Mekanoid Snake, Medium Viper
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Size/Type | Medium Construct |
| Hit Dice | 2d10+20 (31 hp) |
| Initiative | +3 |
| Speed | 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. |
| Armor Class | 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 15 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +1/+2 |
| Attack | Masterwork bite +3 melee (1d4+1 plus poison) and masterwork slam -2 melee (1d4+1) |
| Full Attack | Masterwork bite +3 melee (1d4+1 plus poison) and masterwork slam -2 melee (1d4+1) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Poison (50 charges) |
| Special Qualities | Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, deterioration damage |
| Saves | Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +1 |
| Abilities | Str 12, Dex 17, Con ―, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 1 |
| Skills | Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +7, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +9 |
| Feats | ― |
| Environment | Any |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 1 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | ― |
| Level Adjustment | ― |
Description
This marvel of gnomish engineering consists of a polished bronze skull attached to a series of jointed segments. The automaton wiggles along much like a serpent, with its unblinking crystal eyes tracking any movements. Unlike a natural snake, this mechanism lacks any sense of scent. The mekanoid possesses a rudimentary intelligence that is comparable to that of the native viper, but somebody familiar with the operation of this device can instruct it to perform simple tasks such as guarding a location or killing rodent pests.
Combat
These constructs attack with a poison bite. Within its serrated jaws are a pair of sharp steel needles that can pierce a boot or tough hide. The needles inject a toxic fluid stored in a bronze tank just behind the head. The tank holds a maximum of fifty doses of the poison, and must be periodically refilled if it is to retain its lethal bite.
Poison (Ex): Injury, DC 11 Fortitude save; initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con. The mekanoid viper has 50 doses of venom in an internal tank, and once empty the bite will have no toxic effect until the tank is refilled.
Deterioration Damage: A mekanoid viper takes deterioration damage whenever they are dealt normal damage along with a successful critical hit. Mekanoid vipers require maintenance after a year of operation or they will begin to malfunction. The type of malfunction is randomly determined. Longer periods of poor maintenance will add further damage until eventually the mekanoid becomes inoperative.
Skills: A mekanoid viper has a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Balance and Climb checks.
A mekanoid viper can always take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. Mekanoid vipers use either their Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for Climb checks, whichever is better.
A mekanoid snake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Creating a Mekanoid
"Mekanoid" is an inherited template that can be applied to any corporeal animal, giant, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or vermin referred to hereafter as the base creature.)
It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creatures’ type changes to construct. It loses any subtypes. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: Drop any Hit Dice from class levels. Increase all racial Hit Dice to d10s. It gains any bonus hit points for its size due to construct traits.
Armor Class: A mekanoid has a natural armor bonus equal to +4 plus +1 per two Hit Dice, or the base creature's natural armor bonus, whichever is better. It loses any bonus from armor worn by the base creature, but retains a shield bonus.
Base Attack Bonus: A mekanoid has a base attack bonus equal to ¾ the base creature's racial Hit Dice.
Attacks: A mekanoid retains all the natural weapons, manufactured weapon attacks, and weapon proficiencies of the base creature. A mekanoid also gains a slam attack. All mekanoid weapons are masterwork in quality.
Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. If the base creature does not have a slam attack, use the damage values in the in the table below.
| Size | Slam Damage |
|---|---|
| Fine | ― |
| Diminutive | 1 |
| Tiny | 1 |
| Small | 1d3 |
| Medium | 1d4 |
| Large | 1d6 |
| Huge | 1d8 |
| Gargantuan | 2d6 |
| Colossal | 2d8 |
Special Attacks: A mekanoid retains all extraordinary special attacks of the base creature that do not require a continuing active metabolism. These are poison, breath weapon, ink cloud, quills, slime coating, stench, spores, and swallowing whole. It also gains the following.
Charges (Ex): If the base creature has one or more extraordinary special attacks that require a continuing active metabolism, then the mekanoid has a fixed number of charges that can be used to perform the same standard action. A mekanoid will be built with 50 charges of the required substance. These charges will need to be periodically restocked, or the mekanoid will be unable to use the special attack.
Special Qualities: A mekanoid retains all extraordinary special qualities except those requiring a continuing active metabolism. These are adhesive, ink cloud, slippery, fast healing, regeneration, and any that involve eating, sleeping, or breathing. It also gains the following.
Damage Reduction (Ex): 5/bludgeoning (if HD 11 or less) or 10/bludgeoning (if HD 12 or more).
Deterioration (Ex): Mekanoids require periodic maintenance or they will begin to malfunction. If a mekanoid has been kept operation and has not been regularly maintained for at least year, roll on the following 1d10 on the following table to determine the type of damage. Longer periods of poor maintenance will add further damage until the mekanoid ultimately becomes inoperative. If a particular type of deterioration damage does not apply, roll on the table again.
| 1d10 | Type of Deterioration Damage |
|---|---|
| 1 | Gear damage reduces all movement modes by 5 ft. |
| 2 | Faulty power regulator reduces Str -2. |
| 3 | A single, non-slam attack mode is lost. |
| 4 | A special attack form is broken. |
| 5 | A special quality has become inoperative. |
| 6 | Sensor damage reduces Wisdom -5. |
| 7 | Corrosion damage reduces Dexterity -4. |
| 8 | Damage to command systems reduce Initiative -2. |
| 9 | Fort save bonus reduced -2 due to internal system damage. |
| 0 | Broken panels reduce natural armor bonus -3. |
While a construct is not subject to critical damage, if any damage is dealt to the mekanoid as a result of the attack, and a successful critical hit is scored, then it also deals deterioration damage.
Saves: Bonus saves are +1/3 HD.
Abilities: A mekanoid's Strength increases by +4, it has no Constitution score, and its Intelligence and Charisma change to 1.
Skills: Mekanoids lose any skills the base creature gained through skill points. However the mekanoid retains any racial skill bonuses of the base creature.
Feats: Mekanoids have no feats.
Environment: Any.
Organization: Solitary.
Treasure: None.
Level Adjustment: ―
Construction
Usually gnomish master artificers create a mekanoid, although other races are capable of learning the craft. Construction of a new mekanoid requires a successful Craft (artifice) skill check at DC 25 + CR of base creature. It also requires a suitably equipped laboratory, appropriate building materials, rare crystals, long periods of tinkering, and the assistance of highly skilled smithies and experts in the arcane.
The required materials have a base cost 500gp plus 100gp times the CR rating of the base creature multiplied by itself. Thus a mekanoid modeled on a creature with a CR of 3 has a base cost of 500 + (100 x 3 x 3) = 1,400gp. Once a mekanoid has been constructed, duplicates can then be built with a successful Craft (artifice) skill check at DC 15 + CR of base creature.