Automaton


Rules Discussion


Hello, I don't understand this :

Quote:
As constructs, automatons typically [u]don't need to breathe[/u], eat, or sleep; however, the body of an automaton needs to vent an imperceivable magical exhaust at a constant rate. This venting process requires breathable air to prevent a buildup of exhaust that can clog the automaton's systems, sometimes to fatal effect. Thus, automatons can [u]still suffocate[/u] much like living creatures.

What does it mean ?


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Automation dont eat, breathe or sleep.

But if they don't get air (in situations where normal living creatures would suffocate) mechanically equivalent bad things happen to them.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Yep, and not just any air either. It needs a to be "breathable" air.

Silver Crusade

No you can't walk through the room filled with poison gas.


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You gotta get iron lungs from golem grafter to do that. Replace your robot lungs with uh, robot lungs.

Silver Crusade

Replace filter with better filter.


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Rysky wrote:
No you can't walk through the room filled with poison gas.

Sure you can.

Once :P


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Perpdepog wrote:
Rysky wrote:
No you can't walk through the room filled with poison gas.

Sure you can.

Once :P

XD

Horizon Hunters

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I think it's a misnomer to say they don't "breathe". The function of breathing is to take in a vital gas, such as Oxygen, and release a waste product, such as CO2. Plants breathe in a similar fashion, they just go the opposite way. If you starve a plant of CO2 they die, same as a Human starved of Oxygen.

For Automatons, while they don't use lungs, they do need "breathable" gas, which makes me believe they combust Oxygen to keep their systems running, while releasing CO2 and other vapors as a waste product. So they do indeed breathe, they just do so passively through using whole body, similarly to how plants breathe.


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Ravingdork wrote:
Perpdepog wrote:
Rysky wrote:
No you can't walk through the room filled with poison gas.

Sure you can.

Once :P

XD

THROUGH the room might be a little optimistic though. Though now I'm visualizing a very bored automaton trapped behind a gas trap since the age of Jistka wondering; if you die going across the room but your body makes it all the way, does it count as you making it through or does dying halfway mean you cannot be said to have gone through? Something for a Pathfinder team to stumble into, a crazy trapped being who's just so HAPPY they can finally ask all these philosophical questions they've thought up over the centuries to somebody besides the occasional unspeaking monster :).


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My only issue with the race so far is, yes, even though it doesn't have the typical construct immunities and has life energy so is considered a living being, it's still constructed from metal and stone. So, I'm flustered that something like Vargoullie Poison has an effect on it. Causing it to turn its ears into leathery wings, sprouting tentacles from head and mouth, eventually the head poping off and becoming a Vargoull. Would think something like that would only effect a fleshy living being and not one made of metal and stone.


D3sp3rato wrote:
My only issue with the race so far is, yes, even though it doesn't have the typical construct immunities and has life energy so is considered a living being, it's still constructed from metal and stone. So, I'm flustered that something like Vargoullie Poison has an effect on it. Causing it to turn its ears into leathery wings, sprouting tentacles from head and mouth, eventually the head poping off and becoming a Vargoull. Would think something like that would only effect a fleshy living being and not one made of metal and stone.

That is the same for pretty much all the weird ancestries and companions in PF2. They give us the name and the flavour, but the mechanics are only part way there.

I mean why does a Nothing but Fluff, Poppet need to eat or breathe? Its certainly not for any physical reason.

Presumably for balance reasons. Maybe it will stuff up the plots of certain modules. But then the Automaton gets it so I don't know.

Not sure it really makes sense as to why Automaton. Poppet, and Andriod got the particular benefits that they did. Maybe talk to your GM and see if he will let you tweak it a bit.


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

I think in part balance reasons... but also control reasons. They may have wanted to point out in a fantasy realm, poisons and diseases don't have to be entirely mundane in nature, and may be able to affect more than what would make sense in 'reality'.

In your example, maybe an Automation that is affected by a Vargoulie poison might not sprout leathery wings and slimly tentacles. It might sprout hard foil wings and mesh tentacles. Mechanically like your typical Vargoull, but potentially notably different appearing.

On the other hand, I don't think it is unreasonable to have the GM decide, lycanthropy can't affect Automations, or some other disease won't affect a certain type/category of creatures. The game is just making sure that the GM isn't expected to grant immunity just because someone can make an argument that perhaps it might not apply.

There is precedent in game for a disease that doesn't affect non-humans. So there is no reason why you as a GM shouldn't feel free to rule certain diseases, toxins, poison's, conditions, etc. might not apply to certain types of creatures.

I had a GM in a game decide that after I got taken down by a critical hit from a spider bite, but saved vs the spider's poison via a critical (nat 20, it was before critical success in rules). They decided that may character was naturally immune to that particular species of spider's venom. It was a 'little thing' that contributed to the uniqueness of the character over time after they narrowly escaped dying in that encounter, getting drug out of the spider lair by the person I'd just interposed myself between them and the spider.

I'll be interested in how they deal with some of these topics in Book of the Dead.

Why do poppets need to eat? Maybe they need to have a portion of food... so they can participate in their tea-party ritual where they are given a serving of the meal, and the meal is later thrown out. But the interaction of the shared meal is what they poppet 'eats' or gets fueled by. Of course that concept wouldn't work for a loner poppet concept, unless they are going through the ritual with their imaginary 'real' friend. *snicker*

Anyway, I agree the lack of easy across the board immunities, is in large part a design balance decision. But I think it can often be explained with some work, and might in certain circumstances be fine to grant appropriate individual immunities. But it would be kind of amusing to allow someone with a 'cold' to allow the party's automation and their Poppet to 'catch' the cold and have them sneezing after a day or so. It would add the the Fantasy genre that science or natural laws aren't exactly the same there. And it would make the occasional instance of (Yep that isn't going to affect you, because it makes sense to allow you to be immune) have more story meaning to it.


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Gortle wrote:
D3sp3rato wrote:
My only issue with the race so far is, yes, even though it doesn't have the typical construct immunities and has life energy so is considered a living being, it's still constructed from metal and stone. So, I'm flustered that something like Vargoullie Poison has an effect on it. Causing it to turn its ears into leathery wings, sprouting tentacles from head and mouth, eventually the head poping off and becoming a Vargoull. Would think something like that would only effect a fleshy living being and not one made of metal and stone.

That is the same for pretty much all the weird ancestries and companions in PF2. They give us the name and the flavour, but the mechanics are only part way there.

I mean why does a Nothing but Fluff, Poppet need to eat or breathe? Its certainly not for any physical reason.

I'm just loving the idea of a diseased poppet having lesions made of discolored cloth patches that appeared overnight, raised postules made of their primary material (cloth, wood, whatever) that burst or ooze confetti, vomit made of yarn or silly string. X'D

Even better is the REAL doctor who has to "play doctor" in order to cure the poppet's disease!

Liberty's Edge

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Ravingdork wrote:

I'm just loving the idea of a diseased poppet having lesions made of discolored cloth patches that appeared overnight, raised postules made of their primary material (cloth, wood, whatever) that burst or ooze confetti, vomit made of yarn or silly string. X'D

Even better is the REAL doctor who has to "play doctor" in order to cure the poppet's disease!

Doc McStuffin's campaign coming right up!

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