[Template] Steam-Powered Creature

[Fax Celestis]

A steam-powered creature is a construct created by the City-State of Heliosunde. Unlike most constructs, steam-powered constructs run off of a small steam engine inside of them. They receive their fuel from a strange contraption inside of them that involves a ring of continual create water plus a small gate to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Most steam-powered creatures have the ring removable, so as to provide a way to turn them off.

Steam-powered creatures give off a small amount of steam as they function.

==Creating a Steam-Powered Creature==
Steam-powered creature is an acquired template that can be applied to any construct.

Size and Type
The creature’s type does not change, although it does acquire the (Steam-powered) subtype. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Armor Class
The base creature receives a natural bonus to their Armor Class equal to their hit dice.

Attacks
The base creature retains all natural weapons and weapon proficiencies. All of the base creature's attacks deal an addition 1d6 fire damage. In addition, it gains a ranged bolt attack, which deals 1d8 damage plus 1d6 fire damage. This attack criticals on a 20 for x2, and when criticals deals an additional 1d10 fire damage.

Special Attacks
The base creature retains all special attacks. In addition, the base creature gains two breath weapons: a ball of fire, and a jet of water. Treat the first as a fireball spell and the second as a polar ray spell. Caster level on each is equal to the base creature's hit dice. During a round in which a steam-powered creature uses either of its breath weapons, it cannot move or take any other actions. If a steam-powered creature has moved before attacking, it is denied the use of its breath weapons for that round.

Special Qualities
The base creature retains all previous special qualities and gains the following

Fire Resistance
The base creature receives fire resist 5.

Cold Resistance
The base creature receives cold resist 5

Damage Reduction
The base creature receives Damage Reduction 10/mithril. If it has more than 10 HD, it instead receives DR 15/starmetal.

Steam-Powered Weaknesses
Like all steam-powered creatures (due to their dependencies on both fire and water), the base creature reacts strangely to specific spells.

Any spell with the (Fire) descriptor causes the base creature to enter a rage (like a first-level barbarian) for 1d4 rounds. Any spell with the (Cold) descriptor affects it as a slow spell for 1d4 rounds. Any spell that dispels, supresses, or breaks magical enchantments causes the base creature to shut down for the duration of the spell (or 1d4+1 rounds, if the duration is instantaneous). Mordenkainen's disjunction causes the base creature to become nonfunctional.

Abilities
The base creature modifies its abilities as follows: +2 Str, +2 Dex, -4 Int, +2 Wis, -4 Cha.

Feats and Spells
The base creature retains all feats and spellcasting ability. In addition, steam-powered creatures have quicker reflexes and are more perceptive than their magically-powered counterparts. As such, it receives the Improved Initiative and Alertness feats as bonus feats.

Alignment
Always lawful neutral.

Advancement
As construct.

[Brickwall]

Sounds like an expensive yet nicely effective guard.

Seriously, that ring's gotta be expensive.

Plus a continual gate effect.

Still, a cool idea that can make anything a construct. Now I can actually MAKE nymph guards for my cidatels! Mmmyess, nothing says egotistical maniac like a bunch of metallic, steaming hot women everywhere in your fortress of evil.

EDIT: Wait, that sounds like the Fem-bots. COOL! I CAN PUT FEM-BOTS INTO D&D!!! Bweheheheheeee!

[Fax Celestis]

EDIT: Wait, that sounds like the Fem-bots. COOL! I CAN PUT FEM-BOTS INTO D&D!!! Bweheheheheeee!

Fembots for the win.

...now to make an Austin Powers character.

[Lucid_Archon]

Nice, and has great potential for interesting creatures. One question though.

In addition, the base creature gains two breath weapons a cone of fire, and a jet of water. Treat the first as a fireball spell and the second as a polar ray spell.

Why is the jet of water cold?

[Brickwall]

Good question. After all, wet t-shirt contests have an added benefit when the clothes shrink after it's over. Bada-CHING!

I'm thinking I've done too much of the "lonely gamer" act for now. It tires me.

[Fax Celestis]

Nice, and has great potential for interesting creatures. One question though.
Why is the jet of water cold?

Er. Because...it was the only "jet of water" thing I could think of that wasn't something stupid like "create water".

If you've got a better idea, go right ahead. But this template is based off of the other steampowered creatures I've posted (Steamdraken, Steamknight, Gleiphir Steam Titan, Cyaegha Steambeast, and Cheval), and they've all got cold in place of their water breath weapon.

[Brickwall]

Also, a cone of fire should be a cone, not a sphere. Check some dragons and the Tome and Blood spell-shaping feats.

As for the water, think of what decanters of endless water do when pointed at people. You have a DMB, right?

[Lucid_Archon]

The Decanter of Endless Water does almost no damage. I suggest a ranged bull rush by the jet of water. Or make up something about cold steam.

[Fax Celestis]

Also, a cone of fire should be a cone, not a sphere. Check some dragons and the Tome and Blood spell-shaping feats.

As for the water, think of what decanters of endless water do when pointed at people. You have a DMB, right?

That was verbage on my part. I'll fix it.

[chaiyo]

What I want to know is why being steam-powered makes a construct nimbler. +2 isn't that much of a bonus, but still...

Also, why a profane bonus to AC? Besides the lack of anything else?

[Fax Celestis]

What I want to know is why being steam-powered makes a construct nimbler. +2 isn't that much of a bonus, but still...

Also, why a profane bonus to AC? Besides the lack of anything else?

"Profane" should be "Natural". Good catch.

And the +2 Dex is due to the following: steam-powered creatures have quicker reflexes and are more perceptive than their magically-powered counterparts. Hence the Alertness and Improved Initiative feats, plus the +2 dex bonus.

[I_Got_This_Name]

I'd probably make int become a nonability if it isn't already.

I second the water jet being a ranged bull rush.

As another ability, perhaps it can vent steam every few rounds, dealing a small amount of fire damage and providing concealment?

Also, why the damage reduction? Other than to continue the pattern of previous creatures, I mean.

Finally, I think that making the creature vulnerable to critical hits, if it isn't already, might fit. Machines do have vital spots, after all.

[Lost_Scholar]

One thing that I notice is missing is a level adjustment and CR adjustment. The reason I note the LA, is that this thing could potentially be added to a warforged to make a disturbing creation.

[Collin152]

So, whencombined with the Effigy Creature Template, we can turn tons of things into steam-powered monstrosities!
Oh, Mama-mia.

[Closet_Skeleton]

I made a steam powered construct once. This was the ability I gave it:

Steam Jet [Ex]: As a standard action the Iron Angel can release a jet of heated steam in a 10 ft. by 10ft. cone. Anyone caught takes 5d6 damage (reflex half DC 18 ). Fire resistance and weakness applies although the steam has no chance of setting anything alight.

You might want to think of something light that instead of Fireball and Polar Ray.

[Fax Celestis]

I made a steam powered construct once. This was the ability I gave it:


You might want to think of something light that instead of Fireball and Polar Ray.

The fireball/polar ray are actually not due to an offput of the steam engine, but rather a slight modification of the internal workings of the machine: to cast fireball, the machine decreases the flow of water, allowing more heat and fire to store inside the beas, which it then launches outwards. The reverse is the same with the polar ray: it increases the flow of water and shoots the extra out of its mouth.

[Collin152]

In which case it seems that is would have negative effects on their abilities, what with their driving energy source being un-balanced so as to attack.

[Fax Celestis]

In which case it seems that is would have negative effects on their abilities, what with their driving energy source being un-balanced so as to attack.

Perhaps making it so that when it uses a breath weapon, it cannot move in that round would work?

[Collin152]

Or like, take any other action. hatever is mst...work-y.

[Fax Celestis]

Breath Weapons Updated.

[I_Got_This_Name]

Just make them full-round actions that deny a 5' step. That way the mechanic is already there.