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Sean K Reynolds Games

Classy Characters: Robomancer (PFRPG) PDF

3.50/5 (based on 2 ratings)
SKR016E

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Classy Characters: Robomancer is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game-compatible sourcebook about the robomancer, a summoner archetype that summons a part-living, part-machine eidolon from a strange plane where flesh, metal, magic, and technology are equally common. This eidolon—called a "mechrilon"—has mechanical body parts, artificial limbs, and other enhancements that blur the line between living creature and machine.

This PDF includes:

  • The robomancer archetype for the summoner class
  • Six new evolutions for mechrilons
  • Three mechrilon "models"--shortcuts to allow a player or GM to quickly create a mechrilon with a specific look in mind
  • A sample robomancer and her mechrilon, presented at character level 5 and 10

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An Endzeitgeist.com review

3/5 —

This pdf clocks in at 6 pages, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 4 pages - so what is the robomancer?

In short, the robomancer is a summoner archetype that gets a mechrilon, a variant eidolon that obviously can be affected by spells that otherwise would only influence constructs and treats natural attacks as either that or manufactured weapons, whichever is more beneficent. It also takes half damage from rust effects, but otherwise counts as a creature that is alive and as an eidolon for the purpose of spells and effects.

Instead of the summon monster class ability, the robomancer gets an expanded spell-list and eidolons/mechrilons may take a 2-point darkvision evolution.

The mechrilons receive access to a total of 6 exclusive evolutions that include increased base speed, fortification (with increased point costs to scale the benefits up), limited DR (again, with scaling), construct body and mind-apotheosis-style evolutions and a poison gas breath weapon.

The pdf comes with 3 sample kits to base mechrilon base forms on and a sample NPC at level 5 and 10 alongside the respective mechrilon.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are top-notch, I noticed no formal or rules-language glitches to speak of. Layout adheres to a printer-friendly 2-column standard with one piece of nice full-color artwork. The pdf comes without bookmarks, but needs none at this length.

Sean K. Reynolds knows what he's doing and this pdf shows - the robomancer is a nice little archetype and since it predates the Technology Guide, I won't begrudge it the lack of synergy with said book. The archetype itself is solid - essentially, a summoner with a mechanized eidolon that has more staying power at the cost of summon monster-tricks. There is nothing to be complained about the frame or the execution.

But if I'm honest, I did not enjoy it. Why?

Because in my book, LPJr Design's Machinesmith and Interjection Games' Tinker do the pet-class trickery with a mechanical theme better, while personal apotheosis as per Amor Game's Metamorph or Rite Publishing's Iron Titan provides a more immediate experience, leaving this archetype without a niche in my games.

It's solid, especially for the brevity of the pdf, but when compared to the competition, it does not really sport that many unique mechanical tricks (essentially only the gas cloud is truly distinct) and boils down to a summoner with some very minor modifications to the mechanics. If that's what you're looking for, go for it - if not, you may want to take a look at the more complex versions. Unless you really want a summoner framework that works with robot-eidolon, I consider the other options cooler - much like many paizo archetypes, this does not feel particularly unique to me. This is not bad, mind you - but neither is it really good or captivating. hence, my final verdict will clock in at 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.

Endzeitgeist out.

SKR adds a touch of robot to your eidolon

4/5 —

6 Pages, nice bit of art and decent production values in the graphic design.

A pretty simple archetype, very flavorful choices made expanding the summoner spell list and making the eidolon (Mechrillon) more construct-like.

For $1.95 it's a pretty decent quality outing from SKR. The art is cute, and the layout is easy to read and pretty easy on the printer ink.

I do wish that this went a little further away from the core summoner experience as right now it doesn't feel enough like a dude and his robot and more like a dude and his slightly mechanical outsider. But objectively the character options provided here are effective at making a machine out of your companion.

I do recommend the Robomancer, but with the caveat that if you're looking for an extreme make-over of the summoner that you temper your expectations.

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Now available!

...Hey I think I know this guy...
Pathfinder LO Special Edition Subscriber

Hmmmm. Dot for this.
Silver Crusade
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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

My review is up.

Interesting. I love me some sci-fi options. What else is coming down the line in Classy Characters Sean?
Contributor
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Oceanshieldwolf wrote:
Interesting. I love me some sci-fi options. What else is coming down the line in Classy Characters Sean?

Keep your eyes open for a "black blade gunslinger."

And a separate line of books called "Classy Monsters"...
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Oceanshieldwolf wrote:
Interesting. I love me some sci-fi options. What else is coming down the line in Classy Characters Sean?

Keep your eyes open for a "black blade gunslinger."

And a separate line of books called "Classy Monsters"...

Am I wrong to imagine Squall and Seifer? :DDD

Contributor
4 people marked this as a favorite.

Pistol swords are cool, but I'm approaching it more from the perspective of "What if Stormbringer* were a gun instead of a sword, and attached itself to a gunslinger instead of a magus?"

* Stormbringer, and its original D&D doppelganger Blackrazor from White Plume Mountain, being the model for the black blade of a bladebound magus.
Paizo Employee Design Manager
Sean K Reynolds wrote:

"What if Stormbringer* were a gun instead of a sword, and attached itself to a gunslinger instead of a magus?"

Then it would be even more awesome.

That would solve several problems hilariously enough!

One of which being that few GMs like or even allow advanced firearms (I'm assuming that like Black Blade you'd get it at 3 and I don't think you'd give someone a free advanced firearm)

Another being how expensive ammunition is. If you have a free upgrading weapon you wont have as big a money sink.

If the blade gets an arcane pool like the black blades then it increases gunslinger versatility.

I am up for this "Black Gun"

Interesting idea. And, it's nice to see SKR games is back:)

As for a gunslinger archetype...I'll be the first to admit I dislike the mechanics of the UC firearms. I'll keep my eyes on it though in case your upcoming archetype improves them in some way.

one thing that kinda bugs me is if i take iron golem breath before i take construct body my dc actually goes down.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Sean K Reynolds wrote:

Pistol swords are cool, but I'm approaching it more from the perspective of "What if Stormbringer* were a gun instead of a sword, and attached itself to a gunslinger instead of a magus?"

* Stormbringer, and its original D&D doppelganger Blackrazor from White Plume Mountain, being the model for the black blade of a bladebound magus.

Huh. R. Talsorian Games did something similar several years ago with their Castle Falkenstien Game/World. They had a particular 'college' of wizards in their version of Texas who were also Gunslingers & some of them had guns similar to what you describe. The most famous/infamous of which was 'Doc' Holiday's revolver 'Daisy'. The 'Black Pistol's' were called 'Widowmakers', among other reasons because they almost always left a trail of dead men behind them...

Contributor
christos gurd wrote:
one thing that kinda bugs me is if i take iron golem breath before i take construct body my dc actually goes down.

Yes, that is one of the drawbacks of being a construct; even the iron golem has this problem (breath weapon DC 19, when the "Monster Statistics By CR" table in the Bestiary says a CR 13 monster's primary ability DC should be 21). But the eidolon can select Ability Focus to compensate for that.

Irnk, Dead-Eye's Prodigal wrote:
Huh. R. Talsorian Games did something similar several years ago with their Castle Falkenstien Game/World. They had a particular 'college' of wizards in their version of Texas who were also Gunslingers & some of them had guns similar to what you describe. The most famous/infamous of which was 'Doc' Holiday's revolver 'Daisy'. The 'Black Pistol's' were called 'Widowmakers', among other reasons because they almost always left a trail of dead men behind them...

Nice. Of course, once Moorcock elevated the category of "creepy intelligent weapons that have their own agenda," it started popping up in other places. For example, Stephen Brust's "Vlad Taltos" books have Morganti weapons, which are soul-eaters, and are various types of weapons, and there are some that are even more powerful with additional abilities*. I'm not surprised game companies have jumped on that idea.

* And they have badass long names, too. Like the sword commonly known as Blackwand is actually named "Magical wand for creating death in the form of a black sword." And Iceflame is actually named "Dagger-shaped bearer of fire that burns like ice."
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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

The mention of Moorcock, Brust, Blackwand and Iceflame all in one post gives me great joy. Thank you SKR :)
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Sean K Reynolds wrote:

Stephen Brust's "Vlad Taltos" books have Morganti weapons, which are soul-eaters, and are various types of weapons, and there are some that are even more powerful with additional abilities*. I'm not surprised game companies have jumped on that idea.

* And they have badass long names, too. Like the sword commonly known as Blackwand is actually named "Magical wand for creating death in the form of a black sword." And Iceflame is actually named "Dagger-shaped bearer of fire that burns like ice."

Honestly, I think I might have encountered Brust's Vlad Taltos stories before I really started reading Moorcock, but yeah, the Elric/Stormbringer stories really do seem to have been the genesis. And yes, I laughed my butt off when I first read what 'Blackwand's' real name was.

And then I cried when I read how they actually get made...
Contributor

Oops! It's Steven with a "v," not a "ph." I owe him a drink the next time I see him at a convention. :p

Irnk, Dead-Eye's Prodigal wrote:
And then I cried when I read how they actually get made...

Yeah. :(

If anyone is interested I scripted this archetype into Hero Lab. You can download the .hl file HERE. Once downloaded simply double click on the .hl file to start the install process.

Because of the spells it does require that you have additional packages of Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat for Hero Lab.
Contributor

Question for you, SKR. Currently the robomancer trades away summoned monster and gains bonus spells known for those spell-like abilities all the way up to 17th level. But at 19th level, the summoner gains the ability to use gate as a spell-like ability, and the robomancer doesn't gain a bonus spell known at 19th level.

Is the robomancer supposed to gain gate as a spell-like ability?
Contributor

The "robomancer spells" ability replaces the entire "summon monster" ability of the standard summoner, which means the robomancer doesn't get the gate ability that a standard summoner does.

I could be persuaded to add another free spell known at 19th level... any suggestions? :)

Reviewed first on endzeitgeist.com, then submitted to Nerdtrek and GMS magazine and posted here and on OBS.
Contributor
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Thanks! :)
Sorry you didn't like it that much, but that's okay. :)

I liked Goody WHite much more, which comes around pretty soon. ^^

@Sean: From my reading of the review it seemed less that Thilo didn't like it and more that the Robomancer was overshadowed by Machinesmith and Tinker approaches to a similar theme.

- Any chance the black blade-esque gunslinger is still in the works?
Contributor

So many irons in the fire right now, gotta get the time-sensitive ones (like the Five Moons RPG playtest and finishing Goody White) done first before I can get to things like that gunslinger archetype. :/

Goody White isn't the final version? Good to know, I'll hold finishing my review until it's the final version.
Contributor

Yeah, there's another 16 pages of stretch goal content I need to add to it. :)
1 person marked this as a favorite.

That's good to know! I'll hold my review until the final version hits sites! So far I btw. LOVE it!
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