Construct companion

Constructs come in many shapes and sizes.  Their myriad of forms makes them versatile.  Constructs are often created by spellcasters needing a guardian, servant, or general laborer.  Sometimes though, they are made by spellcasters (or rarely by non-spellcasters talented enough) to simply serve in place of a more traditional mount.  These construct companions serve their masters (known as operators) by easily overcoming terrain, and keeping the weary travelers legs from giving out beneath them.

It’s no easy task to maintain a construct companion though.  Often times it takes years of careful study and intimate work with these constructs to successfully put one back together when it has suffered damage.

## Construct Companion (Feat)

**Prerequisite(s)**: Craft Construct, character level 4, must not have a class that grants a Construct Companion.

**Benefit(s)**: You gain a Construct Companion with an operator level of your character level -3.

**Special**: You treat your Construct Companion as an animal companion for the Boon Companion feat.

Although using similar rules to animal companions, they obviously are not.  They do not count as animal companions for effects and abilities that target animal companions.  Construct companions do no act on their own except to follow predefined ‘programs’. In many ways these programs work like tricks normally taught to an animal.  The Knowledge(engineering) skill is used to teach construct companions tricks, as well as to otherwise direct the construct.

## Handling a Construct Companion

The following are uses of the Knowledge(engineering) skill that can be used with construct companions.

### Handle a construct companion (DC 10, free action)

This task involves commanding a construct companion to perform a program that it knows. If the construct is damaged the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the construct performs the program on its next action.

### Hot wire (DC 25, move action)

To hotwire a construct companion is to quickly throw together a program that the construct is capable of performing, but does not currently know.  If the construct is damaged the DC increases by 2. If your check succeeds, the construct performs the program on its next action.

### Maintenance (DC 10, 10 minutes)

Performing daily maintenance on a construct companion restores the construct to full hit points.  This action can only be performed once per day.

### Program (DC Varies, 1 week)

You can program a specific trick into a construct companion.  A construct companion may know 1 program, plus an additional program for every 5 ranks of Knowledge(engineering) you possess.  If a construct would exceed this number, it loses a previously learned program of your choice. Previously learned programs take 8 hours to reprogram instead of 1 week.

You must spend half this time (at the rate of 3 hours per day per construct being handled) teaching the program before you attempt the Knowledge (engineering) check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach the construct fails and you need not complete the teaching time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the teaching. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach the construct automatically fails.

#### Aid (DC 20)

The construct can use the aid another action to aid a specific ally in combat by attacking a specific foe the ally is fighting. You designate a particular creature that you wish the construct to aid and a particular creature that you wish the construct to attack.

#### Attack (DC 20)

The construct attacks apparent enemies. You may designate a particular creature that you wish the construct to attack, and it will comply if able. A second use of this program will disengage the construct’s attack function.  This counts as two programs.

#### Bombard (DC 20)

A flying construct can deliver projectiles on command, attempting to drop a specified item that it can carry (often alchemist’s fire or a similar splash weapon) on a designated point or opponent, using its base attack bonus to determine its attack roll. The construct cannot throw the object, and it must be able to fly directly over the target.

#### Come (DC 15)

The construct comes to you, even if it normally would not do so.

#### Defend (DC 20)

The construct defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can direct the construct to defend a specific other character.

#### Deliver (DC 15)

The construct takes an object (one you or an ally gives it, or one that it recovers with the fetch program) to a place or person you indicate. If you indicate a place, the construct drops the item and returns to you. If you indicate a person, the animal stays adjacent to the person until the item is taken. (Retrieving an item from a construct using the deliver program is a move action.)

#### Demolish (DC 15)

The construct can be commanded to attack and damage objects and structures. A construct must know the attack program before it can be taught the demolish trick. The construct’s operator can direct it either to make natural attacks against the object in question or to make a Strength check to attempt to break it (if applicable).

#### Detect (DC 25)

The construct is trained to seek out chemical traces, alchemical items and poisons, unusual noises or echoes, and other common elements that signify the presence of potential dangers or secret passages. When commanded, the construct uses its Perception skill to try to pinpoint the source of anything that strikes it as out of the ordinary about a room or location. Note that because the construct is not intelligent, all doors, scents, strange mechanisms, or unfamiliar objects that the construct notices will be detected, and it cannot attempt the same Perception check more than once in this way.

#### Feint (DC 20)

The construct is trained to feint against opponents. A construct must know the attack program before it can be taught the feint trick.

#### Flank (DC 20)

You can instruct a construct to attack a foe you point to and to always attempt to be adjacent to (and threatening) that foe. If you or an ally is also threatening the foe, the construct attempts to flank the foe, if possible. While constructs following the attack program will flank when convenient, this program instructs them to flank even if doing so denies it a full attack or puts the construct at an inconvenience or at risk, such as from attacks of opportunity, dangerous positioning, or difficult terrain. The construct must know the attack program before it can learn this program.

#### Flee (DC 20)

The construct attempts to run away or hide as best it can, returning only when its operator commands it to do so. Until such a command is received, the construct does its best to track its operator and any accompanying creatures, remaining hidden but within range of its sight or hearing. This trick is particularly useful for adventurers and thieves in that it allows the construct to evade capture, and then return later to help free its friends.

#### Follow (DC 15)

The construct follows you closely.  A construct without this program will naturally stay where it was when it last finished executing a program unless riden.

#### Get Help (DC 20)

With this trick, an operator  can designate a number of creatures up to the number of programs it could be taught as “help.” When the command is given, the construct attempts to find one of those creatures and bring it back to the operator, even if that means journeying a long distance to the last place it encountered the target creature.

#### Guard (DC 20)

The construct stays in place and prevents others from approaching.

#### Guide (DC 15)

The construct can serve as a guide to a character that is blinded or otherwise unable to see. While serving as a guide, the companion remains adjacent to the guided creature at all times, readying an action each round to move when that creature moves. This allows the guided creature to automatically succeed at Acrobatics checks to move at more than half speed while blinded. Additionally, the companion identifies obstacles in the guided creature’s path and pushes them, pulls them, or otherwise signals to the creature how to avoid them, allowing the guided creature to locate and move around obstacles such as hazards, opponents, and other terrain features as though she were able to see them (though she can’t distinguish between obstacles). Finally, while serving as a guide, the companion indicates to the guided creature the presence and direction of any adjacent allies, allowing the guided creature to pinpoint the locations of such creatures. The companion can serve as a guide only as long as it is able to see in some fashion, and its ability to detect and avoid creatures and obstacles is limited by what it is able to perceive normally.

#### Maneuver (DC 20)

The construct is trained to use a specific combat maneuver on command. A construct must know the attack program before it can be taught the maneuver trick. This program can be taught to a construct multiple times. Each time it is taught, the construct can be commanded to use a different combat maneuver.

#### Menace (DC 20)

A menacing construct attempts to keep a creature you indicate from moving. It does its best to dissuade the target, but it attacks only if the target attempts to move from its present location or take any significant action (particularly a hostile-seeming action). As soon as the target stops moving, the construct ceases attacking but it continues to menace.

#### Pose as Inanimate Object (DC 20)

The construct freezes in place, seeming to be a mundane object rather than a construct. It attempts a Disguise check with a +8 circumstance bonus, opposed by the Perception checks of observers. If it succeeds at the opposed check, the observer mistakes it for an ordinary, harmless machine.

#### Receive Spell (DC 25)

The construct has been trained to be the recipient of a specific spell or magic item (chosen at the time the construct is taught the program), allowing it to fully take advantage of the spell’s effects or magic item’s abilities. The spell or item should be one that grants the companion an ability it might not normally be intelligent enough to make use of or one that it might not even realize it has (such as air walk). The companion is able to recognize when it has been affected by this spell or has access to the item and can take full advantage of the spell’s effects. An additional use of Knowledge(engineering) can be used to instruct the construct to use the spell’s effects or magic item (such as using the breath weapon provided by an Elixir of Fire Breath).  The companion can be taught this program multiple times; each time it learns this program, it becomes trained to utilize a different spell effect or magic item.

#### Rescue (DC 20)

The construct has been trained to drag its operator or another creature that the operator designates out of danger and to a safe place in the event that the operator or creature is incapacitated. If a creature that the companion is defending is rendered helpless or is slain, the companion will carry, drag, or otherwise move that creature out of danger. If the companion knows the get help program, it will attempt to bring the creature it is rescuing to one of the creatures designated as “help.” Otherwise, you can designate a single location in advance as a safe place, and the companion will attempt to bring the creature it is rescuing to that place. If it is unable to do either of these, the companion simply moves the creature to the nearest location of relative safety. A companion must have the deliver and guard programs in order to learn this program.

#### Retrieve (DC 15)

The construct goes and gets a specific item you designate if able.

#### Secured (DC 20)

The construct is secured in such a way to only take directions from the creature with the right ‘key’.  A key may be a physical object, a particular code, or passphrase (set at the time of teaching this program). A construct with this program willingly takes orders from a creature with the key. If the creature that uses the key knows what programs the construct has, it can instruct the construct to perform these tricks using your Knowledge(engineering) bonus on the check instead of its own. The construct treats the user of the key as friendly. A construct with the secured program does not take program commands from others even if it is friendly or helpful toward them.  Although magic such as control construct will wrest control of construct companion, this program gives its operator a +4 bonus on their opposed Spellcraft check or the constructs saving throw to resist.

#### Sneak (DC 15)

The construct can be ordered to make Stealth checks in order to stay hidden and to continue using Stealth even when circumstances would normally cause it to abandon secrecy.

#### Subdue (DC 15)

The companion can attempt to subdue opponents. Once the command is given, the companion makes all its natural attacks as nonlethal attacks (taking the typical –4 penalty on attack rolls when using normally lethal attacks) until ordered to do otherwise.

#### Throw Rider (DC 15)

The construct can attempt to fling a creature riding it to the ground. Treat this as a trip combat maneuver that applies to all creatures riding the construct, and that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A construct that knows the throw rider and secure tricks can be instructed to attempt to automatically throw anyone who attempts to ride it without the key.

#### Watch (DC 15)

The construct can be commanded to keep watch over a particular area, such as a campsite, and to raise an alarm if it notices any dangerous or sizable creature entering the area.

#### Work (DC 15)

The construct pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load.

## Construct Companion Statistics

### Construct Companion Basic Statistics

Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack slam (1d6); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1;

A construct companion has the following features.

**Operator’s Level**: This is the class level of the construct’s operator in the class that grants the construct companion.

**HD**: This is the construct’s total number of 10-sided (d10) Hit Dice.

**BAB**: This is the base attack bonus of the construct, which is equal to its number of Hit Dice.

**Saves**: These are the construct’s base saving throw bonuses.

**Bonus Programs**: The value given in this column is the total number of ‘bonus’ programs that the construct can know.  This is in addition to any trick that the operator might teach it (see above).

**Construction Points**: The value in this column is the total number of construction points that the construct companion has.  Once selected, these cannot be changed easily.  To re-assign a construction point, the operator must spend 5 days per construction point and spend an amount of gold equal to 10 times their operator per day.  Starting at 7th level, the construct companion gains a separate pool of construction points (denoted by the +4) that can be assigned at the beginning of each day. See below for features available to construct companions (as well as additional level requirements).

**Special**: As the construct increases in power, it gains the special abilities described below.

**Darkvision (Ex)**: The construct has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

**Low-Light Vision (Ex)**: Constructs see twice as far as humans in dim light.

**Immunities**: Constructs are immune to to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage or any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).

**Bonus Hit Points**: Constructs are hard to destroy, and as such receive bonus hit points based on their size.  At 1st level, a construct companion receives 20 bonus hit points. This increases when the operator reaches 5th level to 30, and again at 17th level to 40 when the construct increases in size.

**Natural Armor**: The construct’s natural armor bonus to its AC increases by 2 when the operator reaches 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter.

**Basic Modifications**: As the operator gets more experienced at working with and working on their companion, they learn how to add basic modifications.  They may apply any of the basic construct modifications other than Hit Dice Modification to the construct companion as if they possessed the required item creation feats. This does not allow them to apply construct modifications to other constructs, nor does it mean someone with the required feats can apply the Hit Dice Modification to the companion. They must still supply the required spell, either through their own spellcasting ability, an ally's, or hired spellcasting services.

**Ability Score Increase (Ex)**: The construct adds 1 to one of its ability scores when its operator reaches 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

**Size Increase**: An improvement to the basic modifications, the operator eventually learns to augment the construct companion’s size. Each time this occurs, the construct companion’s natural armor bonus to its AC increases by 2, its natural attacks increase in damage based on the new size category, and it gains the following ability scores adjustments: Str +4, Dex –2, and it receives bonus hit points (as above).  The operator can chose to delay this increase in size, but once increased, it cannot be decreased.

**Complex Modification**: When the operator reaches 11th level, they can begin installing more complex modifications.  They may spend gold to apply any of the complex modifications to their construct companion as if they had the required item creation feats. They must still supply the spell component through either their own spellcasting ability, an ally's, or hired spellcasting services.

## Constructions:

The following are features that a construct companion can purchase with construction points.

### Additional Attack (Ex, 1 CP)

Gains an additional slam attack. This can be taken multiple times up to a limit of 1 additional attack at first operator level, plus one additional at every 5 operator levels.

### Additional Movement (Ex, 1 CP)

Gains a new mode of movement (burrow, climb, fly [clumsy], or swim) at a speed equal to its base speed.  Gaining a climb, fly, or swim speed requires the operator be 7th level.

### Anchor (Ex, 1 CP)

The fires spikes into the ground beneath it, anchoring itself in place. Anchoring is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. While anchored, the construct cannot move, but it can otherwise act normally and gains a +4 bonus to CMD to resist bull rush, drag, overrun, reposition, and trip attempts.  A separate command causes the companion to uproot itself as a full-round action.

### Augmented Critical (Ex, 2 CP)

Increase the threat range for the Animated Object’s melee attacks by 1 and the threat multiplier by 1. This cannot combine with itself or with the piercing attack or slashing attack object abilities.  The operator must be 7th level.

### Blindsense (Ex, 4 CP)

The construct gains blindsense out to a range of 10 feet. To select blindsense, a construct must have scent and the construct’s operator must be at least 11th level.

### Break Out (Ex, 1 CP)

On command, the construct attempts to break or cut through bars or bindings restricting it, its operator, or a person indicated by the operator. If the construct cannot break the restraints by itself, its attempts grant the restricted creature a +4 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks. Furthermore, the construct can take certain basic actions such as lifting a latch or bringing its master an unattended key. Weight and Strength restrictions still apply, and pickpocketing a key or picking any sort of lock is still far beyond the construct’s ability.

### Build Simple Structure (Ex, 1 CP)

The construct can build simple structures on command.  In general, this process takes 10 minutes for each 5-foot square the structure occupies, but depending on the terrain and the type of structure, it might take as little as 1 minute or as much as 1 hour or more, at the GM’s discretion.

### Burn (Ex, 1 CP)

The object gains burn (1d6) with its slam attacks. Such extreme heat can lead to structural failure in the event of intense temperature variation.  The construct gains vulnerability to cold. The operator must be 7th level. This can be applied an additional time at 9th level and every two levels thereafter. Its effects stack.

### Bury (Ex, 1 CP)

A construct with this feature can be instructed to bury an object in its possession. A construct that knows both the bury and retrieve programs can be instructed to fetch an item it has buried.  A construct must have a burrow speed to take this feature.

### Constrict (Ex, 1 CP)

Gains constrict with its slam attacks (the object must have grab before it can take this ability).

### Energy Slam (Su, 1 CP)

The construct’s slam deals 1d6 extra points of energy damage.  The construct must have Resistance of the same energy type and its operator must be at least 7th level.  Once taken, all other Resistance features other than the one matching the Energy Slam cease functioning.

### Excavate (Sp, 1 CP)

The construct can move at a rate of 5 feet per minute to create a tunnel it’s size.  The construct must have the bury ability to select this.

### Exceptional Reach (Ex, 1 CP)

The object gains +5 feet of reach with one melee attack. Increase reach on all attacks for an additional +1 CP.

### Faster (Ex, 1 CP)

One of the object’s movement modes increases by +10 ft.

### Feat (Ex, 2 CP)

The construct gains a feat from the list of feats available to animal companions.  They must still meet the prerequisites (other than being an animal companion).

### Grab (Ex, 1 CP)

Gains grab special attack with slam attacks.

### Improved Attack (Ex, 1 CP)

All the construct’s melee or ranged attacks do damage as though it were one size category larger. An operator must purchase Improved Attack separately for melee and ranged attacks.

### Piercing Attack (Ex, 1 CP)

Replace one melee attack with an attack that does the same amount of piercing damage and has a ×3 multiplier. Replace all melee attacks for an additional +1 CP. Abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on piercing attacks.

### Plating, Stone (Ex, 1 CP)

The construct is covered in plates made of stone or crystal. Its hardness increases to 8 and it gains a +1 increase to its natural armor bonus. An operator must be 5th level to select this.  This does not stack with any other Plating ability.

### Plating, Metal (Ex, 2 CP)

The construct is covered in plates made of common metal. Its hardness increases to 10, and it gains a +2 increase to its natural armor bonus.  An operator must be 9th level to select this. This does not stack with any other Plating ability.

### Plating, Mithral (Ex, 4 CP)

The construct is covered in plates made of mithral.  Its hardness increases to 15 and it gains a +4 increase to natural armor.  An operator must be 13th level to select this. This does not stack with any other Plating ability.

### Plating, Adamantine (Ex, 6 CP)

The construct is covered in plates made of mithral.  Its hardness increases to 20, and it gains a +6 increase to natural armor.  An operator must be 17th level to select this. This does not stack with any other Plating ability.

### Pull (Ex, 1 CP)

The construct gains a pull (5 feet) special attack with slam attacks.  A construct must have grab before it can take this ability.

### Ranged Attack (Ex, 3 CP)

The construct is capable of making ranged attacks. At the beginning of its turn, it must decide if it will use melee or ranged attacks. If it chooses to use ranged attacks, it can make a ranged attack in place of each of its slam attacks, and cannot make melee attacks until the beginning of its next turn. This attack deals damage as the constructs slam attacks. Abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on ranged attacks nor do weapon enhancements that apply to the construct's slams. This ranged attack takes the form of a fist being shot out on a chain, launching common debris, or other similar attacks. As such, it does not require ammunition.

### Resistance (Ex, 2 CP)

The construct gains resistance 5 to one type of damage (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) chosen at the time of this feature’s selection. This effect can be applied multiple times. Its effects do not stack; each time it is applied, it applies to a different type of damage.

### Slashing Attack (Ex, 1 CP)

Replace one slam attack with an attack that does slashing damage and has either a 19–20 threat range (for blade-like attacks) or a ×3 threat multiplier (for axe- or scythelike attacks). Replace all melee attacks for an additional +1 CP. Abilities that specify slam attacks do not work on slashing attacks.

### Speak (Sp, 1 CP)

The construct is able to record sounds and play them back on command. It may record up to 1 minute per level of its operator worth of sound.  If it has been taught the retrieve program, then it can be sent to a particular location before it begins recording. If it has been taught the deliver program, it can deliver the recording as if it were an item.

### Trample (Ex, 2 CP)

The construct gains the trample special attack.

### Trip (Ex, 2 CP)

The construct gains the trip special ability with one of its slam attacks.