help me finish this construct

BOZ

Creature Cataloguer
all i really need is the caster level, and Craft check DC. of course, any other criticism you wish to provide would be great. :)

Warden Jacks
Fine Construct
Hit Dice: 1/4d10 (2 hp)
Initiative: +5 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 27 (+8 size, +5 Dex, +4 natural), touch 23, flat-footed 22
Attacks: Pierce +6 melee
Damage: Pierce 1d4-2
Face/Reach: ½ ft by ½ ft/0 ft
Special Attacks: Attach, trip
Special Qualities: Construct
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 21, Con ---, Int ---, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: Hide +21

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Spill (4-16), disaster (10-100)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: ---

Warden jacks are miniscule metal objects in the shape of a ball, covered in sharp points. These things are able to move on their own by retracting their spikes, and rolling around on the ground. They are mostly commonly used as guardians for wizards and nobles who fear the intrusion of thieves. Warden jacks will not attack their creator, and can be programmed to avoid specific individuals or types of individuals, or to attack only specific types of individuals or only attack under whatever conditions their creator specifies. These constructs are capable of guarding an entire floor of a structure, but are not able to climb up stairs and are stopped by closed doors or other impassable objects that they cannot fit through. They can, however, fall down stairs or navigate even the steepest of slopes. Warden jacks resemble caltrops somewhat, and typically range from 1-3 inches in diameter.

COMBAT
Warden jacks have two main modes of attack: As moving caltrops, or as rolling marbles. They will normally set themselves up against their opponents by rolling out to where the opponents are likely to walk to, then extend their spikes and wait until they are nearly stepped on to attack. Once full combat begins, most of them roll around continually, extending their spikes and stopping as a free action. Sometimes, some of them will remain in spheroid form to use their trip attack, causing the victim to fall on even more of the spiky ones. They can still attack creatures that stand still, but cannot trip such creatures. Any opponent that is immune to the effects of caltrops may also be immune to the attacks of warden jacks, but may be subject to their trip attack. The attack roll of a warden jack ignores shield and armor bonuses to Armor Class, but not natural armor or deflection bonuses, though creatures wearing footwear do gain a +2 armor bonus against the attack.

Attach (Ex): If a spiky warden jack succeeds at a melee attack or if a creature falls on top of it, it attaches itself to that creature, causing an additional 1 point of damage per round that it remains attached. Creatures that step on a warden jack have their speed reduced by one-half for 1 day, as with caltrops. A warden jack can be removed as a full-round action, causing 1 point of damage to the creature it is attached to. These things can remove themselves at will, by retracting their spikes (this causes no damage to the creature).

Trip (Ex): If any of the warden jacks remain as spheroids, each one can cause a moving creature to trip and fall. The victim must roll a Reflex save (DC 15) or slip on the marble-like construct, falling directly on top of 3d4 spiky warden jacks (this number may be fewer, depending on how many spiky ones are still on the ground). This attack can occur as many times per round, as there are spheroid warden jacks rolling on the ground.

Construct Traits: A warden jack is immune to all mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. It is also immune to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or death from massive damage. It cannot heal itself but can be healed through repair. It cannot be raised or resurrected. A warden jack has darkvision (60-foot range).

Skills: Due to their size, warden jacks have a +5 racial bonus to Hide checks.


CONSTRUCTION
A warden jack is molded in the shape of a small metal sphere. Each warden jack costs 1000 gp to create, which includes 50 gp for the body. The cost of labor includes drilling cylinders in the metal and fitting the piston spikes, which takes an entire day of work before the magic ritual can take place. Assembling the body requires a successful Craft (blacksmithing) check (DC X).

The creator must be Xth level and able to cast arcane spells. Completing the ritual drains 20 XP per warden jack from the creator and requires animate objects, limited wish, and guards and wards. The creator can make no more than one dozen warden jacks in a single session.
 
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please? :)

all i really need is the caster level, and Craft check DC. of course, any other criticism you wish to provide would be great. :)
 

The at-work answer:

Get Monsters of Faerun, find Crawling Claw, reduce the caster level by 1, and increase the DC by 2. (harder to make than cutting someone's hand off)

Best easy answer I can do.
 


*shrug* wasn't sure where to put it. :) we've gone as far as we seem to be able to go with it in the CC forums...
 

Although Animate Object is the most obvious spell as a requirement, isn't it a Cleric only spell?

Why do you specify "creator must be able to cast arcane spells", do you want to prevent a Cleric to use the aid of a Wizard for Limited Wish?

Sorry, my comments are very pedant :) Very nice idea indeed anyway.
 

A rolling ball of steel with retractable spikes, I would give that a craft DC somewhere between 22 and 28.
This would mean that it would be moderately difficult to make for a standard person, you would need a smith with a fair number of ranks in craft.

As for caster level, from what level would you want to have people having these things?
Personally between 6-8th level.

If I was a wizard I would get myself some mithril or admantium and make them from that. This would (IMO) give them more hitpoints and a better damage ability. Imagine what 5 of these would do to anybody who would try to trespass. :D
 

I don't know that there are hard-and-fast rules on caster level, or you would've found them already, BOZ. Since that's the case I'll move this over to House Rules.

Anyway, I'd say 13th level, as the minimum for Limited Wish. The only problem then, is that Flesh Golem requires 14th level, so I think that's a bit steep. Maybe, then 11th level and the caster has to come up with the appropriate spell of the type he can't cast, which allows clerics or wizards to create them. Then in my campaign, I wouldn't allow clerics for whom it would be inappropriate (why would Sune Firehair's clerics use these? Helm I can see) to create them.

Crawling claws are creatable at 5th level with a simple spell, though, maybe cut the level down to 9th but then the caster would need to find a way to cast all three spells independently. I don't like that so much, so I'd stick with 11th.

Hope that helps somewhat.
 

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