Tin Woodsman


Advice


Hi all. I'm adding an NPC tin woodcutter (ie Dorothy's Tin Man) as a plot device, and using the clockwork construct rules. Possibly just a clockwork soldier with scythe, with its stats scaled back a level or three.

I was wondering how best in game to deal with it being all rusted up when first encountered? They are immune to so many of the conditions that would best cover it. Would you just disregard 'immune to fatique' or 'immune to ability drain', put it under the effects of a spell or some other condition? I don't want it to just be wound down and them to be able to simply wind it up.

It's not PFS, it doesn't have to be rules precise- narrative trumps rules precision- but it'd be nice to get it somewhere close if possible.

Any help, as ever, greatly appreciated.

The Exchange

Hmm. If it was me, to simplify things, I'd remove it's Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes feats, give the essentials of a curse or bane spell (either reducing it's Str by 6,maybe even reducing Dex as well, or making all it's rolls and checks at a -2 or -4), and remove its DR 5/Adamantine.

But that's just me since I'm a simplistic DM who doesn't need a rule for everything.


If we are looking at a rusted construct, I would just add in an ability that forces the staggered condition (forcing it to only a single move or standard action per round).

Then you need a removal condition for that ability- how about a large number of grease spells? Like 2 spells per hit dice? That should be enough that it would take significant resources over several days to cure.

Anyway, I am a bit 'meh' on the scythe thematically. Not only does the woodsman use an axe (which would help with...you know, chopping wood), you also have the problem that there is a scarecrow character as well (and that would obviously have more claim to a scythe).


lemeres wrote:

If we are looking at a rusted construct, I would just add in an ability that forces the staggered condition (forcing it to only a single move or standard action per round).

Then you need a removal condition for that ability- how about a large number of grease spells? Like 2 spells per hit dice? That should be enough that it would take significant resources over several days to cure.

Anyway, I am a bit 'meh' on the scythe thematically. Not only does the woodsman use an axe (which would help with...you know, chopping wood), you also have the problem that there is a scarecrow character as well (and that would obviously have more claim to a scythe).

Last point is valid, but it's not exactly the tin woodmman per se, just something very similar thematically. The party had an earlier adventure, and they left an old farmer just before harvest, and the scythe thing ties in with that... it's more of a tin harvester to be more specific- I just want to see if they can join the dots and do the matchmaking. The tin man is more shorthand because I knew you'd all have the reference.

So thanks team, some excellent help there.


Two ideas:

-When the woodsman is rusted, treat it as an enchanted mechanical trap. Maybe there is something the players need that the woodsman is holding and they have to "deactivate the trap" to get it. After a few rounds, the woodsman comes to life and the real encounter begins.

-If story trumps rules, have the woodsman be under a "magical slumber" with a keyword deactivation. When the players walk by, whatever they say just happens to be the keyword needed to deactivate the spell. It could be something like "hey look, a rusted man"


GM Fiat; he's rusted to the point that he can't move because the GM says so. Mechanically, he basically has total Dex damage; he's still "conscious" and can talk, if barely (if we're going with the concept of the original story), but having Dex damage equal to (or in excess of) your Dex score causes you to be paralyzed and unable to move.

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