You’ve got [CLANG] ssssteam heat
You’ve got [CLANG] ssssteam heat
C’mon, I need your blast to keep away that kobold.
When I was looking at spells related to a cleric of the Clockwork/Artifice domain, I knew I wanted something that would create an interesting scene. The Deep Magic book from Kobold Press has an animate construct spell for arcane magic-users; for the clerics, it seemed more aligned to their class to make it a summon spell. I leave it up to you and your patron deity to envision and describe what a “summon” means to a gearforged god or goddess.
This spell uses the expanded and updated summoning rules from 13th Age Monthly, and continues the concept of feats that are dependent upon a cleric’s chosen domains. Unlike the other clockwork summon spell, the clockwork archon isn’t explicitly drawn from Midgard. That said, many aspects of this summoned creature are directly based off ideas and mechanics from the Midgard Bestiary and Deep Magic.
(Which, by the way, are two fantastic resources for 13th Age mechanics and abilities even if you’re not playing in Midgard.)
Wait, You Can Target an Ally?
Clever clerics who like trickery and illusion will notice that the adventurer feat for this spell allows the archon’s steam blast attack to target an ally. This is a concept taken directly from the Deep Magic spell of the same name. Sometimes your ally really needs to become disengaged; your little archon won’t burn them too badly.
1st Level Spell
Summon Clockwork Archon
Close-quarters spell • Daily
Special: This spell is only available to clerics who take the Clockwork/Artifice domain,
Effect: This spell calls up a clockwork archon (a small quasi-angelic construct) as an ordinary summoned creature. The power of the clockwork archon depends on the level of the spell—cast as a 3rd level spell, you get the 3rd level clockwork archon.
Ordinary summoned creature: In order to use all three of its actions on its turn, and one of its listed attacks with its standard action, the clockwork archon’s caster must have used a standard action to summon or control the archon on the turn the caster just completed. If not, roll a d6 on the table below. Note that the clockwork archon’s default actions don’t include moving.
Clockwork Archon’s Default Action Table (roll d6)
1: Awaiting input. No actions taken this turn.
2-3: The clockwork archon takes a defensive shape while it awaits input. It gains +2 to AC (not cumulative) until the start of it’s next turn.
4: Pressure is building — the next steam blast attack does double damage (this benefit is used up on a miss). If the next steam blast will already do double damage, the clockwork archon instead takes damage equal to its level; re-roll on this table.
5+: Pressure is released — the clockwork archon makes a steam blast attack against one random nearby enemy.
Adventurer Feat: If you have the Healing domain, the clockwork archon also heals hp equal to twice its level when you roll a 1-3 on its Default Action Table. If you have the Protection/Community domain, the clockwork archon’s resist damage is now 16+. If you have the Trickery/Illusion domain, your clockwork archon’s steam blast can now also target nearby allies; it only does half damage if it hits an ally.
Champion Feat: If the clockwork archon’s next steam blast attack will already do double damage, any roll of 4 on the Default Action Table becomes a 5+ instead.
It’s all fun and games until someone get hit with a blast of super-heated water.
Summoned Clockwork Archon
1st level spoiler [construct]
Initiative: +4 (but usually irrelevant)
Fists & gears +5 vs. AC—4 damage
C: Steam blast +4 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—2 fire damage, and the target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with
–Miss: The target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with.
Resist damage 12+: When an attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Ordinary summoned creature: See the table at the start of this spell.
AC 17 | PD 15 | MD 11 | HP 21
Summoned Clockwork Archon
3rd level spoiler [construct]
Initiative: +6 (but usually irrelevant)
Fists & gears +7 vs. AC—7 damage
C: Steam blast +6 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—4 fire damage, and the target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with
–Miss: The target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with.
Resist damage 12+: When an attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Ordinary summoned creature: See the table at the start of this spell.
AC 19 | PD 17 | MD 13 | HP 35
Summoned Clockwork Archon
5th level spoiler [construct]
Initiative: +8 (but usually irrelevant)
Fists & gears +9 vs. AC—14 damage
C: Steam blast +8 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—8 fire damage, and the target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with
–Miss: The target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with.
Resist damage 12+: When an attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Ordinary summoned creature: See the table at the start of this spell.
AC 21 | PD 19 | MD 15 | HP 56
Summoned Clockwork Archon
7th level spoiler [construct]
Initiative: +10 (but usually irrelevant)
Fists & gears +11 vs. AC—21 damage
C: Steam blast +10 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—12 fire damage, and the target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with
–Miss: The target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with.
Resist damage 12+: When an attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Ordinary summoned creature: See the table at the start of this spell.
AC 23 | PD 21 | MD 17 | HP 84
Summoned Clockwork Archon
9th level spoiler [construct]
Initiative: +12 (but usually irrelevant)
Fists & gears +13 vs. AC—38 damage
C: Steam blast +12 vs. AC (one nearby enemy)—22 fire damage, and the target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with
–Miss: The target pops free from all opponents it’s engaged with.
Resist damage 12+: When an attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 12+ on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Ordinary summoned creature: See the table at the start of this spell.
AC 25 | PD 23 | MD 19 | HP 140
Specs are in Alignment
One of the things I noticed in revisions is that the defensive stats for the clockwork archon exactly match those of the summoned Saint of Rava for the other clockwork summon spell. I honestly can’t remember if that was intentional, but I’ve decided to keep it that way. These are constructs connected to a Clockwork/Artifice domain, after all. There’s bound to be repetition in the patterns. Until and unless I update the spell or stats, the only thing left to do is add the required words:
Usage — the Legal Stuff
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