Animator

Animator

Gnomes are well renowned for their creativity and skills in engineering. They are no slouches with arcane abilities, either, although most of the tall folk tend to focus on a gnome's flair for illusion. Consequently, it is easily overlooked that some gnomes have mastered one area in which engineering and arcane meet - animating objects.

Game Rule Information

Animators have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma are important for animators because of their role in controlling the elemental spirits used to animate objects. Intelligence and Wisdom are also useful in the application of the practical crafts required to make animation "receptacles". Dexterity is also useful, especially when trying to run away from animations that have escaped control.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills: The animator’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Disable Device (Int), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (Architecture And Engineering) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (any, each taken separately) (Int/Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Starting Gold: (8d4)x10 gp (average: 200 gp)

Class Features: All of the following are class features of the animator.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An animator is proficient with all simple weapons, with light armour and shields (but not tower shields).

Animate Pannimago: At 1st level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to animate a humanoid pannimago. Details regarding the resulting pannimago are found in "Creating Animagos", below. This ability meets the requirements of caster level, spells required and XP cost. The animator still needs to create or purchase necessary materials.

At 5th level, the animator's ability to create pannimagos extends to quadruped pannimagos. At 9th level, the animator can create flying pannimagos.

Animate Rope: At 2nd level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to Animate Rope once per day (as the spell, caster level equal to half of Animator levels). This ability can be used twice per day at 7th level, three times per day at 12th level, and 4 times per day at 17th level. At 12th level, the ability extends to allow the use of a light chain instead of a rope.

Animate Lignimago: At 6th level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to animate a humanoid lignimago. Details regarding the resulting lignimago are found in "Creating Animagos", below. This ability meets the requirements of caster level, spells required and XP cost. The animator still needs to create or purchase necessary materials.

At 10th level, the animator's ability to create lignimagos extends to quadruped lignimagos. At 14th level, the animator can create flying lignimagos.

Bonus Feat: At 8th level, the animator gains a bonus feat: Mounted Combat. This arises from the common practise of Small-sized animators "riding" Medium- or Large-sized animagos. If the character already has Mounted Combat, they may choose any other feat that has Mounted Combat as a prerequisite (although they must meet any additional prerequisites of that feat).

Animate Aesimago: At 11th level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to animate a humanoid aesimago. Details regarding the resulting aesimago are found in "Creating Animagos", below. This ability meets the requirements of caster level, spells required and XP cost. The animator still needs to create or purchase necessary materials.

At 15th level, the animator's ability to create aesimagos extends to quadruped aesimagos.

Animate Objects: At 13th level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to Animate Objects once per day (as the spell, caster level equal to half of Animator levels). This ability can be used twice per day at 19th level.

Animate Golem: At 16th level, the animator gains the spell-like ability to animate a clay golem. This ability meets the requirements of caster level and spells required, and cuts time required in half. The animator still needs to pay XP cost, and create or purchase necessary materials. This ability is usable once per week.

At 18th level, the animator's ability to create golems extend to stone golems. At 20th level, the animator can create iron golems, and use this ability twice per week.

Level Progression

Level Base Attack Fort Refl Will Special
1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Animate Pannimago (Humanoid)
2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Animate Rope (1/day)
3 +2 +1 +3 +3
4 +3 +1 +4 +4
5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Animate Pannimago (Quadruped)
6 +4 +2 +5 +5 Animate Lignimago (Humanoid)
7 +5 +2 +5 +5 Animate Rope (2/day)
8 +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Bonus Feat
9 +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Animate Pannimago (Flying)
10 +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Animate Lignimago (Quadruped)
11 +8/+3 +3 +7 +7 Animate Aesimago (Humanoid)
12 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Animate Rope (3/day, light chain)
13 +9/+4 +4 +8 +8 Animate Objects (1/day)
14 +10/+5 +4 +9 +9 Animate Lignimago (Flying)
15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +9 Animate Aesimago (Quadruped)
16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Animate Golem (1/week, Clay)
17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Animate Rope (4/day)
18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Animate Golem (Stone)
19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 Animate Objects (2/day)
20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Animate Golem (2/week, Iron)

Creating Animagos

An animator is gifted with the animation of constructs, particularly animagos. Whereas it would take a minimum of three rounds to animate a pannimago suit or lignimago frame, it takes an animator only a full round action. The animated animago is then ready to act in the following round.

Each animago remains active for a maximum set time: 10 minutes per animator level for pannimagos, 1 hour per animator level for lignimagos, and 6 hours per level for aesimagos. Hence, a ninth level animator may choose to animate three pannimagos concurrently, or animate one pannimago at three different times of the day. At high level, an aesimago's duration actually stretches over several days, allowing an animator to have several operating simultaneously. Some animators choose to have an aesimago dedicated to carrying equipment necessary for the assembling of other animagos.

An animator is able to create three types of animagos: pannimagos, lignimagos, and aesimagos. The animator's level determines the base number of times per day he can use the three animation features, the maximum hit dice an animago can be created with, and the number of special modifications that he can apply to an animago.

Level Pannimago Lignimago Aesimago
1 1/day; 1 HD; – – –
2 1/day; 1 HD; – – –
3 1/day; 2 HD; 0 mods – –
4 1/day; 2HD; 0 mods – –
5 2/day; 3 HD; 0 mods – –
6 2/day; 3 HD; 0 mods 1/day; 4 HD; 0 mods –
7 2/day; 4 HD; 1 mod 1/day; 5 HD; 0 mods –
8 2/day; 4 HD; 1 mod 1/day; 5 HD; 0 mods –
9 3/day; 5 HD; 1 mod 1/day; 6 HD; 1 mod –
10 3/day; 5 HD; 1 mod 2/day; 7 HD; 1 mod –
11 3/day; 6 HD; 2 mods 2/day; 7 HD; 1 mod 1/day; 8 HD; 1 mod
12 3/day; 6 HD; 2 mods 2/day; 8 HD; 2 mods 1/day; 9 HD; 1 mod
13 4/day; 7 HD; 2 mods 2/day; 9 HD; 2 mods 1/day; 10 HD; 2 mods
14 4/day; 7 HD; 2 mods 3/day; 9 HD; 2 mods 1/day; 11 HD; 2 mods
15 4/day; 8 HD; 3 mods 3/day; 10 HD; 3 mods 1/day; 12 HD; 3 mods
16 4/day; 8 HD; 3 mods 3/day; 11 HD; 3 mods 2/day; 13 HD; 3 mods
17 5/day; 9 HD; 3 mods 3/day; 11 HD; 3 mods 2/day; 14 HD; 4 mods
18 5/day; 9 HD; 3 mods 4/day; 12 HD; 4 mods 2/day; 15 HD; 4 mods
19 5/day; 10 HD; 3 mods 4/day; 13 HD; 4 mods 2/day; 16 HD; 5 mods
20 5/day; 10 HD; 3 mods 4/day; 13 HD; 4 mods 2/day; 17 HD; 5 mods

Each type of animago is animated by a spirit from a different Elemental Plane, and consequently is affected by a different ability of the animator:

Animago Element Ability
Pannimago Air Intelligence
Lignimago Water Wisdom
Aesimago Earth Constitution

The appropriate ability's bonus is added to the number of times per day each animating feature can be used, and the number of special modifications that can be applied to each animago. The ability bonus also determines the maximum number of that type of animago that can be controlled at any given time (although an animator can always control at least one of each type).

The special modifications available to an animator that can be applied to any animago are:

  • Blindsight: The animago gains the ability to attack foes even under conditions of magical darkness.
  • Energy Attack: The animago uses the power of its animating spirit to add 1d3 of additional damage per attack, in the form of energy damage. Pannimagos add electrical damage, Lignimagos add cold damage, and Aesimagos add acid damage.
  • Energy Resistance: The animago uses the power of its animating spirit to gain damage reduction 2 against energy attacks of a specific form. Pannimagos resist electrical damage, Lignimagos resist cold damage, and Aesimagos resist acid damage.
  • Extra Hit Die: The animago gains one additional hit die. This may increase attack and save bonuses, as appropriate. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Increased Strength: The strength of the animago is increased by +2. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Increased Dexterity: The dexterity of the animago is increased by +2. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Natural Armour: The animago gains a +2 natural armour bonus. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Weapon Finesse: The animago gains the Weapon Finesse feat. Animago claw attacks are considered light weapons with respect to this feat. This can only be taken once per animago.

Special modifications that can be applied specifically to a humanoid animago are:

  • Extra Arm: The animago gains the use of one additional arm. This arm may use a weapon, but attacks as an "off-hand" weapon. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Multi-Weapon Fighting: The animago gains the Multi-Weapon Fighting feat, which reduces penalties for attacking with more than one weapon. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Speed: The animago base move is increased by 10 ft. This can only be taken once per animago.

Special modifications that can be applied specifically to a quadruped animago are:

  • Bite: The animago gains one secondary attack, which causes damage equal to its base claw attack. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Enhanced Claws: The claws of the animago become sharper, increasing damage by one size category. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Extra Foreleg: The animago gains the use of one additional foreleg. This foreleg may make regular claw attacks. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Multiattack: The animago gains the Multiattack feat, which reduces penalties for attacking with more than one type of natural attack. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Pounce: When an animago with this special attack makes a charge, it can follow with a full attack — including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake modification.
  • Rake: An animago extra attacks with its back legs when it grapples a foe. Normally, an animago can attack with only one of its natural weapons while grappling, but an animago with the rake modification gains two additional claw attacks that it can use against its grappled foe. Rake attacks are not subject to the usual -4 penalty for attacking with a natural weapon in a grapple. An animago with the rake modification must begin its turn grappling to use its rake — it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.
  • Speed: The animago base move is increased by 10 ft. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.

Special modifications that can be applied specifically to a flying animago are:

  • Enhanced Claws: The claws of the animago become sharper, increasing damage by one size category. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Extra Leg: The animago gains the use of one additional leg. This leg may make regular claw attacks. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Flyby Attack: When flying, the animago can take a move action (including a dive) and another standard action (such as an attack, but not another move action) at any point during the move.
  • Multiattack: The animago gains the Multiattack feat, which reduces penalties for attacking with more than one type of natural attack. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Peck: The animago gains a secondary attack, which causes piercing damage equal to its base claw attack. This can only be taken once per animago.
  • Speed: The animago's flying movement is increased by 10 ft. This can be taken more than once, and the effects stack.
  • Wing Buffet: The animago gains a secondary attack, which causes bludgeoning damage equal to its base claw attack. This can only be taken once per animago.

Note that for an animago to use additional limbs, it must have additional limbs. Additional limbs can be sewn into a pannimago at no additional cost, lignimago and aesimago need to have extra limbs created separately (at cost specified in their creature descriptions), then attached. An animago may physically have additional limbs, but not take the above modifications, in which case "extra" limbs are unused and dangle listlessly from the animago.

Animator Strategy

Even a 1 HD pannimago can be a powerful weapon against the right foe - its immunity to bludgeoning weapons means it can walk through some foes' zone of control at will. Consequently, some combatants can be easily flanked, giving an animator a valuable bonus at low levels.

It is a common sight to see a gnome animator perched in a basket on the back of a medium- or large-sized humanoid animago, or riding on the back of a quadruped or flying animago. Because the animator finds himself a poor melee combatant compared to fully-armoured fighters, he tends to hang back from combat and use ranged weapons. Consequently, Mounted Archery becomes a common feat choice for mid-level animators. On the other hand, some animators prefer to use polearms and other reach weapons from their vantage point, and a small group have even focused on the lance as a weapon of choice.

A custom-made wicker basket can be purchased for 20 gp, or made using a DC 8 Profession (Basketweaver) check and 5 gp of materials. Standard horse or pony saddles can be purchased and used to ride quadruped animagos. Flying saddles (ones with higher pommels and cantles to better accommodate flying maneuvers) can likewise be purchased from a Leatherworker for use with flying animagos.

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page revision: 22, last edited: 15 May 2011 02:56
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