Automaton, Variant (5e Race)
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Automaton[edit]
ho boy someone's trying to do this again, let's see if it works out jim
Works of Genius and Ambition[edit]
As great artists draw from life itself to capture it in canvas and pigments, great inventors seek to replicate it in metal and motion. A skilled armorer studies the anatomy and movements of a warrior to best design a suit of plate mail. A skilled tinkerer could spend days crafting a mechanical songbird that can flap its wings and chirp a hundred different melodies. There is no magic here except the subtle kind of magic that occurs from years of knowledge, refinement and intricately complex creation.
The automaton is the inventor's greatest triumph, the culmination of that desired goal to replicate life. Through sheer effort and fevered dreams and determination, the inventor has understood the mind and replicated it in an entirely inanimate substrate. Trillions of intricate cogs, gears, and mechanisms make up the brain of an automaton, giving it sentience and a will of its own to act upon the world. Once the brain of an automaton is assembled, the body quickly follows - A much easier albeit still complex task.
An inventor that has created one automaton will likely do so many more times, refining and improving on each successive design. A special kind of madness tends to overtake most of these inventors, their notes and schematics becoming increasingly more dense and illegible to anyone other than themselves. There are those who say the price of understanding how to create a mind is the loss of one's own - a punishment for the hubris of treading in the domain of gods.
Finders of Purpose[edit]
Automatons that have left their creators behind often seek out a purpose. Some become adventurers, finding kindred in similar beings such as warforged. Others integrate into society, performing dangerous manual labor and other menial tasks. They are often regarded as a curiosity by other intelligent creatures, and are especially prone to being befriended by tinkerers who wish to study them. The construction of their mind is incomprehensible to even the most skilled artisans, but their body can be understood readily enough to be repaired or even improved upon.
Once an automaton has settled into a purpose, it will perform that purpose for years completely content. People may come and go, and things may change around them, but as long as the automaton is still able to be maintained, it will continue to perform that purpose until it can no longer do so.
Automaton Names[edit]
Automatons are usually named by their creators. Some are given a unique name that holds meaning to the creator or are indicative of their purpose (Atlas, Digger, Torch), some are simply labeled as part of a series eg. A-01, while a few are a mix of both (Lucky No. 7). A rebellious or independent automaton may choose to discard the name their creator gave them and take upon a new name or nickname.
Names: Adam, Athena, Chipper, Clunk, Eight, Gladys, John the Fifth, Maria, Moradin, Unit 47
Automaton Traits[edit]
Automatons are sentient constructs animated not by magic but by mundane yet marvelous means.
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. As long as they are maintained, automatons can live indefinitely. However, automatons usually start having to learn how to manage their limited memory after a few decades.
Alignment. Automatons can be of any alignment, but tend towards lawful.
Size. Your size is Small or Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
True Construct. Your creature type is Construct. As such, spells like cure wounds don't affect you, and you are immune to spells like crown of madness or dominate person because they specifically target humanoids. You are immune to poison damage, the poisoned condition, and diseases. You do not need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, and are in fact unable to do any of those things. You have no nerves to be paralyzed and you have no flesh to be petrified. You cannot gain levels of exhaustion, instead, you are subject to a similar phenomenon known as weardown.
Mechanical Mind. You have advantage on saving throws made against being charmed or frightened. You have resistance to psychic damage, and creatures attempting to read your thoughts would not be able to understand the mechanical language.
Maintenance Required. You do not need to eat or sleep, but your body requires maintenance or else it will gradually wear down. When you take a long rest, you or another creature proficient in tinker's tools must spend at least 2 hours performing routine maintenance. This maintenance includes checking for wear, oiling parts, replacing or repairing damaged components, and other similar tasks. For every 24 hours that pass where you have not received this maintenance, you must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of weardown. Hours spent in a low-activity state do not count for this 24 hour period.
Upgradeable.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write one language of your creator's choice.
Subrace. You require a power source to function. Choose between Mainspring or Boiler. While your power source is technically modular like the rest of you, it determines a large portion of the construction of your body and cannot be switched without a substantial amount of work.
Windspring[edit]
You are powered by a tightly wound spring. It is quiet and allows for quick, precise movements.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Lightweight. Your speed increases by 5.
Windup. Your spring must be rewound daily in order for you to remain active. A creature must spend 10 minutes to wind your spring back up (this can be done as part of a short or long rest). Your spring lasts for 12 hours. Every hour you spend active past this threshold, you must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or suffer 1 level of weardown which can't be reduced or prevented in any way. All levels of weardown accumulated this way are removed once your spring is wound back up. Being in a low-activity state extends each hour of the spring's lifetime by a factor of 10.
Boiler[edit]
You are powered by a small but powerful steam engine. It is loud but quite strong.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Powerful Engine. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying weight and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Noisy. While active, you emit a distinct rumbling sound audible up to 50 feet away.
Pressure Explosion. If you are destroyed while steam is built in your system, your boiler explodes blasting the area around you with blistering steam and metal shrapnel. All creatures within 15 feet of you must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking d6s of fire and piercing damage each equal to half your level on a failure, and half as much on a success.
Fuel Intake. You must consume fuel to stay active. If you run out of fuel or if the fire in your boiler is extinguished, you have a number of minutes equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 30 seconds) to relight it before the steam in your system loses pressure and you fall inactive.
| Fuel | Burn Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Damp wood, brush, or kindling | 1 minute/lb. | 1 cp/lb. |
| Firewood | 10 minutes/lb. | 5 cp/lb. |
| Bituminous coal | 1 hour/lb. | 1 sp/lb. |
| Oil | 2 hours/gallon. | 8 sp/gallon. |
| Anthracite | 4 hours/lb. | 1 gp/lb. |
| Valine oil log | 8 hours/oz. | 5 gp/oz. |
| Uranium-235 | 325 years/oz. | 1325 gp/oz. |
Being in a low-activity state extends the amount of time it takes for your steam to lose pressure by a factor of 10.
Voltaic[edit]
Your creator has unlocked the secrets of electricity.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Lightning Recharge. Whenever you take lightning damage, you reduce the damage taken by an amount equal to 5 x your level.
Mana Crystal[edit]
You are powered by a magic crystal that gives motion to your form.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Antimagic Susceptibility. If you are within the area of an antimagic field, you have a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 30 seconds) before you fall inactive.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| ′ '' | + | lb. | × () lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Suggested Characteristics[edit]
When creating a automaton character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help round out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don't understand people. What do you mean you're "hungry" and "sick" and "tired from marching for 8 hours straight"? |
| 2 | You'll often find me tinkering with myself whenever I have time and parts to spare. |
| 3 | I get embarrassed when my gears are showing. |
| 4 | I have a "concerning" obsession with things that flash, zap, or go boom. The more spectacular, the better. |
| 5 | I'm very fond of animals. They're easy to understand. |
| 6 | My speech is difficult to listen to. Sometimes it'd just be easier to stay quiet. |
| 7 | My "collecting" isn't a problem, it's a nuanced and tactical decision. You never know when you'll need spare parts. |
| 8 | I mimic behaviors of other people around me to try and fit in. |
| d8 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Authority. Authority must always be obeyed. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Freedom. I had strings but now I'm free. No more strings on me. (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Superiority. You meatlings are all beneath me. (Evil) |
| 4 | Benevolence. Life comes in many forms. I want to help it thrive in whatever form it may take. (Good) |
| 5 | Purpose. What is my purpose? Do I have one? Do I need one? Can I choose one? (Neutral) |
| 6 | Singularity. I was brought into this world. Let's see how far I'll go in it. (Any) |
| 7 | Order. There is a proper order to all things, and I must enforce it. (Lawful) |
| 8 | Pinocchio. I want to be a real boy! (Any) |
| d8 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm missing large parts of my memory, including knowledge of my creator. If I can just manage to find them... |
| 2 | I watched as someone I considered family grew old and passed away. Now their children are beginning to go the same way. |
| 3 | There is blood on my hands. How long will it be until my past finally catches up to me? |
| 4 | Some important parts keeping me ticking don't exactly belong to me, if you catch my drift. |
| 5 | I don't understand why, but there exists someone I feel compelled to protect. |
| 6 | I am haunted by a strange artifact— some event or symbol that persists in my memory. Every time I erase it, it comes back. |
| 7 | No matter how much tinkering I do or upgrades I install, I can't shake the feeling that I'm fundamentally incomplete in some way. |
| 8 | I witnessed the death of my creator. I am going to make things right. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | People say I cause problems because I take things too literally. It isn't my fault they aren't specific enough. |
| 2 | I can hardly help myself when it comes to following orders. Even if those orders are from someone I shouldn't listen to... |
| 3 | My logic is perfect and can never ever be flawed in any way. The very thought is inconceivable. |
| 4 | It's incredibly fascinating to find out how living creatures work. I haven't quite managed to put one back together again yet though. |
| 5 | I know I'm not really alive. Living beings are so much more valuable and important than I am. So why, when my end looms... why am I so afraid? |
| 6 | If I'm not really alive, that means I can't really die! (marches into trap and explodes) |
Upgrading an Automaton[edit]
As automatons are machines, they can be modified quite readily. Below is a list of various example upgrades that an automaton could be fitted with. At character creation, you can choose up to a maximum of 1000 gp's worth of upgrades. If you choose to gain starting gp from your class, you can spend that on upgrades here as well.
Armor Plating[edit]
Automatons are often outfitted with armor plating to protect their internal mechanisms from damage. This plating, once chosen, functions as a set of armor you are wearing. It can't be removed without a substantial amount of work.
| Armor | Cost | Armor Class (AC) | Strength requirement | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Light Armor (doesn't require proficiency) | ||||
| Wood, Partial | 6 gp (1 gp materials; 5 gp labor) | 11 + Dexterity modifier | — | 2 lb. |
| Bone, Partial | 6 gp (1 gp materials; 5 gp labor) | 11 + Dexterity modifier | — | 1 lb. |
| Cloth or Leather | 26 gp (1 gp materials; 25 gp labor) | 11 + Dexterity modifier | — | 1 lb. |
| Light Armor | ||||
| Wood, Full | 11 gp (1 gp materials; 10 gp labor) | 12 + Dexterity modifier | — | 4 lb. |
| Bone, Full | 11 gp (1 gp materials; 10 gp labor) | 12 + Dexterity modifier | — | 2 lb. |
| Tin or Copper, Partial | 25 gp (5 gp materials; 20 gp labor) | 12 + Dexterity modifier | — | 10 lb. |
| Ceramic or Crystal, Partial | 25 gp (5 gp materials; 20 gp labor) | 13 + Dexterity modifier | — | 5 lb. |
| Reinforced Wood | 75 gp (25 gp materials; 50 gp labor) | 13 + Dexterity modifier | — | 6 lb. |
| Medium Armor | ||||
| Tin or Copper, Full | 50 gp (10 gp materials; 40 gp labor) | 13 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | — | 20 lb. |
| Ceramic or Crystal, Full | 50 gp (10 gp materials; 40 gp labor) | 14 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | — | 10 lb. |
| Bronze or Brass, Partial | 90 gp (30 gp materials; 60 gp labor) | 14 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | — | 30 lb. |
| Gold, Partial | 1750 gp (1500 gp materials; 250 gp labor) | 14 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | 17 | 30 lb. |
| Iron, Partial | 260 gp (5 gp materials; 250 gp labor) | 15 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | 17 | 40 lb. |
| Mithral | 1500 gp (1000 gp materials; 500 gp labor) | 15 + Dexterity modifier | — | 20 lb. |
| Platinum, Partial | 15500 gp (15000 gp materials; 500 gp labor) | 15 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | 17 | 30 lb. |
| Steel, Partial | 620 gp (120 gp materials; 500 gp labor) | 16 + Dexterity modifier (max 2) | 17 | 40 lb. |
| Heavy Armor | ||||
| Bronze or Brass, Full | 300 gp (50 gp materials; 250 gp labor) | 16 | 17 | 40 lb. |
| Stone | 425 gp (25 gp materials; 400 gp labor) | 17 | 17 | 80 lb. |
| Gold, Full | 3700 gp (2500 gp materials; 1200 gp labor) | 17 | 17 | 50 lb. |
| Iron, Full | 1205 gp (10 gp materials; 1200 gp labor) | 18 | 17 | 50 lb. |
| Platinum, Full | 27000 gp (25000 gp materials; 2000 gp labor) | 18 | 17 | 50 lb. |
| Steel, Full | 2150 gp (150 gp materials; 2000 gp labor) | 19 | 17 | 50 lb. |
- Wood
Armor composed of simple wooden panels is light, cheap, and reasonably sturdy. However, wood is flammable. You have disadvantage on saving throws made against attacks, spells, and effects that deal fire damage.
- Bone
Armor composed of bones is garish but cheap and effective. However, the armor is brittle. If an attack that deals bludgeoning damage hits 5 over your Armor Class, the bone armor cracks and takes one level of wear and tear as armor.
- Ceramic or Crystal
Armor composed of ceramic or glass plates is brittle, but effective against acids and fire. A partial set of ceramic or crystal armor reduces fire and acid damage you take by 5, while a full set reduces it by 10. If an attack that deals bludgeoning damage hits 5 over your Armor Class, the armor cracks and takes one level of wear and tear as armor.
- Reinforced Wood
These wood panels have been reinforced with strips of metal and treated with compounds that make them less flammable.
- Gold, Platinum
Gold and platinum, while not the best suited for armor, do not corrode. A partial set of gold or platinum armor reduces acid damage you take by 5, while a full set reduces it by 10.
Augmented Vision[edit]
Requirements: 500 gp worth of crystal lenses or a set of goggles of night, 4 hours of work
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Telescopic Vision
Requirements: 1000 gp worth of crystal lenses or a set of eyes of the eagle, 8 hours of work
You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. In conditions of clear visibility, you can make out details of even extremely distant creatures and objects as small as 2 feet across.
- Microscopic Vision
Requirements: 1000 gp worth of crystal lenses or a set of eyes of minute seeing, 8 hours of work
You can see much better than normal out to a range of 1 foot. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks that rely on sight while searching an area or studying an object within that range.
Augmented Hearing[edit]
- Integrated Ear Horn
Requirements: an ear horn of hearing, 1 hour of work
You can't be deafened.
- Echolocator Mechanism
Requirements: 1500 gp, 24 hours of work
You can grant yourself blindsight up to 60 feet as a bonus action until the start of your next turn. You can't benefit from this blindsight while deafened, and areas of magical silence are considered heavily obscured to this blindsight.
Internal Construction[edit]
Various materials for the internal construction of your automaton. Modifications to ability scores from your internal construction also affect your cap for those ability scores. The material that you are primarily composed of is the one that actually counts.
| Material | Cost | Ability Score Modification | Base Weight | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ||||
| Wood | 105 gp (5 gp materials; 100 gp labor) | Constitution -1 | 50 lb. | Carpenter's tools or woodcarver's tools |
| Tin or Copper | 155 gp (30 gp materials; 125 gp labor) | — | 60 lb. | Tinker's tools or smith's tools |
| Brass or Bronze | 230 gp (30 gp materials; 200 gp labor) | Strength +1, Constitution +1 | 60 lb. | Tinker's tools or smith's tools |
| Iron | 610 gp (10 gp materials; 600 gp labor) | Strength +2, Constitution +2 | 100 lb. | Smith's tools |
| Steel | 1680 gp (480 gp materials; 1200 gp labor) | Strength +3, Constitution +3 | 120 lb. | Smith's tools |
| Unusual | ||||
| Bone | 55 gp (5 gp materials; 50 gp labor) | Strength -1, Dexterity +1, Constitution -1 | 40 lb. | Woodcarver's tools |
| Ceramic | 130 gp (5 gp materials; 125 gp labor) | Constitution -2 | 50 lb. | Potter's tools |
| Crystal | 250 gp (50 gp materials; 200 gp labor) | Constitution -2, Charisma +1 | 50 lb. | Glassblower's tools or jeweler's tools |
| Gold | 8100 gp (7500 gp materials; 600 gp labor) | Constitution -1, Charisma +2 | 150 lb. | Tinker's tools or smith's tools |
| Platinum | 76200 gp (75000 gp materials; 1200 gp labor) | Charisma +4 | 150 lb. | Smith's tools |
| Stone | 630 gp (30 gp materials; 600 gp labor) | Dexterity -1, Constitution +3 | 150 lb. | Stonemason's tools |
| Mithral | 4200 gp (3000 gp materials; 1200 gp labor) | Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Constitution +2 | 60 lb. | Smith's tools |
| Adamantine | 15000 gp (12000 gp materials; 3000 gp labor) | Strength +4, Constitution +4 | 120 lb. | Smith's tools |
- Wood
Although a cheap, light, and reasonably sturdy material, wood is flammable. You have vulnerability to fire damage.
- Bone
Perhaps one of the cheapest materials, if not the most garish. You have vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.
- Ceramic
Ceramics are particularly sturdy against fires and acids, but shatter easily. You are resistant against acid and fire damage, but have vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.
- Crystal
Similar to ceramics, glass or crystal is sturdy against acids, but shatters easily. You are resistant against acid damage and radiant damage, but have vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.
- Gold
Gold is a softer metal but doesn't corrode. You have resistance to acid damage.
- Platinum
Like gold, platinum doesn't corrode. You have resistance to acid damage.
Built-In Transformation[edit]
Tool Integration[edit]
Weapon Integration[edit]
For DMs[edit]
Consider making some of the following pieces of homebrew content available in your game to enrich your automaton player's experience.
- Repair (5e Spell)
- Reinforce (5e Spell)
- Reconstruction (5e Spell)
- Everturning Axle (5e Equipment)
- Eternal Ember (5e Equipment)
- Ironrot (5e Disease)
Expanded Options and Feature Variants[edit]
Here is a list of optional supplemental content for the automaton.
Power Source: Hamster Wheel[edit]
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You are powered by small critters that turn a wheel mechanism.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Trained Animals. You have an amount of Tiny CR 0 beasts of your choice equal to your proficiency bonus that are loyal to you. They obey your commands and will act to protect you in the absence of them. If one of your trained animals dies, you can train a new one over the course of 7 days. Your trained animals require 2 oz. of food and ½ pint of water each per day.
Power Wheel. If one or more Tiny creatures enter your body and run in the wheel, you are active and conscious. While in the wheel, they have total cover. You fall inactive if there are no creatures running in the wheel.
Animal Handler. You are proficient in the Animal Handling skill.
Power Source: Handwavium[edit]
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Not even you know what powers you. Are you just a perpetual motion machine?
Ability Score Increase. Two different ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
Powered by Convenience. As you are powered by convenience, your capabilities at any given moment are exactly what the plot needs them to be. When you make an ability check, you can choose to succeed on the check. You regain usage of this feature only when the DM forces you to fail an ability check you would have otherwise succeeded.
Maintenance Costs[edit]
Use this table in conjunction with keeping your automaton repaired and maintained.
| Material | Cost |
|---|---|
| Wood, stone, ceramic, or leather | 1-5 cp/hit point restored |
| Common metals like copper, brass, or iron | 1-5 sp/hit point restored |
| Uncommon metals like silver or gold | 5-50 gp/hit point restored |
| Rare materials like platinum, ironwood, mithral, and adamantine | 500-1,000 gp/hit point restored |
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