Living Caltrops

CR1 sounds about what i was thinking, when i refigured it. it sounds like mine are a lot deadlier and more useful anyway. oh well, the way i see it is, if i had the idea first (or at least independently), and it's different enough to tell it apart, then it's not stealing. ;)

Edit: i'll also have to make sure not to use "caltrops" in the name. :)
 
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hi. :) worked on these a bit (finally remembered them, LOL) let me know what you think now! :)

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, 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 ones (this number may be fewer, depending on how many spiky ones are not attached to or underneath other creatures). 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.
 

also, would anyone care to come up with a paragraph or two for me for Creating a Warden Jack? :) (or at least some basic info from which i can write it)
 


Hmmmm... im actually thinking of a booby-trapped wizards-study. A myriad of small holes in the ground in where a Warden Jack lies in each hole, waiting for an intruder to close, at which point the emerge from the tiny holes and scatter about the floor. They would be extremely nasty if combined with a guardian construct with ranged attack :)
 

actually, they can't climb. they can roll out, if the holes aren't too steep (like, not any higher than a 45 degree angle). \_ might be too much. ;)

however, they can certainly hide in holes in the walls or ceiling and drop out...
 

Two methods:

Permanancy and Guards & Wards

or

Craft Wondrous Item feat and Animate Objects spell.

Either method comes with an experience point cost of 1,000 per dozen. No more than two dozen can be enchanted in a single session.

A dozen warden jacks would have a material and labor cost of ____ gp for the rust-resistant steel, drilling the cylinders, fitting the spike pistons, etc., and take a week of master craftsman labor hours for physical construction prior to enchantment, which takes an entire day.
 

cool, anyone got ideas for construction costs? where are those fellas from when we were talking about that book of constructs? ;) speak up!
 

Until I can consult my copy of Encyclopedia Arcane: Constructs, I'd be unable to give a clear idea as to construction costs. That would be later tonight.

- Devon
 

Hi, Boz,

I applied the Shield Guardian's basic calculation, and came up with a cost of 2400 gp, 48 xp (100 gp for the body) per Warden Jack.

I also tried to replicate this construct in the Encyclopedia Arcane: Constructs system, and had trouble, eventually coming up with a cost of 13,750 gp total (50 gp body) and 275 xp. I had to really try to cram it inot their system, and it didn't really work.

So, as the Warden Jack does have fewer abilities than a Shield Guardian, I think it should be more like 1600 - 2000 gp per Warden Jack, costing 32 - 40 xp, with a body cost of roughly 80 - 150 gp.

- Devon
 

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