Friday, April 22, 2016

Advanced Bestiary: Clockwork Formian

Formian society is built around the orderly preservation and expansion of the hive and its queen. (See Bestiary 4 108.) The uncanny coordination possible through the hive mind makes each formian appear to be like a single cog in an immense and highly complex machine.

Clockwork formians take this impression to the next level: they are not bred for the welfare of the hive, but are literally built for it. Being clockworks (see the clockwork template, Advanced Bestiary 55), these creatures lack the full intelligence and initiative of normal formians. This simply makes them more rigidly adhere to the race's obsession with order.

The hive's queen is essentially a living computer and factory. Her underlings build the metal exoskeletons for each new formian, while she produces and installs the magical mechanisms that animate these shells under her control.

Clockwork formians are quite rare on the Material Plane, but are rumored to have originated on a strongly lawful-aligned Outer Plane composed entirely of massive machinery. (If the GM decides that they are native to such a plane, then add the extraplanar subtype when they encountered elsewhere.)

Stat blocks for clockwork formian workers, warriors, and taskmasters appear below.


CLOCKWORK FORMIAN WORKER (CR 1)
XP 400
LN Small construct (clockwork)
Init +6 (+10 with hive mind); Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, hive mind; Perception -1 (+3 with hive mind)
Defense
AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +3 dodge, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +4, Will -1
Defensive Abilities ; DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, sonic 10
Weaknesses metal body, vulnerability to electricity
Offense
Speed 40 ft., burrow 10 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d6+3)
Statistics
Str 17, Dex 14, Con --, Int 4, Wis 8, Cha 3
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge[B], Improved Initiative[B], Lightning Reflexes[B], Skill Focus (Profession [miner])
Skills Craft (clockwork) +2, Disable Device +7, Perception -1 (+3 with hive mind), Profession (miner) +5, Stealth +1
Languages Common, telepathy 60 ft.
SQ able assistant, created mind, creator bond (hive queen), difficult to create, formian traits, peerless bearer, swift reactions, winding
Ecology
Environment warm or temperate land or underground
Organization solitary, work crew (6-12 plus 1 taskmaster), band (3-15 plus 5-8 warriors and 1 taskmaster)
Treasure incidental (occasionally a 10-50 gp gem embedded into a worker's carapace)
Special Abilities
Able Assistant (Ex) When a formian worker succeeds at an aid another check or attack roll that aids another hive mate within its telepathy range, it grants a +4 bonus to the skill check, on the attack roll, or to AC instead of the normal +4.
Created Mind (Ex) A clockwork formian only accepts commands from its creator (the hive's queen) or designated surrogate (a higher-ranked formian within the hive mind). It can act independent of any commands that are given to it. If it wishes to directly disobey a command, the clockwork needs to make a successful Will save (DC 20). On a failed save, the clockwork follows the command to the best of its ability as if under a command spell. If a command would destroy the clockwork formian or otherwise cause it harm, it gets a second Will save (DC 15) immediately after the first.
Once a clockwork formian's creator dies or frees it, the clockwork becomes an independent creature. A free clockwork no longer follows any other creature's command unless magically compelled. A clockwork typically continues to perform the last tasks it was command to complete; however, it may still act independently outside its last commands.
Creator Bond (Ex) A clockwork formian can instinctively detect the location of its creator (the hive's queen) within 100 ft., regardless of magical and natural barriers. Within this range, the clockwork gains a +10 circumstance bonus vs. Bluff and Disguise checks, and any other effect made to impersonate the clockwork's creator. [Note that the formians' hive mind usually makes this quality superfluous.]
Difficult to Create (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Peerless Bearer (Ex) Workers have a +5 racial bonus to Strength when calculating the effects of encumbrance.
Swift Reactions (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Winding (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.


CLOCKWORK FORMIAN WARRIOR (CR 4)
XP 1,200
LN Medium construct (clockwork)
Init +9 (+13 with hive mind); Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, hive mind; Perception +3 (+7 with hive mind)
Defense
AC 24, touch 18, flat-footed 16 (+5 Dex, +3 dodge, +6 natural)
hp 42 (4d10+20)
Fort +1, Ref +8, Will +0
DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, sonic 10
Weaknesses metal body, vulnerability to electricity
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee sting +8 (1d4+4 plus poison), 2 claws +8 (1d4+4 plus grab)
Ranged javelin +9 (1d6+4 plus poison)
Special Attacks deadly grasp, poison
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 21, Con --, Int 5, Wis 8, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge[B], Improved Initiative[B], Lightning Reflexes[B], Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +12 (+16 jumping), Craft (clockwork) +2, Disable Device +10, Perception +3 (+7 with hive mind), Stealth +4
Languages Common, telepathy 60 ft.
SQ coordinate, created mind, creator bond (hive queen), difficult to create, formian traits, swift reactions, winding
Ecology
Environment warm or temperate land or underground
Organization solitary, pair, band (3-15 plus 5-8 warriors and 1 taskmaster), or patrol (3-12)
Treasure incidental (6 javelins, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Coordinate (Su) Once a formian warrior has acted in combat, all allied formians within the hive mind are no longer considered flat-footed. When a formian warrior attacks a creature in melee, allied formians gain a +2 insight bonus on melee attack rolls against that creature until the start of the warrior's next turn.
Created Mind (Ex) See the Clockwork Formian Worker (above).
Creator Bond (Ex) See the Clockwork Formian Worker (above).
Deadly Grasp (Ex) When a formian warrior has a foe grappled, it deals sting damage when it succeeds at a grapple check to damage its opponent.
Difficult to Create (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Poison (Ex) Javelin or sting--injury; Fort DC 12; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 1 save.
Swift Reactions (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Winding (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.


CLOCKWORK FORMIAN TASKMASTER (CR 8)
XP 4,800
LN Medium construct (clockwork)
Init +8 (+12 with hive mind); Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, hive mind; Perception +7 (+11 with hive mind)
Defense
AC 30, touch 17, flat-footed 23 (+4 Dex, +3 dodge, +13 natural)
hp 75 (10d10+20)
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +5
DR 10/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10, sonic 10
Weaknesses metal body, vulnerability to electricity
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee sting +15 (1d4+5 plus poison), 2 claws +15 (1d4+5)
Ranged dart +14/+9 (1d4+5)
Special Attacks poison
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +11)
3/day--detect thoughts (DC 13), sending (to the hive queen only)
Bard Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +8)
3rd (1)--confusion (DC 15), good hope
2nd (3)--heroism, invisibility, sound burst (DC 13), suggestion (DC 14)
1st (5)--charm person (DC 13), comprehend languages, cure light wounds, hideous laughter (DC 13), silent image (DC 12)
0 (at will)--dancing lights, daze (DC 12), detect magic, mending, messages, prestidigitation
Statistics
Str 21, Dex 18, Con --, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip)
Feats Combat Casting, Dodge[B], Improved Initiative[B], Lightning Reflexes[B], Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Spell Focus (enchantment)
Skills Bluff +6, Climb +9, Craft (clockwork) +6, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +10, Perception +7 (+11 with hive mind), Sense Motive +7, Stealth -1
Languages Common, telepathy 60 ft.
SQ created mind, creator bond (hive queen), difficult to create, formian traits, mental motivator, swift reactions, winding
Ecology
Environment warm or temperate land or underground
Organization solitary, work crew (1 plus 6-12 workers), band (1 plus 3-15 workers and 5-8 warriors), embassy (2-6)
Treasure incidental (10 darts, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Created Mind (Ex) See the Clockwork Formian Worker (above).
Creator Bond (Ex) See the Clockwork Formian Worker (above).
Difficult to Create (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Mental Motivator (Su) A formian taskmaster can inspire competence or inspire courage as a 7th-level bard (typically 17 rounds/day). The taskmaster's performance is purely mental and and only affects formians from its own hive mind within range.
Poison (Ex) Sting--injury; Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves.
Swift Reactions (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.
Winding (Ex) See the clockwork subtype.

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