Intellegent Construct

[Valicore]

Just started doing a Spelljamming Campaign, working in 3.5 (Yes lots of conversion from 2nd edition). I have allowed players to throw ideas for planets or monsters in a hat, and i pull one out and that is the theme of the next area. One guy wanted star wars. Well off the bat I'm thinking light sabers and jedi, and tie fighters vs s... ehhh to high lvl. Then i remembered the battle droids. Good starting place for their lvl. 7th. I know about warforged and it didn't seem right. i wanted a construct that can be controlled, but had a limited intelligence. Would using the rules of making a effigy creature from the complete arcane, and adding the intelligent item creation from the DMG be going in the right direction?

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'd like to suggest one of my favorite constructs, The Nimblewright from MM II p.162. It's a very dexterity-based, classy swordsman styled construct.

INT of 10, some enhancing spell-like abilities (the errata replaces Alter Self with Disguise Self, which makes more sense given the rest of the description) and the ability to extend and retract rapiers out of their wrists.

They're hollow, so good for keeping equipped with gear they can conceal. I made one as a Cohort for a PC, it carried some Shapesand (Sandstorm book) around to use to make mundane tools it might need.

Very much intelligent battle droid, even though I've not before thought of them in Star Wars terms.

 

[Valicore]

I have seen the Nimblewright and did like it for the CR and its abilities, i was even thinking of having the party fight one that went rogue against its creator. I was looking for a lower CR one so i could use them in mass, well five or six to start. The Nimblewright is melee based and stealthy, for the classic battle droid I'm thinking Ranged and dumb. Plus The Nimblewright is 35k a pop to produce. Im thinking i can get a human effigy creature 1 HD 4,000gp, Intelligent weapon just the first rank of for 1,000gp. Since it has 1 HD and INT should allow a feat, Cull Wand Essence (uses wand energy to shot a ranged touch attack 60'. Damage based on spell lvl of wand 1st 1d6, 2nd 3d6, 3rd 6d6, and 4th 10d6)

So give them a wand of say repair light damage for versatility (perhaps have repair light damage as an ability as an intelligent weapon, they would effectively have it on its spell list and don't have to roll UMD) and you get a 30hp droid with 50 ranged touch attacks and/or healing for about 4750-5000gp. A relatively low cost battle droid, CR 2. Intelligent weapons at base have INT WIS and CHA two at 12 one at 10. drop the empathic and sub speech, lower its INT to say 6-7 and it would say "Roger Roger" all day!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Sounds like you have a solid plan. I was assuming as DM, you could handwave whatever cost, but I see you're considering the actual production costs, so may I ask what your price range might be to manufacture per droid? Human effigy sounds like a solid way to go.

When I think Nimblewright, I think General Grevious' personal combat droids. Something to challenge a Jedi in single combat. I wasn't thinking the mass produced mooks.

 

[Valicore]

Made a mistake in the addition, forgot to add the intelligent weapon cost. but im thinking about 6,000gp per droid. The ranged touch attack will give the players problems, most of there Touch AC's are in the low teens. So a CR 7-8 encounter of like 6-8 of these guys will cause some ruckus and make them think of different strategies. In my campaigns we give the monsters and the players max HP. Played a few times when the wizard had more hp than the fighter, or the mages get one shoted. Also the gp value is important due to their ship runs on spell energy like norm, but has a modified furnace so if they don't want an item they can feed it to the ship for fuel if the spell casters are unconscious. Say 50% to fuel and the other 50% goes to the ship to upgrade itself. Helm gets better, Natural AC of the ship goes up, and so forth.