Need Suggestions for paragon Half-Constructs

[Greatwyrm]

I'm working on some creatures for an adventure based on 15th level characters. I'd like to use some theme-type powers to customize some creatures. The idea is that the inhabitants of a lost city (and some nearby monsters) have been made part-living/part-machine by the adversary of the adventure.

If you have any ideas for theme powers I could give these guys, I'd appreciate it. They are for paragon challenges, so tough is okay. Even if you can't put mechanics to it, the description of an effect will steer me in the right direction.

 

[Kaelkatar]

Some things that have popped into my head:

Replacing body parts with metal should both strengthen and hinder the affected creatures. Mechanical legs may be faster but less maneuverable. Mechanical arms may be stronger, but less agile.

More mechanically I like the idea of wearing down mechanical parts until they break, weakening the creature further. Heres something I drew up as a possibility:

http://i33.tinypic.com/2cmpx1u.gif

 

[Greatwyrm]

That's pretty cool! I was starting from the Warforged and working outward, but that really captures the kind of thing I was after.

 

[aco175]

You could take something from the Fey Lingerer creature and reskin it. The lingerer is 'destroyed' but rises again with different abilities the next. Something like in the X-men comic when they need to get the helmet off Juggernot(sp) to weaken him. Have a creature with an Iron Man like shell that either loses it when bloodied or dies to rise again the next round with different powers.

Have an elite creature with high AC from armor, but slowed all the time. When he gets bloodied he looses the AC, by having the armor fall off, but speed increases along with another power, like the skirmish ability +2d6.

I also remember a Dungeon module a while ago where there was a bunch of mechanical creatures in some forge, but it was around level7.

 

[Kaelkatar]

The important questions I would ask are:

Why are they mechanical, what advantages does that bring?
Why isn't everyone in the world mechanical, what kind of detriments does it bring?
How long have the mechanical hybrids been with their mechanical parts, have they adapted to them well, or are they still figuring out how best to use them?
Are they grateful or angry about their transformation?

Another thought is to take from the Starcraft concept of Dragoons. Have a completely biological villain attack, get defeated, and before he completely dies he is found by a BBEG, and turned into some sort of robot, given a second chance which is fueled entirely by vengeance towards your PCs.

 

[Greatwyrm]

The important questions I would ask are:

Why are they mechanical, what advantages does that bring?
Why isn't everyone in the world mechanical, what kind of detriments does it bring?
How long have the mechanical hybrids been with their mechanical parts, have they adapted to them well, or are they still figuring out how best to use them?
Are they grateful or angry about their transformation?

1. The main advantage is that they're "alive". Its kind of a clockwork/alchemical version of undeath.

2. They're not actually alive. I like the idea of the modifications and systems are unreliable.

3. Time is a tough issue here. They've been in a sort of suspended animation for quite a while.

4. Their gratitude is a mixed bag. They're glad they didn't die outright, but they want to be real, living creatures again.

 

[Kaelkatar]

Are they all enemies, or are some friendlies?

I think roleplaying up the differences in reactions could be interesting. Have an NPC rush your party with no desire other than to cut off one of your PCs arms and run away with it under the delusion that they could replace their mechanical limb with it and become more "alive". Also have an NPC that is grateful of their "second chance" and now looks down on those not mechanical as weaklings, attacking your party out of disgust.

Just some ideas, but you seem to have a decent grasp on where you might go with it.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Not so much friends or enemies, they're just working at cross purposes to the PCs. They think their boss will be able to use his magic book (paragon level macguffin artifact) to eventually restore them all to a regular life. Unfortunately, the PCs have been approached by a third party who wants them to recover the book to use against a lich lord in the next kingdom over.