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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Echohawk" data-source="post: 5103037" data-attributes="member: 9849">Leonis's AutomataThose few besides the tinker gnomes who've seen Leonis's creations assume they're golems. After all, they're magical constructs that come in a variety of sizes and materials. But Leonis's automata are fundamentally different. Golems are animated by bound elemental spirits, but these constructs are actually alive. This can be explained only by the nature of the demiplane itself. Those who try to build such devices on any other plane, even Mechanus, always meet with failure. Similarly, automata taken off the demiplane cease to function.While there are dozens of variants of Leonis's creations, they do share some characteristics, which are summarized here. - They obey Leonis. The wizard creates everything for a reason. If he takes the time to invent a living machine, it's going to be one he can use. The automata are incapable of defying him, with the exception of Vita (see "Major Inhabitants" below). They always attempt to fulfill Leonis's orders to the best of their ability. - They have intelligence but not emotion. Machines don't know fear, hate, love, or any other human passion. Thus they're immune to spells that produce or in any way deal with emotions (such as cause fear). Those who fight the automata will quickly find out they don't know mercy either. - They require neither food nor fuel. The automata owe their continued existence to magic alone and don't need to be recharged in any way. - They do not breathe. Automata are immune to gas-based attacks of any kind and can survive in airless environments.Below is a summary of game information for three dominant types of automata here. However, Leonis has done a lot of experimenting over the last century, and it's possible to find any number of forms, or variations on these adapted to different environments. Designing your own variants can help bring this setting to life.Leonis's AutomataFlyerClimate/Terrain: LeonisFrequency: CommonOrganization: Work groupActivity Cycle: AnyDiet: NilIntelligence: LowTreasure: NilAlignment: NeutralNo. Appearing: 1d4Armor Class: 4Movement: 3, fly 16 (D)Hit Dice: S: 3-10THAC0: 3HD: 18, 6 HD: 15, 8 HD: 13, 10 HD: 11No. of Attacks: 2Damage/Attack: 3HD: 1d6, 6 HD: 1d8, 8 HD: 1d10, 10 HD: 1d12Special Attacks: NoneSpecial Defenses: See belowMagic Resistance: NoneSize: 3HD: S, 6 HD: M, 8 HD: L, 10 HD: HMorale: Fearless (20)XP Value: 3HD: 270, 6 HD: 975, 8 HD: 1,400, 10 HD: 2,000FlyersLeonis has a particular fascination with flying, which is no doubt why he lifted his tower above the landscape. He's built more flyers than any other type of automaton. There are small constructs with string-and-canvas pinions akin to those of birds, and ungainly flying coffins with hinged metal batwings that could never get aloft without the aid of magic. Most have clawed legs similar to those of birds of prey, though Leonis has experimented with hooks and wheels on some.The flyers were built for a variety of purposes. Some are strictly meant for combat, others carry passengers strapped below their bellies in slings (a not-entirely-comfortable ride), and still others haul cargo.JuggernautClimate/Terrain: LeonisFrequency: RareOrganization: SolitaryActivity Cycle: AnyDiet: NilIntelligence: LowTreasure: NilAlignment: NeutralNo. Appearing: 1Armor Class: -4Movement: 9Hit Dice: 15THAC0: 5No. of Attacks: 2d4Damage/Attack: 2d6+2Special Attacks: OverrunSpecial Defenses: See belowMagic Resistance: 20%Size: GMorale: Fearless (20)XP Value: 8,000JuggernautsThe wizard constructed two devastating war machines to protect the demiplane. Mounted.on rollers and festooned with wicked, rotating blades, juggernauts are designed to break infantry formations and cause fear in the enemy. In obedience to the demiplane's rules, these automata are in the shape of charging beasts: one is a bull and the other is a rhinoceros. Each has a cargo compartment that can hold up to ten soldiers, but Leonis has no troops to exploit these-yet. One day, perhaps, he'll get around to crafting metal myrmidons to fill their bellies.A rolling juggernaut can work up a respectable speed, and with its enormous momentum it's nearly unstoppable in close combat. Anyone in its way must move aside or be crushed.Each round, the juggernaut can overrun enemies within its movement range. Those who make a successful Dexterity check can leap out of the way; anyone who fails takes 2d20 points of damage from the impact. Close-combat opponents smaller than size G can't stop the juggernaut's advance; it can move up to its full movement rate every round as well as attack normally. Its whirling blades slash at all within reach. Each round, 2d4 of these blades strike for 2d6+2 points of damage each.The juggernaut's solid construction and magical nature give it unnatural toughness: Piercing and slashing weapons inflict only half damage. It's also completely immune to attacks by nonmagical missiles, except those of siege engines.Organ GunClimate/Terrain: LeonisFrequency: UncommonOrganization: TacticalActivity Cycle: AnyDiet: NilIntelligence: LowTreasure: NilAlignment: NeutralNo. Appearing: 1-2Armor Class: 0Movement: 6Hit Dice: 8THAC0: 13No. of Attacks: 0Damage/Attack: 0Special Attacks: See belowSpecial Defenses: See belowMagic Resistance: NoneSize: LMorale: Fearless (20)XP Value: 5,000Organ GunIt's probably for the best that Leonis's creations don't function off the demiplane. The organ gun would have made warfare truly terrible. This automaton looks more like a weapon or a perverse musical instrument than a sentient being, but it does have intelligence. It's basically a wheeled, self-propelled carriage made of metal, with five small cannons on rotating mounts. The cannons sprout from an adamantite box enchanted to store up to 25 delayed blast fireballs.The organ gun can fire in two ways. It can shoot all its barrels at once, producing a delayed blast fireball causing 10d6+10 points of damage. Alternatively, each barrel can fire separately to create five smaller, separately targeted fireballs for 2d6+2 points of damage each. With either option, the fireballs can detonate instantaneously or be delayed up to 5 rounds, as per the delayed blast fireball spell.Once the stored spells are used up, the automaton can't fire its guns again until recharged. However, mounted underneath the five barrels are what looks like a pair of human hands made of gleaming bronze. These can cast burning hands once per round for 1d3+20 points of damage; this attack can't be combined with cannon fire.</blockquote>

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