Designing a Construct PC race

[Cam Banks]

I'm developing a sort of steampunk fantasy setting influenced more by Jewish and Islamic tropes than standard Western European ones. One of the PC race options I'd like to include are golems, humanoid-shaped vessels containing a spirit dedicated to a specific purpose or role.

In many ways the race is supposed to replace dwarves, and combines elements of Dragonlance tinker gnomes as well (single-minded dedication to something, knack for tinkering with things). However, it really does smell like a construct, and from studying Savage Species it looks as if that's quite a significant advantage.

Now, these golems aren't uber-powerful Monster Manual golems - there will be ways to acquire more power with experience via prestige classes and feats, but essentially they're just living clay with an AI living inside them. As constructs they have no Constitution scores, and can't be healed by magic nor raised or resurrected, but they'd still be a +1 level adjustment.

Can anybody think of how I could balance out the construct type in order to bring the race down to a +0 level adjustment? Or am I doomed?

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Enkhidu]

You're going to have a heck of a time finding ways to balance a constructs immunity to crits/sneak attacks. However, it might be possible to do it by giving them some ability score penalties to Dex and some skill penalties, though the number of penalties would have to be significant (I'm thinking -4 or -6 to Dex, and a load of -2 to skills).

 

[Zerakon]

No Constitution score is pretty wacky for a PC. I have a pseudo-construct race in my setting, but they do have Constitutions (in fact, they get a +2 bonus). I'd suggest doing what I did, and have your golems be pseudo-constructs and drop the N/A Constitution.

Depending on the expected mortality rate, you may want to reconsider the whole "can't be raised or resurrected" thing. Perhaps have there be a special (and very expensive?) way for them to be "reanimated," especially if PC deaths are not uncommon in your campaign. Just a thought.

For cutting down their power, have them be slow, 20' movement like the small races. And if that's not harsh enough, they could be unable to run because their constructed bodies are incapable of accelerated movement. This would be a pretty huge drawback, especially if they also can't be raised/resurrected. Or maybe have their top speed be x3 instead of x4.

 

[Nifft]

I'd go for a half-construct race (or part-construct Template) which grants varying degrees of Fortification instead of immunity to Crits & Sneak Attacks.

-- N

 

[Cam Banks]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Slow movement a la dwarves is one of the things I've considered and plan to incorporate. These golems aren't otherwise lacking in Dexterity, however, as the intent is that they fill certain laborer and technician-style roles. Thus, it would certainly fit to have them penalized to Wisdom and Charisma, without a bonus to any other ability score (given the advantages implied in having no Constitution).

The race will also gain the benefit of either a bonus Skill Focus or Weapon Focus feat, to represent their single-minded purpose, the latter for combat-oriented golems. This didn't seem too overwhelming, although all things considered perhaps dropping the Weapon Focus option might be wise.

This setting incorporates a lot of new feats, rules and benefits that revolve around souls, and since golems don't have them, they are denied access to those features (as well as resurrection). In the course of a campaign, this may prove to be a suitable disadvantage as well.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Beholder Bob]

A construct has the following features.
1st—10-sided Hit Dice.
2nd—Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
3rd—No good saving throws.
4th—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the construct has an Intelligence score. However, most constructs are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.
Traits: A construct possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
5th—No Constitution score.
6th—Low-light vision.
7th—Darkvision out to 60 feet.
8th—Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
9th—Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
10th—Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
11th—Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
12th—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
13th—Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
14th—Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
15th—Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry.
16th—Proficient with no armor.
17th—Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Well: 1st, 2nd, & 3rd are ignored, as is 15th, 16th, as their class will determine these factors.
3rd is a very painful modifier, change it so that the PC loses 1 good save, so a monk construct gets 2 good saves, a cleric 1 good save, and fighters, wizards, rogues get no good saves. Ouch.
5th is ok – but…. M make the animating spirit in the vessel stay for a period of time after the vessel is cracked, approximating negative HP, but dependent on a good engineering or spellcraft check to save them instead of healing.
6th and 7th are livable, but I’d drop them to just darkvision. But, that is just me.
8th is lost. Unlike a normal construct, these guys get free will, the ability to make decisions on their own. They can be fooled. Otherwise, enchanters are going to be VERY unhappy. Perhaps special skills or a feat is required, but allow them to be effected.
9th is ugly. That is a damn nice ability. No immediate thought for dodging that one.
10th is nice, although the repair spells from blood & tome duplicate healing spells easily.
11th you could assume the construct has a limited karmic balance of energy, disrupt it and disrupt the Golem. Stat drains and energy drains may have a different effect, but going along with old alchemy and cabalism, altering a letter, changing the alchemical balance, what have you could effect them too. What if energy drains cause insanity for x time period, or stat drains dim their senses? Could be fun.
12th as above. Perhaps knockdown, stun, or acts as stat drains normally do.
13th limb loss instead. Just a flesh wound! See 5th.
14th who says? Where did the spirit come from? What if these golems are animated using spirits trapped in limbo, unable to go to heaven, able to dodge hell. Stuck. Spending time as a Golem may give them the chance they need to fix that spiritual balance.
17th yes. What if they need to rest their mind or suffer degraded intelligence. They no longer always do watch now. As to food, you could require an ongoing sacrifice or offering to maintain the energies of animation, failure results in a weakening Golem, perhaps even death. Unleaded please.

 

[Cergorach]

Why not just use the construct race from the DragonStar campaignsetting from Fantasy Flight Games?

 

[clark411]

With all their bonuses, I made a steampunk automaton race, with ECL +4. I can't see dropping them to +0 with construct bonuses.

Link to what I came up with is http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?t=48339

 

[Beholder Bob]

Sprocket

Here is a quirky way to balance the poor clockwork fellow. Their 1st level is as an npc expert or noble. Not over-powered, but the equivelent of about a 1/2 level power step. Take that in conjunction with all the weaknesses inherent in being a construct, will hopefully balance it out. You could, if he still seems too tough, on a critical hit, he suffers random stat damage equal to a d3 (parts fall off, requiring days of re-tooling/repair. Now that would be a pain for the poor player, and equally screws over the clockwork no matter his class. Hopefully, that would balance. Oh, and you may not get restoration, you need x hours with a mechanic or self repair. And the parts and tools. Oil. Oil.

This may be of interest to you, I've got a post on making new races and the balance factors of the existing ones. “New races vs core races”

 

[Cam Banks]

Why not just use the construct race from the DragonStar campaignsetting from Fantasy Flight Games?

I don't have it - what's it like? Is it somewhat similar to what's being discussed so far?

Cheers,
Cam