Source Horror Realms pg. 63
CR 8; XP 4,800
N chained persistent variant haunt (20-ft. radius centered on the activated robot)
Caster Level 8th
Notice Perception DC 20 (to hear whirring mechanisms springing to life)
hp 36; Weakness harmed by Disable Device DC 23 and electricity effects (immune to positive energy); Trigger proximity; Reset 1 hour
Effect A whirling cloud of miniature repair robots animates and reactivates a dormant myrmidon robot. The repair robots follow the myrmidon and augment its defenses. The myrmidon’s force field improves to 75 hit points with fast healing of 15, and the myrmidon gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws and to AC.
Destruction Destroying the myrmidon prevents this technological surge from recurring.
DescriptionWhen an ancient starship crashed on Numerian soil millennia ago, countless robots emerged, terrorizing anyone unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Some robots still lie dormant within the scattered wreckage, waiting for a signal or a stray surge of power to reactivate.Technological Surges
Advanced technology remains a mystery to most denizens of Golarion. In places where these wonders lie abandoned, such as the wrecks of the starships that crashed on Numerian soil or the mysterious halls of the Empty Lands of Apostae, strange interactions with unstable power sources can coax circuits back to life. GMs might consider using these same rules to handle other advanced magic and technology, such as a malfunctioning Shory sky city or a newly uncovered marvel of Azlanti electro-thaumaturgy.
The animating force behind technological surges is not life energy, but electricity. As such, technological surges cannot be harmed with positive or negative energy. Instead, stopping them requires shutting down their function. Anyone trained in Disable Device can use the skill to attempt to disrupt the surge, and characters with the Technologist feat can use Knowledge (engineering) instead and gain a +5 bonus on either skill check. The DC of the skill check is equal to 15 + the haunt’s CR. Each successful check deals 5 points of damage plus 1 additional point of damage per point by which the result exceeds the DC. A discharge or greater discharge spell that targets a technological surge inflicts damage equal to the spell’s caster level (for discharge) or 1d4 points per caster level (for greater discharge). Electromagnetic effects, such as those caused by an EMP pistol or rifle, inflict normal damage to a technological surge. Other similar effects may well have an impact on a surge at the GM’s discretion.
A technological surge’s caster level represents its strength. Technological surges are completely nonmagical. Their effects cannot be disrupted with antimagic field, dispel magic, or similar abilities, even when they replicate spell effects. All technological surges are neutral aligned.
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