Dynad Director
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Size/Type | Tiny Aberration |
| Hit Dice | 5d8-10 (12 hp) |
| Initiative | +2 |
| Speed | 10 ft. (2 squares) |
| Armor Class | 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +3/-9 |
| Attack | Bite +1 melee (1d3-4) |
| Full Attack | Bite +1 melee (1d3-4) |
| Special Attacks | Spell-like abilities |
| Special Qualities | Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision |
| Saves | Fort -1, Ref +3, Will +3 |
| Abilities | Str 2, Dex 15, Con 6, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 6 |
| Skills | Balance +5, Climb -1, Craft (any one) or Knowledge (any on) +10, Hide +10, Jump -1, Listen +5, Spellcraft +9, Spot +5 |
| Feats | Alertness, Combat Expertise, Craft ConstructB |
| Environment | Warm hills |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 2 |
| Treasure | Standard |
| Alignment | Usually lawful evil |
| Advancement | By character class |
| Level Adjustment | ― |
Description
Crawling from the belly of the machine is a disgusting, pale-fleshed larvae. This creature drags itself forward on many stubby legs, while constantly feeling the space ahead with a pair of antennae.
The dynad are a physically simple species that were modified through arcane experimentation to serve as controllers of magical constructs. Their ancient masters spent many centuries breeding the dynad for the optimal traits to control these constructs, with the goal of producing a servant race that could perform physical labor. In time, however, the adapted dynad conspired to rise against their masters, resulting in a war of utter annihilation. After many decades the dynad began to lose this struggle, and the survivors agreed to terms of surrender that would permanently banish them to the prison plane.
The dynad directors have used their knowledge of magical machines to become a significant player in Gaol politics. Their constructs are a formidable presence in many of the ongoing conflicts, overpowering weaker opponents through relentless attacks. They have little need of captive slaves, and instead use prisoners as bargaining chips to gain concessions. The only factor preventing the dynad from dominating the plane is willingness of their opponents to ally themselves long enough to defeat most dynad insurgencies.
The dynad construct has no intrinsic intelligence, and is entirely controlled by the dynad director. The construct forms an extension of the director and hence gains an alignment, class skills, feats, and spell-like abilities from the director.
When separated from their construct shell, a dynad director resembles a soft maggot-like creature with many small legs and a pair of manipulative antennae that can control magical energies. Once separated from their host construct, they are nearly helpless and rarely survive for more than a few hours.
Combat
The dynad construct attacks by grabbing its opponent with metallic pincers, then delivering a powerful shock between the two arms.
Shock (Ex): Three times per hour a dynad construct can automatically deal 4d8 electricity damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a dynad construct must hit with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can shock.
Augmented Critical (Ex): The dynad construct claws threaten a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 19–20.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will―detect magic, light (self only). 3/day―expeditious retreat, haste (self only), jump (self only). 1/day―lightning bolt (DC 13). Caster level 10th. Save DCs are Charisma-based and include a +2 racial modifier.
Directed Mind (Ex): The dynad construct gains the Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Will save of its dynad director. However the dynad director is not immune to mind-affecting effects, although it shares the magic resistance of the construct. It is also affected by stunning.
Skills: A dynad construct has a +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump checks.
Dynad Society
The dynad directors live in massively fortified structures built over their complex factories. The society is organized as a hive, with the royal dynad and director warriors commanding the workers who perform most of the labor. (Although all labor is performed by means of constructs). The society is highly orderly, and misfits are rapidly expunged from the community.
From birth the dynad are trained to work as one with the constructs, beginning with simple mechanisms and progressing until the dynad construct is mastered. Those that prove incapable of mastering even the simplest mechanism are recycled. The most capable dynad are trained in the magical arts, then use their skills to build more construct devices. Such a device can serve many generations of dynad, with the workers constantly repairing and refitting the systems.
As a race the dynad can be highly belligerent, seeking political dominion over all other races as a means of control and eventual elimination. When prisoners are taken, they are used as bargaining pieces, or fed into the protein vats by consumption by hatchling dynad.
The dynad have no appreciation for the fine arts, and much prefer efficiency over aesthetics. The workers are driven to the highest production rate that can be attained, and laggards are given the most onerous tasks as incentive to the others.
Dynad as Characters
Dynad leaders tend to be wizards or fighters. There are no known dynad bards, clerics, or druids, as such practices have been expunged in the name of efficiency. Some dynad have healing skills, but it is entirely psionic in nature. The favored class of the dynad is wizard.