[Sponsored by Morrveig on the Patreon, and another example of a video game monster from a game I haven't played. In Lethal Company, the Old Birds are unkillable, and the sponsor reasoned that that would be due to hardness and a force field, typical Pathfinder robot abilities, that would be difficult for characters at the power level of that game to deal with. Makes sense to me. As in the recent marauding vault, I am going with the flavor text "the Technic League is still around", which isn't Paizo's PF canon, but at this point with the Age of Monsters and the Pandaemonic Parliament, it's clear that my version of Golarion is rather different by this point.
If you'd like to join Morrveig in sponsoring monsters, see some bonus monsters, or just do a good deed for an unemployed writer, consider joining the Creature Codex Patreon here!]
Robot, A1
CR 10 N Construct
This blocky automaton is two stories high, with a head taken up by an enormous searchlight. Boxy contraptions sit on its shoulders, and its arms are asymmetrical—one ends in an articulated four-fingered claw, whereas the other ends in a long nozzle. Similar nozzles cap its legs instead of feet.
The A1 robot is an attempt by the Technic League to create a mobile artillery platform, similar to the myrmidon robot but requiring fewer resources and less complicated laboratories. They have multiple nicknames, being referred to as “walking ransom letters” by the people of Numeria victimized by them, and “old birds” by adventurers, inspired by a folk song and the sight of them flying in formation. Old birds are used to depopulate areas of interest to the Technic League through psychological trauma, and to battle other monsters. They can fly with a propulsion system built into their legs, and are even capable of traveling to other planets or moons—the wizards that created them had grand ambitions of setting up Technic League colonies on other worlds.
AI robots are still and silent when at rest, but when they detect intruders come to life, turning on their bright searchlights and activating their aura of despair. This consists of playing multiple overlapping sounds, the cries and wails and whimpers of a dozen different species, crushing the morale of most creatures. If they spot a cluster of enemies or a single large enemy at a distance, they fire explosive rockets. If they spot a single foe at close range, they battle it in melee, grabbing it with their articulated claw and turning their cutting torches onto it. Between their hardness and their force fields, old birds are very difficult for weaker foes to permanently damage, and they have a reputation for being invincible among the peasantry and less experienced adventurers. In those cases, it may be easier to distract an old bird than slay it; if confronted with the choice between a smaller and larger target, A1 robots focus their attention on the larger.
A1 Robot CR 10
XP 9,600
N Huge construct (robot)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +13
Aura despair (60 ft., Will DC 18)
Defense
AC 24, touch 9, flat-footed 23 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +15 natural)
hp 95 (10d10+40); force field (50 hp, fast healing 10)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6
Immune construct traits
Defensive Abilities hardness 10, resilient; Weakness vulnerable to critical hits, vulnerable to electricity
Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 100 ft. (average)
Melee claw +15 (1d8+10 plus grab), laser torch +15 touch (3d8 fire)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (claw, 1d8+10), rockets, trample (2d6+10, DC 22)
Statistics
Str 24, Dex 13, Con -, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 1
Base Atk +10; CMB +19 (+23 grab); CMD 33
Feats Ability Focus (despair aura), Alertness, Blind-Fight, Hover, Improved Initiative
Skills Fly +10, Knowledge (geography) +13, Perception +17, Sense Motive +6
Languages Androffan, Common
SQ difficult to create, searchlight, starflight
Ecology
Environment any land
Organization solitary, pair, patrol (3-6) or army (7-40)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Despair Aura (Ex) The noise emitted by an A1 robot causes all creatures within 60 feet to succeed a DC 18 Will save or be overcome with despair, taking a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks and weapon damage rolls for as long as they remain in the area and for 10 minutes thereafter. A creature that succeeds its saving throw is immune to the aura of despair of that A1 robot for the next 24 hours. An A1 robot can suppress or resume this aura as a free action. This is a sonic, mind-influencing emotion effect, and the save DC is Intelligence based.
Laser Torch (Ex) An A1 robot’s left arm contains a Huge laser torch, which deals 3d8 points of fire damage as a touch attack, not modified by the robot’s Strength. Attacks made with the laser torch bypass up to 20 points of hardness, and damage is not halved as normal for energy damage dealt to objects unless the object is particularly fireproof. A laser torch’s cutting beam can pass through force fields and force effects without damaging the field, but cannot damage invisible creatures and objects.
Resilient (Ex) An A1 robot gains a +3 racial bonus on all saving throws.
Rockets (Ex) As a standard action, an A1 robot can fire a rocket to a range of 800 feet. A rocket explodes on impact in a 30-foot-radius burst, dealing 6d6 points of fire damage and 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage to all creatures in the area (Reflex DC 16 half). An A1 robot carries a maximum of ten rockets. It can replenish fired rockets at the rate of one per 12 hours, crafting new rockets from scrap metal and other collected components. The save DC is Intelligence-based.
Searchlight (Ex) An A1 robot’s searchlight emits a 120 foot cone of bright light. It can suppress or activate its searchlight as a swift action.
Starflight (Ex) An A1 robot can fly between worlds, with a trip within a solar system taking 3d20 days. It carries enough fuel to make 3 such trips before replenishing, and cannot carry enough fuel to leave the solar system.
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