Mechanus Knight (3.5e Class)

Mechanus Knight

Mechanus Knights are expert craftsmen and warriors, using technology to give them an advantage in combat. Using the secrets of steel and science, they can create fireballs every bit as impressive as a spellcaster, yet at the same time hit as hard as a seasoned warrior. They carry arsenals of cutting-edge weaponry, and augment the armor that will eventually become their body to frightening levels.

Making a Mechanus Knight

With an extraordinary increase in size, an even bigger mount, and absurdly tanky armor, you withstand physical blows like no other. Your offense isn't bad, either, especially with offense-focused augmentations and gear, allowing you to inflict status effects as well as do damage. They have flexibility in choosing what to develop, and as such can effectively act as a controller, a blaster, a tank or a martial beatstick. Finally, they act absurdly well in situations where magic is ineffective, as ALL of their abilities are nonmagical despite often mimicking magic.

Abilities: Intelligence and Constitution are your most important scores - Intelligence for crafting and constitution for soaking up damage. Strength is another good ability, as before grenades and guns become powerful many Knights find themselves resorting to brute strength (assisted by technology, of course).

Races: Mechanus Knights are largely humans, due to their flexibility and association with the main guilds, and Warforged, who find the technology they make can be seamlessly integrated with their own bodies, but gnomes find that the alchemical workings of their equipment comes naturally, and appreciate the extra size, while goliaths and other large races also do well with the increased bulk.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 1d4×10 gp - Mechanus Knights get but a small stipend, as their Mechanus Gear armor is extremely expensive.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Mechanus Knight

Hit Die: d12

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Expert Craftsman, Mechanus Armor, Oath of Nonmagic
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	-
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Mechanus Armaments
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	-
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Mechanus Armor
6th	+6/+1	+5	+2	+2	-
7th	+7/+2	+5	+2	+2	Mechanus Armaments
8th	+8/+3	+6	+2	+2	-
9th	+9/+4	+6	+3	+3	Mechanus Armor
10th	+10/+5	+7	+3	+3	-
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+3	+3	Mechanus Armaments
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+4	+4	-
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+4	+4	Mechanus Armor
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+4	+4	-
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+5	+5	Mechanus Armaments
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+5	+5	-
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+5	Mechanus Armor
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+6	-
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+6	Mechanus Armaments
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+6	Mechanized Body
Class Skills Skill Points: 4 + Int) modifier per level. Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis) Open Lock (Dex), Ride (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

Mechanus Knights are All of the following are class features of the Mechanus Knight.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mechanus Knights are proficient with all armor and shields, and simple weapons. In addition, they can use any martial weapon they craft as if proficient.

Expert Craftsman (Ex): Mechanus Knights, due to their reliance on nonmagical means, are incredibly skilled at finding ways to make do. They can create items that mimic magical effects at lightning speed, although generally more expensive than their magical counterparts. Using an appropriate Craft skill (generally Alchemy for wondrous items and the associated craft for weapons and armor), they can create items equivalent to most existing magical items, as if crafting something mundane, though at twice the base price. Effects that are overtly magical (those involving other planes, antimagic, or otherwise interacting with magic itself) cannot be created in this fashion.

Oath of Nonmagic: Mechanus Knights take pride in purely "mundane" methods, shunning almost all magic and psionics. Any Mechanus Knight cannot use magic items, cast a spell, manifest a power, or even benefit from use of a magic item. The only exception to this is single-use divine magic, granted by Primus to one of his priests, and is generally considered a last resort. Due to these restrictions, most Mechanus Knights regularly visit their guilds to buy emergency healing or restorative items. If a Mechanus Knight ignores these restrictions, he cannot gain further levels in the class, and must pay for rare and usually expensive materials, costing 100*MK level in gold, to keep his equipment functional for a day. He can only rejoin the Mechanus Knights by receiving an Atonement from a priest of Primus.

Mechanus Armor (Ex): Any Mechanus Knight begins with a suit of Mechanus Gear. At first level, they begin without much of the additional plating, reducing the armor bonus by 3, but at second level and on, it gains the full bonus. Additionally, the added support makes the armor carry it's own weight, allowing the user to disregard it for encumberance purposes. At 5th level and onwards, the bulk and mechanic muscles of the armor grant a +2 bonus to strength and constitution and a nonmagical +1 enhancement bonus to Armor Class per modification added. Lastly

Amplifiers (Ex): This modification is essentially a built in megaphone. With this modification, a Mechanus Knight can project his voice any distance up to three miles away. In addition, he can cast Command at will as an extraordinary ability (DC 10+MK level/2+Charisma Mod). Furthermore, once per day this Command can be applied to all enemies within 100 feet. A Knight can apply this modification multiple times, increasing the range by 1 mile, adding an additional use of area Command and increasing it's range by 30 feet.

Fuel Lines (Ex): This modification adds special fuel pipes to the Knight's armor, allowing production and expedited use of various powerful chemicals. This allows the knight to drink potions and apply oils as a swift action. In addition, the Knight produces potions or oils as if he had one spell in each spell level an equivalently leveled bard would have (1st and above), plus bonus potions and oils from high Intelligence - for example, a 7th level MK with 16 Int would have two potions of 1st, 2nd and 3rd level, while a 4th level MK with 20 Int would have three 1st level potions and two 2nd level potions. These potions can be prepared from any spell list, but cannot interact with other planes or other magic, and any costly foci, materials, or XP components must be provided. Any potions or oil that normally wouldn't effect the Mechanus Knight do anyway in this modified form. A Knight can apply this modification multiple times, gaining an additional spell in each level with every modification.

Ability Augment (Ex): This modification is a general appending of special abilities to your armor. Your armor gains a further +1 enhancement bonus, DR X/- where X is the enhancement bonus, and you can replace up to +3 enhancement bonus with armor special abilities. A Knight can apply this modification multiple times, stacking all effects except DR, which instead simply gains +2.

Behemoth Augment (Ex): This modification adds mass and power to the armor. You gain an additional +2 to strength, constitution and armor class, gain a size category, and gain a trample attack with large-sized damage 3d6. A Knight can apply this modification multiple times, stacking ability gain and increasing size on the third application. Minimum Level 9.

Servo Arm (Ex): This modification attaches an arm to your armor, grappling and burning enemies as well as assisting in crafts. This arm reaches out as if a reach weapon further than the subject normally could, and can manipulate a single object as Telekinesis (CL = MK levels), or may be used to attack foes as Bigby's Crushing Hand (CL = MK levels), but with a strength score of 18 with small size, and as such adjusted damage and bonuses. For these spell-mimicking (but extraordinary) effects, use Intelligence in place of any primary casting statistic. In addition to all abilities of the Crushing Hand, it also deals 2d6 fire damage to any enemies it targets. Finally, the arm is helpful when crafting, multiplying time needed by two-thirds. This modification can be taken multiple times, adding another arm with 4 additional Strength. For each extra arm, you also gain an additional +4 to craft checks. Minimum Level 9.

Blazing Ascension (Ex): This modification adds, essentially, a steam-powered jet pack and jet boots, while simultaneously spewing flammable materials and lighting them. The result of this is a flight speed of 60 feet (perfect), with +10 feet per size category above Medium. In addition, as you fly, you leave a blazing trail of flame. This deals damage as a Wall of Fire, the wall occupying any spaces you move through, with CL = MK Level. A Mechanus Knight makes enough fuel for a minute of flight each day, becoming ten minutes at 10th level and 100 minutes at 15th.

Mechanus Armaments (Ex): Upon reaching 5th level, a Mechanus Knight crafts a powerful weapon of his choice. Every fourth level thereafter, he gains an additional weapon (or upgrades an existing one), adding to his arsenal. In addition, he can craft weapons that are so well-made and flawlessly augmented with technology that they gain a bonus to damage equal to the number of weapons he owns. However, they are only usable by Mechanus Knights.

Mechanus Mount (Ex): This "weapon" is a mighty steed that looks like a warhorse with too many layers of plate barding. This counts as a Nightmare of the Construct type (ability scores are unchanged) that is completely obedient to it's Knight. It loses its Spell-like abilities (but retains the smoke, breath weapon and fire damage) and Subtypes. In addition, it gains Hit dice, Natural Armor and abilitie scores as a Druid's Animal Companion as if the Knight had Druid levels equal to his MK levels-5. The mount is once size larger that the Knight, and gains +8 strength, +4 Constitution, +2 natural armor, and -2 Dexterity for every size category it gains, and equivalent penalties for size reduction. Finally, it has a trample attack, 3d6 at Large Size. Minimum level 7.

Rocket Lance (Ex): This weapon allows you to modify lances to be fired as though from a one handed cannon. It can be used as a ranged weapon with range increments of 40' and counts as charging when fired. Instead of using Strength modifier to calculate damage and attack bonuses, you add your Intelligence modifier x2 to damage, and Dexterity and Intelligence modifiers to hit. Loading this lance is a move action, while firing it is a normal attack, and reload time can be reduced through any effects that would apply to crossbows. Ten of these lances can be produced each day. Minimum Level 7.

Artificer's Weapon: (Ex): This weapon is an enhanced version of a basic weapon, mimicking magical effects. It is treated as though magical (with a Greater Magic Weapon effect) in almost all ways, with a total bonus equal to half MK levels. However, these powers are extraordinary, and are as such immune to antimagic effects. The weapon still bypasses DR/magic and can strike incorporeal targets.

Craft Grenades (Ex): This weapon consists of various, powerful and specialized grenades. Each day, a Mechanus Knight with this in his arsenal can create grenades equal to his Intelligence modifier + MK levels each day. Sadly, they are unstable and will be unusable after 24 hours. Until then, they may be thrown as grenade-like weapons, exploding in a 30' radius. The save DC is 10 + half the Knight's HD + their Int modifier. The Golem-Knight may choose the effects upon creation:

Incendiary: All in the area take 3d6+MK levels+Intelligence modifier of Fire damage. A successful Reflex save halves this damage, but those who fail the save catch fire.

Frost Cloud: All in the area take 3d6+MK levels+Intelligence modifier of Cold damage and are Slowed for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the Slow effect.

Flash Bang: All in the area are Blinded and Deafened for 1d4+1 rounds and Stunned for 1 round on a failed Fortitude save. On a successful save, they are still Blinded and Deafened for 1 round.

Concussion: All in the area take 3d6+MK levels+Intelligence modifier of Sonic damage. Additionally, they are are knocked prone and Dazed for 1 round on a failed Fort save.

Electro Pulse: All in the area take 3d6+MK levels+Intelligence modifier of Electricity damage. A successful Reflex save halves this, but those who fail the save count as Entangled for 1d4+1 rounds and Dazed for 1 round as their limbs spasm.

Sleep Gas: All in the area must make a Will save or fall asleep for 1 round and fall prone. On a succesful save or at the end of the duration, they instead become drowsy for 1 round. Drowsy characters count as Fatigued and take a -6 penalty on saves and doubled duration with Sleep effects.

Corrosive Gas: All in the area take 3d6+MK+Intelligence modifier levels Acid damage, Reflex half. Those who fail the save take damage equal to half the Golem-Knight's character level on the following round.

Hallucinogenic Gas: All in the area must make a Will save or go insane for 1d4+1 rounds, as per Insanity. Those that succeed are immune to the gas's effects for the rest of the encounter.

Toxic Gas: All in the area must make a Fortitude save against poison (Con 1d6+Half MK/Con 1d6+Half MK), and even on a successful save they are sickened. Alternatively, the Knight can load this grenade with his own inhaled poison, increasing its effected area to a 30 ft radius and adding Intelligence modifier to the DC.

Boomstick: This project is a double-barrelled shotgun of sorts. This two handed weapon fires like a crossbow and takes a move action to reload, but can fire twice before needing to be reloaded. Any feats that reduce crossbow reload time apply, and skills requiring an attack roll can use ranged attack feats. Add your intelligence modifier+half MK levels to total damage, divided among damage types as chosen by the Knight. Save DCs are equal to 10+Half MK levels+Int Mod. Each day, the Knight can produce MK level+Intelligence modifier of these shotgun rounds. All damage (including elemental damage) is based on medium size - Any size increase also increases damage accordingly, as well as increasing splash by 5 feet.

Solid Shot: 40' range increments, 4d6 Bludgeoning damage, critical 20/x2.

Scatter Shot: 20' range increments, 2d6 Bludgeoning damage, 1d6 splash within 10 feet, Reflex half. The target and those who fail the Reflex save are knocked Prone.

Incendiary: 20' range increments, 2d6 Fire damage, 1d6 splash within 10 feet, Reflex half. The target and those who fail the Reflex save catch fire.

Flash-Bang Powder: 20' range increments, 2d6 Bludgeoning damage, target is Blinded and Deafened for 1d4+1 rounds and Stunned for 1 round, Fortitude negates Stunning and reduces Blinded and Deafened to 1 round each. Those within 10 feet must make a Fortitude save or be Blinded and Deafened for 1 round.

Explosive Shells: 20' range increments, 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 Fire damage, sets the target on fire. Crit 20/x2 (only multiplies the Bludgeoning damage).

Meltdown Shells: 20' range increments, 2d6 bludgeoning damage and 2d6 Acid damage, with 1d6 Acid damage the following round. Crit 20/x3 (only multiplies the Bludgeoning damage).

Seeker Rounds: Creates a non-magical Magic Missile effect, dealing 2d6 force damage.

Techblade: This project is a powerful adaptation of a bladed weapon, powered by steam and incredibly deadly to all sorts of enemies. Unlike the Artificer's Secret Weapon, it is a uniquely made technological advance (though it can be combined with Artificer's Secret Weapon). Each time you take this ability, you choose a listed ability here, and on the second and fourth application the weapon's damage increases a size category. Minimum Level 7

Chainblade: This ability gives the weapon reach as a Spiked Chain, and allows it to be used for tripping. If it already had reach, it triples your threatened area instead of doubling it. In addition, once per day, you may use attack nearby enemies as Whirlwind Attack, but gaining bonus attacks from high BAB against each, and make a trip attempt against all damaged enemies. However, this severely damages the Chainblade and removes it's reach and tripping for the rest of the day.

Gunblade: This ability allows you to augment the blade with the Boomstick, Rocket Lance or Grenades with the Techblade. You may use the chosen ranged weapon with the Techblade as an iterative attack and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. This ability reduces the damage of the Techblade by one size category, but applies any other techblade's bonuses to the ranged weapon, and increases the damage of the ranged weapon by one size. Once per day, you may overload the Gunblade as a full round action, firing two times in addition to your normal iterative attacks. However, this damages the Gunblade, making it lose its ranged capabilities for the remainder of the day.

Alchemist's Blade: This ability allows you to store various solutions in the blade, making their use a Free action and applying their effects to the next attack made. The blade has ten capsules, each holding a pint of liquid. For example, you could fill one capsule with a pint of Drow Knockout Poison, allowing 16 uses of the poison, while having another capsule full of Alchemist's Fire, allowing you to add 1d6 fire damage to your attack and set the damaged targets on fire. However, you may not use two liquids simultaneously. Once per day, you may apply every liquid in the blade at once, simultaneously granting their effects for the rest of the round. However, this has dangerous chemical effects, halving any damage dealt by the liquids but adding an additional 1d6 untyped damage per liquid used, and makes the Alchemist's Blade lose use of the capsules for the remainder of the day.

Eviscerating Blade: This ability makes your blade even more deadly, especially when targeting vitals. This increases critical threat range by 1 (applied after multipliers), stacking with all other bonuses, increases critical multiplier a step and grants 1d6 Sneak Attack damage. In addition, once per day, you may make a critical hit especially deadly, launching various spike and razors out of the blade. The opponent takes an additional 1d10 piercing and slashing damage per point of critical multiplier and must make a Fortitude save (DC = extra damage dealt) or die. This weakens the blade, making it lose Sneak Attack and bonus critical multiplier for the rest of the day.

Bulwark Blade: This ability adds heavy metal plating and the ability to manipulate the blade's shape, making it powerful defensively as well as offensively. This treats the blade as a Heavy Shield of enhancement bonus equal to the blade, granting it's shield bonus as long as you wield the Bulwark Blade in both hands. In addition, whenever you fight defensively or use the full defense action, you gain an additional +2 shield bonus to armor class. Finally, once per day, you may turn the Bulwark Blade into a hulking mass of metal, increasing damage by two steps and adding an additional +3 shield bonus. These effects last 1 minute, at the end of which the Bulwark Blade collapses and cannot be used as a shield for the rest of the day.

Mechanized Body (Ex): The Octons of Mechanus grant the most powerful of Mechanus Knights the secrets of fully mechanizing their bodies. This process is taxing, permanently draining 2 Constitution, but once finished the Knight reaps the benefits of being essentially a sentient golem. The Knight's subtype becomes Construct, and they gain all Construct traits except the lack of a constitution score and the inability to be raised or resurrected. In addition, their newly mechanized body provides a +8 racial bonus to Strength, +4 Natural Armor and, optionally, a nonmagical increase of one size category.

Human Mechanus Knight Starting Package

Weapons: Spiked Chain.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Craft (Armorsmithing)	4	Int	—
Craft (Weaponsmithing)	4	Int	—
Craft (Alchemy)	4	Int	—
Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering)	4	Int	—
Profession (Smith)	4	Wis	—
Ride	4	Dex	—

Feat: Combat Expertise.

Bonus Feats: Dodge.

Gear: Mechanus Gear.

Gold: 0 gp

Campaign Information

Playing a Mechanus Knight

Religion: Essentially every Mechanus Knight worships Primus, the greater diety of Mechanus. Only a few exiled Mechanus Knights shun the god that gave them their knowledge.

Other Classes: Mechanus Knights are intimidating but respected. Most martial classes are wary or reverent of their massive bulk and power, even if their skill with a blade is somewhat below them. Skilled classes are impressed by the array of tools and expert craftsmanship of the Knight, though their skillset is quite focused. Spellcasters either abhor Knights for their complete disdain for magic, or respect them for achieving such power without arcane or divine assistance.

Combat: In battle, a Mechanus Knight's role varies based on what the Knight has chosen to focus on - some are effective battlefield controllers, others strike hard at the largest enemies, many are tanks and protectors, and others still focus on cutting through swathes of minions. In each role, they must find allies that support them best - Controlling Knights will benefit from martial classes and blasting to protect and supplement damage, single-target Knights work best in otherwise full groups, their role only to ease epic battles against single opponents, protecting Knights should find damaging and controlling allies to protect and to support them, while area-damage Knights should find protective and controlling allies. Many Knights fill several roles - in this case, they need less support from allies..

Advancement: The role a Mechanus Knight fits in determines what other classes he might choose. A melee Knight could benefit from levels of Warblade, Fighter or other such martial classes, while a ranged Knight might choose to multiclass Rogue or Ranger. Few knights are also spellcasters, disdaining magic, but those who do practice magic almost exclusively practice divine magic in the name of Primus.

Mechanus Knights in the World

“	Everyone is allowed to pass, but only Mechanus Knights will pass alive.	”
—Colin, Human Mechanus Knight, Gearbreak Point

Daily Life: Mechanus Knights are the military backbone of Mechanus, fighting with their augmented weaponry with frightening fury. However, those dismissed from combat tend to spend their days as either adventurers or peaceful blacksmiths and engineers.

Notables: Colin, Knight of Mechanus leads the good-aligned Knights, while Kyle, Defiler of Mechanus leads evil ones. While both are lawful, they strenuously disagree at how law should be applied. They agreed to simply live and lead without interfering with each other, hoping to appease Primus and show that one way of living is superior. Colin's fighting style kills massive numbers in combat with his Ascendant Blade, whirling and slashing through hundreds at once. He organizes his inferiors into groups by specialty, sending groups usually supported by an Incarnator of Primus to purge the world of anarchy. Many of his followers are also paladins. Kyle's fighting style is of distance, single-target damage, using his lances to efficiently down the biggest threats. He organizes his inferiors by a strict, hereditary hierarchy, and but also sends them in efficient groups to dominate as many cities and villages as possible. Many of his followers are also paladins of tyranny.

Organizations: Good aligned Mechanus Knights can find allies, jobs and supplies within Colin's guild, the Crusaders of Mechanus, while Evil aligned Knights can do the same with Kyle's guild, the Descendants of Mechanus. Neutral mercenaries can find work in either location, or hire the Knights for support in causes the guild approves of (for this, the Descendants are much less discriminating, as long as they are payed well).

NPC Reactions: Most NPC's are awed by Mechanus Knights. Commoners are simply intimidated by their bulk and strength, leaving them Indifferent for the most part but treated as Friendly if Intimidated. Adepts are also awed, but are usually irritated at the Knight's disdain for magic, leaving them Unfriendly, but Indifferent if Intimidated. Warriors and Experts both find the Knights impressive, and their respect leaves them at Friendly. Aristocracy and nobles are usually afraid of the Knights' power, treating them as Unfriendly, and will generally attempt to undermine or remove any Knights threatening their power.

Mechanus Knight Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering), Knowledge (The Planes), can research Mechanus Knights to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

<-the appropriate skills->

DC	Result
5	Mechanus Knights are huge warriors with massive, steam powered armor.
10	Mechanus Knights are in no way magical, despite their awesome weaponry and defenses.
15	Mechanus Knights usually rely almost exclusively on one weapon and one suit of armor - without it, they are easily defeated, not having the same martial skill as other fighters.
20	Mechanus Knights, upon reaching the final stages of their advancement, become fully mechanized. Until then, despite being encased in metal, a living creature lies within.

Mechanus Knights in the Game

Mechanus Knights can have one of two positions in the world. Some might be outcasts, even madmen - by shunning magic that the world has embraced, they make themselves a target for discrimination and can only strive to prove their worth. Others could be powerful members of one of the Mechanus Knight guilds, who have carved a place for themselves with their powerful (if nonmagical) methods.

Adaptation: If the world would not accept any sort of purely technological class, or you are uncomfortable raising the technology level of the world, Mechanus Knights could be described as using alchemy or augmented divine magic from Mechanus to power their arsenals.

Sample Encounter: The Crusaders of Mechanus will oppose any evildoers (especially chaotic ones), while the Descendants of Mechanus will undermine and sometimes attack those who thwart their plots.

EL 20: Exceptionally powerful, Evil, and Chaotic adventurers (especially arcane spellcasters) may find themselves opposed by Colin, Knight of Mechanus, leader of the Crusaders of Mechanus.

Colin, Knight of Mechanus The moment he teleports in, he runs directly into the fray. He then begins attacking in sweeping strikes, using his Whirlwind Attack to injure as many as possible. If the party is stronger than him, he immediately activates his Bulwark Blade ability, and if nearly dead, he uses his Chainblade's ability before fleeing on his mount, using a Wall of Gears to help cover his escape and Celerity to give him a boost. He has a teleport-capable Incarnator ready to teleport in and back out with him as soon as safe, using Celerity to get to a safehouse within a round.

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