Hello folks,
My son is about to join our game (Pathfinder 1st edition) and he would like to play a gnome engineer, something like an artificer, but more tech than magic.
His dream is to have a robot companion who fights for him.
I checked a few classes, but couldn't find yet one with a focus on building a robot buddy.
So far I consider using the Artificer from Tome of Secrets or a conversion of the Artificer from Eberron, and maybe removing some class abilities to give him an automaton companion.
What class would you suggest, official or third party?
Tinkerer Alchemist springs to mind, as does Clocksmith Wizard
Alchemist has a few construct companion options. I think those are about the only official things, short of actual construct crafting.
Also, as mentioned, the tinkerer if extracts are not techy enough.
As a few have already mentioned, the Alchemist class has quite a few archetypes that focus on constructs...
The Tinkerer gets a clockwork familiar, it’s by far the weakest of the options, but as far as familiars go, it’s one of the stronger options for a familiar. However, ignoring the standard weakness of a familiar, the archetype has a variety of abilities focused around improving their clockwork buddy and can make a viable construct crafted as well.
The Construct Rider gets a construct as an animal companion/mount. However, the archetype lacks any real features to bolster its construct usage leaving you fully at the whims of the construct rules.
The Promethean Alchemist and Homunculist both are built on the same premise as each other with slightly different approaches. The Promethean Alchemist uses a powerful Homunculus Construct companion and gets the Craft Construct feat for free, however the starting stats for the Homunculus are a bit on the weak side... the Homunculist on the other hand gets a weaker Homunculus Familiar but gets to apply a selection of Eidolon evolutions to it enhancing its abilities.
It is worth mentioning however, that Homunculus are typically more inline with a flesh golem than a robot... however there is nothing preventing you from reflavoring them to be more mechanical construct than flesh construct. Rules wise they are identical, same strengths and weaknesses, same creation methods, same rules for upgrading, just a different visual image.
Can clockwork familiars become Maulers and have Evolved Familiar applied to them? Giving them DR 10 at level 8 is pretty snazzy too.
Can clockwork familiars become Maulers and have Evolved Familiar applied to them? Giving them DR 10 at level 8 is pretty snazzy too.
Depends on DM ruling... the Clockwork Spy that the Tinkerer starts out with is certainly eligible for the mauler archetype. The problem occurs when it is upgraded to a clockwork familiar... the Tinkerer is treated as a 7th level wizard with Improved Familiar... and Improved Familiars are not compatible with Mauler...
So ultimately it comes down to if your DM rules that you replace your Clockwork Spy with a new Clockwork Familiar, thus ineligible for a familiar archetype... or if they rule that you upgrade your existing Clockwork Spy into a Clockwork Familiar, thus keeping any familiar archetype your Clockwork Spy already possessed.
Strictly by RAW, it is upgraded... but I know many DMs view it as being replaced or otherwise just deny access to familiar archetypes once it upgrades on grounds that “it is now an improved familiar”
As for Evolved Familiar... technically you don’t have the familiar class feature... so... ask your DM... then again... from a completely technical standpoint neither does a wizard... they have the Arcane Bond class feature...
What Character Level will he be joining your group at? If you want more Class choices on the table his backstory could incorporate the Story Feat Protector of the People. With the goal achieved in the backstory, (or the completion coinciding with a little help from your Party as a reason to begin adventuring), he will get :
* The Craft Construct Feat without having to meet prerequisites.
* Any Constructs that he makes, that are under the C.R. of the one his backstory had him donate, Cost 10% less (exc. raw materials).
Please note that actual Robots are constructed differently to most other Constructs, requiring :
* [Feat] Craft Robot.
* [Feat] Craft Technological Arms and Armour.
* [Feat] Craft Technological Item.
* [Feat] Technologist.
* Craft(Mechanical) 9 Skill Ranks; Kn.Engineering 9 Skill Ranks.
* Access to a Robotics Lab that can provide 200 charges each day it is in operation.
If he is set on a Robot then perhaps you can meet him halfway? With the Craft Construct and Technologist Feats he can create a Recycled Construct and use the Recycled Robot method. The reduced C.R. might actually play well with the Protector of the People for reduced Costs, getting a glitchy/"quirky" friend for the sake of two Feats (and a fair amount of money) ... Once the mechanical marvel falls too far behind it will fall to the G.M. to decide if/how/when your son will come across another Robot to salvage.
For a Construct that simply fights for its controller, I would recommend a [37 000gp/19 000gp] Clockwork Soldier. If the Strength or Cost/Price is too much for where you are starting, you can always apply the Recycled Construct Template to that, (reducing the Cost by half), alongside the Degenerate Template, (reducing all Ability Scores by -4 for Strength 24).