Activating A Guardian Juggernaut
Guardian juggernauts can be activated by spells or magic items. The normal method used to produce these war machines is the
create guardian spell. A more powerful and versatile method is the
pilot juggernaut spell. Magic items for controlling juggernauts mostly duplicate the functions of these two spells.
Juggernaut Domain
Granted Power: Gain +4 bonus on Craft checks. In addition, for each cleric level you gain you are granted 2 bonus skill points that you can only spend on Craft skills.
Juggernaut Domain Spells:
1.
Magic Weapon: Weapon gains +1 bonus.
2.
Wood Shape: Rearranges wooden objects to suit you.
3.
Stone Shape: Sculpts stone into any shape.
4.
Create Guardian: Temporarily transforms a totem into a guardian juggernaut.
5.
Stoneskinᴹ: Ignore 10 points of damage per attack.
6.
Animate Objects: Objects attack your foes.
7.
Pilot Juggernaut: Temporarily transforms a construct into a guardian juggernaut.
8.
Iron Body: Your body becomes living iron.
9.
Crushing Hand: Large hand provides cover, pushes, or crushes your foes.
New Spells
Create Guardian
Transmutation
Level: Juggernaut 4
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One pilot and one totem
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell temporarily transforms a giant totem into a
guardian juggernaut with the consciousness of a pilot. The pilot must be a willing intelligent being who is either a blood relative of the spellcaster or someone who has been ritually adopted into the spellcaster's clan. The type of juggernaut you can animate is based on your caster level, as shown on the table below.
Caster Level
No level requirement
9th or higher
9th or higher
11th or higher | Juggernaut Type
wooden juggernaut
winged juggernaut
wicker juggernaut*
stone juggernaut |
*A wicker juggernaut produced by
create guardian does not have fire resistance. The construct's own burning body will quickly reduce it to ashes unless it is given fire resistance by some additional means, such as having a
ring of energy resistance (fire) placed in one of its "ring finger" spiritual equipment slots.
A
create guardian spell requires considerable preparation (see components for additional details). The totem must be constructed in advance, which takes months of labour. A ceremonial tent must be erected. Wooden replicas of any magical items the juggernaut is intended to use are carved and the pilot must place them in the spiritual equipment slots of the totem.
The spellcaster can then start casting
create guardian. The pilot ritually adorns themselves with the magical items for the juggernaut. They then remove the wooden replicas from the totem's spiritual equipment slots and replace them with the real items. The pilot, now adorned with the replica equipment, then enters the ceremonial tent and the priest completes the spellcasting by tracing a 10 foot diameter circle – the circle of control – around the pilot inside the tent. During the casting process, the caster must stay within range of all the components and targets of the
create guardian spell.
After casting is completed, the totem animates as a guardian juggernaut of the appropriate type under control of the pilot. The juggernaut is able to use any magical equipment in its spiritual equipment slots at the direction of the pilot.
A guardian juggernaut created by this spell remains animated until it is destroyed or the spell's duration runs out. The pilot can direct the juggernaut as long as the juggernaut is on the same plane and the pilot remains within the control tent. If the pilot is incapacitated or killed the juggernaut continues to be animated but becomes inactive, since it only moves when its pilot acts. The juggernaut also becomes inactive if the pilot leaves the
circle of control within the tent since this breaks the pilot's connection with the juggernaut. The pilot cannot resume control by reentering the
circle of control. Recasting
create guardian will "reset" the remaining duration of the spell to 24 hours and also allows the caster to reassign the pilot – either appointing an entirely new pilot or reconnecting a pilot who's connection to the juggernaut was broken.
Material Component: A totem built in the form of a guardian juggernaut. The construction cost is 500 gp for a wooden or wicker juggernaut's totem, 1,000 gp for a stone or winged juggernaut's totem. The totem must be hand built by members of the caster's clan, a process that takes 3 months. If anyone who is not a member of the caster's clan works on the totem it cannot be animated by a
create guardian spell. A clan may only have one totem prepared at a time. If they craft another totem when another totem is already prepared the old totem becomes ineligible for the
create guardian spell once the new totem is finished.
Unlike normal material components, the totem is not destroyed when the
create guardian spell is cast. When the spell's 24 hour duration expires the totem remains in existence but can no longer be animated by a
create guardian spell. Expired totems are traditionally set up for display by the clans that produced them.
Focus: A ceremonial tent 10 feet across. Made out of fine fabrics it costs 500 gp.
Replica Equipment: These are wooden copies of items used with the juggernaut's spiritual equipment ability (see the guardian juggernaut template for details). These items must be carved out of wood by the pilot or a clan relative of theirs, a process that takes 1 day per replica item but does not require any Skill checks (the degree of workmanship of the replica being irrelevant to the spiritual connection). A wooden replica weighs the same as the items it's a copy of and has a negligible cost. Replica equipment items are effectively focus components for the
create guardian spell, the spell does not consume them and the replicas can be reused.
Pilot Juggernaut
Transmutation
Level: Juggernaut 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: full-round action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: One pilot and one construct
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell bonds a willing intelligent being's consciousness to a construct, temporarily transforming the construct into a
guardian juggernaut. Only constructs under the caster's complete control can be affected. The pilot must be a willing intelligent being chosen by the spellcaster (who may be the caster themself). The type of construct that can be piloted is based on your caster level, as shown on the table below.
Caster Level
No level requirement
9th or higher
9th or higher
11th or higher | Juggernaut Type
wooden juggernaut
winged juggernaut
wicker juggernaut
stone juggernaut |
At the DM's discretion,
pilot juggernaut can be used to pilot other constructs. The caster level required to pilot a construct is normally either the construct's construction CL or the result of doubling the construct's Challenge Rating and subtracting three, whichever is higher. For example, a clay golem (CL 11th, CR 10) requires a caster level 17th
pilot juggernaut (twice its CR 10 minus 3) while a shield guardian (CL 15th, CR 8) requires a caster level 15th
pilot juggernaut (its CL). If the construct has some unusual traits that make it more or less effective as a piloted juggernaut the DM may want to increase or lower the required CL to compensate for its change in effectiveness.
You may create less powerful juggernauts than your level would allow if you choose. The juggernaut is under the control of the pilot, not the spell's caster, if these roles belong to separate creatures.
The pilot must ritually don a control focus during the casting time of the
pilot juggernaut spell to establish a mystic link with the construct. This focus item usually takes the form of a mask shaped like the face of the construct. During the casting process, the caster must stay within range of all the components and targets of the
pilot juggernaut spell, which includes the pilot.
After casting is completed, the totem animates as a guardian juggernaut of the appropriate type under control of the pilot. The juggernaut is able to use any magical equipment in its spiritual equipment slots at the direction of the pilot provided the pilot wields a replica equipment version of it (see the
guardian juggernaut template for details).
The pilot and the spellcaster can freely access the juggernaut's spiritual equipment slots to insert and remove magical items. They can install equipment before the
pilot juggernaut spell is cast or while the juggernaut is animated, and are also able to change equipment by replacing items in an equipment slot.
A guardian juggernaut created by this spell can be piloted until it is destroyed or the spell's duration runs out. The pilot can direct the juggernaut as long as the juggernaut is on the same plane and the pilot wears the control focus. If the pilot is incapacitated or killed the juggernaut becomes inactive, since it only moves when its pilot acts. The juggernaut also becomes inactive if the pilot takes off the control focus since this breaks the pilot's connection with the juggernaut. The pilot cannot resume control by putting the control focus back on. Recasting
pilot juggernaut guardian will "reset" the remaining duration of the spell to 1 minute per level and also allows the caster to reassign the pilot – either appointing an entirely new pilot or reconnecting a pilot who's connection to the juggernaut was broken.
A
pilot juggernaut spell can’t be defeated by
dispel magic or dismissed by its caster. It can be disjoined by
mage's disjunction or broken by
break enchantment* if such spells are cast on either the pilot or the juggernaut.
Break enchantment automatically breaks a
pilot juggernaut spell from the same spellcaster. *The
pilot juggernaut spell is an exception to the rule that
break enchantment only works against spells of 5th level or lower.
When the
pilot juggernaut spell expires the guardian juggernaut reverts back to being whatever base construct it was created from.
At the DM's option, this spell may be used to pilot other varieties of construct such as a shield guardian or clay golem. The minimum caster level required to cast
pilot juggernaut on such constructs is typically twice the Challenge Rating of the construct (i.e. CL 16th to operate a CR 8 Shield Guardian as a piloted juggernaut).
Focus: A finely-crafted item of clothing (usually a mask) that resembles the base construct. It costs 1,000 gp.
Focus: The construct to be piloted.
Replica Equipment: These are wooden copies of items used with the juggernaut's spiritual equipment ability, see the
create guardian spell for more information.
Juggernaut Magical Items
The following magic items and artifacts can animate guardian juggernauts.
Tent of the Juggernaut: An elaborate tent woven with clan symbols, a
tent of the juggernaut has 25 charges. Upon the uttering of a command word by someone belonging to the clan the tent is dedicated to, a single creature standing within the tent (who may be the command word’s utterer) can pilot a totem as if they had received a
create guardian spell. This costs 1 charge. All requirements of the spell must be met, including having a prepared juggernaut totem within range. The owner of the tent must supply the totem and replica equipment material components of the
create guardian spell themselves, the price is not included in the tent’s.
Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item,
create guardian, creator must have 5 ranks in the Craft (weaving) skill plus 5 ranks in either the Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (arcane) skill; Price 11,000 gp; Weight 50 lb.
Throne of the Juggernaut: A massive chair of wood and/or stone carved with battling figures. The
throne of the juggernaut has 12 charges, which are renewed each day. Anyone sitting upon the throne can use
pilot juggernaut to transform a construct or juggernaut totem within 250 feet into a guardian juggernaut under their control for a period of 5 minutes at the cost of 1 charge. The target must be one they have a right to pilot (i.e. a construct who responds to their commands or a totem of a clan they belong to). Once their 5 minutes are up, the pilot can extend their control by an additional 5 minutes at the cost of 1 charge. Note that expending charges to extend the control duration does not have a range limit. The price of the throne does not include any juggernauts to control. If the user wishes to employ spiritual equipment with a guardian juggernaut animated by the throne they must supply the replica equipment material components themselves.
Moderate transmutation; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item,
pilot juggernaut; Price 77,000 gp; Weight 50 lb.
Mask of the Juggernaut: A
mask of the juggernaut must be crafted at the same time as a juggernaut construct. The juggernaut will considers anyone wearing the mask as its true owner and obeys their commands. Three times per week, the mask wearer can directly control the juggernaut as if they used the
pilot juggernaut spell for a duration of up to 15 minutes.
The price of the mask includes the crafting materials and construction of the juggernaut it is linked to. The mask wearer must supply replica equipment material components for the
pilot juggernaut effect if they wish to use spiritual equipment in a guardian juggernaut animated by the mask. Remember that only enhanced juggernaut constructs possess spiritual equipment slots.
Stone juggernaut: Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
mass bull’s strength,
pilot juggernaut,
spiritual weapon,
stone shape, fine stone costing 1,000 gp, creator must have 4 ranks in the Craft (sculpting) or Craft (stonemasonry) skills; Price 82,000 gp; Cost 40,500 gp + 3,240 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Stone juggernaut, enhanced: Strong transmutation; CL 14th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
mass bull’s strength,
pilot juggernaut,
righteous might,
stone shape,
spiritual weapon, fine stone costing 2,500 gp, creator must have 6 ranks in the Craft (sculpting) or Craft (stonemasonry) skills; Price 119,000 gp; Cost 60,750 gp + 4,660 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Wicker juggernaut: Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
fire shield,
imbue with spell ability,
pilot juggernaut,
spiritual weapon, wicker plus rare oils costing 500 gp, creator must have 3 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (wickerwork) skills; Price 51,000 gp; Cost 25,750 gp + 2, 020 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Wicker juggernaut, enhanced: Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
fire shield,
imbue with spell ability,
pilot juggernaut,
righteous might,
spiritual weapon, wicker plus rare oils costing 1,000 gp, creator must have 5 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (wickerwork) skills; Price 72,000 gp; Cost 36,500 gp + 2,840 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Winged juggernaut: Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
fly,
pilot juggernaut,
spiritual weapon, wood plus leather and metal costing 1,000 gp, creator must have 4 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (leatherwork) skills; Price 61,000 gp; Cost 31,000 gp + 2,400 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Winged juggernaut, enhanced: Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
fly,
righteous might,
pilot juggernaut,
spiritual weapon, wood plus leather and metal costing 2,000 gp, creator must have 6 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (leatherwork) skills; Price 92,000 gp; Cost 47,000 gp + 3,600 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Wooden juggernaut: Moderate transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
pilot juggernaut,
spiritual weapon, 500 gp of wood, creator must have 3 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (woodcarving) skills; Price 44,000 gp; Cost 22,250 gp + 1,740 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Wooden juggernaut, enhanced: Moderate transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item,
animate objects,
pilot juggernaut,
righteous might,
spiritual weapon, fine wood plus special paint and oils costing 1,000 gp, creator must have 5 ranks in the Craft (carpentry) or Craft (woodcarving) skills; Price 65,000 gp; Cost 33,000 + 2,560 XP; Weight 3 lb.
Saddle of the Juggernaut: A
saddle of the juggernaut appear to be an exotic military saddle or elaborate chair built into the torso and/or head of an enhanced juggernaut construct. They are intrinsic part of the construct created at the same time as the juggernaut it is part of. The saddle forms a “operator slot” for the juggernaut construct. Whoever sits upon the saddle and utters its command word can operate the construct as if they were using
pilot juggernaut. This item has no charges, the juggernaut can remain active for as long as the pilot wishes.
A construct fitted with a
saddle of the juggernaut is incapable of independent action. It will only move when being piloted from its saddle. A saddle-equipped wicker juggernaut does not have or require a passenger slot for its Spell Transmission ability, the operator slot fulfils that function instead.
Strong transmutation; CL 15th;
geas/quest,
limited wish,
pilot juggernaut plus all requirements of a
mask of the juggernaut for a stone, wicker, winged or stone enhanced juggernaut (see above); Price 250,000 gp (stone), 175,000 gp (wicker), 200,000 gp (winged), 125,000 gp (wooden); Cost 126,250 gp + 9,900 XP (stone), 88,000 gp + 6,960 XP (wicker), 101,000 gp + 7,920 XP (winged), 63,000 gp + 4,960 XP (wooden); Weight — (included in juggernaut’s weight).
Crown of the Juggernauts: This major artifact looks like a circle of tiny gold warmasks with gems set in their eyeholes. The wearer of the
crown of the juggernauts known whether there are constructs within 1,200 feet at all times and their approximate numbers and directions. The wearer can determine the exact location and Hit Dice of any of these construct with a swift action.
The wearer can cast
create guardian and
pilot juggernaut at will. The
crown can cast
create guardian on any creature, not just clan-relatives of its wearer. The wearer does not need replica equipment to use spiritual equipment in a guardian juggernaut they control, but this benefit does not apply to other creatures piloting juggernauts animated by the
crown of the juggernauts.
Three times per day, the wearer can attempt to control a construct within 100 feet as if they had cast a
dominate monster spell that ignores any immunity to mind-affecting spells, spell resistance or immunity to magic possessed by the construct. The target construct is still entitled to a saving throw (Will DC 25). This control has a duration of 1 hour and if the
crown’s wearer does not spend at least 1 round concentrating on the
domination each minute the construct receives a new saving throw to throw off the
domination.
Finally, the wearer can become incorporeal as a swift action. They can become incorporeal for up to 12 rounds per day, which need not be continuous. While incorporeal they can fly at a speed of 30 ft. with perfect maneuverability. If an incorporeal wearer moves inside a construct under their control it becomes a guardian juggernaut under their control for as long as they remain inside it. An incorporeal crown wearer can enter a construct of any size, the construct does not have to be larger than them to become a guardian juggernaut. Time spent inside the juggernaut does not count against the duration of the crown’s
pilot juggernaut,
dominate construct and
incorporeality abilities. If the construct being controlled is intelligent it can attempt to throw off the crown wearer’s control with a DC 25 Will save once every hour or whenever the guardian juggernaut takes an action contrary to the construct’s nature. If the guardian juggernaut is destroyed or an intelligent construct succeed at a Will save to resist being controlled the crown wearer is expelled from the juggernaut while remaining incorporeal.
While incorporeal, the wearer can only use the crown’s
dominate construct power and the abilities of a guardian juggernaut they occupy. The wearer cannot eat, drink or sleep while incorporeal so if they need to nourish themselves they must leave any guardian juggernaut they occupy and return to corporeality. Even if the wearer is unaffected by hunger, thirst or sleep they must spend at least one continuous hour in their natural corporeal form every day or be unable to use the crown’s
incorporeality power for 24 hours.
The
crown of the juggernaut has a severe flaw. Each time the crown wearer uses its powers to control a construct they must succeed at a Will saving throw or go insane with megalomania. The Will save begins at DC 20 and increases by 1 every time for each subsequent Will save until the wearer fails the saving throw. A megalomaniacal crown wearer will refuse to take off the
crown, fighting to the death to retain it. The megalomaniac regards the guardian juggernaut form as their “true” body and will spend as much time as possible in that form, seeking to occupy the largest and most powerful construct available. The insane wearer’s behavior varies with their alignment, but they always start viewing other creatures as insignificant in comparison to themselves. A lawful good megalomaniacal crown wearer may view their fellows as helpless infants or pets to be controlled in every aspect of their lives, a chaotic evil one might see them as insects to be crushed for fun. Other megalomaniacs could see people as toys to be played with, chess pieces to be manipulated, delicate flowers to be gardened (and possibly
harvested) or trapped creatures to be “freed” from civilization (i.e. the constraints of walls, roads and living in buildings).
Overwhelming transmutation; Weight 3 lb.
