Clockroaches, Sparks Guardians, Ranged Attacks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Clockroaches, Sparks Guardians, Ranged Attacks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
p9522935
10-28-07, 12:06 AM It would be really handy to make constructs with unlimited lightning attacks. Unlimited ranged attacks of any kind are handy, but lightning is handy for healing certain golems.

Clockroaches (MonstManuIV) have one acid attack every five rounds. That could easily be modified to be electricity, but it would be nicer if it were 1/round.

Sparks Guardians (Complete Warrior) have unlimited spark attacks, i.e. they can use them once per round, every round. However, they are designed as familiars. I.e. making a Sparks Guardian should be cheap, because the maker is going to use up his familiar slot and take damage if it dies, thus making the creature worth less. A construct that resembled the Sparks Guardian, but without the burden of being a familiar, would be much more useful.

The logical extension of this would be to have golems that are healed by lightning attacks, commanded by an augmented golem that could cast lightning attacks.

I don't believe the rules precisely spell out how to do this. However, considering that a shocker lizard is only CR 2, I think a once-per-round shock ability would be pretty cheap.

To take a random stab at a first draft, I present the Galvanic Golem:

Galvanic Golems are composed of animal or humanoid nerve and muscle tissue, and are customarily provided with a bone or metal endoskeleton and a suit of armor, which functions as an exoskeleton.

They can be made any size, but customarily they are made into Small humanoid forms. They have Intelligence scores of 3, Wisdom scores of 11, and Charisma scores of 3. They can speak in very simple sentences with limited vocabulary. Once per round, they can produce 2d8 electricity damage to anything they touch, including themselves. They can only be healed by electricity; i.e. a 4-point sword wound could be closed up and healed by inflicting 4 points of electricity damage. They strongly prefer to operate in groups and will prefer to heal members of their group before counter-attacking foes. They cost 275 xp to make, plus gold, equipment, etc. Edit: I think a minimum caster level of 6, with the Craft Construct feat, would be about right.

I'll cross-post this to the golem thread, but I'm not just interested in golems -- I'm interested in constructs which do not fit the golem archetype as well.

I believe the appropriate slogan is: Please Examine And Criticize Helpfully...
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
10-28-07, 03:45 PM Looks good to me. Although if you do want a construct with unlimited ranged electric attacks, check out the DragonMech campaign setting. It has a construct known as the Shocker. A ray that deals 3d4 electricity damage, every round. Plus it can reroute this damage into its slam attacks. Best of all, its attack is (Ex). Yeah, if you love constructs, DragonMech is the book to get. Or better yet, its accompaniment, the Mech Manual. Some are steam or clockwork, rather than magic. Not to say there aren't magical constructs.

But back to the Galvanic Golem: neat. I really like how it's made of neurons with a metal exoskeleton. Very nice. But electricity shouldn't be the only way to heal it. Why wouldn't manual repairs work? (For that matter, if there's biological tissue, why can't healing spells have a partial effect?) It sounds like these might be living constructs, like the warforged. Especially since they have mental ability scores.

Omni

P.S. I always thought P.E.A.C.H. stood for Please Examine and Critique Honestly. It still expresses the same concept.
p9522935
10-29-07, 07:36 AM Yeah, if you love constructs, DragonMech is the book to get. Or better yet, its accompaniment, the Mech Manual.

Thanks for the title.

electricity shouldn't be the only way to heal it. Why wouldn't manual repairs work? (For that matter, if there's biological tissue, why can't healing spells have a partial effect?) It sounds like these might be living constructs, like the warforged.

Hmm. Yeah. A repair spell or a standard Craft Construct repair ought to be able to heal it, at least partially.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
10-29-07, 09:29 AM Thanks for the title.

You're welcome.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
p9522935 10-28-07, 12:06 AM	It would be really handy to make constructs with unlimited lightning attacks. Unlimited ranged attacks of any kind are handy, but lightning is handy for healing certain golems. Clockroaches (MonstManuIV) have one acid attack every five rounds. That could easily be modified to be electricity, but it would be nicer if it were 1/round. Sparks Guardians (Complete Warrior) have unlimited spark attacks, i.e. they can use them once per round, every round. However, they are designed as familiars. I.e. making a Sparks Guardian should be cheap, because the maker is going to use up his familiar slot and take damage if it dies, thus making the creature worth less. A construct that resembled the Sparks Guardian, but without the burden of being a familiar, would be much more useful. The logical extension of this would be to have golems that are healed by lightning attacks, commanded by an augmented golem that could cast lightning attacks. I don't believe the rules precisely spell out how to do this. However, considering that a shocker lizard is only CR 2, I think a once-per-round shock ability would be pretty cheap. To take a random stab at a first draft, I present the Galvanic Golem: Galvanic Golems are composed of animal or humanoid nerve and muscle tissue, and are customarily provided with a bone or metal endoskeleton and a suit of armor, which functions as an exoskeleton. They can be made any size, but customarily they are made into Small humanoid forms. They have Intelligence scores of 3, Wisdom scores of 11, and Charisma scores of 3. They can speak in very simple sentences with limited vocabulary. Once per round, they can produce 2d8 electricity damage to anything they touch, including themselves. They can only be healed by electricity; i.e. a 4-point sword wound could be closed up and healed by inflicting 4 points of electricity damage. They strongly prefer to operate in groups and will prefer to heal members of their group before counter-attacking foes. They cost 275 xp to make, plus gold, equipment, etc. Edit: I think a minimum caster level of 6, with the Craft Construct feat, would be about right. I'll cross-post this to the golem thread, but I'm not just interested in golems -- I'm interested in constructs which do not fit the golem archetype as well. I believe the appropriate slogan is: Please Examine And Criticize Helpfully...
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-28-07, 03:45 PM	Looks good to me. Although if you do want a construct with unlimited ranged electric attacks, check out the DragonMech campaign setting. It has a construct known as the Shocker. A ray that deals 3d4 electricity damage, every round. Plus it can reroute this damage into its slam attacks. Best of all, its attack is (Ex). Yeah, if you love constructs, DragonMech is the book to get. Or better yet, its accompaniment, the Mech Manual. Some are steam or clockwork, rather than magic. Not to say there aren't magical constructs. But back to the Galvanic Golem: neat. I really like how it's made of neurons with a metal exoskeleton. Very nice. But electricity shouldn't be the only way to heal it. Why wouldn't manual repairs work? (For that matter, if there's biological tissue, why can't healing spells have a partial effect?) It sounds like these might be living constructs, like the warforged. Especially since they have mental ability scores. Omni P.S. I always thought P.E.A.C.H. stood for Please Examine and Critique Honestly. It still expresses the same concept.
p9522935 10-29-07, 07:36 AM	Yeah, if you love constructs, DragonMech is the book to get. Or better yet, its accompaniment, the Mech Manual. Thanks for the title. electricity shouldn't be the only way to heal it. Why wouldn't manual repairs work? (For that matter, if there's biological tissue, why can't healing spells have a partial effect?) It sounds like these might be living constructs, like the warforged. Hmm. Yeah. A repair spell or a standard Craft Construct repair ought to be able to heal it, at least partially.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-29-07, 09:29 AM	Thanks for the title. You're welcome.