I can’t believe I hadn’t shared this earlier when I was posting my Scion of Glykon playbook so here’s this too.
During my Covid-19 Roll20 BoB campaign, the Legion broke into Blighter’s base camp and stole away with an experimental version of her clockwork assassin lieutenant. They started a long term project to reprogram the clockwork automaton and, when it was complete, this thing came to life. They’ve only used the automaton in one mission so far so it doesn’t have extensive testing but it WAS very fun to write.
Unlike Scion of Glykon, this playbook is designed to be on par with other Specialist playbooks.
You can read it on Google Drive.
or
Automaton Heritage
Automaton Looks
Automatons are built from industrious metals with highlights of organic materials (such as leather) and precious metals (such as gold and silver). Most automatons are clockwork, requiring a key on (or inserted into) their body to be turned on a regular basis lest they fall into a dormant state.
Automaton Heritage Traits
Unlike other heritages, automatons gain three heritage traits (all of their heritage traits) rather than two. In addition, an automaton must begin as either a Specialist or a Soldier, they cannot begin play as a Rookie.
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Automatic for the People: You can become an Automaton Specialist. Those without this heritage trait cannot, nor can they take its special abilities with the Veteran ability.
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Mechanical: When you resist corruption, take +1d.
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Reprogrammable: When you are deployed on a primary mission, choose an action. Your action rating in the chosen action increases by 1, to a maximum of 3, for the duration of the mission phase. You can instead wait to choose an action during the mission as a flashback costing 0 stress.
Automaton Names
Functional Name: Book, Bullet, Eye, Hammer, Flare, Key, Lens, Lock, Shield, Shot, Trap, Weapon.
Specialist: The Automaton
When you play an Automaton, you earn xp when you succeed where a flesh and blood Legionnaire failed.
Starting Abilities: AI 1, Maneuver 1, Research 1, Rig 1
Specialist Action: As an Automaton, you start with one rank in AI. As with all Specialist actions, these are not rolled. Instead, each rank gives you one AI use per mission. AI allows you to use your advanced machine learning to quickly adapt to the chaotic environment of war.
You can spend an AI to push yourself.
Automaton Special Abilities
Modular Design
When you gain this ability, choose two of the following Specialists: Heavy, Scout, Sniper, and Soldier. Whenever you are deployed on a mission, select one of the chosen Specialists. You count as being that Specialist for the purpose of meeting mission requirements and you can expend AI as if it were the Specialist Action of the chosen Specialist.
You may take this ability a second take, choosing the remaining two Specialists when you do.
Additional Memory
When you use your Reprogrammable heritage trait, you can choose three skills instead of one.
You can wait to choose the skills during the mission as a flashback. When you do, you choose each skill as a separate flashback.
Highly Modular
When you gain this ability, choose a special ability from the Heavy, Scout, Sniper, and Soldier playbooks. Whenever you are deployed on a mission, select one of the chosen special abilities. You have the selected special ability for the duration of the mission.
In Control
When you make a controlled roll, gain +1d.
You may only take this extra die if the final position of the roll is controlled, so if you switch controlled position for greater effect, for example, it does not apply.
Machine Learning
Choose three actions, one of which must be Maneuver, Research, or Rig. You can raise your ability rating to 4 in the chosen actions.
This explicitly increases the action rating cap you can raise an action to by using your Reprogrammable heritage trait.
Sufficiently Advanced
When you push yourself by using an AI on a roll with an action rating you have at 2 or higher, you gain +1d and +1 effect instead of only one of the two.
Automaton Items and Loadout
Light Load
- Flare Gun: Break action pistol with colored smoke charges, and burning flares for night signaling. Standard pack includes four shells.
- Oil: Has a number of uses from quieting hinges to filling lanterns. Catches fire easily. Three uses.
- Repair Kit: Hammers, files, nails, pins, planks, pulleys, rope, saws. Can jam traps, repair doors, or siege devices, etc. Three uses.
- Fine Hand Weapon: Dueling blade, longsword, sabre, heartwood spear. Named and of exception quality. What is it made of and who forged it?
— OR (Choose either Fine Hand Weapon or Fine Pistol and Ammo) —
- Fine Pistol: A masterfully crafted Orite revolver (five shots) with fine embossing and balanced for quick reloading. Have you ever fired it?
- Ammo: Orite pistol shells for your fine sidearm. Spend to reload ranged weapons. Five uses. Do you carry them in a case or loose in a leather bag?
Normal Load
- Fine Armor: Provies 1 armor against physical attacks. Ornate or dyed. Customized for you. What identifies it as yours?
- Equip the Fine Hand weapon or Fine Pistol and Ammo you did not pick at light load.
— OR (Choose either equip Fine Hand Weapon / Fine Pistol and Ammo or Fine Long Rifle and Ammo) —
- Fine Long Rifle: A marvel of Orite priest machining, with matching scope. Accurate at 240 yards, but loud. Uses jacketed rounds. Have you named this weapon?
Heavy Load
- Equip the Fine Hand weapon or Fine Pistol and Ammo you did not pick at light load or the Fine Long Rifle and Ammo you did not pick at normal load.
- Fine Shield: Fully metal shield embossed with any symbol you desire. Provides 1 armor against physical attacks. What insignia fills its front?
— OR (Choose either equip Fine Shield or Fine Heavy Weapon) —
- Fine Heavy Weapon: Claymore, warhammer, morningstar, or other two-handed weapon. Well worn and familiar to you. What have you felled with this?