There is some confusion in my Pathfinder 1e group about the Android Race. We are playing in the Iron Gods adventure path and I am playing a Slayer with the Android race. The description of them says they are constructs and humanoids, they have have artificial organs to eat, drink, and breath. It is the fact that they are artificial and considered to be a construct and humanoid that is causing a debate about whether they are affected by effects like stinking cloud or other gasses and inhalants since they may "breath" but since the organs are artificial, do these effects still work against them? Can they drown or do they not need oxygen to breathe? these are a few of the questions that have come up.
Trying to get an official ruling on this since Starfinder also has rules for Androids and state they don't breathe, which also is causing confusion since this is a race in Pathfinder 1e and not Starfinder.
peruse the official online source race-android on AoN which points to android CR:1
N Medium humanoid (android).
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +0; +4 vs. mind-affecting, paralysis, poison, and stun
Defensive Abilities constructed; Immune disease, emotion, exhaustion, fatigue, fear, sleep
so without explicit text the official answer is they do breathe due to type.
The Technology Guide (AntiTech Field spell, Partially technological creatures like androids or cyborgs are merely staggered if they fail this saving throw. along with dmg/2 from EMP weapons and Destroy Robot spell) & Org Play Campaign Clarifications (no mention of "android").
So both sources support the above "yes" for air exchange.
Starfinder 1 is a simplified version of PF1 for light/easy play.
The question isn't if they breathe, it states they breathe, the question is does toxic gasses and other things that can be inhaled hurtful to them since they are artificial beings like constructs? Can they drown, or do they not need oxygen to survive since they are a completely artificial humanoid?
Think of androids like in Alien or even Data on Star Trek: Next Generations, completely artificial, act like humans and eat, drink, and breathe like them, but are not affected by the atmosphere and toxic gasses that affect humans, because their organs are artificial.
grizzelTbear wrote: The question isn't if they breathe, it states they breathe, the question is does toxic gasses and other things that can be inhaled hurtful to them since they are artificial beings like constructs? Can they drown, or do they not need oxygen to survive since they are a completely artificial humanoid?
Think of androids like in ...
(first post) they are not constructs. points for using affect/effect correctly
I listed the immunities and extra info from Tech Gd as that's how the game models them in RAW. Yes they can suffocate or drown. "partially technological" is key. Note I closed with "air exchange" rather than breathe.
My example would be cloundkill:C5 [poi] where androids must attempt a Fort save with +4 race bonus.
If you want to Home Rule them another way that's fine, just try to put it in Game terms like Energy Resistance, etc. It's clearly a case of projecting other fantasy/sci fi models/ideas into PF1. Probably the best forum for that is Homebrew or General.
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In Pathfinder androids are humanoid(android), not constructs. The constructed racial trait makes them count as both for effects targeting constructs. They do not gain any other construct abilities. The rules specify that humanoids breathe, eat and sleep. But the description of the race specifically states they are immune to fatigue, exhaustion, disease and sleep. The fact that the description specifies they are not affected by sleep reinforces that they are not in fact constructs.
Starfinder is not Pathfinder despite being from the same company. So, the fact that Starfinder says they do not breathe is not relevant. Your GM is of course free to house rule otherwise, but RAW androids need to eat and breathe.
If you want a pseudo-scientific explanation, they use combustion cells. If you mix poisonous gasses with oxygen they malfunction, i.e. suffer the effect of the poisonous gas.
Diego Rossi wrote: If you want a pseudo-scientific explanation, they use combustion cells. If you mix poisonous gasses with oxygen they malfunction, i.e. suffer the effect of the poisonous gas. uhh, I would expect organic based toxins with a high vapor pressure (gaseous) to have a low flash point... sometimes I just don't understand pseudo-science... maybe androids breathe from behind as noted in a recent 2024 ig-nobel physiology prize winner's research...
Thank you everyone! Yes, that clarifies it for me. I was obviously struggling with wrapping my brain around the synthetic organs and how that would mean they would be affected by toxic gasses. Now, it makes sense.
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