Automaton, Sharpshooter

This construct resembles a humanoid with a large crossbow built into its arm. It floats with no apparent mechanism.

Sharpshooter Automaton CR 15

XP 51,200
LN Medium construct (automaton, extraplanar)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, see invisibility; Perception +27

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 14, flat-footed 25 (+4 Dex, +15 natural)
hp 130 (20d10+20); fast healing 10
Fort +6, Ref +14, Will +10
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, sharpshooter’s sense; DR 15/adamantine; Immune construct traits, electricity; Resist cold 10, sonic 10; SR 26
Weaknesses vulnerable mind

OFFENSE

Speed fly 100 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +24 (1d8+6)
Ranged automated crossbow +25/+20/+15/+10 (2d8+6/17–20 plus 1d6 fire)
Special Attacks arcane propulsion, bolt volley, energy beam
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +24)

Constantsee invisibility
At willhold person (DC 16), mirror image, web (DC 16)
3/daychain lightning (DC 20), wall of force
1/dayplane shift (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), reverse gravity

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 20, Con —, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 18
Base Atk +20; CMB +24; CMD 40
Feats Far Shot, Hover, Improved Critical (automated crossbow), Improved Initiative, Improved Precise Shot, Manyshot, Pinpoint Targeting, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot
Skills Diplomacy +27, Fly +36, Intimidate +27, Knowledge (geography) +26, Knowledge (local) +26, Perception +27, Spellcraft +26
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ automaton core, intelligent construct

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Arcane Propulsion (Su)

A sharpshooter automaton flies using arcane energy that radiates out from itself. A creature that ends its turn adjacent to a sharpshooter automaton takes 2d8 points of fire damage.

Automated Crossbow (Ex)

A sharpshooter automaton’s automated crossbow is treated as a Large +2 flaming heavy crossbow. The powerful weapon is treated as a siege weapon for the purposes of wind effects, wind wall, and similar effects. While the crossbow is built into the automaton, the automaton adds its Strength bonus as a bonus on damage rolls and reloads as a free action.

Bolt Volley (Ex)

As a standard action, a sharpshooter automaton can fire a spray of arrows that covers a 30-foot-radius area. If it uses a full-round action, the size of the area increases to a 50-foot radius. It makes a single attack roll against all creatures in the area using its highest base attack bonus at a –4 penalty. Each creature struck takes 6d8 points of damage plus 1d6 points of fire damage. The sharpshooter automaton can use this attack once every 1d4 rounds as it must regenerate its ammunition, but it can continue to use its automated crossbow as normal during this time.

Energy Beam (Ex)

A sharpshooter automaton can focus the energy in its core to make a ranged touch attack against a creature within 120 feet as a standard action.

The beam deals 15d6 points of damage on a hit; half of this damage is fire damage and half is force damage.

Upon striking its target, the energy beam explodes in a 10-foot-radius burst. Creatures in the explosion area, including the original target, take 10d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 24 half). The sharpshooter automaton can use its energy beam once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

Sharpshooter’s Sense (Ex)

A sharpshooter automaton’s core is instilled with a knack for combat awareness, granting it all-around vision. Additionally, it adds its Wisdom modifier as a bonus on Reflex saves.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Axis)
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure automated crossbow

Sharpshooter automatons contain the minds of the best archers and crossbow specialists known, who competed in tournaments to earn the right to an automaton body. They served as the artillery of the automatons, attacking enemies with such precision and at such a great distance that many targets fell long before they were aware of an imminent attack.

Efficiency was the key of the sharpshooter automaton’s design. Their frames are just large enough to house the components necessary to power the construct alongside their magical weapons. Though the frames followed a similar pattern of design across these automatons, many sharpshooters chose to embellish their forms with intricate runic patterns or fearsome designs reminiscent of tattoos.

A sharpshooter automaton is typically 4 feet tall and weighs 215 pounds. The largest sharpshooter automatons, however, housed extremely large ranged weapons or even siege weapons, such as ballistae capable of destroying a keep’s walls.

A sharpshooter automaton’s automaton core directs a considerable amount of its power to the arcane propulsion that allows the construct to fly. This energy appears invisible to the naked eye, but creatures capable of detecting magical auras perceive it as something resembling a magical flame.

This propulsion constantly releases excess energy capable of burning creatures too close to the sharpshooter.

The technology that fuels a sharpshooter’s flight similarly powers its weapon. The crossbow built into most sharpshooters siphons planar energy from the automaton core and reconstitutes it to create the large bolts its weapon requires. These bolts allow a sharpshooter automaton to fire enormous volleys without ever lacking ammunition.

Once a bolt leaves the automaton’s reserve, it becomes relatively unstable, however, and generally dissipates in minutes, returning to the parts of the Great Beyond from which it was drawn.

Although most sharpshooter automatons use crossbows as their weapon of choice, archers of all kinds volunteered to become the new constructs, as the automaton’s expert construction allowed for perfection of an archer’s skill.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Construct Handbook © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Brian Duckwitz, Andrew Hoskins, Nathan King, Kris Leonard, Luis Loza, Adrian Ng, Tom Phillips, Alex Riggs, and Nicholas Wasko.

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