Automatons (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

This is a work in progress.

A clockwork creation consists of two parts, a body and a control apparatus. The body is a mechanical machine powered by springs. The control apparatus is by far the most complex part and can be mechanical or magical. This article focuses on mechanical clockwork, driven by mundane forces. A mechanical clockwork has a very limited intelligence, able to act only on specific instructions. The skills used with clockwork creatures are Craft (clockwork) to create the machinery and Knowledge (engineering) to understand the logic that controls them and adapting that logic to the situation at hand.

Clockwork Body

They bodies of clockwork creatures comes in two variations; clockwork creatures and animated objects. Both are made in similar ways, with clockwork creatures being more specialized designs. A clockwork body is built using the Craft (clockwork) skill, using the normal crafting rules.

Note that the raw materials used by a clockwork craftsman are themselves crafted objects; cogs, springs, even the frame and outer casings are made to order by metalworkers. The clockwork craftsman assembles a body out of these parts. If the builder is desperate to save money, he can use craft (metalworking) to make his own part and thus reduce costs by investing more in time and Craft skills.

Clockwork Creature: Using one of several custom designs, clockwork creatures are specialized machines designed for a specific task. Refer to the bestiary index for each creature to see the cost of creating it's body, given as "crafted clockwork pieces". Making the design of a new clockwork creature is a major achievement and outside the scope of these rules; tinkerers who want custom-designed clockwork servants usually work with animate clockwork (see below).

Animate Clockwork: An animated objects powered by clockwork has a cost equal to the challenge rating, squared, times 50 gold pieces. Note that the challenge rating of an animated object can be altered by construction points. Called an animate clockwork, such a creature uses all the rules for animated objects and also gains the advantages and disadvantages of the clockwork subtype. Unlike an object animated by animate objects, an animate clockwork is purpose-built to be a moving creature, and generally looks like a miniature creature of some kind. When not moving, an animate clockwork gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to appear as an inanimate object.

Control Apparatus

This article deals with mechanical control, for magical controls refer to the rules in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic.

A mechanical clockwork can run certain automated routines (called tricks), or it can be instructed in detail how to deal with a certain situation (called pushing). This works much like controlling an animal using Handle Animal.

Note that clockwork do not have an intelligence score. Clockwork are mindless creatures incapable of independent thought or action; they only react as their master instructed them to. A clockwork creature has no survival instinct and must be ordered to defend itself.

Tricks: A clockwork automaton can be made capable of running various tricks, similar to the tricks animals can be taught using Animal Handling. All clockwork automatons know the stay trick, and can be made to perform additional tricks by using a more complex clockwork control apparatus. The number of tricks a clockwork automaton can execute is not related to Intelligence as it is with an animal; all differential engines have an Intelligence score of zero. Instead the control apparatus is made more complex, making the clockwork capable of additional tricks.

Ordering a clockwork to perform a trick it is capable of is a move action that can be made up to 30 ft away from the clockwork, and requires a Knowledge (engineer) check, DC 10.

Pushing: A clockwork automaton is inherently only able to follow hands-on instructions from an operator. These instructions are made by operating levers or other control surfaces on the clockwork, usually mounted in back. This method of controlling a clockwork corresponds roughly to pushing an animal using Handle Animal.

Orders to the clockwork creature must be exact; they apply to a certain situation. This means they must usually be applied ad-hoc as the situation comes up, but if the situation is known in advance it is possible to apply an operation beforehand and set a trigger condition that makes the clockwork activate, such as "attack the first creature you see that is not wearing the guild badge". This increases the Knowledge (engineering) DC by 5, but time on the order and winding mechanism only begin counting once the trigger activates.

Pushing a clockwork is a full-round action performed when adjacent to the clockwork, that requires a Knowledge (engineering) check. You can spend extra time on this operation, each round gives a +1 bonus on the check, to a maximum bonus of +10 after one minute. The clockwork automaton will continue to carry out its instructions for one round, plus one round for each point above the DC on the Knowledge (engineering) check.

Creation Costs

Table: Table: Clockwork
Crafting

Number of Tricks	Cost multiplier	Craft DC
1	50%	10
2	75%	15
3	100%	20
4	125%	25
5	150%	25
6	175%	25
7	200%	30
8	225%	30
9	250%	30
10	275%	35
+3	+75%	+5

A mechanical clockwork is made using Craft (clockwork). The base price for an animate clockwork is 100 gp times the challenge rating, squared. The base price for a clockwork creature is given as the cost of clockwork parts in its description. Multiply this base cost by the cost multiplier from Table: Clockwork Crafting. The first trick a clockwork knows is always stay.

Gosh is an apprentice clockwork maker with Craft (clockwork) +5. He wants to craft his first model clockwork. A tiny animate clockwork has a challenge rating of 1/2. Giving it a single trick (stay) has a cost multiplier of 50%. 1/2 squared is 1/4, times 50% gives a final cost multiple of 1/8, or 12.5 gp. This simple clockwork can only act when pushed. With a Craft DC of 10 and taking ten, Gosh produces 15 gp worth of clockwork per week using the Craft rules, so this clockwork takes him just under a week to build.

Control Options

These options modify how clockwork are controlled.

Abstract Engine The clockwork controlled by an abstract engine can exchange its tricks by being inserted with a mechanical information record, such as a punch card. It does not come with any tricks. A trick is made using Knowledge (engineering) and cost gp equal to the DC of teaching an animal the trick it contains. Changing the instructions of the abstract engine takes 1 minute and a Knowledge (engineering) check with a DC equal to the DC of teaching an animal the trick it contains. An abstract engine doubles the cost of the clockwork.

Familiar Control: A character with the familiar class feature can take a clockwork as a familiar, summoning a spirit to act as a control mechanism. Only a Tiny clockwork can be a familiar. A Tiny animated object counts as a normal familiar (without an animal familiar's bonus to its master), while a clockwork familiar requires the Improved Familiar feat and caster level 5. The cost is the same as that of summoning a regular familiar, normally 200 gold pieces per level of the caster. This circumvents the cost, caster level, and Craft Construct feat to create a magical clockwork familiar.

Pilot A subtype of mechanical control apparatus, a clockwork can incorporate an interior piloting compartment for a creature at least three size categories smaller than the clockwork. A Tiny clockwork creature can accept a fine pilot; A Medium clockwork can accept a diminutive pilot; a Large clockwork a Tiny pilot, a Huge clockwork a Small pilot, a Gargantuan clockwork can accept a Medium pilot, and a Colossal clockwork can accept a Large pilot. A pilot with hands (or equivalent manipulative limbs) can pilot a clockwork of any shape; a creature lacking hands can only pilot a clockwork that mimics its basic shape, such as quadruped or serpentine. A piloted clockwork functions just as if it was an intelligent creature. The pilot spends a full-round action each turn to pilot the clockwork. When a piloted clockwork takes damage, the pilot takes half that damage, Fortitude (DC 15) negates. This does not reduce the damage to the clockwork. The pilot gains a +4 bonus on any Will saving throws originating from outside the clockwork, but Mind-affecting effects targeting the clockwork may affect the pilot. The pilot cannot otherwise be affected from outside. A pilot console adds 50% to the cost multiple.

Mount A clockwork can carry a rider of any size category smaller than itself. This works like an animal mount and adds 25% to the cost multiple, including the cost of the saddle.

Damage and Repair

A clockwork body can be repaired using Craft (clockwork) at DC 15 or with abilities that repair constructs. A full repair costs 25% of the cost of the clockwork, partial repairs proportionally less. Clockwork are disabled at zero hit points and destroyed (irreparable) at negative hit points equal to three times its Hit Dice.

Clockwork Tricks

Clockwork generally use the same tricks as the Handle Animal skill, but certain tricks are modified.

Attack A clockwork need only learn this trick once to attack any kind of foe.

Detect, Get Help, Hunt, Seek, Serve: Clockwork cannot perform these tricks.

New Construction Abilities

These new construct abilities and flaws are available to clockwork animated objects.

Ability Increase(Ex, 1 CP): Increase one attribute by 4 points. This can be increased to a +6 bonus at the cost of an an additional cp. This cannot be applied to Int or Con.

Armor (Ex, 1 Cp) The construct gains an armor bonus of +5. This can be increased to +8 for another cp.

Skilled Operation (Ex, 1 Cp) The clockwork gains a +6 bonus and counts as trained with one specific skill. The clockwork has integral tools that allows it to perform the skill and gains neither bonuses or penalties from tools. Expending 2 cp increases the bonus to +10.

Strong Structure (Ex, 1 Cp) Double the hit point bonus the construct receives from size.

Construction Flaws

Jam Prone (Ex, +1 Cp) Whenever the clockwork takes damage, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + number of tricks it knows) to avoid being staggered for 1 round. If the construct gets stunned instead, this increases to +2 cp.

Poor Senses (Ex, +1 Cp) The clockwork lacks both low-light and darkvision. It can only be ordered to perform tricks by creatures adjacent to it.

Spring Mechanism (Ex, +2 Cp) The clockwork is powered by a primitive spring mechanism. It remains wound for only one minute per Hit Dice it has. Any wrench can be used to wind the clockwork; it has no special key. Winding a spring mechanism is physically demanding and requires as much effort as carrying the clockwork.

Weak Mechanism (Ex, +1 Cp) The clockwork has a weak power source. After winding, it retains power for only one hour per Hit Dice.

External Links

• Animated Objects @ pfsrd.com
• Clockwork @ pfsrd.com

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