Sentry Bot survivability - not sure what to do

[Vaerdicius]

This is an item my DM gave me. I see the value in it. However, I don't know how to keep it alive, or prevent it from being stolen.

Small Construct
- Blindsense 90 feet
- Alarm/at-will
- 30 ft. movement (floats, doesn't fly, cannot elevate or descend, only has a move action or standard. can't do both, or double move)
- Shares vision with owner
- +15 perception
- AC: 15
- Health: 20
- is a floating, bronze eyeball that lasts 8 hours a day

No damage reduction
No evasion
No defensive capabilities

I am third level. My only other magical items are my spellbook and goggles of night. Buying magical items isn't an option because there isn't a magical shop within a month's travel. I do not have anything else. (3rd level exploiter gnome wizard)

Current wealth is 12 gp. I'd almost say this DM is low wealth, low magic, and very martial oriented.

Any advice is appreciated.

edit: corrected movement, race, level, and the duration detail

[Vaerdicius]

Apologies for posting this when I already have another thread going. This kind of came out of the blue, and receiving magic items of any kind is rare for me with my current DM. I would very much like to keep this thing alive and well.

[Pizza Lord]

I don't see any offensive capabilities, so it shouldn't ever be sent into combat. It's not a golem and doesn't seem to have SR, so you should be able to put some other spells on it. Mage armor on it will up its AC for an hour/level.

When you (or another party member) can cast 2nd-level spells, make whole can be used to repair it if damaged. Invisibility can be cast on it. It's only a minute/level, but that'll increase and you can use Spell Tinkering exploit to increase it by 50% if needed. Since it shouldn't ever be attacking, that can help keep it from being noticed or targeted.

+15 Perception and 90 foot blindsense will pretty much catch any creature sneaking up on you or it to try and steal it. And even if they do... you're the owner. You can see through its 'eyes' and pretty much know who did it and what the surroundings look like, unless they dropped a sack over its head. Even then, they'd have to get past its alarm to not have you alerted (unless the sentrybot was deactivated at the time, in which case you should have it stashed somewhere safe).

You can also just start using obscuring mist and fog spells more. Since it has 90 foot blindsense and shares its vision with you, that will give you an edge. You'll still have a 50% miss chance on targeted attacks, but you won't have to guess the squares your targets are in for AoE effects.

I know you said you had no nearby magic shops, but maybe in the future:
a stubborn nail is cheap and can be used to secure the bot to a plank or a rock or other object to prevent anyone else from just grabbing it and running. You'll have to free it yourself before it can move or float away on its own though.

[Vaerdicius]

You mentioning cloud spells gave me an idea.
Ashen Path
I can make this a mainstay in my prepared spells once I hit fourth.

[Java Man]

8 hour duration would make it handy for watching while you sleep, are night time ambushes a concern?

[Vaerdicius]

Always. Doesn't matter which campaign I'm in. Night ambushes tend to be an assumed thing between towns, unless I or my party have prior established guards on the roads through a faction, or some other related measure.