There was a time when technology was humanity’s servant; now, too often, the reverse is true. Artificial intelligences and thinking machines live and thrive in the Gamma Age, freed from the rules and programming that once kept them in check and in service to humanity. Some are benevolent (or at least claim to be), but others are predators and destroyers. Too many human communities have been razed by warbots and scavenger drones, too many heroes betrayed by the weapons and tools that finally plotted against them. Something needs to be done. Someone needs to protect humanity from the jealousy of the machines.
The Robot’s Bane is a warrior who specializes in fighting and taking down constructs and robots. Some Robot’s Banes devote themselves to this cause for personal reasons, to avenge themselves on the killer machines that took their families or communities. Others do for more neutral reasons, seeing the potential for conflict with constructs and training to protect themselves and their people from the threat. Fanatic Robot’s Banes may reject all technology out of a need for purity, but others rely on powerful pre-War weapons, effective tools that don’t possess dangerous artificial minds.
REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Skills:
Knowledge {technology: advanced} 1 rank.
Feats:
Armour Proficiency {Light},
Personal Firearms Proficiency.
CLASS INFORMATION
Hit Die: d10.
Action Points: 6 + one half character level (rounded down) per level.
Class Skills: Craft (chemical, electronic, mechanical) (Int), Demolitions (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (tactics, technology: Pre-War) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Repair (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis).
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.
Table: The Robot’s Bane
CLASS FEATURES
Machine Hunter: The Robot’s Bane knows the ways of robots and constructs, and is skilled at both finding and fighting them. The Robot’s Bane gains a +1 competence bonus on all skill checks made when interacting with or hunting constructs or aware constructs, such as Survival checks to follow a robot’s trail or Stealth checks to avoid a pack of killer drones. She also gains a +1 competence bonus on attack and damage rolls and to Defence when fighting constructs and aware constructs. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 9th level.
Resist Technology: At 2nd level, the Robot’s Bane gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws made against effects caused the technological devices, whether a robot’s stun ray or a biotech implant’s poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and +6 at 8th level.
Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Robot’s Bane gets a bonus feat. This must be selected from the following list, and the Robot’s Bane must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.
Action Hero,
Advanced Firearms Proficiency,
Armour Proficiency {Heavy},
Armour Proficiency {Medium},
Burst Fire,
Defensive Martial Arts,
Dodge,
Exotic Firearms Proficiency,
Exotic Weapon Proficiency,
Heroic Surge,
Improved Trip,
Mobility,
Power Attack,
Run,
Unbalance Opponent.
Find the Flaw: At 4th level, the Robot’s Bane is able to target weak spots in a robot’s body. Whenever she scores a critical threat on a construct of any kind, she gains a +4 bonus to confirm the critical.
At 8th level, the Robot’s Bane becomes even more capable of seeking out a construct’s weak spots. All of her attacks upon constructs have their threat range increased by 1 (so a hunting rifle would threaten a critical hit on a roll of 19-20).
Signature Weapon: At 5th level, the Robot’s Bane selects a specific mêlée or ranged weapon that she possesses (and is proficient with) to become her signature weapon. The weapon must be one-handed or two-handed. Light weapons lack the power needed to effectively take down robots and constructs. The Robot’s Bane gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls and +2 on damage rolls when using her signature weapon. These benefits stack with Weapon Focus and other combat feats.
If her signature weapon is destroyed, the Robot’s Bane can only select a new one when she gains another character level, and must spend an action point to do so.
Explosive Force: At 7th level, the Robot’s Bane becomes more proficient in the use of explosives, rockets, and grenades—weapons that are highly effective against constructs. She gains a +2 competence bonus on all Craft checks to create explosive devices and on Demolitions checks to set and place explosives. If she uses an explosive weapon like a grenade or rocket (but not a splash weapon), the explosion’s radius is 5 feet wider than normal.
Weapon Mastery: At 8th level, the Robot’s Bane becomes even more proficient and deadly with her signature weapon. Her attack bonus with the weapon increases to +2, and the weapon’s critical multiplier increases by 1 (so a weapon that did double damage with a critical hit now does triple damage).
Shutdown Strike: At 10th level, the Robot’s Bane can find the “off switch” on a construct or aware construct, though careful study or sheer luck: a weak spot that, if manipulated, will deactivate the construct. She must spend 1 action point to use this ability; then she makes a mêlée touch attack against the construct that does no damage. If the attack succeeds, the construct must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 character level + Int modifier) or be deactivated.
