Eclipse d20 – Candice Tintop, Mad Scientist

For our next Allwellia Character we have Candice, the groups resident mad scientist and robot master (as a special effect all of her constructs tend to be full of clockwork regardless of their game statistics and usually use a wild-borne emerald as a power core). Candice has never revealed much about her past – but given her periodic crazed attempts at major research projects, her tendency to create hordes of robots, and her occasional mutters about “Albert Wily”, “Ivo Robotnik”, and some sort of apocalyptic “Death Battle”, it is generally assumed that she was a member of a group with similar interests, there was some sort of falling out, and that she escaped the resulting disaster. Regardless, like so many mad scientists, Candice is more than a bit crazy, making most of her constructs resemble overly-cute toys and naming them in the same fashion. She led her party for quite some time, although she has recently taken a sabbatical to work on another one of her major projects. The group expects it to burn down a city or something at any time now.

Here we have the Introduction to Allwellia again – neatly boxed up for easy skipping for those who’ve seen it before.

The Allwellia Campaign is a high-powered Eclipse campaign. Not only does it allow quite a lot of character-optimization cheese, but it allows each player character to have a custom race/birthright – which means that each one can be expected to sneak in a bunch of high-powered abilities precisely adapted to whatever the player wants the characters role to be. In effect, they’re trading in the character’s basic racial modifiers for about a tailored template. Secondarily, it is both magic (80% of base cost, starting off at level two with 1800 gold to spend) and treasure rich.

The major problem is that the setting is FULL of wild magic. Some rare individuals – “Sparks” – can directly absorb that magic (“experience points”) when they battle the creatures of the wild, transforming and enhancing themselves in weird and wonderful ways (“Sparks” use Eclipse builds). More common (if still pretty rare) are Embers, who can absorb the wild magic but not directly use it – so they can use it up in rituals to grant themselves specific patterns of abilities (Class Levels) or in gaining a few other boosts. Finally, of course… most people can’t absorb wild magic at all. They may still gain a few levels via years of slow and painful practice or by being infused with power by some Spark with Leadership (or some similar ability), but – while they still get Birthrights – they’re relatively generic.

Wild magic is the explanation for the abundance of magic items as well. Not only can items randomly appear in the wilds – even if many such random items are useless or outright dangerous – but they can be “farmed”. Placing an appropriate mundane item in a box covered with the correct runes and formulas and leaving it in the wild will – in time – result in a fairly predictable enchantment. Items that get left too long, or get disturbed, or where something goes wrong, can be just as insane as the random stuff – but all you need to produce magical items is the right formula (there are books) and time.

Unfortunately, the Wilds are just that. Did an airship crash? By the time the search party finds it it may have transformed into a haunted pirate ship, complete with a crew of monsters all with their own magic. Has the wild magic surged today? An old family cemetery with an “eternal flame” marker may turn into a volcano full of fire vampires surrounded by a sprawling city of the undead – none of which “dead” existed last week. Was there a great storm? Perhaps the old coastal village has been swallowed up by the sea, and is now a civilization of underwater monsters bent on conquest. Mapping the wild isn’t entirely futile – it helps keep major features in place – but the details change constantly.

Candice “Candi” Tintop

Level Ten Mad Scientist

Racial Template: Crafter Dwarf (31 CP / +0 ECL):

• Attribute Shift (+2 Con, -2 Chr, 6 CP)
• Skill Specialty/Craft/Stone and Metal +3 (1 CP)
• +1 BAB, Specialized/vrs Orcs, Half-Orcs & Goblinoids only, Corrupted/does not add to iterative attacks (2 CP)
• Speak Dwarven as an extra language (1 CP)
• Universal Crafter: Equipage with Purchasing, Specialized and Corrupted for Reduced Cost / requires the use of a workshop and hours or days of work as determined by the game master (4 CP).
• Leadership, with Animated Objects and Constructs, Specialized for Reduced Cost / only for Animated
• Objects and Constructs, User must spend hours or days building them (6 CP).
• +3d0 Hit Dice, Specialized in determining the user’s effective level for Leadership (6 CP).
• Innate Enchantment (Up to 7500 GP Value, 8 CP). All effects Spell Level 1/2 or 1, Caster Level One, Unlimited-Use Use Activated.
  • Resist Energy (10), L1, Personal Only (1400 GP).
  • Mending (L 1/2, 1000 GP)
  • Immortal Vigor I (L1, adds 12 + 2 x Con Mod HP, Personal Only, 1400 GP)
  • Traveler’s Any-Tool (160 GP).
  • 2x Healing Belt (Variant, Repairs Animated Objects and Constructs, 1200 GP).
  • Light (L1/2, Unlimited-Use Use-Activated, 1000 GP).
• Racial Disadvantage/Insane. Crafter Dwarves treat constructs like people, consider them alive, and get very upset if they are destroyed (-3 CP).

Putting ANY version of Leadership into a “race” is a pretty unusual move. After all, between this and the boosted level for it’s effect it says that you can tell when a “Crafter Dwarf” hits adulthood (level one) by simply watching to see when they build their first minions – and means that any Crafter Dwarf settlement is likely to have a small army of constructs on tap both for defense and to do most of the basic labor. A first level Crafter Dwarf will average eight CR 1 constructs. Presuming that most of them make at lesat some servant/laborer constructs (which seems like a pretty obvious thing to do)… Each will be capable of doing pretty much any job that a normal person can do – and constructs are tireless, labor twenty-four hours a day, need little or no support. The social effects of this one are going to be pretty major. Even a small group of Crafter Dwarves essentially comes with their own portable industrial revolution and is likely to act like leisured aristocrats. Throw in the ability to make almost anything else they need via “purchasing” and you can reasonably expect to find reasonably wealthy little settlements of Crafter Dwarves in the most inhospitable places. About the only restriction (at least in Allwellia) is that Crafter Dwarves can only be born near a Crafting Nexus, which at least keeps them relatively rare.

The Innate Enchantments theoretically don’t come into play until the user pays their XP cost (not much) or (for NPC’s who don’t get experience or PC’s who don’t want to spend any) they get a little training (spending 1 CP on a specialized immunity to that rather small activation cost).Still, that generally means that you can expect almost any Crafter Dwarf to have mastered them – usually even before level zero since a single disadvantage will more than suffice. While none of those enchantments are particularly major items, this will make even Crafter Dwarf children unusually durable and skilled in working with stone and metal.

I don’t expect there to be a lot of room for other races in a Crafter Dwarf community. Unless they’re especially talented as artists, or high enough level to be serious experts, or rich enough to not worry about their community role, what are they going to do? All the basic jobs and roles are going to be filled by tireless constructs.

Basic Attributes: Str 10, Int 18 (+2 L4, L8 +6 Enh = 26), Wis 11, Con 14 (+2 Enh = 16), Dex 14 (+6 Enh = 20), and Cha 12.

Available Character Points: 264 (Level Ten Base) +10 (Disadvantages: History, Blocked (Clerical Magic; sees the universe as complex mechanisms), Compulsive (Tinkerer, will tend to fiddle with traps and ancient mechanisms without thinking about it)) + 30 (L1, L3, L5, L7, L9 Bonus Feats) = 304 CP

Basic Purchases (181 CP):

• Base Attack Bonus: +7 (42 CP) +2 Luck. (Extra +4 with Rays from MA, can “whirlwind” a ray within a 15′ radius).
• Skill Points: 33 (33 CP) +65 (Int Mod x 13) +26 (Fast Learner Specialized in Skills, 6 CP) +26 (Boost) = 150 SP.
  • Adept x2: Pays half cost for Craft (Constructs), Disable Device, Hide, Search, Escape Artist, Move Silently, Open Lock, and Sleight Of Hand (12 CP).
• Hit Points: 10 (L1D6 + 1d4, 10 CP) +12 (Immortal Vigor) +45 (L2-L10, d6, 18 CP) +0 (upgrade 3d0 Racial Hit Dice to all purpose, 6 CP) +48 (Con Mod x 16) +96 (Cunning Evasion, Advanced Improved Augmented Bonus: Adds (Int Mod) to (Con Mod) for HP Purposes, Specialized and Corrupted / only for hit dice through level six – although her racial hit dice and racial Immortal Vigor count, 6 CP) = 211 HP.
• Armor Class 10 (Base)+5 (Dex) +2 (MA) +1 (Def) +3 (Nat) = 21
  • When “Armor” Active: +4 (Armor) +4 (Shield) = 29
• Saving Throws:
  • Fortitude: +4 (12 CP) +3 (Con) +4 (Res) = +11
  • Reflex: +2 (6 CP) +5 (Dex) +4 (Res) = +11
  • Will: +4 (12 CP) +0 (Wis) 4 (Res) = +8
  • Luck with +4 Bonus Uses Specialized in Saves (6 CP).
• Proficient with All Simple Weapons and Light Armor (6 CP)
• Initiative +5 (Dex) +4 (Improved Initiative, 6 CP) = +9
• Move: 30′ [+30′ (Enh) when armor active].

Common Attacks (Presumes use of Combat Drug and Armor since those are quick, cheap, and long-lasting buffs).

• Ice Ray/Adamantine Imprisonment/Weather Control/Etc: Either Will DC 21 for Half Damage (Affects Objects) or Ranged Touch Attack +21 (+7 BAB +5 Dex +5 Luck +4 Martial Art).
• Heavy Mace: +12/+12 (+7 BAB +2 Enh +3 Str, Personal Haste), 1d8 + 5 (+2 Enh +3 Str), Crit 20/x2.

Candi may have taken a few swings in melee, but it’s certainly not her thing unless she’s either holding the legendary weapon which will destroy the foe in a single blow OR has completely run out of other options. She’s not helpless in a physical fight, but why would she pick doing 1d8+5 over – say – instantly imprisoning one or more opponents in icy adamantine bonds? And why take damage from a big area of effect or massive attack when she can throw up a quick barrier to block it and line of sight?

Other Abilities (123 CP):

• Augmented Bonus/Adds (Int Mod) to (Dex Mod) for Dexterity based skills (6 CP).
• Stipend (Only for Crafting): May make up to 1200 GP worth of goods per month with racial Universal Crafter ability without other costs in her spare time (12 CP).
• Upgrade Racial Leadership to Double Effect (6 CP).
• Finesse (Saves against her Witchcraft abilities are based on Int, not Cha, 6 CP).
• +13 Levels of Int-based Wilder Spellcasting with no Caster Level, Corrupted / provides no disciplines. (Net = 147 Wilder +13 Witch = 160 Power) (26 CP). This is a bit cheesy, but most characters have some cheese somewhere.
• Reflex Training (Extra Actions Variant) with +4 Bonus Uses, Corrupted / only to use Witchcraft Abilities (8 CP).
• Reflex Training (Extra Actions Variant) with +8 Bonus Uses, Specialized / only to act defensively (9 CP).
• Rite of Chi with +12 Bonus Uses, Specialized and Corrupted /. Only to recover Power, only when there is a break in the action (8 CP).
• Witchcraft III with The Secret Order, Corrupted for Reduced Cost / Requires various blatantly obvious Foci that can be taken away (16 CP Base). This provides 13 Power and a selection of twelve basic abilities / devices. A mad scientists basic abilities are usually (although not always) Specialized in particular applications for double effect. (CL 14, Will Saves DC 21, 30′ Base Range).
• Basic Functions:

1. 1. Auric Distortion Cloak (The Adamant Will, Specialized for Increased Effect / presents a false aura to aura detection effects at no cost.
   2. Essence Extractor: When directed at an unresisting creature, corpse, or area of up to a 20′ radius, this device extracts specific substances for 1 Power. It can thus be used to gather poison from deceased monsters, perfume from flower gardens, drugs from various plants, or gold from ore.
   3. Etheric Manipulator Vest (Dreamfaring, Specialized for Increased Effect / only to let the user see and attack into the Ethereal Plane at no cost.
   4. Folding Centaur Armor (Hand of Shadows: Mage Armor, Shield, and Personal Haste, 2 Power for 10 Minutes/caster level).
   5. Healers Kit (Healing, Specialized in Hit Points for Double Effect, 2d4/Power, max 3 Power/Round)
   6. Holographic Image Projector (Shadowweave, Specialized for Increased Effect / may spend 2 Power to generate a Minor Image effect or 4 Power to generate a Major Image effect.
   7. Hypersonic Pulser (Glamour, Specialized for Increased Effect / Panics animals in the area that fail to resist for 1 Power.
   8. Hypnotic Wheel (Glamour/Suggestion for 2 Power).
   9. Microbot Assistants (Hand of Shadows/Can do an hours light work every five minutes)
   10. Multi-optics Band (Witchsight, various vision boosts. 1 Power/Hour).
   11. Ray Gun (Infliction/Ice Ray, 9d4/15d4/21d4 Damage for 1/2/3 Power, +3 power for a 5′ Radius, Save Will DC 17 for Half). With Atheric Crystalizer Upgrade (Nightforge, +4 CP). Can make ice constructs as durable as Adamant. With Death Ray Upgrade (Mouth of the Earth, upgrade to d8’s for +1 Power, 4 CP).
   12. Sensory Link System (The Inner Eye, Only for use with Personal Constructs, 1 Power/Ten Minutes).

• Advanced Systems:
  • Combat Drug (Wrath of the Sea and Dance of Flames, +6 to Str and Dex for ten minutes for two power, 8 CP).
  • Feral Genegraft (Flesh Like Mist, Specialized and Corrupted / only to take on rat traits, like a Bite Of The Wererat effect, for two Power, 2 CP). Since this doesn’t have a duration limit she usually has it running at all times, just for the attribute bonuses.
  • Null-Gravity Boots (Whisper Step, 4 CP).
  • Planar Sealer (4 CP). This gadget provides access to the Dismissal ability.
  • Teleportation Belt: Ashen Rebirth with Teleportation, Specialized for Reduced Cost / only for the Teleportation function (6 CP).
  • Weather Control Module / Weathermonger (6 CP).
• Witchcraft Pacts – Advertising (-6 CP), Rituals (Major research projects, at least twice per year, with unpredictable results (-6 CP).

The Witchcraft-based “Mad Scientist” build can be extremely potent at low levels, particularly when you buy extra hit dice and thus boost up your Witchcrafts effective “Caster Level”. Adding a huge heap of Psionic Strength on top of the cost-efficiency of Witchcraft makes you pretty competitive in the mid-levels too. That combination catapulted Candi to party leadership early on, if only because she had the biggest attack/blast in the party, could keep it up for quite some time, and had a swarm of minions to hide behind while she fiddled with her gadgets.

Skills (All +4 Competence): (3 SP Left)

• Balance +11 (11 SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +28
• Craft Constructs +13 (6* SP) +8 (Int) = +25
• Craft Weapons +13 (13 SP) +8 (Int) = +25
• Disable Device +13 (6* SP) +8 (Int) +4 (Tools) = +29
• Escape Artist +13 (6* SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) +4 (Tools) = +34
• Hide +13 (6* SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +30
• Knowledge/Architecture and Engineering +13 (13 SP) +8 (Int) = +25
• Martial Art/Ray Master +13 (13 SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +30
• Attack 4, Defenses 3, Reach (+10′, only for Whirlwind Attack), Mind Like Moon, Whirlwind Attack, Prone Combat, Inner Strength II, Light Foot, and Vanishing.
• Move Silently +13 (6* SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +30
• Open Lock +13 (6* SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) +4 (Tools) = +34
• Ride +13 (13 SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +34
• Search +13 (6* SP) +8 (Int) = +25
• Sleight Of Hand +13 (6* SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +30
• Spot +13 (13 SP) +0 (Wis) = +17
• Tumble +13 (13 SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +30
• Use Magic Device +13 (13 SP) +1 (Cha) = +18
• Use Rope +2 (2 SP) +5 (Dex) +8 (Int) = +19

Speaks: Common, Dwarven, Sign Language, Sphinx, Terran, Giant, and Draconic.

Skills from +6 Headband of Intellect:

• Appraise: (Level+3) +8 (Int) = +25
• Knowledge/Nobility: (Level+3) +8 (Int) = +25
• Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (Level+3) +8 (Int) = +25

Specific Knowledges: Constructs (1 SP), Metallurgy (1 SP), and Riddles (1 SP).

Magical Items:

• Ring of Protection +1 Light Fortification.
• Handy Haversack.
• +2 Heavy Mace
• Ring of Communication,
• Bronze Griffon. When animated, a bronze griffon acts in all ways like a normal griffon under the command of its possessor. The item can be used twice per week for up to 6 hours per use. When 6 hours have passed or when the command word is spoken, the bronze griffon once again becomes a tiny statuette.
• Headband of Intellect +6.

Conventional Gear: Spare Explorers Outfit (2 GP), Canteen (2 GP), Silver Holy Symbol (25 GP), Pot of Glue (-), 10 Iron Spikes (-), two weeks “Good Meals” (-), 100′ Silk Rope (20 GP), Grapnel (2 GP), Spool of Thread (-), Ball of Twine (-), Spool of Wire (10 GP), Sewing Kit (1 GP), 10′ Folding Pole (2 GP), Camping Gear (Tent, Bedroll, Cooking Kit, Etc, 12 GP), “Zippo” Lighter (2 GP), Pens & Ink (-), 2 Blank Journals (20 GP), Mechanician’s Handbook (50 GP), Javelins x10 (10 GP).

Mystic Tattoos: +2 Luck to Attacks, +4 Resistance to Saves, +4 Competence to All Skills.

Thanks to access to an Altar Of War, she can consider up to six weapons (a bundle of 50 ammo counts as one weapon) as being +1. We haven’t gotten a ruling on whether her ray gun counts.

Available Constructs: (Max CR 13, total CR of 64):

• Maully and Andy (Teddy Bear Guardian Dolls, 2 x CR 3 = 5)
• Sugar Plum (Pony, Small Animated Object / Heavy Crossbow, CR 2),
• Norbert (Small Heli-Rat Animated Object,CR 2)
• Hooty Blo (Small Animated Object/ Bronze Owl, with Camera, CR 2),
• Animated Hand Crossbow (Pellet Variant, stays with Hooty Blo, CR 1).
• Wall-e1 and Wall-e2: Mosaic Tile Golems (CR 7 x 2 = 9).
• Slinky, Coils, and Hissy Fit, Iron Cobras x 3 (3 x CR2 = 5)
• Mr Fuzzles (Large Animated Winged Tiger Statue, +3 CP for CR 6: Fly (1), Burrow (1), Mithril (Hardness 15, +4 Natural Armor, 1). When she needs a steed, she has Mr Fuzzles.
• Twinkle Toes: Robot Arachnid (CR 2)
• Chonk The Pony (Clockwork Steed, CR 6)
• 2 x Tickles, Animated Masterwork Thieves Tools (+4 where relevant, total CR 1).
• Dawn, Sunset, Moonlight, and Sunshine (Amber Unicorns, CR 3 x 4, = 8).
• Chez: Animated Lounge Chair (Medium Animated Object, Move 40′, Additional Movement Mode / Flight (CR 3).
• Mr Floateysaur: Animated Ship (Colossal Animated Object, Fly (1), 3x Faster (60′ Move, 3), Slower (No Ground Movement, -2), treat as Mithril (Hardness 15, +4 to Natural Armor, 4), Deck Gun (Ranged Attack, 20′ Increment, 2) (CR 12). Oddly enough, Mr Floateysaur cannot swim – but next level she intends to add +4 Construction Points to get the CR up to 14, adding Swim (1), and an Additional (1) Ranged (2) Attack. (She may work on getting the Ranges up after that. There’s no official pricing for that, but it’s hardly unreasonable).

Candi’s constructs have yet to be a really big factor – even the flying ship is mostly just for fun since two other characters have got them (albeit by entirely different methods) and had them first – but they have helped divert a few crowd scenes and have been reasonably useful for running errands and doing a little light scouting. In part that’s because Candi tends to regard them more as pets and companions than as resources, but there are still enough of them to make it seem like she is running a mechanical Noah’s Ark.

Overall, Candi is actually a pretty-well balanced. She’s got a decent selection of tricks, enough power to use them as needed, some troops to hide behind while she uses them, and her attacks, saves, armor class, and hit points are quite good enough to buy her some time if someone gets past her minions. Admittedly, her tendency to be “cutesy” is eccentric, but as mad scientist quirks go it’s pretty minor.