Clockwork Wizards

[Olowookere Devost]

Theorigins of clockwork magic are nebulous at best. Those of a religious bent say that it's derived from the divine, that a follower of some god of smiths or machines or even time had an epiphany. Others, usually those of a less religious bent, claim that clockwork magic was the discovery of an ancient artificer who, while experimenting with gears and steam, built the first device animated by enchantments. Whatever its origin, clockwork magic involves time manipulation, constructs, and mechanical devices of all kinds.

The school of clockwork magic is a blending of technology and magic not often seen. While some would argue that all spells of this so-called school are simply applications of the more traditionally acknowledged branches of arcane magic, the clockwork mages understand that there is qualitative difference in thought between casting, say, a clockwork(evocation) spell and an ordinary evocation. The school thrives alongside industry, using a small number of spells, compared to the older schools, to create a wide range of styles. Fool is he who fails to notice arcane glyphs and wands and mistakes a clockwork mage for a common gear grinder or tinkerer.

Beginning at 2nd level, whenever you cast an animate construct spell, increase the duration by a number of minutes equal to your proficiency bonus. At 20th level, you can make the spell permanent until dispelled but cannot have more than one made permanent at a time.

Objects you create can have up to two hinges and a latch, but finer mechanical detail is not possible. This effect can be used to repair metal as per the spell. You may use this feature once before completing a long or short rest.

Starting at 14th level, you can use magic to bring constructs under your control. As an action, you can compel one construct you can see within 60 feet of you to make an Intelligence saving throw against your wizard spell save DC. This is a magical effect. If the saving throw fails, the construct becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands for 1 hour, until you use this ability again, or until it takes damage from you or one of your allies. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the duration is extended to 6 hours or until one of the other conditions is fulfilled. When the effect ends, the construct is aware it was controlled by you.

Clockwork mages who use the spell find familiar substitute a small clockwork device in the form of an animal worth 10 gp for the spell's usual material components. It must resemble one of the allowable animals listed in the spell. When the ritual is complete, the clockwork animates. It has the statistics of the chosen form but is a construct. The familiar's form can be changed by rebuilding the clockwork device in the new form and casting find familiar again. If the familiar is destroyed, it can be rebuilt (in the same or a new form) with the same components, if they're recovered; otherwise, 10 gp must be spent on replacement parts. The familiar is never counted when determining the number of constructs a mage can control.

First warning English is not my first language.

From a fluff standpoint a great supplement full of great ideas.

Sadly from a gamer standpoint this is not usable as is. The document contains errors in the spell lists and description.

Spells are of different levels depending on the description or the magic user spell list.

In the current form this supplement need a rewrite to be usable.

Clockwork magic, then, has its origins in time manipulation, precision craftwork and machining, constructs and mechanical devices. Opinion is divided as to whether it was a devotee of a god with a suitable sphere (craft or time perhaps) or a tinkering mechanic who added magic to the steam or water power he was used to using to power his machines that first hit upon the concept. You may wish to establish your own origins for it, or just assume that it is known in certain circles in your world.

For clerics, and others of a religious persuasion, there are details of a Clockwork Domain and a couple of sample deities for whom it could be appropriate. Warlocks may seek out the Great Machine as a patron, and gain suitable abilities and access to spells from that connection. Wizards may choose to become clockwork mages, studying the school of clockwork magic. Each of these provides a framework for the individual character to begin to practice clockwork magic in some manner.

The rest of the book is filled with an array of spells that are in some way associated with clockwork or time in general, often with links into the fascinating world of constructs. There are other snippets scattered throughout: clockwork creatures you can summon and a nasty disease called rust that affects both flesh and bones and constructed beings.

Pact boon-wise, the warlock may choose a clockwork familiar, a changing blade or a pocket-sized device that replaces a book. Three eldritch invocations allow for gear barrage, +1d6 fire damage in melee and reflexive 1d6 fire damage as well as the option to overcome construct immunity to being frightened and charmed.

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So, I always loved "Golden the Clockwork Cat" from Dragon Magazine #299 and so I was converting him to Pathfinder when I realized it would be easier to just take the standard cat in the book, but switch stuff around to make it a construct.

Oh, also what do you think of giving him the actual clockwork template? As a familiar it would have the arcane bond to make it intelligent, though still have the other drawbacks of being actual clockwork.

I don't think so. Reason being, this isn't so much a question at this point of converting from 3.5 to Pathfinder, as much as it's a question of whether a construct cat is worthy of Improved Familiar.Unless I misunderstand about the "Conversion Forum" being about converting 3.x to Pathfinder, then in that case you may be right.

Hmmm... While there are totally are a number of different Pathfinder clockwork creatures in the Bestiary 3, I don't see anything in them from my looking over of the PRD that shows how to build something out of them like that. I had thought there was something that might substitute in easily like a Homunculus or maybe a Clockwork Spy as a basis and merging it into just more of a cat-like form.

Either way your likely looking at an Improved Familiar at most tables you find. A construct is reasonably more powerful then a normal animal. Hmmm, ok yeah thanks. The reason I wondered though is the various things like no healing (except special circumstances), death at 0 hp, can't be resurrected. I have no problem with taking Improved Familiar, as when I used Golden back in 3.5 a GM made me take it even though Golden's write-up gives no mention that it's required.

Pathfinder AP 63, The Asylum Stone has game statistics for clockwork familiars in the bestiary section. In short, "A spellcaster of at least 7th level who takes the Improved Familiar feat can select a clockwork familiar as a familiar." Note that any character who meets the requirements* can create a clockwork familiar, but only those who also take Improved Familiar gain the class benefits of a familiar (i.e., Alertness, Share Spells, etc.).

For instance, my wizard in Shattered Star has a raven familiar and is eventually going to get a clockwork familiar. My GM and I decided that my current raven had some kind of accident prior to becoming my familiar, and I'm prolonging his life (and giving him familiar abilities) by replacing his injured body parts with clockwork and magic.

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