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Iron Born (Android/Cyborg PC Race)

This is purely a 5e interpretation of the Iron God’s equivalent race.  Though it has not become a permanent fixture of my home-brew campaign world, Mythic Earth is the equivalent, for me, of something like the Warforged – a construct race.  I changed mine somewhat, taking direct inspiration from Blade Runner. Their fixed life span presented minor problems for Iron God’s Adventure Path as written, but I just hand-waived them.

  • ↑A = Advamtage
  • ↓D= Disadvantage

IRON BORN (ANDROID)

A unique player race exists in and around the Ninth World – Iron Born – or, more correctly, androids. of the numerous wonders and horrors that emerge from the Ancient ruins across the Ninth World, the androids who periodically crawl from the wreckage are among the eeriest and most amazing. Though they appear to be almost human, these artificial wonders are of a completely foreign and utterly alien nature.

Androids are created, not born, and come into the world fully mature. The strange, alien “forges” in which new androids are created are hidden in strange ruins across the Ninth World (and beyond), and most androids have little to no memories of these regions. Strange circuitry-like markings that look like faintly glowing tattoos, a faint metallic sheen to the eyes, and watery, almost translucent red blood are all ways to tell an android from a human — providing its awkward mannerisms haven’t revealed the truth already.

Android Traits

Androids’ unique history gives these creatures unique inborn abilities.

Ability Score Increase. +1 Strength and Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma: Androids have swift reflexes, are stronger than an average human and are very intelligent but have difficulty relating to others.

Age. All androids live to the same age before deactivating – 25 years.  They usually start the game as 1 or 2 years old.

Alignment. Most androids are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society.   And most likely due to their inbuilt programming, which abhors chaos.  They also tend toward neutrality, as they only have logic as their guide.  However, an android can be any alignment depending on where it was found and who, if anyone, adopted and cared for the creature.  They will tend to adopt their host society’s moral outlook and values.

Size. As a manufactured race, all androids stand precisely 6 feet tall and weigh approximately 250 pounds despite their slim builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Exceptional Senses. You have keen senses and gain ↑A on ability and skill checks that rely on sight.

Emotionless. You have problems processing emotions properly and thus have ↓D on Charisma-related checks.

Gift of the Machine God. Being a constructed creature, you have been blessed with many boons but also some disadvantages:

  • You may have unusual hair, eye pigmentation, and style as a construct. However, the vast majority of androids are built to “fit in”, not stand out (i.e. check with your DM before going overboard).
  • For effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favoured enemy and bane weapons), androids count as both humanoids (human) and construct (robot).
  • You gain ↑A on all saving throws against anything that does psychic damage, enchantments, paralysis, and poison and are not subject to fatigue or exhaustion.
  • You are also immune to disease and sleep effects unless the effect is specifically designed to target androids (such as a nanite infestation).
  • Androids can never gain morale bonuses and are immune to the frightened condition and all emotion-based effects (what exactly these effects are left to the DM’s discretion, but for example, neither bless nor bane effects androids).
  • They have ↓D on any check against electrical (lightning) effects, and on a natural 1, you are stunned and shut down until the end of your next turn.
  • Androids are both constructs and humans; therefore, healing and mending spells can heal/repair you.

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 09.51.41Nanite Surge. Your machine body is infused with nanites. Once per day, as a bonus action or a reaction, you can cause your nanites to surge, granting a proficiency die bonus to any one d20; this ability must be activated before the roll is made. When you use this power, your circuitry tattoos glow with light equivalent to that of a torch in illumination for 1 round.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and another language appropriate to your background.  Androids can also learn languages quickly, quartering the downtime normally required by other races.  They also have an affinity for Gothic and may master this language as a bonus given the right circumstances – access to a teacher, recovery of Gothic dictionaries, the Archaeologist trait etc.

 


CLOCKWORK MAN (CYBORG)

As certain spells and other arcana (for example, resurrection protocols and brain-taping machines) can allow a human mind to be implanted into a (blank) android body these are actually cyborgs not androids.  Update the android-cyborg as follows in these cases:

Cyborg Template

Ability Score Increase. +1 Strength and Dexterity, no change to the original creatures’ INT, WIS and CHA scores.

Age. All androids live to the same age before deactivating – 25 years.  A cyborg will start the age at 0.

Alignment. No change to the original alignment, though; the mechanical nature of the android body will mean you now have Lawful tendencies.

Size. As a manufactured race, all androids stand precisely 6 feet tall and weigh approximately 250 pounds despite their slim builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Exceptional Senses. You have keen senses and gain ↑A on ability and skill checks that rely on sight.

Gift of the Machine Godess. Being a partially constructed creature, you have been blessed with many boons but also some disadvantages:

  • You may have unusual hair, eye pigmentation, and style as a construct. However, the vast majority of androids are built to “fit in” and not stand out (i.e. check with your DM before going overboard).
  • For effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favoured enemy and bane weapons), cyborgs count as both humanoids (human) and construct (robot).
  • You gain ↑A on all saving throws against anything that paralysis and poison and are not subject to fatigue or exhaustion.
  • You are also immune to disease effects unless the effect is specifically designed to target androids (such as a nanite infestation).
  • hey have ↓D on any check against electrical (lightning) effects, and on a natural 1, you are stunned and shut down until the end of your next turn.
  • Cyborgs are both constructs and humans; therefore, healing and mending spells can heal/repair you.

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 09.51.41Nanite Surge. Your machine body is infused with nanites. Once per day, as a bonus action or a reaction, you can cause your nanites to surge, granting a proficiency die bonus to any one d20; this ability must be activated before the roll is made. When you use this power, your circuitry tattoos glow with light equivalent to that of a torch in illumination for 1 round.

 

 

 


A new arcane spell created by Kwalish.

REANIMATION PROTOCOLS 

(aka ROBO-REINCARNATE)

As the reincarnate spell, but the result is always a construct. If an actual construct (golem, robot or android, for example) is used as the material component for the spell, the reincarnated soul appears in that particular robot. Otherwise, use the following reincarnation table, but change the type to Construct (Cyborg):

Die Roll  Incarnation
01-05  bugbear
06-11  dwarf
12-18  elf
19-23  gnoll
24-28  gnome
29-33  goblin
34-40  half-elf
41-47  halfling
48-54  half-orc
55-59  hobgoblin
60-73  human (android)
74-79  kobold
80-85  orc
86-90  ogre
91-95  ogre-mage
96-99  Troll
00  Iron Man Mk. I, “Knight”

 

 

Posted in Adventurer's Vault, Dungeons & Dragons, Iron Gods, Races, The Ninth World

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