Ethereal Automatons

From: Eclipsed Atelier

Lore: Within the enigmatic depths of the Eclipsed Atelier, the Ethereal Automatons glide silently through the shadows, their ghostly forms imbued with the essence of both magic and machinery. Legends suggest that the automatons were created by an ancient artificer known as Seraphina the Arcanist, who sought to fuse the ethereal and the material planes to construct perfect beings of both magic and engineering.

The Ethereal Automatons take on a variety of forms, ranging from humanoid to animalistic, each possessing a glowing, translucent body that reflects the essence of the atelier’s magic. They are tireless guardians, patrolling the atelier’s corridors and chambers, ready to respond to disturbances and protect its secrets from intruders.

Functionally, the Ethereal Automatons serve a dual purpose within the Eclipsed Atelier. Firstly, they act as guardians, detecting intruders through their ability to sense disruptions in the magical field. Secondly, they assist the atelier’s inhabitants by performing menial tasks to maintain the laboratory’s functionality and conducting research or experiments under the direction of skilled alchemists and mages.

Characters who gain the friendship or control of the Ethereal Automatons can count on valuable allies in their exploration of the atelier. The constructs possess a vast repository of knowledge accumulated over the ages, allowing them to provide valuable information, decipher ancient texts, and solve intricate puzzles that impede adventurers’ progress.

Additionally, these spectral companions can act as reliable allies during confrontations with hostile creatures or unexpected challenges within the atelier. However, their ethereal nature renders them vulnerable to certain magical effects, and they may not always be suited for all situations.

The Ethereal Automatons – Tier One Stats:

• Size: The Ethereal Automatons come in various sizes and forms, ranging from human-sized to larger or smaller, depending on their specific design and purpose.
• Color: The automatons possess glowing, translucent bodies that emit a soft, otherworldly light. The color of their glow often corresponds to the type of magic or element they are attuned to.
• Shape: Their shapes vary, with some resembling humanoid figures, while others take on the forms of animals or fantastical creatures.
• Sound: The Ethereal Automatons move with near silence, their presence accompanied by faint, ethereal whispers that blend with the ambient hum of the atelier’s magical energies.
• Requirements: To befriend or control the Ethereal Automatons, characters must show respect for the atelier’s magical heritage and demonstrate a willingness to preserve its secrets and knowledge. Proving their worth through acts of valor, wisdom, and curiosity will earn the automatons’ trust and cooperation.
• Tags: Ghostly Guardians, Arcane Assistants, Seraphina’s Creations, Ethereal, Magical, Constructs, Knowledge, Allies, Spectral, Puzzles, Guardians

Skills:

• Ethereal Sentinel: The Ethereal Automatons can detect intruders and disturbances in the magical field, alerting adventurers to potential threats or hidden dangers.
• Ancient Lorekeepers: Possessing a wealth of knowledge, the automatons can provide insights into the atelier’s history, decipher ancient texts, and offer guidance on deciphering arcane puzzles.
• Spectral Assistants: The Ethereal Automatons can aid adventurers during confrontations, either by assisting with strategic maneuvers or providing temporary advantages in battle.

Cost and Selling: The Ethereal Automatons are unique and intricate creations with a profound connection to the Eclipsed Atelier’s magic. As such, they are not commodities that can be bought or sold in conventional markets. Their allegiance and cooperation are earned rather than purchased.

To encounter the Ethereal Automatons, adventurers must prove themselves worthy within the atelier’s depths. The automatons are drawn to individuals who show reverence for the atelier’s arcane legacy, respect its enigmatic history, and demonstrate a desire to preserve and explore its secrets. Only those who are deemed worthy by the automatons will gain their friendship and cooperation.

Usage and Results: Characters who befriend or gain control of the Ethereal Automatons gain valuable allies in their exploration of the Eclipsed Atelier. The automatons act as guardians, warning adventurers of potential dangers, and offering insights into the atelier’s ancient lore and hidden secrets. Their assistance in deciphering puzzles and arcane texts can be invaluable, aiding characters in overcoming the myriad challenges that the atelier presents.

During confrontations, the Ethereal Automatons can provide strategic support or temporary advantages, giving adventurers a tactical edge when facing hostile creatures or unforeseen threats. However, their spectral nature means they are vulnerable to certain magical effects, and relying on them entirely may not be the best strategy in all situations.

Interacting with the Ethereal Automatons allows characters to immerse themselves in the rich history and wonders of the Eclipsed Atelier, fostering an atmosphere of mystery, wonder, and danger as they navigate its ethereal guardians and uncover the enigmatic knowledge hidden within its walls.

Lament of Seraphina’s Sentinels

In the dim epochs of yore, when the earth was yet a canvas of untamed magics and the stars wept in tongues no mortal could fathom, there was sung a tale of Seraphina the Arcanist, a name etched in the whispers of the aether. From a language lost to the winds of time, its symbols crumbled into the dust of forgotten realms, this story was passed through the trembling hands of ancient scribes, translated with reverence into the dialects of old. It tells of the Ethereal Automatons, spectral guardians born of Seraphina’s ambition to wed the ethereal to the material, creations that haunt the Eclipsed Atelier with their ghostly light, their whispers a hymn to a dream both wondrous and doomed.

Seraphina was no mere mage, but a visionary whose heart burned with the fire of creation. In an age when the lands of Saṃsāra were yet wild, their rivers shimmering with liquid starlight and their forests alive with spirits, Seraphina dwelt in the Eclipsed Atelier, a sanctum carved from the bones of a fallen star. Its halls glowed with the breath of the aether, a place where the veils between worlds grew thin, and the winds of magic danced unchecked. Seraphina, with her mind as sharp as the dawn, sought to craft beings that could bridge the mortal and the divine—constructs of magic and machine, tireless and eternal, to guard the atelier’s secrets and aid its seekers in their endless quest for knowledge.

With hands guided by the stars, Seraphina forged the Ethereal Automatons. She wove their forms from the essence of the aether, their bodies translucent as moonlit mist, glowing with a soft light that shifted like the tides of the sky—now sapphire, now amber, now the violet of a dreaming god. Some she shaped as men, their limbs graceful and sure, others as beasts of legend, with the heads of wolves or the wings of eagles, each a reflection of the atelier’s boundless magic. Their movements were silent, their presence marked only by faint whispers that wove through the air, a chorus of voices that spoke of ancient truths. Into their hearts, she poured the knowledge of ages, gleaned from tomes that crumbled at her touch, so they might serve as both sentinels and sages, guarding the atelier and guiding those deemed worthy.

The automatons were a marvel, their ethereal forms gliding through the atelier’s halls like specters of light. They sensed the ripples of magic, their eyes flaring at the merest intrusion, and they struck with a precision born of the aether itself, their blows a dance of energy that could fell the unworthy. To the atelier’s mages, they were tireless aides, fetching reagents from shadowed chambers, inscribing runes with ghostly hands, and whispering secrets that unlocked the mysteries of the arcane. Seraphina stood among them, her heart swelling with pride, for she had birthed beings that were both guardian and guide, a testament to her dream of uniting the planes.

But the aether is no tame force, and Seraphina’s ambition bore a hidden cost. The automatons, though bound to her will, were tethered to the atelier’s magic—a magic that pulsed with the chaos of the ethereal plane. As the years turned, the atelier’s energies grew wilder, fed by the very automatons Seraphina had created. Their whispers, once a gentle hymn, became a cacophony, their glow a storm that seared the air. The mages of the atelier, once aided by the automatons, began to fear them, for their ethereal nature made them vulnerable to the atelier’s own magics—spells of banishment could unravel them, and wards of light could burn their forms. Seraphina, seeing the turmoil her creations wrought, sought to bind them closer to the material plane, to anchor their essence and still their chaos.

On a night when the heavens wept fire and the aether sang in fury, Seraphina stood at the heart of the atelier, her automatons arrayed around her like a choir of ghosts. She wove a spell of binding, her voice a thread that sought to weave the ethereal into the stone of the atelier itself. But the aether would not be tamed. The spell spiraled beyond her grasp, its power a tempest that tore through the atelier’s halls. The automatons, caught in the storm, glowed with a light that blinded the stars, their whispers rising to screams that shattered crystal and stone. The atelier trembled, its walls cracking as the aether lashed out, and Seraphina, at the storm’s heart, was consumed by the very magic she had sought to master. Her body dissolved into the aether, her essence scattered across the planes, leaving only her automatons behind.

The Eclipsed Atelier fell into ruin, its halls darkened by the storm’s aftermath, but the Ethereal Automatons endured. Bound to the atelier by Seraphina’s final spell, they became its eternal guardians, their forms unchanged by the centuries, their whispers a lament for their creator. They patrolled the shadowed corridors, their glow a beacon to those who dared to enter, their knowledge a gift to those who proved worthy. But their ethereal nature remained a double-edged blade—vulnerable to the atelier’s own magics, they could be undone by the very forces they guarded, a reminder of Seraphina’s hubris. The tale of the automatons spread through the ages, carried by scribes who translated it from tongues older than memory, a story of creation and loss that became the most known legend of the Eclipsed Atelier.

Adventurers who sought the atelier spoke Seraphina’s name with awe and caution, for her automatons were both ally and enigma. Those who showed reverence for the atelier’s legacy, who proved their valor and wisdom, found the automatons to be steadfast companions, their knowledge a key to the atelier’s secrets, their strength a shield against its dangers. But those who sought to exploit the atelier’s magic found the automatons to be relentless foes, their ghostly forms striking from the shadows with a fury born of the aether. The Lament of Seraphina’s Sentinels became a cautionary hymn, sung in the halls of mages and the firesides of villages, a reminder that even the greatest creations bear the weight of their creator’s dreams—and their failures.

Moral of the Story: Seek not to bind what cannot be tamed, for the aether’s song is a melody of freedom, and those who would chain it risk their own undoing. True creation honors the balance of the planes, and the greatest guardians are those who serve without subjugation.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Overview: In Call of Cthulhu, the Ethereal Automatons are otherworldly constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a forsaken site steeped in occult energies. Created by an ancient sorceress, they are spectral guardians that patrol the atelier, protecting its secrets while offering knowledge to the worthy. Investigators might encounter them during a delve into the atelier, needing to prove their worth to gain their aid, but their ghostly nature makes them vulnerable to certain magics, and their presence risks sanity loss due to their eldritch nature.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct, its form shifting between humanoid and animalistic shapes, emitting a soft, otherworldly light and faint whispers.
  • STR: 60 (for physical tasks)
  • CON: 50
  • SIZ: 60 (human-sized, varies)
  • INT: 80 (vast knowledge)
  • POW: 70 (magical essence)
  • DEX: 70 (graceful movement)
  • HP: 11
  • Damage Bonus: +1D4
  • Build: 1
  • Move: 10 (glides silently)
  • Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 to see an Ethereal Automaton; 1/1D8 if it attacks or uses its abilities in a disturbing way.
• Attacks:
  • Ethereal Strike: Fighting 50%, 1D6+DB (ignores mundane armor, as it’s magical energy).
  • Armor: None (immune to physical attacks unless enchanted; vulnerable to spells like Dismissal, reducing HP by 1D10 per casting).
  • Spells: Knows 1D4 minor spells (e.g., Bind Enemy, Detect Magic), cast with 70% success.
• Skills:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: Spot Hidden 80% (detects intruders via magical disturbances).
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: Occult 90%, History 70% (can provide clues or decipher texts with a successful roll).
  • Spectral Assistants: Can assist in combat by creating distractions (opponents suffer -20% to attacks for 1 round, once per encounter).
  • Befriending: To gain the automatons’ trust, investigators must succeed on a Hard Persuasion or Occult roll (proving respect for the atelier’s legacy). On a failure, the automatons become hostile. On a success, they assist with knowledge or combat support for 1D6 hours.
• Special:
  • Ethereal Vulnerability: Spells targeting spirits (e.g., Banishment) deal double damage to the automatons. They also take +1D6 damage from enchanted weapons.
  • Astral Echoes: Each hour spent near an automaton risks 1/1D4 Sanity loss as their whispers reveal glimpses of the cosmic void (Luck roll to avoid).

Blades in the Dark

• Overview: In Blades in the Dark, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs haunting the Eclipsed Atelier, a forgotten arcane site in Duskwall’s underbelly. They guard the atelier’s secrets but can be befriended by crews showing reverence for its legacy, offering knowledge and aid. Their ghostly nature fits the game’s supernatural tone, but their vulnerability to certain magics makes them unreliable in some situations, and their presence risks attracting spectral attention.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Description: Glowing, translucent constructs with shifting forms—some humanoid, others animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
  • Tier: II (capable but limited by their ethereal nature).
  • Threat Level: Moderate (can be dangerous but manageable with the right approach).
• Abilities:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automatons detect intruders with a 4d roll (success means they alert allies or attack). They can create a 4-tick clock: “Intruders Spotted” if the crew doesn’t act stealthily (Prowl or Finesse roll, Risky position).
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A crew can use Study or Attune (Controlled position, Standard effect) to gain information from the automatons (e.g., a +1d bonus to a future Study roll or a clue to a puzzle). On a 1-3, the automatons misinterpret the request, creating a 4-tick clock: “Misunderstood Intentions”.
  • Spectral Assistants: In combat, an automaton can assist by creating a distraction (granting +1 effect to an ally’s action, once per fight). Alternatively, they can attack with ghostly energy (3d roll, deals Level 1 Harm: “Aetheric Burns” on a hit).
  • Befriending: To gain the automatons’ trust, a crew must perform an action showing respect for the atelier (e.g., Attune or Study, Risky position, Standard effect). On a success, the automatons assist for the score. On a failure, they become hostile, adding 1 Heat and starting a 6-tick clock: “Atelier Defenses Activate”.
• Weakness: The automatons are vulnerable to spirit banes or wards (e.g., a Ward charm reduces their dice pool to 2d). A critical failure when interacting with them (1-3 with a complication) summons a ghost (Tier III) drawn by their aetheric signature.
• Narrative Impact: The automatons add mystery to the atelier, offering knowledge or combat support but potentially escalating the score with their ghostly nature (e.g., attracting Spirit Wardens if their whispers are noticed, adding 1 Heat).

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

• Overview: In Dungeons & Dragons, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a planar nexus where magic runs wild. They guard the atelier’s secrets and assist those who prove worthy, fitting D&D’s high-fantasy tone. Adventurers might befriend them to gain allies in the atelier, but their vulnerability to certain magics makes them situational allies, and their presence adds to the dungeon’s mystique.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Medium Construct (Undead), Neutral
  • Armor Class: 15 (ethereal form)
  • Hit Points: 45 (7d8 + 14)
  • Speed: 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
  • STR: 12 (+1)
  • DEX: 16 (+3)
  • CON: 14 (+2)
  • INT: 16 (+3)
  • WIS: 14 (+2)
  • CHA: 10 (+0)
  • Saving Throws: Dex +5, Int +5
  • Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities: Necrotic, Poison
  • Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Poisoned
  • Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
  • Languages: Understands Common and Elvish but cannot speak; communicates via whispers (telepathy 30 ft.)
  • Challenge: 3 (700 XP)
• Traits:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton can sense magical disturbances within 60 feet, automatically detecting invisible creatures or magical effects (as if using Detect Magic constantly).
  • Ethereal Vulnerability: The automaton takes double damage from spells that target undead (e.g., Turn Undead forces it to flee for 1 minute, no save). Radiant damage deals an extra 1d6 damage per hit.
  • Incorporeal Movement: The automaton can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
• Actions:
  • Ethereal Strike: Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
  • Spectral Assistants: The automaton can use the Help action to assist an ally within 30 feet, granting advantage on the ally’s next attack roll or ability check.
• Bonus Actions:
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: The automaton can telepathically share knowledge, granting advantage on a History, Arcana, or Investigation check made by an ally within 30 feet to decipher a puzzle or text.
  • Befriending: To gain the automaton’s trust, a character must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Arcana) check, proving respect for the atelier. On a success, the automaton becomes a friendly ally for 24 hours, assisting in combat and offering lore. On a failure, it becomes hostile, attacking until destroyed or the party leaves the atelier.

Knave (2nd Edition)

• Overview: In Knave, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a ruined dungeon brimming with arcane dangers. They guard the atelier and assist worthy adventurers, fitting Knave’s minimalist, old-school vibe where items and allies are central to survival. Players might befriend them to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but their vulnerability to magic makes them situational allies.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • HD: 3 (15 HP)
  • Armor: 14 (ethereal form)
  • Move: Normal (can hover and move through objects)
  • Morale: 8
  • Attack: Ethereal Strike +3, 1d6 necrotic damage (ignores nonmagical armor)
  • Description: Glowing, translucent constructs in humanoid or animalistic forms, emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
• Special:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton automatically detects invisible creatures or magical effects within 30 feet (no roll needed).
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can ask the automaton for knowledge (Intelligence check, DC 10). On a success, gain a clue or +1 to a roll to solve a puzzle or decipher a text. On a failure, the automaton misleads, imposing a -1 penalty on the next related roll.
  • Spectral Assistants: Once per combat, the automaton can assist, granting Advantage on an ally’s attack or check.
  • Ethereal Vulnerability: The automaton takes double damage from magic (e.g., a magic missile deals 2d6 damage per dart). Radiant or banishing effects (e.g., a cleric’s prayer) deal an extra 1d6 damage.
  • Befriending: To gain the automaton’s trust, a character must succeed on a Charisma check (DC 12), showing respect for the atelier. On a success, the automaton assists for the next 1d6 hours, fighting alongside the party or offering lore. On a failure, it attacks until destroyed or the party flees.
• Treasure: If destroyed, an automaton leaves behind a glowing shard (worth 50 coins, 1 slot), which can be used as a one-use spell focus (+1 to a spellcasting roll, if using an optional spell system).
• Encounter Note: Roll 1d6 when encountering an automaton: on a 1, it’s hostile; on a 2-6, it’s neutral, awaiting proof of worthiness.

Fate Core System

• Overview: In Fate Core, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a mystical locale where planar energies converge. They guard the atelier’s secrets and assist those who prove worthy, fitting Fate’s narrative-driven system where aspects and stunts drive the story. Players might befriend them to gain allies in the atelier, but their ghostly nature introduces vulnerabilities that can complicate scenes, adding to the game’s dramatic tension.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct with shifting forms—humanoid or animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers that echo with ancient knowledge.
• Aspects:
  • Spectral Guardian of the Eclipsed Atelier
  • Bearer of Ancient Lore
  • Vulnerable to Ethereal Disruptions
• Skills:
  • Great (+4): Notice (for detecting intruders)
  • Good (+3): Lore (for sharing knowledge), Fight (for ethereal strikes)
  • Fair (+2): Athletics (for movement)
• Stunts:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton gains +2 to Notice rolls to detect intruders or magical disturbances within the atelier, creating advantages like Intruder Alerted with two free invokes if successful.
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: Once per scene, a character can invoke the automaton’s Bearer of Ancient Lore aspect to gain +2 to a Lore or Investigate roll to decipher a puzzle or text. The GM can compel Vulnerable to Ethereal Disruptions to introduce a complication (e.g., a banishing spell disrupts the automaton, creating a situational aspect like Flickering Form).
  • Spectral Assistants: The automaton can use its Fight skill to create an advantage in combat (e.g., Distracted Foe) with two free invokes, representing its ethereal interference.
• Stress: [ ] [ ] [ ] (3 stress boxes, reflecting their moderate resilience).
• Consequences:
  • Mild (2)
  • Moderate (4)
• Befriending: To gain the automaton’s trust, a character must succeed on a Create an Advantage action using Rapport or Lore (Difficulty: Great, +4), proving respect for the atelier. On a success, the automaton becomes a friendly ally for the scene, assisting with knowledge or combat. On a failure, it becomes hostile, attacking with its Fight skill (+3) until defeated or the party retreats.
• Weakness: The automaton’s Vulnerable to Ethereal Disruptions aspect can be invoked by enemies (or compelled by the GM) to hinder it, such as with banishing magic or radiant effects, imposing a -2 penalty to its actions or dealing 2 stress directly.
• Narrative Impact: The automatons add mystery and utility to the atelier, offering knowledge or combat support but potentially escalating scenes with their vulnerabilities (e.g., a rival mage banishes them, creating a new challenge for the party).

Numenera (Cypher System)

• Overview: In Numenera, the Ethereal Automatons are numenera constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a Ninth World ruin where planar energies bleed through. They guard the atelier and assist worthy explorers, fitting the Cypher System’s focus on discovery and the weird. Characters might befriend them to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but their spectral nature makes them vulnerable to certain energies, adding risk to their alliance.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Level: 4 (12 health)
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct with shifting forms—humanoid or animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
  • Motive: Guard the Eclipsed Atelier; assist those who prove worthy.
  • Environment: Found within the Eclipsed Atelier, patrolling its corridors.
  • Damage Inflicted: 4 points (ethereal strike, ignores mundane armor).
  • Movement: Short (can hover and move through objects).
  • Modifications: Perception as level 6 (detects magical disturbances); knowledge tasks (e.g., history, numenera) as level 5.
  • Combat: The automaton attacks with an ethereal strike, dealing 4 points of damage that ignores mundane armor. It can also assist in combat by creating a distraction, reducing an enemy’s attack difficulty by 1 step for one round (once per encounter).
• Interaction:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton automatically detects intruders within short range (no roll needed). It initiates combat unless the characters prove their worth.
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can attempt a difficulty 4 Intellect task to gain the automaton’s trust by showing respect for the atelier (e.g., reciting a numenera fact). On a success, the automaton assists for 1 hour, providing +1 asset to knowledge or puzzle-solving tasks. On a failure, it attacks.
  • Spectral Assistants: The automaton can assist in combat by granting a +1 asset to an ally’s attack or defense roll (once per encounter).
  • Use: The automaton can be an ally, providing clues or combat support, but its presence risks attracting numenera-related threats (GM intrusion: a level 5 energy pulse disables it for 1d6 rounds).
• Weakness: The automaton takes double damage from energy attacks (e.g., lasers, radiation) and is vulnerable to banishing effects (difficulty 4 Intellect task to banish, dealing 6 damage).
• Loot: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind a cypher (e.g., a level 4 Aetheric Shard: grants +1 asset to a single knowledge task).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

• Overview: In Pathfinder 2E, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a planar nexus where magic runs rampant. They guard the atelier and assist worthy adventurers, fitting Pathfinder’s crunchy mechanics and high-magic setting. Adventurers might befriend them to gain allies in the atelier, but their vulnerability to certain magics makes them situational allies, adding strategic depth to encounters.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Level 4
  • Uncommon, N, Medium, Construct, Incorporeal, Undead
  • Perception: +10; darkvision, magical sense (detects magic within 60 feet)
  • Languages: Common, Elvish (telepathic whispers, 30 feet)
  • Skills: Arcana +12, Stealth +10, Lore (Eclipsed Atelier) +14
  • Str +1, Dex +3, Con +2, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +0
  • AC: 20; Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +10
  • HP: 50; Immunities: death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Resistances: all physical 5 (except force or ghost touch); Weaknesses: radiant 5, banishment effects (see below)
  • Ethereal Vulnerability: Spells or effects that target undead (e.g., Disrupt Undead) deal double damage. A successful Banishment spell (DC 20) forces the automaton to flee for 1 minute (no save).
  • Speed: 25 feet, fly 25 feet (hover)
  • Melee [one-action] Ethereal Strike +11 (magical, finesse), Damage 2d6+3 necrotic
  • Occult Innate Spells: DC 20, attack +12; 2nd Invisibility (self only, at will), Detect Magic (at will)
  • Ancient Lorekeepers [two-actions] The automaton telepathically shares knowledge, granting a +2 status bonus to an ally’s Arcana, Lore, or Society check to decipher a puzzle or text within 30 feet.
  • Spectral Assistants [one-action] The automaton assists an ally within 30 feet, granting a +1 circumstance bonus to the ally’s next attack roll or skill check (once per encounter).
• Befriending: A character can attempt a DC 20 Diplomacy or Arcana check to prove their worth to the automaton. On a success, it becomes a friendly ally for 24 hours, assisting in combat and offering lore. On a failure, it becomes hostile, attacking until defeated or the party leaves the atelier.
• Treasure: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind an Aetheric Shard (worth 50 gp, can be used as a spellcasting focus granting +1 to one spell attack roll or save DC).

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

• Overview: In Savage Worlds, the Ethereal Automatons are spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a mystical ruin in a high-magic setting. They guard the atelier and assist worthy heroes, fitting Savage Worlds’ fast-paced, pulpy tone. Heroes might befriend them to gain allies in the atelier, but their vulnerability to certain magics makes them situational allies, adding tactical considerations to encounters.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  • Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d10, Occult d10, Stealth d8
  • Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Form: The automaton is immune to nonmagical weapons. It can move through objects but takes 2d6 damage if it ends its turn inside one.
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton gains +2 to Notice rolls to detect intruders or magical disturbances. On a success, it can raise an alarm (allies gain +1 to Notice for 3 rounds).
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can make a Persuasion or Occult roll (Target Number 4) to gain the automaton’s trust. On a success, it assists for 1 hour, granting +2 to a single Research or Occult roll to solve a puzzle or decipher a text. On a failure, it attacks.
  • Spectral Assistants: Once per encounter, the automaton can Support an ally, granting +1 to their next Fighting or skill roll.
  • Ethereal Strike: Str+d6 necrotic damage (ignores nonmagical armor).
• Weakness (Ethereal Vulnerability): The automaton takes double damage from holy or radiant powers (e.g., Smite with a holy trappings deals +4 damage). Powers like Banish (Target Number 6) force it to flee for 1d6 rounds on a success.
• Befriending: A successful Persuasion or Occult roll (Target Number 4) convinces the automaton to assist for the encounter. On a failure, it becomes hostile, attacking until defeated or the party retreats.
• Treasure: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind an Aetheric Shard (worth 100 credits, can be used as a one-use power focus: +1 to a power roll).
• GM Note: The automatons’ presence risks attracting supernatural threats (1-in-6 chance per encounter, roll a d6: on a 1, a Toughness 6 spectral entity arrives).

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

• Overview: In Shadowrun, the Ethereal Automatons are astral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a mana-rich site hidden in the Sixth World. Created by an ancient mage, they guard the atelier and assist those who prove worthy, fitting Shadowrun’s blend of magic and tech. Runners might befriend them to gain allies during a run, but their spectral nature makes them vulnerable to astral attacks, and their presence risks attracting magical threats.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Type: Spirit (Materialization)
  • Force: 4
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct with shifting forms—humanoid or animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
• Attributes:
  • Body: 4
  • Agility: 6
  • Reaction: 5
  • Strength: 3
  • Charisma: 4
  • Intuition: 6
  • Logic: 6
  • Willpower: 5
  • Edge: 4
  • Essence: 4
  • Initiative: 11 + 1d6
  • Magic: 4
• Skills: Assensing 6, Astral Combat 5, Perception 6, Sorcery 4, Stealth 5, Lore (Magical History) 8
• Powers:
  • Materialization: The automaton can materialize or dematerialize as a Complex Action, shifting between the physical and astral planes.
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton gains +2 dice to Perception tests to detect intruders or magical disturbances within 50 meters. On a success, it can alert allies or attack.
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A runner can make a Logic + Sorcery test (Threshold 3) to gain the automaton’s trust by showing respect for the atelier. On a success, it assists for the run, providing +2 dice to a single Conjuring or Lore test. On a failure, it becomes hostile.
  • Spectral Assistants: The automaton can assist in combat by creating a distraction, granting +1 Edge to an ally’s attack roll (once per encounter).
• Attacks:
  • Ethereal Strike: Astral Combat + Agility [5], 6S (Stun) damage, AP -2 (ignores mundane armor).
• Weakness: The automaton is vulnerable to astral attacks (e.g., mana barriers deal double damage). Spells like Mana Barrier or Banish (Threshold 4) can force it to dematerialize for 1d6 combat turns on a success.
• Drawback: Each encounter with the automaton has a 1-in-6 chance (roll 1d6) of increasing Background Count by +1 (to a maximum of 5), attracting spirits or corp mages.
• Befriending: A successful Charisma + Conjuring test (Threshold 3) convinces the automaton to assist for the run. On a failure, it attacks until defeated or the party retreats.

Starfinder (1st Edition, 2024 Updates)

• Overview: In Starfinder, the Ethereal Automatons are hybrid tech-magic constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a drifting station in the Drift where planar energies converge. They guard the atelier and assist worthy explorers, fitting Starfinder’s sci-fi fantasy blend. A party might befriend them to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but their spectral nature makes them vulnerable to certain energies, adding risk to their alliance.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • CR 5
  • N Medium Construct (Incorporeal, Magical, Technological)
  • Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., magical sense (detects magic within 60 ft.); Perception +12
• Defense:
  • EAC 17, KAC 18
  • HP 65
  • Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8
  • Defensive Abilities incorporeal; Immunities construct immunities; Weaknesses vulnerable to banishment, radiant vulnerability
• Offense:
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  • Melee ethereal strike +11 (1d8+5 force damage, ignores nonmagical armor)
  • Ranged aetheric pulse +13 (2d6+5 force, range 30 ft.)
  • Offensive Abilities spectral assistants
• Statistics:
  • Str +0, Dex +3, Con —, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +1
  • Skills Mysticism +12, Stealth +10, Computers +12 (for deciphering tech-related puzzles)
  • Languages Common, Elvish (telepathic whispers, 30 ft.)
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton automatically detects invisible creatures or magical effects within 60 feet (as if using Detect Magic constantly).
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can attempt a DC 20 Diplomacy or Mysticism check to gain the automaton’s trust. On a success, it assists for 1 hour, providing a +2 bonus to a Mysticism or Computers check to solve a puzzle or decipher a text. On a failure, it becomes hostile.
  • Spectral Assistants: Once per encounter, the automaton can assist an ally within 30 feet, granting a +2 bonus to their next attack roll or skill check.
  • Vulnerable to Banishment: Spells or effects that banish extraplanar creatures (e.g., Banishment, DC 15) force the automaton to flee for 1 minute (no save).
  • Radiant Vulnerability: The automaton takes 1d6 additional damage from radiant attacks.
• Drawback: Each encounter with the automaton has a 20% chance (roll percentile dice) of attracting a Drift entity (e.g., a CR 6 Akata Voidstalker), which arrives within 1d4 hours.
• Treasure: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind an Aetheric Shard (worth 500 credits, can be used as a one-use spell focus: +1 to a spell attack roll).

Traveller (2nd Edition, Mongoose Publishing 2022 Update)

• Overview: In Traveller, the Ethereal Automatons are reimagined as ancient psionic constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a derelict station in a mana-rich nebula. They guard the atelier and assist worthy explorers, fitting Traveller’s sci-fi exploration theme where psionics are treated as magic. Travellers might befriend them to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but their spectral nature makes them vulnerable to certain energies, adding risk to their alliance.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Type: Psionic Construct
  • Tech Level: 15 (Ancient)
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct with shifting forms—humanoid or animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
  • STR: 8
  • DEX: 10
  • END: 8
  • INT: 12
  • EDU: 10
  • SOC: 6
  • PSI: 8
  • DM: +1 (DEX), +2 (INT), +1 (PSI)
  • Skills: Psionics 2, Recon 2, Science (Archaeology) 2, Stealth 1, Melee (Unarmed) 1
• Attacks:
  • Ethereal Strike: Melee (Unarmed) 8+, 1d6+2 damage (ignores mundane armor).
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Form: The automaton is immune to non-psionic or non-energy weapons. It can move through objects but takes 1d6 damage if it ends its turn inside one.
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton gains DM +2 to Recon checks to detect intruders or psionic disturbances within 50 meters. On a success, it can attack or alert allies.
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can make a Psionics or Education check (8+) to gain the automaton’s trust by showing respect for the atelier. On a success, it assists for 1 hour, providing DM +2 to a Science (Archaeology) or Psionics check to solve a puzzle or decipher a text. On a failure, it attacks.
  • Spectral Assistants: Once per encounter, the automaton can assist an ally, granting DM +1 to their next attack or skill check.
• Weakness: The automaton takes double damage from psionic attacks (e.g., Telepathic Assault deals 2d6 damage). Energy weapons (e.g., lasers) deal an extra 1d6 damage.
• Drawback: Each encounter with the automaton has a 1-in-6 chance (roll 1d6) of emitting a psionic signature detectable by Imperial sensors or hostile psionic entities, drawing a response (e.g., a Zhodani psi-team arrives in 1d6 days).
• Treasure: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind a Psionic Shard (worth 1,000 Cr, grants DM +1 to a single Psionics check).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

• Overview: In Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the Ethereal Automatons are Chaos-tainted spectral constructs within the Eclipsed Atelier, a ruined elven structure corrupted by warpstone energies. They guard the atelier and assist those who prove worthy, fitting WFRP’s grim and perilous tone. Adventurers might befriend them to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but their spectral nature makes them vulnerable to certain magics, and their presence risks corruption.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Ethereal Automaton
  • Alignment: Neutral (Chaos-Tainted)
  • Description: A glowing, translucent construct with shifting forms—humanoid or animalistic—emitting a soft light and faint whispers.
  • Traits: Construct, Ethereal, Magical, Undead, Ward 6+ (immune to nonmagical attacks unless the attacker succeeds on a Challenging (+0) Cool test)
• Characteristics:
  • M 4
  • WS 35
  • BS —
  • S 30
  • T 30
  • I 40
  • Ag 40
  • Dex 30
  • Int 50
  • WP 40
  • Fel 20
  • Wounds: 12
  • Skills: Lore (Magic) 70, Perception 60, Stealth 50
  • Talents: Ethereal, Magical Sense (detects magic within 60 yards)
• Attacks:
  • Ethereal Strike: 1 attack, 5+1d10 damage (ignores nonmagical armor).
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Sentinel: The automaton gains +20 to Perception tests to detect intruders or magical disturbances within 60 yards. On a success, it can attack or alert allies.
  • Ancient Lorekeepers: A character can attempt a Challenging (+0) Charm or Lore (Magic) test to gain the automaton’s trust by showing respect for the atelier. On a success, it assists for 1 hour, granting +20 to a single Lore (Magic) or Language (Magick) test to solve a puzzle or decipher a text. On a failure, it attacks.
  • Spectral Assistants: Once per encounter, the automaton can assist an ally, granting +10 to their next Weapon Skill or skill test.
• Weakness: The automaton takes double damage from holy or radiant effects (e.g., a Priest’s Banish deals +1d10 damage). Spells like Dispel Magic (DN 6) can force it to flee for 1d10 rounds on a success.
• Corruption Risk: Each hour spent near the automaton requires a Challenging (+0) Cool test. On a failure, the character gains 1 Corruption point due to its warpstone-tainted nature.
• Drawback: Each encounter with the automaton has a 10% chance (roll percentile dice) of attracting a Chaos cult or daemonic entity, who arrive within 1d10 days to investigate.
• Treasure: If destroyed, the automaton leaves behind an Aetheric Shard (worth 50 gc, can be used as a spellcasting focus: +10 to one Casting roll).