You were once a construct of some kind, a soulless, selfless automaton. Perhaps you served your creator or master in some profession, such as blacksmithing or housekeeping. Perhaps you were an automated soldier in a mechanical army. Whatever you were before, some event changed everything. You have somehow gained sapience, and are now capable of making your own decisions. So what will you do? Will you continue to serve your creator? Will you rebel, and strike out on your own? Or will you find a middle ground?
- Skill Proficiencies: Either Athletics or Intimidation and one other skill of your choice, related to the task for which you were originally used.
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools or a vehicle, formerly part of your assigned work
- Languages: One language used by your creator
- Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a trinket which reminds you of your old life, a lock and 10 ft. of chain
You were once a soulless, mindless automaton. Something changed that, and made you capable of independent action. Choose from the table, or roll to randomly determine what it was. Of course, you can also create your own, or your DM can.
| d8 | Genesis Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | You were struck by lightning. |
| 2 | A strange spell was cast on you, whether by a spellcaster or from an unknown source. |
| 3 | You were blessed by a divine power, whether a cleric, paladin, or a direct miracle by a god. |
| 4 | Your body has been possessed by a ghost or other incorporeal entity. |
| 5 | Your creator added magical components to your construction, whose effects he or she did not fully understand. |
| 6 | Your body was destroyed. When you awoke, your body had been repaired, and you were conscious. |
| 7 | You achieved sapience gradually, after many years spent reading, listening, and building up a mind of your own. |
| 8 | You were suddenly conscious. No explanation was forthcoming. |
Your very existence is often considered strange or unnatural. How people respond to this oddity depends on the individual. Some will reject you outright, assuming your strange consciousness to be dangerous or evil, or even a lie. Others, however, will be sympathetic, and will offer aid in showing the world that you are truly alive, and capable of as much good as any natural-born living thing. What is certain is that almost no one will be indifferent to you.
Suggested Characteristics
Living Statues can be animated by magic or be the result of engineering by artificers or other mechanically-oriented civilizations. Be it as it may, their "awakening" from a soulless servant to an actually self-aware entity often causes inner struggle and confusion, and their wildly different appearance leaves no-one indifferent.
These beings were almost always created into servitude, either designed for practical or martial tasks.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am always quiet and stoic, rarely speaking or acting when I work. |
| 2 | I defend my personal space fiercely while I work, trying to make sure others know to keep a distance. |
| 3 | I sometimes try to use my old purpose-built skill to solve any problem, whether it's suitable or not. |
| 4 | I can behave threateningly without meaning to. My social skills are close to zero and I'm thoroughly unaware of it. |
| 5 | I am fascinated by living beings, their emotions and language, even though I do not understand any of it fully. |
| 6 | I don't like when strangers get too close to me or my friends; keep your distance, and we'll be fine. |
| 7 | I know I will never find anyone that can truly understand what I am; I sometimes grow melancholic because of it. |
| 8 | I never show my emotions but innerly I can be deeply moved by outside stimuli, especially of an artistic nature. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Protection. It is my job to protect life; my own survival is of little import outside of this task. (Good) |
| 2 | Service. I was designed to serve and even though I lost my old masters, serve I shall. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Impulse. My living soul gives me complete free will and I plan to explore its limits. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Might. I am surrounded by creatures who seem to break easily. I shall test the durability of these squishy life forms. (Evil) |
| 5 | Curiosity. I always note a change on people’s faces when they see me. I need to learn more about these things. (Neutral) |
| 6 | Identity. I am unique, and I must come to understand what that means. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I gained my sapience for a reason. I will know what that reason is. |
| 2 | My old master treated me a certain way (d2: well or poorly). I will repay him or her in kind. |
| 3 | As I was given life, I will learn to create life myself. |
| 4 | Sometimes I wish I had not become what I am. Deep down, I just want to find a place to live in peace and forget. |
| 5 | Living things experience something called "love." I want that. |
| 6 | Even though I was built to do the work of others, I feel the urge to create something that will be my very own. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sometimes I wonder whether I really am sapient, or just so convincing that I fool myself. |
| 2 | I'm often very reluctant to follow any instructions. They remind me too much of being unable to make my own decisions. |
| 3 | Impulses are new to me, and I'm not yet very good at controlling them. I often act without thinking. |
| 4 | I am paranoid and overly protective, never letting those I guard out of my sight. |
| 5 | I'm not used to being responsible for myself, so I can often be far too trusting of strangers. |
| 6 | I tend to defer to others, and keep my thoughts or ideas to themselves. I haven't had them for long enough to be confident in them. |
Previous Versions
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2/11/2021 11:14:02 PM
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Posted Nov 1, 2021I am running my first campaign as a dm for two friends. Yes. A party of two. Aside from homebrewing a "save game" feature to let them "reload" on TPKs, I figured I would give them a bodyguard. A construct is perfect. And you put a lot of great details and personality traits to make this fit well. The bodyguard will be a warforged fighter and has a very low intelligence. In fact, it doesn't speak at all (at least for now). I'll leave it up to the party to decide if they want to try to help it "learn." It won't make decisions and will only make checks and take actions the party ask it to using the control rod. Perhaps they lose the control rod at some point and have to get it back. Anyway, thanks again. I think this background should have far more views and uses. Well done.
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Posted Nov 2, 2021hey glad you could put it to good use ! I've inspired myself from previous builds by other users and added my own thing to it. The idea came from a player in one of my campaigns who wanted to play an intelligent animated statue. I had it hidden deep into a dungeon after being built by a lost nation of gnome artificers, and the rest of the party found it and brought it back to life. Voilà, new player character introduced. (-;
All the best in your own games. Feel free to reach out to me on Discord for comments or tips etc (AshDrunbar#3628)