Automatons

Many engineers create automatons capable of performing a host of duties. Whether or not the servitor is created from intricate clockwork, or steam driven pistons, they share the same capabilities. Unless granted a Master Upgrade, all automatons are unintelligent constructs that follow the engineer’s instructions unfailingly. At 5th and every five levels thereafter, the engineer upgrades an Automaton they currently possess in order to represent his growing skill and power. Upgrades must be performed in order and the engineer must meet the level requirements for the upgrade.

The capabilities granted by previous upgrades remain and stack with any improvements granted by the new upgrade. When installing a new upgrade, the engineer may reconfigure old design decisions, such as damage types, made at previous upgrades unless otherwise noted. If an Automaton is destroyed, the engineer must rebuild from scratch, costing him 100 gold per engineer level in material components, plus 200 gold per upgrade, to rebuild his Automaton. Remaking a destroyed Automaton requires 8 hours of uninterrupted work, plus 8 hours for each upgrade. In all other respects, this resembles the process for crafting a magic item. Upon creation, the engineer chooses the base form he wishes the Automaton to take from the following four types. This form may not be altered upon subsequent upgrades.

## Forms

### Aquatic

**STARTING STATISTICS**

**Size:** Medium; **Speed:** 20 ft., swim 40 ft.; **AC:** (see armor plating); **Attack:** bite (1d6); **Ability Scores:** Str 19, Dex 12, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 10; **Special Qualities:** Construct traits.

### Ponykin

**STARTING STATISTICS**

**Size:** Medium; **Speed:** 30 ft.; **AC:** (see armor plating); **Attack:** slam (1d8); **Ability Scores:** Str 17, Dex 14, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 10; **Special Qualities:** Construct traits.

### Quadruped/Tracked/Wheeled

**STARTING STATISTICS**

**Size:** Medium; **Speed:** 50 ft.; **AC:** (see armor plating); **Attack:** slam (1d8); **Ability Scores:** Str 15, Dex 15, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 10; **Special Qualities:** Construct traits.

### Serpentine

**STARTING STATISTICS**

**Size:** Medium; **Speed:** 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; **AC:** (see armor plating); **Attack:** bite (1d6); **Ability Scores:** Str 14, Dex 17, Con –, Int –, Wis 10, Cha 10; **Special Qualities:** Construct traits.

## Stats

*Class Level:* The character’s engineer level. The engineer’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an automaton for the purpose of determining the automaton’s statistics.

*HD:* This is the total number of 10 sided die (d10) Hit Dice the Automaton possesses. No Constitution modifier is applied to the Automaton’s hit points. The Automaton gets bonus hit points depending on its size: **Medium** 20 HP, **Large** 30 HP, **Huge** 40 HP.

*BAB:* This is the automaton’s base attack bonus. Automatons do not gain additional attacks using their slam attack for a high base attack bonus.

*Saves:* These are the automaton’s base saving throw bonuses. An automaton has poor saving throws.

*Armor Bonus:*The number noted here is the Automaton’s base total armor bonus. This number is modified by the Automaton’s base form. An Automaton cannot wear armor of any kind, as the armor interferes with the engineer’s operation of the Automaton. An engineer can enchant his Automaton’s body as if it were armor.

*Saves Bonus:*Add this modifier as an equipment bonus to all of the Automaton’s saving throws.

*Armor Plating (Ex):*At 1st level, the engineer chooses one of the following armor plating:

* **Heavy Armor Plating:** Grants the Automaton a +8 armor bonus to AC (with a max Dexterity bonus of 0), but with a -10 ft. movement speed and a -2 Dexterity to starting Dexterity score.
* **Medium Armor Plating:** Grants the Automaton a +4 armor bonus to AC (with a max Dexterity bonus of +4).
* **Light Armor Plating:** Grants the Automaton a +2 armor bonus to AC (with no max Dexterity penalty), movement speed increases by 10-ft., and a +2 Dexterity to starting Dexterity score.

*Ability Score Increase (Ex):*The automaton adds +1 to any one of its ability scores.

*Automaton Upgrade 1:*An engineer may add this upgrade to their Automaton at 5th level. Adding the first upgrade to an Automaton creates a telepathic link between the engineer and his creation. They can mentally communicate across any distance as long as they remain on the same plane. Communicating in this way is a free action. The engineer may choose to increase his Automaton by one size category, granting it a size bonus to Strength and additional hit points based on its size. In addition, it gains DR 5/- and the engineer may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his automaton.

*Automaton Upgrade 2:* An engineer may add this upgrade to their Automaton at 10th level. Adding the second upgrade allows the construct to make a second slam attack during a full attack at the Automaton’s highest base attack bonus. It also gains a bonus feat from the following list, even if it would not normally qualify: Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, or Toughness. In addition, the engineer may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his automaton.

*Automaton Upgrade 3:* An engineer may add this upgrade to their Automaton at 15th level. Adding the third upgrade to the Automaton grants it the use of an elemental energy attack. At the time of the upgrade the engineer chooses from acid, cold, electricity, or fire elemental energy and picks either a 60 ft. line or 30 ft. cone, inflicting 4d6 points of damage plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 2 HD the Automaton possesses. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1 per 2 HD the Automaton possesses) halves the damage. This ability is usable once every 1d4 rounds and cannot be changed until the Automaton is upgraded again. In addition, the engineer can choose to increase his Automaton by one size category, granting it an additional size bonus to Strength and possibly additional hit points based on the rules for constructs. The maximum size of an Automaton is Huge. The Automaton also gains the Grab special attack on all of its slam attacks. In addition, the engineer may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his automaton.

*Automaton Master Upgrade:* An engineer may add this upgrade to their Automaton at 20th level. Adding the fourth upgrade gives the Automaton an Intelligence score of 10. It can now act upon its own volition, but always according to the intention of its creator, gaining an identical alignment as the creator’s at the moment it gained sentience. It gains feats appropriate to its hit dice and 2 skill points per hit dice, treating any skill the engineer has ranks in as a class skill. The engineer may also increase the size of the Automaton once more (to a maximum of Huge). In addition, the Automaton’s DR increases to 10/- and the engineer may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his automaton.