Falsemen

## The Empty

In the last days before the Fall, the dwarven artificers of Hylar and Jhedel perfected their art, and made a cunning facsimile of life. Built for war, these mindless automatons were entirely in the power of their makers. Deployed first in the wars of the day, and then climactically in the war against those who arrived with the Thorns, the False Men (as they were called by those they served) made up for the massive losses in the early days. Though many machina were colossal in size, most were made to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with humans in their battles.

When Hylar and Jhedel fell, the Machina ceased to function. The pathways of command were lost - most simply fell where they stood. Others went berserk, cutting down comrade and foe alike. A handful woke up.

In the time since the Fall, those falsemen who awoke have made their way through the world as best they could. Some have been aware since their masters fell. Others have only recently awoken. Regardless, all are treated with a sort of bemused awe - many common folk think them all utterly mindless, carrying on some complicated routine programed in before their masters went silent.

The falsemen themselves have no society - some band together for convenience; others because they see a common cause. Most live in isolation, working as soldiers, mercenaries, or bodyguards. Impressive indeed is the Duchess who has a pair of automatons as her personal guard. They are often curious, naïve, and coldly logical, at least at first. As they spend time with others, they begin to take on their traits – a warforged is often an amalgamation of the first people they knew in their new life.

Not all falsemen look alike; the craftsmen of Hylar prided themselves on their creativity and originality. While there are many mass-produced models, those made for special purposes (assassinations, entertainment, ambassadorial parties, etc.) can look almost human. Regardless of their appearance, falsemen do not need to eat, drink, or breathe - though some can.

*A*bility Score Increase – Constitution +2

Speed – 30 feet

*Reinforced Frame* – +1 to AC

*Crafted Resilience* – Resistance to Poison damage, advantage on saving throws vs. poison

*Living Construct* – Immune to disease, does not need to eat, drink, or breathe; Instead of sleeping, 6 of the 8 hours of long rest must be spent in a dormant state, in which the falsman doesn’t move, or dream, but remains totally aware of surroundings. NOTE: 8 hours are still needed to complete the long rest.

*NOTE: Magical sleep puts it into a dormant state, akin to human sleep – the falseman is only vaguely aware of its surroundings, and can’t act.*

*Fragments of Memory –* The mechanical frame has no memory of its previous life, or self. However, flashes of remembrance can, from time to time, come through, often with beneficial results. When attempting a skill check which is untrained, a falseman may roll a d6; on a 5 or 6 it may add its proficiency bonus to that individual skill check. Once this has occurred, the falseman may not use this ability again until after a short rest.

Each Falseman must choose one of the following profiles:

Scout

* *Ability Score Increase* – Dexterity +1
* *Size* – Small
* *Speed* – 25 feet
* Darkvision – 60 ft.
* *Padded Joints* – The Scout gains proficiency and Expertise in Stealth.

Soldier

* *Ability Score Increase* – Strength +2
* *Size* – Medium
* *Framed for Battle* – Proficiency in Simple Weapons and any two Martial Weapons. Has proficiency in light and medium armor, and shields.
* *Built for War* – Warforged Soldiers may reroll an attack roll that resulted in a miss. This roll is rolled after any disadvantage or advantage is applied, and may not be rolled at either advantage or disadvantage itself. Once this ability has been used, it may not use this ability again until the next short rest

Rune Scribed

* *Ability Score Increase* – Cha +1 or Int +1
* *Size* – Medium
* *Rune Marked* – A Rune-Scribed begins with the Ritual Caster Feat – The Ritual Book is the Rune-Scribed’s own Body; It begins with 2 lvl 1 rituals, and may have up to five rituals scribed at one time. A Rune-Scribed may remove a ritual at the rate of 1/long rest. The normal feat restrictions apply to spell level and caster list.