Template: Clockwork Construct

Clockwork Construct (Template)

Clockwork constructs are artificial beings of brass, iron, pipes, and precision-engineered mechanisms, animated through a fusion of magic and mechanical design. Though modeled after living creatures, their movements are often subtly unnatural - too precise, too measured, or disturbingly repetitive.

Clockwork constructs are most commonly created by mechinomancers, though ancient examples of unknown origin are rumored to still function long after their creators have turned to dust.

Creating a Clockwork Construct

“Clockwork Construct” is an acquired template that can be added to any corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature), except aberrations, constructs, elementals, oozes, and undead.

Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to Construct.
Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points.

Hit Dice

All Hit Dice become d10s.

Armor Class

The base creature gains a +4 natural armor bonus.

Base Attack / Attacks

Unchanged.

Special Attacks

The creature retains all extraordinary (Ex) special attacks.
It loses all supernatural (Su) and spell-like (Sp) abilities.

Special Qualities

A clockwork construct retains all extraordinary special qualities of the base creature and gains the following:

• Construct Traits: Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind-affecting effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it also affects objects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
• Damage Reduction: DR 5/adamantine
• Resistances: Resistance 10 to cold, electricity, fire, and sonic
• Darkvision: 60 ft.
• Low-Light Vision: As base creature (if it had it)
• Blindsight (Ex): 30 ft. (vibration-based or auditory sensors; DM’s discretion)
• Magic Vulnerability: Clockwork constructs take +50% damage from rusting effects (such as rusting grasp or a rust monster’s touch)
• No Natural Healing: Clockwork constructs do not heal naturally. They must be repaired via the Craft (mechanical) skill or appropriate spells (such as make whole).
• Spell Resistance: SR equal to 10 + Hit Dice
• Unliving: A clockwork construct cannot be raised or resurrected.

Saves

As construct type.
Clockwork constructs are immune to effects requiring Fortitude saves unless those effects also affect objects.

Abilities

• Str +2
• Dex –2
• Con —
• Int 3 (if the base creature had an Intelligence score, it becomes 3 unless otherwise specified)
• Wis –2 (minimum 1)
• Cha –4

Skills

Same as the base creature, but skill checks relying on Charisma suffer a –4 penalty.

Feats

Same as the base creature.

Environment

Any

Organization

Solitary or as directed by creator

Challenge Rating

Same as base creature +2

Treasure

None

Alignment

Always neutral

Advancement

Same as base creature (if applicable)

Level Adjustment

+2 (generally unsuitable for player characters)