Highly advanced artifice can equip organic creatures with mechanical limbs, metallic skin, and other machine enhancements. The result is a half-machine. A half-machine can come in various shapes and sizes, depending on the base creature type and the extent of the mechanical modifications. Most half-machine creatures are hideous to behold, while some might appear quite normal or at least aesthetically pleasing if their mechanical enhancements are lovingly crafted or well-hidden. Fusions of the organic and the metallic, half-machine creatures are typically shunned by society. .Creating a Half-Machine Creature
“Half-Machine” is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature of at least Tiny size except constructs, elementals, oozes, and plants. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted below.
Size: As base creature.Type: The creature’s type remains the same, though it gains the “Augmented” subtype.
Hit Dice: Unchanged, but the creature gains bonus hit points based upon its size: +5 hit points for a Small creature, +10 for a Medium creature, and +15 for a Large creature.
Speed: As base creature.
Armor Class: The half-machine gains a +8 armor bonus from its mechanical limbs and exoskeleton.
Base Attack Bonus: As base creature.
Attack: A half-machine creature retains all the natural attacks of the base creature.
Special Attacks: A half-machine creature retains all the special attacks of the base creature, and gains one additional attack from the list below for every two Hit Dice or character levels it possesses.
Breath Weapon (Ex): A half-machine can belch forth one of the following as a standard action once per day: cone of superheated steam, cone of fire, cone of sleep gas, (as the sleep spell, without the restriction on Hit Dice or number of targets), cone of sonic energy, cone of slow gas (as the slow spell), line of acid, or line of acid. Breath weapons that mirror spell effects are cast at the half-machine’s character level, or 5th level, whichever is higher. The save DC against the breath weapon is 10 + half the creature’s Hit Dice + its Constitution modifier. This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature gains one additional use of its breath weapon each day.Special Qualities: All half-machines have the following special quality:
Creature Size Line Length* Cone Length** Damage Tiny 30 ft. 15 ft. 2d6 Small 40 ft. 20 ft. 5d6 Medium 60 ft. 30 ft. 8d6 Large 80 ft. 40 ft. 11d6 Huge 100 ft. 50 ft. 14d6 Gargantuan 120 ft. 60 ft. 17d6 Colossal 140 ft. 70 ft. 20d6 Extra Attacks (Ex): The half-machine has two extra arms or tentacles. Each new appendage is treated as an extra secondary weapon. This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature gains two additional arms or tentacles. Claws deal slashing damage (1d6 for Medium creatures, 1d4 for Small), while tentacles deal the same amount of bludgeoning damage.
Grease Spray (Ex): As a standard action, the half-machine may spray oil and grease across an area, essentially duplicating a grease spell, cast at the creature’s character level. The save against this ability is 10 + half the creature’s Hit Dice + its Constitution modifier. The creature may use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Constitution modifier.
Grenades (Ex): The half-machine can fire a grenade-like explosive weapon as a standard action. This attack has a range increment of 10 feet. These projectiles function as Renaissance Explosive Weapons (pg. 145 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). A half-machine can fire a number of these projectiles equal to its Hit Dice before its ammunition is exhausted and must be replaced.
Metallic Claws (Ex): The creature’s claws are removed, and long, steel replacements are surgically implanted in their stead. The creature’s base claw damage increases one step. If the creature did not possess a claw attack, the creature gains two secondary claw attacks (each dealing 1d4 points of damage for a Medium creature, 1d3 damage for a Small creature). This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature’s base claw damage improves by an additional step.
Metallic Jaws (Ex): The creature’s jaws are replaced with sharpened steel versions. The creature’s base bite damage increases one step. If the creature did not possess a bite attack, the creature gains a secondary bite attack (dealing 1d3 points of damage for a Medium creature, 1d2 damage for a Small creature). This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature’s base bite damage improves by an additional step.
Pneumonic Projectiles (Ex): The half-machine can fire a metal spike, needle, or similar projectile as a standard action. This attack has a range increment of 30 feet. These projectiles deal 1d3 points of damage for a Medium creature, and 1d2 damage when fired by a Small creature. A half-machine can fire a number of these projectiles equal to twice its Hit Dice before its ammunition is exhausted and must be replaced.
Special Qualities (Ex): The half-machine may select an optional special quality in place of a special attack.
Tail Slap (Ex): The half-machine is equipped with a lizard-like mechanical tail it can use to slap one opponent each round as a secondary attack. Medium creatures deal 1d3 point of damage with this attack, while Small creatures deal 1d2 damage. Both add 1½ times their Strength bonus to this attack’s damage.
A half-machine with this ability may not select the Tail Spike ability.
Tail Spike (Ex): The half-machine is equipped with a scorpion-like mechanical tail with which it can sting one opponent each round as a secondary attack. Medium creatures deal 1d3 point of damage with this attack, while Small creatures deal 1d2 damage. The sting also is capable of injecting creature’s it strikes with poison; the tail is able to hold a number of doses equal to the creature’s Hit Dice of such a liquid before needing to be refilled.
A half-machine with this ability may not select the Tail Slap ability
Metallic Body (Ex): The unusual construction of the half-machine leaves them vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally do not affect living creatures. A half-machine is affected by spells such as heat metal as if it were wearing armor. A half-machine is vulnerable to rusting attacks, both from a rusting grasp spell (as a ferrous creature, but damage is only half normal (1/4 on a successful save)).Additional Special Qualities: A half-machine may select abilities on this list in lieu of selecting a special attack.
Ability Boost (Ex): Cybernetic technology allows the half-machine to enhance or replace muscles and organs , enhancing its innate physical abilities. One of the half-machine’s physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution) improves by +2. This ability may be selected multiple times; each time, select a new ability score to increase.Saves: As base creature.Damage Reduction (Ex): The half-machine gains damage reduction based on its Hit Dice:
Hit Dice Damage Reduction 1-3 1/adamantine 4-6 3/adamantine 7-10 5/adamantine 11-15 7/adamantine 16-20 10/adamantine Darkvision (Ex): Mechanized implants grant the half-machine darkvision to a range of 60 feet, or extends the creature’s existing darkvision by 60 feet.
Energy Resistance (Ex): The half-machine has acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic resistance 10 (choose one). This ability may be chosen multiple times to give the half-machine more than one type of resistance, or to improve an existing resistance.
Enhanced Scent (Ex): The half-machine’s implants give it the Scent ability. If the base creature already had the Scent ability, the half-machine instead gains a +10 enhancement bonus when tracking by scent.
Flight (Ex): Metallic wings are grafted to the half-machine’s body, granting it a fly speed equal to its base land speed, at clumsy maneuverability. This ability may be selected multiple times; each time, either increase your base fly speed by an amount equal to your base land speed, or improve your maneuverability class by one step. Creatures already possessing a flight speed may not select this ability.
Haste (Ex): After engaging in combat for at least one round, the half-machine can activate special adrenaline injectors, essentially granting the half-machine the effects of a haste spell for a number of rounds equal to its Hit Dice. This ability may be used once per day. This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature gains one additional use of its haste ability each day.
Improved Invisibility (Ex): By engaging high-tech stealth technology, the half-machine is able to duplicate the effects of an improved invisibility spell for one round per Hit Dice. This ability may be selected more than once; each time, the creature gains one additional use of its improved invisibility ability each day.
Rust Protection (Ex): The half-machine gains immunity to rusting attacks.
Abilities:A half-machine’s Strength score increases by +4.
Skills: Due to its mechanical implants and modifications, a half-machine receives a +8 deformity bonus to any two of the following skills: Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Search, Spot, or Swim.
Feats: A half-machine gains any two of the following feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting, Run, Touchness (can be taken mulitiple times), Track.
Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2.
Alignment: Any.
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