Manikin (Character Kit)

THE MANIKIN: 
PCs do not choose to take the manikin kit. It chooses them. Sometimes humanoids captured by a machine cyst are not immediately liquidated. Instead, survivors are channeled into the cyst, where the controlling consciousness studies the intriguing puzzle of biological life. Experiments study the effects of combining biological and sheen life, often showing such combinations to be inimical. However, some experiments yield fruit, and the resultant humanoid-sheen hybrid is called a manikin. Functioning manikins are released back into the world, seemingly independent, and free to return to their former business. Manikins possesses new abilities above and beyond their former class abilities, but all share a common dread: They all know that at some indeterminate point in the future, a hardwired compulsion will recall them to the cyst of their modification. 
Requirements: There is no requirement to be chosen for manikin modification. Manikins can be PCs or NPCs of any class. Fate (or the DM) places the 
character in a position to be captured and modified by a nearby machine cyst. Generally, the modification process takes four weeks and is only 65% successful, but these variables should be modified by the DM. A newly created manikin appears near where it was first captured with no immediate memory of the previous four weeks. The manikin is most likely quite surprised to find his lower torso replaced with a sheen chassis. (See Distinctive Appearance.) As re-assimilation into the manikin's former life continues over the next few weeks, brief memories recall horrible pain, banks of blinding lights, armies of sheens, and miles of subterranean metallic tunnels making up a cyst. Eventually, the manikin discovers a deep-seated compulsion that, when activated, forces it to return to the cyst. The manikin knows that at that time, which could be months or years in the future, its accumulated experience will be dissected and downloaded by the merciless consciousness of the machine. 
Role: Manikins unable to hide their modification beneath voluminous robes or other camouflage are greeted with distrust in locales unfamiliar with sheens, and outright fear and murderous hate in locales previously visited with sheen pestilence. A manikin who finds its former companions (if any), and convinces them of the sanctity of his or her personality is most likely to survive. Once reunited with former companions, the manikin can adventure much as he or she did previously, with access to all former abilities (unless chassis mobility hinders, noted under Appearance) and spells, if any. Plus, manikins have new abilities and defenses they can call upon as well. Manikins continue to advance in their previous class with no interruption or XP loss. Psychological or physiological consequences are for PCs to roleplay. 
Distinctive Appearance: A functioning manikin appears humanoid from the waist up but is all sheen below. Usually, the sheen chassis attached to the biological component is a simple two-or-three footed walker. Sometimes the chassis of a small roller is used instead, and possibly even that of a ground-effect drifter. Mobility of the manikin depends upon SW—Mental Susceptibility. Arcanosheens are susceptible to mind-affecting spells, spells that affect life force, and psionics, but if successfully affected, the arcanosheen jettisons the archiorganic bellypod 1 d4 rounds later to regain mental immunity and throw off the mental effect (thus losing its spellcasting abilities). the chassis. A walker chassis performs similarly to biological legs, while a roller chassis limits mobility in rough terrain but increases maximum speed on level surfaces; ground-effect drifters hover over the ground at a height of 1–10 feet and move over all terrain at a rate of 12. Two Hit Point Tracks: The manikin, being half biological and half machine, keeps track of two separate hit point totals. Each starting hit point track is figured by dividing the number of hit points the character would normally possess at his level by two, rounding up. Whenever the manikin suffers damage, the damage total is divided by two, then applied to each track. The fundamental disparity between sheen and biological life shows its hand when odd damage totals are rounded up before being divided and distributed. The hit points on the biological track heal at the natural rate and are subject to normal healing spells, potions, and similar magic. The sheen hit point track does not respond to healing magic. On the other hand, the sheen hit point track benefits from repair subroutines, and thus hit points on this track always automatically regenerate at 1d4 hit points per turn. Moreover, unless the sheen hit point track is brought to -10, the repair subroutines continue to function. When one track reaches 0 before the other, the manikin remains conscious as long as the other track has positive hit points. However, additional damage is subtracted from the non-0 track on a 2-for-l basis. When both tracks reach 0, additional damage once again is applied equally to both tracks, and the manikin loses consciousness. 
When either track reaches -10, the manikin dies.Grade 1 Defensive Field: The manikin can activate a Grade 1 defensivefield. The field drains 1 point of damage from every successful attack directed at the manikin, to a maximum of 16 hitpoints/day. Once the defensive field has absorbed its limit in a day, it winks out. 
Countermand Capabilities: Thebiological mind fused with themachine mind slowly gains insight on the workings of sheen control systems. Over time, manikins gain the ability to affect pure sheens in close proximity. This ability usually manifests 1d4 months after the manikin is synthesized. When the manikin encounters sheens, she can attempt to countermand one sheen per round. Roll 1d20, adding a +1 bonus to the roll for every four points of Intelligence possessed by the manikin. Reference the result on theSheen Countermand Table below. The table gives you the Hit Dice of the most 
powerful sheen the manikin can countermand, relative to her level. With a given countermand attempt, the manikin cannot countermand a sheen whose Hit Dice exceed the result on this table. The "manikin's level" is equal to the highest PC class of the manikin, no matter whether it is fighter, cleric, thief, or another class. Multiclass PC manikins use the level of their highest class and add a +1 bonus per additional class. On a countermand check, a number of HD equal to the manikin's level +/- a variable are affected (as shown on the table). The manikin can distribute affected HD among potential sheen targets as desired. Countermanded sheens stand idle (treat as stunned) for 10 rounds. If attacked during this time, the countermand is broken. Multiple countermands are possible, and countermand effects add together. Special Hindrances: Like sheens, manikins are also susceptible to magic, as noted in the "Magic Susceptability" sidebar on page 33. Additionally, manikins must support their biological systems with food like any other organism, while their sheen chassis requires more specialized energy. In fact, without monthly recharging, the manikin trundles to a stop, unable to move. Returning to the cyst for a recharge like a standard sheen is something a manikin should avoid, lest they desire early recall and deactivation. Manikin's can recharge on a monthly basis with a shocking grasp or lightning bolt cast at the 5th level of ability and applied to a special capacitor inlet. Another method of recharge requires themanikin to stand idle four days out of 28, absorbambient sunlight on its sheen chassis. The sunlight is converted to charge, motive power, and electric life. 
== Machine "Healing" ==
All forms of machine life possess self-repair subroutines. Thus, a sheen left for dead might eventually repair itself, if left alone. In game terms, all sheens effect internal repairs at a rate of 1d4 hit points per 24 hours. Sheens with 6 or more HD effect repairs at a rate of 1d4 hit points per turn. Moreover, sheens continue to effect repairs even when brought below 0 hit points. Self repair subroutines are scrambled if a sheen is brought below -10 hit points, at which time it is truly "dead."
Category:Character Kit
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