Defenses for Robots?

[GX.Sigma]

I'm starting a campaign where I want small robots to be a common low-level monster. The problem is that I'm not quite sure what their defenses should be like. Traditionally in D&D, a creature like an iron golem was just immune to weapons below a certain amount of magic. That makes sense, but this is a low-level enemy in a low-magic campaign. So what should I do?

I could just give them a really good AC and call it a day, but I just can't imagine swords or arrows doing much good against them, even with a lucky shot. I could imagine smashing them to bits, but I don't want everyone to just use blunt weapons all the time (and it would be awkward to make other things vulnerable to slashing/piercing just to balance it out).

Has anyone done something similar? Anyone got any ideas?

 

[MarkB]

Why not just give them Damage Reduction equivalent to the hardness rating of objects of similar materials?

 

[GX.Sigma]

Giving them DR 10 would make them unsuitable for low-level adventures, and it doesn't solve my main issue, which is believability.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Robots are a lot like undead.

Figure out about how tough you want these creatures to be in terms of HP, and give them appropriate immunities: gas, poison, etc. should not affect them. They don't need to breathe or sleep. Perhaps you also make them only take full damage from blunt weapons, and only 50% from slashing or piercing weapons.

Well, that's a lot like a skeleton.

So, look to skeletons and other low-level undead to compare powers and abilities as a gauge for how powerful they are.

 

[MarkB]

Giving them DR 10 would make them unsuitable for low-level adventures,

Then assume that they're made out of something less durable than steel - from the image, they look more like copper or bronze - and give them DR5/bludgeoning.

and it doesn't solve my main issue, which is believability.

If you're finding it hard to believe that ordinary weapons could harm these opponents, then they're not suitable as low-level opponents. If that's not the issue, then where is your believability being strained?

 

[Herobizkit]

Constructs and Warforged go together; check out what Warforged get by way of resistances and go with that.

Also your pic gave me nightmarish flashbacks of Castlevania.

 

[GMMichael]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm

That should just about do it.

 

[doghead]

<snip> Outside of a decent AC, good hitpoints and some minor DR, most of their special qualities are only going to be indirectly related to combat - not breathing, eating or sleeping, not affected by gas or mind-affecting spells, etc. Their vulnerabilities, however, should be fairly easy to exploit in combat for anybody familiar with them.

I'm with Jack on this. I think that the special qualities and vulnerabilities is what makes them interesting. Especially if those are not common knowledge initially.

I would be interested to see what you decide to go with, and how it plays out.

thotd

 

[GX.Sigma]

Now that I think about it, the image of humans fighting against metal monsters with normal weapons is pretty common in the source material:

I think it makes the most sense just to give robot-like creatures high AC and make them resistant, but not immune, to weapons. So, for these kobold-level minion droids, the line is probably going to be "it's resistant to normal weapons... but it only has 3 hp anyway, so it dies." That's a decent balance between believability and gameplay. I can imagine a sword breaking a joint between two moving parts, or a dagger piercing a softer point.

For stuff like golems, though (made of one solid piece of animated metal), immunity to normal weapons makes more sense.