoids, since then they become more of a liability in combat, but there are rumors that the dwarf king has called all the greatest creators from all kingdoms and clans to create a programing mechinism that could be used against other intelligent beings in war... These rumors are so far unconfirmed. Despite not being intended for humanoid combat, these guardians have a run in with a group not fammiliar with the Dwarven tunnels once or twice a year, the dwarves, wile apologetic at the accident, usually make the people who damaged their construct pay for the delicate repairs.

COMBAT

A Deeptunnel rover has only one tactic: Pound the enemy until it stops pounding back.

Oversize Slam (ex): A Deeptunnel Rovers slam is treated as one size category larger than it is for purposes of damage.

Nonmagical Computer (ex): Using a set of complicated gears and mechanisms known only to them, the dwarves created a nonmagical construct. The Deeptunnel Rover moves along a preprogrammed patrol route unless it is attacked. If attacked it attacks the thing that attacked it with an attack or full attack every round until it or its target are dead or destroyed. If anything else attacks it, it ignores these things until its present target is defeated, and then moves on to the next thing that attacked it. The Deeptunnel Rover must attack its target until the target is dead. The Deeptunnel Rover never attempts any special combat manuvers, and never initates a grapple. If grappled, a Deeptunnel Rover attempts to break free until it succecfully does, after which it attacks the creature that grappeled it. If tripped, the Deeptunnel Rover must take a full round action to stand up, at which point it attacks the creature that was its target before it was tripped, if it had no previous target, It attacks the creature that tripped it.The Deeptunnel Rover persues the enemy if it moves, but if the Deeptunnel rover moves more than 35 ft in a round, its programming resets and it returns to patrol mode until attacked again. The Deeptunnel Rover moves 10 feet per round while on a preset patrol route. The Deeptunnel Rover can double move, but it cannot run. The Deeptunnel Rover has no magical or biological sentience or awareness, and is considered an object for any spells, spell like or extraordinary abilities, or other effects.

Impaired Senses (ex): Using a set of very delicate echolocation mechanisms, the Deeptunnel Rover has Blindsight to 400 ft. Also, it cannot hear, smell, touch, or taste, as it lacks all these senses. The Mechanisms automatically lock on to anything that attacks it, and remain locked on to that enemy until that enemy is dead, dying or unconscious. The Deeptunnel Rover is always denied its Dex bonus to AC due to the limited nature of its senses. The Deeptunnel Rover cannot make attacks of opportunity.

Creation: A Deeptunnel Rover needs no magic in its creation, but it does require a master artisan with at least 23 ranks in Craft (stonesmithing). She must be aided by at least 5 able bodies helpers with 10 ranks Craft (stoneworking) each. The body must be made of a 10,000 pound block of stone and all materials required end up costing 100,000 gp. The creator must make checks as if building an item of that value until it is completed.

Additonally, due to the complex and individual nature of the gears and mechanisms within it, treat any damage as double that for checks and costs to repair. Only the master who made the Deeptunnel Rover or one of his apprentices, or someone with a craft (stoneworking) skill 5 points higher than the master can succesfully repair it without a detailed set of instructions on the programming of that specific Deeptunnel Rover. This is why there are always multiple sets of instructions stored for each Rover. The Deeptunnel Rover can be repaired magically, but the spells only have half effect due to the complex mechanisms inside it.

<hr>

This was based around the idea of making something that was completely reliant on programming and also was an object, technically at least, not a creature.

Originaly an MitP Project, Now submitted to MitP II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38986)

the original thread and my reasons for creating this can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10316)

Poppatomus
2007-06-21, 05:59 PM
Interesting idea. I particularly like the concept behind it. I tried to do something similar, but ended up just making another golem with a funny name. Gonna wait on a vote though until I have a chance to review it more thoroughly (and maybe until Matthew comes in with some of that numbers magic he does so well.)


And I will have you and your sig know my level of education is just fine, thanks.

adanedhel9
2007-06-21, 06:45 PM
Average HP is off; it should be 173.

You'll want to indicate its touch (7) and flat-footed (32) AC's, especially since it looses it's Dex bonus all the time (not that it matters; just for clarification).

Will save should be +7.

I don't know that I've ever seen a monster with a - for Wis or Cha. 1 in each is the standard for mindless constructs (see Animated Objects).

Be careful with your wording for Impaired Senses. Flat-footed isn't the same as Denied a Dex bonus to AC. Strictly speaking, a creature can only be flat-footed if it hasn't acted in battle yet. The last sentence should read "The Deeptunnel Rover is always denied its Dex bonus to AC due to the limited nature of its senses." Optionally, you could add "It also cannot make attacks of opportunity.", which would make it equivalent to really being flat-footed.
(This is an easy mistake to make; even the designers have made it in some of the non-core material.)



I like it. Personally, I would give it a trample attack. I could just see this thing crushing something that got in its way.

MITP=Yes

LordOfNarf
2007-06-21, 09:00 PM
Thanks for the input, I guess I just made a few calculational errors. The Wis and Cha are supposed to be - for this creature though, because it isn't even a mindless construct, it has no mind to begin with. The books (cant remember which one right now, but I think it is in the MM) say something to the effect that Charisma is the ability to seperate objects into "self" and "non-self" and wisdom is the ability to recognize those objects. The Deeptunnel Rover is not self aware and acts on a very detailed set of reactions, without actual awareness, and therefore has no Wis and Cha.

And as fun as a Trample would be, I can't really see the Rover having the power to recognize something that is a threat and decide to trample it. I think the first couple of sentences of the combat section sum my sentiments up nicely.

adanedhel9
2007-06-21, 09:18 PM
The Wis and Cha are supposed to be - for this creature though, because it isn't even a mindless construct, it has no mind to begin with.

Okay, makes sense to me.


And as fun as a Trample would be, I can't really see the Rover having the power to recognize something that is a threat and decide to trample it.

Well, I was thinking more along the lines of if someone wandered into its path, but wasn't threatening it... it'd just keep going over the little bump in the road.

Matthew
2007-06-22, 07:35 PM
Interesting Monster. I'm not surprised the Dwarf king is looking into military applications!

It's kind of ironic when people misspell intelligent, but there you go; I am prone to pedantry.

Anxe
2007-06-29, 04:05 PM
All around good. Mitp: Yes

Poppatomus
2007-06-29, 04:06 PM
also a yes MitP: Yes

Matthew
2007-07-06, 06:40 PM
Forgot to say:

MitP: Yes

Lord Iames Osari
2007-07-12, 08:59 AM
Very interesting.

Mitp Vote: Yes.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-07-30, 06:58 PM
*Iames bumps the thread*

DracoDei
2007-07-31, 07:01 PM
I am torn over whether dwarves or gnomes would be more likely to build a functional robot... I guess gnomes would be more likely to TRY but dwarves would be more likely to SUCCEED if they tried... maybe...
Anyway, good originality...
MitP Vote: Yes