Clockwork Lumberjack

[WizarDru]

I'm in the process of trying to create a monster. It's intended to be a major encounter for my party. Long story short: the party is in a town called Geartooth, home to many magnificent clockwork devices. The biggest one they've seen is the Clockwork Lumberjack, a giant automaton with two arms (one ending in a buzzsaw) and circular saws built into its torso. The BBEG has created a 'cog virus', which causes many of the automatons to go crazy...turning them, essentially, into clockwork zombies.

My goal here is to create a decent challenge for a 4th level party of 6. I am considering accompanying the Lumberjack with some sort of minions (perhaps little clockworks that drag the logs it creates). But I rarely create creatures out of whole cloth, so I'd like some other eyes to examine it for me.

Comments?

Clockwork Lumberjack
Huge Natural Animate (construct)

Level 4 Solo Soldier
XP 875 Initiative +7 Senses Perception +3
HP 224; Bloodied 112
AC 22; Fortitude 21, Reflex 16, Will 15
Saving Throws +5 Speed 2
Action Points 2

'Cog Virus' (Steam and Heat) aura 2; each enemy that ends its turn within the aura takes 3 steam and heat damage. An immobilized enemy instead takes 5 steam and heat damage. The virus has caused the Lumberjack to being casting off white-hot sparks and steam from ruptured pipes, a visible sign of its corruption.

Buzzsaw (standard, at-will)
+11 vs AC; 3d8 +4 damage.

Claw (standard, at-will)
+10 vs Fortitude; 1d6+2 damage and the target is immobilized (save ends).

Clear Cut (standard, at-will)
The Clockwork Lumberjack makes a buzzsaw attack, followed by a claw attack. If both attacks hit a single target, the target is grabbed. As long as a target is grabbed, the Clockwork Lumberjack can’t make claw/buzzsaw attacks (but see Wood Planer).; +9 vs or (whichever is lower); .

Wood Planer (standard, at-will)
targets a creature the Clockwork Lumberjack has grabbed; +9 vs Fortitude; 4d10 + 4 damage.

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +9, Endurance +9
Str 20 (+7) Dex 16 (+5) Wis 16 (+5)
Con 16 (+5) Int 1 (-3) Cha 5 (-1)

Description: The Clockwork Lumberjack is a normally cautious and methodical automaton, now driven mad by the Cog Virus to attack its former masters and anyone not infected with the virus.

 

[weem]

Looks interesting!

It looks like he is REALLY slow, and I don't see any range (other than the Aura 2). This could allow for some kiting... you might consider adding a "Steam Blast" or something

 

[WizarDru]

Looks interesting!

It looks like he is REALLY slow, and I don't see any range (other than the Aura 2). This could allow for some kiting... you might consider adding a "Steam Blast" or something

A good point. The intention is that they'll be fighting him in a crowded urban environment, with him knocking down one and two-story buildings and endangering panicked townsfolk, which will force the players to get near him.

The steam blast is a fun idea, but it doesn't quite fit the idea. Mostly, I'm shooting for his core attacks to be things he normally might have before the virus made him a monster. Perhaps he could launch a chain intended for grabbing/dragging logs. Hmmm.

 

[weem]

The intention is that they'll be fighting him in a crowded urban environment, with him knocking down one and two-story buildings and endangering panicked townsfolk, which will force the players to get near him.

Ahh, gotcha.

 

[Piratecat]

I love him!

Perhaps better than the steam blast: give him magnetic attraction, a minor action pull 5 that does no damage and recharges on 5-6. Nothing scares the crap out of the archer than being yanked 25' into the claw of dooooom.

Definitely have some cog minions scampering about. Use them primarily to assist the Lumberjack in hitting (a successful hit vs AC 10 = +2 for the lumberjack.) Even scarier, have the minions repair the lumberjack (in this case, automatically recharge a rechargeable power instead of provide a healing surge. Solos who heal often suck.)

Other suggestions: give him two actions in a round. Give him a steam blast when he's first bloodied. Up claw damage and the aura damage a little.

 

[Pyrex]

The Aura could probably go up to 5, but should also be Fire damage so it interacts with resistances correctly.

The cog minions wouldn't necessarily be log-haulers but could actually be the source of the infection.

Say the Lumberjack has a recharge-5 power that lets him take damage equal to a healing surge to spawn a minion.

Minions have a standard-action at-will power infect a clockwork being, and a second standard-action at-will to heal an infected clockwork. Or, if it's fully healed, they can use Aid Another.

 

[Piratecat]

Say the Lumberjack has a recharge-5 power that lets him take damage equal to a healing surge to spawn a minion.

When you can't trigger healing, spending 66 hp to gain a 1 hp minion is probably not a good exchange.

A better exchange rate might be "take damage equal to the number of hp a normal on-tier monster might have, in order to spawn 4-6 minions." That'll reduce slog while keeping the encounter roughly balanced.

 

[Pyrex]

I didn't really see the minion-spawning as a true in-combat power, but rather as a flavorful method of showing how the infection would spread.

But yeah, it could probably use some beefing-up.

*ponders* If it was recharge-6 it could probably spawn 1d3 minions at no HP cost and not be too unreasonable.

 

[WizarDru]

Second Pass. Much thanks for the suggestions, all!

I've added some more powers and upped his hit points. I pondered giving him reach, but since he's based originally on the Giant Crayfish from Hommlett, I figured I'll just have him lower to the ground and longer. In fact, thinking about it, I'll make the wood planar on his back, like a conveyor belt. I like that.

The virus is spread by a magic 'bad cog' that an infected can install in another clockwork automaton, but that take a moment and normally happens off-camera. I want the PCs to have to figure out how this is happening, so I don't want them to see this happen, yet. It might be cool to do that in the combat, but there won't really be any non-infected clockworks at hand, anyhow.

Clockwork Lumberjack
Huge Natural Animate (construct)

Level 4 Solo Soldier
XP 875 Initiative +7 Senses Perception +3
HP 274; Bloodied 112
AC 22; Fortitude 21, Reflex 16, Will 15
Saving Throws +5 Speed 2
Action Points 2

'Cog Virus' (Steam and Heat) aura 2; each enemy that ends its turn within the aura takes 5 steam and heat damage. An immobilized enemy instead takes 7 steam and heat damage. The virus has caused the Lumberjack to being casting off white-hot sparks and steam from ruptured pipes, a visible sign of its corruption.

Complex Mechanism
The Clockwork Lumberjack rolls initiative twice, gets two turns during a round, and has a full set of actions (standard, move, minor) on each turn. The Lumberjack's ability to take immediate actions only refreshes on its first turn.

Buzzsaw (standard, at-will)
+11 vs AC; 3d8+4 damage.

Claw (standard, at-will)
+10 vs Fortitude; 1d6+2 damage and the target is immobilized (save ends).

Clear Cut (standard, at-will)
The Clockwork Lumberjack makes a buzzsaw attack, followed by a claw attack. If both attacks hit a single target, the target is grabbed. As long as a target is grabbed, the Clockwork Lumberjack can’t make claw/buzzsaw attacks (but see Wood Planer).; +9 vs or (whichever is lower); .

Wood Planer (standard, at-will)
targets a creature the Clockwork Lumberjack has grabbed; +9 vs Fortitude; 4d10 + 4 damage.

Log Puller (minor, Ranged 7, recharge 5,6)
+10 vs Reflex; targets a single creature and pulls them 5 squares towards the Lumberjack as chains fly out and grab the target.

Repair Drones
(immediate reaction, when successfully hit by melee, recharge 6)
When damaged, the Clockwork Lumberjack spawn 1d4+1 repair drones to aid him. Repair drones are immune to the Lumberjacks aura.

Alignment Unaligned Languages -
Skills Athletics +9, Endurance +9
Str 20 (+7) Dex 16 (+5) Wis 16 (+5)
Con 16 (+5) Int 1 (-3) Cha 5 (-1)

Description: The Clockwork Lumberjack is a normally cautious and methodical automaton, now driven mad by the Cog Virus to attack its former masters and anyone not infected with the virus.


Now, let's stat up a minion:

Clockwork Repair Drone
Small natural animate (construct)

Level 3 Minion
XP 35
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +1; darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 16; Fortitude 16, Reflex 15, Will 14
Resist 5 fire
Speed 6

Pincers (standard, at-will)
+8 vs AC; 4 damage.

Coil Explosion: Burst 1. +8 vs. Reflex. When reduced to 0 hit points, a clockwork repair drone explodes in a rain of cogs and springs. Anyone hit by the explosion is immobilized (save ends).

Alignment Evil Languages -
Str 19 (+5) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 15 (+3) Int 8 (0) Cha 11 (+1)

 

[Pyrex]

The aura should still be Fire damage.

You forgot to give the Repair drones any actual Repair ability.