Kobold Mafia Mech (3.5e Template)

Kobold Mafia Mech

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Modified constructs meant to be piloted by the Kobold Mafia.

Creating a Kobold Mafia Mech

Kobold Mafia Mech is an inherited template that can be applied to any Construct (hereafter, the machine or the creature) with the aid of any living creature (hereafter, the pilot) at least one size category smaller than the base creature. Each machine can carry only one size category of pilot. The pilot is unaffected by the template and remains an independent being, except when piloting the machine.

Size and Type

The machine's size and type remain unchanged. However, it uses its own base attack bonus and base Reflex and Will bonuses, or the relevant bonuses of its pilot, whichever are better.

Hit Dice

The machine's hit dice remain unchanged.

Speed

The machine's speed remains unchanged. However, the addition of skills may allow the machine to move in new ways.

Armor Class

The machine's AC does not increase. However, it gains proficiency with any armor and shields that its pilot is proficient with.

The pilot adds the machine's natural armor bonus to armor class as a deflection bonus to her own armor class as long as she is in the machine. She also adds the machine's Dexterity modifier, positive or negative, to her own when determining her armor class.

Attack

The machine gains proficiency with all weapons the pilot is proficient with. It gains proficiency with no natural weapons, but it may have manufactured weapons. The machine may add either its relevant ability score modifiers or its pilot's, whichever are higher, to attack and, if relevant, damage rolls. (For example, a machine with 20 Str and 9 Dex and a pilot with 10 Str and 15 Dex could add the +5 modifier from its own Strength to melee attacks as normal, but could choose to add the +2 from its pilot's Dex score instead of the usual -1 from its own on ranged attacks.)

The machine may, at creation time, gain the following special quality, up to twice: Mounted Weapon: The machine has a folding light, one-handed or projectile weapon, or shield, appropriate to its size mounted on one arm. It may draw or sheathe one or all such installed mechanisms as a swift action, and cannot be disarmed of them. If equipped with a crossbow in this way, it may fire this weapon with one hand at no penalty; however, it must use two hands to reload. Furthermore, as a special case, if the mounted weapon is any type of crossbow (including hand or repeating) and the pilot is proficient with any type of crossbow, the pilot is considered proficient with the weapon.

The weapon counts towards the treasure value of any encounter the machine is involved in. It is recommended such weapons only be mundane, or be well below the wealth level of the party.

Full Attack

The machine's full attack is unchanged, save for any changes resulting from manufactured weapons and base attack bonuses.

Special Qualities

Fuel Cost: A Large machine burns one pint of oil per five minutes of operation, whether it is being piloted or not. A Medium machine burns half as much, and a Huge or larger machine burns twice as much per size category above Large. (So a Gargantuan machine would burn 4 pints in 5 minutes.) The machine may be turned off as a full-round action, in which case it becomes an object, rather than a creature, and has Strength and Dexterity scores of --. It may be turned back on for the cost of one pint of oil and five rounds +5 per size category above Large. A Medium mech can store 1 pints of oil per HD. For each size category above Medium, multiply the tank capacity by 4. (So 4/HD large, 16/HD huge, etc.)

Synthesis (Ex): The machine does not act on its own. It acts as part of its pilot's action. In other words, for it to act, its pilot must give up their action. While piloting and being piloted, the pilot and machine act as one creature - though the pilot may instead choose to take any action she could normally take, she remains in the cockpit of the machine. Mounting or dismounting the machine takes one minute. The machine uses the pilot's initiative modifier, even if its own Dexterity is lower. Additionally, it adds its pilot's Charisma modifier to its Fortitude saves.

Mechanical Vulnerability: The machine becomes vulnerable to precision damage, such as sneak attacks and critical hits, as it is now a machine, rather than a mass of animated matter. However, it has a 50% chance to ignore any such attack. Sneak attacks also have special effects on a mech. If a successful Sneak Attack is dealt, it only deals half as much damage as it usually would - but the machine is dealt a fuel leak.

Fuel Leaks: For each fuel leak the machine is dealt, the machine loses 1 pint of oil per round, spilled on the ground and coating one square it stands in. If the oil is ignited, even by a fire spell targeted on the machine that fails to overcome its spell resistance, it takes 1d6 damage per pint leaked this round, and the standard of 1d3 damage from each patch of oil it stands in. Because movement leaves a trail of oil, all squares a single machine has leaked on will ignite immediately, even if they're not contiguous.

A fuel leak can be patched by any magic that repairs objects, or by one minute's work and a successful Profession (Engineer) check against DC 15.

Magic Vulnerability: If the machine previously had spell immunity, it replaces it with spell resistance equal to 10 + its Charisma modifier + its hit dice or its pilot's hit dice, whichever are higher.

Berserk: If the machine had a special quality that would cause it to go berserk, as in the Flesh Golem, if this event is triggered, the berserk state instead applies to the pilot. The pilot gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, a +2 bonus on Will saves, a -2 penalty to Armor Class, and a -6 penalty to Wisdom. (The changes to AC and to Wisdom carry over to the machine.) The pilot acts in a berserk state, acting as the original ability states; if a method is allowed to stop the berserk state, the pilot may automatically attempt that check once per round, or may instead attempt a Concentration check against the same DC.

Shield Pilot: As previously stated, the pilot gains a deflection bonus to her armor class equal to the machine's natural armor bonus.

Damage Feedback: Due to the mechanics of control, there is a 50% chance that the pilot will take 50% (after factoring in DR) of the damage of any attack on the machine. A successful critical hit has a 50% chance of instead automatically doing full damage (before factoring in DR) to the pilot as well as the machine; otherwise, it deals a fuel leak to the machine as well as its damage.

Special Attacks

Choose one of the following special attacks and abilities to be added to the creature on creation.

Special Weapons (Ex): The machine gains the ability to use a number of spells per day equal to the number a Wizard or Sorcerer of level equal to half its hit dice would be able to cast - determined on creation. However, these spells must be prepared, as a Wizard's. Its save DCs are Strength-based and it does not gain bonus spells, though it is treated as if it had an ability score high enough to cast any spell its level entitles it to. If it casts as a Sorcerer, it has a list of spells known.

Spell ammunition must be recharged if expended. The cost for a single spell is 20 GP * spell level * caster level, plus the price of any material components involved.

Berserker (Ex): If the machine's pilot is ever knocked unconscious, but not slain, they will automatically stabilize. After one round of inactivity, the machine will reactivate on its own and go into a rage, gaining +4 Strength, recovering +2 hit points per hit die (gaining any over its maximum as temporary hit points), gaining a +2 bonus on Fortitude and Will saves, taking a -2 penalty to AC, and otherwise gaining all the bonuses and penalties of a Barbarian's rage. (If the pilot has a better Rage ability, use its benefits instead. The HP gain per HD and the bonus to Fortitude saves are equal to half what the bonus to Constitution would be.)

During its rage, the machine is out of control. It will target any creature that it saw deal damage to its pilot and attempt to destroy them. It may also target creatures who damaged it, or creatures its pilot dislikes, if it has destroyed all of the previous. If no potentially hostile or disliked creatures are nearby, its rage ends - though if it knows any creature who harmed it or its pilot still lives, it will pursue them to its limit if able.

This rage lasts for 1 minute. Fuel consumption is doubled while the rage lasts, and if fuel runs out, the machine stops raging. Regardless, whenever the machine ceases its rage, it immediately loses any temporary HP gained, then takes damage equal to the hit points it could have regained. (Usually 2 HP per HD.) This damage can result in the machine's destruction.

Idiosyncratic Ability: The machine gains special abilities based on the type of templated creature. Idiosyncratic abilities are of an energy type that usually has effects on the machine in question - they do not carry these effects. For each 2 HD by which the machine (not the pilot) is advanced, its caster level increases by 1. For each +2 to its caster level, it gains 1 additional daily use of daily spell-like abilities.

Flesh Golem: Gains the following spell-like abilities at caster level 5th.

• 1/day: Lightning Bolt.
• At will: Shocking Grasp.

Clay Golem: Gains the following spell-like abilities at caster level 7th.

• At will: Acid Arrow.
• 1/day: Acid Cloud. This functions as an acid fog spell, but the fog behaves like fog cloud instead of solid fog. This is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

Iron Golem: Gains the following spell-like abilities at caster level 9th.

• At will: Point Defense (Sp): The golem gains the ability to cast Scorching Ray once per round as a free action. However, it can split the rays so cast up over its action, and may split an individual ray into two separate rays dealing 2d6 damage each. Each ray or number of rays can, rather than being used for an attack, be used to shoot down a single incoming projectile, including spell projectiles such as magic missiles. The spell targeted must be of level no greater than half the number of dice used to counter it. (For example, using 1 4d6 ray, a 2nd-level ray such as scorching ray or Acid Arrow could be countered; using half a ray for 2d6, a magic missile could be countered; using 2 4d6 rays, an enervation ray could be countered.)
• 1/day: Fire Breath (Sp). As cone of cold with the energy substitution (fire) feat applied to it.

Astral Construct: An Astral Construct gains an additional menu ability from the highest menu it can access. It can, as always, substitute this for abilities from lower menus.

Abilities

The machine's Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma become the same as its pilot's. When it is not being piloted, they become --, and it is an object, not a creature. If it is running but not piloted, its Dexterity becomes 0. If it is turned off, its Strength and Dexterity both become -- and it is an object, not a creature.

Skills

The machine has the same skill ranks as its pilot and uses the same racial skill bonuses as its pilot.

Feats

The machine, while being piloted, may use any feats its pilot possesses.

Environment

Any. The Kobold Mafia are most active in urban locations, however.

Organization

As the Kobold Mafia.

Challenge Rating

The challenge rating of the combined mech is equal to the higher of the pilot's and base machine's challenge ratings, plus 1.

Treasure

Use the larger of the base creatures' treasure award values.

Alignment

Any. However, the Kobold Mafia are usually neutral evil.

Advancement

The pilot may advance by character class. The machine may not advance.

Level Adjustment

None. The template on a machine is not playable, and it does not alter the pilot in any way. However, a mech can be crafted using the Craft construct feat, at the appropriate cost, and piloted.

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