Clockwork Mechanist (Wizard)
Growing up, a surprising number of my favorite characters from TV, video games, and books had robotic pets. While Pathfinder actually does have robots, and I personally think robots in a fantasy setting work out just fine, I know a lot of people feel differently. Luckily, clockwork provides a happy medium, giving us a robotic creature operated by gears and springs which doesn’t offend the sensibilities of fantasy traditionalists. Putting two and two together, then, why not have a cool clockwork dog as a companion? I can’t think of a good reason, and so today’s new wizard archetype is for all of us who just want to be Megaman, blasting away our enemies with blue fireballs and the aid of our trusty mechanical animal friends.
New Wizard Archetype
Clockwork Mechanist
Clockwork mechanists are wizards who specialize in the creation and operation of a mechanized companion which aids them in their travels. Fully trained in a wizard’s arts, the clockwork mechanist spurns more natural magical bonds for a potent bond between man and clockwork machine, representing the power of man’s intellect and his ability to control the natural world. These clockwork mechanists can create a powerful mechanical servant and learn to upgrade it using both technology and magic over time.
Clockwork Servant (Su): At 1st level, a clockwork mechanist creates a special clockwork companion which serves as his loyal servant and aids him in all things. He gains the arcane bond class feature, as normal, except that he must choose a familiar, and this familiar’s type changes to construct and it gains the clockwork subtype. Unlike other clockwork creatures, a clockwork servant retains its normal intelligence.
This ability modifies the arcane bond class feature.
Upgrade (Su): At 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, the clockwork mechanist can upgrade his clockwork servant, improving it in some way. Most upgrades can be selected more than once, providing bonuses as specified in the individual upgrade. The upgrades and their effects are as follows.
Combat: The clockwork servant gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with its natural attacks, and its natural attacks overcome damage reduction as though they were magical. Each additional time this upgrade is selected, the clockwork servant gains an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Defense: The clockwork servant gains a +2 natural armor bonus to AC and +2 to all saving throws. Each additional time this upgrade is selected, the clockwork servant gains an additional +1 natural armor bonus and an additional +1 bonus on saving throws.
Incorporate materials: Choose one special material such as adamantine, cold iron, or silver; the clockwork servant gains 5 points of damage reduction, which can only be overcome by weapons made of the chosen material, and its natural attacks overcome damage reduction as though they were that material type. This upgrade cannot be selected more than once.
Intellect Upgrade: The clockwork servant gains a +2 bonus to all skills. Each additional time this upgrade is selected, the bonus to skills increases by +1.
Magical Upgrade: The clockwork servant learns a single 1st-level spell the clockwork mechanist knows, which it can cast as a spell-like ability once per day. The caster level of the spell is equal to the clockwork mechanist’s caster level and the saving throw DC is Intelligence-based. Each additional time this ability is selected, the clockwork servant either gains an additional 1st-level spell it can cast as a spell-like ability once per day, or gains the ability to cast a previously selected spell an additional time each day.
Modular Upgrade: The clockwork servant gains a single bonus feat for which it qualifies. Each time this upgrade is selected, a new feat may be selected.
Self-Repair: The clockwork servant can repair itself, regaining 1 hit point every minute. A clockwork servant stops self-repairing if reduced to –10 or fewer hit points. Each additional time this upgrade is selected, the clockwork servant recovers an additional 1 hit point each minute. Additionally, if this upgrade is selected more than once, the clockwork servant continues repairing even if it has –10 or fewer hit points.
Speed: The clockwork servant gains a +1 bonus on initiative checks and each of its movement speeds increase by +10 feet. Each additional time this ability is selected, each of the clockwork servant’s movement spies increases by an additional +5 feet.
Spell Defense: The clockwork servant gains an additional 5 points of spell resistance. Each time this ability is selected, the amount of bonus spell resistance increases by an additional 2 points.
This ability replaces the bonus feats gained at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels.