Clicking Caverns questions

[Kelatan Laskaris]

I just recently purchased the Dragon Empires gazetteer and the one location that interested me that they didn't put a lot of detail into was the Clicking Caverns. I was wondering if there is somewhere I could find more details on it or if they are going to release something on it. Any info would be helpful.

[Gluttony]

I was thinking the same. It sounded like such a cool idea, so I was disappointed that it was mostly glossed over. Personally I'm hoping for a clockwork template in Bestiary 4, since several of my players have also expressed an urge to one day descend into the Clicking Caverns and the Pan Majang necropolis beneath it.

[Peanuts]

It does sound pretty awesome. I'm sure we'll get a module there or some sort of support eventually. They've only had fairly limited resources to dedicate to an entire continent after all :)

Would definitely love a Clockwork template though :D

[Generic Villain]

I'd like to add my voice to those wanting more info on the Clicking Caverns and Pan Majang.

From what I can tell, the people (monsters?) of Pan Majang lived in Sekamina and eventually their city died out. That, or they voluntarily transfered their essences into their clockwork slaves. Regardless, I'm guessing the current inhabitants follow the rules of clockwork monsters in Bestiary III, except that many of them are also possessed by undead spirits.

How would this work? I'd either make a template ("possessed automaton") or use rules similar to a ghost's malevolence ability, except that only clockwork constructs can be targetted.

Now for some rambling. First, why are the possessed clockwork baddies leading raids onto the surface? There's nothing written about what they are raiding, so my guess is either raw materials to build more of themselves (unlikely, given that they dwell in the Darklands) or living creatures to use for who-knows-what. There may be a hint in their description as "sadistic, flesh-eating spirits." Also, they can apparently convert living things into clockwork abominations, as was the fate of the nagaji Zethivaxus Djeed.

Another question is who/what were the original inhabitants of Pan Majang? They lived deep beneath the earth, so they were either natives or former surface dwellers who fled into the depths and adapted to life there.

In summation, I really hope we get some more info on this incredibly cool locale.

[James Jacobs]

As with most of the locations in Dragon Empires... what you see is pretty much all there is. This is certainly the case for the Clicking Caverns and Pan Majang. I'm pretty pleased with both of those locations, and would love to see these sites expanded upon, for one thing.

(Quick History Lesson: When we first decided to do this book, we had a huge brainstorm meeting where everyone called out all the Asia-related tropes and elements they wanted to see in the book. One suggestion was "clockwork necropolis," which may or may not have been inspired by Hellboy. In any event, that was one of the dozens and dozens and dozens of suggestions I really liked, and the result is Pan Majang and the Clicking Caverns.)

What the clockworks of Pan Majang are, though, are those creatures we've statted up in Bestiary 3... but with intelligence scores, since they're possessed. They have feats and skills. No template necessary; just give a clockwork an Intelligence of 10 and pick feats and skills and you're good to go.

What they're raiding is living prisoners. That's where they get the souls for "new" clockworks, after all. By eating living creatures they can digest souls and infuse them into new clockworks—eating living creatures is kind of how they reproduce.

As for who the original inhabitants of Pan Majang were... that's not a secret I'm prepared to reveal more of quite yet.

[Generic Villain]

Awesome, thanks for the info James! When I first read the Clicking Caverns description, Hellboy and the Golden Army was indeed one of the things that popped into my head. Also a 1999 horror flick called Virus, wherein an extraterrestrial energy builds a body for itself with mechanical and biological (human) parts.

If nothing else, it'd be cool to have a PFS Scenario or something take place here. A full-blown module would probably be too much to hope for - though hope I will.