Clockwork Agent

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Clockwork Agent (CR 4)

Clockwork Agents are tiny iron constructs about five inches long, small enough to sit in a human's palm, which look like scorpions crossed with centipedes with a single large eye on their heads. They are created via a complex combination of clockwork and alchemy. They are unintelligent, relying on an analog program encoded in their clockwork to determine how they respond to stimuli. Clockwork agents have excellent visual sensors which, with a properly attuned scrying device, allow their creator to peer through their eyes. As a result, clockwork agents are primarily used to keep watch over large areas, such as a castle, dungeon or lair.

Clockwork agents are capable of digesting unattended objects, converting the digested material to iron, and extruding it into nearly any shape or size, given enough time and raw resources. Therefore, in addition to being useful spies, they are also very useful at creating and maintaining large iron structures, such as gates, walls or even whole buildings. Since they are, themselves, made of iron, they can also self-replicate, though the programming for this is usually highly restrictive to prevent an unwanted outbreak of Agent swarms.

If left undisturbed, nearly all agents are programmed to ignore passers-by or other organic life moving in their presence. However, attempts to interrupt their work or move them from their current space will usually trigger their defensive programming. Since they perform their surveillance duties best when distributed widely over a broad area, it takes one or more rounds of harassing a lone Clockwork Agent before the swarm will converge and attack the aggressor.

While clockwork agents are excellent visual observers, they also have a limited form of telepathy, allowing them to communicate with other Clockwork constructs, but nothing else. Alchemists have tried for centuries to improve it to allow direct communication with the Agents, but all such attempts have failed. All studies of the clockwork construction and alchemical agents used indicate that the telepathy shouldn't exist at all.

GENERAL

CR 4 Hit Dice 5

XP 1,200

LN Diminutive Construct (Swarm)

Init +2; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light 120 ft., Deaf, Telepathy 1000 ft. (other clockworks only), Perception +6

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +3 dex, +3 natural, +0 deflection)

hp 50

Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: half damage from Slashing and Piercing weapons

Immunities:

• Critical Hits and Flanking
• Trips, Grapples and Bull Rushes
• any spell which targets a specific number of creatures, except mind-affecting spells (if this creature has an Int score).

Weaknesses:

• Vulnerable to area of effect spells (+50% extra damage)
• Electricity damage causes the swarm to be slowed, as per the slow spell, for 3 rounds. Clockwork Agent swarms get no saves against electricity spells.

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 0 ft.

Single Melee Swarm: Cutters (1d8+4) plus Distraction

Full Melee Swarm: Cutters (1d8+4) plus Distraction

Ranged -

Special Attacks Disassembler, Distraction

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 15, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1

Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18

Feats Improved Sunder (+2 on Sunder maneuvers)

Skills -

Languages -

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Disassembler (Su)

As a standard action, the Clockwork Agent swarm may attempt to disassemble a creature's weapon, armor or shield instead of attacking the creature. The Clockwork Agent swarm must be in the same square as the target, and the weapon, armor or shield must be made of metal. The clockwork agent resolves this attack as a Sunder maneuver (CMB +11 vs. target's CMD). This attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If successful, the item gains the Broken condition. Disassembler has no effect on an object which already has the Broken condition.

• a broken weapon suffers a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls
• a broken shield or armor reduces the wearer's AC by 2 (even if the armor or shield did not provide this much AC when whole)

Distraction (Ex)

Any living creature that takes damage from a creature with the distraction ability must make a Fortitude save, DC 13, or become Afflicted. If the creature makes the save, they are instead Sickened. If they take damage on any following round while still Sickened or Afflicted, they must make another DC 13 fortitude save, or move up one on the Status Array. While sharing a space with the swarm, you cannot get rid of the Sickened condition. At the end of any round in which you are outside of the swarm, you may make another DC 13 fortitude save to attempt to move down a step on the status array. (While outside of the swarm's space, you cannot go up on the status array if you fail the save, you simply remain at the status you currently have.)

Nauseated ==> Afflicted ==> Sickened

In addition, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Will save.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 1,125 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Clockwork Agent swarms are harmless unless harassed or unless someone triggers their defensive programming. While they are competent defenders, they are not usually used to defend an area they were designed to observe. The sort of person capable of creating an Agent swarm is nearly always capable of creating constructs more specifically tailored for violence.

Some fairly common triggers that would cause Agents to act aggressively might be:

• picking up one or more Agents
• killing one or more Agents (outside of a swarm, they have 1 hit point)
• poking one or more Agents for too long (they usually tolerate it for a round or two)
• the destruction of an iron object they have constructed and are maintaining
• attacking their creator

When triggered to aggression, the Agent swarm will swarm the hostile creature, attack it once with its cutters, and thereafter attempt to use its disassembly ability. The Agent swarm will keep using disassembly until either the creature's weapon becomes broken (it won't bother to destroy it), or until the first time the swarm fails to overcome the target's CMD. After that, it will simply attack the creature with its cutters until its target dies or the swarm is dispersed.

Agents have no sense of self-preservation, and will never flee from a combat.