Magical Hybrids and Constructs, painted for this archiveMachinae
Creature, Magical Hybrids and Constructs
Alchemically animated metal constructs shaped like creatures, such as iron horses, dragons, spyders and cobras, each mimicking and improving on its model. They hold three programmed commands, resist normal weapons, and fail when shocked or submerged.
Also called Automaton, Machina
From the book
Machinae are mechanical beings built of metal and given a kind of artificial life through alchemy. They are usually made in the shape of a living creature, most popularly the iron cobra, iron horse, iron spyder or iron dragon; rarer models include winged horses, scorpions, constrictors and automatons, or mechanical men. Their inner workings copy one or more of the model animal's powers, usually improved: an iron horse runs without tiring, an iron spyder spins a web of metal, and so on. Chiron the Wise reported meeting an automaton that, unlike mortals, could not tell a lie.
Not being truly alive, machinae cannot think for themselves and must be mechanically programmed to do their maker's bidding, generally holding no more than three commands. Automatons are the exception: their mechanical brains can store huge amounts of knowledge on top of three command skills, but such a device takes around five years to build and program and may need up to 100,000 gold pieces in materials.
Ordinary weapons cannot harm machinae, and they shrug off control spells, poison, heat and cold. Electricity, however, can jam their workings: electrical attacks do full damage and have a 20% chance of causing a malfunction, and most machinae stop working entirely if plunged into water. A winged iron horse loses the ability to fly once it has taken more than three-quarters of its hit points in damage.
Each model has its own abilities. An automaton can hold vast stores of information. An iron horse has no attacks but can carry 10,000 pounds at a walk or 5,000 at a run, and the winged kind can also fly. An iron cobra bites for 1-8 plus poison and may be built to spit venom up to 10 feet; an iron constrictor squeezes for 1-12 each minute; an iron spider bites for 1-8 plus poison and may spin webs; an iron scorpion bites for 1-6 and stings for 1-8 plus poison; and an iron dragon has claws of 1-8 each, a 2-20 bite and fiery breath of 3-30, and may be given flight. When electricity jams a machina, the Game Judge decides what form the malfunction takes.
At a glance
- Material
- Metal, animated by alchemy
- Common types
- Iron horses, iron dragons, iron spyders, iron cobras
- Less common types
- Winged horses, scorpions, constrictors, automatons (mechanical men)
- Abilities
- Mimic their model's abilities with improvements (e.g. iron horse runs tirelessly; iron spyder weaves metal web)
- Programming
- No independent thought; usually up to three command functions
- Automatons
- Can also store vast information; about five years to build and program; up to 100,000 gold pieces in materials; Chiron the Wise met one said to be incapable of lying
- Immunity
- Non-magical weaponry
- Weaknesses
- Electrical attacks may jam them; most stop working if submerged in water
- Height/Length
- Variable
- Weight
- Variable
- STR
- 19
- SPD
- 10
- DEX
- 10
- CON
- 20
- INT
- 1
- WILL
- 1
- CHA
- 1
- PER
- 10
- Level
- By type: Iron Horse/Winged Horse 6, Automaton 7, Iron Cobra/Constrictor 8, Iron Spider/Scorpion 8, Iron Dragon 12
- Alignment
- Neutral
- Damage
- See Special Attributes
- Special Attributes
- All are immune to control spells, poisons, heat, cold and non-magical weapons. Automaton: holds huge stores of information. Iron Horse: no attacks; carries 10,000 lbs. at a walk or 5,000 lbs. at a run. Iron Winged Horse: like the Iron Horse but can also fly. Iron Cobra: bite 1-8 plus poison; may also "spit" poison up to 10 ft. Iron Constrictor: constricts for 1-12 per minute. Iron Spider: bite 1-8 plus poison; may also spin webs. Iron Scorpion: bite 1-6 and tail 1-8 plus poison. Iron Dragon: claws 1-8 each, bite 2-20, fiery breath 3-30; may also fly.
- Armor
- By type: as plate mail (Iron Horse/Winged Horse, Iron Dragon); as chain mail (Iron Cobra/Constrictor, Iron Spider/Scorpion, Automaton)
- Hit Points
- By type: Iron Horse/Winged Horse 30-40, Iron Cobra/Constrictor 30, Iron Spider/Scorpion 30, Iron Dragon 50-60, Automaton 40
- Comments
- A Winged Iron Horse cannot fly once damaged beyond 75% of its total Hit Points; electrical attacks do full damage to any Machina and are 20% likely to jam its workings, causing a malfunction of the Game Judge's choosing.