Automatons (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A clockwork creation consists of two parts, a body and a control apparatus. The body is a mechanical clockwork machine. 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 control clockwork and understand their logic.

Clockwork Body

They bodies of clockwork creatures comes in two variations; clockwork creatures and animated objects. Clockwork creatures being more specialized designs while animated clockwork are basic frames that can be easily modified. A clockwork body is built using the Craft (clockwork) skill, using the normal crafting rules.

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 the cost of "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 to customize work with animate clockwork.

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 animated, and often looks like a 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

These rules deal 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 instructed 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. See Table: Table: Clockwork Crafting.

Ordering a clockwork to perform a trick it is capable of is a move action that can be made up to 30 ft away, 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 only to a specific situation. It is possible to apply an operation beforehand and set a trigger condition that makes the clockwork activate. For example "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:
Clockwork Crafting

Number of Tricks	Cost multiplier	Craft DC
1	100%	15
2	125%	15
3	150%	15
4	175%	20
5	200%	20
6	225%	20
7	250%	25
+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 with Craft (clockwork) +5. He wants to craft his first clockwork. A tiny animate clockwork has a challenge rating of 1/2. Giving it a single trick (stay) has a cost multiplier of 100%. 1/2 squared is 1/4, times 100% gives a final cost multiple of 1/4, or 25 gp. This simple clockwork can only act when pushed. With a Craft DC of 15 and taking 10, Gosh produces 22.5 gp worth of clockwork per week using the Craft rules, so this clockwork takes just over a week to build.

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.

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. The mechanical information record for a trick is made using Knowledge (engineering) and costs 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 counts as four additional tricks.

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.

Mount A clockwork can carry a rider of any size category smaller than itself. This works like an animal mount and counts as an additional trick, including the cost of the saddle.

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 10) 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 counts as two additional tricks.

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

Work: This trick also lets the clockwork perform its skilled operation (see construction abilities).

New Construction Abilities

These new construct abilities and flaws are available to animate clockwork.

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 integral armor bonus of +5. This can be increased to +8 for another cp. Clockwork cannot wear armor.

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.

Hand (Ex, 1 Cp) Turns one slam attack into a fist, that can either strike as a normal slam attack, or be used for fine manipulation or to wield a weapon. The clockwork is considered proficient with all simple melee weapons. For one additional cp, it can use all martial melee weapons. For one cp, it can use simple ranged weapons. The additional proficiencies applies to all the clockwork's hands.

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

Construction Flaws

Immobile (Ex, +2 Cp) The clockwork lacks all movement speeds and must be moved around.

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.

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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