Are these 'monsters' balanced? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Are these 'monsters' balanced? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ShadowDragon8685
07-01-06, 07:10 PM Okay, these are a couple of mostly wholely mechanical "Golems" for use in a campaign I'm running. Yes, one of them has an inteligence score. No, there is no magic (apparently) involved. Don't worry about that.

I am, however, worried about the balance of these things, both because the PCs may encounter them, and because the PCs may be able to construct them, eventually. Thoughts? Suggestions?

Mechanical Arachnids and Automata.

Nobody is sure how these things actually work, but one thing is certain; they do work. They can follow orders, and are much like golems. Even some of those who construct them will confess that they have no idea how they do what they do, determining friend from foe, and deciding what to attack and what not to attack when ordered, and decry those who do claim to know how they work as Damned liars. Nothing in their plans or construction explains how they function, but it is certain that they do function, and properly.

All Mechanized Constructs are powered by fuel burning to boil water into steam. Those used as guardian devices are typically kept with clockwork starter mechanisms that strike the fuel burning, and drop a tablet of sodium into the water resivor to jumpstart it. Otherwise, bringing the water to a boil takes 15 rounds, or the intervention of magic.

Mechanized Constructs have two power levels. Walking and Active. Walking provides them only enough power to move slowly, and the construct is considered Exhausted. Active provides full power. The exact burn rates for each level of activity vary between machine. Also, water is important. A mechanized Construct running low on water is considered Fatigued - don't let it run out, or the boiler will melt, thus ruining it until it can be fixed.

Mechanized Arachnid
Size/Type Small Construct
HD 11d10+10 (70 HP)
Initiative +1
Speed 15 feet
Armor Class 26 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +14 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple +8/+14
Attack Slam +15 Melee (2d4+6)
Full Attack 2 Slams +15 Melee (2d4+6)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks -
Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight
Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3
Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes.
Organization Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating 8
Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel.
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement At DM's discretion
Level Ajustment -

Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Mechanized Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Mechanized Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted with yellow and black rings.

The Mechanized Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 200 units of fuel.

The Mechanized Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours.

In active mode, the Mechanized Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses a unit of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute.

The mechanized arachnid is mindless, but it can recognize it's creator and always follow her instructions, as well as anyone the creator tells it to obey. It is smart enough to not attack it's creator directly, but it can be ordered to conduct indirect attacks - at least until the creator tells it to stop everything and obey none but her. It can understand simple autonomous commands with a small degree of complexity ("Attack anyone who enters this room who does not speak the word "Hippopotamous",) but anything more complex will require a handler to guide it.

No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour.

The Mechanized Arachnid weighs 800 lbs, without fuel or water.

Poison Arachnid
Size/Type Small Construct
HD 13d10+10 (81 HP)
Initiative +1
Speed 15 feet
Armor Class 28 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +16 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple +9/+15
Attack Claw +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison)
Full Attack 2 Claws +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks Poison
Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight
Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3
Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes.
Organization Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating 11
Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel.
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement At DM's discretion
Level Ajustment -

Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Poison Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Poison Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted with vividly green and black rings.

Poison - The usual Poison Arachnid is equipped with a resivor through which Strong Poison is flushed and may be dispended through hollow holes in the claw's tips. This poison deals 1d6 CON damage as a primary effect and 1d6 CON as a secondary effect, with a Fortitude save DC of 16. Repeated doses do not risk additional CON damage until the secondary effect has worked through - they do, however, force additional saves against the primary effect (in case it was saved against the first time), and each time a target is injected, the save DC goes up by two.

As the Poison Arachnid is an update of the Mechanized Arachnid, it's body has been bulked up, and two additional arms, equipped with long, powerful, sharp claws designed to pierce as much as slash, unfold from under it's belly, connected to it's poison resivor.

The Poison Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 180 units of fuel. It also has twenty doses of poison within it.

The Poison Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours.

In active mode, the Poison Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses four units of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute.

The Poison Arachnid is mindless, but it can recognize it's creator and always follow her instructions, as well as anyone the creator tells it to obey. It is smart enough to not attack it's creator directly, but it can be ordered to conduct indirect attacks - at least until the creator tells it to stop everything and obey none but her. It can understand simple autonomous commands with a small degree of complexity ("Attack anyone who enters this room who does not speak the word "Hippopotamous",) but anything more complex will require a handler to guide it.

No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour.

Medical Arachnid
Size/Type Small Construct
HD 13d10+10 (81 HP)
Initiative +1
Speed 15 feet
Armor Class 28 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +16 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple +9/+15
Attack Claw +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison)
Full Attack 2 Claws +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks -
Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight, Skill Mastery (Healing)
Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3
Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int 2 Wis 11 Cha 1
Skills Heal +13
Feats -
Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes.
Organization Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating 11
Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel.
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement At DM's discretion
Level Ajustment -

Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Medical Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Medical Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted stark white, with a vivid red cross on the top.

Skill Mastery (Healing) - the Medical Arachnid is designed to heal. As such, it can always Take 10 on heal checks, even in the middle of combat. It will ignore any threat to itself in order to heal someone it has been ordered to heal, or has determined to be in need of healing.

As the Medical Arachnid is an update of the Mechanized Arachnid, it's body has been bulked up, and four additional arms, two of which are equipped with long, powerful, sharp claws designed to pierce as much as slash, unfold from under it's belly. The other two arms are much more delicate and specialized for healing, connected to a resivor through which any sort of medicinal liquid may be dispensed by means of a hypodermic, as well as with which the Arachnid may apply salves or other medical oils or lotions. It is very gentile

The Medical Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 180 units of fuel. It also has twenty doses of poison within it.

The Medical Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours.

In active mode, the Medical Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses four units of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute.

The Medical Arachnid seems mindless, but those who have worked with them swear that they are not. They demonstrate a level of sophisticated problem-solving beyond that of even Automatons, and a dedication to healing that is truely awesome. This makes them unpredictable in a fight, as they have been known to break off assaults on enemies to heal something that it recognizes as an ally, and will administer healing to things that are in desperate need of it unless ordered not to by it's creator. It obeys it's creator without question, but balks at obeying anyone that does not spend a lot of time in the vicinity of it's creator - these people it may obey, even if the owner has not explicitly ordered it to.

No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour.

Automaton
Size/Type Medium Construct
HD 18d10+20 (119 HP)
Initiative +1
Speed 20 ft.
Armor Class 35 (+1 Dex, +24 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple +12/+21
Attack Claw +21 Melee (2d8+9)
Full Attack 2 Claws +21 Melee (2d8+9) + Rend (2d8+9)
Space/Reach 5/5
Special Attacks Rend
Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 10/Adamantine
Saves Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +6
Abilities STR 28 Dex 13 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes.
Organization Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating 13
Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel.
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement At DM's discretion
Level Ajustment -

Rend - When the Automaton lands a hit with both claws, it deals additional damage equal to the damage of one claw.

The terrifying Automatom. Stalking forward on stilt-like legs of steel, swinging it's two large claws, to grasp and rend and tear. It has the overall shape of a man, with giant lobsterlike claws on it's arms, glisteningly steel. It's body is manufactured from a suit of platemail, but one look under the helmet and it's obviously not a man. It acts on orders alone, and fights unthinkingly. All the caveats about the Mechanized Arachnid apply. Unlike the Mechanized Arachnid, how it senses things is fairly obvious - it has a large green 'eye' under it's helmet, staring out unblinkingly. It has lost the Arachnid's ability to sense the unsensable, but it's sheer power more than makes up for that.

The Automaton carries 40 gallons of fuel and 400 units of fuel. In walking mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel an hour, and 4 units of fuel every ten minutes. In fighting mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel per minute, and eats up 10 units of fuel per round.

[code]
Automaton Gunner
Size/Type Medium Construct
HD 18d10+20 (119 HP)
Initiative +1
Speed 20 ft.
Armor Class 28 (+4 Dex, +14 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple +12/+21
Attack Claw +21 Melee (2d8+9)
Full Attack 2 Claws +21 Melee (2d8+9) + Rend (2d8+9)
Space/Reach 5/5
Special Attacks Rend, Elephant Gun
Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 10/Adamantine
Saves Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +6
Abilities STR 28 Dex 18 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes.
Organization Solitary or gang (2-4)
Challenge Rating 14
Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel.
Alignment Always Neutral
Advancement At DM's discretion
Level Ajustment -
[/code[

Rend - When the Automaton Gunner lands a hit with both claws, it deals additional damage equal to the damage of one claw.

Elephant Gun - once per round as a free action, the Automaton Gunner may take a shot with the elephant gun mounted on it's parallel arm. This follows all the normal rules for an elephant gun - it deals 3d8 damage, and uses ammunition. The Automaton Gunner can shoot this in melee without penalty, at the same target it is engaged in melee with, or any other target. The gun is reloaded automatically, and carries 15 rounds.

The terrifying Automatom Bunner. Stalking forward on stilt-like legs of steel, swinging it's two large claws, to grasp and rend and tear. It has the overall shape of a man, with giant lobsterlike claws on it's arms, glisteningly steel. It's body is manufactured from a suit of platemail, but it has a parallel third arm attached under it's right shoulder. This arm terminates not in a claw, but the glistening barrel of a rather large rifle.. It acts on orders alone, and fights unthinkingly. All the caveats about the Mechanized Arachnid apply.

Unlike the Mechanized Arachnid, how it senses things is fairly obvious - it has a large green 'eye' under it's helmet, staring out unblinkingly. It has lost the Arachnid's ability to sense the unsensable, but it's sheer power more than makes up for that.

The Automaton carries 40 gallons of fuel and 400 units of fuel. In walking mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel an hour, and 4 units of fuel every ten minutes. In fighting mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel per minute, and eats up 10 units of fuel per round.
Archmage_Vall
07-01-06, 08:54 PM If anything, I'd say you've got the CRs set too high. IMO, the automaton gunner should be ~ CR 11.
ShadowDragon8685
07-02-06, 01:59 AM The Gunner's the most theoretically dangerous of the bunch... What would the others be, do you think?
tsuyoshikentsu
07-02-06, 02:02 AM HOLY CRAP YOU STATTED OUT ARCANUM MONSTERS.

You have earned my eternal adoration.
kelvinaw273
07-02-06, 07:57 AM Steam golems .... novel, I must admit.
Archmage Atrus
07-02-06, 08:25 AM I'll agree they all seem to be a bit high on the CR. I'd drop it a step or two. The poisoned arachnid seems the highest - its CR should only be 1 point above the earlier model.

I tend to think golems should have about the same CR as their base attack bonus, with their strength bonus filling out the rest of their attack bonus.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ShadowDragon8685 07-01-06, 07:10 PM	Okay, these are a couple of mostly wholely mechanical "Golems" for use in a campaign I'm running. Yes, one of them has an inteligence score. No, there is no magic (apparently) involved. Don't worry about that. I am, however, worried about the balance of these things, both because the PCs may encounter them, and because the PCs may be able to construct them, eventually. Thoughts? Suggestions? Mechanical Arachnids and Automata. Nobody is sure how these things actually work, but one thing is certain; they do work. They can follow orders, and are much like golems. Even some of those who construct them will confess that they have no idea how they do what they do, determining friend from foe, and deciding what to attack and what not to attack when ordered, and decry those who do claim to know how they work as Damned liars. Nothing in their plans or construction explains how they function, but it is certain that they do function, and properly. All Mechanized Constructs are powered by fuel burning to boil water into steam. Those used as guardian devices are typically kept with clockwork starter mechanisms that strike the fuel burning, and drop a tablet of sodium into the water resivor to jumpstart it. Otherwise, bringing the water to a boil takes 15 rounds, or the intervention of magic. Mechanized Constructs have two power levels. Walking and Active. Walking provides them only enough power to move slowly, and the construct is considered Exhausted. Active provides full power. The exact burn rates for each level of activity vary between machine. Also, water is important. A mechanized Construct running low on water is considered Fatigued - don't let it run out, or the boiler will melt, thus ruining it until it can be fixed. Mechanized Arachnid Size/Type Small Construct HD 11d10+10 (70 HP) Initiative +1 Speed 15 feet Armor Class 26 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +14 Natural) Base Attack/Grapple +8/+14 Attack Slam +15 Melee (2d4+6) Full Attack 2 Slams +15 Melee (2d4+6) Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks - Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3 Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1 Skills - Feats - Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes. Organization Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating 8 Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel. Alignment Always Neutral Advancement At DM's discretion Level Ajustment - Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Mechanized Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Mechanized Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted with yellow and black rings. The Mechanized Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 200 units of fuel. The Mechanized Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours. In active mode, the Mechanized Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses a unit of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute. The mechanized arachnid is mindless, but it can recognize it's creator and always follow her instructions, as well as anyone the creator tells it to obey. It is smart enough to not attack it's creator directly, but it can be ordered to conduct indirect attacks - at least until the creator tells it to stop everything and obey none but her. It can understand simple autonomous commands with a small degree of complexity ("Attack anyone who enters this room who does not speak the word "Hippopotamous",) but anything more complex will require a handler to guide it. No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour. The Mechanized Arachnid weighs 800 lbs, without fuel or water. Poison Arachnid Size/Type Small Construct HD 13d10+10 (81 HP) Initiative +1 Speed 15 feet Armor Class 28 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +16 Natural) Base Attack/Grapple +9/+15 Attack Claw +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison) Full Attack 2 Claws +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison) Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks Poison Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3 Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1 Skills - Feats - Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes. Organization Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating 11 Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel. Alignment Always Neutral Advancement At DM's discretion Level Ajustment - Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Poison Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Poison Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted with vividly green and black rings. Poison - The usual Poison Arachnid is equipped with a resivor through which Strong Poison is flushed and may be dispended through hollow holes in the claw's tips. This poison deals 1d6 CON damage as a primary effect and 1d6 CON as a secondary effect, with a Fortitude save DC of 16. Repeated doses do not risk additional CON damage until the secondary effect has worked through - they do, however, force additional saves against the primary effect (in case it was saved against the first time), and each time a target is injected, the save DC goes up by two. As the Poison Arachnid is an update of the Mechanized Arachnid, it's body has been bulked up, and two additional arms, equipped with long, powerful, sharp claws designed to pierce as much as slash, unfold from under it's belly, connected to it's poison resivor. The Poison Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 180 units of fuel. It also has twenty doses of poison within it. The Poison Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours. In active mode, the Poison Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses four units of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute. The Poison Arachnid is mindless, but it can recognize it's creator and always follow her instructions, as well as anyone the creator tells it to obey. It is smart enough to not attack it's creator directly, but it can be ordered to conduct indirect attacks - at least until the creator tells it to stop everything and obey none but her. It can understand simple autonomous commands with a small degree of complexity ("Attack anyone who enters this room who does not speak the word "Hippopotamous",) but anything more complex will require a handler to guide it. No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour. Medical Arachnid Size/Type Small Construct HD 13d10+10 (81 HP) Initiative +1 Speed 15 feet Armor Class 28 (+1 Size, +1 Dex, +16 Natural) Base Attack/Grapple +9/+15 Attack Claw +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison) Full Attack 2 Claws +16 Melee (2d6+6 and poison) Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks - Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Blindsight, Skill Mastery (Healing) Saves Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +3 Abilities STR 22 Dex 12 Con - Int 2 Wis 11 Cha 1 Skills Heal +13 Feats - Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes. Organization Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating 11 Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel. Alignment Always Neutral Advancement At DM's discretion Level Ajustment - Though it may range in particulars wildly, the Medical Arachnid has eight steam-driven, cable-laden legs that are surprisingly strong and agile. Though slow compared to most things, it picks it's pace carefully, placing it's legs exactly where it wants them. It has a Balance modifier of +20 as a result, and is nearly impossible to make lose it's footing. The typical Medical Arachnid has a large, tilted steam boiler where a real arachnid's thorax would be - this is usually painted stark white, with a vivid red cross on the top. Skill Mastery (Healing) - the Medical Arachnid is designed to heal. As such, it can always Take 10 on heal checks, even in the middle of combat. It will ignore any threat to itself in order to heal someone it has been ordered to heal, or has determined to be in need of healing. As the Medical Arachnid is an update of the Mechanized Arachnid, it's body has been bulked up, and four additional arms, two of which are equipped with long, powerful, sharp claws designed to pierce as much as slash, unfold from under it's belly. The other two arms are much more delicate and specialized for healing, connected to a resivor through which any sort of medicinal liquid may be dispensed by means of a hypodermic, as well as with which the Arachnid may apply salves or other medical oils or lotions. It is very gentile The Medical Arachnid carries twenty gallons of water, and 180 units of fuel. It also has twenty doses of poison within it. The Medical Arachnid burns one unit of fuel every ten mintues in walking mode - enough for 33 hours and 20 minutes of run-time. Iit uses up water in this mode at a rate of one gallon every two hours. In active mode, the Medical Arachnid kicks thing into high gear. It uses four units of fuel every round, and steams through a gallon of water every minute. The Medical Arachnid seems mindless, but those who have worked with them swear that they are not. They demonstrate a level of sophisticated problem-solving beyond that of even Automatons, and a dedication to healing that is truely awesome. This makes them unpredictable in a fight, as they have been known to break off assaults on enemies to heal something that it recognizes as an ally, and will administer healing to things that are in desperate need of it unless ordered not to by it's creator. It obeys it's creator without question, but balks at obeying anyone that does not spend a lot of time in the vicinity of it's creator - these people it may obey, even if the owner has not explicitly ordered it to. No-one is sure how it can sense things, as it has no obvious or even unobvious sensory aparatti (let alone anything capapble of decision making and differentiating,) but it can. It has Blindsense, but it is not Blind. It can see and distinguish colour. Automaton Size/Type Medium Construct HD 18d10+20 (119 HP) Initiative +1 Speed 20 ft. Armor Class 35 (+1 Dex, +24 Natural) Base Attack/Grapple +12/+21 Attack Claw +21 Melee (2d8+9) Full Attack 2 Claws +21 Melee (2d8+9) + Rend (2d8+9) Space/Reach 5/5 Special Attacks Rend Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 10/Adamantine Saves Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +6 Abilities STR 28 Dex 13 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1 Skills - Feats - Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes. Organization Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating 13 Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel. Alignment Always Neutral Advancement At DM's discretion Level Ajustment - Rend - When the Automaton lands a hit with both claws, it deals additional damage equal to the damage of one claw. The terrifying Automatom. Stalking forward on stilt-like legs of steel, swinging it's two large claws, to grasp and rend and tear. It has the overall shape of a man, with giant lobsterlike claws on it's arms, glisteningly steel. It's body is manufactured from a suit of platemail, but one look under the helmet and it's obviously not a man. It acts on orders alone, and fights unthinkingly. All the caveats about the Mechanized Arachnid apply. Unlike the Mechanized Arachnid, how it senses things is fairly obvious - it has a large green 'eye' under it's helmet, staring out unblinkingly. It has lost the Arachnid's ability to sense the unsensable, but it's sheer power more than makes up for that. The Automaton carries 40 gallons of fuel and 400 units of fuel. In walking mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel an hour, and 4 units of fuel every ten minutes. In fighting mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel per minute, and eats up 10 units of fuel per round. [code] Automaton Gunner Size/Type Medium Construct HD 18d10+20 (119 HP) Initiative +1 Speed 20 ft. Armor Class 28 (+4 Dex, +14 Natural) Base Attack/Grapple +12/+21 Attack Claw +21 Melee (2d8+9) Full Attack 2 Claws +21 Melee (2d8+9) + Rend (2d8+9) Space/Reach 5/5 Special Attacks Rend, Elephant Gun Special Qualities Construct Traits, DR 10/Adamantine Saves Fort +6 Ref +7 Will +6 Abilities STR 28 Dex 18 Con - Int - Wis 11 Cha 1 Skills - Feats - Environment Machine shops, ancient technological wastelands, gadgeteers' homes. Organization Solitary or gang (2-4) Challenge Rating 14 Treasure Potentially salvagable parts and fuel. Alignment Always Neutral Advancement At DM's discretion Level Ajustment - [/code[ Rend - When the Automaton Gunner lands a hit with both claws, it deals additional damage equal to the damage of one claw. Elephant Gun - once per round as a free action, the Automaton Gunner may take a shot with the elephant gun mounted on it's parallel arm. This follows all the normal rules for an elephant gun - it deals 3d8 damage, and uses ammunition. The Automaton Gunner can shoot this in melee without penalty, at the same target it is engaged in melee with, or any other target. The gun is reloaded automatically, and carries 15 rounds. The terrifying Automatom Bunner. Stalking forward on stilt-like legs of steel, swinging it's two large claws, to grasp and rend and tear. It has the overall shape of a man, with giant lobsterlike claws on it's arms, glisteningly steel. It's body is manufactured from a suit of platemail, but it has a parallel third arm attached under it's right shoulder. This arm terminates not in a claw, but the glistening barrel of a rather large rifle.. It acts on orders alone, and fights unthinkingly. All the caveats about the Mechanized Arachnid apply. Unlike the Mechanized Arachnid, how it senses things is fairly obvious - it has a large green 'eye' under it's helmet, staring out unblinkingly. It has lost the Arachnid's ability to sense the unsensable, but it's sheer power more than makes up for that. The Automaton carries 40 gallons of fuel and 400 units of fuel. In walking mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel an hour, and 4 units of fuel every ten minutes. In fighting mode, it burns through a gallon of fuel per minute, and eats up 10 units of fuel per round.
Archmage_Vall 07-01-06, 08:54 PM	If anything, I'd say you've got the CRs set too high. IMO, the automaton gunner should be ~ CR 11.
ShadowDragon8685 07-02-06, 01:59 AM	The Gunner's the most theoretically dangerous of the bunch... What would the others be, do you think?
tsuyoshikentsu 07-02-06, 02:02 AM	HOLY CRAP YOU STATTED OUT ARCANUM MONSTERS. You have earned my eternal adoration.
kelvinaw273 07-02-06, 07:57 AM	Steam golems .... novel, I must admit.
Archmage Atrus 07-02-06, 08:25 AM	I'll agree they all seem to be a bit high on the CR. I'd drop it a step or two. The poisoned arachnid seems the highest - its CR should only be 1 point above the earlier model. I tend to think golems should have about the same CR as their base attack bonus, with their strength bonus filling out the rest of their attack bonus.