Broken Cog [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Broken Cog [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
theotherdraxen
11-05-06, 01:28 AM BROKEN COG
The cogs are a race of orderly beings from Mechanus. They are part of the larger order that refers to itself as the Clockwork. The cogs were built to be the most versatile and flexible of the Clockwork machines. However, this gave them a great strand of chaos, and many liberal minded priests have used this to break them free from the Clockwork Master. A great number of them now walk the earth, free through life. They exchange life in the Clockwork Ranks for a mind and soul.
Personality: A broken cog was once a being of pure order and obedience. The newly discovered freedom creates two personality types: one of order and one of chaos. The orderly side seeks to go back to its servile lifestyle, though once broken, a cog may never return to the Clockwork Ranks. The chaotic side is the side grateful for freedom, though there is always a method to their madness.
Physical Description: Broken cogs look like clockwork humans. They are 6 feet tall and weigh 185 pounds. Their metal bodies hold inside them complex inner parts, which are occasionally visible through the smooth, outer shell. Broken cogs are usually a metallic color, though many paint themselves to show individuality.
Relations: Broken cogs generally leave their homelands in search of more normal humanoids. They prefer the company of gnomes, who are usually in touch with the Clockwork. They also enjoy the orderly lifestyle of dwarves, and they appreciate the complexity behind the elven culture. They usually find humans, Halflings, half-Orcs, and the like more chaotic and too unrefined for their taste, though they are rarely creatures to hold prejudice.
Alignment: Broken cogs are generally lawful or chaotic: they do not often lay in the middle. Their opinion of good and evil runs in the opposite direction: they do not usually choose to be good or evil, preferring the middle ground.
Clockwork Lands: Broken cogs descend from the plane of Mechanus, and the Clockwork machines populate where others will accept them and work with them. The broken cog, however, usually wanders for some time after being broken, and seek some place to settle down. Working in a factory or some other monotonous job are the preferred roles, and they settle in cities that offer such work.
Religion: Most broken cogs choose not to adopt a religion, but nothing stops them from joining a faith and pursuing it as far as any humanoid.
Language: Broken cogs innately speak Axiom. They usually learn Common and perhaps some of the other racial languages.
Names: Broken cogs usually lose their identification number when they are broken. From here, they have to make up their own name, with little to no guidance from others.
Adventurers: The life of a broken cog is an adventure. Trying to find a home and acceptance among others is one of the greatest challenges that faces them. By becoming an adventurer, many broken cogs seek to add meaning to their lives while looking for a place they can call home.

BROKEN COG RACIAL TRAITS
Soul Shell Construct Subtype (Ex): The type of a broken cog is construct with the Soul Shell construct subtype.
Features: As a soul shell construct, a broken cog has the following features.
• A construct derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects.
Traits: A broken cog posses the following traits.
• Unlike other constructs, a broken cog has a constitution score.
• Low light vision.
• Unlike other constructs, a broken cog is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
• Immunity to sleep, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain.
• Immunity to poison, paralysis, disease, nausea, and effects that cause the sickened condition.
• Unlike other constructs, a broken cog can heal lethal damage, but at half the normal effect.
• Unlike other constructs, a broken cog is subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, death effects, and necromancy effects.
• As a soul shell construct, broken cogs take the full effect of spells from the healing sub-school (and from spells like inflict). They also take the full effect from spells such as repair light damage, as well as disable construct.
• The unusual physical construction of a broken cog makes them vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally don’t affect living creatures. A broken cog takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if it were wearing metal armor. Likewise, a broken cog is affected by repel metal as if it were wearing metal armor. The iron body of a broken cog makes it vulnerable to rusting grasp, taking 3d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half: DC 14 + caster’s ability modifier). A broken cog takes the same damage from a rust monster’s touch (Reflex DC 17 half).
• A broken cog responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A broken cog with 0 hit points is disables, as with a living creature. He can take only a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, a broken cog is inert. It is unconscious and helpless, and cannot perform any actions. An inert broken cog does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, however, as with a living creature that has become stable.
• As a soul shell construct, a broken cog can be raised or resurrected.
• A broken cog does not need to eat or breathe, but it can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes’ feast and potions.
• Unlike other constructs, a broken cog needs to sleep for 6 hours, though they can shut down for 3 hours to achieve the same effect. While it is shut down, the broken cog is inert, and cannot be awoken by any effect.
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: broken cogs are exceptionally well-built, and can run smoother than most living creatures. They have difficulty in relating to other creatures, making them seem unfriendly or even hostile.
• Medium: As Medium constructs, broken cogs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Broken cog base land speed is 30.
• A broken cog has a natural weapon in the form of a slam attack that deals 1d4 damage.
• Darkvision out to 60 ft.
• Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: None.
• Favored Class: The first level class. When determining whether a multi-class broken cog takes an experience point penalty, the levels in the class it took first does not count. A broken cog works it’s first class into it’s core mechanics, making it a natural part of itself.
enygmatic_me
11-05-06, 01:38 AM I really like the flavor of the race. I am a big fan of constructs myself. To play devils advocate though, besides the flavor and backstory what would draw someone to play this over something like a Warforged with the celestial or half celestial template?
theotherdraxen
11-05-06, 01:48 AM No LA?

Edit: They're supposed to compliment the Warforged in a way. While Warforged are about strength and damage, the Broken Cog is about agility, and often stealth. In armies, the Warforged makes up the front-line fighters, and the Broken Cog makes up the scouts.

Really, I can't offer much more than flavor. Are they missing unique abilities, besides the full healing for being soul-shell constructs?
enygmatic_me
11-05-06, 01:57 AM Well, from their unique experience one could assume they have gained a unique outlook on the way the multiverse works. You could consider giving them a wisdom bonus to represent this.

Also, as to flavor. You showed that, though no longer party of the big machine, that they are still drawn to industrial work. Maybe the rare few have begun to take up the mantle of the preisthood for industry related goods. In the Forgotten Realms they could follow Gond or Moradin. In Eberron especially I could see them joining the sect dedicated to the Construct God.
theotherdraxen
11-05-06, 10:13 AM I fear giving them a mental ability bonus. This will certainly give them LA. It's just too powerful for spellcasters.

I could give them a racial bonus to sense motive and others skills to represent their insight.
Egarb
11-05-06, 10:39 AM This is similar to a race I was going to make (and probably still am) to compliment a class I made (the Tinker, posted it last night on the class board), even down to the concept of being Mechanus Rejects. I really like the rules, and I say dont be afraid to give them a mental stat bonus. I always thought it was silly to say that a race could benifit non-casters but could only penalize casters.

I was going to name my race the Clockwrought.
enygmatic_me
11-05-06, 01:18 PM Like Egarb said, don't be afraid to give them a mental bonus. The fact that they are effected by such a larger group of spells (heat/chill metal and the like) and their other drawbacks (like not fully healing lethal damage through natural healing) should still keep them close to balanced to a +0 even with a +2 to wisdom.
Talonos
04-16-07, 12:53 AM Well done, Draxen. Another fine creation. I prefer them to the Necrotauns, personally.
penchant
04-16-07, 08:52 PM Why not just use the living construct subtype? The main difference that I can see is in relation to healing and its effects.
mists_cloud
04-16-07, 09:14 PM Why does it need to sleep if it's immune to sleep?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
theotherdraxen 11-05-06, 01:28 AM	BROKEN COG The cogs are a race of orderly beings from Mechanus. They are part of the larger order that refers to itself as the Clockwork. The cogs were built to be the most versatile and flexible of the Clockwork machines. However, this gave them a great strand of chaos, and many liberal minded priests have used this to break them free from the Clockwork Master. A great number of them now walk the earth, free through life. They exchange life in the Clockwork Ranks for a mind and soul. Personality: A broken cog was once a being of pure order and obedience. The newly discovered freedom creates two personality types: one of order and one of chaos. The orderly side seeks to go back to its servile lifestyle, though once broken, a cog may never return to the Clockwork Ranks. The chaotic side is the side grateful for freedom, though there is always a method to their madness. Physical Description: Broken cogs look like clockwork humans. They are 6 feet tall and weigh 185 pounds. Their metal bodies hold inside them complex inner parts, which are occasionally visible through the smooth, outer shell. Broken cogs are usually a metallic color, though many paint themselves to show individuality. Relations: Broken cogs generally leave their homelands in search of more normal humanoids. They prefer the company of gnomes, who are usually in touch with the Clockwork. They also enjoy the orderly lifestyle of dwarves, and they appreciate the complexity behind the elven culture. They usually find humans, Halflings, half-Orcs, and the like more chaotic and too unrefined for their taste, though they are rarely creatures to hold prejudice. Alignment: Broken cogs are generally lawful or chaotic: they do not often lay in the middle. Their opinion of good and evil runs in the opposite direction: they do not usually choose to be good or evil, preferring the middle ground. Clockwork Lands: Broken cogs descend from the plane of Mechanus, and the Clockwork machines populate where others will accept them and work with them. The broken cog, however, usually wanders for some time after being broken, and seek some place to settle down. Working in a factory or some other monotonous job are the preferred roles, and they settle in cities that offer such work. Religion: Most broken cogs choose not to adopt a religion, but nothing stops them from joining a faith and pursuing it as far as any humanoid. Language: Broken cogs innately speak Axiom. They usually learn Common and perhaps some of the other racial languages. Names: Broken cogs usually lose their identification number when they are broken. From here, they have to make up their own name, with little to no guidance from others. Adventurers: The life of a broken cog is an adventure. Trying to find a home and acceptance among others is one of the greatest challenges that faces them. By becoming an adventurer, many broken cogs seek to add meaning to their lives while looking for a place they can call home. BROKEN COG RACIAL TRAITS Soul Shell Construct Subtype (Ex): The type of a broken cog is construct with the Soul Shell construct subtype. Features: As a soul shell construct, a broken cog has the following features. • A construct derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects. Traits: A broken cog posses the following traits. • Unlike other constructs, a broken cog has a constitution score. • Low light vision. • Unlike other constructs, a broken cog is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities. • Immunity to sleep, fatigue, exhaustion, and energy drain. • Immunity to poison, paralysis, disease, nausea, and effects that cause the sickened condition. • Unlike other constructs, a broken cog can heal lethal damage, but at half the normal effect. • Unlike other constructs, a broken cog is subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, death effects, and necromancy effects. • As a soul shell construct, broken cogs take the full effect of spells from the healing sub-school (and from spells like inflict). They also take the full effect from spells such as repair light damage, as well as disable construct. • The unusual physical construction of a broken cog makes them vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally don’t affect living creatures. A broken cog takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if it were wearing metal armor. Likewise, a broken cog is affected by repel metal as if it were wearing metal armor. The iron body of a broken cog makes it vulnerable to rusting grasp, taking 3d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half: DC 14 + caster’s ability modifier). A broken cog takes the same damage from a rust monster’s touch (Reflex DC 17 half). • A broken cog responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A broken cog with 0 hit points is disables, as with a living creature. He can take only a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, a broken cog is inert. It is unconscious and helpless, and cannot perform any actions. An inert broken cog does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, however, as with a living creature that has become stable. • As a soul shell construct, a broken cog can be raised or resurrected. • A broken cog does not need to eat or breathe, but it can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes’ feast and potions. • Unlike other constructs, a broken cog needs to sleep for 6 hours, though they can shut down for 3 hours to achieve the same effect. While it is shut down, the broken cog is inert, and cannot be awoken by any effect. • +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: broken cogs are exceptionally well-built, and can run smoother than most living creatures. They have difficulty in relating to other creatures, making them seem unfriendly or even hostile. • Medium: As Medium constructs, broken cogs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. • Broken cog base land speed is 30. • A broken cog has a natural weapon in the form of a slam attack that deals 1d4 damage. • Darkvision out to 60 ft. • Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: None. • Favored Class: The first level class. When determining whether a multi-class broken cog takes an experience point penalty, the levels in the class it took first does not count. A broken cog works it’s first class into it’s core mechanics, making it a natural part of itself.
enygmatic_me 11-05-06, 01:38 AM	I really like the flavor of the race. I am a big fan of constructs myself. To play devils advocate though, besides the flavor and backstory what would draw someone to play this over something like a Warforged with the celestial or half celestial template?
theotherdraxen 11-05-06, 01:48 AM	No LA? Edit: They're supposed to compliment the Warforged in a way. While Warforged are about strength and damage, the Broken Cog is about agility, and often stealth. In armies, the Warforged makes up the front-line fighters, and the Broken Cog makes up the scouts. Really, I can't offer much more than flavor. Are they missing unique abilities, besides the full healing for being soul-shell constructs?
enygmatic_me 11-05-06, 01:57 AM	Well, from their unique experience one could assume they have gained a unique outlook on the way the multiverse works. You could consider giving them a wisdom bonus to represent this. Also, as to flavor. You showed that, though no longer party of the big machine, that they are still drawn to industrial work. Maybe the rare few have begun to take up the mantle of the preisthood for industry related goods. In the Forgotten Realms they could follow Gond or Moradin. In Eberron especially I could see them joining the sect dedicated to the Construct God.
theotherdraxen 11-05-06, 10:13 AM	I fear giving them a mental ability bonus. This will certainly give them LA. It's just too powerful for spellcasters. I could give them a racial bonus to sense motive and others skills to represent their insight.
Egarb 11-05-06, 10:39 AM	This is similar to a race I was going to make (and probably still am) to compliment a class I made (the Tinker, posted it last night on the class board), even down to the concept of being Mechanus Rejects. I really like the rules, and I say dont be afraid to give them a mental stat bonus. I always thought it was silly to say that a race could benifit non-casters but could only penalize casters. I was going to name my race the Clockwrought.
enygmatic_me 11-05-06, 01:18 PM	Like Egarb said, don't be afraid to give them a mental bonus. The fact that they are effected by such a larger group of spells (heat/chill metal and the like) and their other drawbacks (like not fully healing lethal damage through natural healing) should still keep them close to balanced to a +0 even with a +2 to wisdom.
Talonos 04-16-07, 12:53 AM	Well done, Draxen. Another fine creation. I prefer them to the Necrotauns, personally.
penchant 04-16-07, 08:52 PM	Why not just use the living construct subtype? The main difference that I can see is in relation to healing and its effects.
mists_cloud 04-16-07, 09:14 PM	Why does it need to sleep if it's immune to sleep?