So for a campaign I am working on there is going be a person who "frees" constructs and creatures from slavery. In his opinion awakening these beings frees them as they no longer need to obey anyone and can work as they please. Now my plan is for this guy to teach and train some of the constructs and animals to fight and help awaken more. Later on some of the awakened beings are going be working as mercenaries so I am trying to figure out a few things.
1) How should I price the services?
2) Is it possible for the person who Awakens the constructs to modify them for battle or work?
3) Supposing one of the awakened animals was a companion of someone who took the Evolved Companion feat. Would the Animal Companion keep all evolutions?
4) Should I run them as if they had no levels before or do will there HD count as there levels for determining how much experience they need to level up?
5) Could someone recruit an awakened Construct or Animal as a Cohort using the Leadership feat?
How are you awakening constructs? The Awaken spell only targets Trees or animals and has to apply SR to which constructs always succeed?
And if he is 'freeing them' why is he then using them as mercenaries instead of letting them get on with their lives?
Also, Awakening an animal companion makes that creature an awakened animal. It loses any and all of the benefits of being an animal companion as it no longer is one and any feats of the former character apply to the next companion.
How are you awakening constructs? The Awaken spell only targets Trees or animals and has to apply SR to which constructs always succeed?
And if he is 'freeing them' why is he then using them as mercenaries instead of letting them get on with their lives?
Also, Awakening an animal companion makes that creature an awakened animal. It loses any and all of the benefits of being an animal companion as it no longer is one and any feats of the former character apply to the next companion.
I am going be awakening the constructs using this spell.
Also I should clarify, HE isn't going be using them as Mercenaries, some of the awakened Constructs and Animals are going want to be mercenaries as it can make good money and they have certain instincts or are constructed with such power that they would make great guards, trackers, etc.
1. From the hirelings and services section:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services/hirelings-serv ants-services
Cost: You must pay hirelings up front for all the work you expect them to do. Hireling wages are based on the most dangerous work they perform each day— if you arrange for a group of mercenaries to watch over your horses and defend the horses if attacked, you must pay them both for the amount of time you wish them to watch over the stable, and for engaging in a fight. Securing service requires at least one week's wages paid in advance, though you can put more into this retainer fund. Once service begins, hirelings deduct their wages from the fund automatically.
Risk Level Category Base Cost per Hireling*
1 Harmless 3 sp/day
2 Questionable 6 sp/day
3 Hazardous 1 gp/day
4 Deadly 3 gp/day
5 Suicidal 3 pp/day
* Multiply cost by the level of each hireling squared.
2. Construct Modifcations rules can be found on this page: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/building-and-modifying-constructs
3. No clear consensus. http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tb4g?What-happens-to-an-animal-companionfamili ar#1
4. XP is generally reserved for PCs. You might check out the leadership feat for reference. Read the "cohort level" section. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/leadership---final
5. Sure.
1. At the start you will need to underbid, make it clear that these are introductory offers. Once you develop a rep for reliability, you can raise your rates.
2. Insufficient information to answer this. With awakened constructs I would say highly unlikely, since the spell pretty much gives the GM pretty much all control in this area.
3. Probably No, as written familiar/companion powers remain with the master, at least he gets to apply everything to the replacement.
4. ? Don't know, I would plan on having the highest of HD as their base level for determining the starting point for gaining actual xp, in any case, you need to find out how the GM wants to run NPC experience.
5. I would think the recruiting model would be the same as for all magical beasts and special cohorts. There are feats in the OGC and archives that would help some.
When one of your awakened takes the name Ceasar, you days of leading this rebellion are over, quietly bow out and walk away. When you are out of sight, run.
2. Insufficient information to answer this. With awakened constructs I would say highly unlikely, since the spell pretty much gives the GM pretty much all control in this area.
Well basically what I want to do is things like add metal claws to an awakened Scarecrow to help him fight or maybe equip an Alchemical Golem with a sprayer of sorts so he can shoot poisonous gas to kill or water to help water crops.
1) Pricing. This is going to vary wildly. Reputation is an issue, and the fact that there aren't equivalent services out there. As a GM I'd have a wide swing as to what customers expect.
2) This is going to vary based on the individual construct's personality. Imagine if somebody said "We can perform surgery on you to make you do stuff better." I know some people that would jump at that opportunity and others who would be horrified.
3) The companion would lose the evolutions. The person's next companion would gain an equivalent amount of evolutions.
4) I generally use the higher of HD or CR. NPC's don't level up the same as PC's.
5) They could. The GM would have to figure out what level they were the equivalent of. They have a few examples, but not many. Once again, I would start with the higher of HD or CR and modify from there.
6) I'm questioning how this will run and affect the game. I can see the player thinking that they will get all of these added forces to run with. I can see some other players getting annoyed at the guy with the circus of creatures and constructs.
Artifix,
Well basically what I want to do is things like add metal claws to an awakened Scarecrow to help him fight or maybe equip an Alchemical Golem with a sprayer of sorts so he can shoot poisonous gas to kill or water to help water crops.
So you have to ask if the scarecrow is OK with that, it being the GM's call. I suppose you could sidestep the free will issue by doing the mods before you awaken them, but that seems like the moral lowground considering your motivations.
I guess I should clarify a few things. First off I am the GM but I am trying to figure out how to run these in a logical manner, as the awakened beings and the guy awakening them all are going be recurring in the plot. Then it comes to the fact that knowing my group they might want to hire some of these guys, so I need to figure out pricing as I would think it would vary depending on how strong the mercenary is. An example being if I was to have them interact with an awakened Adamantine Golem then the price for hiring it as a bodyguard would be higher then say a scarecrow. Also, I do know about rule 0 but I still would like help figuring out the best way to run this.
As for those Constructs that might want to be augmented to do the work they plan/want to do the best way possible it would seem the general consensus is they could be modified.
On another note, how do people normally do NPC's leveling up?
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How are you awakening constructs? The Awaken spell only targets Trees or animals and has to apply SR to which constructs always succeed?
And if he is 'freeing them' why is he then using them as mercenaries instead of letting them get on with their lives?
Also, Awakening an animal companion makes that creature an awakened animal. It loses any and all of the benefits of being an animal companion as it no longer is one and any feats of the former character apply to the next companion.
I am going be awakening the constructs using this spell.
Also I should clarify, HE isn't going be using them as Mercenaries, some of the awakened Constructs and Animals are going want to be mercenaries as it can make good money and they have certain instincts or are constructed with such power that they would make great guards, trackers, etc.
He's using a 24hour casting time spell and expending 2000xHD gp in materials to awaken each construct?
If he's got the time and resources to spare on that, I suppose it isn't a problem if you want to allow them via the leadership feat or some other system. Wouldn't really work on any hostile constructs, as that casting time makes it pretty much impossible to use in combat.
I'd handle the freed construct as you would any other NPC. The Awaken Construct gives them intelligence, charisma, and an alignment, so that should be enough to establish everything you need as if they were a normal NPC. I think cohorts & companions has a few extra rules if you are looking for constructs via leadership.