Clockwork Knight (3.5e Class)

Clockwork Knight
In their battles against the often much larger foes that vex them, gnome inventors developed a new technology, a type of golem which had no animating force, at least, until someone stepped inside its hollow chamber. And thus was born the clockwork knight, mechanical constructs piloted by their creators, granting martial might and unique extraordinary tools.

Making a Clockwork Knight
Abilities: Intelligence is important for crafting, and powering many of the knight's abilities. However having a high Strength or Dexterity is useful in certain melee or ranged combat builds. Constitution is important for the survival of any clockwork knight. A good Wisdom is useful for awareness skills, and Charisma may be needed after all, because who doesn't want to be Tony Stark?

Races: Gnomes by far dominate the scene, but the class does not restrict any race and the practice has caught on with dwarves and humans, and beyond.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4&times;10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: As wizard.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Clockwork Knight.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A clockwork knight is proficient with all simple weapons, plus one martial weapon of choice. Clockwork knights are proficient with light and medium armor and with shields (except tower shields).

Your anima points available is equal to your bonus granted by your class (listed above) plus your Intelligence modifier. Various functions of the power runes consume anima points, listed in each power rune description. Some power runes allow you to spend various degrees of anima points, but no matter what you can never spend more anima points per round than your level.



 and  : A clockwork knight's signature feature is his armor, the titular clockwork knight armor. Technically a construct similar to a golem, this "suit" takes many forms but all have similar properties. While wearing clockwork knight armor you are considered to be wearing light armor and your size is either small (if you're small or smaller) or medium (if you're medium or smaller), or your size as appropriate. You gain a +4 armor bonus, with no maximum dexterity, no armor check penalty, and an arcane spell failure chance of 5%. You may enchant your clockwork knight armor as if it were masterwork armor. Though clockwork knight armor does have weight, when worn the suit is animated to your will and thus carries no weight for encumbrance. As you level, the clockwork knight armor grants additional bonuses. It's base armor bonus grows, it provides enhancement bonuses to strength and dexterity, and it eventually becomes a magical construct all of its own. Donning a clockwork knight armor takes as much time as donning chain shirt (1 minute). Others cannot wear your clockwork knight armor, it is attuned only to your life force. Refer to the chart below:

At 4th level, the clockwork knight armor recieves a +1 enhancement bonus to armor class for free. If the suit of armor already possessed a +1 enhancement, you may choose to swap out that bonus for a special ability worth +1 as the bonus does not stack. You may apply special enhancements at your own cost, but do not require the initial +1 as you gain it from this class feature already. At level 8 and every four levels beyond (12th, 16th, etc.) you gain an additional +1 bonus.

 : One does not become a clockwork knight without the ability to create one. You gain half your class level as a enhancement bonus to Craft checks (minimum 1). You also may qualify for item creation feats as if you had a caster level equal to your class level. You must still obtain spells from another source (at least until you obtain Imbue Item). Finally you may repair your armor and constructs as if you possessed the Craft Construct feat, regardless if you actually possess the feat or not. If you do possess the feat, you heal three times as much as listed.

By channeling anima points into these runes, you activate them and generate some special effect. Runes come in three types: Tool abilities have an effect with a limited or instantenous duration, subtracking a number of anima points. Augment abilities have a permenant effect as long as they are active and you are wearing the clockwork knight armor, they lock up a number of anima points inside them which cannot be regenerated so long as they are locked away. Finally there are modification abilities, which do not consume anima points and are permenant. If not specified, activating a power rune is a standard action.

A list of available power runes are given below. Some power runes have pre-requisites, typically level pre-requisites. You gain additional power runes at 3rd and every odd level beyond.

 : At 2nd level a clockwork knight adjusts his clockwork knight armor to be optimized in certain situations. He may select one of the four following combat styles, once chosen the selection cannot be changed. You gain benefits at 2nd level, 8th level, 14th level, and 20th level from your chosen combat style. You gain these benefits even when not wearing your clockwork knight armor unless specified.

You also gain heavy armor proficiency and may use tower shields. You count as a fighter -2 your class level for the purpose of selecting fighter-specific feats.

At 8th level, light and one handed weapons deal 1 and a half times strength and two handed weapons deal 2 times strength for damage.

At 14th level, you gain an extra attack at your full attack bonus as if using haste. This benefit does not stack with haste.

At 20th level, you may choose to either improve your critical hit range by 2 points (for a 19-20/x2 sword now is 17-20/x2), or increase the critical multiplier by one (such as a scythe's 20/x4 into 20/x5). The critical hit range improvement is added after the effects of Keen or Improved Critical.

You also may use detect magic at will.

At 8th level, you are under a constant see invisibility effect and gain the uncanny dodge ability of the barbarian.

At 14th level, you are under a constant true seeing effect, and gain improved uncanny dodge as a barbarian of your level.

At 20th level, you are never surprised or flatfooted and cannot be flanked, becoming completely aware of your surroundings at all times. Gain your intelligence modifier as a bonus to initative checks, listen, search, and spot checks.



At 8th level, select one of the following movement modes: burrow up to half your land speed, swim up to twice your land speed, climb up to your land speed, or fly (average) up to your land speed. If you select swimming or burrowing you gain a +8 skill bonus on swim and climb checks respectively. You only have access to these additional forms of movement while wearing the suit.

At 14th level, you may either select another movement mode or you may improve a pre-existing movement. If you chose a burrow speed, you now burrow up to your speed and gain tremorsense out to 30 feet. If you chose a swim speed, you gain a 20% miss chance while in water, do not take damage from high pressure, and gains blindsense 30 feet, but only in water. If you chose a climb speed you can now climb twice your land speed and take no falling damage. If you chose a fly speed, your speed is now twice your land speed and maneuverability improves by one step (to good). You only have access to these additional forms of movement while wearing the suit.

At 20th level, you may either select another movement mode, improve a pre-existing movement as the 14th level benefit, or further improve an already improved movement mode. If you chose an improved burrow speed, you now gain the Earth Glide of an earth elemental and only take nonlethal damage from earth based sources such as giant rocks or falling on solid ground. You can see through stone if you wish as if it were air. If you chose a swim speed, you move up to three times your land speed and gains blindsight 30 feet and blindsense out to 500 feet, but only in water. If you chose a climb speed you can grip onto any surface without using your limbs, even perfectly smooth surfaces such as a wall of force. No force can move your position while your are climbing. If you chose a fly speed, your maneuverability improves by one step (to perfect) and you take no damage from low or no pressure. You can choose to fly even into outer space on jets of magical energy. You only have access to these additional forms of movement while wearing the suit.

You gain proficieny in all martial ranged weapons, and one exotic ranged weapon of your choice.

At 8th level, you gain another fighter bonus feat which applies to ranged weapons, and you may add your Dexterity to damage with ranged attacks.

At 14th level, you gain another fighter bonus feat which applies to ranged weapons, and may take Power Shots with your attacks. Power Shooting functions like Power Attack for ranged weapons. You count as possessing the Power Attack feat.

At 20th level, you gain another fighter bonus feat which applies to ranged weapons, and all your projectiles are transformed into shafts of pure energy, dealing typeless damage and bypassing all forms of damage reduction and energy resistance.

 : At 4th level, your clockwork knight armor allows you to perform abilities above and beyond your normal abilities. By employing the Knowledge Arcana skill, you can use your result in it to substitute for any strength or dexterity based skill check, even ones which are normally cross-class. It represents your fine control over the suit, which follows your instructions to a tee. It does not allow you to use trained only skills, unless you have at least 1 rank in said skill. You gain this ability only when wearing your clockwork armor.

 : At 5th level, your clockwork armor self-animates as you put it on, moving around your form in an instant. Donning or removing your clockwork knight armor is only a move action now.

 : A clockwork knight of 6th level or higher can use his supernatural power to create magic items, even if he does not know the spells required to make an items or constructs (although he must know the appropriate item creation feat). He can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + spell level for arcane spells or 25 + spell level for divine spells) in place of a required spell he doesn't know or can't cast.

If the check succeeds, the clockwork knight can create the item or construct as if he had cast the required spell. If it fails, he cannot complete the item. He does not expend the XP or gp costs for making the item; his progress is simply arrested. He cannot retry this Use Magic Device check for that spell until he gains a new level.

 : At 6th level, you can remove runes from your clockwork armor and apply them to your own body, gaining the benefits. Removing and reapplying one or more runes takes 30 minutes of work and focus. Once moved, it remains with you until you move it back. The rune goes inert if you enter your clockwork knight armor while it is still on your body, but resumes function once you leave.

 : At 10th level, your use of your clockwork knight armor has inbued it with a spark of life of its own. It becomes an animated object with HD equal to your class level, and hardness 10. It can use its power runes if you are within 30 feet, and may act on its own. It has Str 10, Dex 10, Con -, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 1 plus the enhancement bonuses to strength and dexterity as well as its armor bonuses and any further enhancements. For every size smaller than medium it gains -2 Str and +2 Dex, and for every size larger than medium it gains +2 Str and -2 Dex. The suit shares your alignment, skill ranks, and base saving throws, if higher. It speaks all languages you do.

When you wear the clockwork knight armor from this point on, you may gain a +2 bonus on a single skill check, attack roll, or AC each round as the suit uses Aid Another on you. You must choose what it applies to as a free action at the start of your turn, the benefit lasts for 1 round or until used. When being worn, a clockwork knight armor is considered an attended object and not a creature, and cannot be targeted seperately except by attacks and effects which damage armor specifically.

You share magic item slots with your clockwork knight. For example you both cannot use magic bracers at the same time, but one could have magic bracers, while the other has a magic cape. When wearing your clockwork knight armor you benefit from both your sets of items.

 : At 10th level whenever you are within Close range (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels) of your clockwork knight armor, you may use shield other between you and your armor as a swift action. This includes if you are wearing the suit. You may use this ability 1/day, at a caster level equal to your character level. If you exceed distance farther than close range, the effect ends.

 : At 12th level the clockwork knight armor seals up, protecting you inside. You benefit from a constant endure elements effect, and do not need to breath as your air is recycled. You do not suffer from gaseous attacks such as cloudkill or inhaled poisons, and cannot be sickened or nauseated. This functions as long as you are inside your clockwork knight armor.

 : At 16th level, you possess a spiritual bond with your armor. Your clockwork armor may be raised and ressurected as if it were a living being. In addition as long as one of you is alive or functioning, reviving the other is easier, costing no experience or constitution loss or penalty beyond the expendature of gold. The spellcaster does not expend experience on the revival attempt.

Once per day as an immediate action, if one of you takes a fatal blow, you can transfer the damage to the clockwork knight armor (or vica versa) instead, as long as they are within 30 feet.

 : At 18th level, your mind is shielded deep within the construct's own. You gain the effects of mind blank while wearing the clockwork knight armor.

You can don or remove the clockwork knight armor as a free action on your turn only. In addition even when outside of the suit, you gain some construct level toughness. You gain DR 10/adamantine and may use weapons and items as if you were a construct or warforged. You typically gain some messure of artifical parts upon your body allowing you to do such things.

Power Rune List
Bomb (Tool) : Release a missile out to Long range (400 feet + 100 feet/level). You deal 1d6 points of energy damage in a 20 foot radius burst (select acid, cold, electric, or fire, once chosen it cannot be changed), with a Reflex save for half. The DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + Intelligence. For each additional anima point spent, the damage increases by 1d6 points.

Damage Reduction (Augmentation) : By locking away 1 anima point, you gain DR 1/magic. For each additional point, you gain another point of damage reduction. Alternatively for every 2 points spend you gain gain DR 1/adamantine and magic instead. Damage reduction has unlimited duration as long as you keep anima points locked in this ability. When you release the anima points, you lose your damage reduction.

Deflector (Modification) : Each time you select this power rune you gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC, to a maximum of half your class level.

EMP (Tool) : You release a destructive pulse of electromagnetic and magical energy which damages constructs. For every point of anima you spend you deal 1d6 damage in a 20 foot radius burst centered on you (you are immune to its effects). Non-constructs made of or wearing significent amounts of metal (medium or heavy armor) take half damage. Constructs made of metal, such as iron golems take 50% more damage. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Intelligence) halves the damage.

Energy Resistance (Augmentation) : By locking away 1 anima point, you gain energy resistance 2 (select acid, cold, electric, fire, or sonic, once chosen it cannot be changed). For each additional anima point locked away the energy resistance rises by 2 points. When you reach energy resistance 32 and above, it becomes energy immunity (meaning the most points you need to spend is 16). Energy resistance has unlimited duration as long as you keep anima points locked in this ability. When you release the anima points, you lose your energy resistance. You may select this ability multiple times, each time selecting a new type of energy.

Energy Strike (Augmentation) : By locking away 1 anima point, you gain the ability to add 1 point of energy damage to your ranged or melee attacks with a weapon. For each additional point, the damage increases by 1. Select acid, cold, electric, or fire (once chosen it cannot be changed). All attacks you may have this additional damage. Energy strike has unlimited duration as long as you keep anima points locked in this ability. When you release the anima points, you lose your energy strike damage.

Force Scatter (Tool) : By spending 1 anima point you release force shrapnel in a 30 foot cone, dealing 1d4 force damage, no save. For each additional point you spend, the damage increases by 1d4 points.

Graft Weapon (Modification) : You can attack a weapon to the arm of your clockwork knight. This causes you to lose function of one of your arms while a weapon is connected, resulting in a -2 penalty on skill checks which involve hands. Some tasks may become impossible. While a weapon is grafted, you may treat it as both a manufactured and a natural weapon, whichever is most beneficial. You cannot be disarmed of the weapon. You may graft a two-handed weapon to one hand, but you must still use two hands while operating the weapon. You may also graft a weapon to each hand (making hand using tasks impossible) and use two-weapon fighting. While grafted, the weapon is affected as if by greater magic weapon at a caster level equal to your character level, and unlimited duration (until you remove the graft). The weapon also bypasses alignment as per your alignment. Grafting or releasing a weapon is equal to drawing a weapon, typically a move action.

Gravity Suit (Augmentation) : Your suit is granted protective barriers which prevent friction, granting you freedom of movement. While active, this suit drains 2 anima each round. Even when not active, possessing this rune grants you a +4 bonus against grapple checks. You must be 7th level to select this ability.

Jetpack (Modification) : You gain boosters which aid in your jump checks, adding a +10 bonus to Jump checks and reducing fall damage by half. When you reach 8 HD, the boosters allow you to fly at 60 feet with average maneuverability, but it takes 1 anima point a round to maintain. If you already possess a flight speed (perhaps by virtue of the mobility combat style) your flight speed is instead increased by +10 speed whenever you are expending anima points to maintain.

Laser (Tool) : As a ranged touch attack you can fire a beam which deals acid, cold, electric, or fire damage (once chosen it cannot be changed) out to 60 feet. It deals 1d6+1 damage for every 1 anima point you spend.

Option (Augmentation) : Summon a floating bit at your side which casts magic missile at a caster level equal to your class level as a free action once every round. While active, it drains 2 points of anima a round. Activating or dismissing an option bit is a swift action.

Size Huge (Modification) : You increase the size of your clockwork knight armor so it functions more like a giant mechanical suit. Your suit becomes Huge size, gaining a +4 size bonus to Strength and a -2 size penalty to Dexterity. Your base armor bonus rises by +2, and you gain all the appropriate penalties and benefits of being a huge creature (except for the ability score and natural armor changes). You must be 14th level to select this ability and be a large sized suit.

Size Large (Modification) : You increase the size of your clockwork knight armor so it functions more like a giant mechanical suit. Your suit becomes Large size (going from small to large if previously small), gaining a +4 size bonus to Strength and a -2 size penalty to Dexterity. Your base armor bonus rises by +2, and you gain all the appropriate penalties and benefits of being a large creature (except for the ability score and natural armor changes). You must be 7th level to select this ability.

Skill Improvement (Augmentation) : By locking away 1 anima point, you gain a +1 competence bonus on a skill check of your choice. For each additional point, you gain another +1 bonus. When you release the anima points, you lose the bonus to your skill checks. You may select this ability multiple times, allowing you to assign bonuses to more than a single skill at a time.

Smoke Grenade (Tool) : You release a burst of smoke which duplicates the effects of fog cloud by spending 3 anima points. If you spend 7 anima points, the effect becomes like stinking cloud. Spend 11 anima points and you can duplicate the effects of solid fog. Finally if you spend 15 anima points the effect becomes as cloudkill. With all of them, the saving throw is DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Intelligence where applicable.

Special Armor (Modification) : Select a warforged armor feat. Your original base armor statistics (+4 armor bonus, with no maximum dexterity, no armor check penalty, and an arcane spell failure chance of 5%) are replaced with the new benefits of the warforged armor feat, plus your bonuses gained from your class level. You are proficient in this armor, even if it is heavy armor, but not any other heavy armors besides your clockwork knight armor.

Spell Resistance (Augmentation) : By locking away 1 anima point, you gain spell resistance 11. For each additional point, you gain another point of spell resistance. You may raise and lower your spell resistance as an immediate action, in order to allow ally spells through. Spell resistance has unlimited duration as long as you keep anima points locked in this ability. When you release the anima points, you lose your spell resistance.

Spell Rune (Tool) : Select a spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. By spending 3 anima points per spell level, you may cast this spell as a spell-like ability. However, you must still use any expensive material components, xp loss, or other requirements as if you were actually casting the spell, as well as the spells original casting time. Cantrips cost 1 anima point. Since you are capped at your class level in terms of how many anima points you can spend, you can cast first level spells at 3rd, second level spells at 6th, third level spells at 9th, fourth level spells at 12th, fifth level spells at 15th, and sixth level spells at 18th, and so forth. You may select this rune multiple times, each time obtaining a different spell. Your caster level is equal to your class level, and any saving throws are Intelligence based.

Warp Drive (Tool) : You enter a state where it is only possible to move at superluminal speeds. In this state you do not interact with the world and must make a move action each round. Every square of movement becomes how many times the speed of light you travel (so a move speed of 30 feet, 6 squares, can move 6 times the speed of light a round). This is typically only useful for interplanetary travel but also functions as a greater teleport effect. Entering this state takes 15 anima points and requires the warp shift ability, you may dismiss the effect as a free action at any time.

Warp Shift (Tool) : As a move action you can spent 2 anima points to teleport 5 feet. For every 2 anima points you spend, you can teleport another 5 feet away. Teleporting like this does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If you teleport somewhere illegal (such as inside a solid object) you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted away 1d6x10 feet away into the nearest empty space, repeating the damage and shunting effect if no space is found in range.

X-Blaster (Tool) : As a ranged touch attack you can fire a beam which deals 1d6 damage out to 60 feet, plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every point you spend. However if you spend a full-round action to attack the damage die increases to 1d8. If you spend 2 full round actions, the damage die becomes 2d6.

Epic Clockwork Knight
Anima Points: Anima points continue to grow. The pattern is +23, +23, +25, +25, +27, +27, and so forth.

Power Rune: You gain another Power Rune selection.

Clockwork Knight: The enhancement bonus on your armor continues to grow. In addition the base armor bonus increases by +1 every odd level (21st, 23rd, and so on) and the enhancement bonus to strength and dexterity improves by +2 every four levels (21st, 25th, 29th, etc.).

Gnome Clockwork Knight Starting Package
Weapons: Greatsword.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Feat: Dodge.

Gear: Chain Shirt.

Gold: 0 gp.

Playing a Clockwork Knight
Religion: While not particularly religious, those that worship often worship gods of artifice and creation, for obvious reasons.

Other Classes: Depending on its role in the party depends by and large how they interact with others. The crazy mad scientist can fit into any role they build for.

Combat: A clockwork knight can be versitile, being a scout, a tank, or an archer. How it is built depends on its role in the party. It can even act the part of a caster, but is highly limited in spell selection if it does so.

Advancement: Dips into martial classes may provide melee-minded clockwork knights additional firepower.

Clockwork Knights in the World
"Big O, it's showtime!"

Daily Life: A scientist has no time for "daily lives", not when the suit needs tweaking, formulas need solving, and weapons need building. What is this "daily life" anyway?

Notables: Houston Armstrong is a clockwork knight who took his suit into space, and became a legend.

Organizations: Artificing organizations are home to more than just blacksmiths and crafters, clockwork knights may be among them.

NPC Reactions: Clockwork Knights are quirky people who seem to be too focused on adding weird things to their suit of armor. It's kind of creepy.

Clockwork Knight Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Arcana can research clockwork knights to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Clockwork Knights in the Game
Adaptation: Have you tried the Autoplate class?

Sample Encounter: A clockwork knight in a tremendous suit of armor is rampaging across the land. Something made his suit berserk and now he can't get out! Save him!

EL 10: PENDING