Pilot Juggernaut Spell Working Draft
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.
[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table, width: 420"]
[TR]
[TD]
Caster Level
No level requirement
9th or higher
9th or higher
11th or higher[/TD]
[TD]
Juggernaut Type
wooden juggernaut
winged juggernaut
wicker juggernaut
stone juggernaut[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
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.