Bio-Mechanical Undead

[ByOdin'sBeard]

Hello Hivemind,

I'm writing a new campaign, of which the main enemy the characters will be facing are bio-mechanical undead. I'm going for just plain cadavers, whether zombies or skeletons, with mechanical enhancements. The world they're playing in is magitech based and technology is around Ebberon level of advancement, so I'm thinking mechanical grafts essentially.

I don't know how to build these creatures stat-wise though - I was thinking that I could make them Constructs (Augmented Undead), but they really aren't constructs in any sense, and they definitely aren't living constructs. Either that or just make them undead and add flavor through grafts. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[ViperMagnum357]

If you are okay with licensed material, you could look at the Half-Machine template from Dungeon Magazine 91. It cannot be applied to Undead, but you can apply it to a creature that you then kill and then raise as a low end Undead template that does not strip capabilities, like Gravetouched Ghoul. Half-Machine provides a wide array of choices, so you can tailor encounters by mixing and matching with different base creatures.

[ByOdin'sBeard]

If you are okay with licensed material, you could look at the Half-Machine template from Dungeon Magazine 91.

100% okay with it, the entire world is homebrew, so no problem there. This is amazing, I will 100% be working off of that! Thank you for the input!

[Chronos]

I would still call them Constructs. It sounds like these are basically tech robots made from corpses instead of metal, and tech robots and magic golems alike are both constructs.

One thing I would definitely be asking as a player, and to which you should have an answer in mind, is why? If your tech is sufficient to allow for robots, why make them out of something icky, instead of metal (or wood or whatever)? The players may not necessarily know the answer (at least at first), but an answer should exist.

[awa]

so if we are just talking about a zombie that has been upgraded to have swords for hands and metal plates grafted to it you could just go the lazy rout and mechanically make it a zombie in full plate with a great sword. adjust hd to proper level.

[ShurikVch]

How about the Dragon stuff?
#351 - in "The Clockwork Disciple" article - introduced technomagical implants, which may do the trick (if a bit expensive - from 1,000 to 42,000 gp)
#352 includes the "Remade" template

Return to the Temple of the Frog (https://web.archive.org/web/20090603054523/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/Return_Temple_Frog.zip) includes several Cyborgs (which are, mechanically, Living Constructs - thus, are legal for undeath)

[Beni-Kujaku]

I would still call them Constructs. It sounds like these are basically tech robots made from corpses instead of metal, and tech robots and magic golems alike are both constructs.

One thing I would definitely be asking as a player, and to which you should have an answer in mind, is why? If your tech is sufficient to allow for robots, why make them out of something icky, instead of metal (or wood or whatever)? The players may not necessarily know the answer (at least at first), but an answer should exist.

The answer is probably the same as "why would you put mechanical parts in your undead when necromantic energy makes it work just as well?". Basically, you get the best of both worlds. Your ghoul can retain its paralyzing touch while gaining better reach and armor thanks to mechanical advancement, and can even still be healed with negative energy, while constructs can only be repaired. Your vampire retains their intelligence, but are still bound under the machine's programming, and they can still call creatures of the night while using the flamethrower that was installed in their mouth.

For the OP, Pathfinder may have interesting things, like the Necrocraft (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/necrocraft/), which is Undead, but customizable and easily fluffable as mechanical augmentations. Alternatively, applying Construct Modifications (https://www.aonprd.com/ConstructMods.aspx?ItemName=All) to Undead is a great way to customize undead with a definite biomechanical flair.

[liquidformat]

I would suggest taking a look at the half golem template from MMII and the web-enhancement; Flesh golem is already a good representation of Frankenstein's Monster.

On a side note since this is your own setting you could just take all the existing grafts and just change them to being mechanical parts instead of monster parts.

Check out this article for all your grafting needs Fleshwarping (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?190350-Fleshwarping-A-List-of-Grafts-Symbionts-and-Related-Goodies)

[Vaern]

Would the mechanical enhancements keep the creature moving and fighting if the body they are attached to is no longer animated? ie, if a cleric using turn undead destroys a zombie in a mechsuit will the suit have some capacity to keep moving on its own? If not, it is undead. If yes, it is a construct.

Since you say you're going for regular cadavers being mechanically animated rather than magically animated, I'd go with constructs referring to the stats of regular skeletons and zombies as basic guidelines. They wouldn't be affected by things like turn undead or disrupt undead at all, as they are not truly undead. The fact that the base of the construct happens to be a corpse seems to be more of an aesthetic detail than anything else.