First, you hear the clacking, as if metal spears are being jabbed into stone and the sound reverberates down the hallway. Then you see it: a metal monstrosity, half spider and half furnace, as it turns its empty, glowing eyes your way. Tubes and claws swing toward you, and its metal legs clank and slam into the floor as it approaches you
While a dworven drone is not a real creature, it is something I have come across in multiple forms. The dworves of old created their constructs to perform various jobs, often with a secondary task of guarding their surroundings. Some still follow ancient dworven commands, but many have long broken free of anything but their daily routine.
—Etahn
From whence comes the dworven drone’s animating force? The gods never breathed life or soul into them. They cannot act outside of the routines given them by their dworven creators. If you cut through one’s metal exterior, it does not bleed, except for some gooey black substance that courses through its structure, some strange substance the dworves drew from the deeps beneath their mountains.
These things do not have a part in the cycle of life, and as such, should be destroyed.
—Delgon
| Characteristics | CV | 3 | |||
| Stat | Score | % | Speed | 30’ | |
| STR | 18 | 90 | HPA measure of the relative health of your character, represen... More | 40 | |
| CON | – | – | Dmg Mod | +1d4 | |
| SIZSize defines height, weight, and bulk. There is no SIZ-assoc... More | 20 | 100 | AVThe numeric value representing how much damage armor absorbs... More | 6 | |
| INT | 1 | 5 | Class | Monster | |
| ACU | 8 | 40 | Type | Construct | |
| DEX | 11 | 55 | Horror An optional system where your character’s mental health is ... More | – | |
| SOC | – | – | Treasure | Harvestables | |
- Attack: Leg Pierce 75% 1d6+3+dm and Claw 75% 1d6+3+dm and Grab; Flame-throw 60% 1d6+1 fire (15’ cone)
- Skills: Dodge 55%, Grapple 70%, Hide 40%, Listen 45%, Spot 50%, Stealth 40%
- SpecialA special success if the roll is equal to or less than 1/5 t... More: Command Override, Damage Resistance 2, Flame-throw, Grease Spray, Self-Destruct
- Weaknesses: Dworven Commands
- Habitat: Any, particularly Dworven ruins and complexes
- Encounter: Solitary
Grab
When the drone hits a creature with its Claw, it may immediately attempt an opposed Grapple Heroic Action. If the drone succeeds, the target becomes Grappled.
A grappled creature may attempt another opposed Grapple Heroic Action on its turn to escape.
Flame-throw
The drone releases a burst of flame in a 15’ cone. Creatures caught within the area suffer 1d6+1 fire damage.
Targets may make a Dodge check to halve the damage.
Grease Spray
The drone sprays a slick coating of Dworven lubricant in a 15’ cone.
Creatures within the area must make a Dodge check or fall Prone. The affected area remains slick and counts as difficultYour skill is halved when a task is harder than average, whi... More terrain until the grease is removed or dispersed.
Self-Destruct
When reduced to 0 HPA measure of the relative health of your character, represen... More, the drone begins emitting a rapid mechanical ticking. After 2 rounds, its arcane core detonates.
Creatures within 10’ suffer 1d8+1 fire damage. A successful Dodge check halves the damage.
Creatures within 20’ are struck by flying debris and suffer 1d6+2 physical damage. A successful Dodge check halves the damage.
Creatures within 10’ are subject to both effectsEffects are conditional modifiers due to actions against the... More.
Destroying or removing the drone’s Arcane Crystal Core before the end of the second round prevents the explosion.
Command Override
Dworven drones are programmed to recognize a small number of emergency commands. A character who speaks Dworven may make a difficultYour skill is halved when a task is harder than average, whi... More Language check to correctly invoke one of these commands.
If the drone has been attacked, it makes an ACU saveRolling a characteristic to resist an effect or spell. More to resist the override. On a failure, it obeys the command:
- Stop: The drone immediately halts and awaits further instructions.
- Clean: The drone disengages from combat and begins its maintenance routine.
- Sleep: The drone powers down and remains inactive until reactivated.
Reagents & Remnants
Arcane Crystal Core (Reagent)
A small crystal housed deep within the drone that powers its arcane mechanisms. An intact core can be recharged and incorporated into magical constructs, traps, or other Dworven devices. If the drone successfully self-destructs, its core is destroyed and cannot be harvested.
Value: 75 gp
Harvesting Difficulty: DifficultYour skill is halved when a task is harder than average, whi... More
Flame Reservoir (Reagent)
A reinforced metal reservoir containing traces of the volatile compound used by the drone’s Flame-throw. Alchemists can recover the mixture for incendiaries and fire-based devices.
Value: 50 gp
Harvesting Difficulty: Average
Dworven Articulation Assembly (Remnant)
A complex collection of precision joints, gears, and magically reinforced bearings taken from one of the drone’s limbs. These mechanisms are particularly valuable to artificers constructing automatons or articulated devices.
Value: 75 gp
Harvesting Difficulty: DifficultYour skill is halved when a task is harder than average, whi... More
Armor Plates (Remnant)
Sections of the drone’s reinforced outer shell can be salvaged for construct repairs, armor reinforcement, or trap mechanisms.
Value: 25 gp each (1d4 usable plates)
Harvesting Difficulty: Average