Android

Androids are superficially identical to humans in many ways, and to the uninformed it can be difficult to differentiate the two. In the right light, though, androids’ alien nature is revealed by the metallic sheen in their eyes and the biological, tattoo-like circuitry that riddles their skin. Their bodies are completely artificial, though made of materials that mimic the flexibility, shape, and density of human flesh and bone. Their organs mirror those of humans so well that only by examining the materials and makeup of these systems—which use sheeny oils and polymer alloys rather than blood and marrow—could one guess that their physiology is alien. Androids are roughly the same size as humans; on average, they are 6 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds.

Shamans speak of great forges where androids are “born” from metal wombs and are cut from electrified umbilical cords. Even androids can’t refute or verify such stories, since most who emerge from ruins do so naked and without any memories beyond their initial egress into the wide, unfamiliar world. Their complex design is unlike that of any race known, leading many to suspect that they originated from a distant star system or even another galaxy.

What separates androids from golems and other mindless constructs is that androids are living beings and as such possess souls. Similarly, androids don’t live forever, though barring violence or tragedy their bodies never deteriorate. Rather, an android’s cybernetic mind eventually shuts down and self-restarts after about a century, leaving its body vacant for several weeks as the old soul departs for its final reward in the planes beyond and a fresh, new soul finds its way into the shell.

Racial Traits

  • Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity and Intelligence, –2 Charisma. Androids have swift reflexes and are very intelligent, but have difficulty relating to others.
  • Constructed: For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favored enemy and bane weapons), androids count as both humanoids and constructs. Androids gain a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and stun effects, are not subject to fatigue or exhaustion, and are immune to disease and sleep effects. Androids can never gain morale bonuses and are immune to fear effects and all emotion-based effects (2 RP.)
  • Size: Androids are Medium creatures, and they have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  • Speed: Androids have a base speed of 30 feet.
  • Exceptional Senses: Androids have darkvision and so can see perfectly in the dark to a range of 60 feet and in addition, they possess low-light vision.
  • Alert: Androids gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
  • Emotionless: Androids have problems processing emotions properly, and thus take a –4 penalty on Sense Motive checks.
  • Nanite Surge: An android’s body is infused with nanites. Once per day as an immediate action, an android can cause her nanites to surge, granting a bonus equal to 3 + the android’s character level on any one d20 roll; this ability must be activated before the roll is made. When an android uses this power, her circuitry-tattoos glow with light equivalent to that of a torch in illumination for 1 round.
  • Languages: Androids begin play speaking Common. Androids with high Intelligence can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Favored Class Options

The following options are available to all androids who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of the standard android racial traits.

Anomaly: Sometimes, a particularly volatile soul can overwhelm the technology of an android body, making the resulting individual subject to emotions, and greatly so. Anomalous androids suffer a –2 racial penalty on saving throws against all mind-affecting effects, emotion effects, and fear effects but can gain the benefits of morale bonuses and suffer no penalty on Sense Motive checks. Additionally, Bluff and Sense Motive are always class skills for them. This racial trait modifies constructed and replaces emotionless.

Cloaked Circuits: Android bodies built for stealth and infiltration employ camouflage circuitry in place of enhanced sensor. Their circuits do not glow when using their nanite surge, and their camouflage reduces the penalty for using Stealth while moving at full speed by 5 and the Stealth check penalty when sniping by 10. This racial trait replaces alert.

Conduit: Rarely, an android’s circuitry is built to act as a potent conduit for divine power. Androids with this trait treat their Charisma score as 2 points higher for the purpose of the channel energy and lay on hands class features, and also for oracle class features (including both spellcasting and revelations). Furthermore, conduits treat their caster level as 1 higher when casting cure and inflict spells. This racial trait replaces nanite surge.

Repairing Nanites: Some androids cannot prompt their nanites to aid them in any endeavor, but instead find that their nanites stitch their wounds together. The first time each day that such an android has taken an amount of damage greater than or equal to twice her Hit Dice, the nanites automatically activate, without an action. Her circuitry-tattoos glow with light equivalent to that of a torch for 1 round and she heals a number of hit points equal to twice her Hit Dice. This racial trait replaces nanite surge.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Alien Codex © 2018, Legendary Games; Lead Designer: Jason Nelson. Authors: Anthony Adam, Kate Baker, John Bennet, Eytan Bernstein, Robert Brookes, Russ Brown, Duan Byrd, Paris Crenshaw, Jeff Dahl, Robyn Fields, Joel Flank, Matt Goodall, Robert J. Grady, Jim Groves, Steven T. Helt, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Nick Hite, Daniel Hunt, Mike Kimmel Marshall, Isabelle Lee, Jeff Lee, Lyz Liddell, Jason Nelson, Richard Pett, Tom Phillips, Jeff Provine, Alistair J. Rigg, Alex Riggs, Wendall Roy, Mike Shel, Neil Spicer, Todd Stewart, Russ Taylor, Rachel Ventura, Mike Welham, George Loki Williams, Scott Young.

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