D.2 Automaton

An automaton appears to be a humanoid construct, like a golem. Its body is made from some combination of stone, wood, and metal. However, its artificial body is inhabited by a true soul, making it an indwelt (see Indwelt).

Size: Medium.

Attributes: +1 Constitution or Intelligence, -1 Dexterity.

Special Abilities:

• Artificial Life: Automatons are not alive. They are invalid targets for abilities which only affect living creatures, including poisons and most healing abilities. In addition, they do not need to eat, drink, or sleep.
• Automaton Archetype: Automatons only gain two class archetypes instead of three. Instead, they treat the Automaton archetype as one of their archetypes, and they gain ranks in it just like they gain ranks in class archetypes.
• Manual Repair: A Craft skill relevant to the automaton’s body can be used to achieve the same effects that the Medicine skill would have on a living creature.
• Mechanical Body: Automatons are considered both objects and creatures, and are affected by abilities which affect either. They are always considered to be attended by themselves, so they are never affected by abilities that only affect unattended objects, even while unconscious.
• Mechanical Intuition: Automatons gain a +2 bonus to the Devices skill and one Craft skill of their choice.

D.2.1 Automaton Archetype

Rank 1 – Modular Carapace

You can adjust the density and layering of your hardened exterior to augment your defenses. Changing your configuration in this way requires 10 minutes of work, and spare armor parts that you generally keep with you. You can choose to treat your carapace as being either light, medium, or heavy armor. To gain the full benefits of your carapace, you must have proficiency with armor of the appropriate usage class. The benefits from this ability are considered to come from body armor, and do not stack with actual body armor.

You can use magic armor to build your carapace. If you do, the magic armor becomes embedded in your body. You can attune to it to benefit from its effects. If you use light modular carapace, this can allow you to benefit from two different magic armor effects.

• Light armor: You gain a +3 bonus to your Armor defense and a +2 bonus to your durability. You can wear body armor on top of this carapace. Although the benefits of that armor do not stack with the carapace, you can use the higher Armor defense value and durability bonus from either armor.
• Medium armor: You gain a +5 bonus to your Armor defense, a +4 bonus to your durability, and a +1 bonus to vital rolls. However, your Dexterity bonus to your Armor defense is halved, and you cannot wear body armor.
• Heavy armor: You gain a +6 bonus to your Armor defense, a +8 bonus to your durability, and a +2 bonus to vital rolls. However, your Dexterity bonus to your Armor defense is halved, you take a -10 foot penalty to your speed with all movement modes, and you cannot wear body armor. Unlike normal for heavy body armor, you do not need a minimum Strength to use this armor.

If you lose your original armor parts, you can create or buy new parts that are suited to your body. These parts are considered a Rank 1 (40 gp) item.

Rank 2 – Modular Armaments

You can customize your arms. Changing your arm configuration in this way requires 10 minutes of work, and spare arm and weapon parts that you generally keep with you. It also requires at least one free hand. You can combine any number of different customizations with this ability. Some customizations apply to both of your arms, but others apply to only one arm, as indicated.

• Bulky: You augment both of your arms with additional strength. You gain a +1 bonus to your mundane power, and to your Strength for the purpose of determining your weight limits. However, you take a -1 penalty to your Reflex defense.
• Plated: You add additional protective plating to both of your arms. You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor defense. However, you take a -1 penalty to your accuracy with strikes.
• Slim: You trim away excess muscle from both of your arms to make their movements more precise. You gain a +1 bonus to your accuracy with strikes. However, you take a -1 penalty to your mundane power and your Brawn defense.
• Weapon: You convert one of your arms into a manufactured weapon of your choice that you are proficient with. It is considered either a natural weapon, a manufactured weapon, or both whenever it would be beneficial for you. However, that arm no longer has a free hand. You can incorporate a magic weapon into this process or find a smith to imbue your arm parts as if they were a magic weapon. If you do, you can attune to the magic weapon property, and it affects this weapon.

If you lose your original arm and weapon parts, you can create or buy new parts that are suited to your body. These parts are considered a Rank 1 (40 gp) item.

Rank 3 – Sharpening Slash ✨

Rank 4 – Embedded Apparel ✨

You can embed magic apparel into your body with an hour of work. The item becomes a part of your body, and would require another hour of work to remove. This allows you to use one additional apparel item from each body slot (see Body Slots). For example, you could embed one set of magic boots into your feet and then wear another pair of magic boots over them. You also gain an additional attunement point that you can only use to attune to items embedded into your body. You cannot embed a legacy item in this way.

Rank 5 – Reassembly

You can recover from vital wounds more easily by simply replacing broken parts. You can remove a vital wound with ten minutes of work. This increases your fatigue level by three, and it requires replacement parts that you generally keep with you. The parts are considered a consumable Rank 3 (200 gp) item.

This can even save you from death, though that is more difficult and requires more advanced parts. A creature can spend eight hours replacing broken parts of your corpse to resurrect you (see Resurrection). This requires a difficulty value 20 extended check using a Craft skill appropriate to the composition of your body. The parts required to perform this feat are considered a consumable Rank 5 (5,000 gp) item.

Rank 6 – Artificial Mind

You become immune to Compulsion and Emotion attacks.

Rank 7 – Infinite Edge

You are always honed (+4 accuracy with crits). When an ability would cause you to become honed, such as your sharpening slash ability, you become empowered (add rank to damage) instead.

D.2.2 Base Class Effects

If you choose automaton as your base class, you gain the following benefits.

Level	Rank	Durability	Bonus1	Special
1	1	+0	x1	—
2	1	+1	x1	—
3	1	+2	x1	+1 to two attributes
4	2	+2	x2	HP: 2x durability
5	2	+3	x2	—
6	2	+4	x2	Legacy item: rank 3
7	3	+4	x3	HP: 3x durability
8	3	+5	x3	—
9	3	+6	x3	+1 to two attributes
10	4	+6	x4	HP: 4x durability
11	4	+7	x4	—
12	4	+8	x4	Legacy item: rank 5
13	5	+8	x6	HP: 6x durability
14	5	+9	x6	—
15	5	+10	x6	+1 to two attributes
16	6	+10	x8	HP: 8x durability
17	6	+11	x8	—
18	6	+12	x8	Legacy item: ranks 7
19	7	+12	x10	HP: 10x durability
20	7	+13	x10	—
21	7	+14	x10	+1 to two attributes

1. This bonus applies to your accuracy, magical ✨ power, mundane power, trained skills, and defenses.  

Defenses

You gain a +3 bonus to your Brawn, Fortitude, Mental, and Reflex defenses.

Resources

• Attunement points: 3 (see Attunement Points).
• Fatigue tolerance: 5 + your Constitution (see Fatigue).
• Insight points: 1 + your Intelligence (see Insight Points).
• Trained skills: 4 from among your class skills, plus additional trained skills equal to your Intelligence if it is positive (see Skills).

Weapon Proficiencies

You are proficient with simple weapons and all non-exotic weapons.

Armor Proficiencies

You are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor.

Starting Items and Equipment

You can start with the following items and equipment:

• Any one of the following: buff leather, leather lamellar, or breastplate
• Any two of the following: club, dagger, broadsword, two handaxes, or spear
• A buckler or standard shield
• A standard adventuring kit (see Standard Adventuring Kit).
• A rank 0 wealth item (1 gp)

Class Skills

You have the following class skills:

• Strength: Climb, Jump.

• Dexterity: Balance.

• Constitution: Endurance.

• Intelligence: Craft, Deduction, Devices, Disguise, Knowledge (engineering, items).

• Perception: Awareness.