Clockwork Knight

The Clockwork Knights are specialized soldiers unique to the Gnomish country of Hoggleberry, a fact that observers can readily surmise. Encased within cumbersome, ticking suits of heavily modified armor, clockwork knights are rarely confused with other warriors. Through their technological insight, they gain the ability to modify their armor in strange and deadly ways. No two suits of clockwork armor are ever the same, and even veteran warriors are often surprised by the strange surprises a skilled clockwork knight is able to unleash upon his enemies.

Clockwork knights tend to attract a lot of attention wherever they go (it’s difficult to disguise the constant ticking sound that their armor makes), so most knights make it a point to travel in groups. Although gnomes don’t seem to mind the constant ticking (some actually enjoy the sound), other races find the constant ticking of a knight’s armor to be annoying or maddening. Elves in particular detest the sound, and even the most polite can rarely stand the clicking for long. Were it not for a clockwork knight’s formidable battle prowess and seemingly endless supply of useful devices, it is doubtful whether any non-gnomes could stand their presence for long.

Hit Dice: d10

Requirements

In order to qualify to become a Clockwork Knight, a character must meet the following criteria.

Region: Hoggleberry

Race: Gnome

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Craft (armorsmithing, blacksmithing, or metalworking) 4 ranks, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) 4 ranks.

Feats: Fast Armor, Skill Focus (Knowledge (architecture and engineering)), Heavy Armor Proficiency

Special: The character must be accepted into the Clockwork Knights, an honor typically reserved for those who have done a great service for Hoggleberry.

Class Skills

The Clockwork Knight‘s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Knowledge (local) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), and Swim (Str). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+2	+0	+2	Knighthood, Clockwork Armor
2	+2	+3	+0	+3	Innovation I
3	+3	+3	+1	+3	Innovation I
4	+4	+4	+1	+4	Clockwork Intuition (2)
5	+5	+4	+1	+4	Innovation II
6	+6	+5	+2	+5	Innovation II
7	+7	+5	+2	+5	Clockwork Intuition (4)
8	+8	+6	+2	+6	Innovation III
9	+9	+6	+3	+6	Innovation III
10	+10	+7	+3	+7	Clockwork Mind, Clockwork Intuition (6)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Clockwork Knight prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Clockwork knights gain no new armor or weapon proficiencies.

Knighthood (Ex): Clockwork knights are respected throughout Hoggleberry, and are viewed favorably by most members of society. They receive support and supplies from their country, and are expected to defend Hoggleberry with their lives. Knights receive a +4 bonus on Charisma checks made to influence citizens of Hoggleberry, and may add their class level to any Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check they make.

Clockwork Armor (Ex): A clockwork knights is able to construct a suit of clockwork armor, which enhances his abilities and protects his from harm. Doing so requires one week of work and raw materials totaling 3,000 gp. A knight’s clockwork armor is treated as masterwork full plate mail, but with a few adjustments. The armor bonus provided by the clockwork armor, as well as its armor check penalty, are each two points greater than that of plate mail. In addition, an elaborate series of clockwork weights and counterweights enhances the wearer’s strength while the armor is worn, providing a +2 bonus to the knight’s Strength score. While wearing clockwork armor, a knight suffers a -20 equipment penalty to Move Silently checks, in addition to any other penalties the armor may grant him (such as from armor check penalty). Clockwork armor ticks loudly, and few creatures are able to forget or ignore such a distinct sound once they’ve heard it.

Replacing any part of a set of clockwork armor (its body, legs, helmet, gauntlets, or boots) disrupts the clockwork mechanisms within the armor, and cancels this bonus until each piece of the armor is worn once more. In addition, innovations tied to a specific piece of armor (such as a far-reaching gauntlet or insta-stilts) may not be used while the knight lacks that particular piece or armor. Other magical items (such as belts or rings) may be worn normally.

The knight is the only one able to effectively wear his clockwork armor; other characters (even other clockwork knights) gain little benefit from wearing a knight’s armor, and are always treated as non-proficient in the clockwork armor. A non-proficient wearer suffers the standard penalties for wearing unfamiliar armor, and may not utilize any innovation requiring activation.

Innovation (Ex): As a clockwork knight advances, he learns how to modify his clockwork armor in new ways. Whenever a knight reaches a level which grants him a new innovation, he selects an innovation from the appropriate table, or from a lower level table. Innovations function only while a knight is wearing his armor.

Innovation I: The clockwork knight receives a first-tier innovation at 2nd and 3rd level.

Armor Plating: Additional layers of armored plating increases his clockwork armor’s AC bonus by 2, and increases its armor check penalty by 1. The knight may select this innovation multiple times; each time, his AC bonus increases by 2, and his armor check penalty increases by 1.

Far-Reaching Gauntlet: The knight modifies one of his gauntlets, enabling it to extend up to 15 feet. The gauntlet’s fingers can be manipulated via a series of delicate controls at the knight’s fingertips, enabling him to control the gauntlet’s movements at a distance. An extended gauntlet enables the knight to do anything he could normally do with one hand, but any task requiring delicate manipulation (such as opening a lock) suffers a -4 penalty to the roll. If the knight chooses to attack with an extended gauntlet, he gains reach out to whatever distance the gauntlet is extended to, but may only use a one-handed melee weapon. While attacking in this way, the knight may not add his Strength bonus to his attack or damage roll. The knight may choose this innovation a second time, granting this ability to his other gauntlet as well. In this case, the knight may attack with a two handed weapon while his gauntlets are extended, though he still gains no benefit from his Strength bonus. Activating or adjusting the distance of far-reaching gauntlets is a move action, which provokes attacks of opportunity.

Insta-Stilts: The knight modifies his thick boots with telescoping devices, which are able to extend up to 15 feet in length. For each 5 feet the knight extends, his base land speed increases by 10 feet. Walking with extended stilts is difficult, however, and forces the knight to make a Balance check whenever he moves farther than half his base speed. The DC of this Balance check is equal to half the distance the knight attempts to travel during that round. Failure by 4 or less means that the knight can’t move for 1 round. Failure by 5 or more results in the knight falling prone. Extending or retracting the stilts is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

The knight is considered flat-footed while his stilts are extended, since he can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus he loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If the knight has 5 or more ranks in Balance, however, he isn’t considered flat-footed while his stilts are extended. If the knight take damage while his stilts are extended, he must make another Balance check (DC equal to the damage dealt) to remain standing. While his stilts are extended, the they may be attacked as if they were an object. Stilts have an AC of 14, hardness 10, and 10 hit points.

Jump Boots: A series of kinetic enhancers amplify jumps made by the knight, providing him with a +10 bonus on Jump checks. This bonus increases to +20 when the knight attempts to make a high jump.

Night Vision Goggles: The knight modifies his goggles to enhance ambient light particles, essentially granting him darkvision to a range of 120 feet while wearing his helmet.

Rocket Boots: The knight adds small rockets and retractable wheels to his boots, allowing him to move across relatively flat surfaces at great speed. When the boots are activated, the knight’s base land speed is tripled, and his armor does not reduce his base land speed. However, the knight must move a distance equal to his normal base speed each round his rocket boots are active. Turning while wearing rocket boots is somewhat difficult; turns greater than 45 degrees require a Balance check (DC 10) to avoid falling prone in the space the knight begins to turn. This DC increases by 5 for every additional 45 degrees in the knight’s turn. Activating or deactivating the rocket boots is a move action.

Innovation II: The clockwork knight receives a second-tier innovation at 5th and 6th level.

Floodlights: By mounting dual chemical lights on his shoulders, a clockwork knight gains the ability to flood the area directly ahead of him in blinding light. By activating his floodlights, the knight bathes a 60 foot cone in front of him in bright light, and covers the area 60 feet beyond this area in dim, shadowy light.

While the knight’s floodlights are activated, he is considered to have a gaze attack effective only against creatures within the floodlights’ area of effect. Creatures within this area who gaze into the floodlights must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15 + the knight’s Intelligence modifier) or become dazzled until they leave the area of effect, and for 1d4 rounds thereafter.

This gaze attack is treated as a normal gaze attack; anyone meeting looking into the floodlights while they are active is subject to their effects, including the knight’s allies. The knight may not take a standard action to force a creature to save against his floodlights twice in a round; the lights are passive only. Activating or deactivating the floodlights is a move action. Floodlights weigh 5 pounds.

Glider: The knight attaches a retractable glider to his armor, which he may unfurl as an immediate action. The glider requires 20 feet of falling room in order to arrest the knight’s fall, and a space of at least 50 feet in diameter for gliding room. If both of these conditions are met, the knight negates any falling damage he may sustain. The knight may travel up to 15 feet horizontally for every 5 feet he falls. While gliding, the knight is considered to have average maneuverability, though he cannot climb. He may dive as steeply as he wishes, however. Returning the glider to a retracted position requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. A glider weighs 5 pounds.

Improved Clockworks: The knight adjusts and improves the strength-enhancing clockworks within his armor, increasing the Strength bonus provided by his armor by 2. The knight may select this innovation multiple times, increasing the strength bonus provided by his armor by 2 each time.

Reinforced Structure: Layers of adamantine bracing and supports, in combination with triple-woven synthetic padding, provides the knight with damage reduction 2/– while wearing his armor. This innovation may be taken multiple times; each time, the knight’s damage reduction increases by 2.

Resistance: By modifying his clockwork armor with insulation made from fire-proof fibers, rubber joints and padding, heat retaining materials, or special glazes and lacquers, the knight is able to render himself resistant to one form of energy. He chooses one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) and gains energy resistance 20 against that type of energy. The knight may select this innovation multiple times, choosing a new energy type each time.

Targeting Helmet: By replacing his visor with a transparent piece of hardened glass containing tiny circuits and wires, the knight creates a highly advanced tracking device. This device grants the knight a +2 insight bonus on ranged attack and damage rolls, and allows him to ignore the effects of concealment on his target while attacking with either a melee or ranged weapon.

Innovation III: The clockwork knight receives a third-tier innovation at 8th and 9th level.

Cloaking Device: By installing a highly advanced cloaking device within his armor, the knight is able to surround himself with an electrical aura which bends light around him, essentially rendering him invisible. When activated, the knight gains the effects of an improved invisibility spell, though this innovation’s effects are entirely non-magical. Moisture disrupts the electrical field, however, rendering it less effective. In humid or damp conditions (such as a rain forest or within a fog bank), the field wavers and shimmers erratically, granting the knight concealment instead of invisibility. Exposing the device to large amounts of water (such as being doused with or standing in water or during a heavy rainstorm) is very dangerous, and deals 5d6 electrical damage to the knight and ending the effect. In addition, the device fails to activate again until the knight dries off completely.

Diving Modifications: By adding a large iron cylinder of compressed air (weighing 5 pounds), retractable flippers and webbed gauntlets, buoyant air bladders, and a special sealed helmet to his armor, the knight is able to modify his armor for aquatic environments. His armor grants the knight a +5 equipment bonus on Swim checks, depth tolerance of up to 500 feet, and the ability to breathe underwater for up to two hours at a time. Once this time period ends, the armor’s air tank must be allowed to refill, a process requiring access to normal air and at least one hour for every five minutes (or portion thereof) of air used by the knight.

Though designed for aquatic environments, the armor’s seals also provide great protection against gasses and the like, effectively rendering the knight immune to inhaled substances so long as he uses his own supply of oxygen. For the purposes of sinking or floating within a liquid medium, the knight’s clockwork armor is considered to weigh only half its actual weight. Sealing his armor and activating his air supply, or unsealing his armor and deactivating his air supply, is a move action.

Hand Cannon: By replacing one of his gauntlets with a large cannon, the knight loses the ability to manipulate objects with that hand, but gains a powerful weapon. A self-loading storage rack mounted on his back (which weighs 10 pounds) loads the knight’s hand cannon at the beginning of each of his rounds. This storage rack hold up to eight of the three-pound cannon balls which the hand-cannon uses as ammunition. When fired (a standard action), the hand cannon propels these cannon balls forward at great speeds, causing them to bounce and skip along the ground in a 200-foot straight line. Every creature within the cannon ball’s path takes 6d8 bludgeoning damage, but may attempt a Reflex save (DC 20 + the knight’s Intelligence modifier) for half damage. Creatures failing this save must succeed on a second Fortitude save against the same DC to avoid being knocked prone by the powerful projectile.

A clockwork knight with this innovation is able to construct cannon balls for his hand cannon with the Craft (blacksmithing or metalworking) skills, as if they had a cost of 2 gold each.

Rocket Pack: Back-mounted, reinforced iron cylinders, a specially-modified helmet equipped with a large navigational fin, and sensitive controls within his gauntlets grant the knight the ability to fly through the air at incredible speeds. When activated, the knight gains a flight speed of 90 feet, as well as Good maneuverability, for up to ten minutes at a time. A knight may recharge his rocket pack, requiring one vial of alchemist’s fire for every minute (or portion thereof) of flight time he wishes to recharge. Refilling his rocket pack requires one full-round action per vial, and provokes attacks of opportunity. If the rocket pack is destroyed (hardness 10, 15 hit points), the knight and everyone within 5 feet of him are doused with flaming alchemist’s fire, and suffer 1d6 points of fire damage for each minute (or portion thereof) of flight time left in his rocket pack, and are considered to be on fire. The knight receives no saving throw against this effect, by other creatures may attempt Reflex saves (DC 20) for half damage. Those who succeed on their saves do not catch fire. Activating or deactivating the rocket pack is a move action. A rocket pack weighs 10 pounds.

Clockwork Intuition (Ex): Clockwork knights are trained in the most efficient methods of fight both against and along side constructs. While within 5 feet of a clockwork ally of their own size or larger, a clockwork knight of at least 4th level gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls. Against attacks by creatures of the construct type, a clockwork knight gains a +2 bonus to his Armor Class and saving throws.

These bonuses increase to +4 at 7th level and to +6 at 10th level.

Clockwork Mind (Ex): By 10th level, the continual ticking and clicking of the armor that surrounds him has driven a clockwork knight slightly mad. His mind continually echoes the ticking of his armor, rendering him immune to any form of charm, fear, or compulsion. In addition, the clockwork knight can now keep perfect time with his mind, as if he were an incredibly accurate watch.

Ex-Clockwork Knights

A Clockwork Knight who willingly betrays Hoggleberry or its people loses his Knighthood ability, and is viewed as a dangerous enemy by most gnomes across Migdalia. Such a character can no longer advance in this prestige class. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his actions (see the atonement spell on page 201 of the Player’s Handbook).

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