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Getsugaru
2017-11-17, 08:50 PM
So in designing a recent character, I decided to take a look at the rules for constructs (something I've never had a character use before). I wound up stumbling on two things that caught my eye: the Nimblewright from MM2 and Construct Armor (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/magic/buildingAndModifyingConstructs.html#construct-armor) from Pathfinder. This lead to me asking the following question: "would it be a good idea to make a suit of Nimblewright Construct Armor, and what would I gain from doing so?"

Specifically, I'm wondering if it's worth the extra 35,000 gp to turn the Nimblewright into what equates to a Breastplate. Questions that come to mind include whether or not I could use its rapier-hands, have it move us around a la Move-By-Wire trick, have it use its SLA's, etc. I know the Pathfinder rules for Construct Armor state the construct performs no independent actions and remains under the control of the creator while worn, but what does that mean exactly? And could I craft the Nimblewright, which in MM2 is stated to be made from flexible precious metal alloys, from special materials such as mithral?

Side question that came up while writing this post: a Nimblewright's body is stated to be a "hollow humanoid shell" under construction, so do I even need to build it to serve as armor special or could I just command it to let me climb inside of it?

Thanks in advance to any and all replies.

unseenmage
2017-11-18, 01:36 AM
IIRC Construct Armor is kinda garbage. All the drawbacks of armor with little to none of the benefits is how I remember it being described.

Also IIRC the homebrew fix is simple enough, but not RAW at all.

My go to was to use the 3rd party Amalgam Creature (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/amalgam-creature-cr-special/) template to combine Constructs with the Tattoo Guardian (http://archivesofnethys.com/MonsterDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Tattoo%20Guardian) for a wearable minion who soaked up damage.

Alternatively, the Clockwork Armor (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20070212a) is nice, esp as an Int Magic Item.

EDIT
As to climbing in hollow Constructs, sure you could but without modifying with straps and hammering it to fit your form chafing and crushing suffocation become real concerns. Imagine climbing into a hollow tree with arm and leg spaces or a hollow crushed trashcan.
RAW, if the text doesnt support it then it doesnt work, sadly. Even with Rule of Cool though, with a humanoid crammed inside it I would rule that the Nimblewright looses some, maybe all, of its speed advantages.

EDIT AGAIN
As to special materials, RAW regular Constructs arent like Warforged so strapping random soecial materials to therm doesnt help them much.

I once pursued a line of questioning here on the boards about Animate Objects on a statue that was two equal parts two special materials, which Hardness to use? What of more than two?
The RAW answer, such as it was, was that you'd just get one or the other at the time of creation and/or animation.

Zsaber0
2017-11-18, 12:00 PM
I know the Pathfinder rules for Construct Armor state the construct performs no independent actions and remains under the control of the creator while worn, but what does that mean exactly?

The way my group interpreted that was for the construct to use any of its abilities required you to spend an action directing it. For example an alchemists in my party wears an alchemical golem construct armor and spends a standard action to have the golem throw a bomb instead of him using his own better bombs.