Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the bionic fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Heartlab. If the bionic has at least 1 resurrection cell remaining in its heartlab, a destroyed bionic gains a new body immediately within its heartlab, and breaks 1 of its resurrection cells, regaining all its hit points and abilities. The cell is re-constructed over the course of 1 month, or 30 days, after which it can be used again. A standard heartlab has a maximum of 5 (1d10) resurrection cells. Multiple resurrection cells can be repaired at one time.
Spellcasting. The bionic is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The bionic has the following artificer spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mending, prestidigitation, fire bolt
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, catapult, shield
2nd level (3 slots): enlarge/reduce, web, invisibility, arcane lock
3rd level (2 slots): fly, counterspell, dispel magic, flame arrows
4th level (2 slots): fabricate, summon construct
5th level (1 slots): creation, animate objects
Artificer Infusions. The bionic has 4 Artificer infusions from the artificer infusion table. Two infusions are required. They are: Arcane Propulsion Armour and Homunculus Servant. The Homunculus Servant stays within the bionic's lair, repairing the resurrection cells. For every Homunculus Servant, the time taken for a resurrection cell to be repaired reduces by 10 days, to a minimum of 1 day. Recommended infusions for the other 2 infusions are the Enhanced Arcane Focus, and Cloak of the Bat. The changes the infusions give to the stat block are not listed in this monsters stat block, to allow for other users to more easily adapt it.
Mechanical Complexity. The bionic has advantage on saving throws against any effect that specifies constructs.
Laser Sword. The bionic swings at one creature it can see within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a dexterity saving throw against the bionic's spell save DC, taking 27 (5d10) psychic damage on a failed save, or no damage on a successful one.
The bionic can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The bionic regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cantrip. The bionic casts a cantrip.
Laser Sword (Costs 2 Actions). The bionic uses its laser sword.
Shocking Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). The bionic fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw against this magic or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The paralyzed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the bionic's gaze for the next 24 hours.
Cognative Distruption (Costs 3 Actions). Each creature with an intelligence above 4 within 20 feet of the bionic must make a DC 18 wisdom saving throw against this magic, taking 26 8d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
Bionics are what occurs when an artificer fears death to the point of mutilating their body, existing in a perpetual state of self-induced suffering. Oftentimes, this eternal torment sends them mad but, owing to the relative ethicality of becoming a bionic over a lich, they can as easily be forces for good as for evil
A bionic wears an airtight arcane armour that prevents their expiration. While the armour often reflects the artificer that created it, they all share a few characteristics. One is a gem set into the centre of their chest, which is protected by unsurpassable wards of protection and allows the bionic to be pulled through space back to their heartlab to be revived, and the armour covers the entire body. This is because, within the armour, the bionic mutates and decays into little more than a sentient, malformed collection of flesh.
Biomechanical Secrets. No artificer becomes a bionic on a whim, and the process of becoming a bionic is a well-guarded secret. artificers that wish to become bionics must make bargains with gods, genies or other powerful entities. Many turn to Mordenkainen's scattered writings, as the works he has secreted over the planes contain just enough information for those intelligent enough to recreate the final steps themselves.
A bionic is created by an arcane ritual that, upon death, pulls the bionic's soul back to their heartab to be re-incarnated. Doing so binds the soul to the mortal world, preventing it from travelling to the Outer Planes after death. A heartlab is often the artificer's workplace from life, but requires some adaptations before it can be used as a Heartlab. A Heartlab requires at least:
- 150000 gold pieces and 20 workweeks to construct the shell of the heartlab from scratch, but only 20000 gold pieces and 5 workweeks to refurbish an existing lab with some of the requisite pieces of equipment
- at least 1 resurrection cell, which costs 25000 gold pieces for the glass, alchemical fluids, metals and wiring, and 1 workweek to construct
- at least 1 modified homunculus servant, which uses a gem worth 1000 gold pieces instead of 100 gold pieces when infused as part of the artificer's infusion list
- 2 gems from the same vein or geode, costing 10000 gold pieces each, one is put into the bionics armour and the other into its pylon
- 1 arcane pylon, which costs 40000 gold pieces for the wiring, metals and other resources, excluding the price of the gem in its centre, the price being listed above and 20 workweeks to construct
As well as this, a budding bionic must construct itself an arcane armour, which requires it to be a 14th level artificer to be constructed as part of its Arcane Propulsion Armour, but requires an extra 65000 gold pieces to construct, excluding the price of the gem in its centre, the price being listed above, and 10 workweeks to construct
Power Hungry. A bionic's heartlab must be constantly powered. This can be done through the burning of souls as fuel, but could just as easily be through some other source of power, such as a steam engine powered by the heat given off of a portal to the nine hells, or burning copious amounts of fuel. The energy required is substantial, rivalling the energy required to upkeep a fleet of flying fortresses.
A bionic that fails or forgets to maintain its Heartlab simply loses the ability to be reincarnated.
Death and Restoration. When a bionic’s body is broken by accident or assault, the suit of armour it inhabits appears to fold in on itself disappearing into the gem which dissolves into light. a new body reforms inside one of the bionic's resurrection cells, coalescing out of glowing smoke that issues from within the device. The bionic then breaks out of the resurrection cell, releasing the fluid within and breaking the glass casing. The fluid is collected by a recycling system within the heartlab, and the modified homunculus servant repairs the resurrection cell over the course of 30 days, to be used again.
Destroying a bionics heartlab is surprisingly easy once you are inside, as all the components are delicate alchemical instruments, but getting to the heartlab is where the real struggle lies.
Lonely Existence. From time to time, a bionic might be stirred from its single-minded pursuit of power to take an interest in the world around it, most often when some great event reminds it of the life it once led. It otherwise lives in isolation, engaging only with those creatures whose service helps secure its lair.
Few bionics call themselves by their former names, instead adopting monikers such as The Construct that Breathes or The Forgotten Alchemist.
Magic Collectors. Bionics collect and create spells and magic items. In addition to its spell repertoire, a bionic has ready access to potions, scrolls, libraries of spellbooks, one or more wands, and perhaps a staff or two. It has no qualms about putting these treasures to use whenever its lair comes under attack.
Immortal Armour. A bionic doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Bionic’s Lair
A Bionic often haunts the abode it built in life, such as a lonely tower, a haunted ruin, or an academy of black magic. Usually, most bionics construct secret laboratories filled with powerful guardians and traps.
Everything about a bionic’s lair reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Undead, constructs, and bound demons lurk in shadowy recesses, emerging to destroy those who dare to disturb the bionic’s work.
A bionic encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 22 (41,000 XP).
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the bionic can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the bionic can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The bionic rolls 1d6 -1 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower, rerolling on a 0. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
- The lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of energy tethers the bionic to the target. Whenever the bionic takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the bionic takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until the bionic or the target is no longer in the bionic's lair.
- The bionic activates machines built into the walls of the lair. These machines materialize and attack one creature that the bionic can see, directly or indirectly, within its lair. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 15d6 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The machines then disappear.
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