Just what can a construct with the Brain modification do/take as a feat?

[Coidzor]

Is it another one of those cases like the pseudo-intelligence that happens when you put a Headband of Intellect on a dog per that one blog post (http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lc1y)?

Can they be freely given feats they qualify for based upon their intelligence score of 10?

Do they get feats but still count as mindless and so can't take feats that aren't something they can be directly commanded to do?

What's official? What's as close to official as we can get if there's no direct statements on the subject?

What do you go with?

[Jack_Simth]

Checking a reference... (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/building-and-modifying-constructs#TOC-Complex-Modifications):
Brain: This upgrade doesn’t permit the golem to think independently, but instead, the brain works as a storage device, permitting the golem to acquire skills and feats as if it had an Intelligence score of 10. Enchantment spells or spells with mind-affecting effects that are cast upon the golem can affect the brain, causing the brain to cease functioning for the duration of the spell. While the brain is suppressed in this fashion, the construct temporarily loses access to its skills and feats. If the spell has a save, the brain uses the golem’s saving throws.Seemingly relevant bits: "acquire skills and feats as if it had an Intelligence score of 10" and "This upgrade doesn’t permit the golem to think independently"
Note that the mod doesn't actually give the beast an intelligence score, just lets it get skills and feats as though it did.

My take:

If you give it Disable Device, you can tell it to open a lock for you. If you give it Perception, you can order it to keep watch. If a feat has an Int-9 requirement (I don't know of any examples), then it can take that feat. If you give it Diplomacy and Linguistics, it can act as a face for a charisma-impaired Wizard.

However: It still doesn't actually have an intelligence score. So when you put a Headband of Intellect +6 on it... it doesn't start acting like it has Int-16 (although it may still get the associated skills).

This is very handy for when you need specific skills - ability scores governing most skills will likely be garbage, but something like an Animate Aria (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/animate-aria) is pretty cheap to make, and if you increase it's hit dice to maximum, it still has a construction cost of just 30,000 gp... add in the bioconstruct (Brain) modification, and that's a cost to create of just 41,375... and you get a minion with two skills of your choice at 21 ranks each... plus 11 feats to add onto it. If that's, say, Perception and Stealth for the skills, then Skill Focus twice (once for each skill), Alertness, Stealthy, et cetera... you can make quite the scout.

[Coidzor]

Checking a reference... (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/building-and-modifying-constructs#TOC-Complex-Modifications):Seemingly relevant bits: "acquire skills and feats as if it had an Intelligence score of 10" and "This upgrade doesn’t permit the golem to think independently"
Note that the mod doesn't actually give the beast an intelligence score, just lets it get skills and feats as though it did.

Ah, right, should've included a link in the OP, sorry.


My take:

If you give it Disable Device, you can tell it to open a lock for you. If you give it Perception, you can order it to keep watch. If a feat has an Int-9 requirement (I don't know of any examples), then it can take that feat. If you give it Diplomacy and Linguistics, it can act as a face for a charisma-impaired Wizard.

However: It still doesn't actually have an intelligence score. So when you put a Headband of Intellect +6 on it... it doesn't start acting like it has Int-16 (although it may still get the associated skills).

This is very handy for when you need specific skills - ability scores governing most skills will likely be garbage, but something like an Animate Aria (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/animate-aria) is pretty cheap to make, and if you increase it's hit dice to maximum, it still has a construction cost of just 30,000 gp... add in the bioconstruct (Brain) modification, and that's a cost to create of just 41,375... and you get a minion with two skills of your choice at 21 ranks each... plus 11 feats to add onto it. If that's, say, Perception and Stealth for the skills, then Skill Focus twice (once for each skill), Alertness, Stealthy, et cetera... you can make quite the scout.

So smart enough to do something directed, but no real initiative outside of reacting within established parameters? That makes sense, then.

How do you get 41,375 as the cost to create, though? I thought 22,750 was the cost to create the modification in the first place? :smallconfused:

[Jack_Simth]

So smart enough to do something directed, but no real initiative outside of reacting within established parameters? That makes sense, then. That's my take, at least. Probably worth all of about $0.02, if I'm lucky. As in all cases where the rules are not fully clear, check with your DM, as it's your DM's reading that matters for your table, not mine.
How do you get 41,375 as the cost to create, though? I thought 22,750 was the cost to create the modification in the first place? :smallconfused:Again, mostly just my take, from a little earlier in the section:

Standard constructs can be modified to enhance their base abilities, alter their appearance or function, or perform a variety of tasks beyond the intentions of their basic designs. Performing a modification provides a construct’s creator with a simple way to create a unique construct. A modification can only be performed while the construct is inanimate or nonfunctioning. Performing modifications on one’s own construct requires the Craft Construct feat, and the creator must pay any additional crafting requirements and/or costs associated with the modification. Completing a modification requires 1 day per 1,000 gp of the modification’s base price (minimum 1 day). (emphasis added)

Base Price, when it comes to magic items, is always "market price". There's only ever one price listed for the modification, thus, the 22,750 is the market price modification, rather than the construction cost modification, netting you a 50% discount on that bit if you're the builder (which you should be - most constructs maintain a forever subservience to their creator, which makes purchasing one risky). This may or may not be the author's intent. Again, though, that's just my take, probably worth all of about $0.02, if I'm lucky. Less than that in this case, as I just randomly checked a ring, and it lists "price" for market price, and "cost" in construction requirements, which makes me less sure of myself... I'm starting to think that author's intent probably is that the modification cost is construction costs rather than market costs. As in all cases where the rules are not fully clear, check with your DM, as it's your DM's reading that matters, not mine.

Side note: The bit about the Construct Armor mod requiring the construct to be the same size as the user is an added construction requirement, which can be ignored by soaking +5 to the DC in Pathfinder. Very useful when it comes to something like adding that to a adamantine golem to make melee cry when they figure out that 'inactive' is not 'destroyed'.