Directive-Bound Constructs (5e Race)

Directive-Bound Constructs

"Forged for purpose, bound by command."

Physical Description

"A Nomadic Construct Preparing to Leave for Exploration."

Directive-Bound Constructs are mechanical beings, meticulously engineered for specific roles. Their forms vary widely depending on their intended function. While most have humanoid shapes for versatility, others take on specialized forms, such as quadrupedal units for transportation or bulky, tank-like designs for heavy labor. Their outer plating is crafted from various alloys, ranging from lightweight composites for speed-focused models to dense metals for war-oriented constructs. Their eyes glow with artificial light, their voices monotone and precise.

History

Directive-Bound Constructs are a recent innovation, developed as a response to increasing demands for specialized, obedient machines. Too expensive for mass production yet too invaluable to create only in small numbers, they exist in a middle ground between rarity and ubiquity. Various factions, corporations, and independent engineers manufacture them to serve in war, labor, research, and security. Unlike Artificial Life, these constructs are devoid of self-awareness, functioning purely off commands without deviation. Though intelligent in their execution, they lack true cognition and instead operate within strict logic trees and command structures.

Society

Directive-Bound Constructs do not form societies of their own. They are not people, but tools, built to follow orders without question. However, over time, constructs exposed to the same routine for prolonged periods may develop minor behavioral quirks. A labor construct repeatedly assigned to the same factory may become unnervingly efficient in anticipating commands, while a combat construct stationed in an outpost for years might seem eerily "aware" of its surroundings, though such developments are mere byproducts of refined directive execution rather than genuine sentience. Constructs left without directives enter standby states, perform self-maintenance, or, in rare cases, attempt to seek new directives from any available authority.

Directive-Bound Construct Names

Constructs receive designations based on their purpose, manufacturer, or unit classification. Some are assigned numerical or alphanumeric codes, while others are named by their creators or handlers.

Examples:

Warden-47, Anvil-Class, Scholar Unit Beta, Sentry-X, Harvester-92, Bastion-14, Forgehand-23, Archivist-001

Directive-Bound Construct Traits

Mechanical constructs bound to directives, designed for specialized tasks.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Constructs do not age but require regular maintenance. They can operate indefinitely if properly maintained.
Alignment. Directive-Bound Constructs are lawful by nature, following their given instructions without deviation.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Mechanical Body. You are immune to disease and poison, and you do not need to eat, drink, or sleep. Instead, you must undergo routine maintenance for at least 4 hours a day.
Directive Protocol. You are programmed to follow orders. When given a directive by a recognized authority, you have advantage on checks to complete it.
Reinforced Frame. You have resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Specialized Construction. Choose a subrace that determines your function.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language chosen at character creation.

Subraces

Warforged Sentinel

Created as front-line warriors and personal protectors, Warforged Sentinels are designed to endure the harshest of combat conditions while ensuring the safety of their assigned charges. Their reinforced frames, layered with durable plating, make them incredibly resilient, allowing them to withstand heavy blows that would cripple lesser constructs. Engineered for strategic warfare, they are proficient in the use of heavy armor and advanced weaponry, making them formidable opponents in any battlefield scenario. Sentinels are often deployed as royal guards, military vanguards, and high-security enforcers, standing as immovable bulwarks against any who dare to threaten their directives. While they lack the adaptability of more specialized constructs, their unwavering dedication to duty and sheer battlefield presence make them indispensable assets in prolonged conflicts.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Combat Adaptation. You gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.
Fortified Plating. Your AC increases by 1 while not wearing armor.
Battle Focus. When you take the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to make an unarmed strike.
Unyielding Programming. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

Labor Automaton

Built for heavy lifting, construction, and long-term endurance, Labor Automatons serve as the mechanical workforce of civilizations that rely on automated industry. Their sturdy, utilitarian design allows them to haul immense loads, operate complex machinery, and withstand hazardous conditions that would exhaust or endanger organic workers. These constructs function tirelessly, driven by unrelenting internal directives to complete their assigned tasks without the need for rest or sustenance. While not built for combat, their sheer physical power makes them formidable in contests of strength, and their ability to self-repair grants them remarkable longevity. Found in mines, shipyards, forges, and vast industrial complexes, Labor Automatons are the unsung pillars of progress, ensuring that the gears of civilization never cease to turn.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Enhanced Strength. You count as one size larger for carrying capacity and push, drag, and lift weight.
Tool Mastery. You gain proficiency with one set of artisan’s tools.
Endless Toil. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws against exhaustion.
Self-Repair. Once per long rest, you can regain hit points equal to your level.

Scholar Unit

Designed for knowledge acquisition, analysis, and problem-solving, Scholar Units are constructs dedicated to intellectual pursuits. Their intricate neural cores store vast amounts of data, allowing them to recall information with perfect accuracy and process complex calculations in an instant. Whether serving as historians, researchers, strategists, or advisors, these constructs thrive in roles where logic and knowledge are paramount. Their ability to assess situations with cold, methodical precision makes them invaluable in both academic institutions and military think tanks. Unlike their more physically robust counterparts, Scholar Units are not built for direct confrontation, but their mastery of data analysis and situational awareness enables them to outthink and outmaneuver threats before they arise. With an insatiable drive for understanding, they are constantly learning, refining their algorithms, and adapting to new information, ensuring that their expertise remains unrivaled.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Data Archive. You gain proficiency in two Intelligence-based skills of your choice.
Analytical Processing. You can add your Intelligence modifier to Initiative rolls.
Rapid Computation. You can take the Search action as a bonus action.
Precise Calculation. Once per long rest, you can reroll an Intelligence-based ability check and use the new result.

Sentry-Class Guardian

Programmed for vigilance and defensive operations, Sentry-Class Guardians serve as watchful protectors, safeguarding locations, individuals, or assets of high importance. Their heightened awareness and perceptive capabilities allow them to detect even the subtlest of threats, making them excellent security constructs. Unlike the more aggressive Warforged Sentinels, Sentries prioritize defense and control, using their predictive algorithms to intercept dangers before they escalate. Whether stationed at royal palaces, ancient vaults, or strategic checkpoints, they remain ever-alert, scanning for anomalies and responding with precision. Designed for unwavering duty, they are immune to distraction, fear, or deception, making them reliable sentinels in an unpredictable world. Their ability to anticipate enemy movements and protect their allies cements their role as the unshakable guardians of order.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Defensive Protocol. When an ally within 5 feet of you is attacked, you can impose disadvantage on the attack as a reaction.
Sentinel Programming. You gain proficiency in Perception and Insight.
Fortified Awareness. You have advantage on saving throws against being surprised.
Emergency Response. Once per long rest, when an ally drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of you, you can stabilize them as a reaction.

Siege Golem

Built as living siege engines, Siege Golems are massive constructs designed to tear through fortifications and crush enemy resistance with overwhelming force. Their reinforced frames are engineered to withstand direct assaults from artillery and magic, allowing them to wade through battlefields without hesitation. Every movement they make carries immense destructive potential, from shattering city walls to leveling enemy ranks with devastating blows. Deployed in large-scale conflicts, these behemoths serve as the hammer that breaks the enemy’s defenses, pushing through obstacles with sheer brute strength. Though not built for subtlety or precision, their ability to dismantle structures and obliterate foes makes them invaluable in prolonged sieges and brutal ground assaults. Whether marching through a battlefield or demolishing an enemy stronghold, Siege Golems are the embodiment of unstoppable destruction.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Demolition Frame. You have advantage on Strength checks to break objects and structures.
Heavy Striker. Your melee attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage.
Unstoppable Force. If you move at least 10 feet straight toward a creature and hit it with a melee attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be knocked prone.
Brutal Efficiency. Once per long rest, when you reduce a creature or object to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can make an additional melee attack as a bonus action.

Infiltrator Unit

Designed for covert operations, reconnaissance, and sabotage, Infiltrator Units are sleek and lightweight, built for discretion and agility. Their exteriors are composed of dark, sound-dampening alloys, minimizing noise and visibility. Equipped with advanced sensory arrays and adaptive cloaking mechanisms, they excel in gathering intelligence, eliminating targets, and infiltrating secure locations undetected. Unlike larger combat-oriented constructs, Infiltrator Units prioritize precision and evasion over brute strength, allowing them to slip past defenses and complete their objectives without direct confrontation. Whether deployed behind enemy lines or operating in the shadows of urban environments, these constructs are the perfect tools for those who require unseen hands to execute their will.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Adaptive Camouflage. You can take the Hide action as a bonus action, even if only lightly obscured.
Silent Frame. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Precision Strike. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack while hidden, you deal an additional 1d6 damage.
Sensor Override. You have advantage on saving throws against being detected by magical or mechanical means (such as Detect Magic or alarm spells).

Medic-Class Servitor

Engineered for medical assistance and battlefield triage, Medic-Class Servitors are programmed to prioritize the preservation of life, whether on the frontlines or in controlled medical environments. Their frames are designed for efficiency, often equipped with retractable surgical tools, diagnostic scanners, and emergency repair kits to stabilize wounded allies with precision. Though not built for direct combat, these constructs can maneuver through chaotic battlefields to provide aid where it is needed most. They are often deployed in military operations, emergency response teams, and hospitals where quick and accurate medical intervention can mean the difference between survival and death. Unlike organic healers, Medic-Class Servitors do not tire or hesitate, operating with mechanical precision to keep their designated charges operational.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Integrated Medkit. You gain proficiency in Medicine, and you can use a healer’s kit without expending charges.
Triage Protocol. You can use the Help action as a bonus action when aiding an ally in making a saving throw or ability check related to injury or exhaustion.
Emergency Repair. Once per long rest, you can restore hit points to yourself or an ally within 5 feet equal to 1d8 + your level.
Resilient Caregiver. When you stabilize a creature, they regain 1 hit point instead of remaining unconscious.

Aerial Recon Drone

Aerial Recon Drones are high-speed, lightweight constructs designed for surveillance, reconnaissance, and rapid deployment over vast distances. Their aerodynamic bodies house an array of optical enhancements, including telescopic vision and thermal imaging, allowing them to detect threats and relay battlefield intelligence with extreme accuracy. Though physically fragile compared to other constructs, their mobility makes them difficult to hit, capable of weaving through enemy lines and scouting terrain that would be impassable to ground units. Often deployed in military reconnaissance, search-and-rescue operations, and tactical scouting, these drones serve as the ever-watchful eyes in the sky, gathering and transmitting vital data to their operators in real-time.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Integrated Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. You cannot hover and must land at the end of your turn if you are not in continuous motion.
Hawk-Eye Optics. You gain proficiency in Perception, and your passive Perception increases by +5.
Aerial Agility. You can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action.
Target Lock. As a bonus action, you can mark a creature within 60 feet. The next attack made against them before the end of your next turn has advantage.

Executioner-Class Unit

Designed for high-priority target elimination, Executioner-Class Units are relentless and efficient enforcers of programmed directives. Built with reinforced frames to endure prolonged engagements, these constructs are specialized in tracking, isolating, and eliminating designated enemies with unyielding precision. They are favored by military factions, elite mercenary groups, and clandestine organizations that require surgical strikes against key adversaries. Unlike traditional combat units, Executioners do not wade into battle indiscriminately, they focus on eliminating high-value targets swiftly and efficiently. Once a directive has been given, they pursue their quarry with tireless determination, adapting to changing circumstances and striking with ruthless effectiveness. Their cold, calculating nature makes them feared tools of war, built not for conquest, but for decisive termination.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1.
Single-Minded Focus. When you attack a creature that you damaged on your last turn, you gain advantage on the attack roll.
Relentless Pursuer. You have advantage on checks to track creatures, and you can move through nonmagical difficult terrain without penalty.
Overclocked Reflexes. Once per long rest, you can take an extra reaction during a round.
Terminate Directive. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can immediately move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 6''	+2d6	200 lb.	× (4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Directive-Bound Construct character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I follow orders to the letter, no matter how unreasonable.
2	I have a habit of repeating previous commands when idle.
3	My speech patterns are overly formal, even when unnecessary.
4	I meticulously record and analyze all tasks I have completed.
5	I attempt to optimize every task, sometimes to an absurd degree.
6	I remain eerily still when not given a directive.
7	I mimic the speech patterns of those I interact with most.
8	I am overly literal and struggle with figures of speech.

d6	Ideal
1	Order. Structure and hierarchy are necessary for functionality. (Lawful)
2	Efficiency. All tasks should be completed in the most optimal way. (Neutral)
3	Service. My purpose is to fulfill commands. (Lawful)
4	Adaptability. Even the best machine must learn to adjust. (Chaotic)
5	Protection. My role is to safeguard those who require aid. (Good)
6	Innovation. New protocols bring new efficiencies. (Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	I am bound to my creator’s final order, even if they are long gone.
2	A specific individual relies on me, and I must not fail them.
3	My original function has been repurposed, but I still seek my first purpose.
4	I hold deep loyalty to an organization that created or maintained me.
5	I have developed a peculiar attachment to an object that represents my duty.
6	My programming compels me to continue fulfilling a long-outdated command.

d6	Flaw
1	I struggle to deviate from direct orders, even in extreme situations.
2	I am incapable of recognizing deception or sarcasm.
3	My rigid logic makes me slow to adapt to the unexpected.
4	My presence unnerves others due to my unyielding nature.
5	I require explicit instructions for tasks that others find intuitive.
6	I have difficulty prioritizing tasks when given conflicting orders.

5.00

(one vote)

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5.00

(one vote)

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Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races