All Creatures
Abilities | Monsters | NPCs
All | Families | Templates
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


PFS StandardImperfect Automaton

For every true automaton Ulistul has created since Jistka's fall, at least a dozen more were utter failures. Perhaps worse still are the near misses: automaton cores that captured only a fragment of the mortal's mind, resulting in physically powerful constructs with gaping holes in their memories, reasoning, or ethics. Haunted by the certainty that something isn't right, each of these constructs responds to its predicament in different ways. Those craving purpose often work with Ulistul or wander off in search of some other mentor, sometimes scavenging materials to rebuild themselves into some more complete, idealized version of what they were meant to be. Others spiral into the delusion that reality is an illusion, testing this hypothesis repeatedly through atrocities in a vain attempt to validate their own existences. A few simply lose faith in their own self-awareness, gradually acting more mindlessly until inspired back to lucidity by some extraordinary act or person.

Ulistul periodically dispatches imperfect automatons as spies, couriers, or enforcers when she pursues simultaneous objectives. Encountering such constructs could be a community's first exposure to Ulistul's machinations, allowing heroes to trace automatons back to Ulistul's closest lab, uncover her broader schemes, or secure an audience to negotiate her aid. In addition to the imperfect automatons below, which represent the mechanical constructs that house damaged consciousnesses, Ulistul periodically recycles the now-lifeless bodies of the mortal donors into flesh golems. Little goes to waste in her quest for perfection.

Recall Knowledge - Construct (Arcana, Crafting): DC 27
Unspecific Lore: DC 25
Specific Lore: DC 22

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Imperfect AutomatonCreature 6

Legacy Content

Rare N Medium Automaton Construct 
Source Monsters of Myth pg. 125
Perception +12; darkvision
Languages Common, Osiriani; one language depending on its mortal life; telepathy 30 feet
Skills Arcana +11, Athletics +13, Crafting +13, Intimidation +12, Society +11, Stealth +10
Str +5, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +3, Wis +0, Cha +2
AC 23; Fort +16, Ref +11, Will +14
HP 85; Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine)
Unsubstantiated Consciousness When an imperfect automaton succeeds at a Will save, it gets a critical success instead. When it fails at a Will save, it gets a critical failure instead.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +17 [+12/+7] (magical), Damage 2d8+8 bludgeoning plus GrabRanged [one-action] energy beam +17 [+12/+7] (cold, magical, range increment 60 feet), Damage 2d10+3 coldEmpty Wail [two-actions] (auditory, emotion, mental) The imperfect automaton utters a mournful cry in a 30-foot cone. The cry deals 4d6 mental damage to all creatures in the area (DC 22 Will save). The imperfect automaton can't use its Empty Wail again for 1d4 rounds.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and is stupefied 1 for 1d4+1 rounds.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and is stupefied 1 for 1d4+1 rounds and stunned 1.
Impassioned Strikes While the imperfect automaton is affected by an emotion effect, its fist Strikes deal 1d6 additional mental damage.Mortal Reflection [one-action] (emotion) Requirements The imperfect automaton has a creature grabbed or restrained; Effect The imperfect automaton draws upon the target's emotions to recall a semblance of mortal feeling, gaining a +5-foot status bonus to its Speed for 1 minute. If the grabbed or restrained creature has an ongoing emotion or mental effect with a counteract level of 4 or lower, the imperfect automaton can gain a copy of that effect that lasts for 1 minute.