Necrotechnician
"The hell do you mean the skeleton's stopped pedaling?!"
- Troldepus Gnomesplitter, Necrotechnician, as his carriage stops.
The Necrotechnician maintains the undead-based technology of Kobolarus, from the mighty Skullputer all the way down to the simplest engine in a horseless carriage. They are skilled necromancers and craftsmen, often finding work in factories.
BECOMING A NECROTECHNICIAN
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
: Must be able to cast "Animate Dead."
: Must forgo the creation of Zombies.
: 8 ranks in any Craft skill, 8 ranks in Knowledge (Religion) or Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering).
Class Skills
The Necrotechnician's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are.... Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (Architecture & Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skills Points at Each Level : 2 + int
Hit Dice: d6
[b] BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities[/b]
1. +0 +0 +2 +2 Skeletal Specialization, Skeletal Machinery
2. +1 +0 +3 +3
3. +1 +1 +3 +3 Advanced Machinery
4. +2 +1 +4 +4
5. +2 +1 +4 +4 Create Skeletal Engine, Haunt Shift 1/day
6. +3 +2 +5 +5
7. +3 +2 +5 +5
8. +4 +2 +6 +6 Haunt Shift 2/day
9. +4 +3 +6 +6 Engine Mastery
10.+5 +3 +7 +7 Create Skeletal Laborer, Haunt Shift 3/day
Weapon Proficiencies: A necrotechnician gains no weapon or armor proficiency.
Put all the different class abilities in here!
Spells Per Day: After first level, a Necrotechnician gains spells as if they had advanced in a spellcasting class they belonged to before becoming a Necrotechnician, provided that class offered Animate Dead. If they had more than one such class before becoming a Necrotechnician, they must choose which class to advance.
Skeletal Specialization (Su): A Necrotechnician knows that zombies spread disease. After all, they're walking corpses. Because of this, they will only animate skeletons or incorporeal undead with their necromancy. Their narrow specialization grants them great knowledge of controlling skeletons, however. A Necrotechnician's control limit for skeletons is equal to five times his or her Caster Level. However, if they had levels in Dread Necromancer beforehand, they can instead control (5+Cha)*CL skeletons.
Skeletal Machinery (Su): The Necrotechnician's specialty is the Skeletal Machine. To create a skeletal machine, a Necrotechnician simply has to cast Animate Dead and choose to create a Skeletal Machine.
These specialized skeletons can not take attack actions under any circumstance. However, they do not take up hit dice of controlled undead. Rather than being used in combat, the Skeletal Machine is given a simple task, usually as part of an assembly line or Skullputer. This must be an "If/Then" command of four words or fewer (If sign bring wood, If given parts assemble, etc.) These Skeletal Machines may make a Craft skill check of DC 15 or lower, using the modifiers of the one who gave them the order. A skeletal engine can only carry out a single command, and once a command is given to a Skeletal Machine, it will never stop performing it unless specifically ordered to do so. A Skeletal Machine can be ordered to serve a new master by its controller, whereupon the new master may give it orders as if he created it. However, the creator can override an order given by any subsequent controller.
Advanced Machinery (Su): As their understanding of necromancy grows, a Necrotechnician's skeletons and Skeletal Machines gain a greater understanding of the commands they are given, allowing for more complex duties. At 3rd level, a Necrotechnician's machinery now understands commands of up to six words, as well as more complex commands. (This red bolt goes here, Stand here and repair this wagon, etc.) A machine can be issued up to two commands, allowing a stop condition to be set (Carry wood here, only until the job's complete). The maximum DC of a Skeletal Machine's craft checks increases to 25 and they can perform Aid Another checks to assist Skeletal Laborers (see below).
Create Skeletal Engine (Su): At fifth level, a Necrotechnician can choose to install a Skeletal Machine in a vehicle such as a carriage after it is suitably rebuilt, where it becomes a Skeletal Engine. A single Skeletal Engine made from a humanoid can provide enough power to move a carriage and up to three medium sized creatures at a speed equal to its land speed+10, although more Skeletal Engines are required for larger vehicles or ones with unusual means of locomotion, such as a gyrocopter or airship. A Skeletal Engine responds to signals sent from the driver of a vehicle, and can understand incremental orders such as "Slow down," "Speed up," or "Stop."
Haunt Shift (Su): A Necrotechnician soon begins considering other ways to use the power of the undead. At 5th level, a Necrotechnician can use Haunt Shift as a spell-like ability once per day, with a caster level equal to his or her hit dice. This can only target undead that he or she has created. This ability is typically used to animate factory equipment, such as creating conveyor belts. A second use of this ability is gained at 8th level, and again at 10th.
Engine Mastery (Ex): When driving a vehicle powered by Skeletal Engines he or she created, a Necrotechnician does not need to make Ride or Profession checks to control it unless the Vehicle Control DC exceeds 20.
Create Skeletal Laborer (Ex): The ultimate triumph of a Necrotechnician is the Skeletal Laborer- a Skeletal Machine that can make any Craft or Profession check that its master can. These are the farm workers of Kobolarus, the complex assembly lines, and the most important part of Skullputer. They will tirelessly perform a task exactly as their master would and can be given complex commands of any length.
PLAYING A NECROTECHNICIAN
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: A Necrotechnician prefers to stay at range, pelting his foes with spells while his undead and allies move to shield him. Given the choice, however, they will immediately make for the nearest vehicle and floor it.
Advancement: Typically, a Necrotechnician is a Wizard or Dread Necromancer. Wizards fit this class well due to their Intelligence scores, while Dread Necromancers can benefit from the increased undead control limit and more complex commands.
Resources: Necrotechnicians are always willing to provide their fellows with advice on programming and constructions
CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
"I really don't see why you need all these skeletons to build a boat."
A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Typically, the Necrotechnician starts his day by preparing spells before making his way to the factory for his shift and ensuring the machinery is in order before starting the day's work.
Notables: The first foray into Necrotechnology came from the combined efforts of Kribnefka Terunterik (Honorable Chairman For Life of Kobolarus) and Matt Tennant, a necromancer. The earliest attempt was a number of skeletons pedaling stolen gnomish gyrocopters to lift a platform carrying their party members. Kribnefka saw potential in an endless source of workers that needed no rest, which would free up his people to put more work into individual crafts.
Organizations: Many Necrotechnicians are part of the Church of Matt Tennant, god of Necromancy and Machinery. Most, however, are employed by one of the state-owned factories of Kobolarus to create and maintain their assembly lines.
NPC Reaction
Most NPCs are distrustful of Kobolds and Necromancers to begin with. The combination of the two does them no favors. The kobolds of Kobolarus, however, view Necrotechnicians with a healthy respect- these specialized necromancers are responsible for a much higher standard of living and freeing up more kobolds to work the mines or serve their nation in other respects.
CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
Adaptation: The Necrotechnician can be easily adapted to any setting where Necromancy is studied, although they will rarely be welcomed. A typical Necrotechnician wants to better the lives of those around him through Necromancy and automation of menial labor.
Encounters: While Necrotechnicians understand the orders and actions that their Skeletal Machines can and cannot perform, not many others do. It is not uncommon to find a Necrotechnician trying to undo the damage of a poorly worded command from a controller.
