Machina are the artificer's holy grail - beings that blur the line between construct and living creatures. Originally created to be intelligent, adaptable laborers and warriors, the machina’s self-awareness has come into the limelight, and debates rage over the matter of their rights. As mortal-made constructs, many think they are little more than property; however, others have noted their ability to develop individual personalities and thoughts as something completely separate from other constructs, making the machina no different from the living races. Machina themselves have varying opinions on the matter of their being. Some are perfectly happy to live their lives in servitude, while others yearn for the freedom and respect that other races take for granted. Many go rogue or buy their way to freedom; others simply outlive their masters and venture into the world to find another purpose.

Machina differ from most races in that they are not born but made. The process of creating a machina complex and mysterious, but there have been a number of massive lifeforges created with the specific purpose of creating new machina for various purposes. Very few are created without some specific purpose in mind; the few that are created for the sake of “reproduction” are generally done by underground groups of insurgent machina, seeking to create armies for their own goals. Perhaps the strangest thing about machina is their reaction to magic. Despite their artificial nature, machina react to magic almost identically to living creatures. They can be compelled, damaged, changed, and healed as any normal creature of the flesh is, and are not affected by spells that are specifically designed to work on constructs and devices. This trait is a point of research for both men and machina scholars, and one of the primary sited reasons used to support machina freedom.

Physical Description: Machina are extremely varied in their appearance, but they always have a generally humanoid shape with a discernable head, two arms, and two legs, and are of medium size. For some reason, the lifeforges used to create the machina will not produce any other shape – regardless of the operator’s designs or instructions. They can, however, run the full gamut of sizes within that general shape: some may be short and spindly, while others may be towering hulks, and some may be of perfectly human proportions; their form generally depends on their intended purpose. Few machina have faces with discernable expressions, but most at least have a facsimile of eyes and a mouth.

Society: Machina society is scattered and inconsistent, consisting of isolated groups of servants and warriors, with a very thin network of rebels with sporadic connections. They have little society or personality of their own, and tend to emulate those around them, often in a slightly unsettling or off manner. The one thing linking nearly all machina is their dedication to whatever task they have taken up or are assigned; depending on the individual, this can border on single-mindedness. Some older, more world-worn machina lack such absolute focus, but most are still determined beings when they are called upon.

Relations: The relations of Machina to other races varies wildly depending on who you talk to, but they tend to get along best with other misunderstood or oppressed races, such as Half-Orcs and Tieflings. Races with Chaotic tendencies often find machina as dull and orderly, while others admire their dedication and loyalty. Nearly all other races find machina at least slightly off-putting because of their mechanical attitude.

Alignment and Religion: Machina think in an orderly and analytical manner, and thus tend toward law over chaos. They enjoy purpose and work, and are fiercely loyal to those they like, almost to a fault. Religion is another split topic among machina; some do not even think about it, or consider it a strange fancy of the flesh races, while others are completely obsessed with the divine and the afterlife, striving to find their place within the world. Because of the way they react to magic, and because the lifeforges at times appear to have wills of their own, there are some machina (and, indeed, other beings) who believe them to be the direct creation of the divine. There are even some fanatical sects of living creatures who worship the machina themselves, though these are few and far between.

Adventurers: A machina may become an adventurer for a wide range of reasons: perhaps it is an escaped slave or a rebel warrior, seeking freedom for its people; or perhaps it is a being with no master, seeking purpose in life or pursing the questions of its existence. No matter the reason, most machina are loyal and steadfast allies, filling many roles with their adaptable nature.

Names: Machina have a large variety of names; some prefer to be referred to by a production number of sorts (ex. E-134, No. XI, 27, etc), or are named after their intended purpose (Warden, Bulwark, The Librarian), and yet others pick their names from the races around them in an attempt to blend in, or simply choose to go without a name.

Machina Racial Traits

+2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma: Machina are powerful and possess analytical minds, but are emotionally distant and unsettling to be around.

Medium Size

Normal Speed: Machina have a base speed of 30 feet.

Artificial Life: Machina have no need to sleep, eat, or breathe, and are not susceptible to the effects of mundane starvation and dehydration. Magical effects still affect them, including magical consumables.

Mechanical Stamina: Machina gain Endurance as a bonus feat.

Rest Cycle: Instead of sleep, a machina must enter a four hour period of hibernation once a day to prevent over-straining its systems. In this cycle, the machina cannot hear or see anything, and will not wake unless directly disturbed (such as damage or being shaken by an ally). Waking a machina is a move action. Upon waking, a machina is instantly at full alert, and does not suffer any penalties for being roused early. If a machina fails to rest, it is treated the same as a living creature that fails to sleep, becoming exhausted or fatigued.

Resilience: Machina receive a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against poison and disease. A machina’s body is not the same as a living creature, and thus, is not affected the same as other creatures by poison and disease - though its systems are still fragile enough to be damaged by such toxins.

Languages: Machina begin play speaking Common. Machina with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages such as Druidic).

Author's Note: Something to fill that "medieval robot" void, mostly a heavy retooling of warforged, but also taking some inspiration from other places and settings.

Additional Ratings
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