Alchemical Antagonists...


Homebrew and House Rules


For a homebrew campaign that I've been working on, recently, I've created a world in which the animation of constructs has become a widely-practiced art form. Golems - and constructs of similar humanoid appearance - are the most popular, though this is more the consequence of aesthetic pride on part of the world's denizens rather than any sort of engineering issue. These constructs are crafted in vast numbers, eventually to be bought by private citizens for domestic service, or by military forces for combat service.

A pair of early antagonists in this campaign will be an alchemical golem mysteriously ascended to sapience, and a young human girl - a prodigal wizard despite her age, if not a bit unreliable because of it - who befriended it and travels with it. This golem, dubbed "Wes Algee" by its companion, struggles to understand the nature of its self-awareness, and travels in search of other intelligent constructs that it can free from servitude to organic masters.

In the beginning of the campaign, Wes is simply an aware alchemical golem - intelligence allows it to gain skill ranks and feats, as noted below - with a few surprises in its design. As the campaign progresses, however, the idea is that it will turn inward to its structure and gain levels as an alchemist.

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WS-AlG076 "Wes Algee"
Inexplicably sentient alchemical golem
N Large construct

Statistics:
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 22, Con --, Int 20, Wis 13, Cha 12
Senses: Darkvision (120 ft.), Low-Light Vision; Perception +13
Skills: Craft (alchemy) +17 (2 ranks), Craft (armor, carpentry, leather, sculpture, siege engines) +9 each (4 ranks each), Disable Device +18 (12 ranks), Heal +5 (4 ranks), Knowledge (arcana) +17 (12 ranks), Perception +13 (12 ranks), Spellcraft +17 (12 ranks)
Feats: Bolstered Resilience, Deepsight, Dodge, Point0Blank Shot, Power Attack (-4 to hit/+8 damage)
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Halfling, Undercommon

Defenses:
AC: 27 (+6 dex, +11 natural, +1 dodge, -1 size); tch: 16, ff: 21
HP: 96 (12d10+30); DR: 10/adamantine or bludgeoning
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +5
Immunities: Construct traits (see Bioconstruct Modification (Brain), under "Abilities" below), magic
Weaknesses: Bioconstruct Modification (brain)

Offenses:
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft.
BAB: +12; CMB: +21, CMD: 37
Melee: 2 +1 slams +15 (2d8+5 plus alchemy), +1 spiked chain +20 (2d6+9)
Ranged: Bomb +17 (8d6 random energy)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
SA: Alchemy, Bombs, Splash

Combat Gear:
Armor Construct Modification (+1 enhancement bonus, bolstering), Weapon Construct Modifications (+1 enhancement bonus to slams, +1 spiked chain attached to frame), Rune Construct Modification (shielding), catching cape, amulet of bullet protection +1, one dose of silversheen, two doses of universal solvent, four smoke pellets, one adamantine weapon blanche, five cold iron weapon blanches, two doses of flash powder, three fuse grenades.

Other Gear:
Bioconstruct Modification (brain), masterwork thieves' tools, healer's kit (10 uses), surgeon's kit.

Coins: 25 gp

Wes has the following magic items permanently "built-in" as part of his chasis. They are immune to damage, and are considered destroyed if Wes is destroyed. They cannot be removed or replaced except with extensive mechanics work, which Wes cannot perform on himself. These items are permanent and are discharged/expended after use, even if they would be for normal characters.

A second pair of arms, small and delicate, extend from the front of Wes' torso. Normally kept folded tightly against the golem, each of these arms ends in a finely crafted hand - these hands are built-in assisting gloves, and are the golem's first choice when dealing with work that requires fine motor control (such as opening a lock or disabling a trap).

Wes' legs end in large, trapezium-shaped "feet," which are built-in boots of the cat.

Abilities:
Alchemy (Ex): When Wes Algee strikes a foe with a slam attack, the attack either deals extra energy damage, or has an additional effect. This is randomly determined (d20) each time Wes successfully strikes a foe.
  • 1 - 3: 1d6 additional acid damage.
  • 4 - 6: 1d6 additional cold damage.
  • 7 - 9: 1d6 additional electrical damage.
  • 10 - 12: 1d6 additional fire damage.
  • 13 - 14: Target is sickened for 1d4 rounds (Fort negates).*15 - 16: Target is entangled for 1d4 rounds (Ref negates).
  • 17 - 18: Target is staggered for 1d4 rounds (Will negates).
  • 19 - 20: Two effect simultaneously; roll twice, ignoring further results of 19 or 20 and duplicate results.

Bioconstruct Modification (Brain): Unlike other alchemical golems, the brain included in We Algee's construction has somehow retained the ability to think independently. This allows it to learn, grow, and adapt, and results in its self-awareness. As a result of this unique identity, it cannot simply be suppressed by enchantment spells as other bioconstructed brains can. Instead, it leaves Wes Algee as vulnerable to the normal effects of enchantment and illusion effects like any living creature would be; it may be subject to charm monster and it may be tricked by ghost sound, for example.

Bombs (Ex): As a standard action, Wes Algee can throw a bomb as a ranged touch attack to a distance of 60 feet. This attack has no range increment. If the attack misses, treat it as a thrown splash weapon to determine where it lands. Anyone struck by this attack takes 8d6 points of randomly determined (d20) energy damage. All creatures adjacent to the location where the bomb lands take 1d6 damage of the same type.

  • 1 - 3: Acid damage
  • 4 - 6: Cold damage
  • 7 - 9: Electricity damage
  • 10 - 12: Fire damage
  • 13 - 14: Force damage
  • 15 - 16: Negative Energy damage
  • 17 - 18: Sonic damage
  • 19 - 20: Two types of damage simultaneously (4d6/4d6, 1d3/1d3 to adjacent creatures); Roll twice, ignoring further results of 19 or 20 and duplicate results.

Splash (Ex): Any non-reach melee attack made against Wes Algee deals 1 point of randomly determined (d20) energy damage to the attacker. A critical hit confirmed against Wel Algee instead delivers 1d6 energy damage to its attacker.

  • 1 - 5: Acid damage
  • 6 - 10: Cold damage
  • 11 - 15: Electricity damage
  • 16 - 20: Fire damage

Tactics:
As soon as Wes Algee is attacked, it activates its Bolstered Resilience feat to double it's DR to 20/adamantine or bludgeoning. Against most foes Wes Algee is likely to encounter, this renders the golem practically invulnerable. Wes typically makes a show of strength to prove its superiority and then simply proceeds to go about its business, unmolested by opponents that are cowering or too shocked to act.

When faced with foes that present a credible threat, Wes prefers to harass them in close-quarters combat where it can make optimal use of its superior reach and strength. If the battle begins to turn against it, the golem will withdraw and flee at top speed rather than face destruction. If possible, it will lob a bomb to inflict structural damage or damage the environment and cause a block that halts or slows its pursuers.

Wes Algee loathes the concept of murder, despite the depths of its rage when faced with the treatment of its kin. When in melee combat, it will always choose to deal nonlethal damage (imposing a -4 penalty on attack rolls that is not included in its statistics above), though it cannot help the energy damage it inflicts, unless this would prevent it from reliably striking a foe. If faced with one or more targets guilty of cruelty or malicious neglect to constructs - especially intelligent ones such as Wes itself - the golem will resort to lethal combat.

Knowing the destructive power inherent in them, Wes will directly attack a living creature with its bombs only if given no other recourse, or it feels reasonably sure that the enemy could survive a direct hit from one of its explosives. In the latter case, it will lob a bomb at a foe to prove the kind of destructive power it is capable of at a moment's notice.


how is it going to use mutagens?

Dark Archive

I have nothing useful to add, but your thread title made me laugh, due to the other possible context for an (al)chemical antagonist.

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