A Numerian hunter with a robot companion rather than an animal companion sounds quite charming. A party member in my Iron Gods campaign is planning on taking Improved Familiar at 7th level and acquiring a Clockwork Familiar for the closest she can get to a robot familiar. Alas, a mechanical familiar will incite trouble in the anti-robot town of Iadenveigh in The Choking Tower, unless she keeps it hidden.
I am confused by the reality hacks of the Hacker. Those are just spells, right? You mention that the 0-level applications mimic a Hunter's orisons, but you do not mention what the higher-level reality hacks are. Are you putting together a Hacker spell list of appropriately themed spells? Orisons are very generic, so can be viewed as technological, but druid and ranger spells mostly have a strong nature theme. I also don't understand your list of Script Groups.
A good place to put a Hacker NPC would be in Scrapwall in Lords of Rust. Create another gang that contains several hackers, who are hiding out in Scrapwall because otherwise the Technic League would confiscate their robots.
A Numerian hunter with a robot companion rather than an animal companion sounds quite charming. A party member in my Iron Gods campaign is planning on taking Improved Familiar at 7th level and acquiring a Clockwork Familiar for the closest she can get to a robot familiar. Alas, a mechanical familiar will incite trouble in the anti-robot town of Iadenveigh in The Choking Tower, unless she keeps it hidden.
A good example being the clockwork servant in the AP's first encounter.
Why not re-flavor the familiar as an actual robot? It won't cause any balance issues (if fact it makes the familiar slightly more vulnerable).
Ah, Words of Power. I own Ultimate Magic, but I only skimmed that chapter and did not recognize it in the new context.
Why not re-flavor the familiar as an actual robot? It won't cause any balance issues (in fact it makes the familiar slightly more vulnerable).
We can discuss that when I update my long-neglected Iron Gods Among Scientists thread. I don't want to derail kurohyou's topic. Though it does relate to the Hacker to discuss how to re-flavor existing animal companions as robots. What abilities should they gain and what abilities should they lose?
When an animal companion is re-flavored as a robot companion, does it gain construct traits: d10 Hit Die, no Constitution score, low-light vision, darkvision, cannot heal itself, hard to damage, immunity to mind-affecting effects, disease, poison, necromancy, fatigue, exhaustion, ability damage, etc.--and robotic traits: intelligent, vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity, and difficult to create? Okay, we can drop intelligent for a robot in the shape of an animal and difficult to create does not matter for a companion that appears as a class ability. Does it lose abilities associated with animals, such as natural armor and scent?
For example, does a big cat:
Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10; Special Attacks rake (1d4); Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
become a robot cat?
Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; hardness 5; immune construct traits; vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity; not healed by rest or healing magic; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 17, Con -, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10; Special Attacks rake (1d4); Special Qualities low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.
You might be better starting with the promethean alchemist instead of the hunter: change the Homunculus Companion to Robot Companion (add the robot subtype; change the requirement to bring back a destroyed companion from 1 pint of blood per HD to 10 charges from a battery or other source per HD; the companion advancement as the character gains levels is considered to be "upgrades" from constant tinkering; allow a re-flavored version of Evolved Companion, with a 13+ Int requirement instead of 13+ Cha, to add unique abilities, possibly as a discovery as well as a feat) and swap out extracts for psychic spells (like the psychic detective investigator archetype); you can even add Psychic Meddler at 2nd (replace poison resistance, poison use, swift alchemy, and poison immunity) and Phrenic Dabbler at 4th (replaces the 4th level discovery) like the psychic detective, as well.
Or possibly an archetype of the unchained summoner, replacing the eidolon with a more customizable robot companion based on the eidolon rules and replacing the summon monster SLA with short-term boosts for the robot companion and/or PC.
Shameless plug: a lot of the stuff from the upcoming Aethera Campaign Setting would be very appropriate here.
In fact, at least one of the ideas mentioned in this thread is in that book. ^_^
Yeah, I need to be more clear on that too. Yes it would become a robot in all ways including construct traits, robot traits, losing con score. It would retain any attacks the base animal has and the form and size.When an animal companion is re-flavored as a robot companion, does it gain construct traits: d10 Hit Die, no Constitution score, low-light vision, darkvision, cannot heal itself, hard to damage, immunity to mind-affecting effects, disease, poison, necromancy, fatigue, exhaustion, ability damage, etc.--and robotic traits: intelligent, vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity, and difficult to create? Okay, we can drop intelligent for a robot in the shape of an animal and difficult to create does not matter for a companion that appears as a class ability. Does it lose abilities associated with animals, such as natural armor and scent?
For example, does a big cat:
Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10; Special Attacks rake (1d4); Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.become a robot cat?
Size Medium; Speed 40 ft.; hardness 5; immune construct traits; vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity; not healed by rest or healing magic; Attack bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 17, Con -, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10; Special Attacks rake (1d4); Special Qualities low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.
Remember, a Medium Construct also gains +20 bonus hit points. :)
I'll have to get back to you - I don't know if we've officially previewed it yet. ^_^
I'll have to get back to you - I don't know if we've officially previewed it yet. ^_^
Also, when you name drop, remember to link.
You might be better starting with the promethean alchemist instead of the hunter: change the Homunculus Companion to Robot Companion (add the robot subtype; change the requirement to bring back a destroyed companion from 1 pint of blood per HD to 10 charges from a battery or other source per HD; the companion advancement as the character gains levels is considered to be "upgrades" from constant tinkering; allow a re-flavored version of Evolved Companion, with a 13+ Int requirement instead of 13+ Cha, to add unique abilities, possibly as a discovery as well as a feat) and swap out extracts for psychic spells (like the psychic detective investigator archetype); you can even add Psychic Meddler at 2nd (replace poison resistance, poison use, swift alchemy, and poison immunity) and Phrenic Dabbler at 4th (replaces the 4th level discovery) like the psychic detective, as well.
The fully developed version of this idea. Yes, there are some "dead levels," but they are all on odd-numbered levels and the character can take the Extra Discovery feat if the player wishes. The psi-tech discoveries in Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Realms fit in quite well in this AP.
how about a tech based alchemist or magus
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I'm intrigued by the idea of robot-wrangling, but I don't like the idea of "reality hacks". That blurs the line between magic and technology too much for my taste. I like them as separate things.
I think I'd rather work off a hunter/investigator or hunter/alchemist combination instead; chemicals & circuitry.
Hmmm, I think that's an interesting take on it, but I'd like for it to be a little more focused on using and improving the robot.
In that case, you should definitely IMO start with the Unchained summoner as the base class over the hunter, changing the eidolon into a robot but keeping the eidolon rules for body type and evolutions ("customizations"). You will have to come up with the base evolutions for the robot "subtype," but it allows much more flexibility as to the robot's form and abilities.
Swapping out the summon monster SLA for <some type of boost> ("overclocking" based on the mutagen mechanics, but using a different method?) is needed, as well. I'll have to think a bit more on that. The spell list would probably need to be changed to focus on Transmutation instead of Conjuration, as well.
Also, you may want to call the class something other than "Hacker" if it is going to be mostly focused around the robot companion; "hacker" has a much broader meaning encompassing several types of technology, rather than just one. Roboticist? Robo-jockey? Mechanic?
Maybe something like this adjustment of the original Hunter based class?
I'm not sure kineticist blasts and talents are thematically the best fit for a class concentrating on technology.
Good to see some hackin' free stuff. ;)