Rubedo/Treasures
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Contents
The Treasures of Rubedo
The Automata of Rubedo are Alchemical Artifacts. They are intelligent, although the intelligence of Golems and Dolls is limited. Damage is rolled against them, not applied automatically as if they were objects, however, but they are still affected by most other effects that apply to automatons, and are exempt from those that don’t. They are created as Artifacts, and they require a similar process to increase their Essence, requiring another to do the same amount of research, materials and successes necessary to make an artifact equal to their current Essence level for them to raise to the next one. Golems and Dolls are first built as Artifact ***, and Homunculi, as Artifact *****. Although their Essence increases and they are in most respects Awakened Essence beings, only the Homunculi possess an Essence pool.
Each type of automata has their own powerful innate abilities and all can receive Alchemical Enhancements. Those are bought like Charms. The sort of enhancements each kind can be fit with is noted on their description.
They are all unaffected by poison and disease, never need to make fatigue rolls, have no need to eat, drink or sleep(although Homunculi can enjoy eating and drinking), and can only heal when repaired by a craftsman. They are cognizant enough to think independently and use their Virtues and Willpower. Unless otherwise stated, they cannot soak lethal damage with half their Stamina.
Automata use Terrestrial costs for their Essence and Alchemical Enhancements.
Golems
Unliving Titans
Golems are titanic beings, walking statues of immense physical prowess. Their Strength and Stamina are increased by 3, and they are able to soak Lethal Damage with half their Stamina. Furthermore, they receive one -0 Health Level per dot of Essence, and receive a number of extra Health Levels equal to their Stamina. (Divided evenly between -1 and -2 Health Levels; odd dots go to -2.) Their bare hands have the combat statistics of Fighting Gauntlets, their feet, the combat statistics of Iron Boots, and they are considered to be clad in mundane armor with a rating equal to their Essence rating. (They are never affected by Fatigue but are affected by Mobility Penalties)
Golems are not without drawbacks, however, as their bulk increases the difficulty to strike any creature of human size or smaller by +1, and adds one success to all attacks made by human-sized enemies upon the Golems. Least cognizant of all automata, they can only raise their Intelligence, Perception and Wits up to their current Essence rating.
Golems can spend their Alchemy Slots in the following ways. They can spend one to give themselves a new built-in weapon, like their fists or feet, with the statistics of a mundane weapon, two to make one of their built-in weapons (or Armor) Perfect, and three give it Artifact Weapon (or Armor) statistics. Those weapons and armor are always obvious, there for all to see, and they cannot have a number of weapons in addition to their two base ones than their Permanent Essence rating.
They can spend one to give themselves one Mutation Point (Golems can be outfitted with many things that appear to be mutations, such as a heavy pelt, claws and teeth, a sturdier constitution or arachnid legs. Certain things, such as Shapeshifting, are clearly out of their theme. They cannot have more Mutation Points than their Essence x4, however).
At Essence 4 and 5 Golems become works of art, statues of complex wonder and Alchemy, and become able to give themselves the power of one Artifact or Hearthstone with a rating equal to the amount of Alchemy slots placed on the Artifact or Hearthstone Power. (Those require no commitment of Essence. If any power requires the expenditure of Essence, they can pay 1 willpower to generate 3 motes.) They cannot have more than three Artifact or Hearthstone-like powers installed.
Golem Character Creation
Step One: Character Concept. Note Concept and Nature.
Step Two: Attributes. Divide 6/4/3 between Attributes.
Step Three: Abilities. Divide 20 dots between Abilities.
Step Four: Alchemy. Divide 4 between Alchemical Enhancements.
Step Five: Advantages. 5 Virtues. Cannot fail Valor rolls.
Step Six: Finishing Touches. Record Essence (2), Willpower (2 highest virtues, may not start higher than 8 unless two or more virtues are rated 4 or higher), and Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incap. Between all the other steps, the Golem may divide 15 Bonus Points. Those use Terrestrial costs.
Dolls
Walking Arsenals
Dolls are walking arsenals, small and filled with a myriad of weapons. Dolls receive two mundane weapons per dot of Permanent Essence they possess, picked from any in the weapons list. They are always able to hide those weapons; They are never immediately apparent, and to try and notice them, an observer must dedicate a dice action to studying the Doll and rolling his Perception+Awareness against the Doll's Wits+Stealth or Larceny, with the Doll’s Essence added as automatic successes. A doll can draw one or more of those weapons out with an unrolled dice action. More terrifying is the way they are able to use those weapons so nimbly, however! A Doll can parry any attack she is aware of with a base pool equal to her Wits+Essence. They can raise their Intelligence, Perception and Wits up to Essence +1.
Dolls can spend their Alchemy Slots in the following ways. They can spend one to make one of their built-in weapons Perfect, two to give it Artifact weapon statistics, and three to receive a Magical Material bonus for the Artifact weapon. Another Alchemy Slot can add the effect of a poison or another substance to all uses of the built-in weapon.
They can spend one to give themselves one Mutation Point (The multiple arms, tentacles and smaller size Mutations are at half their usual cost for a doll. They cannot have more Mutation Points than their Essence x4), to increase their resilience(adding two -2 Health Levels per use), to give themselves one storage compartment where they are able to hold one item, or to give themselves specialty kits, giving them the necessary tolls for one single non-combat job and a +2 Specialty on that area for every Slot placed on it(breaking the rules for Specialties, allowing them to raise higher than they should and stacking with normal Specialties), to a maximum number of Slots spent on one single Specialty of their Essence.
Doll Character Creation
Step One: Character Concept. Note Concept and Nature.
Step Two: Attributes. Divide 7/5/3 between Attributes.
Step Three: Abilities. Divide 25 dots between Abilities.
Step Four: Alchemy. Divide 6 between Alchemical Enhancements.
Step Five: Advantages. 5 Virtues.
Step Six: Finishing Touches. Record Essence (2), Willpower (2 highest virtues, may not start higher than 8 unless two or more virtues are rated 4 or higher), and Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incap. Between all the other steps, the Doll may divide 15 Bonus Points. Those use Terrestrial costs.
Homunculi
Hollow Man-Made Gods
Homunculi are statuesque and fully cognizant entities, hollow gods who hunger for Essence to fill their void, their insides eternal alchemical infernos creating wondrous formulas out of nothing. Homunculi may raise any of their Attributes as high as 8, are able to soak Lethal Damage with half their Stamina and are never Extras. Homunculi receive a number of Alchemical Formulas equal to their Essence which they can produce at the cost of 3 motes. They all have a Zosimos Blade, an Artifact weapon with a rating equal to their Essence +1. Despite the name, it may or may not be a blade, and the full extent of its capabilities is described below.
They have a respectable Essence Pool, but are unable to recover Essence normally (through respiration or Stunts) or attune to Artifacts or Hearthstones. To recover their Essence, they must touch a victim(which may require a hand-to-hand attack if the victim resists) and spend 1 willpower, rolling their Willpower+Essence against their victim’s; Every success means 2 motes stolen from the victim, or 1 Health Level of damage dealt if the victim possess no Essence, or no motes left. Feeding is a terrible process, and those fed begin to hemorrhage essence, receiving a 1-mote surcharge on every Charm they use for the remainder of the Scene (cumulative with other successful feeding attempts).
Homunculi can spend their Alchemy Slots in the following ways. They can give themselves more Alchemical Formulas, to a maximum of their Willpower in additional Formulas. They can purchase Terrestrial Martial Arts, or learn Celestial Martial Arts like Dragon-Blooded(they are also able to ‘harmonize’ a number of Martial Arts to their Zosimos Blades equal to their Essence; those will always use their Blades as its Form Weapon, and may become something other than a Martial Art, shifted to any other Ability, normally of the Dawn Caste, but some may be appropriate under Athletics, Presence, or even Occult), and give themselves an Ox-Body that cannot be purchased more times than their Stamina and gives one -1 and one -2 Health Level. Finally, Homunculi may buy a number of innate Hearthstone powers, at one level per Alchemy Slot placed on it, to a maximum of four different Hearthstone-like powers.
Homunculus Character Creation
Step One: Character Concept. Note Concept and Nature.
Step Two: Attributes. Divide 10/8/5 between Attributes. They all begin at two dots.
Step Three: Abilities. Select Favored Abilities (6). Divide 30 dots between Abilities, increase all Favored by one dot. (This may specifically make Favored Abilities reach as high as 6.)
Step Four: Alchemy. Divide 10 between Alchemical Enhancements.
Step Five: Advantages. 5 Backgrounds, 5 Virtues.
Step Six: Finishing Touches. Record Essence (2), Willpower (2 highest virtues, may not start higher than 8 unless two or more virtues are rated 4 or higher), Essence Pool [(Essence x10) + (Willpower x2) + (Highest Virtue)], and Health Levels: -0, -1, -1, -2, -2, -4, Incap. Between all the other steps, the Homunculus may divide 15 Bonus Points. Those use Terrestrial costs.
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