I have a player (cleric) that wants to replace Lesser Animate Dead with a spell that animates a clockwork humanoid construct. His idea is to carry the construct in his pack, and assemble it when needed and animate it via this spell. He has said it will never be for attacking, more for doing mundane tasks and maybe eating a trap or being a target.
I'm more than willing to work with him on it but have a few questions.
Weight. How much would a man-sized construct weigh? A human skeleton is @ 30 pounds. A human skeleton made of solid brass would weight on the order of 260 pounds. Obviously the construct wouldn't be solid brass, what is a good middle ground weight to assign it?
The spell itself is looking like this so far, any holes?
Animate Clockwork:
Domain: Artificer, or Class: Artificer. Level 2.
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (A Masterwork Clockwork of at least 25GP in value per size catagory:25 tiny, 50 small, 75 medium)
Range touch
Targets one Clockwork touched that must have been built by the casting Artificer.
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
An Animated Clockwork is a mindless automaton that performs simple tasks at your command. It can run and fetch
things, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as clean and mend. The clockwork can perform only one
activity at a time, but it repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so. It can open only normal
doors, drawers, lids, and the like. It has an effective Strength score of 2 (so it can lift 20 pounds or drag 100
pounds). It can't perform any task that requires a skill check with a DC higher than 10 or that
requires a check using a skill that can't be used untrained. The clockwork cannot climb or swim (though it can
walk under water). Its base speed is 30 feet.
The Clockwork cannot attack in any way; it is never allowed an attack roll. It cannot be killed, but it
breaks/deactivates if it takes 6 points of damage. Repair of the Clockwork requires ½ the initial material cost.
It gets no saves against attacks. You can have any number of
clockworks made, but can only control/command one at a time.
124.3 lb dry weight.
I did the math.
Why not make it strictly a flavor change for the original spell? Why complicate matters if you don't have to? Just say his god has a variant spell that makes a lesser animated object that works like a skeleton or zombie from bits and pieces of junk instead of a body.
Because as part of the flavor he wants to carry it in a pack like Chewie carried C-3PO in Star Wars, his pet name for the project is C-3PO actually.
...or as a skeleton with DR 5/- and Electricity vulnerability?
Great ideas, thanks.
124.3 lb dry weight.
I did the math.
I'd guesstimate 2 quarts of oil to keep things moving, so maybe @ 128.3 pounds wet. For math simplicity I'll just round it to 128.
Thanks!
Sure no problem.