Constructs are made, not born. Some are programmed by their
creators to follow a simple set of instructions, while others are imbued with
sentience and capable of independent thought. Golems are the iconic constructs.
Construct varieties
Golems – artificial humanoids created by
magic - are iconic and simple. Their main distinction is the material from
which they are crafted – clay, coal, iron, flesh, gemstones, marble, ceramic,
stained glass, etc. Animated objects such as a flying sword or self-moving
suits of armor (or furniture!) are even simpler. However, there are other types
of constructs: steam-powered spiders, plastic spheres with flamethrowers, killer
vehicles, and so on. You can skip some or most of the tables if you want to
keep your construct simple.
Habits, diet and habitat
Constructs can be found anywhere their
creators want them: guarding riches, working in factories, transporting goods,
and so on. Their habits, likewise, are usually programmed in creation.
Since constructs are similar to machines,
most of them can live regardless of food, drink, sleep and even air, but rely
on a different power source (see below).
Clever artificers often put golems and
other constructs near power sources so they can constantly refuel and
regenerate, or even build traps that will help constructs while hindering
invaders.
Traits
A typical construct has the following
traits:
Size:
any.
Alignment: Unaligned.
Abilities:
good Strength, Constitution; bad Charisma, Intelligence.
Resistances/Immunities: constructs
are usually resistant to poison, psychic, and many other types of damage
(including nonmagical weapons that aren’t adamantine), depending on what
they’re made of (and their power source), and immune to being charmed,
exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned. Magic resistance is
also common.
Senses:
Darkvision.
Languages: Constructs
understand the languages of its creator (if any) but most cannot speak.
Artificial faces
No matter the form they take, most
constructs cannot speak and thus have no mouths. Many lack noses and ears too,
using magic or other means to perceive reality. Golems and other constructs
made to resemble people may have lips that do not move and ears that do not
work. However, many constructs with faces have eyes – usually two or a single
big one, often glowing – made of glass, jewels or other materials that are
really used for sight.
Appearance & Attacks
Constructs, like any other apparatuses,
may take any form their creator can fathom. Therefore, there is no reason why a
construct cannot have three legs, five eyes and multiple antennae. However,
since they are usually built by anthropocentric minds, the common construct is
shaped like a person or something resembling a person (a cube with arms and
legs, for example).
Shapes. Many constructs have humanoid appearance. Other look like strange,
mechanical animals, or armored vehicles. Some constructs are just animated
objects, while other are piles of bones, weapons, chains, etc. You can roll
again in this table multiple times if you wish, generating lower limbs, upper
limbs and head (for example, a construct might have tracks, four arms, and
spherical head).
Power
source. Many constructs are moved by magic and
might be damaged or stop functioning if subjected to antimagic fields or other
magic-destroying effects. Other, however, function like machines, and must
consume petrol, electricity, etc., periodically. A few have internal generators
that are hard to disrupt, and some are biomechanical, using normal food for
sustenance.
Materials. A construct may have various resistances and vulnerabilities
determined by the materials from which it is made, although some are specially
reinforced to avoid the most obvious weaknesses.
|
1d12
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Shapes
|
Power source
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Materials
|
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1
|
Humanoid
|
Magic
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Clay
|
|
2
|
Quadruped
|
Steam
|
Stone
|
|
3
|
Insect or arachnid
|
Clockwork
|
Wood
|
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4
|
Random object
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Electricity
|
Plastic
|
|
5
|
Pile of objects
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Atomic
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Metal
|
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6
|
Wheels or tracks
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Biotech
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Flesh
|
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7
|
1d8+2 legs
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Puppeteering
|
Synthetic flesh
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8
|
1d4+2 arms
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Petrol
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Bone
|
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9
|
Cube
|
Alchemy
|
Rubber
|
|
10
|
Other polyhedron
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Sunlight
|
Glass
|
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11
|
Sphere
|
Internal generator
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Cyborg (bionic / organic hybrid)
|
|
12
|
Roll twice
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Roll twice
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Roll twice
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Attacks. Constructs fight with many different types of weapons, some of them
attached to their own bodies. Melee weapons have 50% chance of being built-in,
while ranged weapons are usually built-in except for the first four entries
(although few constructs will have ranged attacks in the first place).
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1d20
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Melee
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Ranged
|
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1
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Slam
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Crossbow
|
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2
|
Fist
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Javelin
|
|
3
|
Claw
|
Rock
|
|
4
|
Bite
|
Poisoned darts
|
|
5
|
Warhammer
|
Net-thrower
|
|
6
|
Flail
|
Paralyzing gas
|
|
7
|
Sword
|
Lightning bolt
|
|
8
|
Maul
|
Poison gas
|
|
9
|
Axe
|
Flamethrower
|
|
10
|
Pincer
|
Hand canon
|
|
11
|
Tentacle arms
|
Eye laser
|
|
12
|
Electric gauntlets
|
Bolt-thrower
|
|
13
|
Kick
|
Acid spray
|
|
14
|
Blowtorch
|
Taser
|
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15
|
Saw blade
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Serrated discs
|
|
16
|
Electric whip
|
Detachable fist
|
|
17
|
Energy sword
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Magnetic pulse
|
|
18
|
Stinger
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Rocket launcher
|
|
19
|
Drill
|
None
|
|
20
|
Roll twice
|
Roll twice
|
|
1d20
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Distinction
|
|
1
|
False Appearance. While motionless, the construct
is indistinguishable from an sculpture, ordinary object, pile of debris, etc.
|
|
2
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Deceiving Appearance. The construct appears to be of another
monster type: a steel monstrosity, a celestial surrounded by lighting, an
undead pile of moving bones, or an ordinary humanoid.
|
|
3
|
Nanorobot. The construct appears turns into
a swarm of spider-like creatures (or other swarm) when destroyed, with one
fifth of the original HP. It will reassemble with 1 HP in 2d6 turns if not
destroyed as swarm, and recover all its HP in 10 turns.
|
|
4
|
Exploding. The construct explodes into a
burst of energy when destroyed, causing damage to everyone nearby.
|
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5
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Detaching parts. The construct can remove parts
of its body for repairs, or change parts to suit the present task.
|
|
6
|
Positronic. The construct is unable to hurt
a living creature directly. It might be able to set traps.
|
|
7
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Remotely operated. The construct is remotely
controlled by someone else, through strings, magic, levers, etc.
|
|
8
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Man in the machine. The construct is controlled by
someone (which usually much smaller) inside it, which might be hard to notice.
|
|
9
|
Living brain. The construct is home to a biological
living brain (or heart, soul, etc.) that will rise again in time if not
destroyed.
|
|
10
|
Reprogrammable. If capture, the construct can be
reprogrammed to serve different purposes.
|
|
11
|
Transformer. The construct can repurposed
itself as something else: a vehicle, object, harmless piece of decoration,
etc.
|
|
12
|
Mathematician. The construct has the
intelligence of a genius. Although not creative, it can perform complex
measurements and calculations in seconds.
|
|
13
|
Replicator. The construct is has built
other, smaller, constructs to keep it company.
|
|
14
|
Precious. The construct is made of
valuable parts, but disassembling it would rob the world of valuable
knowledge, and even destroying it through ordinary means will probably make
it worthless.
|
|
15
|
Duplicate. The construct is built to
replace a specific person. Its true appearance is hidden behind a realistic
layer of wax, silicone, or other material, and can be revealed with enough
damage, especially from fire.
|
|
16
|
Magnetic. The construct is able to attract
(or, alternatively, repel) iron weapons, armor, etc.
|
|
17
|
Absorption. Whenever the construct is
subjected to acid damage (or fire, lighting, radiant, etc., depending on the material
and power source), it takes no damage and instead regains a number of Hit
Points equal to the acid damage dealt.
|
|
18
|
Gigantic. The construct has the size of a
giant (huge).
|
|
19
|
Magic Immunity. The construct automatically
succeeds in all saving throws against spells.
|
|
20
|
Elemental spirit. The construct contains an
elemental spirit, which is released upon its death, with half the original
HP. Earth is the most common element for this purpose, but iron constructs
may be fueled by fire, clay golems by water, and flesh golems by air.
|
Origins
and ideals
Constructs
are created by other beings for specific purposes, although they can (very
rarely) gain some degree of consciousness.
|
Roll
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Origin
|
Ideals
|
|
1
|
A wizard did it
|
Protection: I will protect this person (or
place, object, etc.) with my life.
|
|
2
|
Built by an artificer
|
Obedience: I exist only to serve my master’s
orders.
|
|
3
|
Spontaneous awakening
|
Extermination: I will kill anything in sight.
|
|
4
|
Gradually replaced itself by engines
|
Replication: I must find energy and materials
to build others like myself.
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|
5
|
Animated by a fairy, deity or fiend
|
Labor: I must perform the menial tasks
I was programmed for, repetitively.
|
|
6
|
Born in a plane of machines
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Self-awareness: I must become a real person.
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