The Aegisphere
There’s no point beating around the bush, so I’ll be up front with you: today’s monster is a robot. Not a golem, not even a clockwork creature. It’s a sophisticated, high-tech robot. It has plasma beams (for those who aren’t familiar with the source material for the “robot” subtype, plasma beams deal half fire damage and half electricity, by the way). In fact, this particular robot spends the majority of its time as an orbiting satellite. Does this mean it has no place in fantasy? Of course not. While robots and laser beams may not have a place in everyone’s games, they’re a long-established part of the fantasy genre (going back, I’m sure, much farther than the infamous Might and Magic series, which is just one very popular fantasy series with a lot of robots in it). But rather than me lecturing you about how you shouldn’t be biased against robots, why not just check this one out?
Aegisphere
Before you is a massive sphere of gleaming metal. It is seamless and perfectly smooth. After a moment there is a faint whirring sound and four long, gleaming metal tentacles extend from the sphere from previously unseen holes. Each tentacle ends in a grasping four-pincer claw, which snaps menacingly. In the center of the sphere, previously hidden, is a massive, glowing red eye, which scans you with cold malevolence.
AEGISPHERE CR 18
XP 153,600
LN Huge construct (robot)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, greater arcane sight, true seeing; Perception +31
DEFENSE
AC 33, touch 17, flat-footed 31 (+7 deflection, +2 Dex, +16 natural, -2 size)
hp 292 (25d10+65 plus 90 hp force field)
Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +10
Defensive Abilities deflection array, hardness 15, improved force field; Immune cold, construct traits; Resist acid 20, electricity 20, fire 20; SR 33
Weaknesses vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.; fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee 4 claws +29 (1d8+5 plus 3d6 electricity/19-20)
Ranged 4 plasma beams +25 touch (5d8 plasma damage)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Special Attacks flux cannon
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th)
Constant—greater arcane sight, true seeing
At will—greater scrying, invisibility (self only), reverse gravity
3/day—control construct (UM), forcecage, greater prying eyes, plane shift, power word stun, temporal stasis
1/day—time stop
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 14, Con —, Int 24, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +25; CMB +32 CMD 51
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcana]), Skill Focus [Perception]), Toughness, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Climb +41, Disable Device +30, Fly +26, Knowledge (arcana) +41, Knowledge (History) +35, Knowledge (planes) +35, Perception +34, Sense Motive +28, Spellcraft +32; Racial Modifiers +8 Climb
Languages Common
SQ projection
ECOLOGY
Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Deflection Array (Su): An aegisphere gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Intelligence score.
Flux Cannon (Su): As a standard action, an aegisphere can fire a deadly beam of pulsing energy from its central eye. This takes the form of a 200-foot line that deals 10d10 points of plasma damage (half electricity and half fire) to each creature in the area. A successful Reflex save (DC 29) halves this damage. The aegisphere must wait 2d4 rounds between each use of this ability. The saving throw DC is Intelligence-based.
Improved Force Field (Su): An aegisphere’s force field is more advanced than that of most other robots. An aegisphere’s force field has fast healing 25, instead of the normal amount, and if the force field is reduced to 0 hit points, it reactivates after one hour, instead of after 24. Finally, as long as the aegisphere’s force field is active, it gains spell resistance equal to 15 + the aegisphere’s CR (this spell resistance is included in the aegisphere’s statistics).
Projection (Sp): As a standard action, an aegisphere can project a hologram of itself anywhere within 1 mile of its current location. This functions as project image, except as follows. The aegisphere can have the hologram take any appearance that it wishes (if it chooses to appear as a specific individual, it must succeed on a Disguise check, opposed by viewers’ Perception checks. Failure indicates that it is obviously not who it appears to be, and grants a +5 bonus on Will saves to disbelieve the illusion; the aegisphere gains a +20 bonus on Disguise checks for this purpose). The aegisphere does not need to have line of effect from itself to the projected image, and the aegisphere can activate its spell-like abilities through the projected image as though they were spells.
Ecology
Exactly who or what created the aegispheres is unknown, but it is generally accepted that these powerful creatures are among the most advanced creations known to man, and fuse magic and technology in ways that few have been able to achieve. Some even theorize that the aegispheres have not actually been created yet, and, in fact, have arrived in the present day from the future by means of some kind of time travel, pointing to the robots’ ability to manipulate time as well as the fact that they are, in several ways, far more advanced than many of the other robots found today. For their part, even the aegispheres that have generally proven forthcoming with the humanoid races refuse to speak about their origin, leaving much about these creatures shrouded in mystery.
It is believed that there are exactly 13 aegispheres, and the creatures themselves claim that this is the case, but those who distrust the robots’ motives suspect that there may be many more that they would rather we not know about. At any given time, at least 7 of the aegispheres can be found in a low orbit, circling the planet and, apparently, watching it from above. Up to 6 aegispheres at a time may descend to the earth below to carry on various activities. Their exact itineraries are hard to know, but there have been a few cases where an aegisphere has been confirmed to have meddled in humanoid affairs. They generally operate through pawns or other operatives, whom they interact with only in their projected form. Many of those who work for an aegisphere have no idea of that fact, and believe they are working for a merchant, noble, captain of the guard, or any number of other possible personas.
Exactly why aegispheres choose to intervene in this way, and what their ultimate purpose is, remains a mystery. Some believe that they are here to help guide humanity and ensure that the proper future comes about. Others have a more suspicious view of things, and believe that the machines may be trying to manipulate history in some far more nefarious method.