The Mechanists Foundry Domain

I have drafted this up as an alternate domain for mechanist classes such as the Gnome Artisan, Magi, Dwarven Mechanist, etc. It's really just a slightly altered sanctum and I hope to get to play test it some time. The key thing is it builds mechanical materials for you to help with building automatons.

The Foundry

A mechanist who builds a foundry attracts 1d6 assistants of 1st-3rd level each, plus 2d6 apprentices seeking to become mechanists. The intelligence scores of the apprentices will be above average (discard any rolls of 8 or less), but many will become discouraged by the heavy labour they undertake to become mechanists. At the end of 1d6 months, each apprentice must make a proficiency throw of 14+, adding their Intelligence modifier to the die roll. Those who succeed become 1st level mechanists; those who fail become discouraged and leave the foundry. Each year the mechanist works in their foundry, they can attract an additional 1d6 apprentices, until they have a maximum of 6 assistants (of any level) and 12 apprentices studying at any one time.

Building the Foundry

A foundry is constructed using the Stronghold Structure Costs listed under Establishing the Stronghold. The foundry grounds will need enough building to house its occupants, workshops, libraries and garrisons if required. The foundry can be built within another domain or in an unoccupied area of land. If they are built outside a domain, they require a minimum garrison to the value of 300gp to secure (about a platoon of 30 bowmen). No garrison cost is required if inside a domain.

The foundry will need a starting workshop (ACKS p.118) if the mechanist does not already have one and this must be housed within a structure. Workshops are assumed to take up a 10'x10'x10' space for each 2,500 value of the workshop. Eg. a stone building costing 3,000 gp can house 18 by 10' cubes for a total value of 45,000.

The foundry will need a starting library (ACKS p.117) if the mechanist does not already have one and this must be housed within a structure. Libraries are assumed to take up a 10'x10'x10' space for each 20,000 value of the library.

Putting your assistants to work

Similar to mage assistants, the mechanist can also put their assistants to work. The apprentices assist with labour and heavy work on behalf of the assistants and as such to not contribute directly to the output of the foundry. At any time, the mechanist may supervise a number of assistants equal to one plus their intelligence bonus in performing skunkworks or construction tasks. Any apprentices not being directly supervised will keep building creating mechanical material using the restock task.

The Skunkworks action tasks an assistant with attempting to design a blueprint or convert a sample into a blueprint. This action takes the normal time and cost for designing automatons and results in a completed blueprint if the assistants design throw is successful. They will need access to a sufficiently sized library. The mechanist player will need to determine the type of automaton the assistant is seeking to build, based on the guidance of their character. The assistant gains xp for the task as normal for an NPC.

The Construction action see the assistant undertake the build automaton action. They will need access to a suitably sized workshop. This action takes the normal time and cost for building automatons and results in a completed automaton if the assistants build throw is successful. Alternatively, the assistant may use the build from plan house rule presented in an earlier blog post to slowly finish the build without a chance of failure. Such items may be used or sold normally by the mechanist who owns the output of the foundry, though any xp gains for the build will go to the assistant as per normal.

The Restock sees the assistant fill their spare time maintaining the foundry and it's stores of parts. Working with apprentices each assistant creates a unit of mechanical materials for each full month of work that is added to the foundry's spare parts. These parts are available to the mechanist or assistants for use in constructing automatons.

Attracting peasants

Like fighters, clerics and mages (but not thief's), the area around a mechanist garrisoned foundry may become settled by peasant families seeking their protection. If their garrison and building cost reaches the level required for the minimum stronghold for the civilisation level of the land, then they will attract peasants. Use the rules in Attracting Peasants and Followers if this occurs.

Notes

This hasn't been play tested, it's my rough writeup in case it ever gets used. My current notes for this are:

• Why the garrison cost? It's about half that required to secure a mostly populated wilderness hex.
• The library and warehouse space cost is from the various forum discussions around warehousing.
• The restock task, this is a new thing intended to encourage more building. I was thinking about hijinks when I added it and I'm not sure if it's too little or too much...

The Boarder Kingdoms

[No it's not a spelling mistake...]

The Boarder Kingdoms dominate the northern, or starboard, areas of the world ship. The name refers to the scattered domains of humans who are in the main descended from the human boarders on the starboard hangers. These domains only rate as baronies or marches at best, and as such are not marked on the map. A following post will detail some basic stats for these micro kingdoms with this post detailing the region.

The key difference between these scattered domains and the United Gaumont and Terran empires to the south is a string of unfortunate events. If anything could go wrong for these people it did, leading to a sparsely populated wilderness inhabited by Bog’ans, scattered human baronies, nomadic barbarian tribes and scavengers of all types. Some even talk of a hidden menace, called the Baku, that walks among the people of this domain sewing disunity and chaos. But this legend it often just used as an excuse or bogeyman to blame for any and all misfortunes.

The Rift

Prior to the crash the world ship suffered severe damage that cleft through a hundred miles of more of the superstructure. Bulkheads, rock and soil now fill this area making it a terrain obstacle that is difficult to pass. This provides some protection to the Visitor Technocracy controlling the northern thruster control generator. On the aft side of the rift several boarder kingdoms have formed to mine the rock and dirt that have filled the rift. In general parties cannot cross from rough hex to rough in this region.

Dead Sea

Unlike its counterpart to the south the starboard water reserve is contaminated and polluted. Few settlements sit on the edge of its waters for fear of toxic vapors. Rumors talk of creatures inhabiting the waters that can spread disease with a touch. 

The Spine

The spine of the ship is reinforced with massive metallic beams that are several miles thick. These beams are made of the same blueish metal used throughout the vessel that is resistant to corrosion and nearly impossible to cut or reforge. These ‘bones’ of the vessel extend throughout the ship but are their most dense though the core. 

Additionally, the spine had significant transport infrastructure heading along the beam of the vessel that, while no longer functioning, allowed many a beast and monster to take residence. Rumors of a race of hostile blue-green skinned space giants forming a kingdom in this region are also common. As such random encounters in this area (between the two seas) are higher than normal and use a 4+ on a d6 for every hex.

Due to this density of structural beams, travel from port to starboard requires travelers to go over or under the spine. As such treat entering spine hexes from outside the spine as taking three hexes of travel and exiting the spine into a non-spine hex as three hexes of travel (roll random encounters for each virtual hex). When traveling on the spine travel is at normal rate.

The Mad Queens Lair

Psychic emanations and nightmares plague those who travel near this spire. A blue metal tower reaches up through an atrium surrounded by horizontal buildings reaching out from the walls but never touching the spires pristine surface. The tower ascends through the cloud mist above, hiding untold secrets in its upper levels.

Many adventurers have braved the tower, some return with metals and technology scavenged from its lower levels, but many don’t. Those who return never venture to far into the tower, they talk of mad Bog’ans and humans alike, but the upper levels are guarded by robots and strange Visitor cultists. A common dream is shared by those who return of a queen tied to her throne with rope, her mind frayed by the passage of time calling them to join her. When the call gets to strong the wise flee. 

Notes: leaving this as a teaser trailer for now. This would be a Kilo/Mega dungeon in size that is known by many but seen as very risky. Need a cooler title for it but this one has stuck for now.

Ogre Twins

I have used this monster in my wider Shattered Vale setting and they would also fit the World Ship sub-setting. Ogres are the result of experiments cross breeding humans and boars. In the wider setting this also explains the presence of Wereboars and Ogre Mutates with the lycanthropy virus in this setting being a direct result of this experimentation. In the world ship the ogres could be a direct result of visitor experimentation, or maybe they have been on the ship for a lot longer? 

Either way Ogre Twins are a stable mutation of ogres with two heads (with magic thrown in as its a classic in other fantasy games I have played).

Ogre Twin (Large Humanoid)

% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	50% Single (1) / Cohort (1d3) Single (1) / Cohort (1d3) D / 980
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	6D+2** 4 F6 None
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	90’ (30’) Large club (4+, 2d6 or weapon +4) +3 Arcane Spellcaster, Two heads (unflappable casting and concentration)

Ogre twins are believed to be a stable mutation resulting from a parent infected but the human-ogre-porcine virus (HOP virus). The single distinguishing feature of an Ogre twin is its two heads, each with a different personality and at least one of which possesses great intellect. While having two different personalities and a tendency to talk to themselves the ogre twin is united in its will and mission. Most seek knowledge and power to advance their skills as spellcasters. Some bend their will towards dominating clans of ogres making mighty warlords. Ogre twins wear no armor, often wearing simple furs and hides but have an innately tough hide (AC 4). Like other ogres they fight with large clubs or axes and enjoy a +4 bonus to damage rolls due to their great strength and size.

Ogre twins are capable spellcasters and are able to cast spells as a 6th level Sorcerer. This permits them to cast the following number of spells each day: 2 first level, 2 second level and 2 third level. Ogre twins store their spells on rolls of animal hide with a common repertoire including the spells choking grip and read languages at first level; alter self and hypnotic pattern at second level; command person and haste at third level.

In the case of the ogre twins two heads are better than one. When they lose a spell by being interrupted or taking damage during the round they do not lose their action and may instead move and attack normally as the other head takes over. Also when concentrating on a spell they may move and attack normally while one head concentrates on the spell, though they may not cast spells as the spell casting head is otherwise occupied.

When encountered alone as a wandering monster there is a 50% chance they will have common ogres as bodyguards. In such circumstances they are escorted by a gang (1d6) normal ogres carrying the normal loot for wandering ogres (their pay). Some Ogre twins can fill the role of sub-chieftain or chieftain of Ogre lairs or villages.

More powerful Ogre twins have been known to exist with HD 8D+2 or higher with caster level likewise increasing to match their HD. Ogre twins over 9 HD can possess ritual magic as sorcerers in addition to the other abilities of a Sorcerer.

Additional detail
Weight: 800 stone
Normal Load: 26
Lifespan: 0/1.75/20/27/50/75/100/125
Value: 2,500
Supply cost: 6

Notes

A fairly basic build: Full caster **, Proficiency #, Concentration ##, round down to **

Rogue Automatons

This next monster fills a role in the setting that replaces undead a little (slightly, the revenant also helps here), it and also carries with it the responsibility of alleviating the mechanist automaton cost hurdles at lower levels through a new house rule. Additionally their body can be used as Automaton samples. First the house rule, then the monster.

Scrapping automatons for parts

A big problem with automaton creation at low levels is the cost hurdle. Rather than grant other minor abilities the solution may be instead to allow parts to be salvaged that are of low equivalent market value. Lucky for me the rule here already exists in a form. Tucked away inside personal automaton is this gem:

If desired, the character may disassemble his personal automaton for up to 50% of the unadjusted build cost in materials. This takes 1 day per 1,000gp of returned value. These materials may only be used to offset the cost of constructing another Personal automatons may be sold, but are only worth scrap value (1/100th build cost).

As presented it's only for a specific use, but it could be easily extended to all fully functional automatons. Let’s re-wright it for this more generic use:

A mechanist may disassemble any automaton to recover mechanical materials that can be used to build other automatons. An automaton has up to 50% of the unadjusted build cost in materials present, rounded down to the nearest 1,000gp. If the Automaton is in working order such materials can be extracted without a throw, if the unit is destroyed a repair throw is required to extract them intact. This process takes 1 day for each unit of 1,000gp of extracted materials, with repair throws being required for each day if applicable. Failure on a repair throw indicates that the unit of materials being extracted is irrecoverable and destroyed, other units remaining are unaffected. Once all materials are extracted the automaton ceased to exist and is now a pile of scrap that has no value, if any parts are extraced the autonomaton cannot be used as a sample.

This creates a new item “mechanical materials” or mats for short. These materials consist of gearing mechanisms, hydraulics and clockwork parts, ie all the hard to make materials. Simpler structural beams and frames are cheaper and less important to recycle given they suffer the most during destruction. A unit of mats provides 1,000gp when building an automaton, has a market value of 10gp and weight 2 stone.

The only thing missing now is something to salvage materials from at low levels...

Rogue Automatons

Or "Rogues" for short. These monsters are the product of a visitor weapon deployed to counter the human reliance on autonomous machinery.

Early during the boarder wars the humans extensively used “low tech” automatons. Lacking full foundry and technological facilities a simple tool was developed by the visitors to counter this, the worm. Worms are two inch long robots that are designed to seek out the controlling brains of independent automatons. They crawl their way inside the chassis of these constructs and nest over the clockwork brain, there they extend their nano tendrils inside and subvert the mechanical brain. They ignore more advanced robots and Endjinn given their control extends only to mechanical brains not positronic nets or tombeau.

The subversion though is not a refined control, it ultimately sends the automaton berserk. They lash out and seek to destroy anything within reach. Basic coordination routines allow them to recognise other infected automatons and work as a group. Once nested each worm slowly builds another worm then seeks out other automatons to infect. Combining all these elements they are the perfect self replicating agent that neutralised the human/automaton threat.

Some ponder that the visitors should have hijacked or taken over the automaton, but they lack key insight to the visitors that developed these weapons.

The first insight is that these are a weapon of desperation, they were designed purely to neutralise an enemy's weapon. The berserker feature was seen as a bonus as it turned the humans own weapons against them. The second was a lack of time and equipment necessary to develop the weapon, this was a rush job in trying circumstances. The third was that any form of etheric wave remote control or remote control servitude could likewise be counter hacked by the Terrans, better to simply create a closed system.

Unfortunately the visitor creators of the worm did not foresee the fatal flaw in their design. They were designed for single targets and had limited processing ability to perform their primary function. They lacked planning, cunning, and self preservation, or so they thought.

The visitors did not anticipate the impact of multiple worms in a single body. The human Combaticon was such a vehicle, being as large as it is the Combaticon is a bit like a dinosaur. Each limb contains its own brain coordinated through a central controlling brain. Those with pilots could shut down the infected core and prevent the worms control but a few running in autonomous mode were subverted and took the unusual action of choosing to escape. Multiple worms networked in a single body achieved something akin to primitive instinct, a hunger to become more. They ripped other clockwork cores out of captured automatons and connected them to their frames, infecting them and growing their intelligence. Limits in the design of the worm itself seem to have restricted this to several hundred cores, making the more advanced ones fussy about what they connect. The routines allowing coordination between the rogues was subverted to a form of influence allowing basic instructions to be given. The rogue queens, as they are known, were born. To this day they control the areas known as The Hives.

The three rogues below draw on common automatons in use that have been co-opted by worms. Details on more advanced foes will come later.

Rogue Automatons

	Rogue Clockworker	Rogue Ironwright	Rogue Stevedore
% In Lair: Dungeon Enc: Wilderness Enc: Treasure Type / XP:	None Parade (1d6) Parade (2d6) None / 13	None Parade (1d6) Parade (2d6) None / 29	None Parade (1d4) Parade (2d4) None / 350
Hit Dice: Armor Class: Save: Special Def.:	1* 1 F1 Immunities (automaton)	2* 2 (shield) F1 Immunities (automaton)	5* 3 F3 Immunities (automaton)
Movement: Attacks: Morale: Special Off.:	60’ (20’) Slam (10+ / 1d3) N/A None	60’ (20’) Weapon (9+ / 1d6) N/A None	60’ (20’) 2 Fists (6+ / 1d8) N/A None

Rogue automatons are human created autonomous machines co-opted by visitor technology and turned into indiscriminate killing machines. They appear unchanged to their original form but will lash out and attack at the first opportunity. They lack the guile required to sneak or surprise opponents and do not pretend to be their former role.. As constructs they are immune to the effects of disease and poison in addition to charm, sleep, and hold spells.

There is a chance that a rogue can infect another automaton. For any rogue, there is a 1 in 6 chance it has the ability to infect when first encountered, though this can be adjusted by the judge. If this is the case it will initiate a non-damaging melee attack on the target automaton as its highest priority. If it succeeds the target must save vs death or become a rogue in 1d4 rounds. During this time the automaton acts normally, thought is aware of and fights the subversion, and will convert even if shut down. Once this attempt is made the rogue cannot infect another automaton for several days as it builds a new worm (3+1d6 days).

Rogue Clockworker: the harmless clockworker is an automaton that is humanoid in design and normally used as a labourer. The conversion removes all safeties in regard to harming people though the design itself lacks weaponry and can only punch or kick, but with its metallic limbs this damage can still kill. They retain their proficiencies after the conversion and these “worker” rogues have been instrumental in establishing rogue domains in the hives.

When destroyed the chassis itself can be used as a sample to build a clockworker. Alternatively there is a single unit of mechanical materials that can be extracted for use in building other automatons (see the rules above).

Rogue Ironwright: the ironwright soldier is the perfect form for conversion by a worm, already a capable combatant they wield swords and shields like the humanoid soldiers they are forged to represent. So much so that there is no difference in the stat blog above between a Rogue Ironwright and a normal Ironwright Soldier automaton. As such judges should freely use these stats for automaton combatant's, such as those set to guard a location or protect a person..

When destroyed the chassis itself can be used as a sample to build an ironwright soldier. Alternatively there are three units of mechanical materials that can be extracted for use in building other automatons (see the rules above).

Rogue Stevedore: the mighty stevedore automaton is a humanoid forklift the size of an ogre. When co-opted and their safeties overridden they become brutal combatants fighting even more effectively than the human piloted equivalents.

When destroyed the chassis itself can be used as a sample to build a clockwork stevedore. Alternatively there are five units of mechanical materials that can be extracted for use in building other automatons (see the rules above).

Note: all automaton builds are presented in the Patreon article Machinery to the Max.
Edit:23/3/2020 - doubled wilderness encounters.