Mechs

POWERFUL constructs, part machine, part armour, Mechs are indistinguishable to the layman from Animated Armour. These mighty machines are however, being piloted by smaller creaters whose desire for strength and power far outmatch their modest size.

The History of each Mech is unique. While Animated Armour is often the soul of a formally living being inhabiting armour these constructs have no life when not controlled by their pilot.

Playing as a Mech allows a player to be creative with their armours build and weapon loadout, two character sheets are required - one for the Mech and one for the Pilot.

Mechs are not quite an item yet not quite a race. Designed to be played by someone who wants to play as a Mech in D&D without the obvious problems concerning the Mech being over-powered or unable to scale.

Pilot Traits

Each Mech needs a a pilot in order to use it. Your pilot can be any small race (e.g. halfing, gnome etc). When the Pilot is out of the Mech ancient magic holds it together but it is essentially an empty suit of armour. Your Pilot will need to leave the Mech occasionally, to eat, sleep, etc.

While outside of the Mech the Pilot will gain all the racial benefits of their chosen race but none of the class benefits of their chosen class.

To create a Pilot begin character creation as you would for another other character picking background, race etc. Do not add class benefits to that character sheet.

Mech Traits

The following apply only when the Pilot is inside the Mech.

When creating a Mech begin with the Stats from your Pilot and then add class bonuses plus the following:

Ability Score Increase. Your strength score and your constitution score increases by 1.

Size. Large.

Speed. 25 Feet.

It could be anyone in there!: You lose all racial traits associated with your Pilots race (except languages)

Hard Seat: Short Rests can be undertaken while in your Mech but the Pilot must leave the Mech in order to gain the benefits of a Long Rest.

More Machine Than Man: When you level up the increased stats and abilites apply only when you are in your mech. The Pilot is able to leave the Mech at any time but will remain a level 1 classless version of whatever race they are.

Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Mobile Tank: Your weapons are bound to your armour and therefore cannot be dropped unless they are cut from your suit. Depending on your class this may mean a Sword hilt is permanently grafted to your arm (allowing you to swap blades when items are received) or a magic focus or staff may be crafted to a shoulder mounted canon.

Blindsight You can perceive your surroundings without relying on sight within a specific radius. You have a blindsight range of 60 feet but are blind beyond this radius.

Construct: While in your Mech your creature type is Construct. Spells like cure wounds don't affect you as you are a construct and spells like crown of madness or dominate person you are immune to due to them specifically targeting humanoids. You are immune to poison damage, being poisoned and diseases. You do need to eat, breathe, and sleep.

Antimagic Susceptibility: You are incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute

False Appearance: When motionless you are indistinguishable from a suit of armour. Although the armour may appear exotic and advanced.

Mendable: When the mending spell is cast on you and you have 0 hit points you become stable. Alternatively, as part of the casting of mending the caster may expand any number of spell slots(minimum 1) causing you to regain a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + their spellcasting ability modifier. When you do this using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Heavy Hitter: Your fists are as heavy as your steps. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit.

Lead Feet: Your armour clanks and whirrs as you move. You are at a disadvantage during Stealth Checks.

Mech Appearances

Mechs are incredibly varied in their appearance. Many have humanoid builds and standard metal colouring, others may have tracks, wheels and be brightly painted and decorated. The one consistent is that they are Large.

Mech Names

The name of your Pilot will depend on their race and class. However most Pilots have a name that they call their Mech. This may range from the simplistic (e.g. X-1) to names of loved ones etc.